Has anyone else noticed that as of Jan 1st, the METAR data doesn't work for most sites to retrieve weather info? Almost every site responds with a Parse error. I've R&R'd Sysmetrix thinking it may be a corrupt data file but the problem persists. I read some forums saying it's possibly the Weather Channel but Sysmetrix retrieves it's data from NOAA. Does anyone have a line of why this is happening? NOAA's weather site still uses the same 4-character METAR codes and they don't mention any changes.
I don't know, but I have the exact same problem, mine quit working too. Been playing with everything on my system since yesterday. Glad it's not just me. This means it must be NOAA that is goofing up something, or a windows update. Are you using winxp.
Since SysMetrix hasn't received an update is a couple of years this may well be the end of it. It was a nice program.
Hey, Yes, still using Win XP, and Windows 7 and makes no difference... there are some sites that work. Alice TX, works, but almost everywhere else gives back this parsing error.
Thnx for the quick response..
lol...I tried Alice, TX and mine works too...man that ain't right...I'd rather none of them work, that just pisses me off...weird problem, why would that site work and non of the others. This has become an obsession now...I am hooked, gotta find out whats going on here..lol
The problem seems to be with NOAA, they changed their format. If you look the report from Alice, TX is old, from Dec 24, 2009. The others with Parse errors are current. Seems the only way this is gonna get fixed is if the programmer of sysmetrix makes us a fix. Not likely since he hasn't done anything with it since 2004..lol
I emailed NOAA and sent the metardata.txt file as well as attached a text file with the parse error. You're like me, I won't quit until it's fixed!
Cool. I realize metars are the official current weather for most locations, but hadn't thought of them in 'desktop gadget' terms. I wonder if there's any that'll provide near-complete aviation forecasts? Like with TAFs, Airmets, prog charts, and the like.
Same trouble with sysmetrix here under XP SP3
i checked www.xymantix.com for an update to the problem to see if the programmer was aware of this. I emailed him via the link from his website. The SysMetrix site says the last update was '05 with the possibility of SysMetrix 4.0 coming out in '06. I know he hasn't worked on it in a while and most likely has other committments. Windows 7 widgets, and Yahoo widgets still work, but get their data from other sources. With any luck Decker might update the software (possible patch?). Whaddaya say? Please? I really do use SysMetrix and weather is important to me. I run my own greenhouse and am an avid gardener.
thanks in advance!
Citizen Machinehd
Ya I thought of that, but it's not likely to happen, but worth a try. I am hanging my hat on the URL option he programmed in, gonna research maybe an alternate site for the weather info. He said for advanced users see if I can get it to work that way. Will keep you'll posted.
SirBedwyr: If you right click on the SysMetrix skin you are currently using, and scroll down to "Weather" and pop that menu out to "Show more information", you will (or would have) see lots more data. Not quite aviation level, but a lot more detailed info.
os1smith: I see that about the old data. Oak Harbor, WA works too but the data is from 2007! lol
LMAO...I put in Oak Harbor and my weather display for weather age says 834 days old....lol...maybe someone needs to look out a window or some thing and update that thing...lol
I have the same problem, but I think its with NOAA. I went to NOAA.gov and entered several locations near me and didn't get a weather report for any of them. Maybe they will get the problem repaired shortly.
Well guys it is diffinately a format change on the part of NOAA. I dig up my old METAR reports here is the last four days, I went back about 20 reports. now my sysmetrix weather worked a few days ago and you can clearly see a difference in the reports with the inclusion a few days ago of the CIG tag in the report and the inclusion of the runway info, which I think is what is giving the sysmetrix grief, because it doesn't know what to do with that new info.
KLRF 030155Z AUTO 06006KT 10SM CLR M03/M10 A3040 RMK AO2 CIG 140 RWY07 SLP299 T10301099
KLRF 030055Z AUTO 07007KT 10SM CLR M03/M09 A3040 RMK AO2 CIG 180 RWY07 SLP299 T10251093
KLRF 022355Z AUTO 07006KT 10SM BKN180 M02/M09 A3040 RMK AO2 CIG 160 RWY07 SLP299 T10181092 10016 21018 50001
KLRF 012255Z AUTO 06007KT 10SM FEW160 M01/M09 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP300 T10111093
You can goto the NOAA site and check out the FAQ, there is alo going to be a new HTTP site to get this info, the HTTP that sysmetrix uses as a default is going away soon. Which would not be a big deal since we can change the URL but we can't change how sysmetrix reads the data...which SUCKS.
That's new? Runway and extended pressure comments have been part of AWOS for years now.
The reports we use are the observation reports, not the full reports, as you can see they were never part of the reports we got at the old http site, I went back a good ways looking at old reports, didn't see any rwy stuff, which is probably why sysmetrix doesn't work now. The new report system is called ADDS from what I can see.
I love SysMetrix and all weather reporting gadgets. Weather is very important to me also, my SysMetrix quit showing the weather also. That is why I came over here to see if anyone else had the same problem. I hope it gets fixed.
Darco
ADDS isn't a report format, it's a digital web service for pilots: http://adds.aviationweather.gov/metars/. The METAR teletype (yes teletype) format has remained the same since the FAA switched to mostly international standards (see section 3 for code explanations): Aviation Weather Services. I'm not aware of any txt file issuance that was ever without the RMK block (and it would be irresponsible to disseminate it to pilots without the remarks block since it carries local thunderstorm activity and runway visibility amongst others). There may have been an aggregator distribution that stripped the RMK section, but as I said I'm not aware.
Oh, and we get our information in pieces as you can see from the PDFs. The only time a full/official weather report comes in is through either telephone or some kind of verifiable digital download like DUATS.
Still no reply from N. Decker through the email link on the SysMetrix home page. I seriously doubt we will hear anything. As with all good things, they were good while they lasted. I enjoyed the ability to skin the widget instead of a single weather module taking up valuable real estate on the desktop.
Actually when the METAR text file is opened there is clearly a permissions clause from Winstep. But the pointer to the METAR data comes from within the SysMetrix executable pointing to the PERL script on NOAA's web site, Unfortunately not from within the metar data text file. The line can be changed but I'm not sure if it can be saved.
os1smith: Ok keep us posted.
Thanks,
Well what ever they use to send or didn't send, regardless of it being a format or site, just symatics. In the end, it still means NOAA changed it's way of doing things and sysmetrix ain't gonna work....lol....how about coming up with a solution. I have been looking for an alternate site. Sysmetrix documentation was pretty vague about how the URL function works, but does say alternate sites can be used, but you have to be an advanced user. I am not, so how about you advanced user guys or gals...help..give us another site that works.
I apologize for not helping you. I thought the link would be helpful in sussing things out.
os1smith: If what you say is true about NOAA changing html sites, it's possible still to change the URL within the weather configuration and possibly save the link. We'll just have to be vigilant and get the right URL and plug it in so SysMetrix can access the data. It could happen!!
OK here is where the advanced guys will come in handy. Someone needs to write a new script. I got to wondering WHERE was sysmetrix doing all this parsing stuff and where was it maintaining the info. Because there were no files being changed in the directory, except the ini file, and the wether info wasn't in there..then bingo ..THE REGISTRY...sure enough, sysmetrix does everything in there, that is where he put the script too.
HKEY_USERS>Software>VB and VB Program settings>Sysmetrix>Program configurations
or you can find it like I did, put my METAR code (KLRF) in (you'll need to put yours in) and did a find under edit in the registry. Had to hit it a few times to get there, mostly just poking around. Under the group METARStringBuffer he put the script to grab the info from the website. Thinking if someone makes a new script, we can cut and paste that sucker in there...lol...Might work.
Never mind, didn't work, I deleted that group METARStringBuffer and it came right back after I openned and closed Sysmetrix.
As too the new URL tried it already, the internal sysmetrix program that grabs that info from the METAR code does the same thing .. Parse Error.. so it seems to be the report itself it doesn't like regardless of where you get it from.
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