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Xm Wx Weather Satellite Weather

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 11:50 pm
by Black Sky
Does any use Xm Wx Weather Satellite? I'm thinking about getting the system. But the price for the system and the subscription is to high. Ya Know...

Thanks,
Rod

Re: Xm Wx Weather Satellite Weather

Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 7:19 am
by RobertBuell
Black Sky wrote:Does any use Xm Wx Weather Satellite? I'm thinking about getting the system. But the price for the system and the subscription is to high. Ya Know...

Thanks,
Rod

Rod,

While I don't own this system, I have had the opportunity to tinker with it at conferences. There are some ups and downs to the overall system as far as I'm concerned.

Most notable in the "up" column is the fact that data is delivered by satellite -- no crossing your fingers trying to connect to a internet data source via a cell connection while sitting on a gravel road out in the "Back 40." Nationwide data coverage, warning overlays and the other-than-radar data displayed by the system is also a plus.

On the "downside" column, I would have to say that the lack of radar data provided (versus what is available these days) is the most notable drawback considering the price you pay. A 7-color composite reflectivity (what's up with that??), hybrid "shear" product and the echo top product are all you get as far as radar data is concerned. More trivial, but important to some, is that the mobile system will only generate a storm track for the next 15 minutes...or at least that was the case when I was tinkering with the system.

Overall, this is not a bad package, especially for a first generation system. It's **very easy** to use and you don't have to worry about those days when the internet is misbehaving. The drawbacks I personally feel to exist could very well be due to bandwidth limitations. Bottom line: I would say this product is excellent for EMA's and/or spotters who routinely operate in areas with lousy to nil cell coverage.

--RB

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:00 pm
by cloud9
I just got the XM reciever. It is nice to get all the data fast, but the software does not display all the data it recieves. I am still messing around with it, but I see much more data coming in than the software displays.

Tim, if you are reading this, will you be working on a utility that can encorporate the data that XM gets into Digital Atmosphere?

The biggest flaw that I see with the XM software, is that it doesn't expire warnings.

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 8:48 pm
by RobertBuell
cloud9 wrote:Tim, if you are reading this, will you be working on a utility that can encorporate the data that XM gets into Digital Atmosphere?
I would be shocked if it was possible to pipe XM-delivered data into Digital Atmosphere. XM weather is a deal between XM Radio and Baron Services (the TV radar people). One could probably bet the farm that third party software utilizing XM's signal would be totally unwelcome...to say nothing of the legal implications that undoubtedly exist.

--RB

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:26 pm
by cloud9
One of the products that XM radio recieves is METAR data. This is stored in a text file in original format. The WXWORX software only displays the wind fields from this data. If you click on a particular station you can see the other info. I would like to us the data in Digital atmosphere to plot other parameters.

Another product that they advertise and download is city forecasts. I recieve this, but it is in a format not familiar to me and the software does not display the infomation.

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:55 pm
by Black Sky
Do u have to buy the Xm Wx Weather Satellite software together or not?

Rod