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Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

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forestedge
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Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by forestedge »

I have a standalone GW1100 lightning sensor updating my website via MX. This works fine but only the time of last strike is displayed, not the date as in screenshot. Is it possible this can be added?
Screenshot 2022-04-12 at 09-33-42 New Forest Weather - Live 24 hour weather conditions.png
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broadstairs
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by broadstairs »

Not sure if you are using webtags for this but the default webtag is just the time as shown. I discovered this recently so I needed to add a format modifier to get the date as well.

Stuart
Mapantz
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by Mapantz »

I did mine like this:

Code: Select all

<#LightningTime format="HH:mm:ss"> <#LightningTime format="D">
04:13:38 09 April 2022

I decided to make a small php function to get the seconds/minutes/hours/days since that date and time, so it comes back as: Last Detection: 3 days ago.

I added the date and time via a tooltip.
Screenshot 2022-04-12 113135.png
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forestedge
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by forestedge »

I did mine like this:

Code: Select all

<#LightningTime format="HH:mm:ss"> <#LightningTime format="D">
Thanks, I am using Wordpress with php webtags in a table:

[insert_php]Echo " Time of Last Strike: " . $LightningTime;[/insert_php].

Tried the formatting with no result. There must be a method to format using php. The php function sounds good.
Mapantz
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by Mapantz »

Not sure on the file you're using to create a PHP tag, but I convert it to PHP also:

Code: Select all

$LightningTime="<#LightningTime format="HH:mm:ss"> <#LightningTime format="D">";

Code: Select all

<?php echo $LightningTime;?>
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sfws
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by sfws »

Further to question posed in immediately preceding post, presumably you realise that you need to do the web tag output format modification edit in a file that is processed by Cumulus MX, not by using Wordpress to edit any web page table on your web server.

I don't know where you store Cumulus template files, it could be in the "CumulusMX\web" folder on your Windows PC, or you may have created a folder that is not affected by any MX upgrades . Like Mapantz, I don't know which template file you are using, but there are a few mentioned in the Wiki.

Obviously, I cannot view any PHP on your web server. My guess, as I see one of Ken True's scripts on your site, is that you are using "CUtags.php" on your web server?
If I am right, then you will have a CUtagsT.php template script that Cumulus MX is asked to process, and need to change the initialisation value of $LightningTime there.

Otherwise, you will be using some other template, maybe called web_tagsT.php.ext (fill in your file name and the extension your file uses), and it will be there that $LightningTime is initialised with a value, so edit it there.
I enjoyed viewing the "gallery" page on your web site. I have some pictures of New Forest ponies (and other wildlife artwork) on the window sill in this room where I have the Raspberry Pi on which I am typing this post (it also processes my weather station). As a youngster I had lots of holidays in that part of England, and made some further visits when my late sister was at Southampton Uni, and then when I was in work I dealt with a firm at Totton, but all of that is decades ago now!
forestedge
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by forestedge »

Screenshot 2022-04-13 at 20-24-33 New Forest Weather - Live 24 hour weather conditions.png
Yes that cracked it,I was modifying the wrong webtag file :bash:
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forestedge
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by forestedge »

Obviously, I cannot view any PHP on your web server. My guess, as I see one of Ken True's scripts on your site, is that you are using "CUtags.php" on your web server?
If I am right, then you will have a CUtagsT.php template script that Cumulus MX is asked to process, and need to change the initialisation value of $LightningTime there.
Yes correct! I should have checked the webtag file name first.
I enjoyed viewing the "gallery" page on your web site. I have some pictures of New Forest ponies (and other wildlife artwork) on the window sill in this room where I have the Raspberry Pi on which I am typing this post (it also processes my weather station). As a youngster I had lots of holidays in that part of England, and made some further visits when my late sister was at Southampton Uni, and then when I was in work I dealt with a firm at Totton, but all of that is decades ago now!
Thanks for the feedback, I generally post weather and forest pics on my twitter feed these days, probably time to upload a few more to gallery!
Mapantz
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by Mapantz »

Have you had any thunder yet?

My detector has been going mad. Third set of storms in as many weeks. That's more than the last 5 years put together!
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forestedge
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by forestedge »

Have you had any thunder yet?
Just two distant strikes last night from big storm over Bournemouth. Missed us completely!
watsonm
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by watsonm »

Hi,
Sorry to sneak into your post but I looked at the manual for the Ecowitt Lighning sensor and it says:

Frequency: 915/868/433MHz (optional)

Does this mean you can change the frequency or do you have to order specific frequency (which is what I suspect)

My setup is all 433 and I am just looking for a suitable standalone lightning detector to add....

Thanks for any help Mike
Regards Mike
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water01
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by water01 »

You cannot change the frequency you have to order the one to match your existing kit, which I thought in the case of the UK and Europe had to 868MHz?

The specification at the back of the Lightning Detector sensor manual (I have one) actually says North America 915 MHz, Europe 868MHz, Other areas 433MHZ.
David
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sfws
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by sfws »

water01 wrote: Mon 06 Jun 2022 4:48 pm You cannot change the frequency; you have to order the one to match your existing kit, which I thought in the case of the UK and Europe had to be 868MHz?

The specification at the back of the Lightning Detector sensor manual (I have one) actually says North America 915 MHz, Europe 868MHz, Other areas 433MHZ.
You can read the up to date "spectrum" rules for UK on the OFCOM web site, and all the rather complicated legal restrictions. The spectrum rules are constantly being reviewed and revised, and I no longer track the updates. I believe there may be some spectrum restriction differences between the home counties around London with high event based demands, and elsewhere in UK.

Devices sold for use only in UK, or for use in nations like Australia tend to use a 433 based frequency. Currently 433.9 MHz (the legal rules specify a range centered on 433-434, but Fine Offset use 433.9 and call it 433) remains available to domestic, and other "short range", users within the UK licence exempt 400 to 470 MHz range, the demand within this band has been traditionally high since Festivals and Sporting Events started being dependent on radio communications (previously broadcasters used physical cable connections) for such devices as cameras, microphones, and other remotely linked equipment, so within that range there has been some tightening of rules reserving particular frequencies for particular users like broadcasters, race courses, places of entertainment, large animal/estate parks, and music festival organisers. Events like Silverstone have such high demands they now use licenced frequencies.

868.3 MHz is a specific licence exempt frequency available for domestic, and other "short range", users under UK OFCOM rules. Growth in use of this frequency for door bells, thermostats, and several other domestic "wireless" devices is because they can also be used under the more restrictive European Telecommunication rules. The differences between UK and Europe rules are because interference between different devices is less of a problem away from mainland Europe.

915 MHz is not permitted for domestic device use in any nation outside North America as far as I am aware.
Last edited by sfws on Mon 06 Jun 2022 5:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
watsonm
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by watsonm »

Thanks for the replies.

Also got a reply from an Ecowitt supplier and he said it was 868Mhz fixed at factory as I suspected. However I have
found out that I can channel hop the RTL_433 Raspberry pi code between several frequencies so it may be an option.

Now got to choose between the £49 Ecowitt and one of the small hobby boards... :?
Regards Mike
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Directly connected : BMP388 pressure sensor. DHT22 For internal Humidity/temp Sensor. PMS5003 Particle Sensor
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water01
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Re: Ecowitt Lightning Date Needed

Post by water01 »

Interesting I bought my HP2551 via the Ecowitt Shop on Amazon.uk and they only sell ones with
Transmission distance in open field 100 m (330 ft.) RF Frequency 868 MHz.
David
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