I've always gushed at The Weather Channel -- but not the current iteration on your local cable box. We're talking about the 1990's one I and many grew up watching before the advent of on-demand weather brought about by the internet. The ol' days of flipping on the TV to channel X to hear that phantom voiced man "And now, your local forecast" followed by the most plush smooth "jazz" background tunes (this genre of music is either extremely loved or hated/tolerated and please leave Kenny G alone).
Something about weather and smooth tunes strikes a cord within me of warm, nostalgic comfort. Oh, yes.
Something about weather and smooth tunes strikes a cord within me of warm, nostalgic comfort. Oh, yes.
Now I've always seen the internet as a conduit of time travel. One can harness, the technology bringing us material akin to one only could've imagined through hitting 88 miles per hour in a stainless steel beast designed by a wild-eyed scientist. Made possible through the internet, computers and technology, a nostalgic indulgence through the wonders of the vast technology it brings us to new realms, possibilities.
The "WeatherSTAR" or computer program and unit was designed to report the weather through your cable box, harnessing live data from the National Weather Service. The program really gained notoriety in 1990 with the graphics-capable "4000" version, succeded by the 1986 "3000"; formerly text-based, no-frills into the 4000's colors, animated graphics and live radar.
As the 1990s roared on, the iconic 80s-laden graphics of the 1990 established "WeatherSTAR 4000" went by the wayside on most cable providers as newer technology brought about fresh graphics and more "programming" for TWC. Swallowed by the past, the new iteration just hasn't charm. Seeing the old WeatherSTAR 4000 once again is almost a dream, though reportedly some regions of your state might still carry the old-school look, according to Wikipedia (yeah, where is Lakeville, CT again?).
Since I won't be barging into anyones Lakeville home to see a live cable broadcast, I'll sit at my PC and view it on a constant loop...
Your dreams can become as clear as the night sky (with unlimited ceiling)...
Founder "Bill" and his team from his website Taiganet.com have managed to replicate the much favored program through emulation of the WeatherSTAR 4000 software. That's right, the iconic "The Weather Channel" look and feel will run right on your PC, based on the somewhat archaic Microsoft .NET (and "ver 1.1" currently).
THE LATEST VERSION UP-AND-RUNNING WITH FURIOUS CONDITIONS OVER BRISTOL, CONN.
Though the program has been fluttering around the net for almost a decade now, I tend to arrive late to the party, just in time for Bill's long-awaited update, still in the beta stages. Make no mistake, though the program is and has been beta for many years, keep in mind of the small team as well as its entirely no-cost venture. Entirely functional and almost 100% emulated as you'd see on your cable box with nice, crisp (vintage) graphics, the WS4000 emulator is simply a marvelous recreation -- certainly one of the most intruging acquisitions of recent time. Yes I know, I love this kind of stuff.
So you've heard enough, you know you'd like this on your desktop (it beats any app or desktop buddy you could currently download), but getting started isn't as quite as easy it ought to be. You'll have to sign up at Taiganet's somewhat fortified forum, past the dreaded anti-spam "captcha" (which took me many, many attempts and patience to pass). Oh, and you can't register using a Yahoo email account (not sure what his beef is with Yahoo, though it might have something to do with crippling quantities of spam).
You must have version 1.1 of Microsoft .NET, so if you've got anything higher, trash it and download the regressive version (though reports claim to have gotten the current versions running on ones higher). Once you've gotten registered, head over to the downloads section and grab the latest version. Set-up will take a while as you'll have to endure data entry (though this is where the customizable option could make it "fun") but once it's all in there, you will likely never have to change a thing unless you just want to play around.
Because this emulator grabs data right from the official source, The National Weather Service, you will have to enter specific data and certain codes including an "ASOS ID", and "NWS Zone" number, both of which can be gathered from an excellent WeatherSTAR 4000-themed site. Following the user-friendly parameters of the emulator in order to get the program running will only take five-to-ten minutes.
DATA ENTRY MENUS: CUSTOMIZABLE TO YOUR PREFERENCES
In order for the program to run, you must enter your data in all fields on the various categories of Local, Regional, Travel (though you needn't toy with this at all). Radar data is currently null and void on the program, so even if you've entered your radar code for your region, you won't see it on the emulation. In the local segment, you must enter seven cities and this is where you can get somewhat creative. Want to always keep tabs on conditions in York, Pennsylvania? Perhaps Miami, Florida? Simply enter seven desired cities anywhere in the U.S. known or unknown and you'll be kept abreast.
What's a "flavor"? Simply the arrangement of the various segments. The "J" flavor is known as the common version but there are many other preset flavors formerly used on the WeatherSTAR 4000 and can also be tweaked to your liking.
LATEST OBSERVATIONS: CUSTOMIZABLE TO YOUR OWN LUCKY SEVEN REPORTS
REGIONAL FORECAST: RINDGE, N.H. YOU SAY? PLOT YOUR OWN CITIES ON THE MAP AND STAY INFORMED
Finally, the program wouldn't be The Weather Channel without the music. While I'll typically run my own hand-picked playlist on iTunes of a soundtrack reminiscent of On The 8's, (and yes, I have many) you can program music to run with the loops through the emulator program. Need a muse? Head over to YouTube and grab some ideas or check out The Weather Channel's official (though incomplete) listings of music actually used on the segments from the WeatherSTAR 3000 days of 1986 to the 4000's 1990 advent to the present.
YOUR 36-HOUR EXTENDED FORECAST: ADD YOUR OWN HEADER AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE HUMIDITY AND DEWPOINT
MOON DATA AND SUNRISE/SETS GUIDE COMPLETE WITH BAROMETRIC PRESSURE READINGS (!)
Now Run the emulator and enjoy -- and have fun with it. Oh, and don't forget to grab your desired "classic" logo to run in the upper-left corner of your screen. You can find all that and more on the Taiganet forums.
Thank you to Bill and his team for creating this wonderful program for all of us to enjoy and bask in nostalgic goodness -- and entirely free. Be sure to check in frequently for revisions, updates which are forthcoming.
Here's the video that got me started featuring a classic: "Rainbow Seeker" by Joe Sample, previously used on The Weather Channel.
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