Introduction
The AWEKAS system collects weather station data from its participants at a high frequency, but aggregates this data into average hourly results. The Awekatch Excel solution allows you to collect your data on a highly detailed basis and store it in your Excel for later use. The name is based on a playful combination of the words awekas and catch. The two basic requirements are of course having an Excel installation (on your Windows computer) and an (AWEKAS) API key for probably your own weather station. Note: An API-key is only provided to AWEKAS Plus subscriptions (to use extended features of AWEKAS free of charge but allow data transfer). The Awekatch solution is a so-called third-party solution offered by PhD Software (my working name as a software supplier).

Usage
After downloading Awekatch from the download-page, you must first enable the macro by trusting this file (at your own risk). You can rename the file for your own convenience. The next thing is to enter your parameters in the parameters-sheet:

• API key: your personal API-key as AWEKAS Plus participant
• Station: name of your weather station
• Refresh time: the update time while monitoring (min. 10 seconds, max. 300 seconds)
• Timeout: max. waiting time for response from Awekas (min. 2 seconds, max. 10 seconds)
• Graph points: max. number of points to show in graph (min. 5, max. 120)
• Graph column: number of column in log-sheet of object to show in graph
• Graph gaps: allow gaps in graph or use only latest monitoring session log
• Refresh beep: produces beep or not every refresh time
• Autosave: autosaves or not the workbook every refresh time
• Object profile: number to switch fast between sets of objects to monitor (1, 2 or 3)
• Objects: lists of objects to select to monitor

When everything is set, you can try to start your monitor by pressing the RUN button (within the monitor sheet). The left part is filled with the objects set in the parameters sheet and the values retrieved from the AWEKAS system. The right part is occupied by a graphical representation of one of the selected objects. You can stop monitoring with the STOP button. The small GRID button allows you to restore (or hide) some default Excel settings (grid, headings, status bar). With the small INIT button you can delete all data to allow a fresh start (while not monitoring). With the small SNAP button you can make a snapshot of current screen and save it to disk (while monitoring or not). The big GRAPH button will show a graph of earlier saved data for selected object (while not monitoring). The log sheet will be used for saving all the collected data from the AWEKAS system.

Notes

• Awekatch is currently only available in English, tested with Windows 11 and Excel 2021 and is free to use at your own risk.
• The current time is updated while monitoring (to emphasis it is current monitoring state).
• The number of updates will be updated as well and also the number of errors that occurred while monitoring.
• When you select an object name while monitoring, the graph will change to that object on the next update.
• Any change to the previous value will be displayed in a change of color (dark blue when higher, light blue when lower).
• The timestamps in the collected data correspond to GMT and are changed according to the actual shift to the local timestamp.
• Taking a snapshot is done by your Windows system. After pressing the SNAP button, you must make the snapshot selection within 5 seconds or possibly a previous image will be used from your clipboard.
• Snapshots are saved as a jpg file in your local folder (where Awekatch is stored) and are uniquely named with the current timestamp.
• Retrieving data from the Awekas system requires some response time, which will adjust the refresh time (to manage too large shifts in logging time).
• Values from previous session can optionally be used in the graph, allowing possible time gaps.
• In some cases, data collection can be disrupted, which will cause errors, shown below the running time (it may be an access-error (-1), parse-error (-2) or http-error (i.e. 403)). An error description is also logged in the log sheet.
• The parameters sheet also contains an overrule option to monitor all objects (usually not preferred).
• The parameters sheet contains the next row to use in the log sheet for administrative purpose, so do not change (or with care).

Happy collecting!

Paul Dullaart
Zoetermeer, Noord-AA

PS. In case you are looking for any other Excel development, please contact me via Excelmeer.