Can't find WIFI to view radar on the road? Build your own!

This guy took an old radar display system, combined it with a laptop screen, and uses NEXRAD software to display it in a "real" radar screen.

- Rob
 
Are you in the right thread ;> ? This guy took an old radar display system, combined it with a laptop screen, and uses NEXRAD software to display it in a "real" radar screen.

- Rob
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... Helps if I undertstant the project before commenting on it... LOL -- Apologies.
 
I was just about to add that myself, that's pretty neat nonetheless - if you have the extra $$$ to blow.
 
Yeah, I noticed that at the beginning of the article there are pictures of a marine radar unit, but then it's never mentioned again. All the pretty pictures of the display are just ordinary nexrad data. But he does claim to have a special custom build of the Storm Predator software, created with the help of the original programmer. My guess is that he tried to get it working with the marine unit but the results were not that good. It's a slightly misleading article.
 
No, if you actually read through the monotonous process, he basically just wanted the "look" of an old display system, so he gutted an old display box and stuck in it a more modern computer and LCD display viewable through the window in the old box, running a software product that displays regular radar products in polar coordinates, and worked with the software designer to allow some external switches to control features usually accessed via software menus. IMO, it is just about the biggest waste of time project I've seen in a while - but I guess if you would like to just give the illusion of having a 'real' radar display, this is a much cheaper route than actually getting a real radar. Thankfully, the guy didn't actually use the marine radar.

Glen
 
OK, in that case it's a completely misleading article. The marine radar shouldn't have been mentioned at all if they didn't even make an attempt to use it with the display.
 
Not sure what's misleading - here's the first line which doesn't mention marine radar or even using a radar, just a display!

This case mod project shows how to convert an old tube radar PPI display into a state of the art mini-ITX based PC driven NEXRAD weather radar.
 
Not sure what's misleading - here's the first line which doesn't mention marine radar or even using a radar, just a display!

This case mod project shows how to convert an old tube radar PPI display into a state of the art mini-ITX based PC driven NEXRAD weather radar.
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Here's the slashdot description that initially got my attention:

"What do you get when you take a laptop LCD, a Mini-ITX case and an old marine weather radar? A self contained wireless weather radar PC appliance!" And No, it's not just squeezing a motherboard into an object smaller than that motherboard -- this is a functional weather-watching device.
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And the article contains a picture of a marine radar. Why put that in, if it has no connection to the actual project?
 
The point of the marine radar was to get a cool box (case) to put the computer in.

This is a guy who enjoys the hobby of "case-modding," which is an activity where computers are built into unusual enclosures, such as beer kegs, brief-cases, and, in this case, the display unit of an marine radar (he was really keen on the round screen concept).

The poster is incorrect in saying "Can't find WIFI to view radar on the road? Build your own!" because this unit actually requires a connection to the internet via wired ethernet, so it can download NEXRAD data from the NWS.

It's a cool project, but, it is just a normal computer put in an interesting case, and modified so it can be used as a dedicated display for radar data.
 
The point of the marine radar was to get a cool box (case) to put the computer in.

This is a guy who enjoys the hobby of "case-modding," which is an activity where computers are built into unusual enclosures, such as beer kegs, brief-cases, and, in this case, the display unit of an marine radar (he was really keen on the round screen concept).

The poster is incorrect in saying "Can't find WIFI to view radar on the road? Build your own!" because this unit actually requires a connection to the internet via wired ethernet, so it can download NEXRAD data from the NWS.

It's a cool project, but, it is just a normal computer put in an interesting case, and modified so it can be used as a dedicated display for radar data.
Click to expand...

Thanks Nick, that explains everything. Just a case mod... OK.
 
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