Matars download failed

[MaskRider]

Hiya guys,

Got a bit of a strange situation here.

I use FSMetars for all my CFS2 weather needs. Been doing so for years. It has always worked fine. Haven't opened up any of the menus or changed any of the setting literally for years.

All of a sudden, right out of the blue from one CFS2 boot-up to the next I am getting nothing but "Metars Download Failed!" messages.

Any ideas?

Thanks.
MR

[Devildog73]

Chris,
I know Markus Brunner said something about not updating FSMetar once ActiveSky 2.0 was out.
Could he have shut down the server for updates?
Lee

[MaskRider]

Chris,
Could he have shut down the server for updates?
Lee

Hiya Lee,

Hmmm.... well, lets hope its just something temporary like that.

Meanwhile, does anyone know if there is an online source where one can go to download a "raw" metar file and then have FSMetar open it?

Cheers,
MR

[UncleTgt]

Chris,

try going here...

https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/obse.../metar/cycles/

downloadable list of the previous 24 hours

Looks like a lot of the older records have to be searched for & downloaded by selecting an ICAO code, not useful at all...

I downloaded a collection of random records over time (52Mb as a zip!!!), by way of example "013Z" from 13-APR-14 is attached. Just extract the text file, point FSMETAR to it & it will load. Great if you don't have good internet connectivity

[MaskRider]

Chris,

try going here...

https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/obse.../metar/cycles/

downloadable list of the previous 24 hours

Looks like a lot of the older records have to be searched for & downloaded by selecting an ICAO code, not useful at all...

I downloaded a collection of random records over time (52Mb as a zip!!!), by way of example "013Z" from 13-APR-14 is attached. Just extract the text file, point FSMETAR to it & it will load. Great if you don't have good internet connectivity

Thanks UT!

This should provided some temporary relief!

I can't figure what could be going on. My internet connectivity is no different than it has ever been. I have always had my download source set to VATSIM in the FSMetar configuration window. Like I said, I haven't done anything on my end, as far as I know, that would account for it.

Do you think the weather servers used by FSMetar could have changed again as they did as per your post of 4/18/2016?

I don't suppose you have FSMetar hooked up to your CFS2 install? If so, is it working okay for you?

MR

PS: downloaded and open the metar you provided. After unchecking the "Online Metars Update" option everything worked fine. Sungshan, Taiwan. Works for me!

Cheers,
MR

[MaskRider]

Hiya UT,

I must be missing something.

Having a little issue getting my hands on an actual meta.txt file.

I can download the list ok. But where do I go to get the actual weather data to plug into FSMetar?

MR

[MaskRider]

Okay,

Well, UT. The metar you provided worked fine. However, I couldn't figure how to download any more of them.

So I googled on "how to download a metar and load it into fsmetar"

One of the results that popped up was an online discussion from May 2004 on AvSim about the same issue I was having, a sudden unwillingness of FSMetar to behave itself- failing to download metars.

Turns out I needed to "prime the pump" so to speak:

Don't ask me why, but this did the trick:

1. Started FSMetar all by itself and typed in the ICAO code for an airport- n this case NGTA for Tarawa.
2. Unchecked the box next to "Download Metars when FSMetars Starts" in the FSM configuration screen.
3. Booted-up CFS2.
4. Clicked on "FSMetar/Downlaoid Metars from internet/VATSIM server"
5. Voila! The metar downloaded and all was happiness and light- or, more precisely, all was overcast and grey.
Next:
6. Shut down CFS2
7. Rechecked the box next to "Download Metars when FSMetars Starts"and
8. Rechecked "Metars/On-line Metars Update" and
9. Shut down FSMetars.
10. Booted-up CFS2 in FF mode at a random airfield.
11. Started FSMetar and she downloaded and processed the appropriate metar no worries.
12. Shut down and re-booted CFS2 and FSM several time just to confirm- all is well.



Cheers,
MR

[rhumbaflappy]

IVAO can be found at http://wx.ivao.aero/metar.php

If you copy the text to a text file, you can open it in FSMetars.

NOAA files can be found at https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/obse.../metar/cycles/

Pick the most recent file and save the text to a file and open it in FSMetars.

I can load VATSIM online:

VatsimURL = http://metar.vatsim.net/metar.php?id=ALL

and

VatsimOnline = http://metar.vatsim.net/metar.php?id=ALL

...in the FSMetars.ini and it will load fine.

[MaskRider]

Thanks for the info rhumba.

I didn't understand what needed to be downloaded. Upon opening, the 130414_013Z_metar file submitted by UT above just looked like a bunch of gibberish. It didn't look like a neat list of ICAO followed by weather codes. So I wasn't sure what the heck I was looking for.

WRT the vatsim links called out in the ini file, those are the two link locations I have had in my ini file for years. Nothing changed. Take my word for it.

I use FSMetar every time I use CFS2. Never fly without it.

Then, out of the blue, from one CFS2 boot-up to the next, a gap of maybe a couple of hours, FSMetar just stopped downloading metars. No changes were made to the FSM.ini file either directly or indirectly using FSM's configuration windows. Nada.

I had never had any cause to mess with any settings. FSMetar was performing normally and always had been- for years.

Suddenly, though, it just stopped downloading metars. Period.

While googling "how to download a metar and load it into fsmetar" I ran across the 2004 discussion in the Avsim forum about the exact same problem I was having- the sudden refusal of FSMetar to download metars.

I performed the little procedure described above and voila, FSM was-a up and running again, downloading metars like-a crazy. ;^)

I have zero clue what the issue might have been.

Of course I guess it could have been a temporary glitch in the vatsim servers that miraculously fixed itself at the exact same moment that I performed my little fix. Anything is possible. I'm just happy to have FSMetar up and running again.

For some reason ActiveSky functionality didn't transfer over to my Windows 8.1 rig so I really depend on FSMetar.

Anyway Rhumba, my apologies for being so long-winded!

Thanks again for taking the time and cheers!
MR