L3 comminications Stormscope II Series Manual

®
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Model WX-1000
Stormscope
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Model WX-1000
Stormscope®

A
Stormscope
®
WX-1000 Pilot’s GuideA
Stormscope®System Advantages
Welcome
L-3 Avionics Systems, one of the world’s most experienced
companies in airborne thunderstorm avoidance instru-
ments, is pleased to welcome you to the family of tens of
thousands of pilots who are enjoying the benefits of safer
flight with a Stormscope®weather mapping system.
The Original
Don’t be fooled by Stormscope system look-alikes. There is
only one Stormscope system, and only one company that
makes the Stormscope line of weather mapping systems.
The Stormscope system, the original, most accurate weather
mapping system is manufactured by L-3 Avionics Systems.
Fly with Greater Confidence
You now own one of the leading instruments in the world
for airborne detection and mapping of thunderstorms.
Unlike any other product, your new Stormscope system
will enable you to make better informed thunderstorm
avoidance decisions so you can fly more safely and with
greater confidence than ever before.
Convenient Features
The advanced, patented technology in your new Stormscope
system was developed over many years and is so unique,
so revolutionary, it surpasses all others. Here are some of
its features:
• Maps electrical discharges
• Operates in 25, 50, 100, and 200 nmi ranges
• Provides a 120° forward view and a 360° view of the
surrounding airspace
• Uses a high resolution 3-inch ATI CRT display
• Provides expansion capability for heading stabilization,
navaid, and EFIS options as described in this guide

© Copyright 2000, 2004, 2007
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.
Stormscope
®
is a registered trademark of L-3 Communications A vionics S ystems, Inc.
The white L3 in a circle design logo is a trademark of L-3 C ommunications C orporation.
Designed and manufactured in the United States of America by
Methods and apparatus disclosed and described herein have been developed solely on company funds
of L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. No government or other contractual support or rela-
tionship whatsoever has existed which in any way affects or mitigates proprietary rights of L-3 Commu-
nications Avionics Systems, Inc. in these developments. Methods and apparatus disclosed herein may
be subject to U.S. Patents existing or applied for. L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. reserves
the right to add, improve, modify, or withdraw functions, design modifications, or products at any time
without notice.
Series II Weather Mapping System
Pilot’s Guide
for the
Model WX-1000
Stormscope®
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.
5353 52nd Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49512 USA
[phone] or [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.L-3com.com/as

Safety Summary
These warnings and cautions appear later in this guide
and are repeated here for emphasis:
Never use your Stormscope system to attempt to penetrate a
thunderstorm. The FAA Advisory Circular, Subject: Thunder-
storms, and the Airman’s Information Manual (AIM) recom-
mend that you “avoid by at least 20 miles any thunderstorm
identified as severe or giving an intense radar echo.”
Even a single discharge point may represent thunderstorm
activity and should be avoided.
page 4-1
page 4-1
WARNING
CAUTION
A
Stormscope
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WX-1000 Pilot’s Guide
ii

Important Notice
This guide provides general information about the
operation of the WX-1000. This guide does not cover all
possible interconnections with all possible types and
numbers of alternate displays and customer-supplied
switches. Refer to your aircraft flight manual and flight
manual supplement for information specific to your
aircraft. If there is conflicting information between those
manuals and this pilot’s guide, your aircraft flight manual
and flight manual supplement take precedence over this
pilot’s guide.
Revision Highlights
This revision E of the pilot’s guide makes the following
changes:
• Move export statement to back page.
• Corrects minor typographical errors.
Revision Dof the pilot’s guide made the following
changes:
• Changes occurrences of “Goodrich Avionics Systems” to
“L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc.” or just “L-3
Avionics Systems” and makes related company contact
information changes. (On March 28, 2003, Goodrich
Corporation sold its Avionics Systems division to L-3
Communications Corporation.)
• Eliminates the Warranty Information chapter. Warranty
information is now provided on a separate warranty card.
• Adds new processor part numbers to table 5-1.
• Corrects operating temperature ranges in tables 5-1 & 5-3.
• Increases typeface size and adds more white space.
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WX-1000 Pilot’s Guide iii

Section Page
List of Illustrations ..............................vi
List of Tables ..................................... vii
Chapter 1, System Description ........... 1-1
General Description ............................................................... 1-1
Processor ............................................................................... 1-2
Antenna ................................................................................. 1-2
Display .................................................................................. 1-2
Functional Description .......................................................... 1-2
Model Definitions .................................................................. 1-4
Features ................................................................................. 1-6
Chapter 2, Storm Mapping Principles .. 2-1
Anatomy of a Thunderstorm ................................................... 2-1
Stages of a Thunderstorm ....................................................... 2-3
Storm Mapping Technology .................................................... 2-4
Chapter 3, Operation ........................ 3-1
Introduction .......................................................................... 3-1
Controls & Screen Elements ................................................... 3-1
Turn On the WX-1000 ........................................................... 3-3
Adjust the Screen Brightness ................................................... 3-4
Switch to a Weather View ....................................................... 3-5
Select the Range ..................................................................... 3-5
Clear All Discharge Points ...................................................... 3-6
Check the Status of the Continuous Self Test ........................... 3-7
Run the Operator-Initiated Self Test ........................................ 3-7
Use the Checklist Feature ....................................................... 3-8
Set the Date and Time .......................................................... 3-11
Time an Event ...................................................................... 3-11
Measure Elapsed Time ......................................................... 3-12
Turn Off the WX-1000 ......................................................... 3-13
Error Messages .................................................................... 3-13
Table of Contents
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Section Page
Table of Contents (continued)
Chapter 4, Weather Display Interpretation . 4-1
Introduction .......................................................................... 4-1
Typical Patterns ...................................................................... 4-2
Mapping Headings Past Thunderstorms.................................. 4-4
Special Patterns ...................................................................... 4-6
Chapter 5, Specifications .................. 5-1
Appendix A, Heading Stabilization Option . A-1
Applicable Models ................................................................. A-1
General Description .............................................................. A-1
Heading Options .................................................................. A-2
Heading Error Message ......................................................... A-3
Appendix B, Navaid Option ................. B-1
Applicable Models .................................................................. B-1
General Description ............................................................... B-1
Main Menu ........................................................................... B-3
Navaid Setup Screen .............................................................. B-3
Data Comm Errors ................................................................ B-6
Warning Message ................................................................... B-6
NAV FLAG ........................................................................... B-6
Appendix C, EFIS Option .................... C-1
Applicable Models ................................................................. C-1
General Description .............................................................. C-1
EFIS Thunderstorm Symbology ............................................. C-1
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WX-1000 Pilot’s Guide
vi

List of Illustrations
Figure Title Page
1-1 WX-1000 Major Components ...................................................... 1-1
1-2 Display With 360° View ................................................................1-3
1-3 Display With 120° View ................................................................1-3
1-4 WX-1000 Functional Diagram ......................................................1-3
2-1 Electrical Discharges in Thunderstorms ......................................... 2-1
2-2 Discharge Rate a Function of Wind Shear .....................................2-2
3-1 Controls & Screen Elements ..........................................................3-1
3-2 System Test in Progress..................................................................3-3
3-3 All Tests Are OK ............................................................................3-4
3-4 MAIN MENU Screen .................................................................. 3-4
3-5 360° Weather View ....................................................................... 3-5
3-6 120° Weather View ....................................................................... 3-5
3-7 OPTIONS Screen ........................................................................3-7
3-8 WX-1000 Checklist Worksheet Sample ......................................... 3-8
3-9 CHECKLIST MENU Screen .......................................................3-9
3-10 A Checklist Screen ...................................................................... 3-10
3-11 Skipped Item .............................................................................. 3-10
3-12 Skipped Items ............................................................................. 3-10
3-13 TIME/DATE Screen .................................................................. 3-11
3-14 Error 01 ...................................................................................... 3-13
3-15 Error 44 ...................................................................................... 3-14
3-16 Error 46 ...................................................................................... 3-15
3-17 Mic Key Stuck ............................................................................ 3-15
4-1 Airspace Diagram .........................................................................4-1
4-2 Three Clusters Within 200 nmi ..................................................... 4-3
4-3 Range Changed to 100 nmi ........................................................... 4-3
4-4 Two Clusters Within 200 nmi ........................................................ 4-3
4-5 Range Set at 200 nmi .................................................................... 4-5
4-6 Aircraft Progresses 100 nmi ..........................................................4-5
4-7 Range Changes to 100 nmi ............................................................4-5
4-8 Aircraft Turns to Avoid Thunderstorms ..........................................4-5
4-9 Randomly Scattered Discharge Points ...........................................4-6
4-10 Cluster and Splattering Within 25 nmi ...........................................4-6
4-11 Discharge Points Off the Aircraft’s Nose ........................................4-7
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WX-1000 Pilot’s Guide vii

5-1 WX-1000 Processor Specifications ................................................ 5-1
5-2 WX-1000 Display Specifications ................................................... 5-3
5-3 WX-1000 Antenna Specifications .................................................. 5-4
B-1 Navaid Data Item Abbreviations .................................................. B-4
Table Title Page
List of Tables
4-12 Line of Discharge Points While Taxiing .......................................... 4-7
4-13 Developing Cluster Within 25 nmi ................................................ 4-8
4-14 Split Image Off Nose of Aircraft .................................................... 4-8
A-1 Heading Display at Top of Screen ................................................. A-2
A-2 Heading Flag at Top of Screen ...................................................... A-2
A-3 OPTIONS Screen With Heading Stabilization ............................. A-3
A-4 Error 11 ....................................................................................... A-3
B-1 Typical Weather View Screen With the Navaid Option.................. B-2
B-2 MAIN MENU w/Navaid ............................................................ B-3
B-3 OPTIONS Screen w/Navaid ....................................................... B-3
B-4 Navaid Setup Screen .................................................................... B-3
B-5 Error 13 ....................................................................................... B-6
B-6 Warning Messages ....................................................................... B-6
B-7 NAV FLAG ................................................................................. B-6
Figure Title Page
List of Illustrations (continued)
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viii