G6KIZ Weather station
I am currently using a Watson W-8681 (reviewed in the equipment section of DigitalHam).
Until early September 2008 I used this Python EasyWeather to UIView script
to extract the latest data from the EasyWeather.dat file and reformat it for use by UIView.
Unfortunately the EasyWeather software is complete rubbish - one version will only run for a limited
time before elements of its window start to disappear. Eventually this version just hangs and sometimes
takes Windows with it.
A different version of EasyWeather - I can't say earlier or later as there is no proper version control
with this cesspit of a program and it just reports the version as whatever is coded in EasyWeather.ini -
has the habit of inventing monsoons by reporting unbelievably large rainfall. This problem is limited
to the software as deleting EasyWeather.dat and restarting EasyWeather causes it to download the data
from the W-8681 afresh and the spurious rainfall vanishes.
These problems led me to stop reporting rainfall and look around for some alternative software. I seem
to have struck gold with Cumulus
from SandaySoft. This software is being actively developed and the author has recently added support
for the W-8681.
Cumulus remains stable running 24x7 accurately recording whatever the W-8681 reports.
It can produce and upload web pages showing the station readings - weather display
and supports automatic uploads to Weather Underground and CWOP/APRS.
Naturally as my station is a Watson W-8681 not all the problems are solved - shortly after celebrating
my discovery of Cumulus and watching it accurately report the genuine downpours at the start of September
2008 I noticed that despite it still raining there was none being reported. Initially I suspected
a new version on Cumulus but a quick check showed that the W-8681 wasn't recording any rain - obviously
the wretched rain guage was playing up yet again just as it had when I first received it. An
examination of the guage hasn't shown much - it was dirty but seemed to be working electrically.
I cleaned the unit up and after several weeks eventually reconnected it.
Money is the root of all evil and man needs roots.
