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General Questions:
    · Does your software contain spyware, viruses, etc?
    · Is there a version available for MAC?
Radar/Weather Questions:
    · When I click on the Radar Tab, nothing happens. What's up?
    · How often are radar images updated?
    · What is Base Reflectivity?
    · What is Composite Reflectivity?


Does your software contain spyware, viruses, etc?
Wilson Breaking News contains NO spyware. Also, we use the latest in virus protection to help ensure that our software is free of viruses.

Is there a version available for MAC?
Right now, there is no version of Wilson Breaking News available for the Macintosh. If we get enough requests, we may consider it...


When I click on the Radar Tab, nothing happens. What's up?
After you click on the Radar Tab, located in the Weather Tab, you must click the Load button and select the type of radar data that you wish to view. Choose Loop to download the latest 10 images from KRAX. Choose Single Image to download the latest image only. Downloading a single image is faster (especially for dial-up users), but downloading the loop will allow you to use the play controls and view movement.

How often are radar images updated?
Image updates are based upon the operation mode of the radar at the time the image is generated. The WSR-88D Doppler radar is operated in one of two modes -- clear air mode or precipitation mode. In clear air mode, images are updated every 10 minutes. In precipitation mode, images are updated every five or six minutes.
Note: To view the latest radar images, always click the Load button, and choose from the list of options. Wilson Breaking News does not automatically download radar images, as is done with news articles.

What is Base Reflectivity?
Base Reflectivity is a display of echo intensity (reflectivity) measured in dBZ (decibels of Z, where Z represents the energy reflected back to the radar). "Reflectivity" is the amount of transmitted power returned to the radar receiver. Base Reflectivity images are available at several different elevation angles (tilts) of the antenna and are used to detect precipitation, evaluate storm structure, locate atmospheric boundaries and determine hail potential.

The maximum range of the Short Range base reflectivity product is 124 nm (about 143 miles) from the radar location. This view will not display echoes that are more distant than 124 nm, even though precipitation may be occurring at greater distances. To determine if precipitation is occurring at greater distances, select the Long Range view (out to 248 nm/286 mi).

What is Composite Reflectivity?
Composite Reflectivity is a display of maximum echo intensity (reflectivity) from any elevation angle at every range from the radar. This product is used to reveal the highest reflectivity in all echoes. When compared with Base Reflectivity, the Composite Reflectivity can reveal important storm structure features and intensity trends of storms.

The maximum range of the Long Range composite reflectivity product is 248 nm (about 286 miles) from the radar location. The "blocky" appearance of this product is due to its lower spatial resolution on a 2.2 * 2.2 nm grid. It has one-fourth the resolution of the Base Reflectivity and one-half the resolution of the Precipitation products.

Although the Composite Reflectivity product is able to display maximum echo intensities 248 nm from the radar, the beam of the radar at this distance is at a very high altitude in the atmosphere. Thus, only the most intense convective storms and tropical systems will be detected at the longer distances.

Because of this fact, special care must be taken interpreting this product. While the radar image may not indicate precipitation it's quite possible that the radar beam is overshooting precipitation at lower levels, especially at greater distances.

For a higher resolution (1.1 * 1.1 nm grid) composite reflectivity image, select the Short Range view. The image is less "blocky" as compared to the long range image. However, the maximum range is reduced to 124 nm (about 143 miles) from the radar location.