Clear Outside

[jacobingonzo]

I dont rely on one forecasting medium -I use three- Clear outside, Ventusky and most reliably sticking my head out the window at dusk!!

Edited August 9, 2021 by jacobingonzo

[Ags]

To ensure it is clear, I DON'T put the scope out to cool down.

Scopes attract atmospheric moisture, that's why they dew up. More insidiously, they attract clouds too.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Ags

[Second Time Around]

You may find these observation records of mine re the accuracy of Clear Outside and 5 other forecasts to be of interest: 

 

 

[StuartT]

14 hours ago, Second Time Around said:

You may find these observation records of mine re the accuracy of Clear Outside and 5 other forecasts to be of interest: 

 

This is great! Thanks. I shall read with interest. 

I guess what I mostly want to know is whether the nice clear sky at dusk is likely to stay that way until night. For that, I rather like satellite cloud imagery like this. Although it doesn't really show the thin stuff (which buggers up seeing).

[Second Time Around]

I also use the Meteox site you linked to, including the infrared images.  Their sun and clouds forecast images are also useful during the day as they're easier to see, but sadly these forecasts don't work at night.

Their rain forecast images are also useful.  However, the best site for these I've found is http://www.wunderground.com.  If you click on the 10 day forecast this is in graphical form that I love.  Then click on Wundermap, followed by layers, radar and then future.  At the bottom of the page you then press the forward arrow.

The advantage of the Wunderground prediction is that it takes into account that showers die out in the evening, especially in the warmer months. 

[tripleped]

has anyone noticed any recent changes to the Bortle ratings for their areas on Clear  Outside? I was  checking it last week  and my area, which had always been rated  as  Bortle  8 (which indeed it is  as  anyone looking at my skies can plainly see- and its  probably a "weak" Bortle 8 at that)  has  suddenly been "upgraded" to Bortle  7. There is no way at all that  my area could be considered Bortle  7. Just wondering  if anyone  else  has  seen weird  changes like that. 

[Second Time Around]

Mine's still the same at Bortle 4, mag 20.83.

[Starslayer]

28 minutes ago, tripleped said:

has anyone noticed any recent changes to the Bortle ratings for their areas on Clear  Outside? I was  checking it last week  and my area, which had always been rated  as  Bortle  8 (which indeed it is  as  anyone looking at my skies can plainly see- and its  probably a "weak" Bortle 8 at that)  has  suddenly been "upgraded" to Bortle  7. There is no way at all that  my area could be considered Bortle  7. Just wondering  if anyone  else  has  seen weird  changes like that. 

Yes, that has happened to me.. 8 now 7.    ..... and just for the record it is showing me 'red' across the board today. I look up and it is as clear as a bell. Not a cloud in the sky.  Same last night. Showed red but clear skies.  Another promising weather source dies a death. Only use it has now is to see when ISS goes over. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Starslayer

[scotty1]

I don't use Clear Outside.

But judging by sat24 , Wales, West Midlands and Northern England seem to be in luck for tonight. The south east is not so good.

Edited August 11, 2021 by scotty1

[StuartT]

An annoying feature of the clearoutside website is that they seem not to understand cookies! It doesn't matter how often I enter my coords it always reverts back to Exeter whenever I go back to it. (presumably because that's where the FLO people are based)

[UKDiver]

3 minutes ago, StuartT said:

An annoying feature of the clearoutside website is that they seem not to understand cookies! It doesn't matter how often I enter my coords it always reverts back to Exeter whenever I go back to it. (presumably because that's where the FLO people are based)

Works for me.

[Dinglem]

@StuartTif once you've set your coordinates and click get forcast it will show your local forcast, then click on the set as default button.

Then the next time you load the site it will show Exeter but if you press the home button it will take you to your location.

[StuartT]

[UKDiver]

On 09/08/2021 at 19:32, jacobingonzo said:

I dont rely on one forecasting medium -I use three- Clear outside, Ventusky and most reliably sticking my head out the window at dusk!!

UK Met Office could learn from your number three.

[Zermelo]

3 hours ago, tripleped said:

I was  checking it last week  and my area, which had always been rated  as  Bortle  8 (which indeed it is  as  anyone looking at my skies can plainly see- and its  probably a "weak" Bortle 8 at that)  has  suddenly been "upgraded" to Bortle  7

Bortle inflation, blame Gavin Williamson.
I hear they're changing them from numbers to letters next year.

[tripleped]

19 hours ago, StuartT said:

An annoying feature of the clearoutside website is that they seem not to understand cookies! It doesn't matter how often I enter my coords it always reverts back to Exeter whenever I go back to it. (presumably because that's where the FLO people are based)

Stuart T  mine does that  also  even though I'm thousands of miles across the pond from Exeter.  I checked  app store  for an update but none available. But I do notice the app is rated only 3 stars. I'm beginning to see why.

[Waddensky]

20 hours ago, StuartT said:

An annoying feature of the clearoutside website is that they seem not to understand cookies! It doesn't matter how often I enter my coords it always reverts back to Exeter whenever I go back to it. (presumably because that's where the FLO people are based)

You can enter coordinates without cookies in the url, like this: http://clearoutside.com/forecast/52.09/5.12

[Tiny Clanger]

52 minutes ago, tripleped said:

Stuart T  mine does that  also  even though I'm thousands of miles across the pond from Exeter.  I checked  app store  for an update but none available. But I do notice the app is rated only 3 stars. I'm beginning to see why.

There's an app (which insists  on the wrong location for me , but then my android 'phone is old,and only slightly smart ) but there is also a website , which works fine. https://clearoutside.com/forecast/50.7/-3.52

The website defaults to Devon too, use the 'look up address/town/postcode' box top left to find your location, then once you are seeing your own area forecast displayed, make a bookmark or favourite, or whatever your browser calls a saved web address .

So when you click on that favourite/bookmark it will take you back to the page for your chosen location. That's how I use it on my 'phone as well as my laptop , now the app stopped behaving properly.

Heather

[StuartT]

1 hour ago, tripleped said:

Stuart T  mine does that  also  even though I'm thousands of miles across the pond from Exeter.  I checked  app store  for an update but none available. But I do notice the app is rated only 3 stars. I'm beginning to see why.

@tripleped Just to be clear I was talking about the website, not the app. However, it's fixed now.

6 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

There's an app (which insists  on the wrong location for me , but then my android 'phone is old,and only slightly smart ) but there is also a website , which works fine. https://clearoutside.com/forecast/50.7/-3.52

The website defaults to Devon too, use the 'look up address/town/postcode' box top left to find your location, then once you are seeing your own area forecast displayed, make a bookmark or favourite, or whatever your browser calls a saved web address .

So when you click on that favourite/bookmark it will take you back to the page for your chosen location. That's how I use it on my 'phone as well as my laptop , now the app stopped behaving properly.

Heather

@Tiny Clanger Heather did you try what @Dinglem advised me (above)? It solved the problem for me. I didn't have to make any bookmark. It simply set a cookie with my coords and now goes to my location every time.

[Tiny Clanger]

Just now, StuartT said:

@tripleped Just to be clear I was talking about the website, not the app. However, it's fixed now.

@Tiny Clanger Heather did you try what @Dinglem advised me (above)? It solved the problem for me. I didn't have to make any bookmark. It simply set a cookie with my coords and now goes to my location every time.

Stuart, I reckoned @tripleped was at cross-purposes,and thought you were concerned with the app, when you were actually talking about the webpage .

I've never had a problem at all with the web version, I use firefox browser and various add ons which make my security settings including cookies quite high, and when I exit firefox, all cookies are erased automatically , so a cookie based setup would be no use for me . ! I have a bookmark to the clear outside page for my location in the tool bar at the top of my browser , right next to one for the BBC Weather for my location and a Met. office one 🙂

Heather