20030227: McIDAS RTNEXRAD data

>From: David Fitzgerald <address@hidden>
>Organization: Millersville University of Pennsylvania
>Keywords: 200302271904.h1RJ4Ct29675 McIDAS

Hi Dave,

>Thanks for you help earlier in getting McIDAS2002a to compile correctly.

No worries.  I can cut the v2002b addendum and make it available to you
right now if you are willing to do the upgrade.

>I have another question I hope isn't too stoopid!

Never...

>I'm trying to configure the RTNEXRAD dataset following the instructions
>on the web page but I can't get McIDAS to see any of the data.
>
>My pqact.conf entry for the data simply FILES NNEXRAD data and looks like
>this:
>
>NNEXRAD ^SDUS51 K(CTP|PHI|LWX) (..)(....) /p(...)(...).*
>        FILE    -close  -overwrite 
>        /var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/\1/\4/\4_(\2:yyyy)(\2:mm)\2_\3
>   
>thus the directory structure is .../NEXRAD/\ID/\TYPE as is suggested.

Here are some sample headers that match the beginning of your pattern:

SDUS51 KLWX 271919 /pNTPLWX
SDUS51 KPHI 271916 /pNVLDIX
SDUS51 KPHI 271916 /pNCRDIX
SDUS51 KPHI 271922 /pN0RDIX
SDUS51 KCTP 271921 /pN0SCCX
SDUS51 KCTP 271921 /pN0VCCX
SDUS51 KPHI 271922 /pN0SDIX
SDUS51 KPHI 271922 /pN0VDIX
SDUS51 KLWX 271919 /pNVLLWX
SDUS51 KLWX 271919 /pNCRLWX
SDUS51 KLWX 271925 /pN0RLWX
SDUS51 KLWX 271925 /pN0VLWX
SDUS51 KLWX 271925 /pN0SLWX

Let's examine the last header.  Your pqact.conf pattern will result in:

\1 -> KLWX
\2 -> 27
\3 -> 1925
\4 -> NOS
\5 -> LWX

So, the product should be filed in:

/var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/KLWX/NOS/NOS_20030227_1925

From the McIDAS ADDE perspective, the directory structure is:

/var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/K\ID/\TYPE/\TYPE_*

not what you list:

/var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/\ID/\TYPE/\TYPE_*

>The files are named \TYPE_CCYYMMDD_HHMM.  My LSSERVE.BAT entries for
>this data uses the INFO=NNEXRAD.CFG entry.  An example of which is:
>
>DSSERVE ADD RTNEXRAD/N0R          NEXR    1 9999 TYPE=IMAGE INFO=NNEXRAD.CFG  
>  
>"Base Reflectivity Tilt 1
>
>In the NNEXRAD.CFG my entries are:
>
>DIRMASK=/var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/\ID/\TYPE
>FILEMASK=\TYPE_CCYYMMDD_*
>IPMASK=*
>
>which matches my pqact.conf entry.

No, not quite.

The pqact.conf pattern to match this NNEXRAD.CFG pattern would need to be:

NNEXRAD ^SDUS51 K(CTP|PHI|LWX) (..)(....) /p(...)(...).*
        FILE    -close  -overwrite 
        /var/data/gempak/images/NEXRAD/\5/\4/\4_(\2:yyyy)(\2:mm)\2_\3

>Now the problem, running DSINFO IMAGE RTNEXRAD shows the info in
>LSERVE.BAT, but IMGLIST RTNEXRAD/N0R ID=LIST says there are no images
>when I know there are.

Right.  The failure is due to there being a difference in the \ID.
NEXRAD station IDs (the code actually in the NEXRAD data file) are
3-character codes.  The 4-character code you are using as the \1
pattern in pqact.conf is actually the issuing center's ID, not the
NEXRAD station ID.  There are some centers that issue NEXRAD products
for more than one radar, so it would be better for you to change your
pqact.conf pattern to use the actual station ID and not the issuing
center.

>Am I confused as to the type of data RTNEXRAD wants?

No.

>Do I have to
>convert the NNEXRAD data to an AREA or other format?

No. (I love these short answers ;-)

>I thought if GARP could display an image, them McIDAS could also.

Yes.

>Thanks in advance!

Please let me know if the above is not clear enough.

Tom