Building my own weather channel

[Erik Coleman]

My wife finally stiff-armed me into dumping our Cable TV and going for Dish
Network (4 rooms, DVR, blah, blah). The part I struggled with the most was
saying goodbye to our convenient Weather Channel Local Forecast, or even
moreso, the new sidekick "Weatherscan" channel that is just continually
cycling the local forecast every couple of minutes.

Then I thought, why not build my own "channel"? We've got the existing
cable TV wiring throughout the house. Anyone think this might work?

1) Generate the screen(s) on a PC
2) Use TV output (composite or S-Video)
3) Use modulator to generate channel (say channel 70)
4) Connect output to existing cable TV cabling infrastructure
5) Signal gets broadcast to all TVs in the house
6) Train family to switch over the TV to Antenna input, channel 70 to watch
the weather.

Has anyone attempted their own weather content generation, or know of any
good programs that would render something viewable on a TV screen? Most web
pages are completely out due to small fonts, Ad clutter, and inability to
navigate. I almost want something very low-res like the WeatherStar
computer that TWC cable affiliates use for local forecasts.

Thanks in advance!

--
Erik Coleman
Champaign, Illinois

[L. M. Rappaport]

A few things...

1. Dish Network already has a local weather channel called
"Instant Weather". It is a five day forecast for your zip code. I
think it's channel 9500. Check it out.

2. If you have or want to buy a Davis Weather Station, they
also offer a program called "Weather Link". The current version is, I
think, 5.4. It offers a facility to display all of the weather
information available from your weather station on your tv station,
uploading on the web, or, if you have the right hardware, you could
add it to a local channel.

3. If you want to add a channel to your in-house cable
network, you might want to think about using a VHF channel. If it is
anywhere near the 3 or 4 you are using for Dish Network, you will need
a bandpass filter after the modulator. These are available either new
or used from E-Bay. Here we use Pico, but there are others as well.
Pico filters are less than $100 new; used less than $50.

We modulated the output from 4 outside tv cameras on VHF as
well as the output from two dish network and one 4dtv receivers into a
VHF and UHF system. The lower the channels, the less loss you will
get from the coax.
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com


On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:49:12 -0600, "Erik Coleman"
<ecc@nospamto.uiucdotedu> wrote (with possible editing):

>My wife finally stiff-armed me into dumping our Cable TV and going for Dish
>Network (4 rooms, DVR, blah, blah). The part I struggled with the most was
>saying goodbye to our convenient Weather Channel Local Forecast, or even
>moreso, the new sidekick "Weatherscan" channel that is just continually
>cycling the local forecast every couple of minutes.
>
>Then I thought, why not build my own "channel"? We've got the existing
>cable TV wiring throughout the house. Anyone think this might work?
>
>1) Generate the screen(s) on a PC
>2) Use TV output (composite or S-Video)
>3) Use modulator to generate channel (say channel 70)
>4) Connect output to existing cable TV cabling infrastructure
>5) Signal gets broadcast to all TVs in the house
>6) Train family to switch over the TV to Antenna input, channel 70 to watch
>the weather.
>
>Has anyone attempted their own weather content generation, or know of any
>good programs that would render something viewable on a TV screen? Most web
>pages are completely out due to small fonts, Ad clutter, and inability to
>navigate. I almost want something very low-res like the WeatherStar
>computer that TWC cable affiliates use for local forecasts.
>
>Thanks in advance!

[L. M. Rappaport]

A few things...

1. Dish Network already has a local weather channel called
"Instant Weather". It is a five day forecast for your zip code. I
think it's channel 9500. Check it out.

2. If you have or want to buy a Davis Weather Station, they
also offer a program called "Weather Link". The current version is, I
think, 5.4. It offers a facility to display all of the weather
information available from your weather station on your tv station,
uploading on the web, or, if you have the right hardware, you could
add it to a local channel.

3. If you want to add a channel to your in-house cable
network, you might want to think about using a VHF channel. If it is
anywhere near the 3 or 4 you are using for Dish Network, you will need
a bandpass filter after the modulator. These are available either new
or used from E-Bay. Here we use Pico, but there are others as well.
Pico filters are less than $100 new; used less than $50.

We modulated the output from 4 outside tv cameras on VHF as
well as the output from two dish network and one 4dtv receivers into a
VHF and UHF system. The lower the channels, the less loss you will
get from the coax.
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com


On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:49:12 -0600, "Erik Coleman"
<ecc@nospamto.uiucdotedu> wrote (with possible editing):

>My wife finally stiff-armed me into dumping our Cable TV and going for Dish
>Network (4 rooms, DVR, blah, blah). The part I struggled with the most was
>saying goodbye to our convenient Weather Channel Local Forecast, or even
>moreso, the new sidekick "Weatherscan" channel that is just continually
>cycling the local forecast every couple of minutes.
>
>Then I thought, why not build my own "channel"? We've got the existing
>cable TV wiring throughout the house. Anyone think this might work?
>
>1) Generate the screen(s) on a PC
>2) Use TV output (composite or S-Video)
>3) Use modulator to generate channel (say channel 70)
>4) Connect output to existing cable TV cabling infrastructure
>5) Signal gets broadcast to all TVs in the house
>6) Train family to switch over the TV to Antenna input, channel 70 to watch
>the weather.
>
>Has anyone attempted their own weather content generation, or know of any
>good programs that would render something viewable on a TV screen? Most web
>pages are completely out due to small fonts, Ad clutter, and inability to
>navigate. I almost want something very low-res like the WeatherStar
>computer that TWC cable affiliates use for local forecasts.
>
>Thanks in advance!

[L. M. Rappaport]

A few things...

1. Dish Network already has a local weather channel called
"Instant Weather". It is a five day forecast for your zip code. I
think it's channel 9500. Check it out.

2. If you have or want to buy a Davis Weather Station, they
also offer a program called "Weather Link". The current version is, I
think, 5.4. It offers a facility to display all of the weather
information available from your weather station on your tv station,
uploading on the web, or, if you have the right hardware, you could
add it to a local channel.

3. If you want to add a channel to your in-house cable
network, you might want to think about using a VHF channel. If it is
anywhere near the 3 or 4 you are using for Dish Network, you will need
a bandpass filter after the modulator. These are available either new
or used from E-Bay. Here we use Pico, but there are others as well.
Pico filters are less than $100 new; used less than $50.

We modulated the output from 4 outside tv cameras on VHF as
well as the output from two dish network and one 4dtv receivers into a
VHF and UHF system. The lower the channels, the less loss you will
get from the coax.
--

Larry
Email to rapp at lmr dot com


On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:49:12 -0600, "Erik Coleman"
<ecc@nospamto.uiucdotedu> wrote (with possible editing):

>My wife finally stiff-armed me into dumping our Cable TV and going for Dish
>Network (4 rooms, DVR, blah, blah). The part I struggled with the most was
>saying goodbye to our convenient Weather Channel Local Forecast, or even
>moreso, the new sidekick "Weatherscan" channel that is just continually
>cycling the local forecast every couple of minutes.
>
>Then I thought, why not build my own "channel"? We've got the existing
>cable TV wiring throughout the house. Anyone think this might work?
>
>1) Generate the screen(s) on a PC
>2) Use TV output (composite or S-Video)
>3) Use modulator to generate channel (say channel 70)
>4) Connect output to existing cable TV cabling infrastructure
>5) Signal gets broadcast to all TVs in the house
>6) Train family to switch over the TV to Antenna input, channel 70 to watch
>the weather.
>
>Has anyone attempted their own weather content generation, or know of any
>good programs that would render something viewable on a TV screen? Most web
>pages are completely out due to small fonts, Ad clutter, and inability to
>navigate. I almost want something very low-res like the WeatherStar
>computer that TWC cable affiliates use for local forecasts.
>
>Thanks in advance!

[MagicITX]

MythTV has a module that will display weather from an Internet source
you specify. http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-16.html

[Don]

If you install your own weather station such as the Davis or similar, I
would suggest that for the software you not buy the Davis software.
Instead take a look at the Weather Display program. Supports just about
every weather station and you can use the supplied displays or build your
own very easy. Then just pick up a RF modulator from Radio Shack and send
it out on the channel of your choice. For best results and minimum
interference, have at least one empty channel on each side of the one you
use.

Visit my site and you can see what I send over channel 39 at my home.


--
Don K9SOA

www.k9soa.net
Home of JEANNIE
The House That Listens
My voice controlled automated home
as seen on HGTV and
in Home Automation and Kentucky Living magazines



"MagicITX" <timothy_fleming@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1107244372.253012.274720@c13g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...
> MythTV has a module that will display weather from an Internet source
> you specify. http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-16.html
>

[L. M. Rappaport]

On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 20:37:00 -0500, "Don" <kyham@k9soa.net> wrote (with
possible editing):

>If you install your own weather station such as the Davis or similar, I
>would suggest that for the software you not buy the Davis software.
>Instead take a look at the Weather Display program. Supports just about
>every weather station and you can use the supplied displays or build your
>own very easy. Then just pick up a RF modulator from Radio Shack and send
>it out on the channel of your choice. For best results and minimum
>interference, have at least one empty channel on each side of the one you
>use.
>
>Visit my site and you can see what I send over channel 39 at my home.

Wow, that's a pretty impressive display.

The website mentions that they can upload a webcam image, but it
doesn't seem to say if it will upload the display. Can you upload a
display of graphics to an external web page? For example, something
like this: http://www.lmr.com/home/weather/weather.htm which was
produced by Davis WeatherLink 5.4? I don't particularly like what
I've done and would love to improve it. (rest of the site is a work
in progress)
--

Larry
rapp@lmr.com

[Don]

Yes you can FTP to an external site or put it on your own local machine.
You also have the ability to design your own page and pick the items you
want to display.

I have been using the program for quite a few years and never had a problem
with it.

I bought the Davis Weather Link when I first got the system and have never
installed it. Weather Display reads direct from the weather station. No
other software is needed.


--
Don K9SOA

www.k9soa.net
Home of JEANNIE
The House That Listens
My voice controlled automated home
as seen on HGTV and
in Home Automation and Kentucky Living magazines


"L. M. Rappaport" <nospam@invalid.org> wrote in message
news:514f019gntjujogu9k2b3a3fkaju586o1t@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 20:37:00 -0500, "Don" <kyham@k9soa.net> wrote (with
> possible editing):
>
>>If you install your own weather station such as the Davis or similar, I
>>would suggest that for the software you not buy the Davis software.
>>Instead take a look at the Weather Display program. Supports just about
>>every weather station and you can use the supplied displays or build your
>>own very easy. Then just pick up a RF modulator from Radio Shack and send
>>it out on the channel of your choice. For best results and minimum
>>interference, have at least one empty channel on each side of the one you
>>use.
>>
>>Visit my site and you can see what I send over channel 39 at my home.
>
> Wow, that's a pretty impressive display.
>
> The website mentions that they can upload a webcam image, but it
> doesn't seem to say if it will upload the display. Can you upload a
> display of graphics to an external web page? For example, something
> like this: http://www.lmr.com/home/weather/weather.htm which was
> produced by Davis WeatherLink 5.4? I don't particularly like what
> I've done and would love to improve it. (rest of the site is a work
> in progress)
> --
>
> Larry
> rapp@lmr.com
>