Cumulus Support

Hello Steve,

I get my weather station’s data through an wireless USB device server as the Silex SX2000WG.
In case of heavy wireless data traffic on the entire network, the Silex unfortunately lose regular contact with the web server.
That means of cause that the Cumulus program gets no data information from the weather station anymore.
Because I think not being the only amateur having this problem, I would like to make a suggestion for a (hopefully good) idea for the next build of you Cumulus program.

Is it possible to add an error E-mail alert to lazy users who doesn't check their web server on a regular base.
I will suggest that the error alert only will be send on an error change in the error log of the Cumulus program.

With kindest regards,
Koos

The best place for enhancement requests is in the enhancement request section - but I think there is already one for email alerts. It certainly won't be done in the next build; I'll assume you meant 'a future build'

herrewj wrote:Hello Steve,Is it possible to add an error E-mail alert to lazy users who doesn't check their web server on a regular base.
I will suggest that the error alert only will be send on an error change in the error log of the Cumulus program.

With kindest regards,
Koos

Take a look (if you haven't already) at running Toolbox http://wiki.sandaysoft.com/a/Toolbox which might resolve your current needs

Hello Niel,

Many thanks of pointing me to the link of the Cumulus toolbox.
I have already download and install the toolbox.
Also the first test of alarm after a ‘station not found’ error was positive.
So far my current needs are solved.
I really hope this option will be add in a "future" build of Cumulus itself.

With kindest regards,
Koos

Hello Niel,

My first test with the Cumulus tools where hopeful but afterwards it doesn’t fulfill my needs.
For me the Cumulus tools warns with an e-mail alert when Cumulus isn’t running anymore.
Unfortunately it doesn’t alert when it gets no data from the weather station anymore.
Why my first test was positive I don’t know. The option that you’re getting an e-mail warning
when Cumulus doesn’t receive data anymore has to be made in the Cumulus program itself
I’m afraid and hope it will be done in a future build.

With kindest regards,
Koos

There's a thread in here with scripting that you add on your weather site to alert you of when your website isn't receiving data. It's got to do with comparing the latest update on the website to the curent time.

Hello Michael,

Thanks your very much for your message, but I think the only way to get trustworthy information is with the error events within Cumulus itself.
The issue is that I'm not interested in an error e-mail of warning on the weather site when Cumulus is temporarily losing data.
I only want to be notified by e-mail when the connection between the weather station and cumulus no longer exists.
The error event within Cumulus can make the difference between a data loss and an station not found error.
Even the error event recorder already exist within Cumulus, it's only has to send an e-mail message when a station not found error occurs.
Let’s hope it will be realized in a future build.

With kindest regards,
Koos

Use any combination of these webtags in Toolbox to automatically send an email when the rule is satisfied:
<#SensorContactLost> 1 if the station has lost contact with its remote sensors (Fine Offset only)
<#ErrorLight> 1 if the 'error' light is flashing, 0 if not
<#LatestError> The latest error logged to the error log window. Cleared to an empty string when the error light is clicked, and when Cumulus is restarted

I'd go with the Error Light. When Toolbox gets to the next check (under your specified time, usually 5 mins), if it reads the error light as equal to 1 (set it) it will send an email. If your lucky to get email updates on Facebook, you can have it update there, which can automatically update your Twitter and send you a text message.
How's that?

Hello Michael,

In my case, Cumulus freezes all the file updates when a “Station not Found” error occurs.
Therefore, checking the web tags you suggested doesn't give me the right results.
Possible that other options in the Cumulus Toolbox will work but, I had no patience anymore to find it yet.
In the meantime I have already written my own application which fulfill my needs.
When interested, don’t hesitate to download it from my test server at http://www.iljef.nl/test/offsetfound.zip

With kindest regards,
Koos

herrewj wrote:In my case, Cumulus freezes all the file updates when a “Station not Found” error occurs.

If you mean the "Fine Offset station not found" message, this can only ever occur when Cumulus is starting, so in fact it doesn't freeze file updates; it doesn't start them. I assume you are not starting Cumulus manually when this occurs, otherwise this error would be obvious and you would not need an email to tell you about it. And in this situation, the facility in the Toolbox to check on realtime.txt not updating would presumably be sufficient.

Many thanks for your reaction Steve.
It is correct that Cumulus isn’t start manually.
As I wrote in my first post do I use an wireless USB device server as the Silex SX2000WG who is manage the data transfer between the
Fine Offset main unit and the SBS2003 server on which Cumulus is running.
The Silex driver-application has an option to execute other software which opportunity I use to execute Cumulus.
When data is lost between the Fine Offset main unit and the server, the Silex software disconnect his users.
Cumulus is configured to start if unplugged which will result the error “Fine Offset station not found! - check connections and restart Cumulus”.
Because also the Toolbox doesn’t alert me in this particular situation I have create an simple application myself who notify me that this error occurs.
I haven’t check other possibilities in the configuration of Cumulus and in combination with the toolbox.

With kindest regards,
Koos

Hello Steve,

Thanks for your last post, it was very enlightening. So its seems that I wrote a solution for a problem I created myself first. I have checked all other options of the Cumulus Toolbox but prefer to use my own program. Even add an option to restart all processes (Silex Virtual Link and Cumulus software) automatically after that one particular error occurs. When someone uses the same hard/software configuration and wish to be alerted, he or she is welcome to download the program from my test server at http://www.iljef.nl/test/OffsetFound.zip

With kindest regards,
Koos

Thanks for sharing. That is very clever. You are an asset to the Cumulus forum.