From steps-owner@krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu Wed Mar 22 22:09:29 2000 Received: from ncar.UCAR.EDU by mmm.mmm.ucar.EDU (980427.SGI.8.8.8/ NCAR Mail Server 04/10/90) id WAA29380; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 22:09:28 GMT Received: from krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu (krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu [151.159.81.8]) by ncar.UCAR.EDU (8.9.1a/) with ESMTP id PAA29726; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 15:09:17 -0700 (MST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu (AIX4.3/8.9.3/8.9.3) id PAA13592 for steps-outgoing; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 15:08:09 -0700 X-Authentication-Warning: krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu: majordom set sender to owner-steps@majordomo.sdsmt.edu using -f Received: from ibis.nmt.edu (ibis.nmt.edu [129.138.42.24]) by krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu (AIX4.3/8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id PAA10564 for ; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 15:07:33 -0700 Received: (from krehbiel@localhost) by ibis.nmt.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) id QAA12962 for steps@krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu; Wed, 22 Mar 2000 16:02:22 -0700 From: Paul Krehbiel Message-Id: <200003222302.QAA12962@ibis.nmt.edu> Subject: Update on Lightning Mapping System To: steps@krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu (STEPS Listserve) Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 16:02:22 -0700 (MST) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL2] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-steps@krypton.hpc.sdsmt.edu Precedence: bulk Status: RO To STEPS persons: I spent a second week in the STEPS project area last week (March 13-19) identifying additional sites for the lightning mapping system and working to finalize the network. There were several main issues that we needed to address: 1) Moving the network eastward to take into account the more eastward locations of the CHILL and S-POL radars, 2) measuring the RF noise levels at the numerous possible sites, and 3) figuring out how to establish the communications links from the remote sites back into Goodland, where we will have our base of operations. We made good progress in all areas. A summary of the network and of our operations is on our web page at http://www.lightning.nmt.edu/nmt_lms/STEPS_lma_v2.html . The network is configured to provide focussed coverage both within the triple Doppler triangle and in two of the three dual-Doppler lobes. Good three-dimensional coverage will extend several tens of kilometers outside the network as well, and will degrade to two-dimensional coverage at increasing range. From our initial trip to the area last fall we had identified some good stations on the western edge of the network; these have tentatively been left in, even though the network has moved eastward, because they are under the dual-Doppler lobe of the two research radars (CHILL and S-POL) and in an important storm area, according to NWS personnel. We will have a total of fifteen stations to deploy and are having to choose between siting the remaining stations under one or the other of the remaining dual-Doppler lobes and have chosen to provide better coverage under the northeast lobe, based on input from NWS personnel. We have approval from the landowners to operate at each of the locations. The two northeast stations (see map on the web page) have not been finalized yet but will not be difficult to do so. We would be interested in any comments and thoughts concerning the network layout and coverage. Ten of the stations will record electric field mill data and lightning electric field changes, and three stations will record fast electric field change waveforms. We will also have the lightning interferometer located near the center of the network, which will also record electric field changes. We are continuing to work on processing the mapping data in real time. One aspect of this has been establishing communications between the remote stations and our operations center in Goodland. We have figured out how to do this using a combination of the wireless modems we currently use in NM and a wireless ethernet trunk, as indicated on the web page. The trunk will connect into Goodland via the tower being used for the radio repeaters for the radar and mobile operations. Another aspect is the data processing itself. We now have C code working which obtains solutions faster than real time and are working on buffering the data stream into the code. We will have real-time processing going by some point during the program but are not sure when at this point. We have the equipment for receiving and displaying real-time NLDN data from satellite links and will be bringing that with us, for setting up either at the Chill Ops Center or in Goodland. The Ops Center is presumably the best place to have the equipment, and we need to make arrangements for getting this done. It may be possible to set up a wireless ethernet link between us and/or the NWS office in Goodland and the Chill Ops Center, using the Goodland tower and the link we will have in place between the tower and the NWS location. We have had higher priority things to do and have not pursued this, but at the time we set up our communications links on the tower we could consider putting an antenna high up to attempt a direct link to Chill. We will start setting up the network shortly after May 1, first by setting out the stations with local recording only, then setting up the comm links. Two grad students and myself will wrap up our courses early to do this, and we plan to have two or three other people helping as well. The field mills/slow antennas will be added to the sites after finals week and Tech graduation on May 13, when additional faculty and students will be able to join us. The mapping network itself should be recording by May 15, with at least some of the communications links in place by that time. I may well be taking one or two 4-day weekend trips back to the area between now and May 1 in preparation for the setup. The sites that we have selected are quieter at RF than the ones we used in Oklahoma, and should allow us to operate at thresholds 10-15 dB lower than in Oklahoma, comparable to our threshold levels in New Mexico. This will mean a greater number of points per flash for discharges over or near the network, as well as extending the 2D maximum range of the system. Paul Krehbiel