GR2Analyst

[Billy Griffin]

Need some tech support here... I just downloaded GR2Analyst (the 21 day trial) and notice that the SITE menu is completely grayed out.

Also - down in the righthand bottom corner, it says it's "offline." I know I'm connected, and with true broadband connection, so anyone have any idea how to fix this?

 

[Jake Hughes]

You have to specify a Live URL to get live data.

Try this link: http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/data/nexrd2/raw/

Insert this link under the File menu and then "Configure Polling".

 

[Brett Adair]

You have to get a feed to the Level II data. Hold on....Iowa State offers one I will post it up. Then you hit the computer in the top left tool bar to connect and things will start downloading.

EDIT: Already posted above..

 

[Billy Griffin]

Wow, thanks guys! I guess it would've helped if I would have read the ENTIRE set of requirements.

Looks to be working now.

So with this application, and a mobile broadband connection (my Sprint 720 EVDO-r.A card), it just might work?

Thanks for the feedback earlier Tony. Sounds like we're using the same types of cards. I've got the Merlin S720 and it does indeed receive the EVDO rev. A when available. How well did your connection work when you were only on 1xRTT though? To stick to the thread topic, I should say... how well did it work with maintaining you a good radar / data feed, such as GR2Analyst, etc.?

 

[Billy Griffin]

OK, so is this level II data feed always available, for free? Obviously you need the software application to decode the data - this is where GR2Analyst comes in, right?
Are there other data II feeds one can get?
Just thinking out loud if for some reason the server went down right in the middle of a severe weather event - where then do you get your level II data feed?

EDIT: Now have turned off the home internet connection and I'm using the Sprint EVDO card - seems to be working with great speeds and without a glitch. Granted, I'm not mobile. But as Tony stated earlier, over 2k miles and very few disconnects... I assume Sprint is sharing the Alltel EVDO networks?

 

[Van DeWald]

Billy,
IA State offers the "only" free Level 2 feed that can be used for live polling. Texas A&M offers a 30 day archive of Level 2 data, but you can't use that site for real-time polling. There are other sites out there where you can pay to have a dedicated drop on a server for real-time Level 2, about $20 per month. The only problem with Level 2 data on the road is the size of the files. When a radar is in VCP12 for example, and it's full of storms, the volume scan of data is about 3 to 4mb, and that's every 4 1/2 minutes. Not a problem for a high speed connection, but not sure if your Sprint card can download that much data. As a contrast, Level 3 files (for GRLevel3 software) are only 20 to 30 K (size) for each volume scan for each image, so certainly doable via a cell modem.

 

[rdale]

I use it with Verizon EVDO and don't have a problem at all, that's about a 400K bandwidth. When it downgrades in the boonies I have to resort to Level III data.

 

[J Kinkaid]

I have used it with Cing 3G and had no problems. It will not work with an edge connection

 

[Skip Talbot]

Are you guys using AE while chasing? I was under the impression that it didn't have the same features as GRLevel3, such as GPS positioning, that make it such a valuable on-the-road tool. I've played with the GRLevel2 trial and it seemed to differ quite a bit in functionality from GRLevel3.

 

[Van DeWald]

Skip, you are correct, the GR2/GR2AE apps do not utilize GPS positioning, although do allow for much more thorough diagnosis of the storms.