Beta+Version+Instructions

Virtual Weather Station Beta Version (latest download of Virtual Weather Station)

 * 1) **Date:** Updated September 11, 2015
 * 2) **Version: 15.00p05**
 * 3) **Download Location:** http://site.ambientweatherstore.com/vws/beta/vws_install.exe

Disclaimer

 * This is a beta version and use at your own risk.
 * **Windows ME is no longer supported.**
 * You must set up your communication panel again so make a note of your comport and baud rate settings before you uprade. If you are running HeavyWeather, make a note of the filepaths. If you are running Peet, check your mode switch.

Instructions

 * 1) To determine the version you are running, select **Help | About Virtual Weather Station**.
 * 2) Download the latest version from the link above.
 * 3) Run this executable file and install it into the SAME DIRECTORY as the existing installation. Note that the installer will allow you to install Virtual Weather Station in any directory you like. Make sure you browse to the same directory as your previous installation. You will not need to re-register if you already own Virtual Weather Station.
 * 4) Run Virtual Weather Station
 * 5) Report any issues to support@ambientweather.com

Modifications
> Select **Internet | FTP General Settings** and select the **Restart Software with Critical FTP Fault**checkbox. > **Rain Rate** is based on the rate calculated by your console and can be any variety of calculations. Please contact the manufacturer for method of calculation. > **Total Rainfall, Rate of Change** is defined as the instantaneous rain rate based on the differential equation (in la place domain format) > L(f(s)) = s / (Ts + 1), where T = 60 minutes, and transformed into the Z Domain. For more information on La Place and Z transformations, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace_transform and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-transform. > Also fixed issue with WeatherLink automation that was introduced in a previous version. Added support for RS300A and RS600A. > More changes to the WMR200 download archive transition state. The difficulty arises because this station sends download data and real time data at the same time and there is no flag sent by the WMR200 that tells us when the download is complete, so I used to base this on timing between the first real time record equalling the last archive record time, but due to USB buffering, the first real time record could represent old data and therefore the download record was incomplete (it would assume there were no more archive records). I fixed this by setting a 20 second timeout for the archive records. The assumption is after 20 seconds, if there are no more archive records, the software makes the assumption that there are no more records left since they usually come in 1-3 second bursts. > Added a one second timer function. Select **Help | Internet Status**. If this timer is grossly in error (not reading close to 1 second), we found this to be a clocking issue with the AMD processor. This problem occurs on computers that are running an x64-based version of Windows or an x86-based (32-bit) version of Windows or when the computer has the AMD Cool'n'Quiet technology enabled in the BIOS. For more information and a workaround solution, please reference: http://ambientweather.wikispaces.com/Timing+Issues%2C+Integration+and+rate+of+changes+%28differentiation%29 > The TCPIP version of the WeatherLink data logger requires that the Virtual Weather Station stop communicating with the data logger for 5 seconds once per minute so that it will upload the data to [|www.WeatherLink.com] > Added feature to determine what records are being downloaded from the VantagePro2 archive memory. The file is located here: > \vws\data\vantage.txt and includes the download record header, all of the records downloaded, and any errors. > a. Select **Internet | FTP General Settings** and check **Restart Program with Critical FTP Fault**. > b. If this time exceeds the **Max Connect Time (minutes),**also on this panel, the program will restart when stuck in an operating state. > Fixed Columbia Weather Systems (CWS) total rain issue. With the CWS, it only calculates the daily rain and not the total rain, like other stations. For CWS, VWS now stores the total rain in the offset column of the Calibration panel (select **Settings | Calibration Settings**from the menubar). This offset is updated on a daily basis and throughout the day is calculated by adding this offset to the current daily rain. This calcuation of total rain is then used to calculate daily, hourly and monthly rain. > Changed the way Heavy Rain in area is reported on METAR icons. > Daily rain = current total rain - daily minimum total rain > The issue is that the quality of the data from the weather station may be questionable, causing a 0.00 reading in total rain, resulting the daily rain equalling the total rain, or: > Daily rain = current total rain - 0 = current total rain > To limit these issues and band-aid this problem, it will only calculate the daily minimum rain when the date changes. Since rain is always increasing, this is not an issue, it will always be the minimum value at midnight. > New compiler now supports Windows 7. > c:\progam files\HeavyWeather\Heavy Weather.exe, so all the user had to do was browse to the directory. Now I have the user find the actual file instead of the directory. If you need to correct this, Under Communication | Communication, rebrowse to the HeavyWeather file location. There is more information here: > http://ambientweather.wikispaces.com/HeavyWeather+Default+File+Locations
 * 1) Changed to latest compiler to fully support Vista (look and feel, the current versions still work on Vista).
 * 2) Addressing issues with Windows 2003 crashing when converting desktop elements from bitmap to jpeg. You must be running Service Pack 2.
 * 3) Allows you to use channel 1 and the outdoor sensor (and visa-versa) on the VantagePro and VantagePro2 models.
 * 4) Adds logging capability and real time updates for all Davis Instruments VantagePro2 auxillary sensors (temperature, humidity, leaf temperature, leaf wetness, soil temperature, soil moisture).
 * 5) Adds THW and THWS Index for the Davis VantagePro and VantagePro2.
 * 6) Fixed some issues with downloads introduced in p01 and p02.
 * 7) Fixed an issue with VantagePro and Pro2 forecasting introduced in p01 and p02.
 * 8) Fixed issue with FTP error codes introduced in p01-p03
 * 9) Fixed issues with FTP functionality introduced in p01-p04.
 * 10) Fixed various rain rate issues occurring on Weather Underground.
 * 11) Fixed issues with leaf wetness, soil moisture, VantagePro and VantagePro2.
 * 12) Updated channel designation for multiple VantagePro and VantagePro2 sensors. Select Settings | Vantage Accessories to view these channel designations.
 * 13) Added "No Warnings" message if there are no current warnings from Weather Underground.
 * 14) p10 fixes problems introduced in p9. Not showing weather warnings on status bar.
 * 15) Fixed issue with cviinet.dll not loaded in system directory.
 * 16) If the maximum number of FTP connection error occurs, it will restart the program. You will need to set the following:
 * 1) Fixed problems with crashing when using multiple climate site tags on your webpage.
 * 2) Fixed issue with Barometer (measured, raw or uncorrected) and the associated density altitude not reporting properly.
 * 3) Addressing issue with Rainwise data logger missing data. It may be due to updating the graphics.
 * 4) Fixed issue introduced in V19 with CWOP sea level barometric pressure.
 * 5) There is a possible issue with some data loggers and the software where communication is lost when retrieving daily highs and lows from the Davis VantagePro and VantagePro2. If you lose communication 59 minutes after the hour at specific times during the day, you can turn this feature off now. Select **Settings | Vantage / WeatherLink Settings** and turn **OFF** (uncheck) **Get Highs and Lows Every Hour**.
 * 6) Changes to strip chart time axis. Fixed autoscaling issue with y-axis introduced in Version 14.00.
 * 7) Added support for WMR200 / WMR200A
 * 8) Fixed minor issue with rate of change during archive download. Also, a small amount of data was missing between archive download and real time updates.
 * 9) Fixed various links in the software. Added UV and solar radiation into Wunderground. Corrected station ID in Wunderground for WMR200 and Kestrel 4500.
 * 10) Added feature in WMR200 regarding loss of communication. If communication is lost for more then one minute, the USB port is closed and re-opened.
 * 11) Added a feature that ignores bad dates in the database. Dates before 1999 and one day later then the current date are ignored.
 * 12) Added a out of range feature for heat index, dew point and wind chill. This out of range feature is used for all of the measured values but was missing for some of the calculated values.
 * 13) There was a major bug in Version p26. The database time field was not being updated. This was fixed in Version p27 but there may be some residual bad database points. These are ignored by the software, but you can edit them out by selecting Settings | Database Settings and reviewing the last several database points.
 * 14) P28. Another fix to the auto-scaling strip chart issue.
 * 15) P29. Fixed error with accumulated rain and the new WMR200. Updating WeatherHawk to the latest version.
 * 16) P31. Added two commands for Weather Undeground Rapid Fire command: &realtime=1&rtfreq=x.x where x.x is the update frequency in seconds. Weather Underground claims the rapid fire function does not work without this, although I could not reproduce it.
 * 17) P32. Working to address loss of Davis VantagePro2 communication which occurs at 59 minutes after the hour when it attempts to get the daily highs and lows.
 * 18) P33. Fixed issue with rain rate, hourly rain and 24 hour rain when using non-imperial units (metric and calibration gain).
 * 19) P34. Fixed issue with random bad WMR200 data
 * 20) P35. Added the option to reboot Virtual Weather Station if communication is lost from the console. Select **Settings | Program Settings | Restart Program if Communication Lost for 5 minutes.**
 * 21) P36. Addressed crashing issue with WMR100 weather station.
 * 22) P37. The warning tag was displaying the last warning in the list. It now displays the first warning in the list.
 * 23) P38. One customer could not browse using the Heavy Weather setup functions. This version allows this user to type in the path.
 * 24) P39. Improvement in WMR100 communiction rates. Basically, we toggled (close, open, close) the USB port after each communication. Now, we open and leave the port open unless communication is lost for one minute. This results in a much faster com rate.
 * 25) P40. Fixed several issues with the La Crosse weather stations, including random bad data and history text not being downloaded properly.
 * 26) P41. Fixed crashing problem with WMR200.
 * 27) P42. Software was flagging bad dates in the download state for the WMR200, but not ignoring them.
 * 28) P43-P44. Fixed several crashing issues
 * 29) P45. Added additional troubleshooting for Bad Date and WMR200.
 * 30) P47. There was an issue with html tags if a blank Mesomap image was entered. Addressed issue with negative temperature on TxWx.
 * 31) P49. Changed **Hourly Rain** to old method. Hourly rain is based on the rainfall in the last hour as determined by your database. If your database does not have data from one hour ago, it uses the next point in your database.
 * 1) P50. There was an error introduced in a previous version of Virtual Weather Station where it "broke" downloading archive data, which was fixed in this version.
 * 2) P51. Added adjustable baud rate for Peet Bros weather stations. It used to be fixed but now you can set to 2400 or 19200.
 * 3) P52. P51 did not have the correct DLLs attached, so I added the additional DLLs. Updated to latest VantagePro DLL. However, the baromater offset is broken in this DLL so I modified the software so that you enter your altitude and it will correct to uncorrected pressure for you in the software.
 * 4) **P53 is a major upgrade**. Adds support for WeatherLinkIP (the TCPIP version of WeatherLink). Adds adjustable timer with WMR100 and WMR200 which results in much faster updates. You must set up your communication panel again so make a note of your comport and baud rate settings before you uprade. If you are running HeavyWeather, make a note of the filepaths. If you are running Peet, check your mode switch.
 * 1) P54. Added keep alive function that prevents lost communication for models RS300, RS600, WMR100 and WMR200.
 * 2) P55. Added direct USB communication for the 6510USB (as opposed to using USB to serial converter drivers). If you are having issues with operating a 6510USB in serial mode, I would recommend switching to USB mode.
 * 3) P56. When switching from one Vantage Pro protocal to another, it would lock up. I fixed this issue.
 * 4) P57. If the comport selection failed, it would revert back to Com 1. This was fixed.
 * 5) P58. Added functionality to add the high windspeed received from the Davis VantagePro2 into the graphs. Added troubleshooting capability for WMR200 archive data.
 * 6) P59. There are some reports that the WMR200A does not download all of the data to Virtual Weather Station. I have not been able to reproduce this, but I added a feature where it displays the first archived data point, the most current live reading, and the current record being downloaded, so we can troubleshoot this issue. This is under the WMR200 Sensor Communication window.
 * 7) P60. Continuation of the effort in P59. If you closed the WMR200 communication window and reopened, the archive records would not be updated.
 * 8) P61. Some users of VantagePro2 serial data loggers are reporting slow update rates or lock-ups. This occurred after the latest VantagePro DLL update. The only change for serial communication was a change in the timeout method incorporated by Davis. To test this theory, I reverted back to the old timeout method for serial communication only.
 * 9) P62 - P64. On some computers, the Wunderground | 5-Day Forecast panel would crash. I never figured out why but changing the number of cities from 4 to 3 eliminated the problem. The panel must be too complex to load on some computers. I hope this limitation in functionality will not hurt too many people.
 * 1) P65. Some users are complaining that the rate of change and intergration features are not working properly. It may be an issue with clocking on the computer (which is speculation at the moment). To view the one second clocking, select **Help | Internet Status**from the menubar. At the bottom of the panel is a one second timer update. It should be close to one second.
 * 2) P66. Added date check on La Crosse / Heavy Weather option. Only dates between the years 1999 and 2100 will be accepted. Otherwise, it throws out the data.
 * 3) P67. Solved a very random issue with the WMR200 download. It turns out that if you set the archive interval in the console to 2 minutes (as an example), it may capture data 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, .. minutes after the hour. However, if you set the database interval to 10 minutes in Virtual Weather Station, it records to the database every 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 minutes after the hour. Thus, the station archive interval and the VWS database will never "align". This is not an issue with real time data collection since it is constantly updating. I changed the software such that it will record all archive downloads. The only drawback is your graphs will be "uneven". In the case above, it will update every 2 minutes in the database during the archive download and every 10 minutes during real time data capture. To avoid this confusion, set your database interval and the weather station archive interval to the same value.
 * 4) P68. Removed popup message when VWS does not recognize HeavyWeather is running. This is now a message in the status bar. My guess is HW is crashing but it temorarily stopped VWS from continuing to read data. It will still relaunch HW.
 * 5) P69. There was an issue where if you selected the option to restart the software after 30 minutes of lost communication, it could restart the software over and over again if it took a while for the software shutdown to occur. Increased the HeavyWeather no sensor update status message from 1 minute to 3 minutes after startup. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the sensor to report.
 * 6) P70. There was a scaling error on THWS for the VantagePro2 when non-imperial units were selected.
 * 1) P71-72. Addressed WMR200 date and time issue.
 * 2) P73. Fixed Metar text file crashing issue.
 * 3) P74-75. Corrected weather station link on web pages for newer model weather stations. Fixed issue with error reporting for Davis Classic Weather Stations.
 * 4) P76. Correcting issues with spikes in data with WMR200A. This is caused by an errant archive record (not a problem with Virtual Weather Station, this is a problem with the data logger).
 * 5) P77. Some stations report separate wind gust. If this value is bad (out of range) it was not getting trapped by the Range Limits (select Settings | Range Settings). Now the sotware sets the gust limits to the same values as the wind speed limits.
 * 1) P80. Fixed issue with TCPIP version of the VantagePro2 data logger. The logger requires that we toggle the TCPIP port closed and then open once per minute so the logger can talk to WeatherLink.com. However, once in a great while, the TCPIP port was in use when it tried to reopen. The software now attempts to reopen 10 times instead of only once.
 * 2) P81. Readdressing issues in P80. Some users are reporting lockups so added the timeout each time the port is reopened as an attempt to solve this.
 * 1) P84. Fixed issue with TCPIP version of the VantagePro2 data logger. See P80. I now close and open the comport on every read cycle so the logger can talk to WeatherLink.com. In P80, there was an issue where the software would lose communication when it tried to reopen the comport, so it now tries on every read and write cycle.
 * 2) P85. Fixed issue with WMR968 Sensor Communication window that was broken in P84. Fixed issue with Smart Forecast not being initialized at start up.
 * 3) P86. Updated support for new Radio Shack 63-256 Weather Station. Updated manual to reflect new weather station.
 * 4) P87. Rolled revision so customer could install.
 * 5) P88-90. There was an issue with multiple display images popping up the first time the display is modified due to an initialization issue (fixed).
 * 6) P91. One specific customer mentioned FTP operation was hanging yet communication continues. I do believe this is being caused by the operating system and internet function timeouts, but I created a workaround. The program will restart in the event any operating state exceeds the Max Connect Time. To set these parameters:
 * 1) P92. Fixed crashing problem with WMR200.
 * 1) P93. Added functionality to determine why excessive data is being downloaded from the WMR200 weather station. The file **\vws\data\wmr200archive.txt** includes a time stamp for each record downloaded from archive. If you are having problems with random data being downloaded from archive memory, send me this file and I will review it. Send the file to ed@ambientweather.com for review.
 * 1) P94-95. Another stab at fixing CWS rain issue. Added functions for Rainwise and Columbia that drops out of download state if the OK flag is missed and the maximum number of download records are exceeded.
 * 2) P96. There has been an ongoing problem with calculating daily, monthly and yearly rain. To provide some background, most weather stations do not calculate this data, so VWS must calculate it. It is usually calculated by subtracting the daily minumum total rain from the current total rain, or:
 * 1) P97. Addressing Columbia Weather Stations. Total rain still not correct. Also, does not stop downloading records. To troubleshoot, I added a text file **\vws\data\columbia.txt** that tracks some of the critical paramters for both issues. If you are having problems with random data being downloaded from archive memory, send me this file and I will review it. Send the file to ed@ambientweather.comfor review. Make sure run it for a few days and make sure rain is accumulating.
 * 2) P100. Supports the new Vantage Vue by Davis Instruments.
 * 3) P101. Added support for the Oregon Scientific EMS100.
 * 4) P104. Troubleshooting datbase update issues.
 * 5) Notice: Version P104 generates a Virtual Weather Station runtime error so I have downgraded to p101. This error occurred when I updated compilers. I have contacted our compiler manufacturer (National Instruments) to resolve this issue and they are researching it for me.
 * 6) Version 14.01p00. Fixed crashing issue with Version p104. New compiler caused issue
 * 1) Version 14.01p02. Added support for La Crosse Technlogy WS-2810, as well as other newer La Crosse weather stations where the currdat.lst file is located in a different location than the Heavy Weather Executable file. For the WS-2810, I recommend deleting the file **\vws\setup\config6.bin** (which stores the **Communication | Communication** panel information) and restarting Virtual Weather Station software. Next, select the **WS-2xxx series**weather station as the weather station type.
 * 2) Version 14.01p03. Crashing issue was back. Found it to be the 5-Day Forecast panel. Not sure why but reduced the number of five day forecast selections from 3 to 1. Not sure if this is a windows issue or a compiler issue, because the actual code is not crashing. I apologize to those that use more than one forecast location.
 * 3) Version 14.01p04. Added jpeg file error notifications in status bar. One user can not determine why he an not generate jpeg files.
 * 4) Version 14.01p05-06. Bracketed bad dates better by only allowing downloads within 2 years of current computer or system date. Added more messages to determine why WMR200A archive downloads are sometimes incomplete, including bad data strings and CRC errors. This information is written to the file **\vws\data\wmr200archive.txt**.
 * 5) Version 14.01p07. cviinet.dll was missing in 14.01.
 * 6) Version 14.01p08. Crashing continues. Still appears to be related to 5 Day Forecast panel. The debugger does not give any clues so I can only point the finger at the compiler + development platform I use from National Instruments. I deleted this panel and built in from scratch, changing some of the presentation of the data. You will have to set this panel up again, which involves setting the timer, and entering your location. Sorry folks, this has been a real pain to solve.
 * 7) Version 14.01p10. In the latest version of Heavy Weather, they changed their executable filename and location. It used to always be located here:
 * 1) Version 14.01p11. Fixed issues with daily, monthly and yearly rain. Prevented 0.00 total rain value having effect on calculating the daily, monthly and yearly rainfall (some weather stations do not calculate these values so VWS must calculate them. However, some stations have issues with zero "spiking" to zero and causing the daily, monthly and yearly rainfall to reset to the total rainfall. VWS now throws out any zero rain value. I used to debouce it 5 cycles but that did not always work. Also changed the Settings | Rainfall panel to make it easier to edit daily, monthly and yearly values.
 * 2) Version 14.01p13. Updated database from 20,000 points to 50,000 points.
 * 3) Version 14.01p14. There was a bug in Version p13 that would give you an error message that the database was exceeded.
 * 4) Version 14.01p15. A couple of users are experiencing high and low summary read and write errors. I added code that creates a file called \vws\data\summary.txt to see what types of errors these are. You can send this file to me: ed@ambientweather.com if you have issues. Also, the summary files were only written once per day and at shutdown, and if you did not gracefully shut VWS down, you would lose this data. I now write this data once per minute.
 * 5) Version 14.01p17. Did not properly handle the day change highs and lows in Version 14.01p16. Fixed. Some users have complained of ghosting issues when program is unminimized. Fixed by maximizing, minimizing and maximizing again. Yikes, Windows can be flaky.
 * 6) Version 14.01p18-p19. Implemented new Davis DLL which fixes minor issues documented here: []
 * 7) Version 14.01p20. Issues with resizing database resolved. No longer get annoying popup at start up if database needs resizing.
 * 8) Version 14.01p21. Some users still complaining about missing downloads. I have never been able to reproduce but I changed the keep alive write command. It would only send it out if data was read first. Now it sends it out regardless if any data was read back. I can not guarantee this will fix it, just trying different things out because I can not reproduce.
 * 9) Version 14.01p22. When the latest Davis DLL was implemented, it would default the display console to imperial units. I fixed this by getting the units first and then setting the same units in the get units command.
 * 10) Version 14.01p23. Found and fixed issue with plotting THWS parameters.
 * 11) Version 14.01p24-25. Added error tracing for daysum.txt file from the summary.txt file. One user is having issues with this file. Added Keep Alive Flag option for the WMR200. One user is having issues with no or interrupted downloads. I added this feature to troubleshoot. If downloads are intermittent, turn on or off this flag. Select **Communication | Sensor Communication | Keep Alive Flag** to set this flag.
 * 12) Version 14.01p26. Fixed issue with program crashing if more than 91 file parameters are selected for file reporting.
 * 13) Version 14.01p27. Fixed issue with database. Could not edit beyond 30,000 records.
 * 14) Version 14.01p28. If a warning is set and clears, the message "No Warnings" on the webpage will not be displayed.
 * 15) Version 14.01p30. Added WMR88A to list of weather stations. This is a new Oregon Scientific weather station. Also fixed crashing and display issues with Distribution Graphs for higher numbered parameters.
 * 16) Version 14.01p31. Version p30 broke Wind Direction distribution. Fixed.
 * 17) Version 14.01p32. Addressed issues with daily, monthly and yearly highs and lows that feed the displays and NOAA reports. The data would get corrupted. The new version will only allow a high and low to be entered if the current date and time exceeds the high and low date and time. This has something to do with the timing of the program with relation to the timing of the weather station clock, as well as bogus data. This can also effect the daily, monthly and yearly rainfall. Fixed issue with 5 day forecast. You must set up this panel again. Also fixed Davis Instruments forecast issue - if it is below 32 degF, the icon will show snow instead of rain.
 * 18) Version 14.01p33. Fixed issues introduced in p32.
 * 19) Version 14.01p34. Fixed issue related to highs and lows, Rainwise and introduction of p32.
 * 20) Version 14.01p36. Continue to troubleshoot Rainwise and highs and lows.
 * 21) Version 14.01p37. Fixed METAR reporting when temperature is missing from report.
 * 22) Version 14.01p40. Ongoing issues with Rainwise. Trying to resolve issues with highs and lows rolling over.
 * 23) Version 14.01p42. Resolved database overflow issue. The database would get corrupted if 50,000 points was reached and resized.
 * 24) Version 14.01p43. p42 did not completely resolve the issue.
 * 25) Version 14.01p44. Fixed crashing issue with WeatherBug.
 * 26) Version 14.01p46. Removed debug code for Peet Bros.
 * 27) Version 14.01p47. When Wunderground.com weather warnings time out, it does not parse the data properly. I did a few things: (1) increased the timeout from 10 seconds to 60 seconds (2) If there is a download error, the tag will display an error in retrieving data instead of No Warning. (3) under some circumstances, the tag would not parse properly.
 * 28) Version 15.00p00. Removed wininet.dll file. It was causing errors with Windows 8.1. Instead, it will get the dll from the system folder installed with the operating system.
 * 29) Version 15.00p03. Added WeatherBug support for Monthly and Yearly Rain.
 * 30) Version 15.00p04. Fixed crashing when WeatherCentral feature used.
 * 31) Version 15.00p05. Fixed more crashing issues.