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20000510: encrypted lightning data IDD NOAAPORT stream

>From: "Molenar, Deb" <address@hidden>
>Organization: CSU/CIRA
>Keywords: 200005102108.e4AL8f425278 NOAAPORT lightning SFUS41 encrypt

Deb,

>We are looking into sources for lightning data for the upcoming STEPS
>project.  Is the data that comes over the LDM under the SFUS41 header the
>NLDN data, or does this come from NOAAPORT?

The NLDN data that is available to Unidata universities in an
unencrypted form is sent via point-to-point LDM transfers from SUNY
Albany to individual sites;  it is not fanned out in the typical IDD
manner.  The point-to-point transfer is required by the agreement that
SUNYA has with the owner of the data, Global Atmospherics.  At the
same time, it is likely that the data that is sent under the SFUS41
header is encrypted NLDN data.

>I am confused about access
>rights to the data since I was told by someone from FSL that we weren't
>allowed to ingest the lightning data for use with D2D because it was
>proprietary.

The NLDN data is proprietary to Global Atmospherics.  They are kind enough
to let Unidata university sites have access to the data for research and
education, but they severely limit any redistribution of the data (i.e.,
NLDN data is _never_ allowed to be published on web pages, no matter how
old it is.  As to not being "allowed to ingest the lightning data for use
with D2D", I wonder if the comment is related to the NLDN data that
our sites get from SUNYA?

As for whether or not the information under the SFUS41 header is lightning
data, I can relate a comment that we got from Gilbert Sebenste of NIU
in July of last year:

  >Subject: 19990713: Lightning data question
  >Keywords: 199907131534.JAA21347 NOAAPORT lightning

  >I have a question about lightning data. No, not the NLDN stuff. Well,
  >maybe.
  >
  >NOAAPORT sends out a national lightning summary every 10 minutes under the
  >header PNWA60 K???. I will be able to display this, make a GIF of
  >it...well, I think you know where I'm going with this. I'd like to put it
  >out on the web.
  >
  >These are not being scrambled...

Our response at the time was:

  Yet.  They are not _yet_ being encrypted.  The last I think I heard was that
  they are scheduled to be encrypted.

I found some verification of this in a reply Steve Chiswell gave to another
site:

  As I mentioned previously, all "'97" products are considered test only,
  and the NIDS in particular is slated for encrypting similar to the SFUS41
  lightning products. Hope you don't get too attatched.

So, it would seem that the SFUS41 products are encrypted lightning data.

The question about the "right" to unencrypt the data and use it remains.
We have no answer for this, as it is an NWS issue.

If you can add any information about the SFUS41 products, please send it
along so we can keep our inquiry tracking system as uptodate as possible;
thanks.

Tom Yoksas