5 Day Forecast Image

Archive Archived Weather Display Usage Questions
1

Hey all :smiley:

Im am new to using weather display but have been using it for around 3-4 months, Im using the WS2300 weather station.
I have noticed that weather display has a 5 day forecast image, i was wondering how i set it up and do i need any other software for it?

Thanks alot,
Chris

2

Hello Chris,

You don’t need any other software other than WD to create the 5 day forecast image.

You first need to start downloading a forecast from NOAA as noted here:
http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/9168
http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/23636

Once you have started downloading that then simply click on the Conditions Icon on your WD Desktop which should open the 5day forecast image and use the controls from there to start uploading it.

Note you have to be in the US for NOAA forecast downloads, not sure of your location as it isn’t in your profile, which we recommend adding as well as your station type…

-Bob

3

And of course, he isn’t in the USA, here’s his site per a post in another thread :roll:

4

How weird…I wrote a response to this message yesterday saying I cannot get the 5 day forecast to work on my site and I got a reply that said someone named Windy replied to my question. My question and their response are both missing??? I someone deleting my messages?

5

…See Announcements by the Administrator at the top of the forum…a small hiccup…

That Windy person (our hero) is the writer of Weather Display, but as he resides in New Zealand his time on-line has to be catered for by the umpty hrs he’s ahead of us…

6

Thanks for letting me knows…

So…that brings us back to the topic. I cannot get the forecast data to display. The TXT file downloads properly to my PC but the values aren’t being imported to the web pages. The data is missing on the main/home page as well as on the forecast page.

I saw a mention of a “CONDITIONS” icon that I need to click to set something up but I can’t even find a CONDITIONS icon??? What does it look like, what page is it on?

Thanks,

Lew

7

I had initially thought that you were in the UK from your time display…but further investigation and a look at your website puts you in the US of A… I see that you are using a Carterlake template so the experts will get you going I’m sure… wink: :wink:

The Conditions Icon, as I understand it, may be setup via WD/control panel/summary image & icons setup (the little red house graphic - LHS) /“summary image/banner/weather icon setup” page… This Conditions Icon is the one you see on the normal WD running front page with cloud/sun etc etc…You can set the thresholds etc as required…and of course it has implications with your website outcomes and setup.

8

Hiya…lots of great info… I am astounded by just how complex and comprehensive the WD product is.

I can only guess that the CONDITIONS button would take me to something where I could choose the symbols that would display relative to certain conditions?

I do get an icon that appears in the Current Conditions part of my page as a result of the last thing Ken suggested I do. I had data there before but the symbol wasn’t appearing.

Not sure that was what I should have asked about in that my problem is bigger then that, I don’t get anything to display in the forecast section. I read something about going in to the conditions section after figuring out how to get th TXT file downloaded. Now I don’t see the connection.

I have asked for help relative to the Carter Lake template and am waiting to hear back!

Thanks,

Lew

9

I just noticed I had a sun symbol although the condition said overcast and gloomy…

the actual conditions are full sun at 1pm in the afternoon…so the little symbol of a sun is correct and the wording is wrong… I have been so worried about the missing forecast data I didn’t realize I was giving out inaccurate local condition information.

10

The conditions icon in WD can be set by a couple of methods. Folks without a Solar sensor can use a nearby METAR for sky conditions. Folks with a Solar sensor can use the Solar Sensor to set sky conditions (cloudyness) during the daytime, and fallback to the METAR sky condition at nighttime.

The Control Panel, Solar Sensor controls how Solar and Metar conditions are displayed.
The Control Panel, Summary Icons controls using METAR to change main screen Icon.

If you don’t have either Solar or Metar setup, then WD uses the recent rain to determine conditions ‘Dry’, ‘Light Rain’, ‘Raining’, ‘Stopped Raining’

The 5-day forecast images are controlled by the NOAA forecast only – for that you’ll need to download the forecast using the setup in Control Panel, FTP/Internet setup, NOAA Forecast Download TAB.

Best regards,
Ken

11

just to repeat, the 5 day forecast is set up to use the noaa forecast for the USA
what file are you downloading?

12

Hello…

I am sorry for bringing up two subjects at once as I am confused enough as it is 8O

Regarding Current Conditions… I have a UV sensor, is that a “solar” sensor? I followed the setup steps in the PDF provided so I don’t know if that process had me install any metar information or not? If I am missing data because something isn’t set up, then I guess I need to set something else up?

Regarding FIVE DAY FORECAST

  1. I live in the USA, more precisely Minnesota.
  2. I am downloading the TXT file I was instructed to download (mnz070.txt) after you gave me the corrected location to look for the files and it resides in the “wdisplay” directory. I have viewed the text file and it is the proper forecast data for my area. Likewise, it is setup to download the

I don’t know what to do next. Is the file in the wrong place? Why doesn’t the program see it and use the data? I did find a box to check for “use forecast for VP forecast system”. I didn’t have that checked as I don’t know what the VP forecast system is and the PDF didn’t suggest that box be checked?

I am sure I am missing something simple here…

thanks,

lew

13

ok
there is another person who lives in Australia, hence the confusion
if you could post here the file that you have downloaded I will test here
re uv sensor: wd converts that uv reading to a solar reading…for the irox station…make sure you turn on the solar switch in the solar setup

14

Hello Brian,

I already had the solar sensor turned on. There was only one box checked by default and that was how I left it. Just the last choice was marked:

“Store solar value as extra temp. #4 for graphing Solar/THSW on main screen (recommended)”

Are there any other settings regarding the UV sensor I need to check?

I couldn’t find a choice for added a file to my reply so I will email y ou one.

Thanks,

Lew

15

you also need to set up to use the max solar radiation for lat/long in the solar setup
set the lat/long correctly there and then tick to use that
and then WD will calculate the solar % based on your estimated solar wm/2 compared to the expected for the time of day/lat/long

16

Hello…maybe I can help out with your 5 day forecast not appearing on your current website, which is here: www.farmingtonweather.com

you need to now your NOAA Forercast download txt, which you said is mnz070.txt

next step is to go into WD/CONTROL PANEL/WEBSITE CONFIGURATIONS/FTP&CONNECTIONS/NOAA FORECAST DOWNLOAD/…Once inside there it should look like this(my setup for it):

http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sshot33ai2.png

Now for the instructions on how to set your up:

  1. in the DIRECTORY box where mine says “/data/forecasts/zone/ma/”…change your’s
    to this: /data/forecasts/zone/mn/

2 )in the FILE TO DOWNLOAD Box mine says “maz021.txt”…change your’s to this: mnz070.txt

  1. under that box, Click on ADD TO LIST, So that mnz070.txt is now visible in the big box below

  2. now on the left side, for DOWNLOAD TIMES…click on CLEAR ALL, Then click on DOWNLOAD HOURLY

  3. next,…Click on the RED DOWNLOADS OFF, so that it is Green Downloads On

  4. Next Click on SAVE NOW on far right

  5. click on TEST, then after this, exit out of these windows

  6. now go into your WD Folder and there should be a mnz070.txt file inside there… soon your website will get this information, and start displaying the forecast text on your home page and forecast page

(the reason my RED DOWNLOADS OFF is in that screen shot is becasue I am using a different type of forecast and when I took screen shot forgot about this, but yours needs to be GREEN DOWNLOADS ON)

So follow the above directions and everything should start showing up shortly on for your NOAA Forecast on your website.

Please reply back when you have set it up, and if for some reason it doesnt work, we can troubleshoot some more.

The forecast with Icons, that I am using on my webpage here: www.gateway2capecod.com is a bit harder to setup for Novice user’s of WD, So for now start with the easy forecast type for your site, and then you can allways chnage it in future to the advancedforecast2.php type forecast with the icons

one last thing you may want to change within the your forum profile: when I clicked on the globe under your username, it didnt bring me to your farmingtonweather.com site…it brought me to some other crazy site, inwhich I needed to allow some active X control, just to view the page, so if you could edit your forum profile and just add the link to your direct weather website, that would be great. yes…I did see your website in your signature also, which is how I eventually found it.

OK…Let me know how you make out with this, and have a good evening…Chris @ www.gateway2capecod.com

17

the problem is , after he sent me the file, is he is downloading the wrong file…he is downloading the tabular forecast file instead of the format needed

18

so is the mnz070 the correct txt file for his area?

I just downloaded the mnz070.txt and it looks like this, inside the txt file:

Expires:200706091115;;834783
FPUS53 KMPX 082053
ZFPMPX
ZONE FORECASTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
353 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2007

MNZ060>063-068>070-091115-
HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…MINNEAPOLIS…BLAINE…ST. PAUL…
STILLWATER…CHASKA…SHAKOPEE…BURNSVILLE
353 PM CDT FRI JUN 8 2007

.TONIGHT…CLEAR. LOWS AROUND 50. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH.

.SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING PARTLY
CLOUDY. HIGHS AROUND 80. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 55 TO 60. SOUTH WINDS
15 MPH.

.SUNDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS AROUND 80. SOUTH WINDS 10 MPH.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS AROUND 65. SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 MPH.

.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS 80 TO 85. LOWS 60 TO 65.
.TUESDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS 80 TO 85.

.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 60 TO 65. HIGHS 80 TO
85.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS 60 TO 65. HIGHS AROUND
80.
.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 55 TO 60. HIGHS
AROUND 75.

19

it is but its being downloaded from the wrong folder I would say (as its the tabular forecast which is the wrong type)
(we will need to wait for other people to help here that are more expert at the file structure for downloads)

20

HELLO Brian…I believe the mnz070.txt is the correct file for him and is his Zone forecast, according to this page:

http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=MN&prodtype=zone

The tabular one is here:

http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=MN&prodtype=state

so, as long as he puts in the DIRECTORY BOX this (below) for Zone forecast, it should be correct?

/data/forecasts/zone/mn/