20020301: Archived NEXRAD data from NCDC

>From:  Russ Dengel <address@hidden>
>Organization:  SSEC
>Keywords:  200203011521.g21FLFx21046 McIDAS NEXRAD ADDE

Russ (and Louis),

>I got a call from Louis Nguyen at NASA Langley concerning
>using the NEXRAD ADDE server to serve a historic data set of
>NEXRAD products. The archive of these data is in level 2 and 3 format
>from NCDC. Louis would like to know:
>
>- If the NEXRAD server can handle either of these formats, if
>so, which level is supported.

The NEXRAD server should be able to handle the archived NEXRAD Level
III planar image products (i.e., things like base reflectivity, layer
composite reflectivity, precip image products, etc.; it will not handle
the VAD, digital precip array, etc.).

The Level II stuff is the full volume scan data, and is not (yet at
least) supported by McIDAS in any way.

Just for interest, and to update you on what "neat" stuff (;-) we are
doing, please give the following a whirl:

1) grab the new Unidata McIDAS enhancement and stretch tables BREF24.ET
   and BREF24.ST, respectively, and the updated MDR.ET ehancement:

<cd to your McIDAS working directory (the first writable directory in your
MCPATH)>

ftp ftp.unidata.ucar.edu
  <user> anonymous
  <pass> your_full_email_address
  cd pub/mcidas/data
  binary
  prompt
  mget BREF24.*
  get MDR.ET
  quit

2) start a McIDAS session and make sure that you can see the BREF24.[ES]T
   files:

   DMAP BREF24
   DMAP MDR

   If this fails fix it (you guys know how to use McIDAS, so 'nuf said)
  
   For best viewing results, start your session with frame sizes of at
   least 600x800 (700x930 is much better).  Don't use the default 480x640
   as this will not do the following justice.

3) point at one of the cooperating community ADDE servers we are setting
   up for our community:

   DATALOC ADD NEXRCOMP papagayo.unl.edu

4) check out the offerings:

   DSINFO I NEXRCOMP
  
5) exercise the loads of the 1 km base reflectivity composite products:

   IMGDISP NEXRCOMP/1KN0R-NAT STA=TWX MAG=-5 EU=BREF24 REFRESH='EG;MAP H;BAR'

   the action this morning is down in Louisiana, so load at full resolution
   down there:

   IMGDISP NEXRCOMP/1KN0R-NAT LATLON=30 92 MAG=1 EU=BREF24 REFRESH='EG;MAP SAT 
5 COU=ALL;MAP H 1;BAR'

What do you think?

So far, I have setup 4 publically accessible ADDE servers setup for these data:

papagayo.unl.edu
pscwx.plymouth.edu
atm.geo.nsf.gov
adde.ucar.edu

I will be adding more in the next few days.

Feedback is valued.

Tom
--
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* Tom Yoksas                                             UCAR Unidata Program *
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