tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post8286682043372325343..comments2024-03-28T08:19:50.193-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Can Smartphone Observations Revolutionize Weather Forecasting?Cliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-54538998295119287232012-12-11T07:35:55.574-08:002012-12-11T07:35:55.574-08:00Perhaps I'm missing something here, but if the...Perhaps I'm missing something here, but if the pressure sensor was included with the hardware as a means of better determining elevation, then without it, the elevation reading has a larger amount of error. Now if the phone has a large amount of elevation error, and reports the pressure to a weather server, then the pressure itself has a large amount of error synoptically. The pressure reported by the phone cannot be used for both elevation and atmospheric pressure since that would negate each one's integrity.<br /><br />What am I missing here...?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12442385832726171358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-3093493538440853742012-12-07T15:32:40.726-08:002012-12-07T15:32:40.726-08:00Nice, downloading now.Nice, downloading now.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10688522194128678588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-78352156116252448612012-12-06T15:57:18.744-08:002012-12-06T15:57:18.744-08:00Would that be considered "cloud sourcing"...Would that be considered "cloud sourcing"?Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10675280510229786608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-22533503286488561742012-12-06T15:33:36.547-08:002012-12-06T15:33:36.547-08:00ref to rivrdog note: The database we use includes ...ref to rivrdog note: The database we use includes all metars, but for the best results it is not enough to just look at the closest station, regardless of what it is. First, the nearest station could be in error, second it does not interpolate for time or location. The free service we have online takes all of this into account... and it accesses the national elevation data set for an accurate elevation as well. All you need to know is the so called removal correction, ie how high off the ground is your instrument, then feed that back in along with the elevation to get the slp offset.<br /><br />To learn about barometer errors at metar reports, look up the station in question in the Gladstone Family reports. They track these errors, much the same way we can spot them with our 3d-fitting program. We do a self consistency check amongst all data selected for the fit.<br /><br />Users can get their lat-lon from Google Earth.<br /><br />If there is any interest in it, i would be happy to explain why as mariners we care about accurate pressure.... or it can be found in our book called The Barometer Handbook.David Burchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413234790483329339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-18293745409038843182012-12-06T14:59:29.535-08:002012-12-06T14:59:29.535-08:00Currently better than anything else out there!Currently better than anything else out there!Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675789769897361726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-47960128098411252962012-12-05T10:57:01.992-08:002012-12-05T10:57:01.992-08:00I was doubtful that it would work on my older Xoom...I was doubtful that it would work on my older Xoom tablet, but I downloaded it and it fired right up!<br /><br />I have an elevation here of 133.3 meters, including my office being on the second floor, and that jives fairly well with a 10 mbar difference from the average of the Portland cluster to my west at 45-75 meters lower elevation less elevation.<br /><br />We had a decent FROPA here last evening, but I couldn't define it well across the cluster, the westernmost extent of which is 36K wide, east-to-west. I'm on the far east end of that cluster currently.Rivrdoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137869405329187219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-60862631684762797582012-12-04T14:13:46.470-08:002012-12-04T14:13:46.470-08:00I am a relatively new reader to this blog and find...I am a relatively new reader to this blog and find its content fantastic, thank you!<br /><br />By the way you are actually referring to Android 4.0 phones and up (Ice Scream Sandwich & Jelly Bean etc) and not Android 3.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05012030702224061694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-11328347227885064232012-12-04T09:03:42.367-08:002012-12-04T09:03:42.367-08:00Google already does this with their Traffic Data o...Google already does this with their Traffic Data on Google Maps. As long as you have not opted out, your Android phone sends an anonymous ping to Google with your location and speed every few seconds, they then use that data for traffic information is your location matches a roadway.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01175827392721719943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-3938798078770037262012-12-03T21:28:10.927-08:002012-12-03T21:28:10.927-08:00@ David Burch: just look at the NOAA observations ...@ David Burch: just look at the NOAA observations for the airport nearest you and read the METAR, which will have the altimeter setting. You'll have to look up the elevation of the airpatch and figure your elevation from your GPS app, but if they are within a couple hundred feet, you have a decent pressure reading. Rivrdoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137869405329187219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-81310851066875492412012-12-03T12:17:05.705-08:002012-12-03T12:17:05.705-08:00or, build your own app... Open Data Kit at UW... ...or, build your own app... Open Data Kit at UW... http://opendatakit.org/Gerry Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02697981765225241196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-38267665742361888572012-12-03T10:32:26.078-08:002012-12-03T10:32:26.078-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00873331135365219267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-59091614034724466882012-12-02T23:02:19.867-08:002012-12-02T23:02:19.867-08:00Downloaded and installed! 995.09 mb here now. :-)
...Downloaded and installed! 995.09 mb here now. :-)<br />JewelyaZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09434569437851248356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-41458058644931801572012-12-02T13:04:31.257-08:002012-12-02T13:04:31.257-08:00This is a very exciting development. One more reas...This is a very exciting development. One more reason to be glad I follow this blog. Thanks.<br /><br />A good way for users to test these barometers is at www.starpath.com/barometers <br /><br />The free service finds the closest ten stations to user's lat-lon that have accurate pressure online, then the program allows users to automatically fit a 3D pressure surface to the the stations of their selection for two times, and the service will interpolate for their location at a common time. It then runs a self consistency check to confirm that the stations are all equally valid.<br /><br />The elevation correction for user's device is also computed, as is an accurate elevation if that is not known.David Burchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413234790483329339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-71000208726353462572012-12-02T12:28:35.164-08:002012-12-02T12:28:35.164-08:00collection of data on large scale is not new, and ...collection of data on large scale is not new, and predated smartphones.About ten years ago, NOAA commissioned a Colorado company to develop equipment to observe multiple data indicators in the mid-atmosphere, by installing automated observation on regional aircraft, which fly well below the altitude profiles of long-haul aircraft. The issue with this program was the down time to install the equipment on the aircraft, and the additional maintenance involved, but models showed a huge dearth of data from that layer of the atmosphere, so it had to be done.<br /><br />The lesson from that program is that NOAA needs to be prepared to spend more money to speed the programs along, and money seems to be the sticking point.Lots of money for theoretical research, but the purse strings are tightened when it comes to actual hardware or data bases.<br /><br />To be fair, buyers of these smartphones ought to be compensated in some way for being data points. Tax relief against some of the many cell phone taxes might be enough incentive.Rivrdoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137869405329187219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-34282909977071559822012-12-02T12:01:26.330-08:002012-12-02T12:01:26.330-08:00I'll be curious to see whether this turns out ...I'll be curious to see whether this turns out to actually be as useful as you hope, Cliff. I suspect you'll get 99+% of your readings clustered in major cities, where I imagine you guys already have networks of permanent pressure sensors (which would be more accurate and calibrated, to boot).<br />Westside guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07171473508596734156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-80160528909550419482012-12-02T02:41:30.081-08:002012-12-02T02:41:30.081-08:00Extremely interesting!
Might finally get back to ...Extremely interesting!<br /><br />Might finally get back to the data density we had in the 1890s when every little town and whistlestop had a telegrapher who reported twice daily to the Weather Bureau.<br /><br />Or at least we might finally get weather data from actual cities, instead of airports.Polistrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09594313902571823549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-68306530700220640532012-12-01T21:29:23.215-08:002012-12-01T21:29:23.215-08:00I've been waiting for the car GPS systems that...I've been waiting for the car GPS systems that give traffic information to also start displaying weather information - rain/snow/fog. The first two shouldn't be that difficult in getting the information from current, accurate sources.Rob W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08542341017970869892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-16149098041706067552012-12-01T14:20:37.326-08:002012-12-01T14:20:37.326-08:00Requires Android... Boo! :(Requires Android... Boo! :(LatigoLizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14331221747681113150noreply@blogger.com