VISUALWEATHER Weather Station Software

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1. After purchasing a VisualWeather upgrade from 2.2 to 3.1, what is the best way to migrate to the newer version and put it on a new machine?

   In the “Backup/Restore Network” entry of VisualWeather Help, it states the following: “Note: Beginning with VisualWeather 3.0, a restore cannot be performed from a backup file created using a version of VisualWeather prior to version 3.0.”

   If a 2.2 backup is restored to a version 3.0 or later, the network structure (that is, station information) will be saved, but the database or historical data will not be saved. The following process, however, can be used to resolve this issue:

   1. Back up the VisualWeather installation using one of two methods:
      • Copy the entire C:\Campbellsci\VisualWeather folder.
      • Use the Network | Backup/Restore Network… option to create a backup file.
   2. Run a 3.0 or later install (trial or standard) over the top of an existing 2.2 install. The install will update the database information to the new format.
   3. Back up the VisualWeather installation using the Network | Backup/Restore Network… option to create a backup file.
   4. Install the VisualWeather program in the new location.
   5. Copy the backup folder onto the new computer. Restore using the Backup/Restore Network… option.
2. Where are available updates or patches for VisualWeather?

   If patches are available for VisualWeather, they are listed in the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.

   Note: Customers who do not have an online account will be asked to enter contact information to download the files. There is no obligation associated with this process, and this information is not shared with, or sold to, third parties.

   Follow these steps to install a patch:

   1. If not already logged in, log in to the Campbell Scientific Customer Center.
   2. If not already viewing the list of VisualWeather downloads, navigate to the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.
   3. Click the Download Now link to the right of the patch name.
   4. Save the file to a location that is memorable.
   5. When the download is complete, browse to the selected location where the patch was saved.
   6. Double-click the file to install the patch.
   7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
3. If a phone modem needs to be replaced, what type is recommended?

   Whether a laptop’s modem can make a good connection depends on the type of modem being called at the weather station:

   • If the call is being made to a COM220, a software modem (sometimes called a Winmodem) should work.
   • If a COM200, COM210, or DC112 is used at the station, select an external modem that isn’t a software modem. Customers have reported success using the U.S. Robotics USR5686G and the USR 5637 series of USB dongle modem. Because the USR5686G requires a serial port, a USB-to-serial adapter may be necessary. Campbell Scientific offers the 17394 USB-to-9-Pin Male RS-232 Cable. 
4. If VisualWeather reports are filling up a hard drive, what can be done?

   If the computer’s hard drive is filling up, check the C:\Campbellsci\VisualWeather\sys\bin\ogs folder. This folder contains the communication logs created by VisualWeather, which can grow quickly. All of the files in this folder can be deleted. To delete the files, it may be necessary to stop VisualWeather temporarily to prevent some files from remaining open.

   If the VisualWeather Reports folder (typically C:\Campbellsci\VisualWeather\Reports) is filling up with old reports, delete any reports that do not need to be saved.

   To prevent automatic report creation, follow these steps:

   1. On the main VisualWeather screen, click the Reports menu and select Batch Reports….
   2. The Batch Report Schedule window will open. The batches listed here can be either manually run or run on a schedule. Batch reports are often used to add additional reports to a website generated by VisualWeather.
   3. The far right column of the table is labeled Next Report Time.
   • If there is a time stamp in the cell of this column, then the report is being run automatically.
   • If Manually Generated is displayed in the column cell, then the batch is only run when the Run button is clicked.
   4. For each listed batch report that is automatically run, select the report by clicking it.
   5. Click the Edit… button.
   6. The Batch Report Selection window will open. In the middle on the bottom, there is an area labeled Output As. These are the output options for the batch reports.
   • The batch reports that have the Web option checked are transmitted to the designated website.
   • The batch reports with the .bmp or .jpg boxes checked are created in the VisualWeather Reports folder. To prevent the batch from creating these reports when it is run, clear the .bmp and .jpg checkboxes.
   7. Click the Save Batch button.

   If all the .bmp and .jpg checkboxes are cleared, no reports should be saved in the VisualWeather Reports folder unless a batch is manually run.

5. Using VisualWeather version 3.1, is it a bug if a remote computer cannot connect to the VisualWeather communications server?

   No, but this feature has been enabled with the release of the VisualWeather 3.1.3 patch. To view and download software patches for VisualWeather, go to the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.

6. Can additional components (values) be added to webdata.xml in VisualWeather?

   No. VisualWeather does not have the option of adding fields to that file. Additional components are automatically added to the files sent to the website as VisualWeather is updated, but the additional data is not added to webdata.xml.

7. Using VisualWeather, how can more reports be added to the website of a weather station?

   Add reports by following these steps:

   1. On the main VisualWeather screen, click the Reports menu and select Batch Reports….
   2. On the Batch Reports Schedule screen, click the New… button.
   3. On the Batch Report Selection screen, select a weather station.
   4. Select a Report Type option.
   5. Select the Generate According To Schedule option.
   6. In the Interval field, set an interval, such as 1 hour.
   7. On the right side of the screen, checkboxes are selected based on what data is available from the station. Select or clear reports by checking the boxes.
   8. In the Output As: section, check the Web box.
   9. Click the Create Batch button.
   10. Enter a name for the batch.

   When the batch runs, files are created in the web folder, transferred automatically via FTP to the website, and added automatically to the web page. They are listed as additional options on the drop-down report that is displayed after clicking the weather station name in the top left corner.

8. Are there any plans to offer a version of VisualWeather that is Apple compatible?

   Not at this time. Customers have, however, reported using Campbell Scientific software on OSX computers using XP running in Boot Camp, as well as on other computers in a virtual environment (such as Parallels).

   To test whether VisualWeather will work in a particular environment, download the 30 day trial version in the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.

9. Where is there an available trial version of VisualWeather?

   The method for obtaining the fully functional 30 day trial version is slightly different for current Campbell Scientific customers and for those who are currently not customers. Both methods are described below.

   For current Campbell Scientific customers, follow these steps:

   1. If not already logged in, log in to the Campbell Scientific Customer Center.
   2. If not already viewing the list of VisualWeather downloads, navigate to the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.
   3. Click the Download Now link to the right of the title to start the download.
   4. Save the file to a location that is memorable.
   5. When the download is complete, browse to the selected location where the installation file was saved.
   6. Double-click the file to run the installation.
   7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

   For those who are not Campbell Scientific customers, follow these steps:

   1. If not already viewing the list of VisualWeather downloads, navigate to the Downloads section of the VisualWeather product page.
   2. Click the Add to List link to the right of the title.
   3. A new screen will open. Complete the fields in the Contact Information section, and click Submit. Note: There is no obligation associated with this process, and this information is not shared with, or sold to, third parties.
   4. An automated email message containing a link for the download, a login username, and a password will be sent to the user-provided email address. These credentials are valid for five days.   
   5. Click the download link in the email message.
   6. Type in, or copy and paste, the username and password supplied in the email message.
   7. After logging in, the download process should begin automatically.
   8. Save the file to a location that is memorable.
   9. When the download is complete, browse to the selected location where the installation file was saved.
   10. Double-click the file to run the installation.
   11. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
10. The maximum temperature pointer seems to be stuck on a web page. How can it be reset in VisualWeather?

    There are maximum pointers on three values on the standard VisualWeather screen: Rain Fall, Air Temperature, and Relative Humidity. The pointers can be reset by following these steps:

    1. In the VisualWeather program, close the RTMC Run-Time (passive monitoring) screen.
    2. Restart RTMC Run-Time using either of these methods:
       • Click the Station Data link on the main screen.
       • On the main screen, click the Tools menu, select Web Output Options…, and click the OK button.
    3. On the RTMC Run-Time (passive monitoring) screen, right-click the control, and select the Reset Max Pointer option.