Cumulus Support

I installed Cumulus then went to configuration/station/help.
I then read this:

Use 'speed' for avg calculation
Typically, stations supply two wind speeds; a short-term speed, which Cumulus calls 'Latest', and a longer-term 'speed', which Cumulus uses for 'Average', unless the 'Use 10-min average wind speed' option is ticked, in which case Cumulus calculates a 10-minute average using the short-term 'latest' values. If you tick this option, Cumulus will instead use the longer-term 'speed' values in the calculation. The 'Use 10-min average wind speed' option must be selected for this option to have any effect. Note that the 'short-term' speed from Fine Offset stations is a 'gust' value (i.e. the highest sample over a 48-second period, and while it may seem odd to use this to calculate the average, many people find that this does give a good result. You may find, however, that ticking this option to use the 48-second wind value gives you a better result.

Of course after being totally confused by it, the next paragraph informed me that I didn't need to be concerned since I have a Davis.

But if this makes sense to anyone, can you explain it to me?

First - it says Cumulus uses LONGER-TERM 'SPEED' for average UNLESS the Use 10-min option is ticked in which case it uses SHORT-TERM.
Then - it says, IF YOU TICK THIS OPTION (assuming the Use "speed' option) Cumulus uses LONGER-TERM........
---- But it already uses longer-term by default -----

THEN - it says that Use 10-min must be ticked for this option to have any effect.
--- but if u tick that it uses short-term ----

I can't even make enough sense out of this to explain why I am confused.
--- I guess because it seems ticking Use 'speed' has no effect ---

SO -- it uses long term by default unless u tick Use 10-min
then it uses short term, but if u tick this option it uses long term (which it already is doing)
but u must tick the Use 10-min for the Use 'speed' to have any effect
- so why do I want to tick Use 'speed'????

Can some one re-write this and maybe put the Davis note up front so ppl can just skip it??????

thx

ruggb wrote:First - it says Cumulus uses LONGER-TERM 'SPEED' for average UNLESS the Use 10-min option is ticked in which case it uses SHORT-TERM.
Then - it says, IF YOU TICK THIS OPTION (assuming the Use "speed' option) Cumulus uses LONGER-TERM........
---- But it already uses longer-term by default -----

It says that it uses the long term speed from the console as the average by default, unless you tick the 'calculate 10-min average' option, in which case it calculates a 10-minute average using the short-term speeds.

If you select the option above to have the average calculated by Cumulus, then by default, the value it uses for that calculation is the 'short-term' speed (the 3-second value in the case of Davis). If you tick "Use 'speed' for avg calculation", it uses the "long-term" speed (the 10-minute value in the case of Davis) for that calculation instead.

In the help, where the description of the 'Use 'Speed' for average calculation' refers back to the 'Calculate 10-min wind average' setting, it erroneously calls it the 'Use 10-min wind average' setting; I'll correct that. Other than that, the descriptions are correct and say the same as I've written above, with some added explanation about various station types.

OK, ur 1st sentence agrees with the 1st. I have no issue with that.

Part of my confusion is that there r 2 options being refed with "the option above" and "this option" and I don't know which one u r talking about. So ur 2nd sentence says that if I tick the Calc 10... option it uses short to calc it. BUT if I tick Use speed it uses the long.

SO if Use speed... is unticked and I do not tick calc 10... it uses long, if I tick calc 10... it uses short.

Maybe what u r trying to say is that Use speed.... tells Cumulus to calculate the avg rather then take it from the console.
If Use speed it ticked then Calc 10... determines whether it uses short or long.
Otherwise Use speed seems to be irrelevant

Please understand that it makes perfect sense to U so u know what "the option above" and "this option" refer to
As written it is total confusion to me.

When the description of an option says 'this option' it means the option being described.

Maybe what u r trying to say is that Use speed.... tells Cumulus to calculate the avg rather then take it from the console.
If Use speed it ticked then Calc 10... determines whether it uses short or long.

You have it the wrong way round. The 'calculate' option lets you decide whether you want Cumulus to calculate the average speed. That's exactly what it says in the help for that option - "Tick this to make Cumulus calculate and display a 10-minute average wind speed instead of using the value supplied by the station." I don't know how that could be any clearer.

If you decide that you do want Cumulus to calculate the average speed, the 'Use' option lets you decide which of the two speeds provided by the station to use in the calculation. As the help for the 'Use' option says: "...Cumulus calculates a 10-minute average using the short-term 'latest' values. If you tick this option, Cumulus will instead use the longer-term 'speed' values in the calculation."

Got it I am sure......
both unticked
Cumulus takes long term from console and displays it as avg unless
Calc 10... is ticked
Then Cumulus calcs the avg using short term unless speed is ticked
then it uses long term for the calc

With all due respect, I might suggest the following to be a more clear description of this.

Wind Speed - Typically, stations supply two wind speeds; a short-term speed, which Cumulus calls 'Latest', and a longer-term 'speed', which Cumulus displays for 'Average'. There isn't any point using the following options for Davis stations, as their 'longer-term speed' is a 10 minute average anyway; neither for La Crosse stations, as they only supply one wind speed.

Calculate 10-min wind average - Tick this to make Cumulus calculate and display a 10-minute average wind speed instead of using the value supplied by the station. Normally only useful for Oregon Scientific and Fine Offset stations, as these stations supply an average wind speed based on the last few seconds only.

Use 'speed' for avg calculation - The 'Calculate 10-min average wind speed' option must be ticked to use this option. If this option is also ticked, Cumulus calculates a 10-minute average using the short-term 'latest' values instead of the longer-term 'speed' values in the calculation.

Note that the 'short-term' speed from Fine Offset stations is a 'gust' value (i.e. the highest sample over a 48-second period, and while it may seem odd to use this to calculate the average, many people find that this does give a good result.

What do u think? Have I got it now?

thx

just reread it and the first part should be

Then Cumulus calcs the avg using LONG term unless speed is ticked
then it uses SHORT term for the calc

the rest agrees.