WeatherWatcher2 is an ASCOM ObservingConditions driver designed to provide weather and environmental data to astronomy applications using existing weather data files generated by popular observatory weather systems.
The driver can read weather information from one or more supported weather data sources and expose the information through the ASCOM ObservingConditions interface, making it available to applications such as NINA, Voyager, ACP, TheSkyX, Sequence Generator Pro, and other ASCOM-compatible software.
The primary design goal is to provide a lightweight and reliable bridge between weather monitoring systems and observatory automation software.
Implements the ASCOM ObservingConditions standard, allowing weather information to be consumed by any ASCOM-compatible application.
Supported applications include:
- NINA
- Voyager
- ACP
- TheSkyX
- Sequence Generator Pro
- ASCOM Remote / Alpaca
- Custom ASCOM applications
The driver can read data from:
Typical default location:
C:\ProgramData\WeatherWatcher2\weatherdata.txt
Provides support for weather systems that generate Boltwood-compatible weather reports.
Typical default location:
C:\Cumulus\realtime.txt
Allows integration with Cumulus weather station software.
Both Boltwood and Cumulus sources may be enabled simultaneously.
The driver can use available data from either source to populate ASCOM weather properties.
User-configurable observing limits include:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Maximum Wind Speed | Safe observing wind limit |
| Maximum Humidity | Safe observing humidity limit |
| Minimum Temperature | Lowest acceptable observing temperature |
| Maximum Temperature | Highest acceptable observing temperature |
These limits may be used by future versions to provide observing condition assessments and safety notifications.
Optional logging allows troubleshooting and verification of:
- File access
- Data parsing
- Weather updates
- Driver activity
- Error conditions
Logging can be enabled or disabled through driver settings.
On first installation, the driver automatically initializes with sensible defaults:
Boltwood File:
C:\ProgramData\WeatherWatcher2\weatherdata.txt
Cumulus File:
C:\Cumulus\realtime.txt
If the ASCOM profile is unavailable, the driver automatically falls back to internal defaults to prevent startup failures.
Specify the location of the Boltwood-compatible weather file.
Example:
C:\ProgramData\WeatherWatcher2\weatherdata.txt
Specify the location of the Cumulus realtime weather file.
Example:
C:\Cumulus\realtime.txt
Enables diagnostic logging for troubleshooting and support.
Default:
False
The driver stores configuration using the ASCOM Profile system.
Stored settings include:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| BoltwoodFile | Path to Boltwood weather file |
| CumulusFile | Path to Cumulus realtime file |
| EnableLogging | Enables diagnostic logging |
Weather Station
↓
Boltwood or Cumulus
↓
Weather Data File
↓
WeatherWatcher2
↓
ASCOM ObservingConditions
↓
NINA / Voyager / ACP
Applications can then make automation decisions based on the reported weather information.
- Windows 10 or Windows 11
- ASCOM Platform 7 or later
- Boltwood-compatible weather file and/or Cumulus realtime file
- Install ASCOM Platform.
- Install WeatherWatcher2.
- Open the ASCOM Chooser.
- Select WeatherWatcher2 ObservingConditions.
- Open Setup.
- Configure weather file locations.
- Connect from your astronomy application.
WeatherWatcher2 can be exposed as an Alpaca device through ASCOM Remote Server.
This allows weather information to be shared across a local network and accessed by Alpaca-compatible applications.
WeatherWatcher2 was developed with the following objectives:
- Reliability
- Simplicity
- Low resource usage
- Compatibility with existing weather systems
- Observatory automation support
- ASCOM standards compliance
Planned features may include:
- Additional weather data source support
- Cloud sensor integration
- Rain sensor integration
- Weather safety evaluation
- Observatory closure recommendations
- Enhanced logging and diagnostics
- Native Alpaca support
Copyright © WeatherWatcher2 Project.
All rights reserved unless otherwise specified.
For bug reports, feature requests, and documentation updates, please use the GitHub Issues section of this repository.