[aprssig] "The New" WXSVR and Canada

[Bill Diaz]

Gregg,
	See below:

>-----Original Message-----
>From: aprssig-bounces at tapr.org 
>[mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf Of Gregg Wonderly
>Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 16:59
>To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [aprssig] "The New" WXSVR and Canada
>
>
>I didn't see any responses to my earlier inquiry.  Google 
>Earth provides a 
>simple to use mechanism that allows all kinds of 
>geographic/topographic 
>information to be integrated and over-layed into very 
>spectacularly useful displays.
>
>My APRSKML server (http://aprskml.dev.java.net) shows how the 
>APRS-IS and TNC 
>streams of APRS packet data can be overlayed onto anything 
>else google earth is 
>displaying.
>
>The NWS radar images can be retrieved using the KML formatted 
>data that the NWS 
>website provides access to.

	The problem I have with the Google radar overlays is how "confused"
the map colors become when having multiple overlays active at one time.  NWS
is using an Experimental Google map (Combined Radar and warnings- available
at most NWS radar site pages) and it suffers from the same problem.  When
areal watches (colored polygons) are displayed beneath the radar images, the
colors "bleed" somewhat and the underlying road and city details are
slightly obscured.  The problem is that you must always overlay images in
Google Maps.  You cannot underlay them or specify the layer you desire.  It
is my understanding NWS is looking for alternatives for the combined Radar
and Warning Google maps.

	With UiView and Precision Mapping, we had the ability to choose when
to underlay the radar image on the map.  This allowed us to draw the
street/highway layer and the City names over the radar imagery.  

	If there is a product that allows use of KML files as underlays or
to specify when to render the image, then it might be possible to create
some powerful map displays using user supplied polygons and images.


Bill KC9XG

>I understand this kind of thing is harder to use on the road 
>if you don't have a 
>stream to the internet for map data.  But in building spaces 
>of EOCs and other 
>static locations, it seems like building tools around the KML 
>mechanisms would 
>be a great thing to go after.
>
>How many people are using google earth's facilities for 
>external KML sourced 
>data to build complex, overlayed views?
>
>Gregg Wonderly
>
>Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists wrote: