20040917: IDV - Sources of Data and Formats

>From: "Sean Murphy" <address@hidden>
>Organization: U.S. Navy
>Keywords: 200409171526.i8HFQo9N006590 IDV supported format

Hi Sean-

>Institution: Naval Undersea Warfare Center
>Package Version: 1.1
>Operating System: N/A
>Hardware Information: N/A
>Inquiry: Don,
>
>Using IDV as you well know and the dataset I require for my project requires a
> ll flavors of data.  i.e.  Model, Imagery, Radar, Observations.
>
>ADDE is a great resource, but only archives a few days worth.  I may need to g
> o back a few weeks to get all of my data to be from the same time period.  e.
> g. some of my data will be US Navy model data from a particular time period s
> o flat files will be required for all data.
>
>Model Data:
>
>Where do I get NCEP NWP Model data in netCDF format?

You could get GRIB data from NCDC and run it through the gribtonc decoder.
Alternatively, set up an LDM feed with a cooperating Unidata university,
receive the GRIB projects yourself and pipe them through gribtonc.

>Imagery:
>
>I can obtain McIDAS Imagery from UMW - SSEC, but your spec. in the user manual
>  is not clear if the IDV will be able to read these directly.  Looks like it 
> just reads the McIDAS area and still needs ADDE.  Not sure what that means

Yes, it will read raw AREA files.  It will not read raw Level III data,
GINI, HDF, or other formats that can be accessed through ADDE.  For images,
the ADDE protocol converts these other formats into an AREA file like 
object.  That's why we can read these other formats.

>
>Radar:
>
>Good source for NEXRAD Level II data?  I think I can get this from NOAA-NCDC?

I find NCDC to be a good source.

>
>Observations (Point, RAOBs):
>
>Don't know where to go for this one?  If I try my idea below problem may be so
> lved.
>
>
>=====
>
>I have been trying to locate all of this data in flat file formats compatible 
> with the IDV and it is difficult.  SSEC archives a great deal of stuff off of
>  NOAA port so one of my thoughts was this:
>
>Get a bunch of archive data from SSEC, set up my own I McIDAS server with that
>  data set and just point my IDV application to my own private McIDAS/ADDE ser
> ver?

That would work.

>Would like to know your thoughts on this so I can get in the upcoming McIDAS t
> raining course.

You'd have to make this decision quickly since the workshop is pretty much
full.

>What is the best way to attack this problem.  Desperately want to avoid conver
> ting data at all costs.

If you want to set up your own server, that would work best.

Don
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