Author Topic: What do we think about Weather Underground's new Dashboard? (Read 23172 times)

PaulMy · « **Reply #20 on:** April 18, 2015, 01:54:27 PM »

I fully agree JennyLeez. I used to visit it regularly and promoted it heavy but haven't visited for quite a while. It is so slow and very difficult to back out of.

It appears to me that WU thinks it is a great site as it appears most new PWS users want their station reporting to WU before they even know what their station can do or what else is out there. I'll keep uploading and links on my website but it is not a feature to me anymore.

Paul

JennyLeez · « **Reply #21 on:** April 19, 2015, 10:01:49 AM »

And to add fuel to the fire again I quote Mr Celenza:

Quote

I want to assure you that we are committed to providing you with the most accurate, local, and up-to-date weather data.

And yet……..
The ‘New Design’ Data differs to the Classic Design especially the Wind Data. In every case below the Old Classic Data is the correct Data. I have compared these figures to the stations own websites.

Yesterdays Data as below.
Station 1
Old minimum temp 9.4 – New 9.0
Old Maximum temp 21.9 – New 22.0
Old Minimum Baro 1010.7 – New 1011.0
Old Maximum Baro 1014.8 – New 1015

Station 2
Old minimum temp 2.2 – New 2.0
Old Maximum temp 14.5 – New 14.0
Old Minimum Baro 1018.8 – New 1019.0
Old Maximum Baro 1023.9 – New 1024.0

You can see what they are doing; they are rounding them off to the nearest 1.00
However a difference of 0.5 in my mind is quite a lot.

But have look at the Wind comparisons, they are very different:
Station 1
Old High Average Wind Speed 3.2km/hr – New 2.2km/hr
Old High Wind Gust 20.9 – New 13.0

Station 2
Old High Average Wind Speed 14.8 – New 9.0
Old High Wind Gust 21.9 – New 14.0

Rainfall
Station 1
Old 0.3 – New 0.0

Station 2
Old 0.5mm – Old 00.0mm

Station 3
Old 2.8mm – New 0.0mm

Don’t forget, this is called accurate Data !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why oh why do humans have a habit of changing things when they are not broken. For those of you who like the flashy new ‘eye candy’ new design, go for it, but know your data is incorrect.

My Temps for yesterday:
Old 8.4 New 8.0
Old 17.6 – New 8.0
My Wind
Old Speed 17.3 – New 10.0

Old Gust 20.9 – New 13.0

I am not impressed but if you have been following this topic you already know that…lol

Wolfie33 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 19, 2015, 11:48:06 AM »

I reckon, it broke & they have part fixed it to get it moving.
Mine shows no rain regardless.

Classic 13 April
Precipitation: 14.5mm
http://classic.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=IBAYOFPL34&graphspan=day&month=4&day=13&year=2015

Fluffy 13 April
Precipitation mm -- --
Opotiki, NZ Weather | Personal Weather Station: IBAYOFPL34 by Wunderground.com | Weather Underground

Absolutely blistering barnacles useless !! (that's not what I wrote LoL)

JennyLeez · « **Reply #23 on:** April 19, 2015, 12:49:17 PM »

Quote

Absolutely blistering barnacles useless !! (that's not what I wrote LoL)

I bet...lol

Actually its good having you helping with the summary Wolfie. At least one other person now understands why I was getting so mad when the new WU owners changed the layout.
You will now realise why I am so appreciative of your help.

It is not so bad when we only have the regular manual stations to do but when many stations are down at midnight it makes the next day a long drawn out process editing the Data Summary.

Maybe I should add here what we are doing for clarity.
Many of our members only have Weather Underground accounts. This is a free service and hence owners do not need their own server. The Data Summary script only reads the Cumulus Realtime and the Weather Display clientraw. Members using Weather Underground to make their data available online need to be added each day manually.

This is what Wolfie and I do, or should I say try to do

Martin4Jay · « **Reply #24 on:** April 19, 2015, 09:58:01 PM »

Please rant on I love it!

beteljuice · « **Reply #25 on:** April 20, 2015, 10:34:24 AM »

Quote

Members using Weather Underground to make their data available online need to be added each day manually.

Perhaps it is time to gently 'dump' them or provide a bit of secure ftp space somewhere ?

JennyLeez · « **Reply #26 on:** April 20, 2015, 10:59:42 AM »

Hang on beteljuice I have not finished venting...lol

Ok so this is what confronted me last night on the "NEW Design".
These 3 images have all been down sized to fit.

Image 1 - Huge Advertising across the top, bigger than this image taking up half the browser page.
Plus add on side.

Image 2 - Next station - Huge add across the top pf the page plus add on side.

Image 3 - Scroll down, Another Add in the middle and another on the side BUT hellooooo, where is yesterday's data

I rest my case your honour

JennyLeez · « **Reply #27 on:** April 20, 2015, 11:11:40 AM »

Ok beteljuice

Those with WU and either Cumulus or Weather Display are uploading their clientraw and realtime.txt to one of my servers. Thats all good.

The ones we do manually are the ones using other software. Plus of course editing. There is 103 Stations on that Summary now, largest job keeping them in order

If anyone wants to refresh their memory as to the look of the classic view, this is Waipukurau since I used them in one of the above images. You just need to change the ID with your own ID e.g. ICENTRAL14

http://classic.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=ICENTRAL14

Footnote:
I dont mind picking up the data for our stations and station owners. I am sure Wolfie feels the same. I would visit their pages daily anyways especially the likes of Castle Hill and Arthur's Pass in the middle of Winter.
I just want the Data to be available and accurate.

Wolfie33 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 20, 2015, 06:43:45 PM »

No, I certainly don't mind spending time on that . . . . for the moment LoL.
I might change my thoughts if WU don't sort their . . er . . stuff out !!
Meantime, as at tonight, the new fluffy sight is still fluffing useless, thank the heavens for Classic !!

I plugged in to PWSWeather yesterday, just as another option, a backup just in case WU turns all mn
Right now I have little confidence.

and you don't use an Ad Blocker JL ??

JennyLeez · « **Reply #29 on:** May 05, 2015, 10:56:31 AM »

Well they have gone and done it.
The classic view on the weather underground site has been removed

So now we are left with their slow inaccurate new design.

They are still rounding off the data so for example a temp of 6.5°C is now 7.00°C

What is even more annoying is if a station is offline there is no link to any previous data. Take Whangawehi for example. This station has been uploading to WU for many years but there is no access to his past data.
How Wolfie and I are meant to grab the yesterday data I have no idea.

Maybe I am missing something. If someone could double check please, is there a way to view his historical data please:

http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IHAWKEBA2

Cheers

TonyC · « **Reply #30 on:** May 05, 2015, 12:37:06 PM »

No, you aren't missing anything Jenny.
I noticed the "feature" of no access to any past data when my station went off-line a few days ago. Previously it was helpful to know just what time it stopped reporting which is why I called up my WU page.

It's a pity they don't go by the old adage of "If it's not broke, don't fix it"
It's all about Glitz and Glitter these days. Functionality come a poor second.
{sigh}
TC

Wolfie33 · « **Reply #31 on:** May 05, 2015, 06:51:36 PM »

Yes Folks, it is now a complete & utter shambles.
There is no consistency between the various viewing modes, daily, weekly, monthly etc.

They have in the past few days fixed the daily rain figure, it was showing at 10 times actual for a while, before that I think it was showing --mm regardless of the actual reading.

The silly thing is, if you look at the other modes (weekly, monthly, etc), the summary quotes to 1 decimal place, with no rain totals, and only averages in the table data & no dates. However if you download the table data you get dates, rounded figures, & the rain figures in cm's to one decimal place!!

So, I haven't changed my opinion, it is a mish mash & totally fluffing useless.
And their Tea Lady who must be in charge of the maintenance issues is just not coping.

Martin4Jay · « **Reply #32 on:** May 05, 2015, 09:40:44 PM »

I cant answer what it was before the only thing I get annoyed with it is you cant change the setting for wind
Gusts 39.3 km/h in Mph

Wolfie33 · « **Reply #33 on:** May 06, 2015, 09:03:53 AM »

And the wind figures are still very inaccurate, looks to me they are mostly about 75% of actual.
I've had enough of WU, ready to give it the chop.

Hey Martin, looks like you can either pick metric or imperial & you need to be logged in to change your settings.

Martin4Jay · « **Reply #34 on:** May 06, 2015, 07:47:59 PM »

Thanks Wolfie33

I must have the setting right as I get the Centigrade must be a glitch in there program

Wolfie33 · « **Reply #35 on:** May 16, 2015, 07:17:07 PM »

Well, blow me . . . looks like the Tea Lady at WU has fixed the Temp figures in the summary . . . hooray & woohoo
At this rate, we'll have the wind figures reported correctly about mid July

JennyLeez · « **Reply #36 on:** May 16, 2015, 07:29:46 PM »

You are not wrong re the wind data.
The high and lows do not line up with the graphs at all.

I am using the graphs and throwing a dart.

What I am finding a huge hindrance is the lack of history if a station is off line.
Say a station goes offline at 6.00am.
Now Wolfie and I want yesterday's data but there is no way to view this or any historical data.
They sure need to deal with this.

Martin4Jay · « **Reply #37 on:** May 17, 2015, 12:19:00 AM »

Jenny are you applying to my data or general?

JennyLeez · « **Reply #38 on:** May 17, 2015, 09:44:59 AM »

Hi Martin,

No even though we are posting under your comment, Wolfie and I are moaning in General re WU.

The WU feedback topics are also filled with moaning members.
Falling on deaf ears over on WU it appears.

Martin4Jay · « **Reply #39 on:** May 17, 2015, 08:33:47 PM »

No problem keep moaning love it

Also sometimes I switch off the laptop wear I have the weather on to give it a rest as its a very slow runner

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Author Topic: What do we think about Weather Underground's new Dashboard? (Read 23172 times)