Weather/Buoy Data via Text Message (Beta)

[everhamme]

I set up a beta text message service to allow folks to access the latest observation from any NDBC buoy or land station on the Great Lakes via a simple text message. I am posting it here so that folks can check it out and let me know if they use it, if it worked, and was the data useful. Right now this service is underwritten by LimnoTech, however if its used by alot of people we will look to continue it in coming years with outside support.

To use the text message service simply do the following

1. Look up the station ID at http://bit.ly/ndbcstations

2. Text the station number (in the body of the message) to 734-418-7299

I tried to find a really fast server to put the service on so you should get a reply back in a few seconds.

Let me know if you find this useful and stick the number in your phone as you'll never know when you'll need it!

If you'd rather hear someone read you the reading over the phone just use NDBC's Dial-A-Buoy Number Call 888-701-8992 or 301-713-9620 and key in the same buoy ID.

Ed

[sslopok]

I used it and it worked awesome! Thanks

[A-Fishy-Anado]

Thank you much!! Works great:thumb:

[fishsniffer]

instant response..pretty neat..thank you:thumb:

[cliftp]

I will use this a lot. Thank you!

Paul C.

[danthebuilder]

That's sweet. How does it work? A text message turns into email? You receive the email with the station id number. Then scrape it for the number and reply with the data? Or do you use something like an asterisk box?

[Just Hook'n]

Sweeeeeeet. Saw the buoy this weekend. AWESOME.

[jimcr]

Can you say FAST!!!!!! very useable !!!! Nice

[everhamme]

That's sweet. How does it work? A text message turns into email? You receive the email with the station id number. Then scrape it for the number and reply with the data? Or do you use something like an asterisk box?

Thanks for asking Dan.. I am using Twilio to forward your text message to some PHP code hosted on a different web server which takes your message body and then downloads an XML formatted file of the NDBC latest observations (e.g. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/latest_obs/45026.rss) Your SMS message fills in the last part of the URL. The PHP code then parses the XML formatted feed and formats it so it fits into 160 characters and then it sends a single text string back to Twilio, which forwards you back a text message. Whole thing is only a few lines of code.. hardest part is stripping out extra information.

[Just Hook'n]

Tried the text thing last night. amazing. in like 30 seconds I got a text back giving me the particulars. What a nice resource. I'd bet you could get support here financially to keep this going. I'd be willing to throw some into the hat.

[EdB]

Just tried it and it works great, very cool resource.

[everhamme]

I created an easy to read reference guide for the NDBC stations.

www.reelinn.com/ListOfGreatLakeNDBCStations_080812.pdf

Here's the press release that went out last week

www.reelinn.com/PressReleaseBuoyDataTextMessage_080612.pdf