20000803: 20000704: RCM script produces no echoes

Chris,

Could it be possible that the RADDUR parameter is to short?
If your data is lagging a little, then increasing that might help.

If you can determine when you get a blank image, and send me the copy
of the input file that is created, I can take a look at it.

I can also create more verbose output to let you know what gprcm is doing-
whether it is rejecting a product due to time not in the valid range, or
not a rcm report etc.

Steve Chiswell
Unidata User Support


>From: address@hidden (Chris Hennon)
>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>Keywords: 200008031543.e73FhRT04971

>Steve -
>
>I made both changes you suggested and still notice that maybe 30% of the
>images are producing no echoes.  My log file appears normal.  Do you have
>any other suggestions?
>
>Chris
>
>================================================
>| Chris Hennon        Ohio State University   |
>| Tropical Meteorology      address@hidden   |
>|                                              |
>| Dept of Geography   Office: 1155 Derby Hall  |
>| 1036 Derby Hall     Phone : (614) 292-2704   |
>| Columbus, OH 43210  Fax   : (614) 292-6213   |
>================================================
>
>On Wed, 5 Jul 2000, Unidata Support wrote:
>
>> 
>> Chris,
>> 
>> The problem likely stems from the pqact.conf pattern action that is being us
> ed to
>> store the data in the rcm file. The best pattern would use the /pRCM tag to
>> ensure all the observations in the file are RCM's...at the time I created th
> e
>> www page, not all of our top level NOAAPORT ingestors were adding the pil ta
> g,
>> so I couldn't use that. Now,  I see that several FTM messages are in that
>> group. I would suggest:
>> 
>> HDS     ^SDUS4[0-6] .... ([0-3][0-9])([0-2][0-9])([0-5][0-9]).*/pRCM
>> 
>> 
>> The actual problem is that my loop exits at the first bulletin that is not a
>  RCM.
>> I should be more lenient.
>> 
>> This can be corrected in $NAWIPS/unidata/programs/gprcm/rcm.c by changing
>> the while loop to a while and if loop starting line ~783:
>> 
>>    while((get_nextbull(fp,bultin,&lenbul) == 0)&&(isrcm(bultin,lenbul) == 0)
> )
>>       {
>>       NEXINDX = get_ndex(bultin,lenbul);
>>       if(NEXINDX >= 0)
>>          {
>>          clat = RADARS[NEXINDX].stnlat; clon = RADARS[NEXINDX].stnlon;
>>          read_nexaa(bultin,lenbul,RADARS,NEXINDX,&new_time,trange,&mode,&val
> id);
>>          if(mode > MDNA) RADARS[NEXINDX].mode = mode;
>>          if((valid == 0)&&(mode > MDNE)) /* should only do precip and clear 
> air */
>>             read_nexcc(bultin,lenbul,RADARS,NEXINDX,&new_time,trange);
>>          }
>>       }
>> 
>> 
>> to:
>> 
>>    while(get_nextbull(fp,bultin,&lenbul) == 0)
>>       {
>>       if(isrcm(bultin,lenbul) == 0)
>>          {
>>          NEXINDX = get_ndex(bultin,lenbul);
>>          if(NEXINDX >= 0)
>>             {
>>             clat = RADARS[NEXINDX].stnlat; clon = RADARS[NEXINDX].stnlon;
>>             read_nexaa(bultin,lenbul,RADARS,NEXINDX,&new_time,trange,&mode,&
> valid);
>>             if(mode > MDNA) RADARS[NEXINDX].mode = mode;
>>             if((valid == 0)&&(mode > MDNE)) /* should only do precip and cle
> ar air */
>>                read_nexcc(bultin,lenbul,RADARS,NEXINDX,&new_time,trange);
>>             }
>>          }
>>       }
>> 
>> If you make this change, simply recompile with:
>> 
>> cd $NAWIPS/unidata/programs/gprcm
>> make clean
>> make all
>> make install
>> make clean
>> 
>> Let me know what you find.
>> 
>> Steve Chiswell
>> Unidata User Support
>> 
>> 
>> >From: address@hidden (Chris Hennon)
>> >Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>> >Keywords: 200007041641.e64Gf5T01802
>> 
>> >Steve -
>> >
>> >I have a csh script which produces a RCM image.  I run it from the cron at
>> >00 and 30 past the hour, 24 hours a day.  50% of the time it runs
>> >flawlessly, 50% of the time it completes successfully but creates a map
>> >with no echoes on it.  The log file looks exactly the same, whether it
>> >produces echoes or not:
>> >
>> > Parameters requested:
>> >MAP,GAREA,PROJ,SATFIL,RADFIL,LATLON,PANEL,TITLE,TEXT,
>> >
>> >CLEAR,DEVICE,RCMFIL,RADTIM,RADDUR,DITHER,MESO,TVS,CNTR,MAXTOP,RADINFO,ECHO,
>> > CLRBAR.
>> > GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM>
>> >GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM>
>> >GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM>
>> >GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> G
>> >EMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM>
>> >GEMPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GE
>> >MPAK-GPRCM> GEMPAK-GPRCM> GPMAP PARAMETERS:
>> >
>> > Device:              gf|/usr/local/apache/htdocs/rcm/national.gif
>> > Projection:          STR/90.0;-95.0;0.0
>> > Graphics area name:  17.89;-116.2;50.0;-59.3
>> > Map:                 4
>> > Title:               31/+1/Radar Summary (dbz) - echo tops (x100 ft)
>> >000704/1630
>> > Panel:               0
>> > Latlon:              0
>> > Clear:               YES
>> >Enter <cr> to accept parameters or type EXIT:EAX Meso01 LLF
>> > Parameters requested:
>> >MAP,GAREA,PROJ,SATFIL,RADFIL,LATLON,PANEL,TITLE,TEXT,
>> >
>> >CLEAR,DEVICE,RCMFIL,RADTIM,RADDUR,DITHER,MESO,TVS,CNTR,MAXTOP,RADINFO,ECHO,
>> > CLRBAR.
>> > GEMPAK-GPRCM>
>> >
>> >My script is based on your example script posted on the webpage.  Has
>> >there been a change to the rcm decoder or rcm format that I may have
>> >missed?  Thanks for any ideas.
>> >
>> >Chris
>> >
>> >
>> 
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>