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Solar data in records tables
Posted: Sun 17 Dec 2023 6:08 pm
by Gyvate
even though my solar data is visible in the today and today/yesterday tables, I cannot see the solar data in the records tables where I would expect them to appear too.
Is this a feature or am I missing some configuration setting(s) ?
One more question in this context - while I can set the decimal places for several observations in the dashboard and the today/yesterday tables, solar data don't seem to have a respective option. Didn't find one in Cumulus.ini either.
Please advise.
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Sun 17 Dec 2023 9:55 pm
by Mapantz
There are no solar records.
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 9:11 am
by Gyvate
be that so
@mccrossley - would that be a big effort to implement solar records (solar radiation and sunshine hours) into a future version of CMX
I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate

Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 10:17 am
by HansR
Gyvate wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 9:11 am
be that so
@mccrossley - would that be a big effort to implement solar records (solar radiation and sunshine hours) into a future version of CMX
I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate
Why would that be useful?
They would after a relatively short time hit the ceiling of the max possible radiation (assuming a good solar sensor)
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 10:57 am
by broadstairs
I'm not sure the solar readings would be of any great value, however sunshine hours might be interesting although you can get that from the logs if interested.
Stuart
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 11:09 am
by HansR
broadstairs wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 10:57 am
I'm not sure the solar readings would be of any great value, however sunshine hours might be interesting although you can get that from the logs if interested.
Stuart
Sunshine hours will go to the max as well even here in the Netherlands

Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 11:17 am
by mcrossley
I agree solar irradiation isn't particularly interesting (though I have it my top-10's pages) as it is a very volatile reading, subject to the vagaries of cloud edge reflection, air transparency etc.
Sunshine hours per day is likewise not particularly interesting as a record (though again in top-10's pages). Of more interest would be monthly and annual sunshine totals.
My all time top-10s
My monthly top-10s
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 11:27 am
by Gyvate
@HansR: "why would that be useful" - maybe not in your world; sorry but such a question is like like why would any such records be useful ...
why would to know the highest temperature in a month, in a year, all time be useful etc. - why would that be more useful to know than when the highest solar irradiation was ... or when the highest rainfall within 24 hours was ... when the highest wind gust was etc.
why would any of the shown records be more useful than a solar (ir-)radiation record ?
"They would after a relatively short time hit the ceiling of the max possible ... (assuming a good ... sensor)"
I don't find that to be an acceptable reason nor true, given that solar irradiation can be very varying depending on clouds and time of the year and sometimes due to things like a cloud-edge effect etc even beyond the theoretically possible (in an ideal cloudless environemnt) ...
recordings of PV panels show this information regularly - why, if it's not useful ...
other weather software also shows that
e.g.. in Meteobridge such a question is not asked, you can simply see the min/max ... - or
in my weewx installation I a report called history report is showing me the max
so why couldn't CMX also show that ?
because there is an opinion "why would that be useful" ??
@broadstairs:
yes, I can get all this information from the log files - so why then have a record table in the first place - you can get it all from the logs ...
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:54 pm
by HansR
@Gyvate: I gave my argument of having a maximum - which e.g. temperature and rain have not! - where I posed the question. If you disagree OK. No need to continue the discussion.
And btw: a high record for humidity would not be useful for the same reason. A low humidity is more interesting because that is very rare.
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:55 pm
by Mapantz
There is an SQL version floating around that does what you want.
https://warehamwx.co.uk/records.php
I think I got mine from Tony @ Beaumaris weather
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:59 pm
by Gyvate
HansR wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:54 pm
@Gyvate: I gave my argument of
having a maximum - which e.g. temperature and rain have not! - where I posed the question. If you disagree OK. No need to continue the discussion.
And btw: a high record for humidity would not be useful for the same reason. A low humidity is more interesting because that is very rare.
neither has solar irradiation - the theoretical maximum is a clean-room concept
in practical life (see PV devices) (not only) the so-called cloud-edge effect can create several high levels of solar irradiation which also shows in the solar sensor readings here and there - and it's not always the same value
it's not about agreeing or disagreeing - it's about technical facts
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:19 pm
by HansR
Gyvate wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:59 pm
it's not about agreeing or disagreeing - it's about technical facts
Not really, it's about usefulness of a record.
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:22 pm
by Gyvate
HansR wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:19 pm
Gyvate wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 12:59 pm
it's not about agreeing or disagreeing - it's about technical facts
Not really, it's about usefulness of a record.
I would like to see your line of argument in a PV forum ...
or in a discussion with a PV engineer ... with such a tunnel view ... ignoring the facts and their importance
nothing more to add
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:28 pm
by HansR
Gyvate wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:22 pm
... with such a tunnel view ...
Take care with statements like that to people you don't really know.
Re: Solar data in records tables
Posted: Mon 18 Dec 2023 2:02 pm
by Gyvate
HansR wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:28 pm
Gyvate wrote: ↑Mon 18 Dec 2023 1:22 pm
... with such a tunnel view ...
Take care with statements like that to people you don't really know.
I'm just stating the seemingly obvious - your statements, however, ignoring facts or considering them to be unimportant or useless (doubting their usefulness) point in this direction. Just checked with a few others and we agree that taking such a position doesn't speak for a wider consideration of metereological facts.
Anyhow, everyone can have their opinion. Useful in your opinion or not. As your are not the decision maker, let's be Mark the judge of implementing this or not.
Otherwise, I still have my Meteobridge which doesn't consider this observation as useless and unworthy to be in a min/max/record table.