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Toward the end of these exchanges, a GEMPAK discussion evolves. Linda ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Date: Monday, January 01, 2001 9:50 AM +0000 From: Broadcast-weather@xxxxxxxxxxx To: Broadcast-weather@xxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [Broadcast-weather] Digest Number 48
------------------------------------------------------------------------ There are 8 messages in this issue. Topics in this digest: 1. Re: Difax termination From: "Larry Cosgrove" <WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx> 2. Re: Re: Difax termination From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> 3. Re: Re: Difax termination From: WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx 4. RE: Re: Difax termination From: "Robert P Dale" <rdale@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 5. Re: Re: Difax termination From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> 6. Re: Difax termination From: "Larry Cosgrove" <WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx> 7. RE: Re: Difax termination From: "Robert P Dale" <rdale@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 8. Re: Re: Difax termination From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 1 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 21:32:46 -0000 From: "Larry Cosgrove" <WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Difax termination Friends, I am amazed at the relative quiet which has followed this announcement. Will this information be available on any websites after the NWS DIFAX shuts downs? Larry CosgroveWWOR-TV New York NY--- In Broadcast-weather@xxxxxxxxxxx, "Jim Danner" <bizman5@xxxx> wrote:THE FAMILY OF SERVICES DIFAX SERVICE WILL BE DISCONTINUED ON APRIL 30, 2001. HOWEVER, THE INTERNET VERSION OF DIFAX WILL CONTINUE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, DIFAX CHARTS WILL BE REVIEWED TO SEE IF THEY CAN BE COMPLETELY DISCONTINUED. USERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THIS EFFORT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT DIFAX CHARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OTHER SITES. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME I DO NOT HAVE ANY DETAILS. NOTICES PERTAINING TO THE TERMINATION OF DIFAX WILL BE POSTED ON THE NWS NOTICE WEB PAGE. THE URL IS LISTED BELOW. HTTP//WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OSO/NOTICES/NOTICES.SHTML IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON 301-713-0864 X 120. JULIE HAYES FOS PROGRAM MANAGER________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 16:55:50 -0600 From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Re: Difax termination Larry, What information are you talking about? There is nothing presently on the Difax feed that I can't get off the internet (in a non-Difax) format. ----------------------------------------------------- Jason Kelley Chief Meteorologist WJHG-TV, Panama City FL <WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx> wrote:Friends, I am amazed at the relative quiet which has followed this announcement. Will this information be available on any websites after the NWS DIFAX shuts downs? Larry Cosgrove WWOR-TV New York NY________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 3 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 18:48:58 EST From: WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx Subject: Re: Re: Difax termination Jason, The DIFAX website will shut down as well. So if you cannot get the information provided by NWS elsewhere, neither will you be able to get it off the web. Cosgrove ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 4 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 18:54:35 -0500 From: "Robert P Dale" <rdale@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: RE: Re: Difax termination It's not a big deal for those in the broadcast primarily since our providers will continue to generate their own. But to be quite honest -- I can't tell you the last time I used a DIFAX map. Rob Larry Cosgrove [mailto:WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx] wrote:Friends, I am amazed at the relative quiet which has followed this announcement. Will this information be available on any websites after the NWS DIFAX shuts downs?________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 5 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 18:00:42 -0600 From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Re: Difax termination That was my point Larry...there isn't anything on the Difax feed that I can't get somewhere else (I wasn't referring to the Difax webpage). And as Rob Dale just stated, I haven't used a Difax map in 5 years or so.... ----------------------------------------------------- Jason Kelley Chief Meteorologist WJHG-TV, Panama City FL ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 6 Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:44:21 -0000 From: "Larry Cosgrove" <WXAMERICA@xxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Difax termination Jason and Rob, Good for you that you have not had the need to use DIFAX maps. But my entire point is this: are you assured of getting the information from other websites forever, and free of charge? That is why I believe the passing of tne NWS site should not be taken for granted. It's a FREE service and should be applauded as such. Consider that some of the plotted data on NWS DIFAX page is available, with explanations, to the many budding meteorologists out there. Who knows what happens during an economic crunch; maybe the current private sector entities will pull their graphics from free access. Just a point to consider that we have to answer the needs of those weather enthusiasts who do not have a WSI, WxCentral, or Kavouras feed. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 7 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 20:02:04 -0500 From: "Robert P Dale" <rdale@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: RE: Re: Difax terminationGood for you that you have not had the need to use DIFAX maps. But my entire point is this: are you assured of getting the information from other websites forever, and free of charge?_From NWS? Certainly... The General has stated many times over he wants to keep the data flowing freely. EMC has a great website, with all the new parallel runs for Eta / AVN / MRF. And you can get more than your fair share of raw data from NCEP's server, and now they give radar away. It seems quite clear that the policy of free access is being followed.passing of tne NWS site should not be taken for granted. It's a FREE service and should be applauded as such.It was killed because NWS has no need for DIFAX any more. It's intent was to get data to the field offices that had no other data access than AFOS graphics. With AWIPS, that need is filled with a service other than DIFAX.Consider that some of the plotted data on NWS DIFAX page is available, with explanations, to the many budding meteorologists out there. Who knows what happens during an economic crunch; maybe the current private sector entities will pull their graphics from free access....but most websites with weather data are Universities. I can't seem them cutting off public access with a changing economy. I've been using Gempak/GARP for years and couldn't survive without it nowadays -- fortunately I understand Unidata is working on getting the package released at no charge ($2K when we picked it up.) Apparently licensing issues for some of the graphic routines in GARP are holding it up at this point... When it comes available -- I'd suggest everyone pick it up and forget about websites. We get gloabl surface & upper-air, 20km Eta grids, AVN, NGM, RUC, MRFx, Ensembles, Canadian short and long-range, ECMWF, NOGAPS, UKMET, create NIDS loops (effective next week) and surface maps for our website, and run our own 8km Eta.Just a point to consider that we have to answer the needs of those weather enthusiasts who do not have a WSI, WxCentral, or Kavouras feed.Understood -- but at this point there should be no problem. If DIFAX stayed, with NWS having no reason to provide a _FREE_ service that sends "value added" data to the public, you can only IMAGINE what Joel would have brought to the next Congress :< I imagine that's why their radarsite only provides 4 image types too... Rob ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 8 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 19:13:34 -0600 From: "Jason Kelley" <jason.kelley@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: Re: Difax termination I would further reply, but Rob made all my points...<smile> ----------------------------------------------------- Jason Kelley Chief Meteorologist WJHG-TV, Panama City FLJason and Rob, Good for you that you have not had the need to use DIFAX maps. But my entire point is this: are you assured of getting the information from other websites forever, and free of charge? That is why I believe the passing of tne NWS site should not be taken for granted. It's a FREE service and should be applauded as such. Consider that some of the plotted data on NWS DIFAX page is available, with explanations, to the many budding meteorologists out there. Who knows what happens during an economic crunch; maybe the current private sector entities will pull their graphics from free access. Just a point to consider that we have to answer the needs of those weather enthusiasts who do not have a WSI, WxCentral, or Kavouras feed. Larry Cosgrove________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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