[GEMPAK #VVW-235558]: Max station ID length in STNFIL file

Janine,

The max ID length is 8 and not 7.

I have an example in the GEMPAK tutorial showing the data and station table 
where I created 8 character IDs:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/gempak/tutorial/importing_exercises.html

You have to allow space in your surface file for added stations when you create 
the file.
The TIMSTN parameter in SFCFIL tells the file how many times and how many extra 
stations
in addition to those in the station table to allow in the file. If all your 
stations are in
the station table you used to create the file, you are set. 

You may have had a column spacing issue in your table, or in your data file.

Steve Chiswell
Unidata User Support

> Hi,
> 
> I am creating my own station list.  Checking $GEMTBL/stns/sfstns.tbl I
> saw that there at nine characters before the date begins.  Assuming one
> space is needed to separate fields, I concluded that the maximum
> allowable station ID length is 8 chars, but when I run sfcfil and sfedit
> to ingest my data into GEMPAK, I get the error
> 
> [SFEDIT 2]  Station TEST1234 cannot be added to the file.
> 
> 7 char stations seem to work.  Can you confirm for me that there is
> indeed a 7 character limit on station ID length in GEMPAK?  This has
> implications for alot of different code/data, so I want to be sure I'm
> working with accurate info, not just my assumptions.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Janine Goldstein
> NCAR/EOL
> 
> 


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VVW-235558
Department: Support GEMPAK
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed