20050322: Range Rings Off

>From: "Salottolo Greg" <address@hidden>
>Organization: NTSB
>Keywords: 200503221552.j2MFqxv4011497 IDV custom edit stations

Hi Greg-

>Is there any way to edit the file nexradstns.xml to add more precision to the 
> location? 

I shoulda taken the time with the first note to tell you how to
do this, but I was trying to get you a reply before a left for
a few hours.  It's a little convoluted, but here goes:

- In your <home>/.metapps/DefaultIdv directory, you'll find a file
called idv.rbi (controls the resources used by the IDV).  <home> will 
be your home directory (e.g. /home/salottg on unix, 
c:/Documents And Settings/salottg on windows, where 
salottg would be your login name).  If you
bring this up in a text editor, and search for "station", you'll
find:

  <!-- The list of station table xml files  -->
  <resources name="application.resource.locations">
  </resources>

- modify this to look like:

  <!-- The list of station table xml files  -->
  <resources name="application.resource.locations">
    <resource location="%USERPATH%/mynexrad.xml" id="nexrad"/>
  </resources>

(%USERPATH% points to the user's resource directory 
(<home>/.metapps/DefaultIdv).  

- Now, create a mynexrad.xml file that looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<stationtable name="NEXRAD Sites">
<station idn="000313" id="AMA" name="Amarillo" st="TX" co="US" lat="35.2333" 
lon="-101.70889" elev="1093"/>
</stationtable>

The next time you start the IDV, you'll get the modified location.
If you want to do more stations, just add a station line for each line
for each one.  Lat/Lon locations can be in decimal degrees or
deg/min/seconds.  The 35.22 was actually calculated from 35:13:12, so
I guess DD:MM:SS doesn't give you that great a precision.  Elevations
are in meters. idn should be the WMO id, so I'm not sure where
000313 is coming from on AMA).

>Where does that file reside? Can not find it on my machine.

It's in idv.jar (/ucar/unidata/idv/resources/stations/nexradstns.xml)
but you don't need it if you follow the steps above.

>Our problem is that using the current AMA lat/lon offsets the airplane track d
> ata plotted on the image.

Okay.  Let me know if the above doesn't solve your problem.  I'll look
to see if I can get more precision on all stations for the next release
(unless you do it and contribute it back first. ;-)).

Don Murray
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