Page 1 of 2
Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 8:47 am
by nking
Hi Steve,
I would like to request an additional Alarm in Cumulus - Barometer Trend. It would be good to have an alert when the pressure decreases/increases rapidly (better if User defined). This is probably more valuable than having a low or high pressure alert.
Something for Cumulus 2 – It would be really nice to know if the wind is backing or veering.
No rush – by the weekend will be fine
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 9:03 am
by steve
nking wrote:I would like to request an additional Alarm in Cumulus - Barometer Trend. It would be good to have an alert when the pressure decreases/increases rapidly (better if User defined). This is probably more valuable than having a low or high pressure alert.
Good point, yes. Not too hard to implement, mostly tedious cut&paste. Would the same alarm and value do for both rising and falling?
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 9:17 am
by nking
It would be nice to have both if it's not too onerous but one will suffice
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 9:40 am
by nking
Hi Steve,
Having given this more thought it is probably better to have just one option and then have an alarm for Temp Trend. This is just my thoughts and it would be good to read what others think.
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 4:24 pm
by akasonny
My sixpence:
The goal is to receive alarm if the pressure exceeded pre-determined values....be they rise or fall. It seems to me that one addition would do it...assuming its user-defineable (maybe via cumulus.ini). As example, if pressure rises OR falls .10 inches (sorry guys .. we don't use metric values) the alarm would sound (and presumeably a webtag would become active. I say presumeably because C1 already has that feature for other alarms).
Personally, this sudden drop/rise in pressure seldom happens here (though it has happened) so it would be an addon for me that wouldn't be used much but I can see where others could really use that feature, if it existed.
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 4:48 pm
by steve
akasonny wrote:The goal is to receive alarm if the pressure exceeded pre-determined values....be they rise or fall. It seems to me that one addition would do it...assuming its user-defineable (maybe via cumulus.ini). As example, if pressure rises OR falls .10 inches (sorry guys .. we don't use metric values) the alarm would sound (and presumeably a webtag would become active. I say presumeably because C1 already has that feature for other alarms).
They will be alarms on the pressure and temperature change rates, as displayed on the Cumulus main screen as 'trends'. I'll clone all of the existing alarm code.
Personally, this sudden drop/rise in pressure seldom happens here (though it has happened) so it would be an addon for me that wouldn't be used much but I can see where others could really use that feature, if it existed.
Over here, a rapid decrease in pressure is possibly the most useful single piece of information that you could have as an indicator of the weather that's about to happen - it almost invariably means a storm is about to arrive.
I'm not sure what you can say about a rapid
increase in pressure, on the other hand...
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 5:04 pm
by akasonny
steve wrote:[I'm not sure what you can say about a rapid increase in pressure, on the other hand...
For me it means I just learned my wife went shopping and went waaay over budget!
Seriously, I'm clueless. Storm front suddenly moved out and better weather?
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 5:21 pm
by steve
akasonny wrote:Storm front suddenly moved out and better weather?
Well... yes. We normally get a corresponding rapid increase in pressure just after pressure has bottomed out. But that usually signifies the 'wet' bit of the storm is about to start. So I suppose that's one thing that it's useful for. Neil will be along in a bit and tell us what he's going to be using these alarms for
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 8:30 pm
by nking
steve wrote:Neil will be along in a bit and tell us what he's going to be using these alarms for :lol:[/quote wrote:
Hi guys,
I’d like to say that I have discovered the secrets to forecasting the weather or that I have a cunning plan but alas, I don’t.
I think you have both alluded to changes in pressure, wind direction and temp which can foretell changes in the weather. I think today is a good example where Cumulus states fine but the pressure is dropping quickly, shift in wind from NE to SW and it’s not surprising (well it is if you’re like me) that its got warmer, windier and we’ve now got rain!
I think the alarms, in our region of the world, will help newbie’s like me to recognise changes and learn about the weather. Ultimately it would be good to have a chart which will aid forecasting the weather from PWS data, something that helps people like me understand – hopefully I will one day be able to put something together…. Unless someone has already done it?
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 8:45 pm
by steve
I've just about finished testing the code for the new alarms. I'm afraid there are just two new ones, one for pressure and one for temperature - i.e. you can only supply one value for each and the alarm goes off if it's exceeded going up or down. It's just so incredibly tedious and time-consuming adding the boxes and lining them up, and cloning all the code for setting the alarms and sound files and saving the settings etc etc.
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 9:09 pm
by akasonny
This whole weather forecasting twilight-zone is confusing to most of us (if I can be so brave as to speak for the majority). Meterologists have entire computers dedicated to running multiple models and gps-based sensors based added to historical data going back years and years in order to draw a "probable" conclusion and best-guess prophecy. To add to the confusion, each region is broken down into specific geographic parameters with multiple models for each of them.
That being said, it'd be great to predict, with some accuracy, what's going to happen tomorrow based on what's happening right now. I think most of us would really enjoy that. But if it were that simple, they could sack most of the meterologists and pay us! (hey...its a thought!)
If temp goes this way, and pressure goes that way and wind goes that other way what does it mean? Without historical perspective, it probably means nothing at all. Personally, I turn to NOAA for forecasts cuz...hey!...they have the money and means to put this array of hardware together. If I ever developed a forecast based on the data I have at hand...and it was accurate...I'd probably make a promise to Buddha to swear off ale forever.
Nevertheless, thanks to Steve for trying to help us all to better understand the meaning? of all this data.
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 9:34 pm
by steve
A professor at a UK university claims that if you forecast that tomorrow's weather will be broadly the same as today's weather, you'll be right 75% of the time.
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 11:00 pm
by nking
The more I read and try to understand the more I realise why I don't, but it's fun trying
It's a real shame that you two guys don't live in the same village as me, I'd take you both out and buy you a beer or something else to wet your whistle... right after I finish my plan to win the lotto
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Wed 27 Jan 2010 11:25 pm
by akasonny
nking wrote:It's a real shame that you two guys don't live in the same village as me, I'd take you both out and buy you a beer or something else to wet your whistle... right after I finish my plan to win the lotto
You win the lotto and I'll take you up on it. The only time I was in the UK was at Heathrow for an hour, enroute to Dusseldorf. I've had German beer and its wonderful...but I'd sure go for a pint of the local brew there! Especially after flying British Air!!
Re: Request for Enhancement
Posted: Thu 28 Jan 2010 8:56 am
by nking
Hi Steve,
I have applied the update - many thanks to you for completing the change in record time
I like the added feature to choose whether you want html included - it saves having to make a copy each time.