20020212: AREA file IDIR(52), IDIR(53)

>From: Darren Gallant <address@hidden>
>Organization: UCAR/JOSS
>Keywords: 200202121838.g1CIctx20124 McIDAS AREA

Darren,

>Is there another way to write GOES E/W 2 byte IR and WV imagery to an area
>other than with IDIR(52) = 'GVAR' and IDIR(53) = 'RAW'. I want to write
>temperatures and I cannot find the correct image source type.

After perusing the online McIDAS Programmer's Reference Manual:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mug/prog_man/prog_man.html

I thought I found a way for you to do this using the PRD calibration
type, but it turns out that this is only for 1-byte data.  I learned
this by calling Dave Santek of SSEC and talking about what you are
trying to do for about a half hour.

Dave had two comments:

1) your reverse engineering to get counts that represent temperatures
   was the best approach in your HDF to AREA conversion

2) he is going to send you some code they have that will convert raw
   GMS image scans into McIDAS AREAs (this relates to the conversation
   we had in my office yesterday, not to this email).

So, the answer to your simple question is _no_, there is not another
way of writing temperature values directly into an AREA file.

>Thanks
>Darren

Tom