METARLight

Metar Light Setup Instructions

Important Notes

• The device will enter configuration mode after each power cycle. You don’t have to change anything—after 30 seconds it times out and uses the previously saved settings.
• The device may not work on guest Wi-Fi networks that require a captive portal (e.g., a web page after connecting). If your router/firewall has advanced security, you may need to allowlist/register the device MAC address. The MAC appears at the top of the configuration web page (see below).
• This device requires 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Some newer routers disable 2.4 GHz by default—enable it in your router settings.

Initial Setup

1. Plug in your light. It enters configuration mode and flashes green for ~30 seconds.
2. While flashing green, open your device’s Wi-Fi settings and connect to the network named METAR. The light will then flash yellow.
3. Open a browser and go to http://192.168.4.1 to access the configuration page.
4. Select your Wi-Fi network (SSID) and enter the password.
   Remember: passwords are case sensitive.
5. 2.4 GHz only: This device detects only 2.4 GHz networks. If yours doesn’t appear, enable 2.4 GHz on your router.
6. Enter the station identifier to report (e.g., KOSU, KDEN). The station must receive FAA METAR reports.
7. Click SAVE. The light will restart.

Normal Operation

On power-up the light:

1. Flashes green (~30s) — configuration window
2. Flashes blue — connecting to Wi-Fi
3. Briefly glows orange — checks for firmware updates (remains orange while downloading; do not power off)
4. Flickers white — initial data fetch from FAA
5. Displays current station conditions; updates every 15 minutes

Colors: Green = VFR, Blue = MVFR, Red = IFR, Purple = LIFR.
Effects: Pulsing = winds > 25 kt; White flicker = lightning reported.

Press the button on the support shaft anytime to hear the station code and current visibility (in statute miles). If not VFR, it will include the current cloud base. A touch sensor in the base can also trigger this (sensitivity may vary).

Troubleshooting

• Flashes blue then turns red: Wi-Fi connection failed and the unit restarts. Reboot your router and/or re-enter network settings. (Passwords are case sensitive.)
• Stuck in startup flicker: The station may not receive FAA METARs or was entered incorrectly. You can verify via SMS by texting metar <identifier> to 358782 (e.g., metar kosu). Early firmware required lowercase station IDs. During startup you can press the button to hear the configured station. To change it, power cycle and follow the setup steps.

Need help? Email help@metarlight.com. Include the device serial number and firmware version (shown in the configuration page header). The serial number is also on the sticker on the bottom of your light.