Hello Tom,
> Can someone tell me what the story is on NOAAport
> expansion. I've been hearing conflicting stories. Gilbert
> just mentioned going to five channels in a year. We just
> purchased a three-channel (expandable) system, yet to be
> installed. (We have an older single-channel system that we
> can also use.) Just wondering what we actually know at this
> point and what is speculation. Sorry if this is the wrong
> forum.
The 5 channel expansion is a go, but the question is "when". At the last
AMS conference in January, it was revealed that in 2002 this would happen.
The time frame was "a year to a year and a half". At that point, lots of
model ensemble data would be added. In addition, all ~80 WSR-88D products
from *each site* would be added. We get fewer than 10 now...imagine THAT
load when it comes to pass!
I believe the time is coming soon when there will be a master slave server
at UNIDATA from which our software in the future gets all of its data, OR
each U. goes to a NOAAPORT system of their own.
By the way...I do believe the pay-for-usage at a University is somewhat
of a bad thing. That's how research get stifled...low budget projects will
get shafted, and met departments will have to get their own systems to
avoid problems. Will they be able to get the funding? It won't be easy,
and in some cases, impossible. OTOH, a second way NIU is proposing the
bandwidth issue is by blocking out so much for "high priority users" who
pay an additional fee, depending on how much they use. The rest of the
campus fights over what is left.
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Gilbert Sebenste ********
Internet: gilbert@xxxxxxx (My opinions only!) ******
Staff Meteorologist, Northern Illinois University ****
E-mail: sebenste@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ***
web: http://weather.admin.niu.edu **
Work phone: 815-753-5492 *
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