WEATHERLINK ® Software User’s Guide For Windows Version 4.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WEATHERLINK ® Software User’s Guide For Windows Version 4.
TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Contents of Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 HARDWARE INSTALLATION Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct Connection Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Station Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Serial Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Select Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS Using the Plot Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding and Removing Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose Specific Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scroll Through Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose Plot Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS TECHNICAL REFERENCE Archive Memory vs. Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Archive Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Automatic Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Automatic Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Communications Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AutoFax Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Windows Communications Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Davis Instruments’ WeatherLink Software! The WeatherLink Data Logger (referred to as the WeatherLink in this manual) and software allows you to connect your personal computer to Davis weather stations to store, view, plot, analyze, export, and print weather data collected by your Davis station. CONTENTS OF PACKAGE Before proceeding, please check to make sure your WeatherLink package contains the following: ▲ WeatherLink Data Logger Includes 8’ (2.
INTRODUCTION Optional Accessories 2
2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION There are two basic types of installations: direct connection and phone modem connection. Direct connection involves connecting the computer directly to the WeatherLink. Phone modem connection refers specifically to any installation where the WeatherLink is connected to a modem and you communicate with the WeatherLink via a modem at your computer. Requirements and installation for each type of connection differ, and are explained separately below.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION Direct Connection ▲ Windows-Compatible Display VGA (16 Colors) minimum. SVGA (256 Colors) recommended. ▲ One Free Serial Port ▲ One external modem to connect to the WeatherLink The modem must be Hayes® compatible and run at either 1200 or 2400 baud. ▲ One internal fax modem or external fax modem connected to your computer The modem must be Hayes compatible and run at either 1200 or 2400 baud.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION Direct Connection Direct Connection Installation 1. Make a note of your station’s current barometric pressure, total rainfall, and (if applicable) calibration numbers. You must remove power from the station console to install the WeatherLink, which will cause these values to be erased. Use the WeatherLink software to reenter these values after restoring power to the station. 2.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION Phone Modem Connection PHONE MODEM CONNECTION The instructions below explain how to make a typical phone modem connection. Typical Phone Modem Installation The illustration below shows a typical phone modem connection. This involves connecting the WeatherLink to the weather station and to a modem at the station console site and connecting your computer’s modem to a phone line, which will allow you to “dial” the weather station.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION Phone Modem Connection 4. Make a note of your station’s current barometric pressure, total rainfall, and (if applicable) calibration numbers. You must remove power from the station console to install the WeatherLink, which will cause these values to be erased. Use the WeatherLink software to reenter these values after restoring power to the station. 5. Remove the mounting base from the console and remove all power by removing the AC-power adapter and battery backup.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION Phone Modem Connection A Few Notes About Phone Modem Connections If you indicate a phone modem connection when setting up your station (see “Serial Port” on page 20), the software automatically dials the station whenever you attempt to initiate a program action which requires the software to “talk” to the WeatherLink. While connected to a phone modem station, an “On-Line” icon appears in the toolbar.
3 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP This chapter covers software installation and setup. INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE 1. Place the Install Disk in your disk drive. 2. Choose Run from the File menu, type A:SETUP (or B:SETUP), and choose OK to begin the installation. 3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. RUNNING THE SOFTWARE To run the software, double-click on the WeatherLink 4 icon.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP Adding a Station 2. Type the station name into the text box. The station name may be up to 40 characters/spaces long. Note that the software uses the first eight characters of the station name (not counting spaces or punctuation marks) as the name of the directory into which it saves this station’s database and configuration files. The first eight characters of each station name must, therefore, be unique.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP Adding a Station ▲ Set Rain Cal (see ”Set Rain Cal” on page 25) Set station’s rainfall calibration number. ▲ Enter Total Rainfall (see ”Set Total Rain” on page 27) Set total rainfall amount on station and software. You must enter this information from the software if you want you station and software readings to agree. ▲ Set Time and Date (see ”Set Time” on page 23) Set the time and date on the station, software, and computer to make sure all three are synchronized.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND SETUP Finding the Correct Serial Port FINDING THE CORRECT SERIAL PORT The software contains a procedure for locating the serial port to which your station is connected or determining whether that serial port is working. Using the Loopback command (as opposed to Test) will help you determine whether a communication problem is being caused by the serial port or by the WeatherLink. Note: This procedure will only work for direct connections.
4 USING THE SOFTWARE Everything you need to know about running the software (once it is correctly installed and set up) is explained in this chapter. WEATHER STATION MODELS Depending on which station model (Weather Monitor II®, Weather Wizard III®, etc.) you are using and which optional sensors (Rain Collector or External Temperature/Humidity Sensor) you have connected to your station, certain information and options explained in this manual may not be available.
USING THE SOFTWARE The Toolbar THE TOOLBAR The toolbar contains icons which activate program commands. The illustration below shows what commands are activated by the individual toolbar icons. Note that the Print icon only appears when you have a window which you may print open. The On-Line icon only appears when you are connected to a remote station.
USING THE SOFTWARE File Menu New Station Each station connected to the computer must have its own “station” within the software. This tells the software into which database new data should be saved, provides the necessary communication settings (serial port, IRQ, etc.), and other station-specific information. 1. Choose New Station from the File menu. The New Station dialog box appears. NEW STATION 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE File Menu Delete Station You may delete a station from the software quickly and easily. Deleting a station removes the station directory and subdirectories from your hard disk. 1. Choose Delete Station from the File menu. The Delete Station dialog box appears. DELETE STATION 2. Select a station from the list box on the left and choose OK. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete the station. 3. Choose OK to confirm the deletion.
USING THE SOFTWARE File Menu 2. To begin the download, choose OK. The software will begin to download data. The software shows you the progress of the download in the form of a status bar and a text display of the number of records transferred so far and the total number of records to be transferred. DOWNLOAD STATUS After all records have been transferred, the software saves the information into the open station’s database.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Print To print the active program window, choose Print from the File menu or click on the Print icon in the toolbar. Specify printing options (for best results make sure Landscape mode is selected) in Windows’ print dialog box and choose OK. Close To close the active program window, choose Close from the File menu or press Ctrl-F4 (or Ctrl-Z). Hang Up To hang up a modem connection, choose Hang Up from the File menu or choose the On-Line icon from the toolbar.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Station Config You may enter information which will help to identify a particular station and select a number of station-specific settings. 1. Choose Station Config from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-C. The Station Configuration dialog box appears. STATION CONFIGURATION 2. Enter the following information: ▲ Name Enter the desired station name in this text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu ▲ After download automatically export last 2 days to “download.txt” The software is capable of automatically creating a text file which contains all downloaded records for the last 2 days (the day on which you downloaded and the previous day) after each download. To enable this feature, select the check box. The file (named “download.txt”) is saved into the station’s directory.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu ▲ Baud Rate Unless you are using a modem which only operates at 1200 baud, leave the baud rate setting at 2400. Note: If you have a 1200 baud modem, you need to both flip this setting for the PC AND flip the dip switch setting on the data logger. By default, both are set to 2400 baud. For successful operation, both must remain in sync. ▲ Phone Modem Connection Select this check box to connect to the station by modem (remote connection).
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Select Units You may select the units of measure in which data is displayed within the software. All program windows (bulletin, summary, plots, database, etc.) display data in the selected units of measure. Choosing units of measure in the software does not affect the units of measure in which data is displayed on the console. 1. Choose Select Units from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-U. The Choose Units dialog box appears. CHOOSE UNITS 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Set Time You may set the time and date on your station console and your computer from the software. It is important to make sure that both the station and computer display the same time and date. Because changing time and date on the station can affect data in the WeatherLink’s archive memory, we recommend that you download data before setting the time and date and then clear your archive memory when finished.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Set Archive Interval You may choose to store data to the WeatherLink’s archive memory at an interval of 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes. This interval is known as the archive interval. For information on archive memory and the effect that the archive interval has on the amount of data which may be stored in the WeatherLink’s archive memory, see “Archive Memory” on page 91. Note: Be aware that setting the archive interval clears your archive memory.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 2. Enter the correct barometric pressure and choose OK. The software saves the change in barometric pressure to both the console and the station’s configuration file. Set Rain Cal You may set the rainfall calibration number on your station console using the software.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 1. Choose Set Temp Cal from the Setup menu. The Set Temp Cal dialog box appears. The raw reading shown in this dialog box indicates the unadjusted reading coming from the sensor. The adjusted reading indicates what the software displays, adjusted for any previously entered calibration number. SET TEMP. CAL 2. Enter the desired adjusted reading and choose OK.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 1. Choose Set Hum Cal from the Setup menu. The Set Hum Cal dialog box appears. The raw reading shown in this dialog box indicates the unadjusted reading coming from the sensor. The adjusted reading indicates what the software displays, adjusted for any previously entered calibration number. SET HUMIDITY CAL 2. Enter the desired adjusted reading and choose OK.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Set Alarms You may quickly set the alarm thresholds on the station console using the software. Consult your station manual for information on the available alarms and how they work. 1. Choose Set Alarms from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-A. The Set Station Alarms dialog box appears. SET STATION ALARMS 2. Enter the following information: ▲ High/Low Alarm For all of the standard high/low alarms, enter the desired alarm threshold into the text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 1. Choose Clear from the Setup menu. The Clear dialog box appears. CLEAR 2. Indicate which high/low registers and/or rainfall totals you wish to clear by selecting the appropriate check box. You may quickly select all high/low registers and rainfall totals by choosing Check All. You may quickly de-select all high/low registers and rainfall totals by choosing Check None. 3. To clear the selected high/low registers and/or rainfall totals, choose OK.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Auto Clear You may set up the software to automatically clear selected high/low registers and rainfall totals at a set time each day (the software must be running). For more information on how the Auto Clear feature works, see “Automatic Clear” on page 92. Note: This command will clear highs and lows on the bulletin if it is running at the time the Auto Clear occurs. 1. Choose Set Auto Clear from the Setup menu. The Auto Clear dialog box appears. AUTO CLEAR 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu Auto Download You may set up the software to automatically download data at specified times each day (the software must be running). For more information on how the automatic download feature works, see “Automatic Download” on page 92. 1. Choose Auto Download from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-J. The Auto Download dialog box appears. The stations which appear in the Auto Download List will be downloaded automatically. AUTO DOWNLOAD 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 4. To set the time(s) at which the selected station should be downloaded, choose Download At. The Download At dialog box appears. DOWNLOAD AT 5. Enter the following information: ▲ Download Times Select the hour(s) at which the software should automatically download information from this station by clicking on the desired hour in the list. You may select as many download hours as you want; the software will download data from your station during each of the specified hours.
USING THE SOFTWARE Setup Menu 1. Choose Auto Fax from the Setup menu or press Ctrl-X. The Auto Fax Settings dialog box appears. AUTO FAX SETTINGS 2. Enter the following information: ▲ COM Port Enter the number of the COM port to which your fax modem is connected. ▲ Fax Phone # Enter the fax number to which you want the data sent. ▲ Modem Class Select the modem class. Consult your fax modem’s documentation to determine the correct class. If you are unsure, test the Auto Fax feature using Modem Class 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 4. When finished, choose OK. The software saves your Auto Fax settings. REPORTS MENU The Reports menu contains commands which allow you to quickly generate reports using (in most cases) data in your database. Each of the commands is explained separately below. Printing Reports To print any of the reports generated by the software, choose Print from the File menu, click on the Print icon in the Toolbar, or press Ctrl-P.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu ▲ State Enter the state name into the text box. If you wish, enter the country name as well. ▲ Elevation Enter the location’s elevation into the text box. ▲ Lat, Long Enter the location’s longitude and latitude into the text box. When entering latitude, use negative numbers to represent southern latitudes. When entering longitude, use negative numbers to represent western longitudes.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu NOAA Summarize Month The software can automatically generate a report similar to monthly NOAA weather watcher reports using the information in your database and NOAA Setup information (see “NOAA Setup” on page 34). 1. Choose NOAA Summarize Month from the Reports menu. The Choose Month dialog box appears. CHOOSE MONTH 2. Select a month from the list. 3. Enter the desired file name into the Export File text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 4. Choose OK. The NOAA Monthly Summary appears. NOAA MONTHLY SUMMARY General station information (Station Name, City, State, Units of Measure, etc.) appears at the top of the report. For each day in the report, you may view the following information (and a total for the month): ▲ Day Each row in the report shows information for a single day. The date for each row appears at the left of the row. ▲ Mean Temp The mean temperature for the day.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu ▲ Low & Time The low temperature for the day and the time at which it occurred. At the bottom of the column, the lowest temperature recorded during the month and the day on which it occurred is displayed. ▲ Heat Deg-Days The number of heating degree-days accumulated on each day. At the bottom of the column, the total heating degree-days accumulated during the month is displayed. ▲ Cool Deg-Days The number of cooling degree-days accumulated on each day.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu NOAA This Year To quickly generate a NOAA yearly summary (see “NOAA Summarize Year” below) using all existing data for the current year, choose NOAA This Year or press F8. NOAA Summarize Year The software can automatically generate a report similar to yearly NOAA weather watcher reports using the information in your database and NOAA Setup information (see “NOAA Setup” on page 34). 1. Choose NOAA Summarize Year from the Reports menu. The Choose Year dialog box appears.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 4. Choose OK. The NOAA yearly summary appears. General station information (Station Name, City, State, Units of Measure, etc.) appears at the top of the report. Below that is the temperature summary section. NOAA YEARLY SUMMARY (TEMPERATURE) For each month in the report, you may view the following temperature information (and a total/average for the year): ▲ YR & MO Each row in the report shows information for a single month.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu ▲ Dep. From Norm The amount by which the mean temperature departed from normal for the month. At the bottom of the column, the amount by which the mean temperature departed from normal for the year is displayed. Note: For values (other than 0) to appear here, you need to first setup your NOAA report. See “NOAA Setup” on page 34 for details. ▲ Heat Deg-Days The number of heating degree-days accumulated during each month.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Below the temperature summary section, the rainfall summary section appears. NOAA YEARLY SUMMARY (RAINFALL) For each month in the report, you may view the following rainfall information (and a total/average for the year): ▲ YR & MO Each row in the report shows information for a single month. The month and year appear at the left of the row. ▲ Total The total rainfall for the month. At the bottom of the column, the total rainfall for the year is displayed. ▲ Dep.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu ▲ Days of Rain Over 1 (20) The number of days on which rainfall exceeded 1" (20 mm) during the month. At the bottom of the column, the number of days on which rainfall exceeded 1" (20 mm) during the year is displayed. Below the rainfall summary section, the wind summary section appears.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Yearly Rainfall You may generate rainfall reports which show rainfall totals for all years in the database and any years for which you want to enter your own data. The rainfall report database is kept separate from the station database, so you may alter rainfall information in the rainfall database without affecting the station database. 1. Choose Yearly Rainfall from the Reports menu, click on the Yearly Rain icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-R.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Degree-Days The software can calculate degree-days for an almost infinite number of plants, pests, etc. See “Degree-Days” on page 97 for a description of degree-days. 1. Choose PC Degree Days from the Reports menu or press Ctrl-G. The PC Degree Days list box appears. PC DEGREE DAYS 2. See “Degree-Days” starting on page 84 for instructions on using the degree-day calculation feature.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Temp/Hum Hours You may track the number of hours temperature is above or below a certain threshold and humidity is above a certain threshold. See “Temperature/Humidity Hours” on page 98 for a description of temperature/humidity hours. 1. Choose Temp/Hum Hours from the Reports menu. The Temp/Hum Hours dialog box appears. TEMP/HUM HOURS 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 3. After entering all necessary information, choose OK to view the temp/hum hours report. The software calculates and displays temp/hum hours information. TEMP/HUM HOURS REPORT The temp/hum hours report contains the following information: ▲ Name, Start Date, Thresholds The report shows the name, start date, and the thresholds you entered. ▲ Days Occurred The report shows the number of days on which temp/hum hours occurred.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Soil Temp. Hours You may track the number of hours soil temperature is above a certain threshold. See “Soil Temperature Hours” on page 98 for a description of soil temperature hours. 1. Choose Soil Temp Hours from the Reports menu. The Soil Temp Hours dialog box appears. SOIL TEMP HOURS 2. Enter the following information: ▲ Start Date Enter the starting date for which you want soil temperature hours calculated into the text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 3. After entering all necessary information, choose OK to view the soil temperature hours report. The software calculates and displays soil temperature hours information. SOIL TEMP HOURS REPORT The soil temperature hours report contains the following information: ▲ Total The total number of soil temperature hours which occurred during the selected period of time. ▲ Start Date, End Date, Threshold The report shows the start and end dates and the threshold you entered.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Chilling Requirement You may calculate chilling requirements by entering a start and end date and a temperature threshold. See “Chilling Requirement” on page 97 for a description of Chilling Requirements. 1. Choose Chilling Requirement from the Reports menu. The Chilling Requirement dialog box appears. CHILLING REQUIREMENT 2. Enter the following information: ▲ Start Date Enter the starting date for which you want chilling requirement calculated into the text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu Sunrise & Sunset You may calculate sunrise and sunset times for any location and date. 1. Choose Sunrise & Sunset from the Reports menu or press F2. The Sunrise & Sunset dialog box appears. SUNRISE & SUNSET 2. Enter the following information: ▲ Date Enter the date for the report. If calculating for a day, the software calculates sunrise and sunset for the entered date.
USING THE SOFTWARE Reports Menu 3. After entering all necessary information, choose OK. The software calculates sunrise and sunset times and displays the information. SUNRISE & SUNSET REPORT The report contains the following information: ▲ Latitude/Longitude The report shows the latitude and longitude setting you entered. ▲ Time Zone The report shows the time zone you selected.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu ▲ Sunrise The report lists the time at which sunrise (defined as the time at which the upper limb of the sun appears) occurs for each day in the report. ▲ Sunset The report lists the time at which sunset (defined as the time at which the upper limb of the sun disappears) occurs for each day in the report. ▲ Daylight Hours The report shows the total hours of daylight for each day in the report.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu Bulletin The bulletin provides a graphic representation of current weather conditions (with the numeric reading displayed as well) which updates in real-time. BULLETIN For all bar graphs (outside temperature, for example), highs and lows are represented by yellow lines which appear above the bar (high) or within the bar (low). When you first open the bulletin window, the software prompts you to indicate whether you want to download highs and lows from the station.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu ▲ To start the bulletin, choose Bulletin from the Windows menu, click on the Bulletin icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-B. The software prompts you to indicate whether you want to download highs and lows. Choose Yes or No to continue. ▲ To view the Summary window which lists all current weather information (including the time and date at which highs and lows occurred) press Page Down or right mouse click in the bulletin window.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu Plot The WeatherLink software includes a powerful plotting engine which allows you to plot as many conditions as you want on a single plot. You can also save plots and plot templates for later viewing. ▲ To plot data, choose Plot from the Windows menu, click on the Plot icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-Q. The Plot window appears. For complete instructions on using the Plot window, see “Using the Plot Window” on page 65.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu ▲ To use the strip charts, choose Strip Charts from the Windows menu, click on the Strip Chart icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-S. The software automatically downloads data from the open station in order to fill out the entire strip chart. After downloading, the Strip Chart window appears. For complete instructions on using the Strip Charts, see “Using the Strip Charts” on page 76.
USING THE SOFTWARE Windows Menu Summary The summary shows a text table of all current conditions as well as the highs and lows along with the time and date at which they occurred. The information on the high/low summary is updated in the same way as the bulletin. SUMMARY WINDOW ▲ To start the summary, choose Summary from the Windows menu or press Ctrl-Y. The software prompts you to indicate whether you want to download highs and lows. Choose Yes or No to continue.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window USING THE BROWSE WINDOW The browse window allows you to view, edit, print, annotate, and export the raw data collected by the WeatherLink. BROWSE WINDOW When the Browse window is active, a Browse menu appears in the menu bar. The Browse menu contains commands which enable you to view, edit, print, export, and copy database information. Choose Date You may quickly view the records for any date in the database. 1.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window 2. Select the desired date from the list and choose OK. The software locates and displays the first record from the selected date. Make a Note You may add notes to any record in the database. Note: The text of database notes are saved in the “DATANOTE” subdirectory for the open station. The notes are assigned a coded file name which identifies them to the program. Do not change these file names. 1.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window Edit a Record You may edit the data contained in any record in your database. 1. To edit a record, double-click on the desired record in the Browse window (or select the desired record and choose Edit from the Browse menu or press Enter). The Edit dialog box appears. EDIT The date and time of the record appear in the title bar. You may enter or change any of the record data by simply entering the desired data into the appropriate text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window Delete a Record To delete a single record, select the desired record and press Delete or choose Delete from the Browse menu. The software prompts you to confirm that you wish to delete the record before it continues. Copy Records You may copy all record information for a specific group of records to Windows’ clipboard (from which you may paste the information into most Windows programs). 1.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window Export Records You may export record information to a tab delimited export file which can be used in most database, spreadsheet, or word processing programs. 1. To export records, choose Export from the Browse menu. The software prompts you to select the records you want exported. CHOOSE RECORDS TO EXPORT 2. Select the desired days, months, or years (you may choose more than one) and choose OK. The software prompts you to enter an export file name. 3.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Browse Window Delete Records You may quickly delete a group of records. 1. To delete records, choose Delete Records from the Edit menu. The software prompts you to select the records you want deleted. CHOOSE RECORDS TO DELETE 2. Select the desired days, months, or years (you may choose more than one) and choose OK. The software prompts you to confirm that you want to delete the records. 3. To delete the records, choose OK. The software deletes the selected records.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window USING THE PLOT WINDOW The software includes powerful plotting capabilities which allow you to view and compare data in graphical format. The plot interface has been designed so that almost all plot features may be accessed directly from the plot window. You may use menu commands if you find it easier, of course. Menu commands are explained separately below.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Adding and Removing Variables ▲ Variables Box The variables box at the bottom of the screen makes it possible to add and remove variable with a click of the mouse. To add or remove a variable from a plot, click on the box next to the variable’s name in the variables box. When you add a variable to the plot, the color of that variable fills the box and the variable is added to the plot.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Scroll Through Dates You may use the scroll bar along the bottom of the strip chart window to scroll through data. ▲ Click the scroll arrows (or press the right or left arrow keys) to move the plot forward or backward one day at a time. If the plot span is less than a day, clicking this action moves the plot one span at a time. If the span is one year, this action moves the plot one month at a time. ▲ Click the scroll bar to move the plot one plot span at a time.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Enter Plot Title You may enter a plot title into the Plot Title text box at the top of the window. You may also choose Edit Title from the Options sub-menu in the Plot menu to move the cursor to the Title text box. Choose Axis Information Although you may have as many variables as desired on any plot, each axis (left/ right) on a plot may only display information for one of those variables.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Set Axis Min/Max You may set your own minimum or maximum for each axis by entering the desired number into the Axis Min/Max text box (the first and last numbers in the axis. You may also choose the desired Edit Min/Max option from the Options sub-menu in the Plot menu to move the cursor into the Min/Max text box. Setting the minimum or maximum automatically “locks” the axis (see below).
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window View Details Click and drag to select a portion of the plot you wish to see in detail. The software will zoom in on that section of the plot, using the closest possible plot span. CLICK AND DRAG TO SELECT Zoom In/Out To “zoom in” one plot span (for example, to go from a plot span of a Week to a plot span of 3 Days), click on the Zoom In icon, press F3, or choose Zoom In from the Plot menu.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Plotting Data From More than One Date (Overlay) The software features an “overlay” plotting mode which enables you to plot data from more than one day on a single plot. Overlaying is only possible when you have a single variable plotted. 1. Choose Overlay from the Plot menu or press F9. The Overlay dialog box appears. The single date currently plotted appears in the Plot Dates list. The dates of all data in your database appears in the dates Available list.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window 5. To return to normal plot operation, Choose Overlay from the Plot menu (or press F9) to open the Overlay dialog box and choose Overlay Off. The software returns you to the Plot window. The only date plotted will be the top date from the Plot Dates list. Plotting Data from the Previous Year (Last Year) The software can quickly compare plotted data to data for the same period from the previous year.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window ▲ Open Template To open a previously saved plot template, choose Open Template from the File menu. Select the desired plot template in the Open dialog box and choose OK. ▲ Save Template To save a plot template, choose Save Template from the File menu. Enter the desired file name and choose OK. Plot Menu The commands in the Plot menu allow you to create plots and set various plot-related options.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window ▲ Choose Left/Right Variable To choose the information you want displayed on either axis, choose Choose Variable for the desired axis. A pop-up list appears next to the axis information button. Select the desired variable from the pop-up list. ▲ Choose Left/Right Line/Bar To select either a bar or line graph, choose Choose Line/Bar for the desired axis. A pop-up list appears next to the Line/Bar button. Choose either Line or Bar from the list.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Plot Window Colors Menu You may change the color scheme used by the software in creating strip charts and plots. To change the color used for the plot text, plot background, or any of the variables plotted by the software, choose the appropriate command from the Colors menu. The software opens Windows’ Color dialog box from which you may select or create a color. Consult your Windows’ documentation for instructions on choosing or creating colors.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Strip Charts USING THE STRIP CHARTS The strip charts are four line graphs, stacked one on top of another, onto which you may plot any data contained in your database. Unlike the normal plots, however, strip charts can also be set to update at each archive interval allowing you to view changes in weather conditions as they occur. Whenever you open the strip chart window, the software automatically downloads data.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Strip Charts Open Strip Chart Window To open the strip chart window, choose Strip Chart from the Windows menu, click on the Strip Chart icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-S. When you open the strip chart window, the program automatically downloads any data in the station’s archive memory. Add Variable To add a variable to a strip chart, select the desired chart (top, bottom, etc.) by clicking anywhere within the chart.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Strip Charts View Historical Data You may use the scroll bar along the bottom of the strip chart window to view historical data on the strip charts. Clicking on the scroll arrows moves the strip chart forward or backward one day at a time. Clicking the scroll bar moves the strip chart one span at a time. Dragging the scroll box allows you to quickly find a specific date.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Strip Charts Opening a Previously Saved Strip Chart Template To open a previously saved strip chart template, choose Open Chart from the File menu and choose the desired strip chart template file. OPEN STRIP CHART TEMPLATE Strip Chart Menu The commands in the Strip Chart menu allow you to create strip charts and set various strip chart-related options.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Yearly Rainfall Database ▲ Add/Remove Sub-Menu To add a variable to any of the strip charts, select the desired strip chart (to make it active) and then select the variable you want to add from the Add/ Remove menu. To remove a variable from any of the strip charts, select the desired strip chart (to make it active) and then select the variable you want to remove from the Add/Remove menu. Note: Variables which are plotted have check marks next to their name.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Yearly Rainfall Database Viewing the Yearly Rainfall Database To open the Yearly Rainfall Window, choose Yearly Rainfall from the Reports menu, click on the Yearly Rainfall icon in the toolbar, or press Ctrl-R. Note: The first time you attempt to open the rain database, the software will prompt you to indicate whether you want to create the rainfall database.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Yearly Rainfall Database Editing Yearly Rainfall Data You may edit the data for any existing year or add entire years of rainfall data. ▲ Edit Data for an Existing Year To edit data, double-click on any line in the rainfall database (or select the desired line and press Enter or choose Edit from the Rain menu). The Edit dialog box appears. Change the data in any of the text boxes and choose OK to save changes.
USING THE SOFTWARE Using the Yearly Rainfall Database ▲ Add Data for an Entire Year To add a year to the rainfall database, choose Add from the Rain menu. The Add dialog box appears. Enter the year at the top of the box and the rainfall amounts for each month into the appropriate text box. When finished, choose OK to save. ADD Deleting Data To delete an entire year‘s worth data from the rainfall database, select the desired year and choose Delete from the Rain menu or press Delete.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days Start a New Rainfall Database If you want to start the rainfall database over, choose New from the Rain menu. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to continue. Your existing rainfall database will be deleted and a new database constructed using whatever data exists in your main weather database. DEGREE-DAYS The instructions below explain how to use the WeatherLink Software’s degreeday reporting feature to track the development of crops and/or pests.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days Adding a Degree-Day Total You need to enter a separate degree-day total for every individual crop, pest, etc. for which you want to track degree-days. 1. From the PC Degree-Days list box, choose Add. The PC Degree-Day Definition dialog box appears. PC DEGREE-DAY DEFINITION 2. Enter the following information for each degree-day total: ▲ Name Enter the name of the crop, pest, etc. into the text box.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days ▲ Degree-Day Calculation Method Choose the method by which degree-days are calculated. ▲ Growing Degree-Day “Cut-Off” Method The software uses the highest temperature and the lowest temperature for a given day to calculate the average temperature for that day. Note, however, that if the low temperature is below the base threshold, the software uses the base threshold as the low temperature when determining average temperature for the day.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days 3. To add a note to this degree-day total, choose Notes. The software opens the note file for this degree-day total. You may enter any desired notes into this file. NOTE FILE 4. To view total degree-days since the start date, choose Calculate. The software calculates the total degree-days since the start date and displays the number of accumulated degree-days and the degree-days left until the development total is reached. DEGREE-DAYS CALCULATED 5.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days Opening a Degree-Days Total You may open a previously saved degree-day total to edit information, add notes, view degree-day totals, etc. 1. To open a degree-day total, double click on the desired total or select it from the list and choose Open. The Degree-Day Definition dialog box for that total appears. At the bottom of the dialog box, the name of the data file for this degree-day totals is displayed. DEGREE-DAY DEFINITION 2.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days Deleting a Degree-Day Total To delete a degree-day total, select it from the list and choose Delete. The software will prompt you to confirm that you want to delete the total before doing so. PC Degree-Day Report The software allows you to create reports on some or all of your degree-day totals. The report is opened into Windows Notepad from which you may copy or print the report information. 1. From the PC Degree-Days list, choose Report.
USING THE SOFTWARE Degree-Days ▲ Sort Select the sort order. You may sort by the number of degree days remaining until the development total (which will show the totals closest to the development total at the top of the report) or you may sort by name which will show totals in alphabetical order.
5 TECHNICAL REFERENCE This chapter covers several technical topics which may help you better understand and use the software. ARCHIVE MEMORY VS. DATABASE There are two places where the WeatherLink stores weather data: the archive memory and the database. Archive Memory The archive memory is the weather information storage area in the WeatherLink itself. At each archive interval the WeatherLink stores one record to archive memory.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Automatic Download AUTOMATIC DOWNLOAD The automatic download feature allows you to specify the times at which you wish the WeatherLink Software to automatically download data from selected stations (see “Auto Download” on page 31). As long as the computer is on and the software is running, the software will prompt you (at the specified times) to indicate whether or not you wish to download data. If you are present, you may choose OK to download or Cancel to quit the download.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Calibration Numbers CALIBRATION NUMBERS To increase performance, the software maintains calibration numbers separately from the weather station. If you do not set calibration numbers from the software, the weather station and software will not “agree” on what the calibration number is. Therefore, you must set all calibration numbers (temperature, humidity, barometer) from the software.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Database Organization ▲ DEGDAYS The software automatically creates a DEGDAYS directory into which it stores all PC degree-day information. Station Configuration File When you add a station, the software creates a station configuration file (called “station.cfg”) in the station directory. Each station has its own discrete configuration file which saves the following program settings for the appropriate station.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Weather Data Calculations WEATHER DATA CALCULATIONS The following section details how the software calculates the data for each weather function to arrive at an entry for the archive memory or database. Temperature The Weatherlink samples the temperature reading from the station a number of times during the interval and then averages all those readings to arrive at the average temperature for the interval.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Weather Data Calculations determines which bin contains the most markers and writes the corresponding wind direction to the archive memory as the dominant wind direction. Note: During intervals with very low wind speed, it is possible for no wind direction to be recorded, because wind speed was always 0 when direction was sampled. In this case, wind direction for the interval appears as a pair of dashes (--).
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Weather Data Calculations Rainfall In calculating both daily and yearly rainfall totals for the software, the Weatherlink only checks the total rain register on the station. The Weatherlink compares the current total rain value to the previous total rain entry in the archive memory to determine the amount of rainfall which occurred during the interval.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Weather Data Calculations Soil Temperature Hours Soil temperature hours may be used to monitor the relative portion of time that soil temperature is above freezing (or some other threshold) in order to select a time to plant. For more information, contact your local agricultural agent or university agricultural extension. Temperature/Humidity Hours Certain pests (in particular, some molds) develop most aggressively under specific combinations of temperature and humidity.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Modem String MODEM STRING The following sections explain the modem initialization strings used by the software and what each part of the string means. Do not change the initialization strings unless you understand what impact it will have, otherwise the software may not be able to work with your fax/modem. Station Modem Initialization String The software automatically enters the following modem initialization string, which should work with most modems: AT E Q V X4 S7=60.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Command Line Options ▲ V1 Sets the result code to verbal mode. ▲ &H1 Sets the modem for hardware flow control. Note that not all modems support hardware flow control. COMMAND LINE OPTIONS The following command line options allow you to perform specific program functions as the program loads (such as downloading, clearing highs/lows, or opening a specific station.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Importing WeatherLink Data into Other Programs IMPORTING WEATHERLINK DATA INTO OTHER PROGRAMS When you create an export file (see “Export Records” on page 63) the software creates a tab delimited text file. All that means is that the software creates a text file which places each record on a separate row and inserts a tab between each piece of data in that row.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE Backing Up and Restoring Data Computer Does Not Keep Track of Leap Years If your computer does not keep track of leap year itself, follow the procedure below. 1. DO NOT DOWNLOAD DATA ON FEBRUARY 29. Both your computer and weather station should read March 1. 2. Anytime after 2-29 you should set the correct date on your PC. You should use the Window’s Time and Date control panel. Do not set the stations time and date at this time. 3. Download your data from the software.
6 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE The following section answers some of the most commonly asked questions about the WeatherLink Software. Please consult this guide before contacting Customer Support (510-732-7814). If your problem is not urgent, send us a description via e-mail (support@davisnet.com) or fax (510-732-9188). You can also check our web site (www.davisnet.com/support/) for FAQ’s, troubleshooting information, and a link to tech support.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Program Problems ? The barometer graph on the bulletin does not “fill in” completely. Why? When you first load the bulletin, the only case in which the barometer graph will fill in completely is when you have data in your database for the span of the barometer graph (that is, the past six hours). Make sure of the following: ▲ There is data in your database for the span of the barometer graph. ▲ The time and date of the stored barometer data is correct in your database.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE AutoFax Troubleshooting ? After successfully downloading, the data does not appear to be in my database. Where is it? The most distinct possibility in this case is that the time and date on your weather station are incorrect (this can often happen if you have a power outage and forget to reset the time and date on the weather station) and therefore the data was written into the wrong month, day, and/or time.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE AutoFax Troubleshooting Changing Windows Communications Driver The WFXCOMM.DRV (supplied on the install disk) significantly improves AutoFax performance over the default Windows driver (COMM.DRV) on many systems. This driver tends to produce more readable reports (each record is the same height), and tends to work more reliably in multiple page mode. If your problem is one of “readability” or if the multiple page option is not working, install the WFXCOMM.
TOOLBAR ICONS Open Station Download Bulletin Window Plot Window Strip Chart Window Yearly Rainfall Database Window On-Line (Hang Up) This Month’s NOAA Summary View Help Print Window Exit Program HOT KEYS Main Program Window Strip Chart Window Ctrl-A . . . . . . .Set Alarms Ctrl-M . . . . . . Make Default Ctrl-B . . . . . . .View Bulletin Ctrl-P . . . . . . Print Strip Chart Ctrl-C . . . . . . .Station Configuration F1 . . . . . . . . . Context-Sensitive Help Ctrl-G . . . . . . .
