GRLevel3 compared to StormPredator 3?

[Mike Gauldin]

I searched around and haven't found a thread with the specifics, so if I missed it, please point me to it.

I'm wondering how StormPredator 3 compares to GRLevel3. The reason I ask is we are looking at purchasing one of them for our EMS company (dispatch and field supervisors/directors). I am personally a fan of GRLevel3, but one of our IT guys suggested StormPredator 3. I looked over what StormPredator3 has to offer, but I'm curious why more people aren't using it?

How does GRLevel3 compare to StormPredator 3 for use in an environment where lay people (weather-wise) will have limited training on how to use the software and recognize severe weather? What advantages do the softwares have against each other?

Like I said, I haven't used StormPredator 3, but I have used GRLevel3 and really love it. I'm curious why StormPredator 3 has so many more "features", yet costs less (especially with multiple copies). I have to prove why GRLevel3 at $60/copy for about a dozen it worth buying over StormPredator 3 at $50 + $9.95 for each additional, which will costs about $700 less than GRLevel3.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Well, hopefully someone with more experience with StormPredator can give you a more detailed answer or counter argument. I just played a little with the trial version and was not impressed. The software seems very gimmicky. It looks cool and not much more.

GRLevel3 lets you pan and zoom very quickly with the mouse. In StormPredator you have to drag your mouse over the window using a small magnifier window. Being able to quickly see each cell and at any zoom level is invaluable. Other features which are sorely missed from StormPredator:

• All other radar products (it only offers base reflectivity. Velocity is a must!)
• Radar smoothing
• Vector graphics (which would allow for panning and zooming)
• GPS
• Storm tracks (having to manually plot the tracks yourself is very cheesy)
• Storm attributes
• A standard windows GUI. The cool skins in StormPredator are cumbersome, inefficient and tacky

The rotating radar beam is cheesy. It serves no purpose other than to make the radar look cool.

In StormPredator's defense: I like having the alarm feature which sounds if a storm enters your area. That's a nice feature for spotters and emergency managers. I also like the lightning plots and the fact that you can get them for free. They did a very nice job in presenting them with pinpoint pixels, color coded by age, and mapped with the radar scans. The lightning plots almost save this software, but the above missing features are critical.

You get what you pay for, and GRLevel3 is well worth the extra money (if you have it).

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Does StormPredator offer dynamic placefiles of sort? I mean, can plot any sort of data on top of the radar data? With GRLevelX apps, you can make placefiles that display whatever data you want and update whenever you want -- for example, surface observations, SPC products, model data, Skywarn/spotter repeater locations,and so forth. From an EM point of view (I'm not an EM, but I'll guess this point), I would imagine that the ability to plot spotter locations if submitted by APRS or SpotterNetwork on top of the radar data would be very valuable in terms of placing spotters around a storm. There are a couple of sources that provide placefiles by a small monthly fee (such as AllisonHouse), and (shameless plug) I offer free dynamics placefiles (not as customizable as the for-fee providers; see http://grlevel3.tornadocentral.com ).

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I own both GRLevel3 and Storm Predator, I used Storm Predator only once before I uninstalled it. Storm Predator is just a radar application made to look sexy, eye candy rather. They even go as far as adding in a fake beam sweep to make it even more sexy looking. I don't think SP is even worth the cost.

Definately go with GRLevel3. It's so much better in so many ways.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I also like the lightning plots and the fact that you can get them for free. They did a very nice job in presenting them with pinpoint pixels, color coded by age, and mapped with the radar scans. The lightning plots almost save this software, but the above missing features are critical.

For what it's worth, I just saw this on the SP website:

Under the new contract proposal from Vaisala/NLDN, the cost increases requested per customer make continuing the free lightning service prohibitive. Additionally. we don't in good faith feel that we can pass the significant costs in the new pricing structure on to our customers when our StormPredator program only costs $50 or less to start with. This is in keeping with our policy of no subscriber fees being charged for StormPredator's use.

Our current NLDN/Vaisala lighning data contract expires June 30, 2007. The current lightning image overlay will continue to work until that time.

--> Lightning Imagery - IMPORTANT NOTICE

The post notes that they are looking at other options, but it does appear as though the free lightning data (as it is currently) will not be available after June 30th.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Storm Predator is absolute TRASHOLA compared to GrLevel3. I used to own Storm Predator until I discovered GRLevel3, and when I downloaded GR3, Storm Predator quickly got uninstalled and thrown in the trash.

SP has too much eye candy and not enough functional uses in it's software.

 

[Jayson Prentice]

If you are worried about pricing, try giving Mike Gibson a message about who you are and what group you are with. You never know he might give you a deal on multiple copies for you to get them a little cheaper. I can't guarentee that, but I know Mike is a great guy and he might be able to give you a deal when it comes to stuff like that, especially with an EMS company.

 

[John Erwin]

I seem to recall an article that was making the rounds a while back involving this software. The author (of the article, not the software) had modified a laptop screen with a bezel overlay and used the software in the PPI "skin" to make things look like a radar unit. The article would have one believe that he had pulled off a major miracle or something if you didn't know otherwise. Very cheezy.

I gave the software a try but to be honest found it barely better than simply accessing the radar images directly with a browser. GRLevel3 is simply on a whole different level compare to SP. I think once you've tried the demo you will see that all those extra "Features" are not particularly useful items for most people. My opinion of course.

 

[Bob Hall]

Here is the hardware hack that you mention:

http://www.hackaday.com/2005/06/27/weather-radar-display/

 

[Gaetan Cormier]

I used to be a StormPredator user... I now use GrLevel3 and will never, ever, ever touch Storm Predator again in my entire life!

Nothing more to add

 

[Jim Zandonai]

I may as well chip in my 2 cents here too. I used SP when it came out before
they had to upgrade their software. Since I didnt want to pay the upgrade price I stopped using it. The thing I really liked about it was the sound alert..You set the dbz at a threshold level say 55 and when a storms enters your circle of concern it sets off an alarm..kind of handy if you are away from the radar screen. They also could flash the colors you wanted to..Yeah eye candy but kind fo neat and handy in way.
The other thing that stands out is the lighting data..that pinpoint size seems great. The big downside is only having BR and Comp refl. products.
Weathertap lightning data is good but on the close ups esp on the HD are huge. They should try and get the vendor SP uses !
Weathertap regional views are very very good and they have alot of good products.
Accuweather has a good radar plus program too with pretty good looking lightning data. I am surprised more dont mention it..I used it myself but the the program runs on weatherscope which I found somewhat glitchy at times esp trying to log in and didnt seems to update too quickly sometimes. They have nice products but radar wise Grlevel stuff is fantastic.