Weatherlink for 64

[iowaaardvark]

When my XP machine fried the motherboard, I went out and got a computer with Vista Premium, and 4 G of RAM. Later I found it was 64 bit and a lot of my favorite things were not compatible. Several of the equipment and software manufactures were not making plans to go with the flow and I had to either find new replacements or make modifications.

One of the big issues was Weatherlink. Davis made it very clear that it was not 64 bit compatible and they had no information if they were going that route. Some of the things worked and several didn't. I could get the APRS to work but Weather Underground just wouldn't. The USB drivers were freezing the computer with one program often and with the other not as often. SO I made the plunge and got the Weatherlink IP logger. One burned out after a week and Davis replaced it. I am on my second, but still the Weather link that the IP site sent was incomplete data... it would send Weather Underground only hourly data and not all the parameters as well.

Last night I had the time to do some serious digging.. I found that if I copied to the expansion module folder in the Weatherlink folder the weather link module WuiWlink_1.dll then went into the Weatherlink program, went to File and down to manage modules, I could add the module, enable it and then when I went out as it recommends, and back into the program, it was gone and that was irritating.

SO.. I did some playing around , I realized that for some reason on this system, that items won't write into files and folders created with an earlier OS.. some Vista quirk. So I have to copy the folder to the desktop, open in and put in what needed to be there, copy the folder back into the program directory and then it stuck.

However, still a problem.. the dll was there and it wasn't working still... I noticed there was this data file: ModuleListNew.dat and in that was a listing of the files that I created .. so I went back and looked into C:\Program Files (x86)\WeatherLink\Expansion_Modules and into ModuleList.dat and noticed that the weatherlink dll wasn't there.

So I went then to the ModuleListNew and copied those lines [ AgModule.dll 0x00000500 0x00010003 1 Agricultural Management Module v.1.0 04/07/2004
WuiWlink_1.dll 0x00001100 0x00010018 1 Wunderground v.1.15 PWSDec 27 2007] into the ModuleList.Data file (it opens with notepad), which I copied out on the desktop, saved it and put it back into the Expansion_Modules. Closed the file and restarted Weatherlink. It appeared under the file menu, I copied in my station ID and password and the other things and I am sending data.

I wish Davis would adapt Brian Hamilton's WeatherDisplay routines to get the data sent to Globe and other people who want our data for their research. Weather Display is the cadillac of weather software. Globe, for example will automatically send the data when you want it, how much you want to send and without manually saving the data to a text file , cut, paste, send . It is truly a fine program to use. I use it to archive all my data and to get a great view what is my station and its sensors are up to... Howver, for those who still use Weatherlink and waiting for Weatherlink IP to send their globe data.. it is going to take a long time before that happens I am afraid.

There are work arounds that take some playing. From what I have read the 64 bit is the way things are going and of course Microsoft has a new OS that is supposed to solve these compatibility issues, but right now this is my solution until software and hardware (particularly PALM) get on the stick, get with their programmers and move out of the stone age ...

[Mark / Ohio]

Jeez Joe, sounds like you've really had a run for your money getting things back to halfway running order.

I guess that proves once again that our hobby has yet to really evolve into a simple plug and play setup. It's great when it all works but can be a real head scratcher in a hurry when something burps and the setup has to be changed!

[iowaaardvark]

this hobby is for the thinking person. We solve problems, some we make ourselves, but we do come up with interesting modifications, problems we solve for others .. and some ideas are creative.

Like growing older, Weather is not for whimps or wussies..

[iowaaardvark]

I sent the post to Davis and got this reply back:

Hello
Weatherlink should work well with Windows Vista 32-bit. We have only recently tested the current Weatherlink version in a 64-bit environment. The Weatherlink software works well in Windows Vista 64-bit. However, this was done using a dual core 32-bit processor and chip set. We are fairly confident that the Weatherlink software will not work in a true 64-bit environment, with a 64-bit processor and a 64-bit version of windows. Davis Instruments has no plans to create a 64-bit version of Weatherlink at this time. Our conclusion is that the requests for such an upgrade to Weatherlink would not justify the cost of development. The real issue is the USB driver. You can download and install a 64-bit version of the driver at www.silabs.com and try it. NO guarantees though.
Rex Knapps
Davis Instruments Technical Support

[Mark / Ohio]

I've always had the feeling Davis never really had their heart in software development. More like they just wanted something on the basic side that worked reasonably well for the majority and would rather let the independent software authors fill the gap where WeatherLink left off.

Considering they are only writing for their own line of equipment the development job would seem to me the lay person much less complex then the task of independent guys trying to cover multiple brands and models and in Weather Display's case multiple operating systems. Looking at it that way Davis should theoretically have the best software available on the market for those that owned Davis weather station as they are the only ones that know exactly the design and capabilities of their stations.

If only their heart and more profit for them were in it.

[iowaaardvark]

you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.

It is nice to have independent software developers, such as WEATHER DISPLAY, that are willing to modify software to meet the consumer needs.

If Davis doesn't understand that more and more new computers are 64 bit systems and they have no intention of developing there software, then they need to provide access to their codes so that independent developers can produce compatible software to their hardware.

I had wished Davis would have had the moxie to do some more extensive testing on a 64 bit system, but you are right.. they are not interested in that. PALM for example, their drivers are not compatible as they really don't have software developers on their staff for that. I am sure Davis contracts with someone to do their software and either that person is going through puberty and has no interest or that they are ancient and too tired to write code and mix their Metamucil at the same time.

It is disappointing right now. However, I am hoping that the independent coders continue to develop their works, that Davis one day comes out of their funk and gets on the stick. If I were on there staff, I would have contacted Brian H. to write their code for their stuff, but then again.. no one asked.

Davis does have a quality system of hardware, weatherlink sort of works on their system and we do have third party vendors to fall back on..

it is all a matter of time...

[ocala]

Yeah it is a shame Davis won't upgrade their software but they aren't in it for the software. It's the hardware they make there money from.
That being said I still use WL and always will. Tried other software but still prefer WL.
As for Vista, Blaahh!!
When I got a new PC earlier this year the first thing I did was take it to the pc shop and had them clear the hard drive of everything Vista.
Put my old copy of XP back on and I'm a happy camper.
Can't see changing to Vista anytime soon because as you alluded too, the software manufactures don't like it either.
Stupid MS. Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel why not just make it better.

[iowaaardvark]

two things keep me with vista 64... 4 gig of ram expandable to 16 should I think I need that I forgot the other..

Oh.. I don't have a copy of XP so that kind of screws it up a bit.

I am more miffed at PALM for refusing to upgrade their drivers so that I could sync my Outlook with my TX palm..

I told the live tech support that my cell contract renews next month and I am looking (verizon) for a unit and that Centro won't be a choice or a sale for them. I might try blackberry or something that is 64 bit compatible.. I have a detailed planner that would be nice to have on a unit with the phone and I would have to only sync and it would be there. So I am looking.

The cell folks have a program .. iphone but it downloads it own interface on the cell and I might go that route if I can't find what AI want.

I do use Weatherlink a lot of the time, Weatherdisplay is what I generate my summary data and I have my console by the computer anyway. I still think Weather Display is the best out there and I'll probably go back to full time when I get time to re do my web page again... always in transition it seems.