This python scripts uses the predictions from CUSF's HABHub hourly predictor (https://predict.habhub.org/) to predict where High altitude weather balloons will land using current wind forecasts. When run the script will request these predictions and return any which are with in a given distance of a given home location, and so may be viable for you to go collect a free radio sonde when they land :).
Note the script only reports results for potential launches at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00, at these times the Met Office launch balloons. The HABHub predicter returns predictions every hour for if a balloon was to be launched, rather than only predictions for when a balloon will be launched.
If you are interested in launches at other times you may add more launch hours to line 77 (below)
if launch['hour'] == 0 or launch['hour'] == 6 or launch['hour'] == 12 or launch['hour'] == 18:
Requirements: python3
To get the code navigate the directory you wish to install the script in. Then use 'git clone https://github.com/Jackrwal/HAB-Landing-Finder' to download the repository or download the project ZIP, move it to your directory, and expand it.
Install pipenv for requirements management and python virtual environment using pip (pip is a package installer that comes with python):
pip install pipenv
To install project requirements and create virtual run environment:
pipenv install
Note if you wish to run the script outside of a virtual environment or to install packages not using the python package installer skip this step and ensure the python requests library is installed.
run Python getHABLandingsInDistance.py <Home Lat> <Home Long> <distance> <URL>
Distance from home is measured in kilometres.
URL is the URL of the habhub endpoint to use for predictions
e.g. http://predict.habhub.org/hourly/watnall/
A list of known launch sites and associated predictor URL's is here: https://ukhas.org.uk/frontpage:radiosondes
run Python getHABLandingsInDistance.py --help for further description of parameters.
this is a cron job that may be useful for running this on a Linux server. This runs the script at 6am each morning for launches in Watnall, Herstmonceux and Camborne and emails a given email with any landings predicted that day in the given distance
Xx 6 * * * <folder you put HAB finder in>/HAB-Landing-Finder/getHABLandingsInDistance.py <home lat> <home lng> <distance> http://predict.habhub.org/hourly/watnall | mail --exec 'set nonullbody' -s "Watnall Sonde Predictions" <email>
Xx 6 * * * <folder you put HAB finder in>/HAB-Landing-Finder/getHABLandingsInDistance.py <home lat> <home lng> <distance> http://predict.habhub.org/hourly/herstmonceux | mail --exec 'set nonullbody' -s "Herstmonceux Sonde Predictions" <email>
Xx 6 * * * <folder you put HAB finder in>/HAB-Landing-Finder/getHABLandingsInDistance.py <home lat> <home lng> <distance> http://predict.habhub.org/hourly/camborne | mail --exec 'set nonullbody' -s "Camborne Sonde Predictions" <email>
Note if you download the zip you will need to rename the script's folder removing the '-master' from the end for the above stated to work.