External USB Sound Card for the Werner Labs Receiver

The Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface can be used with the Werner Labs Receiver.  This is an external USB Sound Card.  It eliminates the need to use the internal sound card for processing the receiver's data stream.

 

One of my customers is using this interface with a virtual machine.

New Weather Wire Feed Confirmed

The NOVRA S300N receiver settings, for Weather Wire, in the previous blog post have been confirmed.  I was able to receive data from the new Weather Wire feed tonight.

I made some modifications to WxPort (our NOAA Port ingest program) to receive the data stream.  The stream is in standard SBN format, so I did not have to develop a new ingest routine.

The following picture shows the stream being received and processed by Weather Message.

I plan to update the existing WxWW2000 ingest program to support this feed.

Novra Receiver Settings

I have been trying to receive the new WeatherWire stream using my Novra S300 receiver.  I thought it was as simple as adding PID 201 to the Novra receiver.  After further research I found that some of the other receiver settings would have to be modified.

The following summarizes the settings for Weather Wire and NOAA Port.

Setting	NOAA Port	Weather Wire
Frequency	1154	1154
Modulation	DVBS2	DVBS2
Coding	2/3 8 PSK	1/3 QPSK
Symbol Rate	15.120	15.120
ISI	13	2
PID	101 102 103 104 105	201

Based on this information, it does not appear that you can receive NOAAPort and WeatherWire from the same receiver at the same time.

New Weather Wire Service Coming this Fall

The National Weather Service issued a Service Change Notice that outlines the new Weather Wire Service.  It appears that Weather Wire will be on the same satellite as NOAAPort.  It will use the same receiver as NOAAPort and share the transponder.  The information that has been posted indicates that it will use PID 201.

Here is a picture of the Novra S300 receiver used for NOAAPort.

I am interested to see what data will be on the Weather Wire channel.  The NOAAPort stream already contains more data than the current Weather Wire feed.  The website indicates that they will be providing an internet feed based on XMPP.

It may be possible to modify the WxPort (NOAAPort) ingest engine to receive the data from the satellite.  I will know more after seeing the data stream.  The WW2000 (Weather Wire) ingest will have to be rewritten to receive the XMPP data stream.

Service Change Notice 13-52
National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC
722 AM EDT Tue Aug 20 2013   

To:        Subscribers:
           -NOAA Weather Wire Service
           Other NWS Partners, Users and Employees 

From:      Craig Hodan
           Chief, NWS Dissemination Systems Branch  

Subject:   New NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) During 2014   

NWS is continuing the upgrade of NWWS to disseminate weather products to the public. A new NWWS will be commissioned during 2014. The new NWWS will operate concurrently with the present NWWS system until the NWWS system contract ends March 2014, at the earliest. For the latest news and information about this change, please consult the Weather Wire website at: 

    http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwws/news.html  (Corrected Link)  

The new system will allow C-band satellite users to continue to use outdoor antennas they have in place, which will not require re-pointing but will require a new satellite receiver, new Low Noise Block Converter (LNB), and new or modified weather data processing/display software. Internet (Open Interface) users will need the new or modified processing/display software.   

The current NWWS system, operated under contract with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), will continue to operate into 2014.  CSC may or may not continue Weather Wire satellite and open-interface services after government contract termination.   

Updates will be posted on the NWWS website as it become available. For more information please contact: 

   Gregory Zwicker, NWWS Program Manager
   Operations Division
   NWS Office of Operational Systems
   Silver Spring, MD 20910
   Gregory.Zwicker@noaa.gov   

National Service Change Notices are online at:
     http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm   

$$

Radar Layer in WxMap

I had some time tonight to test loading a radar layer in WxMap.  I knew that the GIS engine would support graphic layers, I just have not had time to test the capability.

Here is a snapshot of the test program.



 



This shows the KMXX radar image overlaying West Alabama.

GOES 12 Decommissioning to Occur August 16, 2013

GOES-12 is scheduled to be decommissioned on August 16, 2013.

GOES-12 was launched on July 23, 2001, and it has supported South America at 600W since May 2010. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) announced the decommissioning on July 9, 2013.

The decommissioning will end the broadcast of the EMWIN-I legacy data stream.  This broadcast was put in place to assist users in the transition to EMWIN-N on the operational GOES East and West satellites and facilitate manufacturer testing. Any remaining legacy users should migrate to EMWIN-N capable systems and use GOES East or West.

GOES 12 EMWIN-I users can also continue to receive EMWIN with an Internet connection through the EMWIN ByteBlaster Network if unable to upgrade to newer equipment.

For the latest information on the GOES 12 decommissioning and for a list of vendors that currently provide EMWIN-N capable systems, please go to:

  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/EMWIN/transition.htm

  http://www.weather.gov/EMWIN/winven.htm

GOES 13 is Broadcasting EMWIN Data

GOES 13 is now broadcasting EMWIN data.  Here is the latest update.

GOES-13, at 75 degrees West, will return to GOES-East operations on Thursday, June 6, 2013, at approximately 1534 -1545 UTC (first image at 1545 UTC). Derived products from GOES-13 will begin immediately following the switchover.

All GOES direct readout services (DCS, LRIT, EMWIN, etc.) except SAR were switched over to GOES-13 today, June 4, 2013. Specifically, GOES DCS services were switched back to GOES-13 on June 4, 2013, at 1530 UTC.

GOES DCS has no issues and there has been no outage to the communications packages.

GOES 13 Status

I know many of you are trying to decide whether to reposition your dish to GOES-14. Here is the latest status on GOES-13. 

GOES-13 remains out of service with no estimate on return to operations at this time. It was successfully brought out of storage mode for testing last night, and will be monitored for 24 hours.

It appears that there is still some life in GOES-13.  Hopefully it can be brought back on-line.

GOES 14 takes over for GOES 13

From the EMWIN Team:

GOES-14 at 105 degrees W now broadcasting EMWIN

EMWIN Users:

To help mitigate the GOES-13 outage, GOES-14 is now broadcasting EMWIN data. It is located at 105 degrees West.

GOES-14 It will not be drifted east. Engineering at NESDIS will continue to investigate the anomaly. Meanwhile, GOES-13 will remain in storage mode.

Users now have the option to re-point to GOES-14 or remain in back up mode with antennas still pointed at GOES-13.

EMWIN team

GOES 13 Outage

From the EMWIN Team:

EMWIN Users

Be advised that there is an anomaly on the GOES 13 satellite that affects systems on the spacecraft including the EMWIN broadcast. NESDIS engineering is working on the problem. Please switch to the Byteblaster back up or point your antenna to GOES 14.

EMWIN team

You will find details on the problem on this web page.

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/SATS/bulletins.html

EMWIN Logon Changes Tested

I participated in the EMWIN Logon changes test this week.  Starting June 10, 2013, the National Weather Service will require all EMWIN FTP users to use an assigned user name and password to access the FTP server.  If you do not use the FTP method to access the server, no changes are required.

If you use the EMWIN FTP server, you should send an email to Rob Wagner,  EMWIN Team,  Office of Operational Systems, robert.wagner@noaa.gov with your static or dynamic IP address.  You will be assigned a user name and password to access the FTP server.

In a previous blog post I announced that users would be required to use a static IP address.  The NWS will now filter dynamic IP users on the first three octets of their IP address.  This should not be a problem for most dynamic IP users.  (The first three octets are highlighted in the following IP address:  192.168.10.25)

I noticed that my Verizon 4G wireless connection does change that third octet on occasion.  Because of this, I have sent multiple IP addresses for my registration.

Weather Message 4.0 contains changes that allows users to enter their assigned user name and password.

Note: To my knowledge a small number of Weather Message users use the FTP ingest option.

Weather Message 3.9.3 Released

Weather Message version 3.9.3 was released today.  This version of Weather Message contains changes to address problems with authorizing Facebook and Twitter.  If you have already authorized these services, you do not need this update.

These changes have already been included in the current 4.0 beta.

Facebook Changes

Facebook deprecated off-line access in December 2012.  This change causes new Weather Message users to get a short lived access token.  The short lived access token is good for 2 hours.

Changes have been made in Weather Message to extend this initial access token to 60 days.  When the 60 day access token expires, Weather Message users will need to reauthorize the Weather Message application for another 60 days.

It appears that Weather Message users with an original access token, one issued prior to December 2012, do not have this constant reauthorization problem.  New users will have to reauthorize the application routinely.

We are still looking into this problem.  In the mean time, we have released Weather Message version 3.9.2.  The version contains revised code to obtain the 60 day access token.  A beta release for version 4 will be posted soon.

EMWIN News: GOES 12 End-Of-Life

GOES 12 at 60 degrees is nearing end-of-life.  The satellite currently is broadcasting the EMWIN-I legacy data stream.  NESDIS has yet to set an exact date for GOES 12 to be removed from service, but it is expected to occur in the fall of 2013.  Any remaining legacy users should migrate to EMWIN-N capable systems and use GOES East or West.

EMWIN FTP Logon Changes Effective June 10, 2013

The NWS announced today that they will start requiring a user name and password to retrieve files from the EMWIN FTP server. Your user name and password will be associated with your computer's static IP address. In order to download files from the EMWIN FTP server, you will now need a static IP address.

These changes will require an update to Weather Message. I will make an announcement when the changes are completed.

Here is the text from the Public Information Statement.

Effective June 10, 2013, EMWIN FTP users must apply for a username, a password and provide the IP addresses of systems that retrieve files from the EMWIN FTP server. This change DOES NOT affect satellite broadcast or ByteBlaster users.

The IP addresses will be used to obtain access to the server.
Users will need to ensure they use a static IP address, one that remains the same and is not assigned dynamically and therefore changes between user sessions. If users are unsure if they have a static IP address or need to have one established, they should contact their Internet provider.

After June 10, users will be required to use their new username and password to continue to retrieve data from the EMWIN FTP server. It is strongly recommended that users transition to their new username and password as soon possible to avoid loss of service after June 10, 2013.

To apply for a username and password or for other questions,
email:

Rob Wagner
EMWIN Team
Office of Operational Systems
robert.wagner@noaa.gov

For the latest information on the EMWIN FTP logon changes, go to:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/EMWIN/ftp server changes.htm

EMWIN is a low cost satellite weather data broadcast service that provides one of the most resilient methods of receiving NWS weather information. The service includes warnings, forecasts, graphics and imagery. The goal of EMWIN is to provide emergency managers the capability to respond faster to severe weather, tsunamis and other hazards.

More information on the EMWIN service can be found at:

http://www.weather.gov/EMWIN/index.htm

National Service Change Statements are online at:

http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm

Windows 8

I have installed the Weather Message Clients on a Windows 8 computer.  I am pleased to report that I did not have any trouble running the software. 

Users that are accustomed to using the Start button in Windows 7 may be initially lost with Windows 8.  When the tiled desktop appeared, I managed to get to the desktop.  Once there - "No Start Button".  The secret is to move the mouse to the lower left corner of the window.  Then a start tile appears.  Click on the start tile and you move back to the tiled desktop.

Moving the mouse the to lower right corner of the screen displays options to setup the computer.  The options that appear on the tiled start screen are different than the options that appear when you are viewing the desktop.  The options that appear on the desktop will lead you to the control panel.

My first impressions:  I think this operating system is designed for people with touch screens.  The regular desktop looks like Windows 7, less the start button.  The tiled desktop, is different.

It appears that we are moving into a new era of windows operating systems.  I must now start working on transitioning the Weather Message programs from Windows Forms to XAML so that we can take advantage of some of the new features in Windows 8.  That will be a major rewrite of the user interface.

Microsoft .Net Framework 4.5

Microsoft has release the Microsoft .Net Framework 4.5.  The 4.5 framework is an in-place update to the version 4.0 framework.  It includes a number of enhancements that improve the operation of programs developed for the 4.0 framework.

Weather Message uses the 4.0 framework.  I recommend that all Weather Message users update their systems with the 4.5 update.  You will find the update at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30653.

Weather Message 3.9 Updated for Twitter Change

The Weather Message 3.9 installers have been updated with the recent twitter changes.  A quick fix had been posted to the Weather Message Yahoo group.  The program only updates can be used to update your installation.

Twitter Deprecates Endpoints

Twitter has deprecated their unversioned endpoints.  Last week they started removing the endpoints from their servers.  Several Weather Message users reported a problem with posting messages to Twitter.

We have a temporary fix available that restores functionality.  See the Weather Message Yahoo group for a link to the fix and installation instructions.

Garage Storm Shelter

After the April 2011 storms, FEMA made grants available for storm shelters.  I applied for one to be installed in my garage.  The grant application was finally approved.  Here are some pictures of the installation.

 

The shelter was installed by Robert Hamlin Construction, bobby@blackdogstormshelters.com.  The shelter is manufactured by Steelsafe Shelters, www.steelesafeshelters.com.

 



Using SMSMatrix for SMS Messaging

Users that want true SMS delivery can use SMSMatrix for this service.  It does require a monthly fee.  The following setup can be used without any modifications to Weather Message.

Go to paging setup.  Click on paging services and setup a new service as follows:

(Click on the image to see more detail)


 Enter the text exactly as it appears.  You will want to replace xxxxxx with your SMSMatrix user name (email address) and yyyyyy with your SMSMatrix password.

Save the service.

Now setup a new paging group that will use this service.   Here is a screen shot.

 

(Click on the image to see more detail)

 

Now assign this group to an alarm and give it a test. 

 

SMSMatrix does support text to speech capability.  If you are interested, let me know and I will post setup information.

Weather Message 3.9 Released

Weather Message V3.9 has been released. You can download the update at http://www.weathermessage.com/Downloads/WeatherMessage.aspx. For information on what has changed in this release, please read the release notes.

 

Note: Version 3.9 requires the Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0. Because of this requirement, version 3.9 will not run on Windows 2000 or older operating systems.

There are over 90 changes in this release. Here are some highlights.

• Several Email and Paging enhancements, including the addition of new short message variables.
• Added support for the Zephyrus WX-14 receiver.  The ingest program now supports two TCP/IP receivers.
• The Message Client's main interface has been redesigned.  There were over 30 changes to this application.
• The Map now has a toolbar for easy zooming.
• Created a new web application to support adding a link to the original product text in facebook and twitter feeds.

WxDataSave, WxLocal and the Retransmission applications have been respectively released along with Weather Message 3.9. If you are using any of these applications, they must be upgraded at the same time you upgrade Weather Message.

Thanks for all of your suggestions, bug reports and assistance with the software. Work will begin on version 4.0 right away. Watch the beta page for updates.

Suggestions for 4.0

• I have over 70 pending feature enhancements. 
• Starting moving the software from "windows forms" to "windows presentation foundation".
• If you want to see a new feature, please send us an email.

Note: This release requires the full Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0. The Framework has two editions, Client and Extended. You can use this link to download both editions - http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17851

 

Note: Facebook and Twitter updates will not work without the Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0 Extended install.

 

New Website

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, the pages at http://www.wxmesg.com will start redirecting to http://www.weathermessage.com.  We have been working on the new website for a couple of months.  It is not quite complete yet.

As we update the content on the new site, we will redirect the old pages, one by one to the new website.  We are trying to move all of the content. 

We now have the EMWIN product search working on the new site.  You will find it at http://www.weathermessage.com/Support/EMWINProductSearch.aspx  This page was broken on the old website after our webserver was upgrade.

If you find missing content, please let us know.

Providing full message links in tweets and facebook posts

Several customers have asked about adding full message links in tweets and facebook posts.  I am now in the process of developing a web application that will allow for links in the posted messages.

Initial tests look good.  It does require a public facing IIS webserver with an associated domain name to process the embedded links.

Here is a sample post I made from my test twitter account. (http://www.twitter.com/kb4mdd)

NWS has issued a Area Forecast Discussion http://a.emwin.net/AFDBMX~1

In this example, I am using the domain name "a.emwin.net" to host the data feed.

CAP Ingest

The next release of Weather Message will have the ability to ingest the National Weather Service CAP feed.  CAP stands for the Common Alert Protocol.  You can learn more about CAP from this wikipedia article.

The NWS publishes an Atom feed for each state that contains a list of active weather products.  Each entry contains a link to the actual CAP formated XML.  That XML is CAP compliant and contains specific information about the weather product.

At this time, this ingest engine is pull only.  It has to poll the NWS servers for new products.  In the future, they will be pushing this data and/or CAP compliant messages will appear on the regular NWS data streams.

Why do we need another ingest method?  That is a good question.  Many government agencies are now requiring software applications to be CAP compliant.  This addition will allow Weather Message to be CAP compliant.

Zephyrus WX-14 now in production

The Zephyrus WX-14 Next Generation EMWIN receiver is now in full production.  Zephyrus is now accepting orders.  You can contact them at 918-437-3333.

They are in the process of updating their website with information on the WX-14.

NOAA Satellite Operations

The Zephyrus WX-14 EMWIN Receiver

Zephyrus Electronics is getting ready to release their new WX-14 EMWIN Receiver.  I understand that they have some of these already installed for testing.  This receiver is a hardware based receiver.  It does not use a sound card.  Users can interface to the receiver using a serial port, usb port, or ethernet connection (TCP/IP).

Here are some images of the receiver.

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When Zephyrus is ready for customer orders, I will make another post.

One Weather Message user has one of these and is using the ethernet connection (TCP/IP).  The Weather Message EMWIN ingest program supports TCP/IP connections  to the receiver using the Software Demodulator ingest option.  The Software Demodulator option will connect to the NOAA Software Demodulator or Zephyrus receiver using TCP/IP.

Here is a picture of the latest changes to the message client. The quick buttons can now be colored (foreground or background) to your liking.

This and other changes will be made available in a beta release this weekend.

GOES-15 starts journey to replace GOES-11

GOES-15 has started its journey from storage to 135 degrees West.  NWS HQ has confirmed that the satellite is transmitting the new EMWIN signal.  Here is a schedule of events:

Transition Timeline:

• August 22, 2011. GOES-15 began executing GOES-West frames (no Rapid (RSO), Super Rapid (SRSO) and the Full Disk (FD) frames) to accommodate advanced user testing of GOES-15 data.
• September 1, 2011 through October 15, 2011 is the GOES-15 Fall eclipse season for 2011.
• October 18, 2011 at 0321 UTC. GOES-15 will begin a westward drift from 89.5 degrees West to 135 degrees West at a rate ~ 0.78 degrees/day.
• December 1, 2011. A GOES-15 drift rate adjustment maneuver will be performed.
• December 6, 2011. As GOES-15 approaches 129 degrees West, the GOES-15 transition to GOES-West will occur. GOES-15 data will flow through GOES-11 communication links, thus, GOES-15 data becomes operational but is received through the GOES-11 downlink. In other words, the GOES-15 GVAR data are relayed through GOES-11. Users pointing to GOES-11 will start receiving GOES-15 data. Ancillary communication services (DCS/LRIT/EMWIN/SAR) will remain on GOES-11. Users do not re-point antennae. At this point GOES-15 data are considered operational, but should significant problems occur, GOES-11 data can be reestablished quickly.
• December 14, 2011. A GOES-15 stop maneuver will be performed. The GOES-11 signal is turned off and GOES-15 data are acquired directly from GOES-15. GOES-15 GVAR data will be relayed through GOES-15. Ancillary communication services (DCS/LRIT/EMWIN/SAR) will switch from GOES-11 to GOES-15.
• December 15, 2011. Pending successful arrival of GOES-15 at 135 degrees West, GOES-11 will perform de-orbit maneuvers, and GOES-11 will be decommissioned.

GOES West Transition Date Confirmed

The GOES West Transition date has been confirmed.  The transition is now scheduled for December 14, 2011.  The following information was posted on the EMWIN website.

GOES West
GOES 15 is set to replace GOES 11 (West) on December 14, 2011. All EMWIN users should obtain EMWIN-N capable systems to continue to receive the satellite broadcasts. Legacy EMWIN Equipment must be upgraded.

What GOES West Users need to do

For GOES West (11) users with EMWIN-N capable systems the transition will be very simple, wait for the change to occur and then configure the software demodulator. Then toggle the switch on the intermediate frequency adapter to the “QPSK” setting. Processing of the EMWIN-N broadcast can then begin.

Users that have not upgraded their legacy EMWIN systems still have options. On or before December 14, 2011 legacy users need to re-point to GOES 12 at 60 degrees West. We recommend that these legacy users should try re-pointing to GOES 12 as soon as possible to determine if they will be able to acquire the signal from their location. Legacy users not able to receive the GOES 12 broadcast can continue to receive EMWIN with an internet connection through the EMWIN byteblaster network.

The transition could occur earlier due to premature failure of the GOES 11 satellite. All users need to migrate to EMWIN-N capable systems. Please see the vendor page on the EMWIN website.

GOES 12 is operating at 60 degrees West to help support the Caribbean and South America. The EMWIN-I 9.6 kbps signal was activated on GOES 12 on May 5, 2010 and will remain on until further notice. This service will eventually end, so it is strongly recommended that users transition as soon as possible.

XMPP Support Added

Weather Message now supports the XMPP protocol.  XMPP is implemented as a paging service.  If you don't know what XMPP is, here is the information provided by the XMPP Standards Foundation.

The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) is an open technology for real-time communication, which powers a wide range of applications including instant messaging, presence, multi-party chat, voice and video calls, collaboration, lightweight middleware, content syndication, and generalized routing of XML data.

XMPP is used by Google for Google talk. It is also used by the National Weather Service for their NWSChat service.  Here is a list of XMPP clients listed on the Google website http://www.google.com/talk/otherclients.html

This addition allows Weather Message to post alerts to chat groups.  The posted messages can be in any of the supported Weather Message formats, short, selected or full.

Message Client Overhaul Part 2

Here is a picture of the latest changes to the message client.  These change are in the latest 3.9 beta.

The main window now features a product list.  A new request tab appears that works like the existing request window.  This consolidates several of the features into the main window.

Weather Message Software LLC

We are now Weather Message Software LLC.  Nothing has changed except the structure of the business.  I will be posting additional information as we position the company for the future.

GOES-15 to replace GOES-11 (West) in December 2011

If you are using GOES-West to receive the EMWIN datastream, this is a reminder that the GOES-West transition is planned for December 2011.  Based on information presented during the 2011 Satellite Direct Readout Conference, GOES-15 will be taken out of storage before the fall eclipse season for yearly inclination maneuver and imager testing.  It will start drifting to 135 degrees west  in October 2011.

If you have not upgraded your receiver for the EMWIN-N signal, now is the time to start planning.

Message Client Overhaul

I have started the process of overhauling the Message Client.  The main user interface will be receiving an update to provide more features. 

The first change gives users the ability to associate function keys with the Quick List products.  The second change allows selected Quick List items to be turned into Quick Buttons.  The Quick Buttons appear under the menu.

The following screen demonstrates the change.

Weather Message Byte Blaster Server now on port 2211

On January 30, 2010, I blogged about port number 2211 being assigned to EMWIN.  See EMWIN Port 2211 for more information.  Today I moved the Weather Message Byte Blaster server to port 2211.  There are now a number of servers using this as the standard Byte Blaster port.

I updated the Byte Blaster Server to default to port 2211 for new installs.  If you run a Byte Blaster server, you should be able to safely move it to port 2211.

The NWS servers will continue to use port 1000.  This will allow users behind firewalls with port 1000 open to continue to operate properly.

Users that had to open port 1000 should consider opening port 2211 also.

WeatherMessage.net domain

After alot of discussion, we have purchased the WeatherMessage.net domain.  This domain will work just like the wxmesg.com domain.  Over the years, many people have asked what WxMesg.com means.  In order to reduce confusion, we decided to use a domain name that simply identifies the company and our product.

The new domain, although longer, will be easier for potential customers to understand and type.  We will start migrating to the new domain over the coming months.  The original WxMesg.com domain will remain in place.

Weather Message 3.8 Released

Weather Message V3.8 has been released. You can download the update at http://www.wxmesg.com/downloadsnet.htm. For information on what has changed in this release, please read the release notes.

Note: Version 3.8 requires the Microsoft.Net Framework 3.5.  Because of this requirement, version 3.8 will not run on Windows 2000 or older operating systems.

There are over 50 changes in this release. Here are some highlights.

• Will now use the Microsoft Framework 4.0, if installed.
• Updated support for Facebook and Twitter.
• New short message variables.
• Support for FTPS and SFTP.
• WxMap now supports a dynamic map legend.
• WxMap now has an option to use the NWS product colors.
• WxMap now has an option to zoom to a county when reading a text product.
• Retired the Active-X version of WxMap.  WxMapNet replaces WxMap. 
• WxMap will now run as a 64 bit application.

Thanks for all of your suggestions, bug reports and assistance with the software. Work will begin on version 3.9 right away.  Watch the beta page for updates.

Suggestions for 3.9

• I have over 50 pending feature enhancements.  If you want to see a new feature, please send us an email.

WxDataSave, WxLocal and the Retransmission applications have been respectively released along with Weather Message 3.8. If you are using any of these applications, they must be upgraded at the same time you upgrade Weather Message.

Note: I recommend that users download and install the full Microsoft.Net Framework 4.0.  The Framework has two editions, Client and Extended.  You can use this link to download both editions - http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17851

Note: I have a large number of pending requests. I will begin to address these over the coming months.

Note: I am still working on a new Weather Message website.  The revised website will ultimately allow users to login and obtain their registration codes. 

NOAA to take over the Weather Wire Service

One of my users sent me a letter he received from CSC. CSC provides the Weather Wire service. Here is an excerpt from the letter.

Subject: Discontinue of Weather Wire Service

Dear Weather Wire Subscriber:

Our records indicate you receive the Commercial Weather Wire Service via C-Band or Internet. CSC has provided these services for the past twenty (20) plus years to our customers. It is with great regret CSC needs to inform you that NOAA Weather Service has decided not to continue the Weather Wire Program with CSC. As of now we do know that the Weather Wire Service will be provided directly from NOAA.

At this time, CSC doesn't have any particulars or contact information to disclose. CSC will continue to provide the Weather Wire Service until first quarter of 2012. As soon as we find out more information, we will inform all of our Commercial Weather Wire Customers whom the POC is and how to receive the information on the Service NOAA will provide.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause our customers.

Weather Message users who use this service need to follow this closely.

Weather Message 3.8 Beta 9

I have posted Weather Message version 3.8 beta 9 to the beta website.  It contains a fix that makes Twitter authorization work.  Twitter had changed their website and it had stopped working.  It also includes a couple of enhancements.

New Email Server

My office now has a new in-house email server.  I have moved Weather Message's email to that server.  If you experience a problem sending me email, please post a message to the Weather Message Yahoo group.

Novra S300 Firmware Update

Novra has released a firmware update for the S300 receiver.  The release notes list the following change:

S300 V2R7 Release Notes

- includes firmware modifications to improve NOAA data reception.

The firmware update can be found at this link http://www.novra.com/Website/Novra_Support.html Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Dadeville Tornado

Many of you have been sending me emails over the past couple of days. I wanted to respond to the group regarding the Dadeville Alabama tornado. I am glad to report that me and my family are ok. I did not have any damage from the tornado it was 7 miles south of my house.

My sister's home in Dadeville was destroyed. The only room left standing was the closet that they took shelter. I was trying to call her when I saw that the tornado was headed in their direction. One minute later she called me to tell me that they were trapped in the house and needed help. I immediately called 911.

I could not get to the house by road, so I walked a half a mile through the woods. All of the trees were blown over so it took some time. After searching the house, I found they were at a neighbor's house and ok.

As many of you know, I serve as a volunteer fire fighter and first responder in my local fire department. I went out to check on the other homes. As I reached the next house, one of their neighbors called out that they had someone injured.

I spent the next 45 minutes with an elderly lady who passed due to her injuries. The neighbor found her under a wall. Her house was completely missing. She had gone to what I think was the bathroom. In this case, the "safe" place was not safe.

In EMS we talk about the golden hour. Considering that I had to drive 15 minutes to get on the scene. Then walk through the woods to check on my family. Then start helping others, the golden hour had lapsed. The Dadeville Fire personnel got to me 5 minutes before she expired.

My sister, brother-in-law and nephew are staying with me right now. We spent yesterday salvaging the remains of their home. We saved a lot of pictures and personal items. Work will continue today.

I appreciate your emails, prayers and support. As weather enthusiasts and professionals, we must be diligent in our work to notify people of severe weather.

Novra S300 Arrives

It seems like déjà vu.  Back in January I blogged about my new S200 receiver which turned out to be the wrong receiver. I received my new Novra S300, the right receiver, and installed it today.  It is working fine with the current NOAAPort signal.  I will see how it performs with the new NOAAPort signal in April.

Hail Storm

I spend most of my time writing software and watching weather in other parts of the country.  Here is a photo of some hail that fell at my home on Saturday.

Weather Message Siren Controller Featured on WBRC Fox 6 News

The Weather Message Siren Controller was featured Tuesday February 1st and Wednesday February 2nd on WBRC Fox 6 News, Birmingham, Alabama. This was a great plug for our new software application.

Here are the links to the video.

WBRC Siren Activation Segment Tuesday Night WBRC Siren Activation Video Link

WBRC Siren Activation Segment Wednesday Night WBRC Siren Activation Video Link

NOAAPort - Novra S200 is the wrong receiver

After purchasing the S200 receiver and installing it here, I have now learned that this is the wrong receiver.  What I really need is the S300 receiver, which not currently available.  Apparently NOAA wanted to use VCM (variable coding modulation).  The S200 receiver does not support this capability.  Novra will releasing the S300 sometime between now and April.  I understand that the cost of the S300 is around $699.00.  There is a discount for current Novra S75 and S200 users.

Due to this situation, NOAA is delaying the DVB-S transition by 45 days.  Here is the text of the latest message.

WHAT - SBN/NOAAPORT EXPANSION AND HARDWARE UPGRADE DATE - JANUARY 19 2011 

NOTICE - 002 PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION DATE - MAY 18 2011

---------------------------------------
UPDATE OF NOTICE 001 TO IDENTIFY RECEIVER SELECTED FOR USE BY THE NWS AND DELAY OF THE PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION DATE
---------------------------------------

THE AWIPS PROGRAM OFFICE IS CONTINUING WITH ITS PLANS TO EXPAND THE BANDWIDTH OF THE AWIPS SATELLITE BROADCAST NETWORK SBN/NOAAPORT FEED FROM 10.24 MBPS TO ABOUT 30 MBPS IN MAY 2011.

AS PART OF THIS EXPANSION, THE SBN/NOAAPORT SIGNAL WILL BE TRANSITIONED FROM THE CURRENT DVB-S STANDARD TO A MORE EFFICIENT DVB-S2 STANDARD.

TODAY, THE NWS AWIPS PROGRAM AGREED TO A DELAY OF 45 DAYS TO  ALLOW MORE TIME FOR THE NOAAPORT COMMUNITY TO PREPARE FOR THE TRANSITION.

THE AWIPS PROGRAM HAS SELECTED A DVB-S2 RECEIVER FOR THE SBN/NOAAPORT EXPANSION PROJECT. WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING A SINGLE DATA STREAM THAT WILL REQUIRE VARIABLE CODING MODULATION -VCM- OVER MULTI-PROTOCOL ENCAPSULATION -MPE- WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY OUR SELECTED RECEIVER.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OR MORE OTHER MODELS OF DVB-S2 RECEIVERS MAY ALSO BE SUITABLE. THE RECEIVER SPECIFICATIONS CAN BE FOUND ON THE NOAAPORT WEB SITE.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE BEING FINALIZED AND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE NOAAPORT WEB PAGE AS THEY ARE COMPLETED.

IN PREPARATION FOR THE TRANSITION, THE NWS WILL BE PROVIDING A 30 DAY WINDOW STARTING APRIL 18 2011 UNTIL MAY 17 2011 OF DUAL ILLUMINATION WITH BOTH THE -DVB S- AND -DVB S2- STANDARDS TO ALLOW AWIPS SITES AND NOAAPORT CUSTOMERS TIME TO FINALIZE THEIR TRANSITION.

Novra S200 Arrives

I received my new Novra S200 and installed it today.  It is working fine with the current NOAAPort signal.  I will see how it performs with the new NOAAPort signal in March.

NOAAPort Signal Changes March 2011

In March 2011, the NOAAPort signal will change from DVB-S to DVB-S2.  That means if you are using the Novra S75 receiver, you will need a new receiver.  The Novra S200 will work with both DVB-S and DVB-S2.

This change will increase the data rate from 10.24Mbps to about 30Mbps.  There will be a 30 day window between March 5, 2011 and April 3, 2011 when both signals will be present.  After April 3, 2010, the DBV-S signal will be discontinued.

You can read more from this data management notice.

If you use NOAAPort, you need to plan on purchasing a new receiver.  Novra is offering a discount to existing S75 owners.

NWS Map Colors and Priorities

You will find a list of the colors used on the NWS web warning maps here:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/wwamap-prd/wwacolortab.php?x=1

and

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/wwamap-prd/faq.php

The priorities for the colors can be found here:

http://www.weather.gov/om/guide/Section6.pdf

NOAAPort Update

Here is the latest information announced in ADMNCF.

ADMNCF

Subject: AWIPS SBN Status Update

On Sunday December 5th at approximately 2100Z, the AWIPS NCF moved all AWIPS NWS sites to a temporary frequency due to SBN interference problems that were found on the original AWIPS SBN frequency.

During the past 24 hours, the NCF has worked with the satellite provider, GLOBECOM, to ensure all interference problems experienced throughout the weekend have been corrected. Today between 1930Z and 2000Z, GLOBECOMM will perform intrusive testing on the original AWIPS SBN signal.

All AWIPS offices are still currently using the temporary AWIPS SBN frequency and will not be impacted by the intrusive testing that is taking place. External NOAAPORT users that are currently using the original AWIPS SBN frequency may experience brief data outages while testing is taking place.

Tomorrow, December 8th between 1400Z and 1500Z, the NCF will re-point all NWS offices back to the original AWIPS SBN frequency. The switch back to the original AWIPS SBN frequqncy will be done remotely by the NCF and sites should not see any downtime as a result of the switch back to the original frequency. Once all sites have been re-pointed back to the original AWIPS SBN frequency, another admin message will be sent.

On December 8th at 1600Z, the temporary AWIPS SBN frequency that was established will be terminated. Any external NOAAPORT users pointed to the temporary AWIPS SBN frequency will need to switch back to the original AWIPS frequency before 1600Z on December 8th.

Thank you for your continued patience while these issues are being resolved.

All NOAAPort users should switch back to 1193.5 before December 8th 1600Z.

NOAAPort Receive Problems

There have been significant receive problems with the NOAAPort signal today.  After lunch my Novra receiver was not able to lock onto the signal at 1193.5 mhz.  Around 8:00 someone announced that the frequency may have changed.  Our friend Dave, KG4YZY, found out that the new frequency was 1138.5.  After updating the Novra with the new frequency, it is now locked and receiving data.

I don't know if this is a permanent change or only temporary until the original problem is resolved.

First Polygon Siren Activation occurred today in Autauga County

The first polygon siren activation, using WxSiren Controller, occurred today in Autauga County.  Here is a copy of the automatic siren activation message.

NOXX02 KWXM 301515

SIRWXM

WEATHER MESSAGE SIREN CONTROLLER
ACTIVATION MESSAGE
915 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

SIREN ACTIVATION TYPE: AUTOMATIC
ACTIVATION CLASS : Tornado
PRODUCT : Tornado Warning

SIRENS:
401
407
408
410

$$

I will be posting a news release later today.

Windows not visible after screen resolution changes

Several users have run into situations where some of the Weather Message windows are not visible after changing the screen resolution.  I have added code to the programs to check and see if the program's window is on one of the connected monitors.  If the window is off screen, it will be moved back on the screen.

Right now this code works immediately with child windows.  If the program's primary window is missing, the user will have to stop and restart the program.  When it restarts, it will be visible.

In the past, users were required to edit the registry or an ini to get a missing window back.  This will save the user and me alot of time.

Weather Message 3.8 Beta 1

I am in the process of uploading Weather Message 3.8 Beta 1.  This release of Weather Message will using the Microsoft.Net Framework 4.0 if it is installed on the computer.  I recommend that all users install Microsoft.Net Framework version 4.  You can install the 4.0 framework from this link. 

Note:  If you install the version 4 framework, make sure you install the full version 4 framework.  Microsoft made a version 4 client profile that does not contain all of the version 4 assemblies.

All of the programs are compiled against Microsoft.Net framework Version 3.5.  Most likely they will be compiled against the version 4 framework before 3.8 is released.  The current beta will allow us to evaluate the programs using the version 4 framework.  Initial tests did not reveal any problems.  The version 4 framework contains a number of enhancements that may improve program speed and/or operation.

Several of the programs in this release of Weather Message will not work on Windows 2000.  I do not recommend installing Version 3.8 on a Windows 2000 computer.

NWS Products and Services Reference Guidebook

The NWS Products and Services Reference Guidebook can be found at this address http://www.weather.gov/om/guide/ This guidebook contains some good general information about the NWS products and services.

WxMap - Speed Increases

After researching an issue in WxMap, I ran some performance tests to see if using a county's database identifier was faster than finding the county by center point.  The current operation, in general, is faster than database access.  If the county appears in the database first, the database method is somewhat faster.

I did some research on my mapping component vendor's website and discovered that using 'rtree' indexing would make the spacial operations faster.  I thought I had already enabled that option.  Upon checking I did find that I enabled that option on each layer.

When I read through several posts, I discovered that rtree indexing should be enabled after adding the layer to the viewer.  I gave that a try and was blown away.  The speed increase is remarkable.  It is well over 100% faster than the old operation.  Users will definately notice the difference if they are alarming the entire United States.

This operation does create an additional file in the Map directory for each map layer.  You will notice a new file for each layer with the extension 'rtree'.  The files are not really large and are created the first time the map program is loaded.

WxMap now supports a dynamic map legend

WxMap now supports a dynamic map legend.  The map can continue to be static or two versions of dynamic.  Dynamic 1 only displays products that are checked with the show in legend option.  Dynamic 2 displays all active products.  Here are examples of the legend.

These two map legends are dynamic.  The second map legend displays 'No Active Products'.

WxLoader and the PRO-Lite TruColor II

WxLoader can now upload text to the PRO-LITE TruColor II scrolling led sign. Here is a link for information on this sign - http://www.pro-lite.com/indoor-singleline-plm20.htm

Using WxLoader, the sign can read "A Tornado Warning as been issued for the following counties in Alabama, Tallapoosa, expiring at 9:00." (It flashes the word Tornado in red.)

This is a picture of the Pro-Lite PL-M2014RV6.

Weather Message 3.7 Released

Weather Message V3.7 has been released. You can download the update at http://www.wxmesg.com/downloadsnet.htm. For information on what has changed in this release, please read the release notes.
There are over 80 changes in this release. Here are some highlights.

• Updated support for Facebook and Twitter.
• User defined products.
• Updated map zones (You will need to download the map update).
• WxMap can now embed an image in a saved map image.
• WxLoader supports the Pro-Lite LED sign.
• See the release notes for a complete list of changes.

Thanks for all of your suggestions, bug reports and assistance with the software. Work will begin on version 3.8 right away. Watch the beta page for updates.

Suggestions for 3.8

• WxMap add a dynamic legend

WxDataSave, WxLocal and the Retransmission applications have been respectively released along with Weather Message 3.7. If you are using any of these applications, they must be upgraded at the same time you upgrade Weather Message.

Note: I have a large number of pending requests. I will begin to address these over the coming months.

Note: I am working on a new Weather Message website. I hope to place the new website on-line by the end of this month. This change will ultimately allow users to login and obtain their registration codes. It is based on a popular content management system and will allow me to quickly update the website.

2011 Satellite Direct Readout Conference

The 2011 Satellite Direct Readout Conference will be held April 4-8, 2011 in Miama Florida.  For more information visit http://directreadout.noaa.gov/miami11/

The conference will provide information on:

● International Cooperation:

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
• WMO, EUMETSAT, NOAA/NESDIS
• Satellite Providers and Users from the Americas
• Frequency Management

● Current and Future Polar Direct Readout Services:

• APT, LRPT
• HRPT, AHRPT
• LRD, HRD
• Argos DCS

● Polar Systems:

• POES
• MetOp
• EOS
• NPP
• JPSS
• Polar Field Terminals

● Current and Future Geostationary Direct Readout Services:

• GVAR, GRB
• GOES DCS
• LRIT, HRIT
• EMWIN

● Current and Future Geostationary Systems:

• GOES-13, 14, 15, and R/S
• MSG
• MTSAT, etc.
• Geostationary Field Terminals

WxLoader - Interfaced to the Pro-Lite Scrolling Led Sign

After 5 months, I have gotten back around to testing my new Pro-Lite II scrolling led sign.  After I learned how to program the unit, I change WxLoader to support sending text to the Led Sign.  It works great.  I am still working with the colors so that I can make watch and warnings look different.

This is a picture of the Pro-Lite PL-M2014RV6.

WxMap - Adding a logo to the saved map image

The next release of WxMap will allow you to insert a user defined logo in the saved map image.  This allows you to personalize the image that you use on websites.  The Map Save tab allows you to specify the location on the map.  The logo must be saved in the same directory as WxMap.exe or WxMapNet.exe, generally c:\Program Files\WxMesgNet, with the name WxMapLogo.png.

If you create the logo with tranparency the map will show through the logo.  I created a test logo that will go out with the next beta.  Here is what it looks like this:

I used Paint.Net to create the image and make the background semi-transparent.

EMWIN Success Stories

I am collecting user testimonials on how EMWIN has been used to "save the day". If you use EMWIN to protect citizens, save life, and property, I would like to hear your story.

With your permission, I will list your testimonial on www.emwin.net for others to read. We need to let others know the value of EMWIN.

You can email your testimonials to me or post them here on the Weather Message Yahoo Group. If you do not want your name or agency included with your testimonial, please let me know. I will respect your wishes.

Weather Message Support for Windows 2000 will end soon

Weather Message will no longer support Windows 2000 after version 3.7 is released.  Microsoft has dropped support for Windows 2000 in the Microsoft .Net Framework version 4.0.  I am planning on moving the software to the .Net Framework 4.0 version with the 3.8 beta. 

Here are the system requirements for Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0.

Supported Operating Systems:  

• Windows XP SP3
• Windows Server 2003 SP2  
• Windows Vista SP1 or later
• Windows Server 2008 (not supported on Server Core Role)
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2 (not supported on Server Core Role)

Supported Architectures:

• x86
• x64
• ia64 (some features are not supported on ia64 for example, WPF)

Hardware Requirements:

• Recommended Minimum: Pentium 1 GHz or higher with 512 MB RAM or more
• Minimum disk space:  x86 – 850 MB, x64 – 2 GB

Twitter and Facebook Support in Weather Message

Weather Message Beta 7 includes the new Twitter authentication changes.  This release also introduces Facebook support.  The F1 help's supplement section contains example setups for Twitter and Facebook.

Note:  After discussing the facebook implementation with one user, I discovered that you can only post to your personal page.  If you manage multiple facebook "pages", the current implementation will not post to those pages.  I have been testing changes that will allow you to post to any page that you administer.  Those will be available in the next beta release.

Update:  Beta 8 now includes support for multiple facebook pages.

Twitter Changes

Twitter is changing their authentication mechanism from "Basic Authentication" to "OAuth".  Twitter provides this description: "OAuth is an authentication protocol that allows users to approve application to act on their behalf without sharing their password."

Twitter will be disabling Basic Authentication at the end of this month.  For Weather Message to continue sending tweets, I will need to make some involved changes.

I have moved this item up on my priority list and will try to add this capability to Weather Message.

WxLocal - Speaking the local weather conditions

WxLocal is receiving the ability to speak the local weather conditions.  The program can also write out the speech to a wave file.  It sounds good with the Windows 7 text to speech processor. 

I sure would be nice if WxLocal would send that wave file to Weather Message so it could upload it to a website and/or send it on to the clients to play.

The ability to play wave files in the Message Client would be nice addition.

Sending Multiple Emails

Weather Message's email routines send email sequentially using a background worker thread.  When an alarm matches a received product, a task is created for each email group associated with the alarm.  These tasks are added to the email queue for processing.

The email processor will generally work through the queue in short order.  If the email group has a large number of email addresses, it does take some time to send each email address to the smtp server.  While all of that is taking place the other email tasks are waiting.

I have completed the code to create a pool of threads.  This pool could be used to spawn multiple threads that will take a task from the email queue and start sending it to the smtp server.  The question for now is whether this will make the overall sending faster.   If the smtp server is throttled per connection, having multiple connections could make sending emails faster. 

I ran into a situation with a SNPP server that was slow per connection.  In this case, using multiple threads could have made that faster.

Now that the code is complete, I will be running some tests to see how this will work.  If the smtp server allows for multiple connects from one user, we might be able to deliver emails faster.  For users that only have a few groups, this would not have any affect.  For users that have bunches of email groups that are activated often, this may make delivery faster.

Note:  If the limiting factor is the internet pipe speed, there is nothing that we can do to make it faster.

I will report further as testing starts later this week.

Siren Controller - Activation Notice

The Weather Message Siren Controller now has the ability to send email notification of siren activations.  Previously, you would email the actual activation product.  Now the program can generate activation notificates whether automatic or manual.  The Siren Controller sends activation notices to Weather Message Server for processing like normal NWS products.

Here is a example manual activation to cancel the sirens:

NOXX02 KWXM 052011

SIRWXM

WEATHER MESSAGE SIREN CONTROLLER
ACTIVATION MESSAGE
311 PM CDT MON JUL 5 2010

SIREN ACTIVATION TYPE: MANUAL
ACTIVATION CLASS : Cancel

GROUPS:
1
2
 
SIRENS:
801
803
$$

This gives the agency feedback on the sirens and groups that were selected for activation.

National Weather Service Survey

The National Weather Service is asking users to complete a survey. In this survey you will have the option to selecting EMWIN or NOAAPort as your data source. I recommend that you take the opportunity to give the NWS feedback on your ingest method and their services and products.

The NWS is undertaking research on how satisfied you are with our products and services and would appreciate your feedback. The purpose of this research is to help the NWS improve its services. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and need not be finished all at once. We also encourage you to take a moment and complete one or more of the optional sections focused on Marine, Aviation, and Hazardous Weather.

The Survey is at the following link: https://svy.cfigroup.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=3XRBCG

Backlog of files to be processed

A couple of users have reported a large backlog of files to be processed in their received files directory.  Under normal circumstances, this should not occur.  The processing of files depends on the number of alarms, number of connected clients, speed of the files being received, load on the computer and the speed of the computer itself. 

I have not seen this problem myself, however, I knew that the ingesting routine in Weather Message Server was ready for a make over.  I spend some time over a couple of days to rewrite the queue processing and ingest routines.  These changes will help with the backlog of files.

I moved the file processing to an independent thread. I moved the ingest directory read operation to another independent thread.  The ingest processing routine will now read all files in the directory at one time and queue them for the processing routine. The processing routine will then process them back-to-back without any internal delay.  The previous routine had some delay between each file.

I downloaded and processed the 3 hour EMWIN ftp archive.  This archive contains over 2400 files.  The server processed them in about 2 seconds.  The performance was definately improved.

I have to admit that I have a new 64bit Windows 7 computer with an i7 processor.  That cpu contains 4 cores with hyper-threading.  The i7 appears in the performance monitor as 8 cpu's.

A word of caution is always in order when creating additional threads.  Some think that the more treads you create the faster the processing.  That may not be the case for a single core computer.  Each thread has to share time on that one cpu.  You start to see the benefits of multiple threads when you have mulitple cores.

The changes will definately improve the program's processing speed, regardless of the number of cpu's.