RainRadar AU |
Why was the name changed from BOMRadar to RainRadar AU?
I received a formal letter from the Bureau of Meteorology stating that they believe the word 'BOM' is theirs and they do not want anyone who is writing third party apps using it in application titles. So I have changed the name to something that doesn't have 'BOM' in the title.
I just upgraded to V3.0 and now things don't work in RainRadar AU?
I'm aware of some things that don't work in 3.0, I have submitted an update to the Apple to fix the 3.0 issues but as yet it is still pending review by apple. So hopefully they can clear the backlog soon and approve it so the problems can be fixed.
Why is BOMRadar not free anymore?
I've spent many hours writing code for this application and I wanted to get something back. I'll be happy if I manage to cover my apple developer fee, for last year and this year. But I decided to change it from being free to paid because of the feedback I've been getting from people saying they'd be willing to spend $1 on the app. So I've given them the chance.
Why is the 64km and Wind buttons always grayed out?
The 64km and the Wind Doppler radars are only available on some of the capital city websites. If you would like to see the full list, go to http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/.
UPDATE: As of V1.1.0 if the radar option is not available, it is removed from the display. I hope this reduces some of the confusion that has been happening about the 64km and wind radars.
I keep getting an alert "Timed Out" when I try to look at radar images, whats going on?
The alert "Timed Out" means that a connection to the site http://mirror.bom.gov.au could not be established. This may be because you are out of network range, or you are on a network that is not allowed to access this site. Double check how you are connected. In the rare case, it can also mean the BOM website is busy and could not process your request.
UPDATE: It appears that the timeout issue is mostly happening on a certain carrier. They appear to have slow network response times on 3G. I have increased the timeout of the network connections to 60 seconds. This should fix the problem for those people who were having timeout issues.
How do I get the images for my area that isn't in Australia?
Sorry, but this application is designed for Australia only. The reason it is on all of the app stores is I'd rather people have the choice not to download it, then to never be able to get it. Also I have lots of Australian friends overseas that like to keep track of things in AU. So if I restricted it they couldn't grab it.
Why is the time on the radar images 10+ or more hours old?
The images are stamped with UTC time. This is current time without timezone applied. For example, if you live in brisbane and it is 4:40pm, you are +10 hours from UTC so the timestamps on the images will be 06:40UTC. I will look at adding a current local time label if this confuses people to much. As of 1.1.0 the timestamps are updated to local time to try and avoid this confusion.
What does it mean by "part-time" radar?
Radars that have (part-time) beside them are taken off line 4 times a day to track weather balloons. For more information about this can be found on Part-Time Windfinding Radars on the Bureau of Meteorology website.
Do you work for Bureau of Meteorology?
No, I have no affiliation with the Bureau of Meteorology. I have spoken to BOM about the use of the images and I have been advised that my use of the images is fine, but apart from that I have no affiliation with BOM at all.
