WX Worx price increase

[Chris Sokol]

Hmmmm....I just looked at the add on E-Bay, and not once does the add mention that you have to subscribe to the service. People are going to buy these units and be very upset when they find out. I sent a comment to the seller about this...I will be curious to see if I get a reply.

 

[Jason McKittrick]

Sixth, the radar data is "nexrad" not 88D, meaning it is smoothed and filtered, only 6 reflectivity levels. With Cingular you would have access to 88d data as well as radial velocity data.

Just a quick note... The data is very smoothed, as Jason noted, thus meaning that any small-scale radar signature is likel lost. However, it still is WSR88D data, which is the same as NEXRAD. Unless you have level II data access, the data you view on an internet page (again, assuming it's NIDS data, which all are currently IIRC) will be the same as the WxWorx system uses, though WxWorx is severely smoothed. With internet data (e.g. CoD), you do have access to other NIDS products, such as VIL, various velocity tilts, etc. WSR88D = NEXRAD for all intents and purpose

Now, I still can't understand why the smooth the data so much. If the ground system is aimed towards the likes of emergency managers, and you assume that emergency managers know how to interpret radar in a basic sense, why smooth the heck out of it? Cmon.. The target audience is at least a little skilled at radar interpretation, so why handicap us/them by a smoothing process which essentially severely reduces radar resolution? Ugh.

Compare the http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/mosaic/DS.p1....us.conus.shtml,
radar mosiac which is the same 6 color levels that WxWorx uses verses the 15 levels that are displayed on a typical local WSR88D image, http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/latest/DS.p1...0/si.kcrp.shtml, there is a significant diference in what can be resolved particularly in reguards to the most intense, "more interesting", convection. I usually here the more dumbed down imagery refered to as nexrad and the more detailed called local doppler.

Jason,

The top link is for a product called Radar Coded Message, or RCM. There are only a few defined "levels" of intensity of RCM. The second link is for Level III NEXRAD data (formerly NIDS), which provides reflectivity data in 5dBz increments from 0dbz (or -28dBz in clear air mode) to 75dBz. You can now get Level II data, which has reflectivity intervals of 1dBz (there are huge velocity differences as well), through a few providers (such as Allisonhouse). At any rate, "NEXRAD" is just another term for the WSR-88D network radar system.

Jeff

Thanks for the info. I am going to have to check into getting the level II data. However if I am not mistaken, it appears that the WxWorx data stream delivers nothing more than RCM data, it only displays 6 reflectivity levels and in fact uses the same color scheme as the national RCM image that I linked to above. I still stand by my suggestion that a data card with a large service area, such as what I have seen Cingular is supposed to have, would be much more helpful than WxWorx. Even though I have WxWorx I still miss my Sprint data card when I lose the PCS signal.

 

[Kurt Hulst]

Do the shear SCITS come with the Master Mariner plan? If so I may upgrade just for June. I have the $30/month Sailor package (radar, METARS, warnings, fronts, forecasts). I can get by without the shear data, but it'd be very helpful to have for another $20.

Sorry Dan for taking so long to getting to your question I haven't been coming in here very often. But to answer your question yes it does show SCIT markers. For some odd reason it periodically shows Echo tops and then some times it doesnt. Beats me why, but the only thing it definetly does not give you is Shear with the maste mariner. that button on the left rop corner. but the donuts or tires as some call it you do get. The Shear button i never use any way. I try to use the thing as little as possible that way i dont miss as much of the storm. It is great for navigating in and around the storm. and is very accurate, But as mentioned it some times doesnt not show all the little sprinkles.