WeatherStar Jr
Encyclopedia
The Weather Star Jr is one of many versions of the Weather Star technology developed for The Weather Channel by Wegener Communications in Duluth, Georgia
.
graphics processor at 40 MHz, running firmware written for The Weather Channel. The Weather Star Jr. is used in smaller cable headends, where a WeatherStar 4000, WeatherStar XL, or IntelliStar were cost-prohibitive.
A major Federal Communications Commission
deadline of 30 April 2002 forced TWC to provide audio tone generators to all operators of a Weather Star Jr in order to provide warning tones after the first display of a weather warning. In some instances, this unit replaced WeatherSTAR III units when the FCC
and TWC discontinued the line in December 2004 because it could not produce a tone after the first display of a weather warning. By this time, most of the few remaining III units could no longer produce a tone at all, and making tone generators or other improvements to them would have been costly.
(and from TWC since 2002) on blue, red, tan, or gray backgrounds. The Jr could produce a warning tone in the event weather warnings were issued with the help of the Weather Star Jr Audio Weather Alert Generator that produces DTMF tones. Many of the larger cable companies never used the Jr. or opted to replace it with the newer Weather Star XL
or IntelliStar
. Finding a working one today as of 2011 is extremely rare, very few small communities and independent cable providers still use the Jr. system, most others have adopted the 4000, XL or IntelliStar.
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
.
The Jr's concept
The Weather Star Jr. was based on Wegener's Series 2450 graphics display platform. This system utilized a TMS34010TMS34010
The TMS34010 was the first programmable graphics processor integrated circuit . First silicon was working at Texas Instruments in Houston in December 1985, and first shipment was to IBM's workstation facility in Kingston, New York, in January 1986...
graphics processor at 40 MHz, running firmware written for The Weather Channel. The Weather Star Jr. is used in smaller cable headends, where a WeatherStar 4000, WeatherStar XL, or IntelliStar were cost-prohibitive.
History
In 1990, Wegener Communications created design concepts for the Weather Star Jr, which was first released in 1993. The Weather Star Junior would be used in cable headends that could not afford any other unit (either the former Weather Star III, Star 4000, Star XL, or IntelliStar).A major Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
deadline of 30 April 2002 forced TWC to provide audio tone generators to all operators of a Weather Star Jr in order to provide warning tones after the first display of a weather warning. In some instances, this unit replaced WeatherSTAR III units when the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
and TWC discontinued the line in December 2004 because it could not produce a tone after the first display of a weather warning. By this time, most of the few remaining III units could no longer produce a tone at all, and making tone generators or other improvements to them would have been costly.
Features
The Jr. had the same products and appearance as the III, but with the font of the WeatherSTAR 4000 and still displayed information from the National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
(and from TWC since 2002) on blue, red, tan, or gray backgrounds. The Jr could produce a warning tone in the event weather warnings were issued with the help of the Weather Star Jr Audio Weather Alert Generator that produces DTMF tones. Many of the larger cable companies never used the Jr. or opted to replace it with the newer Weather Star XL
Weather STAR XL
Weather Star XL is the fifth system designed for The Weather Channel's local forecast. At its rollout in 1998, it came months after a major update to the channel's presentation. The Star XL was a major leap over the much older Weather Star 4000 system, featuring advanced capabilities such as...
or IntelliStar
IntelliStar
IntelliStar is the fifth generation successor to the WeatherStar systems used by the American cable TV and satellite TV channel The Weather Channel , for inserting local forecasts and current weather information into TWC's programming...
. Finding a working one today as of 2011 is extremely rare, very few small communities and independent cable providers still use the Jr. system, most others have adopted the 4000, XL or IntelliStar.
Segments Featured on the Weather Star Jr
- Current Conditions - The current weather, temperature, wind speed and direction, gusts, apparent temperature, visibility and ceiling, humidity, dew point, and barometric pressure for your area.
- Latest Observations - The current weather, temperature, and winds in seven nearby cities.
- Regional Observations - The current weather and temperature in seven major cities in the region.
- Regional Forecast - The forecast for seven major cities in the region.
- 36 Hour Forecast - The forecast for the next 36 hours in your area. Originally from the National Weather Service; Provided by The Weather Channel from 2002.
- Almanac - Showed the local sunrise and sunset times for your area, as well as the average high and low temperatures and average precipitation for the month.
- Outlook - A prediction from the National Weather Service of temperatures and precipitation over the next 30 days (above average, normal, or below average). Discontinued in 1995 by the NWS.
- Tides - Replaced the Almanac in coastal areas. Showed high and low tide times for two locations, as well as local sunrise and sunset times in the area.
- (Day of the week)'s Air Quality Forecast - Found only in Southern California. Displayed three locations along with the forecast air quality levels (Good, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, or Hazardous) on the left of the screen, with the overall Pollutant Standard Index values on the right. It is unknown if this segment was discontinued before the Junior was decommissioned, as no Jr's were ever found in Southern California. If it was discontinued before the Junior was decommissioned, it probably happened in 2002 along with the TWC-generated Marine Forecasts on the 4000 and XL.
- Extended Forecast - Shows the forecast for the three days after the next (if shown on a Monday, displays the forecast for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday)
- Travel Cities Forecast - The forecast for the top cities across the nation. The Junior is the only remaining Star unit that still shows this product under normal operating conditions.
Flavor Lineups on the Weather Star Jr
| Flavor | Added | Length (Minutes and Seconds) |
Segments Featured | Discontinued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1993 | 1:00 | Latest Observations, Almanac or Tides, 36 Hour Forecast, Regional Conditions | |
| E | 1993 | 1:00 | 36 Hour Forecast, Extended Forecast, (Air Quality), Latest Observations | |
| H | 1993 | 1:00 | 36 Hour Forecast, Regional Forecast, Almanac or Tides, Latest Observations | 1995 |
| J/LL | 1993 | 3:00 | Current Conditions, Latest Observations, Regional Conditions, 36 Hour Forecast, Almanac or Tides, Regional Forecast, Travel Cities Forecast, Extended Forecast, (Air Quality), [Outlook] | 1997 |
| K | 1993 | 1:30 | Current Conditions, Almanac or Tides, Regional Forecast, 36 Hour Forecast, Extended Forecast, (Air Quality), Latest Observations | |
| L | 1993 | 2:00 | Current Conditions, Latest Observations, Regional Conditions, Regional Forecast, Almanac or Tides, 36 Hour Forecast, Extended Forecast, (Air Quality) | |
| M | 1993 | 2:00 | Current Conditions, 36 Hour Forecast, Extended Forecast, (Air Quality), Travel Cities Forecast |
See also
- IntelliStarIntelliStarIntelliStar is the fifth generation successor to the WeatherStar systems used by the American cable TV and satellite TV channel The Weather Channel , for inserting local forecasts and current weather information into TWC's programming...
- The Weather ChannelThe Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
- Weather Star XLWeather STAR XLWeather Star XL is the fifth system designed for The Weather Channel's local forecast. At its rollout in 1998, it came months after a major update to the channel's presentation. The Star XL was a major leap over the much older Weather Star 4000 system, featuring advanced capabilities such as...
- Weather Star 4000Weather STAR 4000The Weather Star 4000 is the first graphic-capable model of the WeatherStar line manufactured for The Weather Channel. It was first introduced in December 1989 and was designed by Canadian electronics company Amirix . The WeatherStar 4000 was manufactured by Northern Telecom...
- WeatherscanWeatherscanWeatherscan is a TV channel offered by The Weather Channel. Carried on select cable systems in the United States, Weatherscan features uninterrupted local weather information in graphical format on a continuous loop...