Gpsr With Radar

[+Bird Hunter]

I was coming home from work today and ran through a severe thunderstorm (thankfully, no hail). It got me thinking... wouldn't it be cool if we could get real-time, local radar incorporated right into our GPSr map screen. That way, we could monitor nasty weather in real-time and navigate around it.

 

I know the technology currently exists -- afterall, I can easily get real-time, local radar on my Blackberry and on my web-enabled cellphone. It should just be a matter of incorporating wireless radar technology with GPSr technology. Anyone heard of anything like this in the pipeline?

[+IVxIV]

GPSr's that have barometric sensors have existed for years, and some forcast weather by sampling barometric pressure changes over time. Heck you can buy wristwatches that can do that for years too.

 

But I think you're describing something that will literally show direction & strength of storm fronts? I don't think something like that in a handheld unit and reasonably cheap isn't gonna happen anytime soon, also for reasons of popularity.

[+NightPilot]

The US military isn't going to allow radar images on their satellites, even if it could be done. And that's who operates the GPS system. If it were that good an idea, then someone would come up with a combination GPS and cell phone/pda/somesuch that could get radar images while also working as a GPS. I don't think the market is even a fraction of what it would need to be to justify the development costs. I suggest you don't hold your breath waiting on this marvel.

[+Milbank]

it would be cool.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Radar, no thanks, it would just be a big drain on the battery.

[flir67]

boats have it built in, so unless you want to lug around a huge backpack with all of it stuff it there. we will have to wait for a while, sprint pcs phones have live radar and tv via web on them. for 5.00 extra a month I though about getting it but decided against it.

[+Bird Hunter]

But I think you're describing something that will literally show direction & strength of storm fronts? I don't think something like that in a handheld unit and reasonably cheap isn't gonna happen anytime soon, also for reasons of popularity.

Actually, what I was envisioning was simply real-time doppler radar, not direction, strength, etc. As I mentioned, I already have this capability on my Blackberry and my web-enabled cellphone (numerous internet weather sites provide this mobile functionality, including weather.com, accuweather.com, my-cast.com, et al). Unfortunatey, my current devices do not show me my present location and that is precisely the issue. I would like to have a device that can provide wireless data (radar and otherwise) combined with GPS location data. The GPS technology and wireless data delivery already exist and there are already service providers out there (just mentioned above) -- I think its just a matter of adding the wireless capability to GPS receivers.

 

I have to believe this technology (or something very similar) already exists to professional, high-end users -- for example, NWS storm spotters. I guess I'm just wondering how long it will be before something like this is available on consumer devices.

 

The US military isn't going to allow radar images on their satellites, even if it could be done. And that's who operates the GPS system. If it were that good an idea, then someone would come up with a combination GPS and cell phone/pda/somesuch that could get radar images while also working as a GPS. I don't think the market is even a fraction of what it would need to be to justify the development costs. I suggest you don't hold your breath waiting on this marvel.

The radar data would not come from the satellites themselves -- the data would come from existing services providers via wireless technology (just like it already does on other wireless devices like cell phones and pda's).

 

The market may not be there yet, but I see all kinds of wireless products offered on Verizon's "GET IT NOW" site that would not seem to have a market demanding them, but they provide it anyway (and invested the resources to make it available -- even with a limited market).

 

Radar, no thanks, it would just be a big drain on the battery.

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of this capability being most applicable and beneficial while driving; consequently, there would be close proximity to an alternative power source (e.g., 12-volt adapter). Also, I would envision this being useful when using a laptop and a product like nRoute or Steet Atlas. I think having the capability to 'overlay' radar imagery over real-time mapping/navigation software like nRoute or SA would be beneficial.

 

Boats have it built in, so unless you want to lug around a huge backpack with all of it stuff[ed] it there, we will have to wait for a while[.] print pcs phones have live radar and tv via web on them.

Please refer to several of my previous comments above. Also, I would not envision having the requisite radar equipment self-contained within the GPSr; instead, I would envision the radar data simply being delivered to the GPSr via a wireless provider (just like it is already on cell phones and pda's).

 

Obviously, this would require a wireless-enabled GPSr -- and this really gets to heart of my original question. I was simply pondering how long it will be before a manufacturer offers a wireless-enabled GPS device in the consumer market.

 

Edited to add:

 

I am envisioning something like this, but on a GPSr instead of a PDA...

 

Edited May 11, 2005 by Bird Hunter

[+JohnnyVegas]

As far as weather, I have two radios in my truck on two that I carry with me the I listen to the national weather service broadcast on.

[+scott9282]

I wonder...

 

Aviation has a very mature technology called the Stormscope, I think that is what it is called. Basically it shows a polar type display, with your position in the center, and any lightning activity displayed on the screen.

 

I don't know how if even if it is possible to incorporate this into a GPSr. Although I do tend to check the weather forecast before I go out caching. I'm a bit of a baby that way.

 

I also have no idea what type of receiver is involved with this Stormscope, so I don't even know if it is small enough to fit a GPSr.

[+NightPilot]

Your cell phone should know where it is. It's a simple matter to determine the location of a phone from triangulation (using different propagation times) from cell towers. Newer cell phones have a GPS receiver built in, although you can't use it as a GPS because the software doesn't allow it. It's going to be required for 911 coverage. It wouldn't be that hard to have the phone display its location on the radar display. Bug Nextel, Sprint, and Cingular/ATT.

 

Stormscope is an AM radio receiver, with a processor built in. Lightning generates AM radio signals, which you can hear if you listen to your AM radio when a thunderstorm is nearby. Signal strength is assumed to correlate with distance, although is isn't always the case. Knowing signal strength and direction (from a directional antenna) allows the unit to turn on an LED. This is only an approximation, though, and is in the 'better than nothing' category. Commercial aircraft have to have a weather radar installed in order to fly in instrument conditions, because the Stormscope isn't reliable enough. It's used mainly in cheaper private aircraft, where it's better than having no thunderstorm detection equipment at all, and is relatively cheap.

Edited May 12, 2005 by NightPilot

[+Bird Hunter]

Your cell phone should know where it is.  It's a simple matter to determine the location of a phone from triangulation (using different propagation times) from cell towers.  Newer cell phones have a GPS receiver built in, although you can't use it as a GPS because the software doesn't allow it.  It's going to be required for 911 coverage.  It wouldn't be that hard to have the phone display its location on the radar display.  Bug Nextel, Sprint, and Cingular/ATT.

Indeed. My Blackberry and my cell phone both have GPS capability built into them, but as you mention, the device's firmware does not permit the actual use of this functionality (even though I can activate it in my Blackberry's settings menu, it doesn't do anything).

 

Perhaps we will see a convergence of wireless data services (such as doppler radar) coupled with GPS receivers sometime after the wireless providers fully comply with the mandated rollout of enhanced-911 service (this was originally 12-31-2005, but so many waivers have been granted that the date has effectively been pushed well beyond that). Once 'location-based' technology (which will be possible via the GPS capability on the cell phone itself) is fully implemented and actually available and functioning on a cell phone, I doubt it will be long before GPSr manufacturers introduce their own versions of GPS receivers capable of receiving wireless data (just like it wasn't that long before manufacturers began combining PDAs and cell phones in one device).

 

I guess time will tell...

[+GOT GPS?]

You may need a laptop/PDA and a GPS, to do this.

You would have software on the laptop or PDA that would convert the Radar Image to a map, then the laptop/PDA would use the GPS position on the Radar.

This would be cool stuff for storm chasers.

[+wickedsprint]

There is a program to add this to a gps enabled PDA, I think this is the link, it is exactly what you are describing I believe. There was a few others but I cannot find the links, all operated similar though, using a PDA with a gps interface, not exactly sure how they get the radar images..but I think through an XM antenna. About 40 bucks a year to use the real time nexrad maps.

 

 

http://www.teletype.com/pages/gps/weather.html

Edited May 12, 2005 by wickedsprint

[+Bird Hunter]

There is a program to add this to a gps enabled PDA, I think this is the link, it is exactly what you are describing I believe.

Yes, this is exactly what I was describing -- having live NEXRAD weather images superimposed on top of GPS maps for real-time weather. So it does exist.

 

This is a very cool website -- thanks for sharing the link. It looks like this technology will soon be available via XM satellite signal as well as wireless internet.

 

From the website...

 

Weather Navigator add-on coming soon

TeleType Co. will soon have XM WX capable products that will utilize XM satellite radio frequencies to deliver real-time updates for weather maps on Pocket PCs. This will allow pilots, who do not have a wireless internet access while flying, to receive live updates of weather patterns when using their Pocket PCs in an small aircraft or on a commercial plane. TeleType Co. will unveil more details about these products soon once development is finished and ready for presentation.

 

Features

• Utilizes XM satellite radio signals for up-to-date weather map information.

• Conveniently helps those, who do not have wireless internet access, with obtaining real-time weather updates.

 

Here's a link to several additional screen shots...

http://www.teletype.com/pages/gps/live_weather.htm

[+wickedsprint]

I have been looking, but I seriously recall another outfit doing this as well, but I cannot find it at the moment, I think I found it through a link describing "winpilotvfr" the addon for pdas using gps and in the cockpit. Search under winpilot VFR, it has some really nice screenshots.

[Erfunden]

Sounds like what you're wanting is a gpsr with a built in web-enabled cell phone.

But heck, if you're going to have something like that, there's no reason to stop at just streaming radar images. You could stream in a basemap from mapquest and have your gpsr do everything your pda could do too. Not to mention emergency cell phone capabilities of some sort. Obviously, this would take some sort of a monthly rate. And it would need one heck of a battery.

 

Now if we had a gps with built in /sonar/...

[+Renegade Knight]

Intersate WiFI could do that if you had a weather page to plug into.

[+wickedsprint]

They make gps units with sonar plug ins..at least garmin does.