Barometric Pressure record question

[RayProudfoot]

Steve,

The number of records we have for barometric pressure are a bit thin on the ground. Highest Pressure and Lowest Pressure. Exciting eh?

In the last few days we've had some big changes in pressure with it rising "Very rapidly" and falling at a similar rate. I appreciate this may not be an easy record to determine but would it be possible to record the greatest change of pressure in a pre-determined period?

How long this period would be is the key I suppose. Anything less than a few hours wouldn't show enough of a change. Make the period too long and a big fall followed by a big rise could end up with a zero change.

I appreciate this is a tricky one but it's a shame big changes in pressure in a small timescale can't be measured. If you think this has a chance I'm happy to raise an enhancement request.

[steve]

I was discussing this with someone only recently, when we had a very high increase in pressure when the recent storm passed. Cumulus does already measure and display this (the 'trend') and it uses a rate calculated from a period of the previous three hours as per the UKMO. What it does need, I agree, is to keep the maximum positive and negative values of this figure as a 'record' (all-time/monthly... etc).

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks for that Steve. Can I take it that you will add this to the list of enhancements without any further input from me?

Talking of which can we expect a Christmas present of further enhancements to Cumulus?

[steve]

Thanks for that Steve. Can I take it that you will add this to the list of enhancements without any further input from me?

Well, someone should create an enhancement request, or I'll forget about it. I don't keep a separate list of possible enhancements, that's the whole point of the enhancement request section. (Edit: I've created one)

Talking of which can we expect a Christmas present of further enhancements to Cumulus?

Other than the minor updates to 1.9.2, and support, I haven't been doing any work on Cumulus development, I haven't had time. I'm still deciding where to go next with Cumulus - if anywhere. I have to admit that 'taking it easy' over the last few weeks and only devoting a couple of hours a day of my spare time to Cumulus, instead of all of it, has been quite a nice change, and it's very tempting to carry on this way permanently.

I now have the version of Delphi which in theory allows me to make it cross-platform (this version allows MAC OS X and Windows, next year's update will allow Linux as well) and I'm still considering whether to move in that direction. But there's a lot of work involved; the entire user interface would have to be re-written, as well as changing the Davis interface code to use the serial port directly instead of the Davis DLL (which is no bad thing in itself).

[mcrossley]

I now have the version of Delphi which in theory allows me to make it cross-platform (this version allows MAC OS X and Windows, next year's update will allow Linux as well) and I'm still considering whether to move in that direction.

That sounds like all your spare time for next year would be gone!

[steve]

That sounds like all your spare time for next year would be gone!

Well, maybe. It might be interesting, though

[nking]

Other than the minor updates to 1.9.2, and support, I haven't been doing any work on Cumulus development, I haven't had time. I'm still deciding where to go next with Cumulus - if anywhere. I have to admit that 'taking it easy' over the last few weeks and only devoting a couple of hours a day of my spare time to Cumulus, instead of all of it, has been quite a nice change, and it's very tempting to carry on this way permanently.

Off topic - I had a health scare this year which made me refocus my outlook (hence getting the Triumph Bonnie) towards doing those things which are FUN for me. Life is precious and sometimes very short and I think you should make sure you set aside time for yourself e.g. taking it easy. Cumulus is great as is your support - just get the balance right for you.

[RayProudfoot]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for creating the enhancement request.

I don't blame you for taking a step back from development. Things can take over your life before you realise it. I'm sure the hunger will return one day but in the meantime Cumulus does a good job of delivering what I need.

[steve]

You can be sure that the next 'big' enhancement I do to Cumulus (whether or not I also go down the cross-platform path) will be your suggestion of 'month-by-month' records, because I think that will be an excellent facility.

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks Steve. I know it's a substantial piece of code so I'm happy to wait until you feel the juices flowing again.

[serowe]

At the risk of upsetting anyone, everyone and steve (again!) - I have to ask 'Why?'

Why do you need all these so-called 'records'? Putting it bluntly, if you want a monthly record, a weekly record, or even a second by second record - you have the data, it isn't hard to read/analyse the data and do this yourself.

steve and I have had disagreements over the last year or so, but I agree with him in that this isn't his life and he needs to step back from it occasionally.

If he doesn't Cumulus will start to become a UK version of Brian Hamilton's Weather Display - trying to do everything for eveyone all the time - and then because ABC gets added, XYZ starts to fail - and all this ends up doing is giving the product a bad name.

steve - stick to basics, don't try to include everything - Cumulus records data as fast as it can, it currentlly makes that data available - let the users interpret what they want from it.

If I were to make a change to the way Cumulus works it would be to allow data storage in a SQL data base rather than TXT files - that way *anyone* could then access the data at the same time, do displays, make calculations and make changes a LOT easier than it is now (like having to close down Cumulus if you need to edit the current months data file). Then the pressure is off the software (and its author). Plus - you wouldn't end up with hundreds of files as you can now.

Now - people can start picking on me - but pick on what I said, not who said it for a change!

[RayProudfoot]

Why do you need all these so-called 'records'? Putting it bluntly, if you want a monthly record, a weekly record, or even a second by second record - you have the data, it isn't hard to read/analyse the data and do this yourself.

Because these 'so-called' records are of interest to many including Steve. They fill what I (and others) think is a missing hole in the stats produced by Cumulus. That isn't to criticise Cumulus. It's an enhancement. if you don't want them then ignore that element of the program and perhaps this thread.

You make assumptions that anyone can analyse their data and find out the highest temperature for the month of October for example. If they have records going back many years it will take time and effort just to find it and then how do they present that on their website? That is just 1 of many weather stats for a month. Lots of people would have to work hard to get that data. Steve works hard and adds it to Cumulus and then it's available to anyone who wants it.

If he doesn't Cumulus will start to become a UK version of Brian Hamilton's Weather Display - trying to do everything for eveyone all the time - and then because ABC gets added, XYZ starts to fail - and all this ends up doing is giving the product a bad name.

That's your opinion which you're entitled to but I disagree. Steve has added a lot of enhancements to Cumulus and it hasn't caused it to be any less acurate and reliable. It's one of the most stable pieces of software I've used even in beta. You suggest that by adding more records to Cumulus it then becomes difficult for Steve to retain the quality. Hmmm, you seem to think Steve is biting off more than he can chew. I don't think that for a minute.

I agree that WD is a visual nightmare. Cumulus isn't and never will be.

steve - stick to basics, don't try to include everything - Cumulus records data as fast as it can, it currentlly makes that data available - let the users interpret what they want from it.

I think Steve will do what Steve wants.

If I were to make a change to the way Cumulus works it would be to allow data storage in a SQL data base rather than TXT files - that way *anyone* could then access the data at the same time, do displays, make calculations and make changes a LOT easier than it is now (like having to close down Cumulus if you need to edit the current months data file). Then the pressure is off the software (and its author). Plus - you wouldn't end up with hundreds of files as you can now.

He tried that with Cumulus2 and decided to drop it. I'm sure if you read the C2 forum you'll find out why. Text files may be less sophiticated that a SQL database but as long as the program works it doesn't bother me.

[serowe]

Ray - once again you have missed the point of my reply. Sure records are of inerest to people - but just WHAT records? Today he'll put in anew record (let's call it record ABC), tomorrow record CDE - but then next week someone says (and this has been happening this week over certain webtags) someone else will want a variation on either or both of these. Where does it stop? steve will correct one and, in the process, damage another (is the sun up would be a good example of this). And no - this is NOT criticising steve, it is programming and it happens time and time againto all programmers.

Sure not everyone can write their own programs, but it isn't rocket science to learn and produce the more esoteric records people want.

Hmmm, you seem to think Steve is biting off more than he can chew. I don't think that for a minute.

Your words, not mine - but I will point to previous discussions on C2 in relation to that statement. Those plus various other comments made over the past 18 months or so...

Yes steve woill do what he wants to do. So did Brian Hamilton and look where WD has ended up. Trying to cater for every type of weather station known to man and every upgrade breaks something. And then you have the author of that software using the line 'I will do what I like when I like and don't you forget that'. Sorta sounds familiar.

So I'll say this again and if Ray doesn't like it, well, so be it.

steve - stick to basics with Cumulus. The more you try to make it do, the more you run the risk of creating problems for yourself. So what if it doesn't tell us the all-time 2 minute highesst temperature between 20 and 30 degrees? This informaiton is NOT hard to determine for ourselves and, if you are perfectly honest about it, do some of these records really matter? Many requests for 'records' are not even for genuine 'records' but merely 'Hey, I'd like to know this'. A base line for ANY records shouldd always be those maintained either by the WMO or your local Met Agency in the country you live in.

So Ray - analyse this - but for once, take your personal feelings out of the reply and respond to the content, not what you feel.

[RayProudfoot]

Serowe,

I'm not going to engage in a debate with you because you seem to me to write these provocative posts to wind people up. Well I'm not going to give you any more oxygen. Think what you like and say what you like. Ultimately if Steve thinks a suggestion is a good idea he will add that to Cumulus irrespctive of what anyone thinks.

You don't show a link to your weather site in your signature. Perhaps you could and then we could all marvel at your ingenuity. Unless of course you don't have one in which case I do wonder why you 'contribute' to this forum.

Maybe just to wind people up. Your nametag rings a few bells and I suspect we've crossed path before. No-one else has responded to your wind-up post. I wonder why.

[serowe]

Sorry Oh Great one - I didn't realise it was a Ray-requirement that everyone show their web site in a sig! As I said - stop the personality creeping in to your messages.

And, just for the record - I have been running an automated weather station and web site since 2000 and, between 1983 and 2000, manual records have been kept. For the past 25 years my station has also been an accredited Raainfall recording station with Melbourne Water - so I guess I don't know what I am talking about. Oh almost forgot, I also worked (between 1976 and 1992) with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

http://weather.ser.id.au