Cumulus Support

I have not been keeping up to date on developments, but have there been any developments which would allow me to make the FO's data available on my LAN please?

My present setup is that I have the FO display console in my 'office' (a small spare bedroom), this is USB connected to an old WinXP desktop system. Day to day, usually use one or other W10 laptops, but the WinXP is only rarely turned on, usually just to download the data from the FO.

Ideally, I need a small low power consumption system [1], able to interface the FO unit to the LAN, then something I could run on a laptop to grab data from item [1].

so you want a device to collect data from you fine offset console, then have another device grab/download data from that. why?

why not just have one device running CumulusMX 24/7 and then either keep open the cumulusmx console so you can look at the data in realtime, or OR using a laptop surf too the CumulsMX console to view the data.

Failing that if you upload the data to a webhost or Weather data website like WU, PWSWeather, Met Office, etc you can then view the data anywhere in the world.

I do not wish to have a PC or laptop running 24/7, but it would be useful to be able to locate the FO console/display where it suits me. Uploading live data to a website, involves having a PC or laptop on to upload the data.

My FO console/display has to be located upstairs, so it can receive reliable data from the outdoor sensors at the far end of the back garden. My most used laptop is in the living room, using wifi to connect to the internet. It would be good not to have to go up to the 'office' to turn the desktop on, just to regularly download the data from the console.

How about a Raspberry Pi running 24x7? They only use about a watt of power.

I run Cumulus, two websites, a database and some 'experimental' stuff on mine.

the console on the FO needs a USB connection so you must have a wired connection to a device for it to download the data in the first place whether you like it or not. if you cannot be bothered going upstairs to turn you desktop on, then I suggest you move your FO console downstairs and then turn your laptop on with a USB connection to that. then you can view the data without going upstairs.

As Mark has suggested a RaspPi is the most affordable and inexpensive device to use and can host a website and CumulsMX 24/7 without eating your electric bill. and since it is on the local network in your house you can then access the CumulsMX WebGUI to view the data with any device you wish.

Toxic17 wrote:the console on the FO needs a USB connection so you must have a wired connection to a device for it to download the data in the first place whether you like it or not. if you cannot be bothered going upstairs to turn you desktop on, then I suggest you move your FO console downstairs and then turn your laptop on with a USB connection to that. then you can view the data without going upstairs.

As Mark has suggested a RaspPi is the most affordable and inexpensive device to use and can host a website and CumulsMX 24/7 without eating your electric bill. and since it is on the local network in your house you can then access the CumulsMX WebGUI to view the data with any device you wish.

That sounds interesting and I read a little of the thread, but it went a little over my head and I also thought that project had been dropped?

Idiots guide - What would I need to do to get that up and running?

harrym1byt wrote:
That sounds interesting and I read a little of the thread, but it went a little over my head and I also thought that project had been dropped?

Idiots guide - What would I need to do to get that up and running?

Anyone, please??

Someone on the forum dazza I think has made a rPi boot image with CumulusMX pre-installed, so in theory all you would need to do would be to buy a rPi/case/PSU/SD Card and write that image to the SD card, power on your rPi, then configure Cumulus for your station. Simples eh? What could possibly go wrong!

Here's the topic...
https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... y+pi+image

mcrossley wrote:Someone on the forum dazza I think has made a rPi boot image with CumulusMX pre-installed, so in theory all you would need to do would be to buy a rPi/case/PSU/SD Card and write that image to the SD card, power on your rPi, then configure Cumulus for your station. Simples eh? What could possibly go wrong!

Here's the topic...
https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... y+pi+image

Oh dear, that doesn't read very promising

Right, so what I think I understand and whilst I wait for my Pi to turn up here...

The Pi can be left permanently to the FO console, from which it forms a web page on the Pi which can be accessed via the LAN (and maybe from the WAN?). Am I correct in guessing that the Pi also stores the historical data received from the FO? On the SD card, or maybe on a USB HDD, or similar?

If it helps this discussion, my station is set up in a similar way to yours. I have left the 'scrapper' laptop running continuously since 2012, having deactivated screensavers and enabled the always on power options. The battery was already u/s and it runs with the lid closed, so the screen isn't on. I drive the laptop remotely over my lan from my main laptop in my armchair when I want to alter the config, reset it or manipulate the data files. Apart from taking it down twice to clean the dust out, I've had no problems running the laptop as a surrogate server... Even though you shouldn't!
Best thing was that the station laptop was thrown out costing me nothing.. I simply repaired the operating system!

John

We have a PC under our main TV in the lounge - cheaper than $ky as we mainly only watch the main UK channels - usually the 'holy trinity' of soaps.

I've lumped the FO reciever unit onto the back of the telly cabinet with the cable into the PC through the cable hole. Recently, its been sat on one of the shelves in the cabinet under a 'portable' many TB hard drive as its been beeping its little head off. Easier to reach in to the shelfy bit than dangle my arm around the back to tap the screen.

Have standard Cumulus running 24/7 on it and pumping data to my website and to the usual online weather outfits. Also, have my utorrent stuff up 24/7 and its not hugely obtrusive - I mean I do have a wireless keyboard and mouse on my side table, but thats what we use to navigate iplayer/itv hub etc and do some youtube/netflix/internet viewing with so its rather part of the furniture like the telly remote.