Radar app data outage fix (GRLevelx. etc)

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Many radar app users lost data this week due to an NWS data feed change.

Most developers have fixed the problem, download the latest versions of your software to fix the issue.

In GRLevel3, you might be able to get the old version to work again by checking the "FTP" box in the configuration.
 
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This basically boils down to making sure you keep your software up to date. Mike made this announcement quite awhile ago and had an update for it also a long time ago. If you own any GR products you absolutely must check the owner forums periodically for updates. Many, but not all of them, are important.
 
It turns out that this was caused by the NWS changing the address of their radar feeds. The problem affected several different radar applications. I've updated the thread title.
 
I have GRLevel3 V1.92... I paid for it and it worked until this past week or so, and I guess the only solution is I have to buy a newer version of GRLevelX product? No thanks, I paid for what I have, it no longer works... if Mike can't fix what I have, then that is his problem, I'm not throwing anymore money into something I paid for and no longer works,
 
To piggy back on what Jeff said, you can find the announcement here on the GRLX owners forum. You have to be a registered owner of a GR software product and signed up on the owners forum to view the prior link. To alleviate any fears, the upgrade price for GRL3 version 2 is only $40 and since v2 came out over four years ago it isn't uncommon for support to dwindle on the older version. You may even be eligible for a free upgrade to version 2 if you originally purchased in 2011-12, per the first post in the thread. Either way it's very economical to procure the current technology and get up and running again if you were affected.
 
At least for a little while, GR3 v1.xx can still get data. Just mark the checkbox to Use FTP for NWS Server in the Configure Polling window. How long this will work is unknown to me.
 
since v2 came out over four years ago it isn't uncommon for support to dwindle on the older version.

Correct, it is common that most software at some point will no longer be supported by the developer. However, that doesn't mean, nor should it mean, that the software the user paid for become completely unusable. Windows XP hasn't been supported by Microsoft since 2014, yet it still runs great despite the lack of support. When I make a purchase of any software, my expectation is that it will always work for me even well after support for it has surpassed. Telling me to pay $40 to upgrade to a newer, working version is not an acceptable answer to me when I've already paid for the GRLevel3 that I had been using for years. If Mike choses to not provide a fix, then he needs to come up with another solution that doesn't involve telling me and other customers to pay additional money when we shouldn't have to. We already paid to have the program, it should work. That's just my expectation of any program I purchase.
 
I agree in part with Joey - NWS being a government operation and known to just switch URLs/servers without bothering with extremely simple DNS/301 redirects, I would think that these addresses shouldn't have been hard-coded into the applications. I can empathize with a small developer having to bear the labor of recompiling the old app, but we're talking about a couple of lines of code, not a complete overhaul.

I don't know about you guys, but I simply don't have time to register and keep up with forums for each of the dozens of software I own. I have everything I can set to auto-update, which works just fine 99% of the time.
 
I agree in part with Joey - NWS being a government operation and known to just switch URLs/servers without bothering with extremely simple DNS/301 redirects, I would think that these addresses shouldn't have been hard-coded into the applications. I can empathize with a small developer having to bear the labor of recompiling the old app, but we're talking about a couple of lines of code, not a complete overhaul.

I don't know about you guys, but I simply don't have time to register and keep up with forums for each of the dozens of software I own. I have everything I can set to auto-update, which works just fine 99% of the time.

My main problem with being told to pay additional money to upgrade is the fact that I would simply be paying additional money to get back what I already had, before it quit working. I know that GRLevel3 2 comes with all these additional radar products, but they're literally of no use to me. I simply want radar, that's it. All the other radar products it has, literally I would never even touch those.. they mean nothing to me. So I would essentially be paying extra money just to get back simple radar that I had before.
 
If it disappoints or angers you that badly, then simply stop using the product and register a complaint with the owner or try to compel others to boycott it. Sure, it may be a little annoying to have to pay a little more for something you've already owned. But time is advancing and so is technology, and Mike Gibson is choosing to keep up with advances in technology. If you want to be left behind, at some point you'll have to accept the caveats that come with that.

Also consider that GR3 and GR2 products only require one-time payments rather than subscriptions. I paid $40 to upgrade back in 2012 and haven't had to pay again since, so that's what...about 83 cents per month for me over the past four years. Hell, even buying GR2AE + the dual pol upgrade ($275 + $250 at the time) still results in me only paying < $10/mo. since I purchased the software years ago. I don't know where else you're going to find such a great technological product/service for that low of a cost in this day and age.
 
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I can empathize with a small developer having to bear the labor of recompiling the old app, but we're talking about a couple of lines of code, not a complete overhaul.

I first wrote RealEMWIN in 1996 and someone in about 2002 wanted the very original Windows 95 version to get an update when the URL changed. I simply had no platform to do so at that point... Mike's progressed immensely far from v1.92 in the past 4 years - odds are he doesn't have the ability to do a few lines of code update in that anymore.
 
It amazes me that anyone would complain about the trivial cost of upgrading Grlevel3. The product is worth more than Mike is charging but he has chose to keep it affordable to all.
 
I am equally amazed that someone would complain about 4 year old software not being supported anymore. Also, Windows XP does not run fine... It's security is far outdated and no XP machine should be put on the Internet. Period. That's a ludicrous comparison to make as XP is out of support, and therefore has insane security issues. Time marches on. Software does too. If you believe that buying software once should lead to a lifetime entitlement, then you unfortunately don't understand how software works. Also, there was about a 4 month notice for users to decide to either upgrade, get a service, or do something else. That's actually pretty good customer service in my opinion.
 
It was found that if you want to stick with 1.92 you can enable the FTP server in the configure area and it may still work.
 
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