Cumulus Support

Hello everybody

Greece's national weather station network is using (sadly) weatherlink to upload weather stations' data so if i want to participate i will have to use both weatherlink for them and cumulus for my own site.I used VVP and did all the things in the manual regarding x64bit windows and finally it worked just fine for about half hour.I restarted the pc and stopped working meaning there is a connection between the console and vvp but when sending to both programs their boxes are red and in activity it says "Failed to connect (Specified comport does not exist)" .
I did nothing.I just restarted my pc and all the config is lost.
The only thing i should mention is that i disabled windows drivers' testing which i had enabled before configuration.Thats all!! Any ideas?

i disabled windows drivers' testing

I think you've answered your own question, assuming the virtual COM drivers you're using aren't signed.

Do you think so? I thought that they are signed once and therefore they work ok.Ill try it and come back.Thanx a lot!!!

How about giving some additional information such as the type of interface (WeatherLink data logger) used between the weather station console and the computer, the drivers (by name) you have already installed.

I can tell you for many years of using VirtualVP that it does not work reliably with the WeatherLink software.

Yes sure.Sorry

Its connected through USB data logger.
I would not care for Weatherlink since i use cumulus for 4 years but its the only way to contribute to Greece's network.
Its sad that you say that its not reliable.I have heard before that there is something wrong with weatherlink's dll file. By saying not reliable what do you mean? If there are sometimes some minor things its ok but if it is something often and annoying...
Do you have any other solution for this?

gemini06720 wrote:I can tell you for many years of using VirtualVP that it does not work reliably with the WeatherLink software.

Sorry Raymondo, I can't agree with that. I have run WL with VVP under XP for 3.5 years without a problem. I suggest it's probably down to which OS is used.

Rayproudfoot can you suggest me something or should i try something else?
If OS is the problem why not run it under xp configuration on properties tab.

Since you are using the WeatherLink USB adapter (data logger) I presume you have installed the required CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers - the drivers allow proper communications between the data logger and the computer by creating a bridge between the USB port and the serial port, basically converting the USB port to a virtual serial port.

What/which drivers have you installed so far?

Ray, you can disagree as much as you want ... ... even Steve (Hatchett of SoftWx) has confirm to me there are (cooperation) problems between VirtualVP and the WeatherLink software ... WeatherLink seems to require too much priority from VirtualVP, something VirtualVP cannot afford as it must share priorities between all the weather software getting data from VirtualVP...

By the way, Ray, which operating system are you using - if you are not using Windows 7 then the problems are minimal. I am using VirtualVP on one old Windows XP Pro and on three Windows 7 - the only computer on which I have not had problems with the WeatherLink software is the old Windows XP Pro.

katdoc wrote:Rayproudfoot can you suggest me something or should i try something else?
If OS is the problem why not run it under xp configuration on properties tab.

Katdoc, It's difficult to recommend an alternative when my only experience is with 32-bit XP. The other Ray has posted useful advice which may help you. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

gemini06720 wrote:Ray, you can disagree as much as you want ... ... even Steve (Hatchett of SoftWx) has confirm to me there are (cooperation) problems between VirtualVP and the WeatherLink software ... WeatherLink seems to require too much priority from VirtualVP, something VirtualVP cannot afford as it must share priorities between all the weather software getting data from VirtualVP...

By the way, Ray, which operating system are you using - if you are not using Windows 7 then the problems are minimal. I am using VirtualVP on one old Windows XP Pro and on three Windows 7 - the only computer on which I have not had problems with the WeatherLink software is the old Windows XP Pro.

I'm only disagreeing in that the problem is not universal. I accept many others including Steve Hatchett has encountered problems but for whatever reason, I haven't. I also run VPLive in addition to Cumulus and WL.

I'm running XP 32-bit, not the Pro version. Maybe that has a bearing. My best advice for those wanting to run VVP would be to use XP or XP Pro but sadly this won't be possible for many. And of course support for XP ends in 2015 but that won't prevent me continuing to use it. Maybe by then Steve will have resolved the problems in VVP.

It must be hugely frustrating for people who can't run more than one weather program via VVP. It's such a brilliant concept.

gemini06720 wrote:Since you are using the WeatherLink USB adapter (data logger) I presume you have installed the required CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers - the drivers allow proper communications between the data logger and the computer by creating a bridge between the USB port and the serial port, basically converting the USB port to a virtual serial port.

What/which drivers have you installed so far?

Ray, you can disagree as much as you want ... ... even Steve (Hatchett of SoftWx) has confirm to me there are (cooperation) problems between VirtualVP and the WeatherLink software ... WeatherLink seems to require too much priority from VirtualVP, something VirtualVP cannot afford as it must share priorities between all the weather software getting data from VirtualVP...

By the way, Ray, which operating system are you using - if you are not using Windows 7 then the problems are minimal. I am using VirtualVP on one old Windows XP Pro and on three Windows 7 - the only computer on which I have not had problems with the WeatherLink software is the old Windows XP Pro.

i have installed com0com v3.0.0.0 .I made everything the pdf says exactly the same way and it worked.After i disabled testsigning and rebooted the configuration was messed up.
If i manage to make this work i should try to delay both cumulus and weatherlink to start so the VVP starts first.Isnt it right?

The com0com readme says:

NOTE (x64-based Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008/Windows 7/8):
The com0com.sys is a test-signed kernel-mode driver that will not load by
default. To enable test signing, enter command:

bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON

and reboot the computer.

NOTE:
Enabling test signing will impair computer security.

Yes i did that.Does the pc needs to be forever in test mode?

Yes.

RayProudfoot wrote:It must be hugely frustrating for people who can't run more than one weather program via VVP. It's such a brilliant concept.

Ray, as I wrote previously, the only operating system under which I have managed to run WeatherLink software without many problems was Windows XP Pro.

But, but, I have no problem with VirtualVP ... only with the WeatherLink software.

On the old computer with the Windows XP Pro operating system, VirtualVP supplies the data obtained from the Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Envoy to both Weather Display and VPLive - I stopped running the WeatherLink software, not because of VirtualVP but because the WeatherLink software had conflicts with Weather Display and was using way too much power for the data it was producing.

One one of the Windows 7 Pro computer, VirtualVP supplies the data obtained from the Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 console to Cumulus ... and to another Windows 7 Pro computer onto which another copy of VirtualVP supplies the data (obtained from the VirtualVP using one of the virtual TCP/IP port) to Cumulus and Weather Display (and some times to VPLive and/or Virtual Weather Station and/or Home Control Assistant Plus and/or WeatherLink).

For both Steve and whomever you are (katdoc), on my three Windows 7 Pro computers, I am using 'com0com' version 2.2.2.0 (the 'com0com-2.2.2.0-x64-fre-signed.zip') without any problem with Windows 7 and without having to enable test signing and without impairing my computer's security...