Request Change to have wxnow.txt publish with UTC/GMT time

[KF0KFL-13]

Currently my computer running Cumulus MX is running on UTC time.

My APRS program, APRSIS32, takes the date from the wxnow.txt and puts it out as UTC time without considering the timezone it was published in.

Nov 05 2023 21:34
167/005g014t054r000p000P000h74b10093L057Ambient WS-2902 / Cumulus MX 3.27.0

I would like to run Cumulus on local time from more accurate info such a rain since midnight or rain within the last 24 hours. Also seeing the times on the dashboard for sunrise, and sunset.

I would like to have the option to publish the wxnow.txt with a date and time synchronized to UTC/GMT time.

The APRSWXNET/CWOP quality seems to be more accurate when the packets are timestamped to UTC.

Thanks in advance!

[mcrossley]

But I thought the format was fixed. From the APRS documentation...

The wxnow.txt file MUST follow the following format:
MMM dd yyyy HH:mm (local PC time)
Weather posit format following the lat/lon symbol.
Eg:
Jul 07 2012 14:00
292/004g011t098h36b10139jDvs

[KF0KFL-13]

It works fine if the.machine.running Cumulus is set to UTC time If I set it to local time, CDT, the APRS software timestamps the date and time in the wxnow.txt as Zulu time regardless. In my case a.six hour difference.

[KF0KFL-13]

Here is an example of the latest wxnow.txt that got ingested and put out to APRS. This computer running Cumulus is set to UTC time:

Nov 06 2023 19:05
288/006g015t046r000p000P000h79b10070L060Ambient WS-2902 / Cumulus MX 3.27.0

This is the data packet that gets reported to APRS:

KF0KFL-13>APWW11,WIDE3-3,qAS,KF0KFL-1:/061905z4503.48N/09300.48W_288/006g015t046r000p000P000h79b10070L060Ambient WS-2902 / Cumulus MX 3.27.0

I have experimented with modifying the date on the on the wxnow.txt file and it matches the date and time in the packet timestamp but in zulu time.

[mcrossley]

I'll add a request to make this an option

[KF0KFL-13]

Awesome! Thank you very much!

[KF0KFL-13]

I'll add a request to make this an option

Any movement on getting this change added? Just wondering. Thanks!

[mcrossley]

I've pencilled it in for the next version 4 beta build. It may make the next version 3.

[KF0KFL-13]

Thank you