no more free Wunderground API key?

[bigredbee]

Opensprinkler Pi newb here: Seems that wunderground has discontinued their free API key. Are there any other options?

[Ray]

Yes, this was brought to our attention just a couple days ago. There are some options we are exploring here: there is https://openweathermap.org/ and also https://console.bluemix.net/catalog/services/weather-company-data

It sucks that wunderground suddenly closed their free API keys, and has done it in such a brutal way. Existing keys that have already been created still work at the moment. We will have to change the API to one of the above soon.

[jkliman]

let us know if you need anyone to test a new api out

[debbiep]

I returned the love by deleting my account with Weather Underground. I was only using the API to access my personal weather station’s data, which I’d been sending to Weather Underground for the last nine years. I’m uploading my data to pwsweather.com now.

I encourage anyone else with a PWS to do the same.

[Ray]

We have just pushed out a version of new weather script that switched to use OpenWeatherMap (OWM) API. Basically, if WeatherUnderground (WU) key is provided, the script will still use WU service, otherwise it automatically switches to use OWM data.

To use it, make sure your app is up to date (version 1.7.4), or if you access OpenSprinkler using a browser, open a private browsing window (or clear browser cache) to make sure it uses up-to-date scripts. Then go to Edit Options -> Weather and Sensor, you will see that WU key is removed there. Instead, it’s moved to Advanced section. For those who don’t have a WU key, you can simply leave WU key field empty, and in Weather and Sensor section, choose Zimmerman as weather algorithm. If you have a WU key, but want to test the new OWM service, simply delete the WU key, that will cause the weather script to use OWM data.

[Wokkeltje]

Netatmo has also a great network of Weather staions, but I do not know if it is open for people not owning their devices.
They uploaded all the data to WU, but since yesterday my station is not being updated on WU.

Hope I can still use my Netatmo station with Opensprinkler (the reason I bought it).

[bicmac]

Yeah a direct Natatmo support would be great. I also bought Netatmo to use it with Opensprinkler over wunderground.

[franzstein]

Following the information above, I have deleted the WU key in order to use the OWM data for the Zimmerman weather algorithm. For the time being we have had a sunny day and the water level was hourly updated to 72% during the day. I think the weather algorithm is working in some way, but I still can’t see if there is any precipitation value from yesterday’s rainfall measurement included. It is strange that there is no possibility to see the weather data used for the Zimmerman calculation anymore. I always get the message that an API key will be needed, if I click on the Weather Diagnostics button. There is also no weather logo visible at the App’s front page. Is this a general OpenSprinkler firmware or app issue, if the Zimmerman weather algorithm is based on OWM?

It would be also nice to have some information about the weather station providing the data. We have some afternoon thunderstorm at the moment and they are very local to our area. This means their might be a heavy rainfall a few kilometers away but no rainfall at all at my home location.

I like the idea of having at least the output of the Netatmo rain gauge included in the weather algorithm. There exists the possibility to set the Open Sprinkler rain delay time by API commands forwarded from IFTTT and apilio.io applets. However a direct interface to Netatmo might be the better solution. I also bought Netatmo and OpenSprinkler as these combination seems to be perfect for garden watering. The bad news is that it relies on WU, which seems to be not working anymore.

[Samer]

The app showing an error saying an API key is needed is somewhat of a bug. The reason we currently don’t expose the weather data is because an API key is needed to poll the OpenWeatherMaps service and currently we are providing that key. The app is written in Javascript and thus cannot protect this key so we would need to build out some sort of API to proxy this data. We don’t have such an API at this point so thus that error message shows.

In the meantime, I will improve that message so at least it’s more informative and long term well see if we can open up some sort of API to get the same data our weather API is using.

[franzstein]

Thanks for the detailed information.

After changing the weather algorithm to OWM this morning, I have logged the Water Level changes during the day:

8 am: 19 %, 9 am: 31 %, 10 am: 48 %, 11 am: 52 %, 12 (noon): 53 %, 2 pm: 61 %, 3 pm: 69 %, 5 pm: 72 %, 7 pm: 68 %, 8 pm: 57 %, 9 pm: 53 %, 10 pm: 45 %, 11 pm: 1 %.

These changes look very strange to me. It was a sunny day with temperatures between 14 and 26 C, no rain today. According to Zimmerman temperature, humidity and part of the precipitation of the previous day shall be used for the calculation. Is this the case? I don’t understand the changes?

[franzstein]

I ‘m still interested in a working Zimmerman algorithm and investigated a little bit more the Weather Underground changes. A web search showed that they have not only discontinued their free API key. They have also stopped pulling data from Netatmo weather stations since the end of the day of 24-May-2018. At least no European Netatmo station seemed to be anymore listed in their Wundermap. The reason for this might be the EU General Data Protection Regulation that is being enforced on 25-May-2018. However, no official statement is given by Weather Underground and it is not clear if they provide this service again?

Looking at Netamo, they are still providing the data and the corresponding API interface:

https://www.netatmo.com/site/connect/program

However, Netatmo forum questions and answers show they don’t feel responsible for the situation and are maybe just waiting for another weather service to use their data?

This causes the problem that e.g. my Netatmo weather station can’t currently be used as data source for the OpenSprinkler Zimmerman algorithm. Entering my home location leads to a nearby private weather station, that probably has less quality in case of temperature, humidity and working rain gauge measurements. I have tried to change the location, which is only possible if I click on Location to open a map, search, locate, and select a different address.

After all, retrieving weather data for a working weather controlled sprinkler system seems to be not an easy task. I hope that the OpenSprinkler changes to OWM can improve the situation and maybe OWM is willing to use Netatmo data in the future?

[Samer]

This is a neat project which allows the Netatmo station to update OWM automatically. Might be worth checking out. Azure functions have a free tier if I am not mistaken.

Link: https://github.com/riussi/netatmo-openweathermap-updater

[bicmac]

my netatmo is still visible in wunderground Nd its looks like that also my API key is still working. i only see that from time to time in last weeks the wunderground shows a connection error.

[sprinklesprinklelittlestar]

Wunderground has been rotting since it was first sold, and the decay has really accelerated since IBM has owned it 🙁 It would be nice to have other data source options for those of us who prefer not to rely on third parties. For instance MCS Sprinklers can work with the output from Weather Display PWS software.

[franzstein]

My API key is also working. However, the station info from Weather Underground shows that my Netatmo station is not connected for more than 11 days now.

The Azure link looks very interesting. However, the Azure cloud service will only be free for the first trials and it’s another cloud service that may fail and needs to be maintained.

Netatmo is a widespread affortable weather station and I would prefer a direct OpenSprinkler interface to it. In my opinion there is no really need for a weather service if somebody owns a weather station with an API interface. The Zimmerman algorithm does not rely on weather forecasts! From the Netatmo web interface it is known that all the actual and historic weather data is stored by Netatmo. I think the same data is also available via their API interface.

It may be some effort to provide such an interface, but it may be also a unique selling point for OpenSprinkler.

[bicmac]

@OpenSprinkler Team: is there any Plan to integrate Netatmo direkt to OpenSprinkler?
As i`m not the programming guy i cant do by my own, but i think it would be a big benefit, special as it remove one dependency from system.
Right now wunderground here for my station is working, but not sure how long or when they will cut that also. (until now i not understand why some stations are working and some not)

[Wokkeltje]

Netatmo support +1

[calanish]

+1 for Netatmo as well.

There is python code for weeWX for pulling Netatmo data in from their servers that is perhaps reuseable for OSPi ?

Thanks

[Ray]

OK, we will start doing some research on Netatmo. But to begin with, for those who are familiar: does it always upload data to a cloud server, or it has an API that you can directly pull data from it without going through a server?

[calanish]

I have not found a way to retrieve the information directly from a Netatmo Weather Station, all the code snippets/plugins call the cloud service.

The documentation discusses allowing you to call a specific station, https://dev.netatmo.com/resources/technical/reference/weather/getstationsdata

Let me know if you need an API key.

[Nanodot]

just received OS3.0 with newest firmware update and found this thread to see how to get my wx data when no free WU API key could be created.

So, now i copied my Open Weather API key for my personal weather station. Where do I paste it in the menu now that WU API key is blank?

We’ve updated the weather script to automatically use OWM API if no WU key is provided, and WU API if the key is provided.

[calanish]

Nanodot

You don’t need to configure it in your OS server it is managed centrally.

If there is no WU key it defaults to OWM. Make sure you have your lat/lon entered in the settings so it can get close to your personal weather station data.

f

[ottorino]

Hi all.

Here in Florence, Italy with my old API key on WU, I have a strange behavour.
The date shown is for Jan(uary) rather than Jun(e) and the sunrise/sunset hours are correct.
For January !
Opensprinkler programs with sunrise/sunset assume that is January,
but the date shown in the main screen is the actual one, June 16th

Somehow, the weather forecast seems correct for June.

With OWM the sunrise/sunset hours are correct for June,
and watering programs with sunset/sunrise starts at the correct time

[Pat]

Just to throw another option into the fold, you can check out Dark Sky API for integration. Users get 1000 API calls a day for free. Should be more than enough for OpenSprinkler’s needs

https://darksky.net/dev

I just moved everything I could to Dark Sky and the documentation was great and very similar to wunderground (with obvious changes since it’s a different platform).

[ottorino]

After removing the WU API key it seems that a program supposed to start two hours before sunrise and climatc control is no longer activated. I cannot see it in the log. Could it be due to the swinging values I now see in the water level ?

[Author]

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