[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

20040413: Surface Data in GEMPAK

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 Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated.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.

  • Subject: 20040413: Surface Data in GEMPAK
  • Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 15:25:37 -0600
Greg,

I'm assuming you are have METAR reports, the dcmetr decoder is set up 
to receive bulletins with either FOS style product delimeters, or 
AFOS style delimeters. The delimeters tell the decoder where the
start and end of a bulletin are.

For realtime data, you would just run:
cat metarfile | dcmetr -m 72 -d - YYYYMMDD_sao.gem

if your data isn't current, then you should use the '-c yymmdd/hhnn' option
to dcmetr so that it can assign the correct date to the data (since the data
themselves do not contain year and month....just day and hour).

If this doesn't find bulletins, then you may have stripped the delimeters
out of the data, or gotten the data some other route. If thats the case, then 
see:
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/coohl/mhonarc/MailArchives/gembud-list/msg00325.html
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/coohl/mhonarc/MailArchives/gempak/msg05021.html

These show how to wrap a metar bulletin so that the decoder can find the start 
and end.


If you still have problems, send me a copy of the data and I can check out what
you have.

Steve Chiswell
Unidata User Support




>From: "Fishel, Greg" <address@hidden>
>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>Keywords: 200404131825.i3DIPqCT009068

>This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
>this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.
>
>------_=_NextPart_001_01C42184.BBB04E70
>Content-Type: text/plain;
>       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>> Steve,
>> 
>> Long time no talk! Believe it or not, we have installed the NAWIPS package
>> here at the station, and have successfully set up the gribmaster program
>> to download the model grib files. I would also like to look at surface
>> data, and I see that there is a DCMETR program that is supposed to be able
>> to convert sao files to Gempak format. I haven't been able to get this to
>> work yet, and would greatly appreciate any suggestions/instructions you
>> can provide. Hope you are well.
>> 
>> Greg Fishel
>> Chief Meteorologist
>> Capitol Broadcasting Co., Inc.
>> 919-821-8597(W)
>> 919-821-8541(Fax)
>> 
>
>------_=_NextPart_001_01C42184.BBB04E70
>Content-Type: text/html;
>       charset="iso-8859-1"
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
><HTML>
><HEAD>
><META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
>charset=3Diso-8859-1">
><META NAME=3D"Generator" CONTENT=3D"MS Exchange Server version =
>5.5.2654.45">
><TITLE>Surface Data in GEMPAK</TITLE>
></HEAD>
><BODY>
>
><P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Steve,</FONT>
></P>
>
><P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Long time no talk! Believe it or not, =
>we have installed the NAWIPS package here at the station, and have =
>successfully set up the gribmaster program to download the model grib =
>files. I would also like to look at surface data, and I see that there =
>is a DCMETR program that is supposed to be able to convert sao files to =
>Gempak format. I haven't been able to get this to work yet, and would =
>greatly appreciate any suggestions/instructions you can provide. Hope =
>you are well.</FONT></P>
>
><P><B><FONT COLOR=3D"#FF0000" SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Greg =
>Fishel</FONT></B>
><BR><B><FONT COLOR=3D"#FF0000" SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Chief =
>Meteorologist</FONT></B>
><BR><B><FONT COLOR=3D"#FF0000" SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Capitol =
>Broadcasting Co., Inc.</FONT></B>
><BR><B><FONT COLOR=3D"#FF0000" SIZE=3D2 =
>FACE=3D"Arial">919-821-8597(W)</FONT></B>
><BR><B><FONT COLOR=3D"#FF0000" SIZE=3D2 =
>FACE=3D"Arial">919-821-8541(Fax)</FONT></B>
></P>
>
></BODY>
></HTML>
>------_=_NextPart_001_01C42184.BBB04E70--
>
--
NOTE: All email exchanges with Unidata User Support are recorded in the
Unidata inquiry tracking system and then made publically available
through the web.  If you do not want to have your interactions made
available in this way, you must let us know in each email you send to us.