Data grabber

This is a summary of the Cumulus Data Grabber package by Mark Dunn

Full details in support forum with many screen shots.

Introduction

This is a package providing a number of features:

1. A screen that summarises all the weather information contained in the realtime.txt file that Cumulus can optionally create
2. The screen shows the latest file in a frame beside the date and time shown in the record.
3. The screen shows the latest forecast represented by a number in the file as words and icon.
4. There is another frame that can show a number of views selected by tabs with charts. Beside it there is an option to export the charts.
   • The rain chart includes both actual rain tracking by blue line and a prediction line in red of when rain might fall
   • The wind bearing chart shows individual wind bearings
5. Other screens can be accessed by a menu providing various facilities including
   • varying the update interval
   • selecting how many attempts will be made to grab the file
   • setting email alerts for various alarm conditions, with reactivation every 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes set individually for each weather condition monitored.

Version History

• 1.6.4 - 19 Oct 2014 - adds configuration of reactivation times for email despatch
• 1.6.3 - 20 Sept 2014 - major update of functionality
• 1.6.2 - 29 June 2014 - increased language support, password hiding, and SSL option for emails
• 1.6.1 - 21 June 2014 - this version was withdrawn, it attempted to implement secure email connections, but had problems
• 1.6.0 - 1 May 2014 - introduced day and night icons based on field 50 in the realtime.txt
• 1.5.9 - 20 Apr 2014 - added Jaques DesRoches icons and forecast to main screen
• 1.5.8 - 15 March 2014 - added selection of northern or southern hemisphere, this modifies the way the arrows appear to designate High and Low pressure.
• 1.5.7 - 8 Mar 2014 - prediction log files added, email alerts added
• 1.5.6 - 11 Jan 2014 - Added rain rate description, changed generation of file names for saving charts
• 1.5.5 - 22 Dec 2013 - various additional features
• 1.5.4 - not released