Linux SpotterNetwork client and chase tools

[Adam Boggs]

Hi All,

I don't know if there are any other chasers out there who run Linux in the field. It seems like most of the useful storm chasing tools are Windows based. However, I chase with a laptop running Linux hooked to my Verizon cell phone for data. It works fine for checking radar and Stormtrack while out in the field, but one thing I have always been missing is a SpotterNetwork client.

So this weekend I hacked up a little perl script to read my GPS and send the coordinates to SpotterNetwork. It will also log the position to a file for later processing (eg. for GoogleEarth) and display it on the screen. I decided to release it as open source in case it would be useful to anyone else. If you're interested, check it out at: http://www.aircrafter.org/boggs/stormchasing/spottertool.html

Let me know if you get a chance to try it out!

Now if I could only get gpsdrive with openstreetmap to work well, I'd be in business. It does raise a question... any other chasers out there run Linux, and what tools have you found to be useful?

 

[Andrew Herron]

You mean I'm not the only one!?

I've been playing around with some Ruby code to build an SN client with that. I could do Python, but I've been away from that for a little bit.

I use WINE with great success. It runs WeatherScope and GRL3 just fine, though I've been able to get the GPS working through it yet.

I do have a little program for the Inspeed anemometer that I've been working on for what seems like years now. I really should get off my behind and work on it some more.

What library did you use to pull the GPS coords off? There might be a ruby port that I could use to throw some GUI on your script.

 

[David Wolfson]

Thanks, Adam, for doing this! Good stuff. I've also been working on some linux apps that could go mobile -- more with video. I think I can answer for Adam, though, that the script uses the pretty-well established gpsd daemon to read a NMEA compatible gps.

My kibbitz would be to divide the functions into separate processes which can be managed through a GUI. For example the gpslog function can be independently detached, while the SN update client fires separately from the shell fenced to no less than two minutes. I'd also be inclined to keep logs in native format and have filters for converting log records into other formats. So the SN client becomes a specific case of this general approach, where logrecord | filter | application . FWIW.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

If everything could be perfected, I would love to go back to running Linux on my laptop, but I just don't really have the time to screw around with everything on the road, which is why I've stuck with pointy-clicky windows on my laptop.

 

[Adam Boggs]

Ben, messing around with annoying operating systems while on the road is the exact reason I removed Windows from the computer. ;-)

David, I definitely like the idea of separating the SN logging and the local logging. Ideally, each could be independently turned on and off, and as you suggested, scheduled independently as well. I started to go down the path of allowing separate update times for each, but decided to get something simple that worked out first. Otherwise, I was diving into threads, schedulers, or somewhat complicated time operations. I actually haven't seen the windows SN client, so not sure what it does either.

Maybe I should give GRLevel3 a shot under wine. I read a couple of other accounts of folks who have had some trouble with it, but if the quirks are easy enough to work around it might be ok. Getting the GPS to work seems pretty crucial. Chances are wine (or GRL3 for that matter) doesn't work with gpsd, making it hard to share the gps data with other apps.

 

[Tarmo Tanilsoo]

Folks, you are not the only nuts here. I guess what we need here, is some passionate weather enthusiasts who also have programming skills to work something out. I like to track weather in the U.S as well, so on my Linux laptop, here's what I use.
Now as far as other weather tools are concerned, for radar, I use NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit. For data, I have written a little bash script which downloads latest warning shapefiles in ESRI format, and radar data files for reflectivity, Storm relative velocities, and some additional supplemental data for station I choose(using command line argument). Since the supplementary data products tend to have one-sweep delay, I have written the script not to also keep the reflectivity and storm relative velocities from last files, so it would be possible to overlay storm tracks, & other data. Although here with a little caveat - it's all manual, no auto-update so even shape-files need to be manually reloaded every time. You do not want to do this on the road. Unfortunately GRLevel and others are out of question for because I cannot make payments outside Estonia(maybe I could do also elsewhere in the E.U though, but not sure) owing to having only a bank account and debit card.

I do have some programming skills though, unfortunately NIDS radar format is written is very difficult. Otherwise I would write some application for myself.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I primarily use linux at work/school. Most astronomical software works with linux. However, because most weather software uses windows, my laptop uses windows. While I am no linux guru, I know how to get my way around and modify some scripts here and there. However, I don't want to even try to find out how to wx-worx working on linux, much less the dozen or so other devices that I use. Good luck to you guys...

Just a thought there is cygwin...