Detecting Forecast: Plan Every Session by the Numbers

The Detecting Forecast is the one screen to open before you leave the house. It pulls live weather for any location, scores it 0 to 100 for detecting conditions, and tells you exactly why the score is what it is. No meteorologist required.

The Detecting Score

At the top of the screen you get a single big number — the Detecting Score — and a one-word verdict:

• 80–100 — Excellent — damp soil, calm air, mild temps. Get out there.
• 60–79 — Good — solid conditions, worth the trip.
• 40–59 — Fair — workable, but you might want to pick your window.
• 20–39 — Poor — hard ground, high wind, or cold. Tough session.
• 0–19 — Bad — heavy rain, frozen ground, or gale winds. Skip it.

The Four Conditions That Matter

Below the score you see four metrics. These are the real inputs to the score — glance at them to understand why the number is what it is.

• Temperature — mild is best. Below 5°C the ground hardens and your battery drains fast.
• Wind — in km/h. Above 25 km/h you start losing faint targets to wind noise even with headphones.
• Soil Moisture — a decimal value. Above 0.3 is great conductivity; below 0.1 is bone-dry and signals go weak.
• Humidity — a percentage. Mostly a comfort indicator, but high humidity after rain usually means damp ground.

7-Day Date Picker

A row of chips at the top lets you step through Today, Tomorrow, and the next five days. Tap any day and the whole screen updates — score, conditions, and tips all recalculate for that date. Use it the night before to pick the best day of the weekend, or a few days out to plan a long drive.

Forecasts further out are less reliable. The app adds a subtle reminder next to future days that the forecast may change before you arrive.

Any Location, Not Just Here

By default the forecast uses your current GPS position. Tap the location card at the top to search any city, address, or place name. Planning a trip two counties over? Check it. Wondering if the beach a hundred miles away is worth the drive? Check that too. A tap on the “Use current” option puts you back on your GPS fix.

Smart Tips

Under the conditions grid the app writes short contextual tips based on what the weather actually looks like. You might see:

• Great soil moisture — strong signals — when soil sits above 0.3.
• Dry soil — signals may be weaker — when soil drops below 0.1.
• High wind — consider sheltered sites — when wind tops 25 km/h.
• Cold — battery drains faster — below 5°C.
• Rain expected — waterproof gear — when measurable precipitation is in the window.
• Conditions are favorable! — any day with a score of 70 or higher.

Tips only show when they apply, so you won't see noise on a perfect day.

Field Tips

• The sweet spot is usually 24–48 hours after rain — damp but not muddy.
• Check the forecast the night before and set your alarm to a high-score morning.
• Don't write off a Fair score — if wind is the only drag, a sheltered wood-edge site can still produce.
• In summer, check early morning. Temperature and wind are usually lower and scores are higher.
• Compare two or three sites by searching them one after the other — the one with the best score wins the day.