The idea—graph images on a local web page

CloudWatcher software can output weather data as graph images—PNG or JPG files—on a configurable interval. The approach here is simple: run a lightweight local web server that serves a page containing those graph images, and point your browser at it.

The result is a minimal but functional weather dashboard you can check from your smartphone while in the house or garden, without installing any special app.

What you need

  • CloudWatcher software (Windows) running on your observatory PC
  • Savant 3.1—a free, lightweight Windows web server. Default root folder: C:\savant\root
  • A simple HTML file in the server's root folder

Step 1—Install Savant

Savant is a free personal web server that runs as a Windows service on the standard HTTP port 80. Download and install it, accepting the default root folder at C:\savant\root. Delete the default sample files Savant installs there—you don't need them, and they'll only get in the way.

Step 2—Configure CloudWatcher graph output

In the CloudWatcher software, find the graph output settings and set the output folder to the Savant root directory (C:\savant\root). Choose PNG or JPG format. The software will write updated graph images to this folder automatically.

CloudWatcher software data path configuration
Graph output folder setting in the CloudWatcher software—set this to C:\savant\root

CloudWatcher can generate graphs for the following channels:

  • Cloud cover
  • Brightness
  • Rain
  • Temperature
  • Wind speed

Step 3—Create the HTML index page

Create a file called index.html in the Savant root folder. This is a minimal example that embeds the five graph images:

<html> <body style="background:#111; color:#eee; font-family:sans-serif"> <h2>Observatory Weather</h2> <img src="AAG_ImageCloudCondition.png" alt="Cloud cover"> <img src="AAG_ImageDayCondition.png" alt="Brightness"> <img src="AAG_ImageRainCondition.png" alt="Rain"> <img src="AAG_ImageTemperature.png" alt="Temperature"> <img src="AAG_ImageWindCond.png" alt="Wind"> </body> </html>

Adjust the image filenames to match those configured in the CloudWatcher software output settings.

Accessing the page

From any device on your local network, open a browser and navigate to the observatory PC's local IP address: for example, http://192.168.1.100. The page will load and show the latest graphs.

Access from outside your network

If you want to check conditions when away from home, you'll need to forward port 80 on your router to the observatory PC. This is done in your router's administration interface under port forwarding or NAT settings. Once configured, you can access the page via your public IP address or a dynamic DNS hostname.

This is a deliberately minimal approach: no authentication, no security. Don't expose it to the internet without adding password protection if you have security concerns. Savant supports HTTP Basic Authentication for this purpose.