That's fantastic feedback Sieghard. Wish all developers would be this good. Thanks for asking the question and for your thorough response.
Paul From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sieghard Weitzel Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 12:26 To: [email protected] Subject: RE: More good news about the Netatmo Weather Station Hi again, Paul, As usual, Netatmo sent me a prompt reply, here is what they wrote (I sent another reply and asked if they are planning to specifically list the actual dew point measurement and will post when I receive the answer): Hi Sieghard, Thank you very much for your support. Dew point is indeed used for our calculation of felt like temperature when done using Humidex index (see below) We use measurements from the station (temperature, humidity) to calculate felt like temperature. The only data coming from other sources is wind speed, which is currently taken from a premium weather internet service (Meteogroup), but will also be measured from the weather station when we release our anemometer module. For further details, you can refer to our help section. I hereby include a selection: "Feels like" temperature This is computed data, obtained by adding the combined effect of moisture and wind over human perception of heat and cold. To achieve reliable data, the station uses a combination of two usual formulae: wind-chill which represents the effect of wind on cold temperatures and Humidex/Heat Index which represents the effect of moisture on high temperatures. Humidex vs. Heat index setting The formula used to represent the effect of moisture on high "feels like" temperature is either Humidex or Heat index, depending on your geographical region. Default settings use Heat index in the United States, and Humidex in Canada and Europe. You can manually change the formula used in the the unit-setting menu.<http://my.netatmo.com/settings#my_units> Regards, Carlos From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sieghard Weitzel Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 7:45 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: More good news about the Netatmo Weather Station Hi Paul, Dew point indicates the point at which the relative humidity that is in the air turns from vapour into water hence forms dew. If the dew point is 10 degrees Celsius and the forecast calls for a high temperature that day of 25 degrees Celsius and a low temperature of 12 degrees Celsius then this simply means that it will not get cold enough at night for dew to form. Dew point is used in the calculation of the Heat Index or, as we call it in Canada, the "Humidex". However, in the calculation of the indix which in turn results in coming up with the "Felt Like Temperature", a set dew point of 14 degrees Celsius or 57 degrees Fahrenheit is used in the States and 7 Celsius or 45 Fahrenheit in Canada. Either way, the Netatmo weather station does display "Felt-Like" temperature and while it might be nice to know the dew point, in itself the dew point is not a true indicator since it has to be combined with other factors such as relative humidity to come up with Felt Like temperature. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article which explains it better than I can: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_index I will ask Netatmo whether they have plans to provide dew point, but I am not sure how difficult this is ad what sort of sensor is needed. One always has to keep in mind that even though the Netatmo Weather Station costs $180 and one can buy simple digital wireless stations with LCD readouts for half that or less, the quality of the measurements are as good as what you pay. Highly precise commercial weather stations costs thousands of Dollars so one can't expect quite the same from one that is $180. But, as I said, I'll ask. Wind, by the way, is also a big factor in Felt Like temperature. At this point there is no Wind Sensor on the Netatmo Weather Station, but just as the rain sensor is in the works, I believe a Wind Sensor or anemometer, to use the correct term, is in the plan. Regards, Sieghard From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Paul Parravano Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 6:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: More good news about the Netatmo Weather Station Thank you Sieghard for this thorough report. It appears from your description that the dew point is not provided. Is this true? I find that in hot weather, this measure is the most reliable in determining real unpleasantness. If this measure is not given, might you suggest how we could convince the developer to include it? Thanks again, Paul From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sieghard Weitzel Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 09:29 To: [email protected] Subject: More good news about the Netatmo Weather Station Hello, I just wanted to give a quick update about the Netatmo Weather Station for those who bought it and for those who might be interested in it. First of all, for new members and those who haven't heard about it, the Netatmo Weather Station consists of 2 modules, an indoor and an outdoor module. The indoor module has a micro USB connection and uses a wall adapter for power and it also has 4 Triple A batteries for backup power. It is a round tube about 6 inches long and maybe 2 inches thick, there is no display at all and it only has one touch sensitive button at the top which one can push to force an update or you can push and hold it to initiate pairing mode. The indoor module connects to your WiFi and via your WiFi to the internet so that you can access it from anywhere in the world where you have a data connection. It also has Bluetooth which until recently was not used, but now the station uses Bluetooth for the initial setup/connection to your WiFi. This process was inaccessible so far, but I am happy to report that it is now fully accessible via the free Netatmo app which you also use once the station is paired to check the weather data provided by the station. The outdoor module uses 900 Mhz and is pre-paired with the indoor module and it also uses 4 Triple A batteries. Once you put batteries in it, it will automatically pair itself with the indoor module and nothing else has to be done. It is also a tube of the exact same thickness, but it's only maybe 4 inches long. Both modules are made from aluminum and have that same quality feel as an Apple product such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard. The weather station provides the following information (you can of course set if you want metric or imperial units): Indoor Measurements: Current Temperature Minimum and maximum temperatures in the last 24-hour period Humidity CO2 level in parts per million Air quality indicator - indicates if air is good or if CO2 is high and room needs to be aired Noise level in decibels Air Pressure - this is displayed with the indoor measurements, but air pressure is the same indoors and outdoors. Outdoor Measurements Current Temperature Minimum and maximum temperatures in the last 24-hour period Felt Like Temperature Humidity Air quality indicator - uses government data from the nearest weather station The app can also send push notifications about a bunch of events such as high CO2 level, low temperature, high temperature etc. Another new feature is that you can now buy additional indoor units for $79, the initial cost for the Weather Station is $180). They are similar in size to the outdoor module and you can place them in different rooms, e.g. you could have one upstairs and one in the basement. Later this year a rainfall sensor will also be available which will measure the amount of precipitation. Netatmo was incredibly accommodating to improve the accessibility of the app which in the beginning was not that great. There is still a graphical mode which automatically activates if you turn the phone to landscape orientation and that of course won't read, but in portrait mode Voiceover reads all the information beautifully in a simple interface. The head developer made it possible for me to discuss the various versions I beta tested with him directly on Skype and it was a fantastic experience. I know that the price for this Weather Station is on the high side and it's not a product for everybody, but if you are willing to pay this amount you will definitely get the most accessible weather observation product out there. Lastly, here are the links to the Netatmo website where you can buy the station (I believe you can also get it on Amazon) and to the Netatmo app on iTunes, it won't do you much good without a weather station, but I thought I include it anyways in case somebody wants to read the entire app description: Netatmo Website: http://www.Netatmo.com Netatmo App in the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/netatmo/id532538499?mt=8 Best regards, Sieghard -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. 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