PYKL3 Radar

Weather Radar on Your Phone: The latest PYKL3 Update!

August 23, 2012 | by Brandon Sullivan

Everyone has their favorite way to get weather information on their phone, but PYKL3 Radar for Android has just released another upgrade, and boy have they done well! Their new upgrade incorporates some awesome features that are big for chasers and even spotters and emergency managers!

Let’s get the official upgrade list and change log from the source!

Major enhancements:

Viewsets – A new capability to easily configure and access user-customized experience
Added TDWR radar support
On screen storm tracks, identifiers, and radar maximum estimated hail size
Support for mesocylone and tornado vortex signature algorithms (seeing these does NOT guarantee a tornado is present or forming)
New on screen “Tap data” features.
Long press now allows user to pull up official NWS forecast
In App Help is now available in Menu/More/Help – The help screen also shows the radar site with the most active viewers.

Other enhancements:

On screen warning type “alert text”
Corrected Hydromet classification color assignments
Updated new URLs for NWS text products
Eliminated flashing on loop load
Added zoom controls to on-screen display (toggled via layer control)
Corrected Canadian radar mosaic options (Menu/More/Radar Mosaic and Menu/Program Options/General Preferences/Mosaic Preference)
Ability to display abbreviated warning type/expiration next to warning on-screen. Long press/Query screen data to read text
Added code such that when the radar service is enabled to pull data, pykl3 icon remains in colored state. When disabled, but the service remains active (e.g. task switch and load in background is disabled, it will gray out).
Fixed issue whereby road widths were not being recalled properly at startup
Re-do sliders to be easier to use
Changed the zoom increment from factors of 2 to factors of 1.3
Adapted Holo Theme for Android 3.0 and up users
Minor cosmetic fixes

So there you have it, a ton of new fixes and upgrades.. But what do the Titan’s love about the new app? Take a look at a few screenshots we took to highlight our favorite features!

: Detailed street level mapping! Also, weather observations help paint a clear picture of what is happening!

: Hail indicators with maximum hail size, storm tracks, lightning data, warnings and storm cell ID’s!

: A plethora of new data available simply by long pressing on the screen!

: PYKL3 Radar

This new upgrade brings a lot of great features, and you should definitely check it out for yourself! Here is the link to do so!

Brandon Sullivan (14 Posts)

Brandon Sullivan is a Junior Meteorology major at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. Brandon is an avid chaser and has been such for nearly 8 years. Growing up in western Illinois, his love for the plains was born on May 22nd, 2008 when he chased multiple tornadoes in Kansas. Brandon is currently working as an intern at the Storm Prediction Center and is also a student volunteer at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, OK. He is also employed by CIMMS (Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies) where he works with the ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) program, studying and interpreting data from various instruments across the world. Brandon is co owner of Wicked Wind Media, as well as a partner of Tornado Titans Storm Chasing. Brokering his video through StormChasingVideo.com, Brandon and his tornado footage has appeared on every major news network in America, as well as some Canadian and European broadcast companies. Brandon's favorite tornado intercept and video to date was April 3rd, 2012 in Forney, TX. Where he chased solo, capturing a large tornado at close range. Brandon plans to continue through OU until graduation in May of 2014, at which time he will pursue a full time position at a National Weather Service Forecast Office.