Getting started with WX Logger

    WX Logger monitors weather data from a WMR918 weather base station attached to your Mac's serial port. WX Logger displays real-time weather info, keeps track of daily high temperatures, wind gusts, and total rainfall. Most importantly, it periodically saves detailed weather data to a log file for processing by another application.

    WX Logger's log file is in plain-text, comma-delimited format that can be easily imported into databases, spreadsheets, and charting utilities. It can also be easily processed with AppleScript, allowing you to incorporate up-to-date weather information in your Home Automation or similar systems.

System requirements

    WX Logger requires:
    WMR918 wireless weather station
    Power Macintosh
    Mac OS 8.6 or later

    WX Logger will not work with other types of weather stations. This version of the software supports the standard sensors that some with the WMR918 package. Data from optional remote sensors is ignored.

Conditions of use

    WX Logger is provided free-of-charge for personal and noncommercial use. It is provided without implied or explicit warranty. There is no promise of performance, accuracy, or fitness for use.

Configuring WX Logger

    To connect your weather base station to your computer, you need a PC-Mac serial adapter. The Hotsync Cradle Adapter from Palm Computing (for use with Palm Pilot PDAs) works fine, after you remove the screw posts that prevent it from fitting into the base station's serial port.

    The date and time on the base station is not used by WX Logger, but it does determine how the base station determines "yesterday's" rainfall. So if you're using the rain sensor, be sure to set the date and time on the weather base station.

    To configure WX Logger, open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
    Port: Select the port where your base station is connected. For PowerBooks, select either port.
    Imperial Measurements: All units will be shown and logged in US/English units. (Miles, Fahrenheit, etc.) To use metric units, uncheck this box.
    Snapshot: Determines how often current weather data is saved to the log file. In this version the log file is always updated every 5 minutes.

Troubleshooting

    When you open the WX Logger application, it immediately begins listening for weather data on the selected port. It may take several seconds for the first sensor data to be displayed. It is not uncommon for the first 2-5 samples of data to result in unusual values, due to incomplete packets of information that are left in the base station's buffer.

    To display a count of data packets received, open the Window menu and choose status. You will see the packet count increase every 20-30 seconds, depending on the sensors that you have set up. (The rain sensor, for example, sends data every 45-50 seconds, the wind sensor 3-4 times a minute.)