Well after looking at WD graph of reception it is pretty clear that once I started using VitualVP my reception dropped and has been all over the place. The preceding 10 hours that WD has data before using VirtualVP it never went below 99%, but since then reception has been all over the place. So I am going to connect WD or Weatherlink directly to the Envoy bypassing VirtualVP and see if I can see any trends.
Thanks,
Ryan
Hi!
Yesterday I installed the demo version of VirtualVP to run WD and WL together. The setup was easy and everything run just fine.
After a while, -as I wrote in a previous message- I discovered that the reception percentage of my console fell from 97% to 89%.
From time to time (5-10 minutes intervals) I observed that the “X” symbol on the console was replaced by the R symbol which means
that the console was trying to re-establish a lost connection. I have never seen this for the last 14 months that my Davis is on-line!
The average value of the reception percentage is always 96-98%. I had never had 100% reception because the distance between the ISS and the console is about 15 meters (4 floors above my appartment on the terrace of the building) in a highly populated area, the center of the city. (a lot of interference).
This morning, the reception fell to 88%. So I decided to remove VirtualVP and run only WD directly on COM1. This change took place at 11am
and after 12 hours at 23:15, the reception percentage restored to 97% and I didn’t! see the “R” symbol again! So there is definetly a
problem caused by the operation of VirtualVP. Maybe this occurs on setups like mine where the distance between ISS and the console is long.
I hope that this test will help you tinplate to resolve this issue, because VirtualVP rocks! It’s the best solution to run two or more weather
programs simoultaneously withour serial splitters!
Bye!
Ok, I just ran my WD directly to the Envoy and the reception is in the 80% area and climbing and has not dropped in the last three hours. So I am going to keep it on WD to see if it keeps climbing… I also just disconnected WD and ran Weatherlink to download the last 3 hours of data off the logger and there wasn’t any missed data at each 1 minute reading. I couldn’t go one hour with using VirtualVP without lost data. The interesting thing this is that Weatherlink didn’t show a reception reading below 91% for those 3 hours, but WD was showing in the 80’s. Maybe WD calculates something different or something, but that is strange how the percentages were different.
I agree VirtualVP rocks and is a great piece of software to run multiple weather programs!!
WL does calculate the reception differently. Any reception calculation is based on an estimate of the number of packets that should have been received by the console. According to Davis docs, the VP2 generates about 3% more packets than the VP1, but the calculation within WL uses the estimate for the VP1. This results in WL reporting a reception value higher than it actually is (by a few percent).
WL calculates reception by getting the count of wind packets received during each archive interval, and using that to calculate a reception %. VirtualVP gets the reception data directly from the console in the form of the number of packets received, the estimated number of packets missed (calculated by the console), and calculates the reception % from that. I don’t know how Brian calculates it, but I’m guessing it is the later method.
Some people are reporting a drop in reception using VirtualVP, and others are reporting no significant effect. I can’t find any pattern in either group. I am implementing some changes that might help those reporting the reception drop, and I’ll have a beta version with those changes withing the week.
Steve
Unless Brian has changed it, WD gets reception data from the RXCHECK command.
Sorry to be a pain, but would like to use virtual VP software, but cant get it working.
I want weatherdisplay and weatherlink to both get the data.
I did also use the N8VBvCOMSetup-226 installation before i installed VVP.
Any ideas?
My weatherstation is on com1.
Stuart
Try switching all your virtual consoles to use “Connect to Virtual COM Port” instead of TCP/IP. Virtual console 1 should be set to COM16, virtual console 2 to COM17, etc.
Then, configure your weather programs to use one of the ports COM6 through COM9.
Steve
SUPURB! its running.
How do i get the program to run when windows start, or do i just add a shortcut in the startup menu?
Doo567,
After re-reading your messages, I’d like to offer a possible explanation for your reception issue while using VirtualVP. When VirtualVP runs the very first time, it downloads all the datalogger archive data. Downloading this much data will have a negative effect on the reception, but it is a one time thing. If WeatherDisplay shows reception % based only on the RXCHECK data, then the reception value is the reception since midnight. If you run VirtualVP the first time, it will lower the reception as calculated from RXCHECK data. Once the VirtualVP archive download is complete, the reception for the day will hit its low point. Then, since the minute to minute reception goes back to near normal, the reception value for the day would then improve as the day wore on (regardless of whether you continued running VirtualVP or stopped running it).
Different programs report reception differently. WeatherLink reports the reception as the reception over each archive interval (independant of each other). VirtualVP and VPLive report reception as the reception over the past 2 minutes. Maybe Brian can chime in here on what the WeatherDisplay reception is. Your post that reported WeatherDisplay still showing low (but climbing) reception, while WeatherLink showed the reception high during the 3 hours makes me think WeatherDisplay is showing reception since midnight (straight calculation off the RXCHECK data).
To get a real evaluation of the effect (if any) of VirtualVP on reception, you should look at the reception for at least a day after you run VirtualVP the very first time after installation.
Reception is an odd thing to get a handle on. I know of one VirtualVP user whose data I have looked at from several weeks before using VirtualVP to some time after starting to use it. His reception was fairly crummy to begin with. When he started using VirtualVP, the reception was essentially the same, or maybe a very tiny bit worse. Then, several days after starting to use VirtualVP, the reception changed to some of the best reception I’ve seen on a wireless VP. I’m sure pretty sure VirtualVP wasn’t responsible for the improvement. But what was? He can’t think of anything he could have done that would have changed the reception. His reception has stayed great since that day it magically changed. There are SO many things that can affect reception on a VP wireless station.
I have posted a new version of VirtualVP that has a new option that allows you to reduce the frequency which VirtualVP gets LOOP data (live sensor data). If anyone thinks VirtualVP is negatively impacting their reception, I would like you to try the new version and see if it makes any difference. After installing this version, you just need to go to the Communication Settings dialog and uncheck the “Allow Fast Looping” option near the top of the dialog. I also invite you to send me “before VirtualVP/during VirtualVP/after turning VirtualVP off” data. If some people are seeing a reception problem truly attributable to VirtualVP, I’d like to find out why it happens to some, and fix whatever it is.
Steve
Stuart,
I’m glad that got you going.
Right now the startup menu is way to run VirtualVP at startup. I may add a feature to make this easy to do from within VirtualVP. I also will be looking into having VirtualVP run as a Windows service so it runs at startup without the need to even log into Windows.
I already have slated for the next version of VirtualVP a feature where you can specify the weather program associated with each virtual console. VirtualVP will then start those programs after the virtual consoles get connected and ready to do their job. This will make the sequencing of weather program startups a bit easier, and ensure VirtualVP is up and ready before the other weather programs start.
Steve
i think you hit the nail on the head re the reception
Sounds brilliant. I will hold out for that!!
Anyone using VPLive with VirtualVP may want to check out the latest version of VPLive. The main changes are:
Packaged with an installer program.
Can connect directly to VirtualVP using TCP/IP (no virtual drivers needed in between).
Now sends data directly to APRS servers (VWSaprs no longer needed).
http://www.softwx.com/weather/vptools/vplive.html
Cheers,
Steve
If you downloaded VPLive v. 1.0.0, please download the latest version v.1.0.1. There was a bug in the formatting of the APRS packet that affects around half of the stations. The new version has this bug fixed.
Steve
Well I got it running finally after playing with it for a few minutes. My reception is staying steady at 93% so far. I am usually around 95% so did not lose that much reception. I will monitor this closely to make sure everything works. I really like the VPlive because of the 1 second update interval. Like Brian said it makes WD better as well. Looks like I will buy it but just going to wait and see how it goes for the 30 day trial.
Chuck
Steve I have this error in my activity log. Does it mean anything since it only happened for a few seconds.
06:06:00:484 Precondition- TVirtualVp.ReceiveLoop: PreCondition 1 failed
06:06:02:750 Precondition- TVirtualVp.ReceiveLoop: PreCondition 1 failed
06:06:02:890 Precondition- TVirtualVp.ReceiveLoop: PreCondition 1 failed
06:06:03:828 Precondition- TVirtualVp.ReceiveLoop: PreCondition 1 failed
06:06:04:984 Precondition- TVirtualVp.ReceiveLoop: PreCondition 1 failed
Chuck
That indicates a bug. The code that connects to and talks to the VP data logger kept sending live sensor data to one of the virtual consoles (LOOP packets) after the virtual console had received as many as it asked for. It probably fixed itself after that virtual console passed along the next request from the connected weather program. This is not a fatal or even serious bug, but one that should be fixed. I am in the process of reworking the communications code right now. I need to replace the third party serial comm library because of “issues” it has that are making my life dfficult. I am replacing it with my own library so I have more control over it. The code that the bug you reported is in is getting a reworking as part of what I’m doing now, so I’ll keep it in mind for when I get to that code.
If you get that error a lot, let me know. I think it probably only happens rarely.
Steve
Steve, I’ve been running VirtualVP since you released it w/ WD, VPLive, and WL. Since the last update my monitors will not turn off. I had them set for 30 minutes and have tried them at 1 minute but the update window keeps displaying about every 40-50 seconds. Don’t think I changed any setting.
–Dave
I’m not sure I understand. Which update window? When you say your monitors will not turn off, do you mean like a screensaver thing?
Sorry, not very clear on my part. I have dual monitors set to power off after XX minutes under the screensaver power tab.
I believe the update window is the same window I see when VirtualVP downloads the data logger when first starting. It happens very fast and not really sure it’s the same window except for the size, shape and color. When it flashes it prevents the monitors from powering down because of the activity.
–Dave