Weather Data

[AaronSmall]

Guylain,

I was looking at other posts on the TemPERhum device and that got me to thinking about the weather center.  I have been using the WOEID since I started using BYE, but I also use Clear Sky Charts to give me a better astronomical forecast since it includes seeing, transparency and wind estimates.

This got me to thinking this would be a great feature to incorporate into BYE.  Their homepage is http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/.  As far as I know you may know Attilla Danko since he is also in Ottawa.

Aaron

 

[admin]

Lol, yes I know Attilla. we met this summer at a star party

[dts350z]

At least on mobile devices, "Clear Outside" by first light optics seems to be a better option:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/blog/clear-outside-weather-forecasts-for-astronomers.html

More locations, more days in the forecast, more data in the forecast.

Just wish they had a fahrenheit option. 

http://clearoutside.com/

[s3igell]

Guylain, can you elaborate a bit on the Frequency and Functionality that you've built into the Weather Center??  Especially the implementation when using WOEIDs and when Internet Connectivity is either Spotty or Not-Available??

Honestly, I don't make use of the Weather Center as I don't have a TemperHum.  And while I do some Imaging from by Backyard (under White/Red Zone LP), most is done from decently Remote Dark Sites which have little-to-no Cellular Coverage (maybe a Good Thing for a "Spurious Smartphone-Usage Light Nazi" like me) so use of a WOEID-based Weather Forecast is often unavailable (or too Generic).

How frequently is the WOEID-based Weather Data updated??  What is displayed if WOEID data query fails??  Is WOEID Weather Data cached for Display for some period??

The BYE/BYN Help entry for "Weather Center" confirms that the Weather Data (assumably the Temp, Humidity, Dewpoint) are recorded to EXIF, but fails to identify under what Data Item Name(s).  Can you identify these for those of us with EXIF Data "Search"-capable Image Catalog Software??

[s3igell]

While access to "Clear Sky Charts" or "Clear Outside" data might be nice, most of us can simply LOOK UP while sitting at our Laptops next to our Scopes to gauge at least as accurately the Current Weather and Sky Conditions.  As both of these resources are calculated Hours in Advance, and while Models-based are only "Predictive Guesses", neither is as successful as a quick look at the Skies.

Both of the above Tools are, however, good resources for AP Imaging "Encouragement" ("Encouragement" to Go Outside and Set-Up even though the Current Sky doesn't look Promising; "Encouragement" to Hurry Up and Finish an Imaging Run before the Current Conditions deteriorate).

Either of these Graphic Tools would serve as "Better than Nothing" when the User is going to Image at a "Lacking Connectivity" Dark Sky Location, especially given that the "Forecast" is predictive for 24-48hrs and could easily be "Pre-Loaded" onto the Laptop before leaving from Home or Hotel for the night's Imaging Session.

But, both of these Graphic Tools would seem somewhat difficult to integrate into the current Weather Center UI (and nearly impossible to integrate into EXIF Data).

(I would also be concerned to find a way that the Graphic Display also honor the "Night Mode" Display Setting.)

[admin]

The weather center is being read every 2 minutes if I remember correctly, could be 5 minutes.  I would need to look at code and I'm not home right now.

The weather center is also updated each time you close the Settings dialogue.  This is in case you changed its settings.

The provider name is also added in the Exif data, so you know if you used Yahoo, TEMPerHUM, or other just by looking at the exif data.

Hope this helps,

[s3igell]

On 12/2/2015 at 1:12 PM, s3igell said:

While access to "Clear Sky Charts" or "Clear Outside" data might be nice

My suggestion would be to overlay / alternate / supplant the Weather Center with a "Moonrise/Moonset - AstroTwilight" Clock.  My suggestion would be for display of "Relative Time" until "Next AstroTwilight" (either Coming or Going) as well as until the Evil Orb is scheduled to Appear/Exit the scene.

Especially if neither active TemperHum or WOEID connectivity is available, repurposing this area of the GUI for such a "Clock" would be a Valuable Use for this screen area.

If a Settings Page Toggle were provided, many of us would probably choose to have such a "Clock" as part of our Primary Display.

Implementation would require use of a small Open-Source Ephemeris routine, as well as either Geo-Location or perhaps the WOEID.

It wouldn't need to be Accurate to more than a Few Minutes, so neither Altitude nor Local Horizon data would be required.