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20020320: About This National Mosaic Radar Image

>From:  "Batson, Bryan" <address@hidden>
>Organization:  JSFC
>Keywords:  200203201846.g2KIk1a20211 NWS RCM composite

Bryan, et. al.,

>This appears to be similar to what the XCD MDRDEC decoder is producing, only
>they send you the GRIB file they make, but it might have higher resolution
>and be produced more often than what MDRDEC does. 

The NWS composite in question is created from the Radar Coded Messages
that have been available in NOAAPORT for quite some time.  The technique
for doing the composite was developed by Steve Chiswell of our office.
The RCM composites are about 10 km in resolution and show VIP levels.

>I understand that Unidata (Tom Yoksas) has a new-and-improved GRIB decoder
>that might work on this file.

I believe that XCD already supports decoding of this product.  At least,
I have been filing the GRIB messages using our distribution of the XCD 
GRIB data monitor, dmgrid.pgm, for quite some time.  Also, I don't think
that any of the changes I may have made to dmgrid.pgm would affect the
decoding of the RCM composite.

>Tom...have you looked at this?

Yes, I have.  In fact, we have 6 community ADDE server sites that make
this product available to Unidata participants through the NEXRCOMP/10KRCM-NAT
dataset.

For interest, try the following:

DATALOC ADD NEXRCOMP atm.geo.nsf.gov

IMGDISP NEXRCOMP/10KRCM-NAT EU=MDR STA=TWX REFRESH='EG;MAP H'

This is best viewed with an slightly altered version of MDR.ET that
you can grab from anonymous FTP on our FTP server, ftp.unidata.ucar.edu:

pub/mcidas/data/MDR.ET

While you are FTPing stuff, also grab the BREF24.ET and BREF24.ST
files.  Of course, you should stick them in a directory in your MCPATH.

>I was under the impression that 2x2km composites might be available at some
>point from NOAAPORT, but I have not seen anything about this lately.

We havn't either, and we heard specifically that the NWS was planning
on creating a high resolution composite of NEXRAD base reflectivities
well over a year ago.

While you guys are sniffing around the ADDE server above, give the
following a whirl:

IMGDISP NEXRCOMP/1KN0R-NAT STA=TWX MAG=-6 EU=BREF24 REFRESH='EG;MAP H;BAR'

Find an active area.  As I write this, the area with the most action is
in Arkansas, so try:

IMGDISP NEXRCOMP/1KN0R-NAT LATLON=32:30 91 MAG=1 EU=BREF24 REFRESH='EG 
GRA=(GRA);MAP H'

I have modified BAR to support more than 16 levels of reflectivity from
an INFO AUX block.  The new BAR would show you the range of reflectivities
in the composite (-28 - +75 dBZ).

Tom

  >-----Original Message-----
  >From: Wahner Paul Contr CSR4500 [mailto:address@hidden]
  >Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 12:05 PM
  >To: MUG Help Desk (E-mail)
  >Cc: 'Batson, Bryan'; 'Hoeth, Brian'; Herring Harold Contr CSR4500
  >Subject: About This National Mosaic Radar Image
  >
  >
  >Hello, 
  >
  >According to the information on the link I've attached, there is a GRIB
  >format radar mosaic distributed by the NWS. 
  >
  >I've monitored my binary spool file and I have verified that the header this
  >document references (HAXA00 KWBC) is  transmitted on NOAAPORT. 
  >
  >Is it possible for us to decode and display this product with the current
  >XCD and McIDAS software?
  >
  >Thanks! 
  >
  >Paul Wahner
  >MIDDS Systems Engineer/ Meteorologist
  >CSR 4500, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
  >address@hidden
  >(Com) 321.853.8184 (Fax) 321.853.8291
  >(DSN) 467.8184
  >
  >  
  > 
  > http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/radinfo/about.html
  > <<About This National Mosaic Radar Image.url>> 

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