Nexrad can have an 8 minute delay. Watch video...... http://flash.aopa.org/asf/acs_timelapse/acs-timelapse.cfm
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Important Nexrad video
- Thread starter gasman
- Start date
On board vs off board
NEXRAD datalink information can have even more latency, depending on how you are receiving the information in the cockpit. In other words, there is the inherent delay in NEXRAD plus any delay in the link through which you are obtaining and displaying information in the cockpit. Your display may or may not include latency information, and it may or may not, be accurate. If it does display latency, it's important to know how to access the information and what it's really telling you.
For example, some systems display latency, but it may be the highest delay time for any of numerous types of information displayed. If you are receiving uplinked radar, satellite, TAFs, METARs, etc., each may have it's own lag time and your software may not break things down for you in the display; or if it does it's in a deep sub-menu that may be difficult to access.
The important bottom line is that any OFF BOARD information should never be used for real-time penetration of weather. It should be used for what it was intended for, planning and avoidance purposes (think "trend analysis"). It's been a tremendous boost to safety to have all of this information available, but it can be a classic case of "garbage in, garbage out" if used improperly.
The only equipment that should be used for attempted real-time penetration of weather is ON BOARD weather radar. A strike finder can be a nice piece of adjunct equipment in any airplane and it would be practical to install one in a RV, but even that information needs to be interpreted with caution. If you do have a strike finder, it would certainly trump any off board linked information obtained through conventional sources (XM, ADS-B, etc.). Even with proper on board equipment, wide margins are still needed to top or circumvent areas of severe weather safely.
Fly safe,
Vac
NEXRAD datalink information can have even more latency, depending on how you are receiving the information in the cockpit. In other words, there is the inherent delay in NEXRAD plus any delay in the link through which you are obtaining and displaying information in the cockpit. Your display may or may not include latency information, and it may or may not, be accurate. If it does display latency, it's important to know how to access the information and what it's really telling you.
For example, some systems display latency, but it may be the highest delay time for any of numerous types of information displayed. If you are receiving uplinked radar, satellite, TAFs, METARs, etc., each may have it's own lag time and your software may not break things down for you in the display; or if it does it's in a deep sub-menu that may be difficult to access.
The important bottom line is that any OFF BOARD information should never be used for real-time penetration of weather. It should be used for what it was intended for, planning and avoidance purposes (think "trend analysis"). It's been a tremendous boost to safety to have all of this information available, but it can be a classic case of "garbage in, garbage out" if used improperly.
The only equipment that should be used for attempted real-time penetration of weather is ON BOARD weather radar. A strike finder can be a nice piece of adjunct equipment in any airplane and it would be practical to install one in a RV, but even that information needs to be interpreted with caution. If you do have a strike finder, it would certainly trump any off board linked information obtained through conventional sources (XM, ADS-B, etc.). Even with proper on board equipment, wide margins are still needed to top or circumvent areas of severe weather safely.
Fly safe,
Vac
