Weather Radar for Windows Phones

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We know the drill now. If we feature a Mac product, we have to appease the PC crowd, and vice versa. Otherwise, the earth spins off its axis and our inbox starts smoking. So while the iPhone crowd gets their fill with our review of navigation apps , heres a morsel for readers using Windows Mobile devices.

Weather Radar for Windows Phones

After testing several navigation programs for Windows Mobile handhelds in December 2009, we had the opportunity to evaluate Memory-Maps Weather Radar for Windows Mobile cellphones.

While many of the applications for Windows Mobile devices left us wondering if these were more gadgets than tools, we found this application quite handy. Most phones with Internet capabilities will have some access to useful weather data, even weather radar, but the interface can be clunky or impossible.

Memory-Maps Weather Radar makes getting a decent-if small-radar picture easy. This useful bit of software can download and display a National Weather Service Doppler radar image, complete with animation. Priced at $9.95, the only after charge for its use is the data service fee you normally pay your cellular provider. The base map (50 to 100 kB) for your region is downloaded and saved the first time you download a radar image. After that, the size of the data download varies from 1 to 2 kB for a clear sky to about 10 kB if theres heavy rain in the area.

If you own a Windows Mobile phone, sail in an area known for its thunderstorm activity, and the local waters are covered by NWS Doppler radar, then the simple interface on Memory-Maps Weather Radar will be well worth the $10.

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Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.