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20000616: packing file for PIREPS

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  • Subject: 20000616: packing file for PIREPS
  • Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 13:20:27 -0600
>From: address@hidden
>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>Keywords: 200006161909.e5GJ9hT21786

>We have received some PIREPS in GEMPAK format from the Aviation
>Weather Center.  We wish to combine several files into one
>and need to create another data file of the same type.  To do
>so we would need a packing file listing the variables and their
>prpoperties.  AWC seems mystified by what I am asking for.  Does
>anyone at Unidata have a packing file for PIREPS?
>
>Donna Tucker                      http://chinook.phsx.ukans.edu/tucker.html
>address@hidden      Department of Physics and Astronomy  
>(785) 864-4738 (new area code!)    University of Kansas                 
>(785) 864-5262 (fax)               Lawrence, KS  66045-2151                   
>  
>

Donna,

You can determine what parameters are in the decoded file you have using 
SFPARM=dset in sflist. If they are getting the data using NCEP's dcacft
decoder, then the packing file that NCEP has for that data is:

!ACFT.PACK
!
!This table is the packing table for DCACFT, which decodes aircraft data.
!
!*Log:
!J. Ator/NP12           8/97
!D. Kidwell/NCEP        9/97    Added ACRT
!D. Kidwell/NCEP        4/98    Removed RELH, added PRES, changed max
!                               and increment for HB and HT parms
!D. Kidwell/NCEP        6/99    Added FQOT, TPOT, TPOI and cloud parms
!D. Kidwell/NCEP        7/99    Changed all base and top parms to feet
!D. Kidwell/NCEP        1/00    Added ATP1
!                               
!
DRCT         0.       360.      1.
SKNT         0.       150.      1.
TMPC      -100.        60.       .1
DWPC      -100.        60.       .1
VSBY         0.        99.      1. 
PMSL       900.      1050.      1.
PRES         1.      1050.      1. 
SSTC       -20.        40.       .1
TURB         0.         8.      1.
TBSE         0.     60000.     10.
TTOP         0.     60000.     10.
FQOT         0.         3.      1.
TPOT         0.         4.      1.
ICNG         0.         8.      1.
IBSE         0.     60000.     10.
ITOP         0.     60000.     10.
TPOI         0.        12.      1.
WNUM         0.    512000.      1.
WBSE         0.     60000.     10.
WTOP         0.     60000.     10.
CLC1         0.         9.      1.
CBS1         0.     60000.     10
CTP1         0.     60000.     10.
CLC2         0.         9.      1.
CBS2         0.     60000.     10
CTP2         0.     60000.     10.
ACRT         0.         7.      1.
ATP1         0.   2559999.      1.


If these are not the type of parameters that you find in the data set when
you use SFPARM=dset, then let me know and I will try to determine where 
the data is coming from.

Steve Chiswell