Replies and texts#
Every reply starts with SMSWeather:, so you can tell who it’s from. A reply is 1 to 10 texts, depending on the forecast.
One message or numbered texts#
Phones on the big US networks (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and UScellular) get the whole reply as one long message, which the phone puts back together.
Everything else gets numbered texts of up to 160 characters: satellite messengers like the Garmin inReach and ZOLEO, and numbers on other networks. Satellite messengers show each text on its own, so each one starts with a label like g:2/3:
gis a letter for this reply. If you send two requests before the replies arrive, the letter tells them apart.2/3means the second of three texts. Texts sometimes arrive out of order, and this puts them back in order.
On a satellite messenger, each text counts against your plan’s message allowance. A long forecast can be 5 to 10 texts, so this service can use up a monthly allowance quickly. Model forecasts with wind or sky, and limit below, keep replies short.
If your phone shows replies split up when it shouldn’t, email me with your network, and I’ll add it to the list.
Fewer texts: limit#
Add limit and a number to any request to get at most that many texts, for example marinezone pkz738 limit2. The reply is cut off after that many texts. limit1 sends just the first 158 characters, as one text. With limit, phones get numbered texts too.
Monthly reminder#
A number that makes more than 20 requests in a month gets a short note at the start of a reply, at most once a week, asking heavy users to consider supporting SMSWeather. The forecast always comes too. Supporters’ numbers never get the note.