Stormscope
®
WX-1000 Pilot’s Guide
2-4
Chapter 2 – Storm Mapping Principles
Storm Mapping Technology
The WX-1000 & Weather Radar
The storm mapping technology used in the
WX-1000
is
fundamentally different than the technology used in weather
radar. Weather radar operates by transmitting
UHF
radio
waves in the direction of interest and then receiving echoes
from water droplets, whereas the
WX-1000
operates by
receiving signals already present in the atmosphere due to
electrical discharges. The
WX-1000
analyzes the unique
characteristics of these signals, their signal strength, and
their varying rates of recurrence to determine the location
and intensity of the thunderstorms that generated the
discharges. The
WX-1000
can receive radiated electromag-
netic signals from electrical discharges up to
200
nmi away.
One disadvantage of weather radar is that the cumulus stage
of a thunderstorm (usually precipitation free) is unlikely to
appear on weather radar; however, it generally does contain
electrical discharges which
will
appear on your
WX-1000
display as a light but increasing cluster of discharge points.
Another disadvantage of weather radar is that due to attenu-
ation, it may not see the “storm behind the storm” or may
understate its intensity. Your
WX-1000
is not subject to
attenuation. With the
WX-1000
, electrical discharges are
mapped throughout the storm area. The size of the cluster of
discharge points on your
WX-1000
indicates the size of the
storm area. The speed with which the discharge points
appear indicates the intensity of the storm regardless of the
size of the cluster. The more intense the storm, the faster the
discharge points reappear.
Automatic Updating
The
WX-1000
receives and processes electrical discharge
information continuously and updates the screen as needed,
which may be many times every second. Even though the
electromagnetic signals from electrical discharges are of very
short duration, the
WX-1000
stores the resulting discharge
points in memory and displays each point for a maximum of
2
minutes before it is erased from the screen and from memory.
Storm Mapping Technology