19990519: NIDS tier 3 data

>From: Alan F Cunningham <address@hidden>
>Organization: Clemson University Radar Ornithology Lab
>Keywords: 199905192056.OAA21838 NIDS

Alan,

>I work at at Unidata member university, and our lab is interested in your
>tier 3 NIDS product suite.  Is the data you offer level 2 or level 3 NIDS?

The data is level 3 NIDS.

>what software do you offer/use to view it?

GEMPAK and McIDAS both support display of level 3 NIDS products.

>What hardware is required to
>interface with the satellite antenna?

The WSI earth station.  Tier III service (for all radars) requires a
satellite downlink using the WSI system.  More information on this can
be gotten from the WSI web site: www.wsicorp.com.

>Why is the tier 3 contract only
>400$ more than the tier 2 (single station)?

It is just the way the contract worked out.  For sites getting only a few
nexrad sites, the data is transferred using the Unidata LDM technology
directly from WSI over the internet.

>By all stations do you
>include nexrads not in the continental U.S. (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Korea,
>Alaska, the Azores)?

I believe that this is all of the nexrad sites.  For more information, you
need to contact WSI.

>I know I'm asking a slew of questions, but I am also
>very interested in your products.

Unidata negotiated a contract with WSI in an attempt to lessen the costs
for our member institutions.  Currently, there is only one site that is
getting all nexrads: NCAR.  The typical university site gets a single,
fixed radar (their local radar) and the 3 floaters.  The data volume
for this service is small enough that the Unidata IDD can be employed.
NCAR purchased the WSI groundstation/satellite system when it decided
that it needed to get all of the products from all of the nexrads.

>Thank you,

You are welcome.  Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

>Alan Cunningham
>Clemson University Radar Ornithology Lab
>310 Jordan Hall
>656-3584
>864-271-4063
>hubcap.clemson.edu/~acunnin

Tom Yoksas