7Timer Astro Weather - new server

[ecuador]

I liked the 7Timer astro-forecast enough to make an iOS client for it (called Xasteria), mainly because it has (for me) the most intuitive visualisation and also because it is global.  However, its problem has always been service reliability, as it would go down due to various technical or even bureaucratic reasons. I thought that was a shame, so I donated a US-based server and the scientist who developed 7Timer installed the service on it, hence we now should have a reliable astronomical forecast alternative (you are supposed to look at a couple of forecasts at least - weather prediction is not very accurate with current tech anyway!).

There is an android app called astro-panel for the same service (I am not affiliated), but for iPhone/iPad you can use the aforementioned app Xasteria. A screenshot based on the display that you can find on the 7Timer website as the "ASTRO" forecast:

[Mick J]

That's super nice, 7timer had periods of being down.

@Shibby a longtime SGL member is responsible for Astro Panel, some of the negative feedback for that app was due to 7timer being down.

[ecuador]

4 hours ago, Mick J said:

That's super nice, 7timer had periods of being down.

@Shibby a longtime SGL member is responsible for Astro Panel, some of the negative feedback for that app was due to 7timer being down.

For me the landscape format of that app is a bit annoying (you can tell from the fact I made my app portrait - or both orientations if you have an ipad), but I'd certainly not give negative feedback to a free app for that - or for having downtime beyond its own control

But, yeah, hopefully 7Timer should now be reliable with regards to uptime.

[Shibby]

That's great! I'll be sure to point users in the direction of your app when I get asked for an iOS version  Generous of you - and very good news - about the new server; I usually have to respond to a lot of emails whenever the old one goes down.

I think my app is long overdue an update, so I think I'll do some work on it before publishing the update.

[Pete Presland]

Easy to forecast the weather at the moment 

[ecuador]

On 09/04/2018 at 10:25, Shibby said:

That's great! I'll be sure to point users in the direction of your app when I get asked for an iOS version  Generous of you - and very good news - about the new server; I usually have to respond to a lot of emails whenever the old one goes down.

I think my app is long overdue an update, so I think I'll do some work on it before publishing the update.

I don't suppose there is a chance for a portrait layout?

My main phone is an Android, so I still often use Astro Panel, even though Xasteria is designed especially for me in mind

[Shibby]

21 hours ago, ecuador said:

I don't suppose there is a chance for a portrait layout?

I'll certainly add it to the list. Who knows, it may even happen!

[Guest]

Cannot find the ASTRO forecast on 7timer.info any more.  The ASTRO pages seem to have been removed as

http://www.7timer.info/v4/bin/astro.php

states that v4/bin/astro.php "is not available on this server" and any links created in accordance with the API no longer work
 

 

 

[ecuador]

Hi. If you click on the map the link to the ASTRO page comes up and it takes you to http://www.7timer.info/index.php?product=astro . As for the API, that's actually a very old link, not sure how it got its way into the current documentation, I'll inform the 7Timer developer. The actual url is "http://7timer.info/bin/astro.php".

On 12/07/2018 at 03:33, Sland said:

Cannot find the ASTRO forecast on 7timer.info any more.  The ASTRO pages seem to have been removed as

http://www.7timer.info/v4/bin/astro.php

 states that v4/bin/astro.php "is not available on this server" and any links created in accordance with the API no longer work
 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by ecuador

[Guest]

3 hours ago, ecuador said:

Hi. If you click on the map the link to the ASTRO page comes up and it takes you to http://www.7timer.info/index.php?product=astro . As for the API, that's actually a very old link, not sure how it got its way into the current documentation, I'll inform the 7Timer developer. The actual url is "http://7timer.info/bin/astro.php".

 

Thank you so much.  I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.  PS the map clicking is far from intuitive! Please pass that on too.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Guest
added extra comment

[ecuador]

On 14/07/2018 at 00:12, Sland said:

Thank you so much.  I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.  PS the map clicking is far from intuitive! Please pass that on too.

I passed it on, the API instructions are already fixed.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, ecuador said:

I passed it on, the API instructions are already fixed.

Thank you (quick work by them too, impressed)

[ecuador]

15 hours ago, Sland said:

Thank you (quick work by them too, impressed)

The main developer, Quan-Zhi Ye is quite responsive usually - with just the timezone mandated turnaround as he is in California and I am in Greece right now - and he already added some wording to make it more obvious what you are supposed to do.

I don't use the website since I have the app, but if something is wrong with the site I will forward the report.

Edited July 16, 2018 by ecuador

[Shibby]

Hi @ecuador, is there a problem with the US server at the moment that you're aware of?

Edit: Sorry - ignore that, the problem was my end!

Edited February 25, 2019 by Shibby

[dannybgoode]

Just downloaded your app. Really nicely presented and works well. Will definitely be staying on my phone

[banjaxed]

Xasteria has gradually stopped working on my iPad, has anyone else had a problem ?

[ecuador]

On 15/06/2019 at 11:56, banjaxed said:

Xasteria has gradually stopped working on my iPad, has anyone else had a problem ?

Yeah, the 7Timer service was not getting updates due to NOAA changes. It was fixed sometime yesterday. If you see any problem in the future, PM me so that I am aware and I can fix it if it is a Xasteria issue, or notify 7Timer if it is from that side.