Weather Belt — User Manual

Getting Started

• System requirements: iPhone running iOS 16 or later.
• First launch: the onboarding flow introduces all 6 data sources.
• No account required — open the app and data loads automatically.
• For AI agents: obtain an API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google and enter it in Settings → AI Provider.
• For Broadcastify scanner audio: obtain a Broadcastify API key and enter it in Settings → Data Sources.

Live Feeds Explained

• The Live Feeds in the drawer show real-time data from all active sources.
• Weather alerts (WX) — NWS alerts covering the United States only. International users will see seismic, wildfire, and lightning data but not local weather alerts.
• Feed rows are sorted by severity — most critical events appear first.
• Up to 3 events shown per source — tap any row for full details.
• Toggle data sources on/off using the layer chips at the top of the map.
• Alert radius can be configured in Settings → Severe Weather Alerts.

My Locations

• Save up to 5 locations to monitor conditions anywhere.
• Access via Settings → My Locations.
• Tap any saved location to make it active — all feeds, ticker, and alerts update to that location.
• Current GPS location is always available and cannot be removed.
• Add locations by city name, state, or zip code.

Map Dashboard

• The map is your primary interface — all data displays as pins and overlays.
• Top bar: app title + active alert pill (red = active warning).
• Layer strip: 10 toggle chips — WX, SCA, SES, AVN, MAR, FIRE, NEXRAD, HAM, GMRS, HURR.
• Bottom drawer: swipe up for live feeds, AI agents, scanner, and quick access.
• Tap any map pin to see details in the drawer.
• Settings gear in top right.

Weather Alerts (WX)

• Data source: NOAA/NWS — updates continuously.
• NWS weather alerts cover the United States and US territories only. Users outside the US will not receive weather alerts but will still receive seismic, wildfire, and lightning data.
• Displays as colored polygons on the map.
• Severity colors: Red = Warning, Orange = Watch, Yellow = Advisory.
• Top bar always shows most severe active alert.
• Feed rows show event type, affected area, and expiration time.
• AI Weather Interpreter agent translates alert jargon into plain English.

Seismic (SES)

• Data source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
• Real-time earthquake data worldwide.
• Pin size scales with magnitude.
• Feed shows magnitude, location, depth, and time.
• Minimum magnitude filter in Settings → Map Preferences.
• AI Incident Analyst agent cross-correlates seismic with weather events.

Aviation (AVN)

• Data source: FAA/NOAA METAR reports.
• Color coded flight categories: VFR (green), MVFR (blue), IFR (red), LIFR (magenta).
• Feed shows decoded conditions: visibility, ceiling, weather phenomena.
• AI Aviation Briefer translates raw METAR into plain English flight conditions.

Marine (MAR)

• Data source: NDBC (National Data Buoy Center).
• Real-time buoy readings: wind speed/direction, wave height, water temperature.
• AI Marine Briefer provides plain English coastal and waterway conditions.

Wildfire (FIRE)

• Data source: NASA FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System).
• Hotspot data updated every 24 hours.
• Shows confidence level and detection time.
• Toggle FIRE layer to show/hide on map.

Temperature & Conditions

• Shows current temperature and overall conditions for your selected location.
• Includes common condition indicators like cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and humidity when available.
• Use it as your fast “at-a-glance” readout before diving into alerts, radar, or marine/aviation details.

Lightning (LTG)

• Displays lightning activity in your area to help you gauge thunderstorm intensity and proximity.
• Use lightning data alongside NEXRAD to validate storm cores and identify rapidly intensifying cells.
• Safety note: if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck — seek shelter immediately.

Air Quality (AQI)

• Shows Air Quality Index (AQI) for your area, useful during wildfire smoke, dust events, and stagnant air.
• Higher AQI = worse air. Sensitive groups should take precautions sooner.
• Use with the Wildfire layer to understand potential downwind smoke impact.

Tide Data

• Shows tide information for coastal areas, including upcoming high/low tides when available.
• Helpful for boating, shoreline operations, and assessing coastal flood risk during storms.
• Combine with Marine data for wind/wave context and Weather Alerts for coastal advisories.

Sunrise, Sunset & Moon Phase

• Provides sunrise and sunset times for your selected location.
• Shows current moon phase for night-visibility context (field work, aviation spotting, and storm viewing).
• Use it for planning and situational awareness, especially during overnight severe weather.

NEXRAD Radar

• Data source: RainViewer.
• Live precipitation radar overlay.
• Updates automatically every few minutes.
• Toggle with NEXRAD chip in layer strip.

HAM RADIO (HAM)

• Data source: Repeater Directory via RadioReference API (BYOK).
• Displays ham radio repeater pins on the map when HAM layer is toggled on.
• Tap any repeater pin to see details in the drawer: output/input frequency pair, PL/CTCSS tone required, mode (FM, DMR, P25, Yaesu Fusion, D-STAR), trustee callsign, location and coverage area, operational status, and network affiliation (RACES, ARES, Skywarn, etc.).
• Why it matters: Ham radio repeaters are critical emergency communication infrastructure when cellular networks fail during disasters.
• License requirement: A valid FCC amateur radio license is required to transmit. Weather Belt provides monitoring and reference data only.
• To enable: enter your RadioReference API key in Settings → Data Sources.
• Without a key: repeater pins are not displayed.

GMRS (GMRS)

• Data source: Repeater Directory via RadioReference API (BYOK).
• Displays GMRS repeater pins on the map when GMRS layer is toggled on.
• Tap any repeater pin to see details in the drawer: frequency, PL/CTCSS tone, callsign, location, and whether the repeater is open or closed to public use.
• Why it matters: GMRS is increasingly used for neighborhood and family emergency communication networks.
• License requirement: GMRS requires an FCC license (no exam required, available at fcc.gov). Weather Belt provides monitoring and reference data only.
• To enable: enter your RadioReference API key in Settings → Data Sources.
• Without a key: repeater pins are not displayed.

Scanner (SCA)

Free tier: OpenMHz — no API key required

• Browse systems by state.
• View latest calls with talkgroup names and timestamps.
• Tap Play to listen to any call recording.
• Auto-play toggle for newest calls.

Premium tier: Broadcastify (BYOK)

• Enter your Broadcastify API key in Settings → Data Sources.
• Search channels by location, agency, or frequency.
• Live streaming audio.
• Recently played channels saved automatically.

AI Decode

• Scanner Decoder agent translates transmissions into plain English.
• Decodes 10-codes inline.
• Decode log persists last 20 entries.

TTS

Decoded summaries read aloud via text-to-speech.

AI Agents

• Six agents available: Weather Interpreter, Scanner Decoder, Incident Analyst, Evacuation Advisor, Marine Briefer, Aviation Briefer.
• Requires API key from: OpenAI (GPT-4), Anthropic (Claude), or Google (Gemini).
• Enter key in Settings → AI Provider.
• Your key is stored encrypted on your device — never transmitted to Ghost Logics.
• Tap any agent chip in the drawer to activate.
• All responses carry an AI-generated disclaimer.
• The Incident Analyst agent can cross-correlate active HAM and GMRS repeater availability with ongoing weather and emergency events — useful for identifying which communication infrastructure is operational during a crisis.

Geofence Alert Zones

• Create up to 10 custom alert zones.
• Access via Settings → Alert Zones or Quick Access in drawer.
• Tap + to create a new zone.
• Set: zone name, location (tap map to place), radius (50–500 miles), alert types.
• Alert types: Tornado Warning, Severe Thunderstorm, Flash Flood, Earthquake 4.0+, Hurricane, Winter Storm.
• Toggle zones on/off without deleting them.
• Edit or delete zones from the zone list.

Reference Library

Fully offline — no internet required.

8 reference guides:

• Police/Fire 10-Codes — with jurisdiction disclaimer
• NATO Phonetic Alphabet
• Beaufort Wind Scale
• NIMS/ICS Structure
• METAR Decoder Guide
• NWS Alert Glossary
• Severe Weather Safety
• Emergency Contacts (national numbers)

Search within any guide.

Settings

• Data Sources: Broadcastify key, RadioReference key, NASA FIRMS key.
• AI Provider: LLM API key management.
• Map Preferences: wildfire range, seismic threshold, wind units.
• Severe Weather Alerts: minimum severity, per-alert type toggles.
• Barometer: rapid drop threshold, station pressure display.
• Notifications: background alerts, sound, vibration.
• Critical alerts play sound even when Do Not Disturb or Sleep focus is enabled.
• Enabled by default for: Tornado Warning, Tornado Emergency, Flash Flood Emergency, Hurricane Warning, Tsunami Warning.
• Configure in Settings → Notifications → Critical Alerts.
• Requires permission — granted during initial setup.
• Alert Zones: geofence management.
• About: version, data attributions, privacy policy, reset all settings.
• User Manual: this guide.

Privacy & Data

• Zero personal data collected.
• No account, no login, no tracking, no analytics.
• All API keys stored locally using encrypted secure storage (expo-secure-store).
• Location used only for map centering and local alert filtering — never transmitted.
• No data ever sent to Ghost Logics servers.
• Ad-free. Always.

FAQ