CuPIDO: Site 7 Messages, 17 Entries..

There was one test tip performed on the rain guage at 12:53.

Rnet was cleaned at 12:50 MST.

A.J.I. and Steve O. arrived at 12:29 MST and left at 12:57 MST

Actvities:
- The cable connector going from the solar panel to the charge controller was 
charred on the ground side. Steve simply cleaned the connection and that 
established continiuity.
- The power was off from 12:29-12:45
- Cleaned Rnet at 12:50 MST
- One test tip was performed on the rain guage at 12:53

As now mentioned 3 other times, we cycled power on the GOES transmitter last
night (~20:15 on 3 Aug), which got rid of "SOH (start-of-header)" error 
messages.  GOES operation is now okay.

Visited site 7 last night, just at sunset ~19:50-20:30 (avoid the rebar spikes!!)

Purpose: determine why no GOES data.

Actions:
- /var/log/messages showed "SOH (start-of-header)" error messages
- swapped USB stick
- upgraded software (now has GOES status messages)
- executed "ck goes" -- still SOH errors
- cycled power on GOES by disconnecting cable at battery box
- executed "ck goes" -- now okay!
- restarted data system
- checked all values (including wind direction) okay
- found new way out: following Catalina (north) => Catalina Shadow 

Notes:
- box 13
- GOES 110
- surge supressor tied to ground stake

Cleaned net radiometer; found level
Shaved 1/8" organic (?) spot off located NW of top of dome

Inspected rain gauge: no varmints
Recorded one tip for test.

Visited site 7 13:35 - 13:50 MST

Swapped USB disk; taped GOES cooler lid (no moisture in cooler).

Model 110 GOES transmitter

17jul06 17:50-18:30

Purpose: routine maintence

USB Data storage retrieved and swapped
	Had trouble with the initial usb stick used
	(#13 which has been bad, questionable at several other sites previously
	but Greg wanted to try it one last time
	....io errors once again
	....performed minor sledge-hammer adjustment on this stick at
	base later on.)
	Installed 4G unit instead of .5 since no other available
	...swap it out for flux sites.


GOES pvc elbows installed, raised off ground to help ventillation.



Software upload.
	Double checked that the newest software version is installed here
	because it does have a SE110, and wanted to confirm the usbstick
	errors were not caused by the viper code for some strange reason.

9Jul06, 9:30-10:30

Purpose: Station reporting over goes still down.



1) Still no goes output upon arrival.
   Adam was working, but saw some goes related errors in log messages.
   The spare from Boulder arrived last night, so
   Decided to swap transmitters:
   Removed   SE110 - 
   Installed SE110 - 1005 (unit sent from Boulder)

2) Bad Surge Arrester / Replaced
   Initially saw 2w - ish output (as from SE120 yesterday)...yuk.
   Removed old version surge arrester and determined it was the culprit.
   recalling that the stud on it had been loose and it appears that
   when i tightened it up yesterday that caused a signal loss problem.
   Replaced it with the last of the 'newer' units.

   Observed 12W output,min. refl.

2) Corrected the antenna angle
   It had been slightly off and a bit loose.
   Took quite a bit of fiddling to get it fixed.
   Still need a better mounting scheme!!

Some minor items were taken care of at 2pm local time at Station 7.

The logger was elevated off the ground and the GPS altitude was taken as an average of 6 values as 2805 ft. This result was sensible given an intercomparison of pressure readings at different sites (e.g. compared with Site 8).

8Jul06, 13:15-14:20;

Purpose: Intermittent communications since yesterday/rain(maybe), and
low rf output since my last visit.

Discovered a few problems:
1) No goes output upon arrival.

	The cooler had some water in the bottom and the connectors for
	the sio and power were 'on the bottom'....possibly the root
	cause.  Raised the connectors, and transmitter, tightened
	loose surge supressor ground strap, added lug to the ground
	strap/rod.

	A simple power cycle didn't get goes working again.  There
	were several 'wrong id' messages in the syslog file but the
	ck_goes kept looking good.  Thought that after cycling the
	goes a reboot was prudent and that appeared to work, getting
	7-Watts out of the transmitter per the wattmeter a couple of
	times.  ....however,
	upon arriving at the base 1-hour later still no messages....

2) Adam was working, but many gps NMEA errors in the log off and on
beginning on the 6th, but especially since the rain yesterday.


Second visit:    16:30-18:15
	More errors in log including 'wrong id'....wondering if errors
	of this type never truly get cleared.  evidence to that effect
	is that a reboot recovered goes and obsevered 7w out.
	- Decided to try a different transmitter...the questionable
	one from st8: SE120-3515.  after doing that and getting
	things running, saw only 2w output; yuk!
	Put the other SE110 back in and saw 7W output again.
	- Swapped microStrip out
	- Installed yaggi in

	Things appeared working when i left..but it didn't last long...

8Jul06, 10:20 - 11:30

Purpose: Rlw.out and derived Tsfc was erroneously high since heavy rain event 
on the 5th.

Discovered a few problems:
1) Rlw.in
	Scratch on the dome, but shouldn't be a problem. A picture was taken.

	Split in the cable insulation probably allowed water to
	penetrate in.  Fortunately the 'drip loop' prevented the water
	from flowing all the way to the connector.  No water in it now
	that we could tell.  Taped it and the main connector because
	of....

2) Rlw.out
	This is it: considerable water in the Amp-9 connector.
	It appears that the rain was forced in through the back side
	of the connector under the heat shrink tubing which protruded
	into the shell and no doubt past the RTV.  Also, these units
	don't have the plenum and the connectors are just free
	hanging, perhaps a bit vulnerable.  Taped the connector, cleaned the            corrosive accumulation with Q-tips and dried it all out.

Uploaded USB disk: 58% full for 19Jun - 8Jul

Neighbor visited:
	Giovanni Panza 818-2815, nice guy and very interested in project.

5jul06 13:15-14:30

SE110-1002, microStrip 5
Forward power low at 6W.

Attached ground strap, bit didn't have a proper screw terminal so just cable tied it as best i could.
moved antenna down from top of t-post and adjusted the angle.  The u-bolts are stripped and will need to be replaced if there is any more adjustments made.

5jul06 13:15-14:30

There was some splashed on dirt residue on the rnet dome esp. on the bottom.  Cleaned at 14:00 local

5jul06 13:15-14:30

Checked boom angle:
my compass = 356
rmy 'BD'   = 355
i did not change the internal rmy value

5jul06 13:15

Purpose: install new software

Data system was still running and collecting data.

Data uploaded to aster.
New software installed and the xml also