Missed updates on GRLevel3

[Dan Rupnow]

Has anyone else had problems with missed updates on GRLevel3 this year? I didn't seem to have these issues NEARLY as often last year, and I'm not talking about an update or two here or there, it seems like it has been happening around 50% of the time lately, and most recently yesterday (6/5) in IL, which wasn't like a very hyped plains setup where there are tons and tons of chasers overloading the servers. It's not a data connection problem either, as I had plenty of EVDO signal strength. Very aggravating.

 

[Jason Persoff]

This has been hashed out a lot this year. The public servers just don't have the capacity to support severe weather outbreaks. The best option is to use a data distrubution service, and frankly I think AlisonHouse is the best on this hands down. For $10/month (during your chasecation), with the ability to cancel at will (so sign up spontaneously if the need arises), and you will not be disappointed. Trust me on this (full disclosure: while I use this service, I receive no kickbacks for referrals, so this is just customer loyalty speaking here).

 

[Andy Badertscher]

NWS servers were having issues last night keeping up with a timely update. Haven't herd what this issues was but your right it has seem to happen a lot this year, might be something to do with more bandwidth required for the high resolutions data that they are providing this year. You need to sign up with Allison House to get Timely updates. Yes it cost a little money but you get great service and lot more place files for the radar.

 

[Robert Rohloff]

I had no issues on updates last night for GR3 or GR2. I use Allison House for level 3 and 2 data. Well worth the cost to keep data flowing. I have had issues in the field with Barons Threat net data not being updated this year, I think it may have something to do with the NWS overload.

 

[Jason Boggs]

This has been hashed out a lot this year. The public servers just don't have the capacity to support severe weather outbreaks. The best option is to use a data distrubution service, and frankly I think AlisonHouse is the best on this hands down. For $10/month (during your chasecation), with the ability to cancel at will (so sign up spontaneously if the need arises), and you will not be disappointed. Trust me on this (full disclosure: while I use this service, I receive no kickbacks for referrals, so this is just customer loyalty speaking here).

Agreed 100%. Allisonhouse is definitely the way to go if you need reliable data.

 

[Mikey Gribble]

I have had huge problems with getting grlevel3 updates this year. I have Mobile Threatnet as a back up source of radar or I would have been extremely pissed about it.

 

[rdale]

As noted above, it's not gr3 updates that you are having problems with. It's your data source. The software is 100% operational.

 

[Mike Johnston]

OK, I'm probably confused here. I bought the Gibson-Ridge software and thought the data source just came along with it, as it always seemed to update just fine during my trial period. So, to get more reliable updates, I need to subscribe to a separate data source?

 

[rdale]

Correct. All radar software you buy just contains the software. You can get the data by default from the free NWS server, but you get what you pay for...

 

[Rob H]

OK, I'm probably confused here. I bought the Gibson-Ridge software and thought the data source just came along with it, as it always seemed to update just fine during my trial period. So, to get more reliable updates, I need to subscribe to a separate data source?

By default, GR3 uses the NOAA public feed. 99% of the time this feed is fully operational. On big outbreaks when everyone is using the public feed the service gets overwhelmed and stops allowing people to connect. I had it cut out on 4/22 and from then on it was private subscription feeds for me. If you're not chasing, it doesn't really matter - but a missed update can put you in a very bad position (ie. Yazoo this year).

 

[Bob Schafer]

I believe the higher res products have made updates more "challenging". I was afraid of this, and so avoided updating the software until the frantic calls/warnings to do so came.

Here's a semi-solution, though: Scale back on the products that you are downloading! I cut back to just BR and VIL, and I'm quite sure I saw a big improvement! Turn off the satellite imagery at initiation. View SN sparingly. Everything you do to minimize your ISP's workload will help!

 

[rdale]

That actually is not an issue. He said that the bandwidth was fine and it wasn't a cell connection issue.

It is a NWS server issue, and the fixes are still the same.

 

[Bob Schafer]

Okay, but I throw that suggestion into the discussion for the benefit of anyone it might help. It would have helped me to think of it earlier. It WAS an issue for me, and I'd bet there's a chaser or two still dealing with it now. It wasn't really aimed at anyone in particular.

[edit] Your reply did get me thinking some more about this, rdale. Presently I am sitting in Borger using GRL3. I am connected to Verizon with my data card, have 3 bars of EVDO, and a speed test run twice indicated d/l speeds about 1.4mb/s and qos first 40%, then 80%. That should be at least good enough for undelayed updates on GRL3.

Well, some of the updates are "turning red" for brief periods before appearing. That suggests, to me, that something else is, indeed, amiss with GRL3.

 

[rdale]

Some users have reported unrelated issues with mobile connections due to a bad choice by NWS to add a "cache" line. Are you running the latest gr which works around that problem?

Aldo gave you gone directly to the FTP server to see if the data is there?

 

[Bob Schafer]

I last updated about 3-4 weeks ago. Since then? Anyway, not gonna do it right now while under a meso, LOL! I don't know how to do that with the FTP, but I've actually seen it happen a lot recently(red... with a good connection).

[edit] I just updated to v1.77. I think that's exactly what the problem was. I haven't had a chance to really test it, but seems fine attm.