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Classics - The Weather Channel from 1982-1999 => Everything Else Classic TWC => Topic started by: twcctornado77 on July 09, 2011, 03:52:21 PM

Title: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 09, 2011, 03:52:21 PM
Which do u think is the best of the radars that have been on TWC- WSR-57, WSR-74, or the WSR-88D? Mine's the WSR-57... seeing the Local Radars segment on TWC sealed my love with the WSR-57.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Zach on July 09, 2011, 03:53:31 PM
Care to provideo pictures of these radars? I dont even know what you mean :blink:
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 09, 2011, 04:05:19 PM
WSR-57 (with Dan Pope):
(http://www.twcclassics.com/files/ocms/dan%20pope.jpg)

WSR-74 (with Bill Schubert):
(http://www.twcclassics.com/files/ocms/bill%20schubert92.jpg)

Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Nick on July 09, 2011, 11:17:34 PM
The first pic is from Kavouras, the second is a WSI mosaic. They could dial into the WSR-57 or 74 radars in the first example (both radars were equipped with the same digitizing equipment). In the second example, WSI would connect to the radar sites, composite the images on a single map and perform quality control (ground clutter and other non precipitation echo removal). When the WSR-88D radars came online, the mosaics contained data from all three radar models for a few years.

From the footage we have, TWC began using mosaics in mid 1989 on-air and discontinued using the single site images later that year. They also used MDR (manual digitized radar) images in the 80s, which was a very low resolution picture (the radar operator actually had to enter this in an alphanumeric format of this based on a 20x20 km grid overlayed on the radar screen).

Here's two MDR images (numbers represent echo tops):
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Lightning on July 17, 2011, 06:25:08 PM
Which weather radar is being used in this video? (Wait until about 3:08)

More Severe Wx Coverage on TWC (part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcXFDd6rwOg#)
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 17, 2011, 06:42:41 PM
Which weather radar is being used in this video? (Wait until about 3:08)

More Severe Wx Coverage on TWC (part 2) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcXFDd6rwOg#[/url])

I think that's the WSR-74.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Lightning on July 21, 2011, 06:14:24 PM
How bout the weather radar in this video?

Former TWC OCM Dave Schwartz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD7JRU9hPQc#)
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Eric on July 21, 2011, 07:06:07 PM
As much as I have expressed my dislike for the Weatherstar XL, I do think that its radar (at least the 1st generation) was perhaps the best TWC has used.  I liked the color scheme and it was exceptionally sharp.

P.S.: I'm just waiting for someone to say the 4000 had the best radar.  There's gotta be somebody out there...  :)
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 22, 2011, 09:31:08 AM
How bout the weather radar in this video?

Former TWC OCM Dave Schwartz ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD7JRU9hPQc#[/url])


That would be the current WSR-88D
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 22, 2011, 01:17:01 PM
I dont see why TWC just dont use this type of radar, like they did way back when:

(http://images.intellicast.com/WxImages/BaseReflectivity/fcx.gif)

Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Eric on July 22, 2011, 05:28:02 PM
Probably because it's not so attractive looking on a TV screen.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Star4000 Fan on July 22, 2011, 11:58:26 PM
I remember the one from around 1993 that had the Yellow shade upward flash.  Later, it was just orange and up.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Nick on July 23, 2011, 02:39:38 PM
The radar loops in the two Dave Schwartz videos are WSI mosaics. If that first video is from 1993, the radar network was mostly WSR-57 and 74s with some of the WSR-88D units online by that point (possibly included in the mosaics). The second video would be entirely comprised of data from the 88D.

The radar images from Intellicast have looked the exact same way since that website came online (1995?) and there's better ways of looking at the data now (they also delay the images).
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 23, 2011, 03:16:38 PM
Then I must be the only one that liked the Intellicast radar. I fell in love with it when it was on TWC.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Lightning on July 25, 2011, 06:25:58 PM
What kind of radar in this video?

3 - Blizzard of 1993 Birmingham, AL - James Spann & Kevin Collins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fEYpDVUFU#)
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Eric on July 25, 2011, 07:34:53 PM
What kind of radar in this video?

3 - Blizzard of 1993 Birmingham, AL - James Spann & Kevin Collins ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fEYpDVUFU#[/url])


Since it's from 1993, my guess would be 57s and 74s.  I remember when the 88s were shown with great fanfare, highlighting the benefits of doppler radar, and so on, and, at first, 88 radars were shown in isolation, with reflections from just the one site.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 25, 2011, 09:01:25 PM
What kind of radar in this video?

3 - Blizzard of 1993 Birmingham, AL - James Spann & Kevin Collins ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fEYpDVUFU#[/url])


Since it's from 1993, my guess would be 57s and 74s.  I remember when the 88s were shown with great fanfare, highlighting the benefits of doppler radar, and so on, and, at first, 88 radars were shown in isolation, with reflections from just the one site.


But WBRC in Birmingham had it's own Doppler.... while the WSR-57@ Centreville was still in operations.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Eric on July 25, 2011, 10:34:05 PM
But WBRC in Birmingham had it's own Doppler.... while the WSR-57@ Centreville was still in operations.

It's not at all uncommon for TV stations to operate their own weather radars, even if there's a National Weather Service radar in the same area.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Lightning on July 26, 2011, 09:04:02 PM

But WBRC in Birmingham had it's own Doppler.... while the WSR-57@ Centreville was still in operations.
How do you know about the old Centerville radar?
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Nick on July 27, 2011, 02:10:06 AM
That last one with James Spann is a mosaic image.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: twcctornado77 on July 27, 2011, 01:09:27 PM

But WBRC in Birmingham had it's own Doppler.... while the WSR-57@ Centreville was still in operations.
How do you know about the old Centerville radar?


This vid: 8/16/85 Hurricane Danny Tornado Outbreak -TWC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNgOKz1fu50#)
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: Star4000 Fan on September 03, 2011, 02:41:55 AM
A slight bit off topic, but this is the first time I have ever seen James Spann.  He is on one of the radio stations in my area.  I had to listen for his voice.  Thanks for the clip!

I do remember those radars.  There's a lot of dark green than ended up becoming other colors.
Title: Re: Best weather radar
Post by: WXChannelfan on January 17, 2014, 10:20:40 PM

I like seeing those old radar composites. It's amazing how even in the early '90s the radar technology was still fairly primitive in most areas but by the late '90s the NWS was light years ahead.