[McIDAS #JML-445187]: Need help with McIDAS dataset

Hi Gilbert,

re:
> I decided to give my colleague/grad student friend Mike xxxxx his own
> account. So now he has a "xxxxx" account" on weather3.

Excellent!

re:
> Got any pointers for contouring surface and upper air, and
> plotting profiler data?

The key thing to remember is that you will need to specify the
DATASET= (typically shortened to DAT=) and date for the data
to be plotted.  For some programs, date is specified with the
DAY= keyword; in others it is a command line positional parameter
(e.g., SFCPLOT, SFCCON, etc.).

The command to look at for profiler data is PROFSECT.

re:
> D'oh! I remembered the SFCCON/RAOBCON commands to contour. It
> works with the archive data nicely. Thank you again for all the
> help!

Excellent!

> Question:
> 
> I'd like to have surface MD files MDXX0009, MDXX0019, MDXX0029 and
> MDXX0039 from 03/29/1997, and AREA0120 through 0179 from 3/26-28/1997.
> Any possible idea where I can get those?

The imagery sent in the Unidata-Wisconsin datastream should be available
from the archive maintained at SSEC.  See the following page for more
details:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/data/unirec.html

A _long_ time ago, McIDAS MD files were part of the Unidata-Wisconsin
datastream (IDD feedtype UNIWISC (aka MCIDAS)).  Those were removed when
McIDAS was upgraded to include the XCD package (X Conventional Decoders).
Given that you are looking for old data (more than a decade old), it
is possible that the archive has the MD files that you want.  Please
note, however, that the MD files being sent way back when typically
only included observations from the U.S. (a snapshot was take of the
MD file at about 20 minutes after the hour, and by then it is most
likely that only U.S. stations had been received).  I don't remember
if the profiler data will be available for 1997, however.

I think what you will need to do is request all data from the dates
you list above.  After the data has been reloaded onto disk from
tape, a quick FTP will reveal if the MD files are there.

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: JML-445187
Department: Support McIDAS
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed