Weather (.w / .wz / .wzset)#

XeroKewl fetches current conditions and (for non-METAR lookups) a short forecast. These commands work both in channel and as a private message (/msg XeroKewl <command>).

<you> .wz 94025
<XeroKewl> San Mateo, CA — 62°F (17°C), partly cloudy. …

Commands#

CommandWhat it does
.w <location> / .wz <location>Get weather for a one-off location.
.w / .wzUse your saved default location (see Getting registered).
.wz --user <nick>Use someone else’s saved default.
.wzset [--metar] [--metric|--imperial] <location>Save your default location (and units).
.wzset --metric|--imperialUpdate only your saved units (no location change).
.wzhelpPMs you this command list.

.w and .wz are aliases — same command. You can type either.

Location formats#

FormatExampleNotes
ZIP94025US zip code.
City, StateSan Mateo, CASpell it out; use the state.
IATA airport codeSFOGeneral weather near the airport.
ICAO code (with --metar)KSFOOnly valid with --metar.
Ambient Weather Network URLambientweather.net/dashboard/…A personal weather station dashboard URL.
32-char station slug<32-char slug>Ambient station slug.
CWOP callsign (SSID 13)<CALLSIGN-13>APRS/CWOP station callsign with SSID 13.

ICAO codes (like KSFO) only work with --metar. For ordinary weather use the IATA code instead (e.g. SFO, not KSFO).

Flags#

  • --metar — raw aviation weather (METAR). Requires an ICAO code (e.g. .wz --metar KSFO). Anything else is rejected: --metar is only valid with ICAO codes (e.g. KSFO). Location not saved.
  • --metric — show metric first, imperial second. (This is the default.)
  • --imperial — show imperial first, metric second.
  • Use --metric/--imperial with .wzset to change your saved default units.

Saving a default (.wzset)#

.wzset <location> saves a default so a bare .w / .wz returns your weather without typing the location every time. Your default is stored against your eggdrop handle — which is why you have to be registered for it to work.

<you> .wzset 94025
<XeroKewl> Preference updated. Default is now 94025 --imperial
<you> .w
<XeroKewl> San Mateo, CA — …   (uses your saved default + units)

You can also save a METAR default: .wzset --metar KSFO.

Getting registered#

The single most common confusion: you run .wzset, or a bare .w, and the bot tells you you’re “not registered”. Here’s what that means and the exact path to fix it.

The bot doesn’t auto-add users — every user record is created by hand by a botmaster. So to save a default, you need a record. Here’s how to get one:

  1. Ask a channel operator (chanop) to add you. If the op you ask isn’t a botmaster, they can find one on the bot partyline — see the chanop cheat sheet.
  2. A botmaster creates your record with .+user <handle> <hostmask> — see the botmaster cheat sheet. You’ll be non-privileged by default (no flags), and that’s fine — you don’t need any flags to save weather preferences, just a record.
  3. The bot should now recognize you by your hostmask. If it doesn’t (your IP/host changed — dynamic ISP, VPN, travel), ident so it re-matches you to your handle — see the eggdrop cheat sheet.
  4. Now .wzset <location> works, and a bare .w / .wz uses your saved default.

You don’t have to wait to be registered to use weather at all — .wz <location> (with a location) works for anyone, no record needed. Getting registered is only required for saving a default and using the bare .w / .wz form.

The bot is a pass-through, not the data source#

XeroKewl pulls data from upstream providers — WeatherAPI, AVWX (METAR), the Ambient Weather Network, and APRS/CWOP — and does not generate or control any of it. A wrong temperature, a stale METAR, a station that’s down, or a “location not found” that you know exists — that’s the upstream provider, not the bot. There’s nothing to “fix” on the bot side; try a different location format (ZIP vs city vs IATA) or wait for the provider to update. (Same idea as the search bot — blame the source, not the messenger.)

Error messages#

You seeWhy
You must be registered with the bot to use a saved default. Try .wz <location>.You ran a bare .w/.wz but have no user record. See Getting registered; for now use .wz <location>.
You must be a registered bot user to save preferences. Try .wzhelp for usage.You ran .wzset with no record. See Getting registered.
<nick> is not registered with the bot.You used .wz --user <nick> and that nick has no record.
No default set. Use .wzset <location>. / No default location set. Use .wzset <location> to save one.You have a record but no saved location. Run .wzset <location>.
Unknown location. Try .wzhelp for usage. / Unknown location format. Try .wzhelp for usage.The bot couldn’t parse your location. Try another format.
--metar is only valid with ICAO codes (e.g. KSFO). Location not saved.You passed --metar with a non-ICAO location.
--metar requires an ICAO code (e.g. KSFO). …You passed --metar with no location.
<provider error> Location not saved — check the location and try .wzset again.The provider rejected the location while saving.

Run .wzhelp in channel or /msg XeroKewl wzhelp any time for the command list.