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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does AvWx.net do?
- AvWx.net delivers current NOAA Radar Maps, METARs, TAFs, satellite pictures, winds aloft maps,
and flight conditions maps to most cell phones with color screens. To try it yourself, fire up the browser on your
phone and visit the Avwx.Net demo page at http://avwx.net/demo
- What URL do I use on my phone?
- For most phones you can just browse to http://avwx.net, the same url you used to get here. AvWx.net uses
advanced device detection technology to identify whether you are using a mobile device or a notebook or desktop.
AvWx.net also identifies whether or not your phone prefers xhtml or wml and redirects it accordingly. You can manually
select between the various versions of AvWx.net by browsing to:
- http://avwx.net/wap/ for the xhtml version,
- http://avwx.net/wml/ for the graphic wml version,
- http://avwx.net/wx2/ for the text-only wml version of AvWx.net.
- When I use Google to find AvWx.net, it looks different and the images are gone!
- When you use Google's Wireless Search to browse to AvWx.net, you connect through Google's WAP Proxy. The Google WAP
Proxy strips off all of the header information that tells AvWx.net which image format your phone requires. This often results
in broken or missing images. We've tried to notify Google of the problem, but have only received machine-generated pseudo-replies.
The Google WAP Proxy also incorrectly assumes that all mobile phones prefer wml, which cripples xhtml-compatible phones. For now, the work-around is to avoid using the Google WAP Proxy and enter the URL for AvWx.net directly into your phone.
- How does AvWx.net work?
- AvWx.net is a web site that is specially written to work with the internet browsers on most wireless phones.
You must have the internet service for your phone enabled by your wireless service provider. When you browse to
http://avwx.net with your phone, the web server recognizes that you are using a phone and not a notebook or
desktop computer and serves the appropriate weather pages to your phone.
- Does the cost of a AvWx.net Subscription include wireless internet service?
- No. Your wireless service provider will charge you separately for wireless internet service. Some wireless
companies have bundles that include both phone and internet service, and some only have internet service available
as an add-on option. Check with the customer service department of your wireless provider for details.
- My wireless carrier charges by the Megabyte for mobile web service. How much do I need each month to use AvWx.net?
- The amount of data AvWx.net sends to a phone browser depends primarily on three factors. The size of the screen, the number different menu choices selected, and the preferred markup language of the browser in the phone.
AvWx.net generates images scaled to fit the size of the screen as reported by the phone's browser. Users also have the option to set image sizes manually.
Phones with XHTML browsers do a better job of displaying AvWx.net content, but do so at the cost of requesting more data from the server. Older WML phones have less display flexibility, but request less data, and are marginally faster because most cellular data networks are somewhat slow. Most XHTML-capable phones are backward-compatible and can also parse WML.
To get a ballpark answer to the question we the ran the sequence below on a Motorola V600 on the Cingular network. The mapsize was set to 129 pixels which is smaller than the default 165 pixel size for a V600, but is close to the average size of all the phone screens currently on the system. (PDAs and smartphones have larger screens). The entire sequence was run twice, once using the default XHTML mode of the phone, and a second time using WML by explicitly browsing to the WML version of AvWx.net at http://avwx.net/wml/
At the end of the XHTML session, the V600 browser reported downloading 107,791 bytes.
At the end of the WML session, the V600 browser reported downloading 57,502 bytes.
Test session script:
- Log on to AvWx.net with User ID and Password.
- Navigated to the SELECT AIRPORT menu choice and selected KMIA (Miami International).
- Selected NEXRAD from the KMIA weather menu and viewed the current NEXRAD radar image. The size (in bytes) in a NEXRAD image varies a bit depending upon how much weather is in the area. In this case there was rain covering about 1/4 of the image area.
- Selected SATELLITE from the KMIA weather menu and viewed the current infrared satellite image.
- Selected WINDS ALOFT from the KMIA weather menu and viewed the Winds Aloft maps for two different altitudes.
- Selected the METAR/TAF choice from the KMIA weather menu and read the current METAR and TAF.
- Selected FACILITIES from the AIRPORT menu and looked up the phone number for an FBO at KMIA.
- Will the Radar Maps work on my cell phone?
- Use our demo page to find out. Point the browser in your cell phone to http://avwx.net/demo/. The demo
site shows you most of the features of AvWx.net using a randomly chosen airport. What's missing from the demo are the airport
selection dialogs and the custom options menu that lets you set preferences. Most phones provide enough information
in the headers they send AvWx.net so that the demo page will pick a map size that fills your screen. If you run the demo
and the NexRad maps and satellite pictures don't fill the screen, rest assured you'll be able to adjust that when you subscribe
to the full version of AvWx.net.
- If you're in Canada or Europe, you can see demos of AvWx.net for your area. The Canadian demo is at http://avwx.net/demo/canada/
and the demo for Europe is at http://avwx.net/demo/europe/
- If you have a cell phone with an older WML browser that can't display color pictures you can still use AvWx.net
to get METARs and TAFs, as well as browse for direct-dial numbers to ATIS and AWOS/ASOS systems. You can also use
the Flight Service Station direct-dial locator with any phone with a WML browser.
- But I don't want to subscribe to internet service if I'm not sure AvWx.net works on my phone. What can I do?
- Try visiting one of your wireless provider's retail stores. Ask the sales person to show you your model phone
with the internet service enabled. Tell the sales person you want to see the AvWx.net test page run on that phone.
If it works, the sales person can help you activate internet service on your phone.
- Can I use AvWx.net as my primary source of aviation weather information?
- No, AvWx.net is a source of supplemental aviation weather information only. The FAA specifically requires a
formal pre-flight weather briefing either from a flight briefer at an FAA Flight Service Station or through the use
of DUATS.
- Can I use AvWx.net in flight?
- The short answer is no. The long answer is maybe, but it probably wouldn't work well while you're airborne.
FCC regulation 22.295, which governs cell phones, prohibits the use of cell phones in aircraft while airborne. PCS phones, however, are regulated by FCC part 23, not part 22, and we haven't been able to find a corresponding regulation in part 23. But keep in mind that many PCS phones fall back to analog cell phone operation when a PCS cell is out of range. Also, the antennas used at the PCS cell towers do a good job of keeping the signal down on the ground where all the customers are, so PCS coverage above about 2500 feet would be spotty at best.
- Can I use the browser on my cell phone to sign up for the AvWx.net?
- Unfortunately, no. We use PayPal for payment processing, and their payment handling system isn't compatible with
the limited browsers in cell phones. For now, you must use a web browser on a computer to sign up for AvWx.net.
- Am I completely out of luck if I'm a Verizon customer? I have a Motorola StarTac or T720.
- Not at all! If you have a cell phone with an older WML browser that can't display color pictures you can still use
AvWx.net to get METARs and TAFs, as well as browse for direct-dial numbers to ATIS and AWOS/ASOS systems and the FBO,
and ground transportation information. You can also use the Flight Service Station direct-dial locator with any phone with a WML browser.
- Also... check out our AvWx.net PDA page for some options that will let you use your current
phone as a data-link for your Palm or Pocket PC.
- I'm trying to use AvWx.net with a wireless PDA. All I can see is the same web site as my desktop computer browser.
- AvWx.net tries to detect the kind of device you are using. Most of the time it gets it right, but some devices
don't do a good job of identifying themselves as small-screen mobile devices.
- There is, however, a work-around. Click on the AvWx WAP Site link at the top left of the page. That will take you to http://avwx.net/wap, the weather site for xhtml capable browsers.
- You can also browse directly to the WAP site for mobile devices. The URL is:
http://avwx.net/wap/ ...or for WML-only devices: http://avwx.net/wml/
- Must I have cookies turned on in my phone's browser to use AvWx.net?
- No, but if you disable cookies you will need to log-in each time you use AvWx.net. With cookies turned on,
you only need to log-in once a month. The cookie only contains encrypted log-in information, and we never
share your cookie information with anyone.
- I'm using a PalmOS or PocketPC based phone or PDA and I have to log-in each time.
- There is a problem with the cookie handling on some of these devices. We are working on the problem.
In the meantime, there is a possible work-around described on the
Cookie Problem page.
- Will the system work wherever I fly?
- No, but you can use it wherever you have wireless coverage for the cell phone or pager you choose to
use. Check with your wireless vendor for current coverage maps.
- Can I use AvWx.net if I fly outside the U.S.A.?
- Yes! - We're working to extend the usefulness of AvWx.net well beyond the 48 contiguous states.
METARs and TAFs are available for thousands of airports outside the USA. AvWx.net will give you an
infrared satellite image centered on almost any airport world-wide except for those in arctic areas.
We have runway and runway lighting information as well as VHF frequency information for more than
10,000 airports worldwide. If you are outside the U.S. and want to try using AvWx.net, drop us a note at
Info@RamPage.net and tell us where you fly and what sort of wireless device you would like to use. We'll explore the possibilities and get back to you as quickly as possible.
- PayPal logins and passwords are hard to remember, can I change them?
- Yes! Log-in on the AvWx.net Home Page then click on the
red button labelled My Profile which appears when you log in. You can set up a second login
ID and password that you define. Your PayPal-issued login and password will continue to work as well.
- I have forgotten my AvWx.net password. What do I do?
- Visit the Lost Password page. Enter the email address on file for your account, and we'll email you your password.
- Or... You can log into PayPal and look at the Details page it contains both your login and your password. Even if you have changed your login or password, the original PayPal login and password will continue to work. If you are a CFI and signed up through our CFI program, you can simply run through the sign-up process again.
- If I subscribe will you sell my e-mail address to spammers?
- NO! Our privacy policy is clear and unambiguous: We do not sell, rent, lend or otherwise divulge the e- mail addresses of our subscribers to anyone. The one exception to that rule is that we will respond to legitimate requests for subscriber information from law enforcement organizations.
- How can I cancel my subscription?
- Log in to PayPal and click on the My Account tab. Click on details for your RamPage Telepublishing
AvWx.net subscription. Click on the Cancel Subscription button at the bottom of the page. Your subscription will be cancelled at the end of your current paid subscription period.
- My question wasn't answered here. How to I contact you?
- Send us an email. The address is: Info@RamPage.net. or you can write to:
RamPage Publishing
P.O. Box 720624
San Jose, CA 95172
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