Weather info on Elk M1?

Is there any way to display local weather info on the Elk M1? Specifically, I'm looking to display it on the M1KPNAV Navigator keypad. Seems like such a simple feature yet I can't find documentation on it anywhere. If it's not a native feature, does anyone know of a way to setup some rules to fetch the data from a server and display the info automatically? Even just an outside temp, plus the predicted temp for the afternoon or something. Useful for when leaving the house and planning on outerwear!

That's something a little heavy for most low level embedded devices of that sort, getting it from an online source I mean. It would require HTTP support, and either JSON or XML parsing typically. It's easy to do that stuff with software based automation products layered over the Elk.

Unfortunately I don't know the Navigator yet - because it doesn't fit any existing KP2 holes, I can't replace any of my keypads... I know that the Elk TS touchscreens support outside weather.

Another option I use, is I have Elve grabbing the weather stats - current and high/low, and feed them into Elk counters, which can then be used elsewhere. Again though, not sure what you can configure on the Navigator as far as displaying it.

I do this with Premise. If you look under the Premise forum downloads, you'd need 123's Elk M1G module along with 123's weather underground module. You'd also need to be familiar with Premise, but there are videos to get you started. Follow the links on the Premise wiki.

Cant the ISY99's with weatherbug do this? I've got my elk down right now moving it to another can so it doesn't show up in the isy, but it seems to me that with the isy and the weather plugins you can send a message to the keypads.

The Elk M1 knows nothing about weather. The navigator connects to the Elk 4-wire bus, so it can only know what the M1 knows. The difference between that and the Elk TS07/Touchpanels, is those connect via Ethernet, so they have the opportunity to gather other info like weather, video streams from cameras, etc from the network directly, that the M1 is not aware of.

So you are going to have to get something additional to collect the info from the internet and push it like Mike says as a text string. Probably any of the HA software options will suffice as long as they have an elk plugin/driver capable of sending keypad text strings using the DM ASCII command. You will be limited to two lines of 16 chars each.

Work2Play said:

Unfortunately I don't know the Navigator yet - because it doesn't fit any existing KP2 holes, I can't replace any of my keypads...

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I think when newbie's start posting here we are going to have to warn them if you don't like doing drywall work, then don't get into HA.... Cause no matter how hard you try it's gonna happen eventually.....

Can't see it happening with the navigator unless there's a massive hardware upgrade, since it has no ethernet connectivity.

wuench said:

I think when newbie's start posting here we are going to have to warn them if you don't like doing drywall work, then don't get into HA.... Cause no matter how hard you try it's gonna happen eventually.....

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Yeah - drywall work is part of the hobby... for now though, where I have my keypads isn't really where I'd want touchscreens, and the wife doesn't like the look of the navigator - says it looks too dated. Some day I'll finish my screens and just mount an iPad to the wall.

Yeah, that's my plan too, but i'll probably be an IPad 9 by the time I get to it. My KP2's are lookin a little dated, I am wishing I would've surface mounted them too...

The downsides of non-trade sized flush mount.....

I have to replace a Caddx LCD keypad with a Navigator (i.e. large hole in drywall) and just installed a retrofit single gang box in place of the hole. The outer flaps on the retrofit box, since they are a bit larger than a standard box, stuck out from the Navigator sides a bit so I just painted them.

Here are closeups of the mounting where you can see the outer flaps of the retrofit box. Understand this is a closeup shot and your eye will never get this close.

My AHJ also approved of this mounting technique (aka wife)!

I dread the MPLS' and LV rings and boxes for KP mounting....they never sit flush or flat on the wall, with the device typically rocking on the wall or worse, what is pictured above (although your AHJ approved).

I've found that in a lot of cases, using a mud ring as a clamp within the wall with the screws going through a device's backplate to work just as well and saves the look, provided the footprint covers the trade sized hole.

I think the problem with the Navigator, without doing dimensional comparisons, is that it was made by Ness and AU has different sized boxes and mounting patterns compared to NA.

No...they work just fine if you mount them correctly!