Cumulus adding .6mm rain/day rain or no rain

[rstefani]

I am noticing recently that on non-rainy days Cumulus (ver 1.9.2) is showing 0.6mm rain. On those same days Weatherlink registered 0.00mm rain. When I look at the daily rain totals Cumulus is always 0.6mm higher than Weatherlink. Is anyone else noticing this same problem?

PS-As I am writing this piece at 8:40 pm PST Cumulus says 3.4mm rain today, Weatherlink says 2.8mm. Both programs connected to the same Davis Vantage Vue station (but not open simultaneously). I shut down one prior to opening the other. The logger is the USB version using the serial connection and Silabs CP210X drivers.

[steve]

By what means are you running both Weatherlink and Cumulus at the same time?

Please zip up the diags folder and attach it, together with your February data log and dayfile.txt.

[gemini06720]

The only way (and I really mean THE only way) to run both WeatherLink and Cumulus simultaneously is by using SoftWx shareware utility VirtualVP.

Weather data cannot be retrieve reliably using the WeatherLinkIP adapter (data logger).

[rstefani]

Steve, here are the files that you requested. Please note as you view them that I upgraded to the Davis VUE weather station from a Walmart -bought station at 3:00pm PST on Monday, Feb. 13th/2012. Thanks for your help in this matter...

[steve]

It looks like the rain counter which Cumulus keeps got out of step from the station by 0.6 mm when you changed stations. It hasn't managed to get back in step because of the way that you run Cumulus; it wasn't really intended to be used just to download data from the logger periodically and then stop, without ever having a chance to log 'live' data, I'm not sure I see the point of using it that way. But that's not to deny that this is a bug, and I'll see if I can fix it. Your unusual circumstances of having recently switched weather stations combined with the way you run Cumulus have exposed the bug.

On the very last time that you ran Cumulus before uploading the diags files, you did actually allow it to run long enough to write a 'live' entry to the log files, which has allowed it to get into step with the station. So in theory, you shouldn't see the problem again, i.e. your daily totals should be correct from tomorrow.

[zl2sci]

It looks like the rain counter which Cumulus keeps got out of step from the station by 0.6 mm when you changed stations. It hasn't managed to get back in step because of the way that you run Cumulus; it wasn't really intended to be used just to download data from the logger periodically and then stop, without ever having a chance to log 'live' data, I'm not sure I see the point of using it that way. But that's not to deny that this a bug, and I'll see if I can fix it. Your unusual circumstances of having recently switched weather stations combined with the way you run Cumulus have exposed the bug.

On the very last time that you ran Cumulus before uploading the diags files, you did actually allow it to run long enough to write a 'live' entry to the log files, which has allowed it to get into step with the station. So in theory, you shouldn't see the problem again, i.e. your daily totals should be correct from tomorrow.

Hi Steve ,
Ah yes getting similar issue but amount added each day seems to go up started around about 40mm each day now shot up to over 100mm ... was just after midnite but seems to be random now ....... almost looks like software is confused with rain fall intensity perhaps ? Joseph

[zl2sci]

It looks like the rain counter which Cumulus keeps got out of step from the station by 0.6 mm when you changed stations. It hasn't managed to get back in step because of the way that you run Cumulus; it wasn't really intended to be used just to download data from the logger periodically and then stop, without ever having a chance to log 'live' data, I'm not sure I see the point of using it that way. But that's not to deny that this a bug, and I'll see if I can fix it. Your unusual circumstances of having recently switched weather stations combined with the way you run Cumulus have exposed the bug.

On the very last time that you ran Cumulus before uploading the diags files, you did actually allow it to run long enough to write a 'live' entry to the log files, which has allowed it to get into step with the station. So in theory, you shouldn't see the problem again, i.e. your daily totals should be correct from tomorrow.

Hi Steve ,
Ah yes getting similar issue but amount added each day seems to go up started around about 40mm each day now shot up to over 100mm ... was just after midnite but seems to be random now ....... almost looks like software is confused with rain fall intensity perhaps ? Joseph

oops was on previous version now octobers 9.2

[steve]

oops was on previous version now octobers 9.2

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that you are now using the latest version (1.9.2 build 1030 from Feb 10th) and no longer have a problem?

You don't have the same type of weather station, so this is not the same problem. I assume yours is a Fine Offset? These are notorious for adding spurious rainfall, and there is code in Cumulus to try to work around this, and also optional 'spike removal' settings. If you still have a problem, you need to start a new thread in the Fine Offset section of the forum and attach your zipped up diags folder.

[zl2sci]

oops was on previous version now octobers 9.2

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that you are now using the latest version (1.9.2 build 1030 from Feb 10th) and no longer have a problem?

You don't have the same type of weather station, so this is not the same problem. I assume yours is a Fine Offset? These are notorious for adding spurious rainfall, and there is code in Cumulus to try to work around this, and also optional 'spike removal' settings. If you still have a problem, you need to start a new thread in the Fine Offset section of the forum and attach your zipped up diags folder.

Hullo Steve ,
Thank you for your reply .... yes not really sure whats going on... in the first instance I consulted with ZL1UTH .
He had similar problem .... However he seemed to solve it by editing both day file and the other window ...... where you can change and apply ..... button .
The issue first showed a couple weeks ago with the previous version of Cumulus ... so updated .....
but the issue continued ... I checked the instrument as its been running for just over six months but nothing obvious stood out . I was wondering if I have some bug ..... one of the other solution 1uth was to delete the day text file .... ..
the source system is easy weather digitech 15

ciao joseph

[rstefani]

It looks like the rain counter which Cumulus keeps got out of step from the station by 0.6 mm when you changed stations. It hasn't managed to get back in step because of the way that you run Cumulus; it wasn't really intended to be used just to download data from the logger periodically and then stop, without ever having a chance to log 'live' data, I'm not sure I see the point of using it that way. But that's not to deny that this a bug, and I'll see if I can fix it. Your unusual circumstances of having recently switched weather stations combined with the way you run Cumulus have exposed the bug.

On the very last time that you ran Cumulus before uploading the diags files, you did actually allow it to run long enough to write a 'live' entry to the log files, which has allowed it to get into step with the station. So in theory, you shouldn't see the problem again, i.e. your daily totals should be correct from tomorrow.

Hi Steve,
I ran Cumulus for several hours yesterday and the problem appears to have disappeared. Today since midnight we have had no rain and for the first time Cumulus reads 0.00mm daily rain total instead of 0.6mm. I included the current files you requested last time for you to analyze if you so wish. Thanks again for your help.

[zl2sci]

oops was on previous version now octobers 9.2

Sorry, I don't understand. Are you saying that you are now using the latest version (1.9.2 build 1030 from Feb 10th) and no longer have a problem?

You don't have the same type of weather station, so this is not the same problem. I assume yours is a Fine Offset? These are notorious for adding spurious rainfall, and there is code in Cumulus to try to work around this, and also optional 'spike removal' settings. If you still have a problem, you need to start a new thread in the Fine Offset section of the forum and attach your zipped up diags folder.

Hi Steve ...

I think I have found whats happening ... looking through the data the wind run figure is being put in the rain fall column chart of the spread sheet . But I am trying to work out if this happens when either the computer is hooked up to the weather console or moved about . as its a lap top thus putting a spike in the data link some how .... an interesting one for sure ... also not really sure how to zip the folder smiles as have never used that system to send a file .... joseph

[steve]

looking through the data the wind run figure is being put in the rain fall column chart of the spread sheet

Which spreadsheet? You're using something to copy your Cumulus data to a spreadsheet and sometimes it puts it in the wrong place?

also not really sure how to zip the folder smiles as have never used that system to send a file .... joseph

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