USPrimetimes |
Would like to thank everyone for supporting our Solunar Forecasts! Our usage is up in all 49 states with a 129% usage increase.
Wish you all the best of luck afield,
Mark
The County-Zone Weather Forecast has been removed from service today due to continual incorrect data.
We needed to update our https ciphers to help protect our users and their privacy. This change will affect some.
If when you visit usprimetimes and receive a message similar to Error code: SSL_ERROR_NO_CYPHER_OVERLAP. Please either update your Browser software or use a different one, we do not support export or low rated ciphers. Certain ciphers are just not private any more and in limited circumstances can create undesirable consequences.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Want to thank everyone for all the useful Field Reports this past quarter!
They will be added into the system within the next two weeks for display in the biometric pattern matching results. Newer reports with more descriptive activity that are similar to older patterns will replace the older patterns.
We wish these could be made live more quickly but testing them both technically (memory usage, performance, different server setups, etc) and for their usefulness takes time.
Texas News has been temporarily disabled due to a format change. A delivery date of the new format has not yet been determined.
Our Database has been scaled for a smoother experience for everyone during times of heavy usage.
Thanks goes to Rackspace for their excellent and succinct information on the subject.
Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, and Missouri have been disabled from our News Headlines due to dated data. Some or all of them should be back after a review.
Updated: Arizona has been enabled
Kansas and West Virginia have been added to our News Headlines.
Tennessee Sport Species List and links have been added to the Location page and Location menu drop down when a Tennessee location is selected. The current short list of states which provide this additional info are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
Contact us if you want your state added.
Some slight re-arrangement of data values and spacing have been implemented to help make Moon and Sun Details easier to read.
A weird bug was discovered when using Internet Explorer 11 on the Day Detail Graph causing the Graph to disappear except when the 3 Hour overlay was used. A quick fix has been implemented.
Some helpful and recently Reported Field Results have been deployed and visible when using the Show Field Results. Some such as Sterlington, LA 10/14/2016 6:00pm CDT is very similar to Westbrook, CT 11/29/2011 3:15pm EST(both currently active) have brought up some discussion regarding more advanced methods of pattern matching, the addition of a tool showing very similar entries or removing one of them. For the meantime the above mentioned highly similar reports (and a couple of others) will both be present but one will most likely be dropped sooner than later since they are redundant.
A change to the order of how pattern matching is performed has also been deployed which leans towards matching higher rated periods first.
Thanks to all that have contributed
On November 5th there was a spike in Data Service Usage on a couple of accounts. We temporarily adjusted any limits up to allow for this increase while blocking the sources of unathorized outside automated processes.
An example of a good reason to switch to Secure (SSL) requests. Remember to read the Docs from the Data Service Console regarding a complete change over to SSL within the next year.
Jim C. asked a good question regarding the Daylight savings change: Our systems do adjust for it but start it at 12am instead of 2am.
Updated in the FAQ:
When transitioning between Day Light Savings (DST) and Standard Time or visa versa our system does the switch over at 12:00am on the specific days (Sundays for the U.S. and Mexico) and not the 2am time. This is for any supported country and their respective DST start and end periods. Meaning the time on the day of the change is on the new time standard starting at 12am local time.
Just a reminder that during the Fall Seasons the system may not remember your location as long as at non-season times. This is one of many adjustments which occur during high load times that help keep the user experience the same yearlong.
In October alone Fish and Game Agencies made over 113 thousand requests for data, much less than our regular website user visits during the same period.
Many of those using our GeoSpatial systems will notice a performance boost. More remote users should also notice improved accuracy due to an update deployed today.
Hawaii has been added to our database and is available by selecting from a list, Live Search, Google Maps, and the Data Service.
The Tides feature currently does not contain local monitoring stations but will be added in the future.
The Data Service Geo Locate function has been enhanced to find the nearest location within 100 miles with more precision. If it does not find a location within a hundred miles it will revert to Latitude/Longitude and find and set the nearest Time Zone within 220 miles of that position. Note: Data Service Docs have been updated with important information on switching to SSL format only.
This was updated for those off the coasts that have boosted Cell or Satellite devices but will also provide better Geo Locate results for those on land as well. This update has been also deployed to Desktop and Mobile Google Maps.
Several updates to Reported Field Results have been deployed with most related to background stuff and are system wide.
I am looking into ways to make it better and easier to see the matched up times which is in this update. Updated: Mobile has received the current forecast offset highlight on the supported Day Detail Graphs. The Gantt Graph does not support this update on both platforms but may in the future.
Please fill out a Field Report if you had a good experience during stable weather. Aside from helping others it helps me make the Forecasts better. There are somethings I am aware of with Deer but do not have a solid grasp of. It has to do with Timing, Time shift (not the Star Wars kind), Length, etc related to the Moon Rise/Set that would be great to add to the decision engine - just do not have enough data to make it really helpful.
The Decision Engine received an update today which adjusts the Day Detail Graph round robin formula. What does this mean? Instead of the long implemented method of Moon Events occurring after 11:30pm being placed and computed in the 12:00am position they will occupy the less confusing and more correct 11:30pm position.
The Desktop 3 Hour Weather Overlay for the Day Detail Graph can now be selected from any day which has 3 Hour data instead of just the first day of the forecast. Other related usability updates have also been added.
When this was first introduced usage was limited so a simple method was implemented for activating it. Many have since found it to be the most accurate weather forecast and as useful as I have.
Best of luck - Mark
USPrimetimes Predicted Best Time has been integrated into most of the Day Detail Graphs and the Solunar 30 Day Graph page for easier viewing. Just click on Show Days Best Period. Updated Notes: This has been added to the Mobile site as well as some fixes to the Mobile Day Detail Page.
Your Session Expired message after revisiting USPrimetimes when using a non-default date has been eliminated. Though non-default dates are still not cached at the moment - there would be way too many of them.
Mobile pages have been updated to make data easier to see on all devices as well as display the Sun Event Near Icons when they occur.
A major update to part of our Astrophysics formulas have been released with the addition of the following Mexico States to our Zip Code database: Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Yucatan. These are all timezone and geo location aware
The updates also fix Bermuda not using Day Light Savings, greater precision of when a Moon Rise, Moon Set, Overhead, and Underfoot do not occur as well as others and uses concurrent, more reliable methods for determining them. As many Data points as possible were compared against U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department data for accuracy. There are too many permutations to check them all, so if you see something off let us know.
Forecasts are being produced significantly faster and with more accuracy across the board, Data Service Users inclusive.
Notes:
When transitioning between Day Light Savings (DST) and Standard Time or visa versa our system does the switch over at 12:00am on the specific days (Sundays for the U.S. and Mexico) and not the 2am time. This is for any supported country and their respective DST start and end periods.
Non-U.S. Zip Codes are made up by us to seamlessly integrate into the system. For instance, Mexico related Zip Codes are six digits. Future International additions will follow this same format allowing for many to be plug and play. So use the Live Search, Google Maps, or Select from List to find your location easily.
IP restrictions have been lifted for most of the Caribbean and Mexico.
The following smaller Bahamas Islands have been added to the Zip Code database under the Bahamas county Small Islands: Acklins, Cockburn Town, Crooked Island, Long Island, and Port Nelson.
Belize and Cuba have also been added. Cuba uses U.S. DST for time changes and was added due to the events occurring on July 20th.
When a location is added to the Zip Code database it allows for Selection from a List, Google Map, Live Search, or Geo Locate for Device and Data Service users. It is also local timezone aware.
Along with this update over 83 million address spaces have been opened for Caribbean and Latin American local access. Don't forget to read the Privacy Policy. If you cannot gain access locally have someone who can let us know so it can fixed. Remember to include the WAN IP Address or Internet Service Provider Name.
The following Islands and Island chains have been added to our Zip Code database: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent-Grenadines Islands (personal favorite), and the British Virgin Islands. The Zip Codes are made up to easily match our format - They will go to six digits when there are no longer five digit codes available. Trinidad and Tobago times are 2 minutes off on purpose and is experimental. Weather is currently not available for these additions but could change based on my available time and user usage.
These additions allow for selection from Google Maps, Live Search, a List, and through the data service with the geo locate option. All have the correct implementation of the local time zones.
Expect Northern parts of Mexico to be added this coming week.
Our Mobile Google Map now allows you to select Coordinates for areas not near a Zip Code. Since it was implemented for Caribbean users it defaults to the Atlantic time zone, but can be changed from the Location page.
The allowable Northern most Latitude has been increased from 49 to 51 and is considered experimental*.
Time zones still follow U.S. Daylight Savings (DST) rules. Meaning: Between the Second Sunday in March and the First Sunday in November DST is observed. If the area you selected does not observe DST you need to subtract 1 Hour (-1) from all times when DST is in effect (ex. CDT instead of CST).
*Experimental: This means we are testing the usefulness of a feature and may or may not continue to make it available or enhance its features. Periods were a feature is considered experimental can vary from a couple of weeks to months or more.
USPrimetimes Maps have been updated to higher resolutions and expanded to cover a greater area. This is a precursor to adding additional data points outside the current 48 state reporting area as well as being consistent with ongoing internal research maps.
While still being the mini versions, they look nicer.
Due to more modern measures employed to protect our users and systems, Referrer checks are no longer performed when requesting a New Location, Map, or Locate Me queries. This should allow those whom have this browser field stripped for privacy, change their location without having to turn this option off.
The Weather page lower forecast area radius has been increased slightly from 30 miles to 38 miles due to some western parts of the country being more spread out.
If you have any issues with this section not being updated or not being close enough let me know from the Contact page.
The Mobile UI has had a couple of updates including bigger Menu bar selections and check boxes. The 3 Hour Detail has also been made easier to see and use.
LiveSearch and Google Maps have been updated with more helpful server messages such as improper Cookie settings and session timeouts.
Mobile:
Has been updated as well along with a fix to Weather linking correctly to the 3 Hour Detail and Day Detail pages. I am also looking into ways to get more weather information on the page and/or changing it completely without slowing things down.
Due to excellent outdoor opportunities available in Mexico as well as requests from sportsmen and women, Mexico is being strongly reviewed for possible inclusion into our systems in the coming weeks. This review includes Country Router limiting removal, states being assigned two character abbreviations, as well as precision testing and other process verifications.
Updated: This has been put on the to-do list. Available time-money is currently the limiting factor for implementation.
The Desktop Weather page has been updated to provide more information with less clutter, user input, and more helpful images. The County-Zone Forecast has been replaced with automatic local Weather details. The County-Zone Forecasts can still be reviewed and selected from the County button and has also been updated some. Both should work better then previous versions for users with smaller screens.
Current Reported Condition data alternatives and replacements are still being reviewed for usefulness, 48hr to 72hr history, and accuracy.
Remember that this page is showing data from different sources using different predication methods. If in doubt rely on the 3 Hour Detail for timing and conditions...Mark
Updated: Due to an abundance of caution in not retrieving data for the same areas too often, some data was not retrieved. This has been adjusted.
Global engine interface security scanning received a performance boost today. Meaning: less delay for Desktop, Data Service, and Mobile platforms when making requests for Locations, Weather, and other data.
A number of additional updates have been implemented including some minor Desktop Combined Weather changes that provide better integration with current radar.
Some older security features have been replaced with less restrictive and more up to date methods today.
Our site does request the new referrer origin only method now for privacy but only requires one when an abnormal request is made; though soon we will not check it at all.
Emory Warren whom has Camera Traps on some fine locations has supplied us with additional on the ground research data. A good sample set has been integrated into our Solunar Reported Field Results biometric system, providing more past comparisons for sportsmen.
These should be visible system wide (ie included in all Forecasts) by mid-morning on Saturday the 9th.
Many Data Service users should notice better performance over time from their Geo requests due to a new automatic cache built into the service.
This feature was developed due to high demands from mobile devices from App Developers that did not cache data on the device and/or implement other useful protocol features.
Due to increased demand through our data service and web services about 200 Zip Codes for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been added. Updated: Fix to Correct Overhead-Underfoot off by an hour during States Daylight Savings periods.
These were an Experimental addition implemented for Data Service Users but have since been implemented system wide.
The Graphs for the Desktop and Mobile site have been optimized for size and performance with more resource intensive ones being user selectable. Field Results comparison Graphs have also been updated.
The Mobile Day Detail Graph now contains additional displayed data as well.
A link has been added to the Data Service Console with some more helpful reports. They include a Past 28 Day and 12 Month Monthly Graphs and Tables as well as other information. Some additional ease of use features have also been added to the Data Service Console which now also supports more secure POST methods for accessing it.
The Data Service itself also supports more secure POST methods for those interested in switching.
Just a thank you to the reporter and a reminder of how important the Weather is. Below is a partial Barometer Graph from a location in the East with the Red Dot indicating a point within the USPrimetimes Best Time Forecast for that area. The other reported conditions were Windy, Raining, and Warmer.
Unless you are looking for Waterfowl this is a good time to sit by the fireplace and tell stories.
Our input controller has been updated to except partial and full state names system wide - excluding the Data Service. Up to twenty percent of our users find this easier if the two letter state code is unknown.
Updated: Mark said to leave out the comma until he can fix it. Just type in the whole City and use spaces between it and the State - the State should have at least the first three letters spelled correctly. Updated: Comma issue has been fixed
A new internal GeoLocation feature was built to replace the current one for Maps, Locate Me, and is new to the Data Service. It produces more consistent results with less overhead and has been deployed to Desktop, Mobile, and Data Services.
A Field Results feature has been added to the 30 Day Graph based on the Survey Results reported by users and some from the research group. The system matches similarities between these reports and your current Zip Code and displays above the Bar: M for Morning match, A for Afternoon, D for Dusk, 2 for two period matches, or 3 for all three time periods. More information can be found on the FAQ page under Field Results and Pattern Matching.
After an Experimental period this feature will deployed to other Graphs and the Mobile site.
Try and fill out the Solunar Results Survey/Report Results, more Morning and Afternoon time periods would be helpful. As more Field Results are filled out the windows for matches will be narrowed resulting in much more helpful observations throughout the day.
We will be adding more Patterns from our Research with a little more detailed comments over the next week.
UPDATED: The Plus-Minus Variance has been increased from 1.5% to 5% which will produce more matches. A fix has been made for some false positives of an Exact Match. This update was deployed July 8th and will be system wide by early July 9th.
This News page is updated on a non-scheduled basis.