Pretty good
My breakdown:
*The KP Forecast is probably the most accurate and on point, though I noticed there are times when it has about an hour or so lag. Usually during holidays or the weekend, where the NOAA website shows activity and the app hasn’t updated to show it quite yet.
*The Movie Solar Activity isn’t always up to date. It is currently, but I’ve noticed a lag that can sometimes be a day behind. However, if you go into the *Helioviewer, you can see all recent activity in that. Sometimes this glitches, but if you have good internet, it’s usually pretty good.
*The Aurora Ovation has rarely ever been accurate when I’ve used it. There have been auroras in my area that the ovation either doesn’t predict or predicts after it happens. Times when it says it will have, and it doesn’t. So for that, I defer to the NOAA Aurora 30 min forecast online.
*the Solar Plasma Ejection section is my favorite. The one that you click and it shows the solar blasts from the Sun and how soon they’ll reach Earth.
*I love the Home Screen of the app. It’s organized well.
*I also like the notification banners, but I wish that the notifications didn’t just disappear when I open the app, because I’ve yet to find a Notification Center where I can review the information. I’ve clicked on the *Protection System button (white circle) which seems to highlight and go off, but I don’t really see any new news or updates in there. And much of the official reports are few and far between, sometimes months old. *Occasionally, the Solar News Alerts have something more recent. But I do wish that there was an option to see the little notifications that come through within the app itself, because some are more detailed that in my banners, they don’t always show all the info and when I click the alert, it just goes away as it opens the app.
So over all, I like the app. But sometimes, the NOAA website is more up to date.
Response from developer
Hi real_mauian — thank you for such a thoughtful review. We’re really glad you find Solar Alert useful, and that you enjoy the home screen and the Solar Plasma feature. For 14 years, Solar Alert has been — and still is — the fastest solar-alert app on the market. If a forecast ever felt a bit behind NOAA, that can sometimes happen when the connection is slow or unstable — the app may briefly keep the last good data until a fresh update comes through. We’ve been working hard on a major update that further improves the performance of the forecast system, remote alerts, and the app itself. It also addresses several of the points you raised. You’ll notice the difference soon. Thanks again for taking the time to write this. Feedback like yours genuinely helps us keep improving. — The Solar Alert Team
Too Much For Me
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Original Review:
I really wanted to like this App, especially given all the great reviews. However, for me, the Graphics and Colors are disorganized and too intense. As well, I didn’t like the background images where the Alerts were. The images took away from the written information, as well as drawing your focus away from the icons at the top and even dulling one of the icons at the bottom that I initially thought was just a part of the graphics. Then the graphics with the huge Sun coming into focus, etc. I’m so sorry, but it was just too much for me. This App has a lot of great information. It just needs a huge UI cleanup. I would suggest that people try it out in spite of my review because it does have awesome information and some might not care about the UI/graphics/etc.
Response from developer
Thank you very much for sharing such detailed feedback, and especially for highlighting the quality of the information the app provides. We’ve taken your comments about the visual intensity, backgrounds, and clarity of certain interface elements very seriously. We’ve been working specifically on improvements in these areas to create a cleaner, clearer experience that keeps the focus on the information. These changes are part of an upcoming update that will be available very soon. Once it’s released, we’d love for you to give the app another try and hear what you think about the improvements. Thank you again for helping us improve Solar Alert!
Great tool for Fire, Police , emergency Management, weather forecasters and Preppers
This app is worth every penny for the data and education offered through this app. Graphics are incredible as well. I’ve already referred many colleagues to this app. Keep up the good work.
Response from developer
Thank you so much, RaphaelLongview — we really appreciate your thoughtful review and your 5-star rating. It means a lot to hear that Solar Alert is useful for emergency managers, forecasters, and first responders. Solar activity can indeed disrupt radio communications — including 800 MHz systems and shortwave — and we’re glad the data, educational content, and graphics are helping you stay informed and prepared. Thank you also for recommending the app to your colleagues. That kind of trust from professionals in the field is the highest compliment we could receive. We’ll keep working to make Solar Alert even better. Stay safe out there.
Not free
Alertes non adapté
Response from developer
Bonjour, merci pour votre avis et pour avoir pris le temps de commenter. Nous souhaitons préciser que les alertes peuvent bien être adaptées aux préférences de chaque utilisateur. Dans l’application, il existe un réglage de seuil d’alerte qui permet de décider quel type d’événements recevoir et à partir de quelle intensité. Si vous souhaitez recevoir moins de notifications, vous pouvez facilement les ajuster dans cette section. Concernant les alertes reçues la nuit, les appareils Apple disposent d’options permettant de mettre les notifications en sourdine pendant la nuit, à l’exception de celles considérées comme critiques, comme celles liées à un événement solaire extrême. De cette manière, le système de notifications peut être configuré et adapté à vos besoins. À propos de l’idée que l’app serait uniquement destinée aux Nord-Américains, il est vrai qu’en Amérique du Nord il existe des cartes détaillées des réseaux électriques qui ne sont pas disponibles dans tous les pays. Cependant, toutes les autres fonctionnalités de l’application restent pleinement valables partout dans le monde. De plus, lorsqu’il peut y avoir des effets sur les infrastructures électriques, l’app envoie des alertes appropriées, en proposant des recommandations et des actions à suivre en fonction du type et de l’intensité de l’événement solaire, afin que l’utilisateur puisse agir de manière préventive avec le maximum d’informations possible. Lors de récents événements solaires, des aurores ont même été observées à des latitudes comme celle de la France, ce qui montre que ces phénomènes peuvent avoir des effets jusque dans les latitudes moyennes. En cas d’événement solaire extrême, des surcharges et des pannes pourraient survenir dans les réseaux électriques ainsi que dans d’autres systèmes électromécaniques (comme certains moyens de transport ou des infrastructures sensibles, telles que les centrales nucléaires). C’est pourquoi disposer d’informations en amont et de recommandations claires est particulièrement important, et c’est précisément l’objectif de l’application. L’application est conçue pour fournir une information utile et fiable à tout utilisateur, où qu’il vive. Nous vous invitons à vérifier vos réglages afin que les alertes s’adaptent au mieux à vos besoins et, si vous le souhaitez, à nous contacter depuis l’app elle-même pour que nous puissions vous aider avec la configuration.
