Signal K

Prerequisites

• Set up your Signal K server - Signal K is an open-source data server for boats. This guide is for a vessel whose Signal K server already receives position and weather data from the instruments on board.
• Check the data your instruments provide - the plugin reads the vessel position (navigation.position) and whichever of these your instruments deliver: wind speed, wind direction, outside temperature, pressure and humidity. A value your vessel does not have is simply not sent.
• Register your station - go to My Stations and add a station for your vessel, if you do not have one yet.
• Create an API key - go to API Keys and create a key. The plugin needs it to move your station on the map as the vessel moves.

Steps

The exact menu names may vary depending on your Signal K server version.

1. Open the Signal K admin interface in your browser.
2. Navigate to Apps & Plugins -> Store, search for signalk-windy-apiv2 and install it.
3. Restart the Signal K server.
4. Navigate to Apps & Plugins -> Configuration and select Windy API v2 Reporter.
5. Fill in the following fields:
   • Station ID: enter the Station id of your station.
   • Station Password: enter the Station password of your station.
   • Global API Key: enter the API key you created.
   • Display Name: the name of your station on the Windy map, for example the name of your vessel.
   • Share Option: Public or Windy only.
   • Reporting Interval (Minutes): 5 is the default and the minimum. Windy accepts one observation per station every 5 minutes. You can use a longer interval if needed.
6. Save your changes by clicking the Save Configuration button. Saving the configuration for the first time also enables the plugin.
7. Open the Signal K Dashboard. After about 15 seconds the line of the plugin shows the values it sent and a countdown to the next report.

You can find your Station id and Station password on the station detail page in Windy Stations: My Stations -> station -> Connection.

The plugin sends wind speed, gusts, wind direction, temperature, pressure and humidity. It also updates the position of your station when the vessel has moved more than 300 meters; you can change this distance in the plugin configuration.

After saving, your station should start sending data automatically. The first update may take a while before the station becomes active and starts showing live measurements on windy.com.

For all settings, the meaning of the dashboard line and troubleshooting, see the plugin documentation.

Author: Peter Petrik