WX WORX features

[Andrea Griffa]

Hi gus I've seen there's another post that speak about WX WORX, but there it talks about wx worx costs, here I wanna discuss about characteristics.
I would like to know, if someone have it, which are his best features.
I know it deals about a satellitar connection that make you see radar, sat, tornado warnings,lightning,weather maps with surface analysis,significant weather threats (Storm Cell Identification and Tracking) with 15-minute storm path projection.If someone have got it, could tell me if it's easy and speedy to use?
I saw that radar kind that wx worx offers it's not very qualified; see this:
http://www.wxworx.com/images/page_ground.jpg
On the other hand I read that you can zoom into Street-Level with High-Definition NEXRAD...What does itmean this?It means that you could see radar images from Nexrad as well?
Thanks

 

[fplowman]

yes.. Similiar to GRlevel and Storm Lab.. it just downloads from satellite is the main difference..

 

[cedwards]

All the radar images are from NEXRAD, but they are smoothed considerably, and it only shows a limited number of intensity levels. 55dbz max. You do not get satellite pictures. I really like the streamlines. You can see what is happening and how the day is progressing throughout the day. It has helped me quite a bit in 2004. It takes a little while to start acquiring all the products, but if you turn it on in the morning, you will have radar loops all day long. It is a wonderful tool, but could do more. Overall, definitely worth it!

Correction. Now with a sowtware upgrade you CAN receive satellite images.

Note. I had a lot of problems with the power supply. Any fluctuations cause you to loose reception, but you don't notice until, you look at the time stamp on the images. I recently bought an AC power adapter and will run it through an inverter. This should smooth things out.

 

[Kurt Hulst]

I have this Program and was able to use it on some small chases. You never lose singal. well atleast i have not. Any way it does all that you listed. The radar images are as they look on the pic you posted. but you can zoom in and out. What it does is takes out all the garbage the dopplars dont. basically just smoothing it up. yes its expensive and I would hope the price would come down abit. You can also hook up the GPS to and see your location in proxemity to the storm. it gives you SCIT markers which are circles indicating strong rotating shear with in the storm. tells you approx about how fast the shear is. Its a nice little investment. you can always have cellular data but you possibly will lose it right when you need it. You can use this WXWORX any where. I like it. hope that helped a little. their always updating it. infact they came out with the 1.3 version not to long ago. gives you Satellite and a couple other features that i can not name off the top of my head. and they continue to develop more features which are free to download.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by cedwards

Note. I had a lot of problems with the power supply. Any fluctuations cause you to loose reception, but you don't notice until, you look at the time stamp on the images. I recently bought an AC power adapter and will run it through an inverter. This should smooth things out.

Any fluctuation? What do you want to say?(sorry for my english)
Do you want to say that if, because of whichever thing, you loose reception, you have to wait for a long time to redownload data from satellite?

but if you turn it on in the morning, you will have radar loops all day long.

Does it it employ so much time to download data from sat? If things go in this way isn't it a bit obsolete,Charles?(maybe I'm wrong)

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by Kurt Hulst
I. You can also hook up the GPS to and see your location in proxemity to the storm. it gives you SCIT markers which are circles indicating strong rotating shear with in the storm. tells you approx about how fast the shear is. Its a nice little investment. you can always have cellular data but you possibly will lose it right when you need it. You can use this WXWORX any where. I like it. hope that helped a little. their always updating it. infact they came out with the 1.3 version not to long ago. gives you Satellite and a couple other features that i can not name off the top of my head. and they continue to develop more features which are free to download.

Thanks! Any way can you well recognize an hook echo, an inflow notch, bow echo and the other things or the low definition doesn't allow to do it or allow but in a bad way?

it gives you SCIT markers which are circles indicating strong rotating shear with in the storm. tells you approx about how fast the shear is

This is really a cool thing: moreover if you can see your position with GPS regarding rotating zone of the storms it's more cool as well :wink:

 

[rdale]

"yes.. Similiar to GRlevel and Storm Lab."

It is not at all close to what GRLevel3 or StormLab offer... It uses composite reflectivity so loses some of the low-level details. There are many advantages it offers, but comparing it to a "real" radar analysis package is not correct.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by rdale
\"yes.. Similiar to GRlevel and Storm Lab.\"

It is not at all close to what GRLevel3 or StormLab offer... It uses composite reflectivity so loses some of the low-level details. There are many advantages it offers, but comparing it to a \"real\" radar analysis package is not correct.

I see...Do you know some program with satellite connection that offers you also a good radar?

 

[rdale]

It's not possible due to bandwidth requirements to have something using less than a NOAAPORT (10ft) dish. Cell modems would fit the bill...

 

[Jay McCoy]

We used WxWorks extensively last year and never had a problem with it. Even before you could get satellite pics you still had cloud tops which was a cheat version of a sat pic but with the new upgrade you have full satellite pics. With the GPS you can navigate close in even after dark. It made a huge difference on our chase experience. the streamlines attribute is very handy in pinpointing your target spot.

Also I just loved when you were within a few miles of a rotating storm and the voice would ring out "you are approaching a twisting storm" :wink:

 

[cedwards]

Originally posted by Andrea Griffa+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andrea Griffa)</div>

Do you want to say that if, because of whichever thing, you loose reception, you have to wait for a long time to redownload data from satellite?[/b]

A slight drop in the voltage, can confuse the receiver. It starts getting data errors and will not aquire more data. You have to unplug it and start over.

<!--QuoteBegin-Andrea Griffa
Does it it employ so much time to download data from sat? If things go in this way isn't it a bit obsolete,Charles?(maybe I'm wrong)

The data is only one way. It sends the data. Radar images come about every 5 minutes, so if you want a good radar loop, you have to wait about 30 minutes. Metar data comes about once an hour, so you may have to whait an hour to get new obbs. Fronts comes every three hours...

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by Jay McCoy

Also I just loved when you were within a few miles of a rotating storm and the voice would ring out \"you are approaching a twisting storm\" :wink:

Ah, this is a too much funny thing!

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by cedwards+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cedwards)</div>

Originally posted by Andrea Griffa@

Do you want to say that if, because of whichever thing, you loose reception, you have to wait for a long time to redownload data from satellite?

A slight drop in the voltage, can confuse the receiver. It starts getting data errors and will not aquire more data. You have to unplug it and start over.

<!--QuoteBegin-Andrea Griffa

Does it it employ so much time to download data from sat? If things go in this way isn't it a bit obsolete,Charles?(maybe I'm wrong)

The data is only one way. It sends the data. Radar images come about every 5 minutes, so if you want a good radar loop, you have to wait about 30 minutes. Metar data comes about once an hour, so you may have to whait an hour to get new obbs. Fronts comes every three hours...[/b]

Thanks Charles for your precision.

 

[Kurt Hulst]

Charles do you have one of the first systems they ever put out. I never noticed a fluxuation when i turned my power off.

 

[cedwards]

Yes, I Have one of the first units. Not everybody had this problem.
DC power in a vehicle is not very constant. Especially when you have lots of other gear going. WXWorx needs a good steady 13V. I tried the unit out in different vehicles with no luck. I even hsent the unit in and got a replacement in mid May. It took them two weeks to get a replacement to me in the hight of the chase season. I still have problems with the second unit as well, but not as often.