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20010313: GTS data/NOAA port

>From: "Kimberlain, Todd" <address@hidden>
>Organization: Enron.com
>Keywords: 200103131641.f2DGfnL27503 NOAAPORT

Todd,

>I wondered if I might have a moment of your time.
>
>We have been searching for a way to regularly update our synoptic data
>which we archive for some time now and have not made
>much headway.  Currently, we have a NOAA port and understand that a wide
>variety of meteorological data is available through this
>medium.  We are unsure, however, as to whether GTS meteorological data
>(which features all synoptic reports for daily max/min, precip,
>etc.) are accessible through the NOAA port.

Global surface and upper air observational data as well as a large set
of model output is available in channel three of the NOAAPORT broadcast.
More information on the contents of the various NOAAPORT channels can
be found in links from:

NOAAPORT User's Page
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/noaaport/html/noaaport.shtml

>After discussing this matter with a number of individuals, I suspect
>that the data we need are available through the NOAA port.  That being
>said, it seems like it is no easy task to capture them, since data
>protocols change, errors in the data stream have to be monitored, etc.  
>
>I understand through a colleague that UNIDATA provides a reading
>software that will allow us to capture the data we specifically need.

Unidata provides such software free-of-charge to universities in WMO
Region IV.  Some of the software that we distribute is also downloadable
by non-university sites, but we can not provide support to those sites.

>The software, as I was told, will help us deal with these difficulties
>we are likely to encounter should we choose to remedy this situation on
>our own.
>Let me give you one example of data, which we would like to regularly
>update.
>
>Late last year we obtained the ds512 global daily data set for tens of
>thousands of stations around the globe.  The data extend from 1 January
>1979 until 31 July 2000;  we understand that NCAR will be updating those
>data through the end of 2000 shortly, but we would like to update them
>in a more timely manner.
>
>If possible, can you let me know whether UNIDATA does provide software
>which would enable to capture the data we need?

The Unidata LDM might be usable to do what you are asking for.  Our
Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system which is built upon cooperating LDMs
moves NOAAPORT received data to participating Unidata university sites.
Other software that can be downloaded (e.g., GEMPAK and Perl-based decoders)
can decode the contents of NOAAPORT channel 3 into package specific (e.g.,
GEMPAK) formats.  Again, we can not provide support for these packages
to non-university sites, but you are welcome to participate in email
lists that we maintain and ask questions of the community.

>If UNIDATA does not,
>can you think of another way which we could go about this?

There are numerous commercial vendors that provide NOAAPORT ingest systems
and associated processing software.  The Manufacturer's List link in
the NOAAPORT User's Page listed above would be a good starting point
for contact.

>Thanks for all your help.

Sorry that we can't be of direct help.

>Regards,
>Todd Kimberlain

Tom Yoksas