[Tyler]

What is the TWC Tech Support Forum and what should it be used for?
The forum is used to report technical problems with The Weather Channel's WeatherSTAR equipment, used to bring you your local forecast.



Does the TWC Tech Support Forum have rules or posting guidelines?
Yes. In fact, we ask that your follow these rules very strictly. To view the guidelines, please click here.



Who monitors the TWC Tech Support Forum?
TWC STAR moderators will regularly monitor these boards. They will not be able to reply to all issues; however all feedback submitted to this forum will be read by a TWC STAR Team member.




What is a WeatherSTAR?
As described on weather.com: A patented and unique system named the WEATHERSTAR® (Satellite Transponder Addressable Receiver) that allows the transmission of thousands of customized weather forecasts simultaneously. As the network broadcasts a signal via satellite, custom equipment at each cable location decodes the transmission, extracting the appropriate forecast for viewers in that specific geography. Many cable systems are equipped with second generation STARs, allowing the presentation of weather forecasts using icons, graphics, and time-lapsed views of local radar. The Weather Channel is constantly exploring new technologies to deliver more accurate and informative weather information and looks forward to continuously improving our weather products



What is the LDL?
On the IntelliStar, the LDL is the black bar (as seen below). It is the bar that shows information on the bottom of the screen during live national segments.





What STAR do I have?
You can use the below picture guide to determine the type of STAR you have:




What is my Local Weather ID and where can I find it?
Your Local Weather ID is used to help identify your specific STAR unit. Each STAR ID is unique - as only your STAR has the exact number. It can be seen at :57 past each hour during the station ID in the top right hand corner of the screen. Also, on the IntelliStar, it can be seen on the LDL. (example ID: 022438)



I just switched from cable to satellite... where did my local forecast go?!?!
Current technology doesn't allow the delivery of localized forecasts segments to satellite customers, such as cable's "Local On the 8s." A few select satellite companies provide a national LDL, showing forecasts and airport delays nationwide. Some satellite companies, however, do provide "interactive weather widgets," where you can look up weather information, Radars, and weather warnings from TWC by inserting a ZIP code. Consult your satellite provider for more information and to see if the option is available to you...


http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png What is this "HiRAD" stuff everyone keeps talking about?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png The new HiRAD technology was developed by a team of expert scientists led by Ian Miller and Dr. Bruce Rose at The Weather Channel and Dr. Peter Neilley at Weather Services International (TWC’s sister company). It carefully aggregates weather information from existing sensors (such as National Weather Service stations and others) and satellite and radar images and applies proprietary formulas to create an exclusive report that will reflect the actual conditions less than one mile away from any point of interest.



http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Does my STAR have HiRAD?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png At this time, only the IntelliStar has HiRAD Technology. Currently, all IntelliStar's utilize this technology to bring localized weather to you. So, if you have an IntelliStar (or Weatherscan IntelliStar) - you have HiRAD!




http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Do I have Weatherscan in my area?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png Mostly, Weatherscan is primarily available in major cities with Comcast, Time Warner, or Cox Digital Cable. To find out if Weatherscan is available in your specific area, consult your local cable company. If it's not available, call and email the cable company and ask them to add Weatherscan today!




http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Oh my gosh! My current conditions page says "No Report!" What do I do?!
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png First, take a step back from your TV. Second, take a deep breathe. Third, chill out! This occurs every now and then. Only report a current conditions outage if it is for a prolonged period of time, such as many hours, and the outage is specific to your area (not reported anywhere else).




http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Oh no! My current conditions screen (IntelliStar) is showing the observation site again - the one BEFORE we got HiRAD! What's going on?!
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png Sometimes, HiRAD goes out, or is taken off line for an update. It's okay, this is normal. By default, when HiRAD is out, your old primary observation site should show again until HiRAD is back. If HiRAD is down for a prolonged period of time, please report it in the Tech Support forum.



http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Oh crap... I just saw the Satellite version of the local forecast. Where did my Local On the 8s go?!
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png Chill out. This has happened countless times in the history of TWC. Your local forecast should be back in a couple minutes. Only report this issue if this happens for a prolonged period of time.



http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Hey, why doesn't my IntelliStar have traffic reports? I live in a large area...
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png TWC gets it's traffic reports from a third part source, TrafficPulse. If TrafficPulse doesn't provide traffic data for your area - chances are you won't see traffic reports.



http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png Hey! TrafficPulse does provide traffic in my area / TrafficPulse just started providing traffic reports in my area. Why aren't I seeing them on TWC?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png According to TrafficPulse, once traffic is available in a new area, there must be a period of leeway time before vendors, such as TWC, can start utilizing these products.



http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png How come I don't have that fancy Air Quality screen some other IntelliStars do?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png As with traffic, not every IntelliStar has Air Quality reports. Air Quality comes from the EPA. To see if the EPA provides Air Quality forecasts for your area, visit their website.




http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_question.png My Weather Bulletins screen says a Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch is in effect for my county - but it's only for a neighboring county, so this must be an error, right?
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/style_images/1/faq_answer.png TWC Star Team answer: In short, this is a known issue and not technically incorrect. If you notice, the NWS issues watches and a statement that it applies to counties and locations "in and around the watch area".

The list of counties displayed on TWC as included in a particular watch, is derived from a graphical plot of the Watch area. TWC realizes that the graphic is only an estimate of the area covered by a Watch and that the local NWS office determines specifically which counties are in a watch. However, when this product was launched in 2003, the NWS did not issue a formatted, computer readable bulletin that indicates which counties are removed and which remain as portions of the watch area are cancelled throughout the lifetime of the watch. So the only method we had for tracking changes to a watch area over it’s life cycle was to base our display on the graphic.

At this time, there will always be a few counties that are captured by our estimates that are not “officially” in the watch areas. Considering that all watch statements continue to use the phraseology ‘in and close to the watch area’, we feel that carrying extra adjacent counties did not cause significant harm.

Now that VTEC and watch-by-county have launched, we do receive a formatted bulletin (WCN) to initiate and update these watches. In the future, TWC will use this local NWS office bulletin to create and update the Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Watches, and these discrepancies will no longer occur. The use of the WCN is tied to a large scale project that TWC has initiated that will enable us to process all bulletins using VTEC.