Author Topic: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM  (Read 1977 times)

whodathought33

TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« on: June 06, 2021, 03:10:04 pm »
Afternoon all,

I recently spoke to Lee (and the Skyemon Team) about integrating weather (TAF/METAR) information from the ATOM GRID network with Skydemon; i.e when connected to an ATOM ground station, any updated TAFs/METARs (that would usually be visible on the PAW browser page) are automatically pushed and decoded by Skydemon.

Lee asked me to post it here to see what the interest levels were like. From my (very limited) understating, the data may have to be re-written in the GDL-90 format which Lee said was possible but wanted to gauge interest first. Another benefit may be that, in the GDL-90 format, they're compatible with the likes of Forflight & Garmin Pilot (?)

Feedback, thoughts, ideas and any +1s welcome below for Lee and his team. This could be the closest thing we get to a very limited version of FIS-B in the UK, for the time being. :o

exfirepro

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2021, 06:19:45 pm »
What were SkyDemon’s thoughts / comments about this? I have had hopes since we first started uplinking the METAR data that weather data might follow, but for most of us that would be completely dependent on SkyDemon (and the other EFB providers) being amenable to accept and process the uplinks.

Regards
Peter

mariko

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2021, 12:24:30 pm »
Does "rewriting the data in the GDL90 format" mean that we must choose the GDL90 format to communicate between Rosetta and Skydemon? Does it mean to loose the non positional traffic nearby advices?
Ciao
  Mariko

exfirepro

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2021, 01:29:04 pm »
Good point Mariko,

That has always been the bugbear with using PAW via GDL90. It should be possible to provide Bearingless target data via GDL90 as well, but SD are very reticent to do so (and to be fair, GDL90 isn’t setup to do so).

Regards
Peter

Mig29fuk

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Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2021, 03:22:03 pm »
I'm old and cantankerous so my point of view may cause rancour.
After many years flying I've reached the far end and now fly an SSDR very happily.
I continue with SD, PAW and SE2 for ADS-B OUT and am very happy with the guidance and information I reliably receive. My journeys never greater than a 100 NM step.
Personally I cant see any use of TAF/METAR in real time whilst in flight. For Example, even on a longer flight of 300 miles undertaken in an aircraft fast enough to complete that distance it will only involve 3 hours change of weather within that flight. You wouldn't have set out if the prognosis to complete was in so much in doubt on the flight.
If your aircraft can easily fly these routes in more inclement weather then a Weather Radar Pod would probably be the best help.
My vote would be for keeping the reliable effectiveness of what we have. Both PAW and Sd add some good additional facilities based on the proven model in use.
Changing to maybe GDL or something else for a bit of weather data seems a poor decision.
Cantankerous Mode now switched off! Hope everyone is enjoying Summer flying at last.
Gerry
G-MYUP
White Ox Mead Airstrip
Bath. England

whodathought33

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2021, 07:19:36 pm »
Useful inputs from everyone, thanks. Wasn’t aware of the limitations of the GDL90 format; I posed the same question the SD team and their response was:

“This is really a question for PilotAware.  I believe they would need to switch to using the GDL90 protocol in order to be able to send this kind of weather data to apps like SkyDemon, which they may be reluctant to do.  It's not a possibility with their existing FLARM-based connection as far as we know.”

It’s personally can’t a reason why SD can’t just look into creating a script to look at PAWs browser page and read the TAF/METARS there.

I can understand that it wouldn’t be a feature for everyone, and I certainly wouldn’t give up any of PAW’s functionality for it - but if it was able to implemented without any degradation in functionality the for me, it would be of value.

PaulSS

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2021, 10:49:56 pm »
I think I'm even more cantankerous than Mig29 because, not only do I agree with him about the usefulness of the inflight METARs etc but I'd also be asking why PAW would be 'funding' an upgrade to SkyDemon's functions. I am a SD user but don't see why someone who has, for instance, a Sky Echo 2 and SkyDemon should benefit from the time and work of the PAW team, when they haven't invested a penny in PAW's coffers.

I couldn't believe it when I saw some of the ungrateful, rude and downright ignorant comments by some when the Vector tool was 'gifted' to the community. Why on earth should the same ungrateful bunch be given some else for nothing that they can bitch about? Let them eat cake.

Paul_Sengupta

Re: TAF/METARs in Skydemon using ATOM
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2021, 08:41:40 pm »
I like the weather option - on a number of occasions I've called up London Information to get weather information on airfields, particularly when on a flight the "long way" across the English Channel. Having some OGN-R stations along the south coast with some large yagi antennas pointing out over the sea would be great!

I don't see anyone giving away anything to anyone else. As far as I understand it, Sky Demon will take weather inputs on the GDL90 messages. There are two things Sky Demon could do - add proprietary messages to the Flarm format in conjunction with PilotAware for the weather messages, or add proprietary bearingless traffic messages to GDL90 also in conjunction with PilotAware. This doesn't give anything to the SE2 owners. SE2 can pick up the UAT 978 transmissions which can also supply weather, and which are then communicated to Sky Demon over GDL90.

The purpose of the original message I believe was to gauge the response for Lee to code the PAW to transmit the received TAFs and METARs into GDL90 so if you select that, Sky Demon will automatically pick these up.

Back in the day when we trialled UAT 978 reception on PilotAware, the FIS-B weather data was able to be sent from the PilotAware to Sky Demon over GDL90.