NASA Technology Puts $ilver Lining In Storm Clouds For Former Broadcast Meteorologist

A lightning detection and location technology developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., in the 1980's is paying big dividends for a former Huntsville television station's meteorologist.

In 1988, Bob Baron, chief meteorologist for the city's NBC affiliate, WAFF-TV, learned that the Marshall Center had developed a network which provides real time lightning detection and location information as an aid to NASA research operations under way at the space center in northern Alabama. The Marshall system uses a central processor to collect raw data from strategically placed antennas in Alabama and Tennessee. The data is transmitted by telephone lines.

Baron entered into an arrangement with the NASA field center whereby Marshall would provide him with the raw data. In turn, Baron agreed to refine and enhance then real-time display software. He formed Baron Services to commercialize the system; with Huntsville Utilities and the Huntsville division of space rocket manufacturer Tiokol, Inc., as his first two customers.

Of the nation's metropolitan population centers with a population greater than 100,000, severe weather statistics show Huntsville to be the most frequent target of tornadoes. The city was hit with three in a single May 1997 storm. A 1989 tornado killed 22 people and injured hundreds. Huntsville's top rating on the nation's twisters "hit list" prompted Baron to modify his service to allow faster, more accurate dissemination of severe weather information to the public.

Baron Services developed a means of changing the computer data to audio data for transmission by radio station subcarrier, reception by clients through an antenna, and decoding by computer for display. In 1991-92, Baron improved the service by developing software to combine on-screen data from the Lightning Detection Service™ with a conventional weather display showing clouds and rain intensity. Later, he advanced the system to create OmniWxTrac®, which combines real-time lightning data with Doppler radar, broadening the range of storm data and enabling Baron Services' clients to monitor the approach and departure of significant storms and thus schedule weather-sensitive operations accordingly.

Baron Service's OmniWxTrac¨ storm projection system which gives utilities, emergency management officials and others the ability to plot a dangerous storm's projected movement, instantly identifying all communities in the path of danger, and estimate the time the storm will arrive at each community.

Baron Services' successes have seen the company growth to where it is expected to serve more than 100 client stations by the end of 1997. Baron Services' products are seen by millions of viewers. The firm's FasTrac™ offers a selection of options for real-time data manipulation. Numerous radar enhancements are available with storm tracking, superior graphics, Quantum Topography™, and the ability to focus solely on communities and neighborhoods with city street-level mapping. Now, for the first time in industry with NexTrac™, Baron Services can manipulate NEXRAD data directly from the data providers. NexTrac™ ingests NEXRAD data and enables users to manipulate the data. This unique capability enables users to zoom directly down to City Streets™. This flexible product uses NEXRAD data over Quantum Topography™ and manipulates views instantly.

As a service to broadcasters, Baron Service's new AutoTrac™ system enables radio and television stations to use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to monitor the location of remote broadcast news vehicles in real-time. The firm's NewsFIRST Video™ is the patented leader in video over cellular technology.

The rapidly growing company continues to be headquartered in Huntsville, but operates branch offices in Texas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Baron Services is the parent company of BaronTech, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. Both companies focus on products and services that provide quality and accuracy in news and weather information. NASA technology has helped Baron Services become the full-service provider of real-time, local weather information products.