NOAA Weather Plus discussions

Installed v1.0.4 [that was fast ]

Temp = OK
Humidity = OK [it's now displaying its own % sign, v1.0.3 needed to use % as a caption]
Current Condition = -data unavailable- [How are these XML files created? Why did Current Condition work before? Will it work again?]

Start/Stop IWS

Code: Select all

Plugin "NOAA Weather Plus 1.0.4" started
  NOAA Weather Plus Error         File doesn't contain an observation date for coordinates 33.6267, -116.1594. Current conditions may be out of date.
  Trigger                         Irrigation [if 112º]
  Sprinkler                       Scheduled "Irrigation [sprinkler]" zone durations: 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 0.00, 1.00, 1.00, 0.00, 0.00
  Sprinkler                       Turning "Irrigation [sprinkler]" zone 1 on for 1.00 minutes
  Error                           _RecalcNextTriggerTime() caught exception: IllegalParameterError
  Error                           _RecalcNextTriggerTime() caught exception: IllegalParameterError


All these errors make the 'email event log data' plugin useless for now, unless you want a hundred emails a day

[jay (support)]

All these errors make the 'email event log data' plugin useless for now, unless you want a hundred emails a day

Only if you're emailing on every error. You can trigger on more specific errors.

However, Nathan, I would suggest changing that message so that it's not an error - there's nothing the user can do about it anyway so as unfortunate as it may be it is a part of normal operation.

However, Nathan, I would suggest changing that message so that it's not an error - there's nothing the user can do about it anyway so as unfortunate as it may be it is a part of normal operation.

That's a good point Jay. I'll keep that in mind for the next patch release.

nsheldon, I spoke too soon.

None of the weather related items on my control page have updated since I installed v1.0.4 last evening. The NOAA website is accurate.

I have a lot of events that are conditional to 1st High Temp, which now doesn't work. Should I downgrade to v1.0.3? Is there a link to find it?


Jay, How do you trigger on specific errors? Or in this case filter out this error, but keep all others. The plugin shows:
- Internal Indigo Errors [define please]
- Specific Type [what are the choices that you would enter here? Can there be multiple? Comma separated?

[jay (support)]

Jay, How do you trigger on specific errors? Or in this case filter out this error, but keep all others. The plugin shows:
- Internal Indigo Errors [define please]
- Specific Type [what are the choices that you would enter here? Can there be multiple? Comma separated?

Sorry, our fault. We didn't realize that the docs for the plugin didn't have the necessary details in it. It's there now.

This mechanism for error trapping isn't as fully featured as we'd like since we're only using log data. So it's not particularly useful for filtering out a particular error but rather focusing in on the errors that you really care about.

nsheldon, I spoke too soon.

None of the weather related items on my control page have updated since I installed v1.0.4 last evening. The NOAA website is accurate.

I have a lot of events that are conditional to 1st High Temp, which now doesn't work. Should I downgrade to v1.0.3? Is there a link to find it?

Hi again.

I keep all previous versions on the server if you ever need to downgrade. Just copy the current link and paste it into your browser's address bar then change the version number of the file in the link to the version you want to download.

But as for this version, I didn't see that specific issue with the 1.0.4 version. However, here is version 1.0.5 which fixes the humidity percent value (so there's no percent sign in the value) and changes error message about bad data to a standard non-error Indigo log simply warning you that the XML might be corrupt. I, too, have a number of triggers associated with my NOAA Weather Plus device. I hear ya man. Let me know if this works better. I did examine the XML file that NOAA is giving to NOAA Weather Plus. It's got a number of errors in the file. Hopefully they'll fix their XML generator soon.

... which fixes the humidity percent value (so there's no percent sign in the value)

I was just letting you know that there was a change between versions. As to which is best? I personally feel having data displayed natively with its sign [%,º...] is a good thing, as long as it works for all data. As the developer, you get to make the call of native vs captions. It's all good to me as long as it is consistent.

I, too, have a number of triggers associated with my NOAA Weather Plus device. I hear ya man. Let me know if this works better.

v1.0.5 CP results compared to NOAA website:
- CurrentConditionIcon = none
- CurrentCondition = -data unavailable-
- CurrentTemp = correct
- CurrentHum = correct
- Forcast5Day = Icons Correct, Temps wrong

I did examine the XML file that NOAA is giving to NOAA Weather Plus. It's got a number of errors in the file. Hopefully they'll fix their XML generator soon.

Can you explain how these files get created & work [or don't work in this case].

The two closest data points for me are a fire station [very close & unreliable], and an airport [much further away & was reliable until yesterday]. Are these government installs?

Is the XML generated at each site, or is raw data from all sites sent to a central processor?

What are the odds that the XML generator will ever be reliable enough to base HA events on?

If this data is going to be this bad, at what point do we give up being a NOAA beta-tester and move on to another solution? What would that solution be?

Even if you have a home weather station you still will be importing forecast data from somewhere, right?

Thanks for your help

v1.0.5 CP results compared to NOAA website:
- CurrentConditionIcon = none
- CurrentCondition = -data unavailable-
- CurrentTemp = correct
- CurrentHum = correct
- Forcast5Day = Icons Correct, Temps wrong

I'm not sure about for your location, but for my location, the 5-day forecast reflected in NOAA Weather Plus 1.0.5 matches what's shown on the National Weather Service web site for the same location. Perhaps, just to make sure everything is reloaded properly, try restarting the Indigo server. It shouldn't make a difference, but I've experienced instances where it does.

I did examine the XML file that NOAA is giving to NOAA Weather Plus. It's got a number of errors in the file. Hopefully they'll fix their XML generator soon.

Can you explain how these files get created & work [or don't work in this case].

How they're created? I have no idea how the National Weather Service creates them. How they work? XML files are just text files formatted similarly to raw HTML. Each element of an XML file can contain a value and any number of child elements, who can also have their own values and children, etc. If a specific element (such as "current-condition" either doesn't exist or exists but has no value, the NOAA Weather Plus plugin will set the device's currentCondition state to "- data unavailable -". You can view the raw XML for yourself for your location by either going to the http://www.weather.gov web site and entering your ZIP code then clicking on the orange and white "XML" icon at the middle right, or by turning debugging on in the NOAA Weather Plus configuration and reloading the plugin (to force it to reload the weather feed). The URL will appear in the Indigo log where you can copy and paste it into your web browser.

The two closest data points for me are a fire station [very close & unreliable], and an airport [much further away & was reliable until yesterday]. Are these government installs?

Again, I have no idea as I don't work for the National Weather Service or have any kind of inside information into the organization.

Is the XML generated at each site, or is raw data from all sites sent to a central processor?

I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say that each site uploads raw data to some central location which is then processed for distribution to other locations (like web sites).

What are the odds that the XML generator will ever be reliable enough to base HA events on?

Any answer on my part would be pure speculation. If Jay's assessment of the history of the National Hourly Aviation Weather Observations feed used in Perceptive Automation's NOAA Weather plugin is any indication, it could be years.

If this data is going to be this bad, at what point do we give up being a NOAA beta-tester and move on to another solution? What would that solution be?

That's something that's completely up to each individual user and their respective tolerance for errors. What's the alternative? Use the existing NOAA Weather plugin, find another alternative to integrate into Indigo, or "roll your own" using some other data source.

Even if you have a home weather station you still will be importing forecast data from somewhere, right?

Yes, unless you have a VERY fancy home weather station.

Thanks for your hard work. We all appreciate it.

Just to keep everyone up to date, I've emailed the http://www.weather.gov webmaster inquiring about the continued bad data in the XML files. I'll keep everyone updated on the results of that conversation (should they choose to respond).

Government fixing something? Tall order, but a guy can dream!

:D

Government fixing something? Tall order, but a guy can dream!

LOL! Indeed!

Nsheldon, would you consider adapting this great plugin for wunderground? That has the advantage of using multiple local weather stations instead of only airport stations. I know that in atlanta at least, the weather is totally different at the airport than it is in town, and can vary among neighborhoods.

Nsheldon, would you consider adapting this great plugin for wunderground? That has the advantage of using multiple local weather stations instead of only airport stations. I know that in atlanta at least, the weather is totally different at the airport than it is in town, and can vary among neighborhoods.

I'm open to looking into it. It probably wouldn't be within this plugin, but perhaps in a new wunderground plugin. Do you have any information or documentation you can share that'd describe the data source and format?

UPDATE: I got a reply from an Information Technology Officer at NOAA regarding the data errors who said the problem is due to a recent code change they made and the output errors are unintentional. He said he's looking into the problem and hopes to have a fix soon, though he can't make any time commitments.