This archive contains answers to questions sent to Unidata support through mid-2025. Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated. For the most up-to-date information on the use of NSF Unidata software and data services, please consult the Software Documentation first.
>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