a map app for your tapping updates

[thbarrons]

Hey thanks for the feedback. I'm really happy that others are using this and helping me work the kinks out. So first of all...

Just submitted my first bit of data, but appears the "heat map" isn't accurate. also, is there a way you can get information about other users sap averages?

Thanks for submitting your data. I'll download the database and double check how it's representing on the heatmap. Just to be sure you're not talking about the location being offset a few miles because of the privacy option on your sugar bush? If not I won't be surprised if I have a bug here. No matter how much I tested with my fake data before the season, it's not like getting the real thing from you all. So I'll dig into that asap. If you want to PM me with what the specific details are about your sugar bush and collection log post that might help, otherwise I'll see what I can come up with. I do want this to be accurate.

Meanwhile I've had a couple of other requests for seeing more details about others collections instead of just the heat map. So I have actually all ready started working on another map view. It will have the ability to hover over pins which will float a window with the the log data, probably a summary but I'll fit in what I can in the popups. And of course for that map too, for those who check the privacy option on their sugar bush it will be randomly offset by a few miles. Should have that new map view done by the upcoming weekend so check back.

another thing i just noticed. there is only way to enter the number of taps at the time of original data entry. I will be phasing in more taps into my collection tank in a few days. Perhaps pull the taps as a "last known value" for each data entry? this way if the tap count goes way up the data will still be useful

You know what, this one I actually planned for, because I too was thinking of adding another line once the season got underway. And that got me to thinking, everyone is always upgrading their sugarbush on here it seems like. So at the time you enter your volume collected I take a snapshot of the values of your sugarbush, all the details about taps, collection method, etc. So overtime when you upgrade your sugarbush, like we ALL do, the logs calculations remain historically accurate. You can edit your sugar bush record easily, just click on the name, it will take you to the same screen you did at setup. Go ahead and edit it anytime you make changes. The next log entry you have will capture that data. Probably wouldn't hurt me to make a note on the sugar bush list page that you can edit that, so I'll put that in. And I can easily show the number of taps on the onscreen log page so I'll make that edit too some time this week. It's also currently available in the download data.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[BSD]

the randomize location makes sense now! i was wondering why my sugar bush kept bouncing around the map.

will try to submit my next bit of data tonight, going to collect today's take momentarily. Another thought I had was perhaps a column for sugar content (if known?) i tend to check each tank load i pump

[thbarrons]

the randomize location makes sense now! i was wondering why my sugar bush kept bouncing around the map.

will try to submit my next bit of data tonight, going to collect today's take momentarily. Another thought I had was perhaps a column for sugar content (if known?) i tend to check each tank load i pump

Sounds like we solved your map question. Now I have a question for you. If I were to add a field to log the sugar content, and make it optional, for those of you that measure it. What would that measurement value be entered as? Brix or a percent or something else? And does that measurement differ in US/Canada? Not sure since I don't measure that myself. I'm thinking of adding the field and just want to capture it accurately. Thanks as usual for the feedback.

[BSD]

Sounds like we solved your map question. Now I have a question for you. If I were to add a field to log the sugar content, and make it optional, for those of you that measure it. What would that measurement value be entered as? Brix or a percent or something else? And does that measurement differ in US/Canada? Not sure since I don't measure that myself. I'm thinking of adding the field and just want to capture it accurately. Thanks as usual for the feedback.

brix can be adjusted for temperature. so, i would vote sugar content as percentage, that's how i measure.

[Scm]

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[Scm]

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[thbarrons]

It’s fun to watch it spread. Really starting to show something now. My measly 27 gallons is barely visible, but it’s there.

I'm enjoying watching it spread too. The fact that I'm getting some data to use for future analysis is also exciting to the nerd in me. Just wanted to let you know one thing about your "measly" 27 gallons shows on the map. It is measured at a flow rate of, units per tap per day, the same as everyone else. The intensity of the plot is based on your flow rate. Technically a guy with 10 taps and a good flow rate could show hotter than a guy with 1000 taps and a bad flow rate on an individual plot.

It looks like the app is randomizing each log entry on the non detailed heat map. Not sure if that what you were shooting for Or just one dot for each bush.

And that leads nicely to answering your question. What I was shooting for was technically a moving target. I wanted the heat map to be a good overview of the intensity of the season as it moves across the region.
But without having data to plot and seeing how many people would end up participating it was hard to predict how this would look. Consequently I've all ready adjusted this view a handful of times.

What currently happens is the more flow rate plots per sugar bush should stack up and intensify a location, indicating that location is getting good flow rate over time and the sap season is heating up in that geographic area. Oral tradition tells us the sap flow season is 4 to 6 weeks, so the map is only showing a snap shot of time, also a variable I'm playing with, currently set at the past 30 days. This is so plots of individual logs, will start to fall off of the heat map, not whole sugar bush worth of logs, as the season cools in south, while they start to get added to the map in the north. When the season's over I'll compile an animation of the map over time and post it here, I think that would be cool to see.

So the answer to your questions is technically that I did intend to plot the individual log entries. However when I was testing with my own data and not checking "privacy" I didn't notice that they were each plotting random individually, that of course makes sense now, and I will likely change that so the privacy factor is applied at the bush level and not the log level. Currently the privacy randomization is about 5k or 3miles, and you do see the heat map plots separate when you zoom in below a state level. I think the map is still quite valid and meets the intent when zoomed out a bit more, your dots show as a single intensity in your region. But yeah I noticed it now that we've got some real data here and lots of folks using the privacy option. I'll probably merge those so they do stack directly on top of each other in a single random location per bush so it's more accurate as you zoom in.

I might not get this tweaked for a few days as my flowcast is looking good and I'm thinking about tapping. Looking forward to adding my own logs, I'm in Northern Michigan and I see it's heating up south of me.

Thanks as always for the feedback and your participation in logging. I really do appreciate it.

[Scm]

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[thbarrons]

Another thing. When I change the number of taps in a new entry, it doesn’t happen. I added another 8 to my bush.

You're great at debugging. I might have to put you on payroll.

Thanks for finding that and pointing it out I'll get it fixed asap.

[Scm]

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