For years, I’ve been trapped in the confines of Weather Display, a trusty but limiting companion for publishing my meteorological musings. But no more! The winds of change are blowing, and I’m setting sail on a thrilling voyage of technological transformation.
The Dawn of a New Era
Picture this: a Raspberry Pi 3B, humming with potential, becomes the beating heart of my weather empire. Python, that serpentine language of infinite possibility, will be my wand to conjure a custom-built API. And at the center of it all? A sleek Flask server, ready to receive and showcase my data in ways I’ve only dreamed of.
The Power of Unification
Gone will be the days of juggling multiple systems. This new setup will be a weather data maestro, conducting a symphony of devices with effortless grace. Need to add a new instrument to the orchestra? A simple profile schema is all it takes.
A Feast for the Senses
Prepare your eyeballs for a visual treat! Jinja2 templating will be the artist’s brush, painting our weather data in vivid, efficient strokes. Expect:
- Charts that pop and sizzle with information
- Features that will make weather enthusiasts weak at the knees
- Live webcam feeds that bring the outdoors to your screen in stunning clarity
Beyond the Horizon
But why stop at the basics? This meteorological metamorphosis opens doors to exciting new frontiers:
- Midge Madness: A scale to measure those pesky Scottish highlands inhabitants
- Hyperlocal Alerts: Tailored announcements for my neck of the woods
- Pollen Prophecies: Not just counts, but a breakdown of pollen types for the allergy-conscious
- Basic data: My basic data will remain free, but more advanced features will become available at a paid membership level. I am hoping this will be of interest not just to Radio Amateurs visiting, but people hunting Aurora Borealis, Hikers, people with Allergies, and people susceptible to being bitten by Midges
- Better YouTube Integration: The idea is to add a lot of interesting video content, like monthly time-laspe at dawn, monthly time-lapse at noon, monthly time-lapse at dusk. Yearly time-lapses, Speed-ed up Storm footage and more.
The Road Ahead
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this weather wonderland. But as each piece falls into place, you’ll witness the birth of something truly spectacular. So keep your eyes on the skies – and on this website – as we embark on this exhilarating meteorological adventure together!
The Flask server is going to incorporate Jinja2 templating and that should lean the whole process down making it slicker. Adding more charting, more features and more live webcam feeds.
So don’t expect immediate change, but as it changes, it will be an improvement. One of the things I am thinking about initially adding is a Midge scale, announcement for my area, and further down the road a live pollen count, which will include the types of pollen!
I am also actively seeking sponsorship for the enhancement of this site.
Hi I am Marcus, MM0ZIF, a licenced Radio Amateur, Doctor of Musicology, amateur weather enthusiast. I over the years have been a Amateur Radio Tutor, Examiner, and a Regional Manager for the Radio Society of Great Britain.
This site is dedicated more towards Amateur Radio and Weather, with an angle on Technology too. I also maintain https://havenswell.com/ which is my other blog which is more aimed at cooking, hobbies and life in general as well as businness and networking.
