S-Pol Radar Operator's Log

S-Pol IMPROVE-II, Oregon Cascades, December 2001

About this Log

This is a transcript of the Operator's Log, written on-site at S-Pol during IMPROVE-II. The log contains information about system problems and adjustments. This information may be of use to the analyst who finds something that is suspected of being caused by a system problem. Every attempt was made to transcribe information exactly, with changes limited to some minor editorial corrections (generally, spelling or expansion of abbreviations). Any comments added by the editor are shown in square brackets [like this].

The log includes a November test opeation period (about 15-Nov through 25-Nov). Official project operations started on 26-Nov-2001.

Special thanks are given here to the operators of S-Pol who ran the system and wrote this log. The operators' initials are provided at the far right of the entry for each day, after the data tape number. See the end of this page for a list of operator names.


15-Nov-2001						P25511  JL/RR
	23:30	The damaged S-Pol rotary joint was replaced
		with CHILL's rotary joint.
		[Clutter filter is to be "ON" for IMPROVE-II]
	23:45	Vertical pointing.  Looks pretty good.  Jon did 
		initial bias removal.
	23:55	SUR scans for clutter review.

16-Nov
	01:34	End of today's testing.


16-Nov-2001						P25512/13 JL
	18:20	Vertical pointing (Good case!)
	18:24	Clutter filter "OFF"
	18:25	Sequence, clutter filter "OFF"
	18:46	Sequence, clutter filter "ON"
	19:47	Long-range [test].
		[CF "On" from here out]
	21:00	Dual polarization scanning with clutter filter --
		  "Research" sequence.
	22:08	STOP
	22:10	START
	22:30	[Time] approx.  RDA crashed.  "P" tape stopped.
	22:50	All RDA tape drives were cleaned.
	23:10	Re-start recording.
17-Nov
	00:39	Paused recording.


17-Nov-2001						P25513 RR/JVA
	19:20	Started recording.  Still writing to tape P25513.
	20:35	Transmit powers show 10dB low.  No real signal [Tx had
		  faulted, no Tx].
	21:32	Transmitter back on.
	22:45	Special clutter scans.  64 hits, 3-deg/sec, 
		  elevs: 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9
		Transmitter faulted three times over past ~1.5 hours.
	23:53	Back to routine SUR scans.
18-Nov
	00:42	Stopped recording.


19-Nov-2001						P25512/13 RR/JVA
	17:00	[S-Pol computer network power-down/up tests]	


24-Nov-2001						P25xxx JE
	19:10	SUR scans [testing, only for the day]	


25-Nov-2001						P25xxx JE
	18:30	SUR scans [testing, only for the day]	


26-Nov-2001						P25514 JE/RR
	20:23	Start recording.  Wave cloud (?) to WSW with very
		high Zdr.  (Is this correct?)  CHAFF drop!
	23:43	Loaded modified translator software to RDA-1.
		  Software should correct a "backward time" problem.
		  This will be reviewed.


27-Nov-2001						P25515 JE/RR
	17:55	Start.  Stoelinga scan tests and Susan's Web testing.
		  No real weather.
28-Nov
	01:00	Time uncertain, but RDA-1 re-booted [itself; 
		  should really say RDA-2 in this entry].  Some
		  data not recorded to P-tape.
	01:38	Re-started tapes
	02:15	(Time is approximate)  RDA-2 re-booted, again.
		  We lowered van thermostat to 72, and moved RDA
		  closer to the vent.  Q-tape was over-written.
		  Data started on RDA-2 at about 02:20.


28-Nov-2001						P25516/17 AP
	08:27	Running research [scan] sequence.



29-Nov-2001						P25518/19/20 AP
	13:05	Running research [scan] sequence.
30-Nov
	00:42	Tapes paused.
		Tape P25520 and Q25520 paused at 0042 on 30 Nov
		  (see next page)[next entry]


30-Nov-2001						P25520/21 AP/RR
	00:42	Tapes Paused.
		Tape P25520 and Q25520 paused at 0042 on 30 Nov
		Re-started 30-Nov at 1452 (only P-tapes running; could
		  not get Q-tape to run).
	14:52	Started radar.
	21:00	Vertical scans.  Pretty Shallow.
	22:02	Vertical scans.
01-Dec
	01:32	Tape ping-pong.


01-Dec-2001						P25522/23 AP
	13:45	Running research sequence.


02-Dec-2001						P25524 ??
	xx:xx	[no log entries for this day]


03-Dec-2001						P25525/26 DF
	00:45	Began unattended ops.
	19:48	Chaff line 60 km west
	23:09	Solar calibration.


04-Dec-2001						P25527/28/29 DF
	00:24	Began research sequence, unattended ops.
	04:20	Horizontal USWR Fault [DF came in to re-set transmitter]
	18:06	Vertical scans
	18:14	Done with vertical
	18:51	Had to fix H semi-rigid cable [Al Phinney?]


05-Dec-2001						P25530 JE
	xx:xx	Began unattended ops
	17:17	Recording paused.  
		  System stopped for maintenance.
		  Expect to be down for about 3 hours.
		Did solar.  Adjusted azimuth CCW 0.15 deg.  Moved
		  thumbwheel switches from -120.15 to -120.30
	19:35	Started clutter scans for Bob Rilling
	19:48	Re-started clutter scans, [elevations of] .25 to 3.0
		  in .25 degree steps.  
		No transmitter.  [Transmitter "off", as requested].
	20:16	Started research sequence, IMP2_EW.scn
	21:10	[Another chaff drop noted, 20:38 to 22:00]


06-Dec-2001						P25531/32/33/34 JE
	18:14	Running research sequence.
07-Dec
	17:26	End operations.


08-Dec-2001						P25535 AP
	13:13	Started ops running long-range SUR
	14:45	Switched to short [range scans], Research IMP2_EW.SCN
	16:15	Switched back to long-range.
	19:18	Changed to SUR scans, no RHIs. [Long-range]
	19:35	Changed to short-range
	19:40	Start short-range research sequence, IMP2_EW.SCN


09-Dec-2001						P25536/37 JE
	08:45	Unattended ops
	17:00	Found that test pulse range had not been set when
		  changing from long-range to short-range.
	18:00	Shutdown ops for now.


10-Dec-2001						P25538/39 AP
	04:40	Started ops running research scan


11-Dec-2001						P25540/41
		Unattended ops
	17:46	Vertical pointing
	17:55	Stopped vertical scan; started research scan


12-Dec-2001						P25542/43
	00:42	Unattended ops
	16:55	Transmitter off
	17:10	Restart [transmitter]
	17:55	Ran vertical pointing
	19:30	Long-range mode
	20:12	Back to short range
	20:48	Began long-range scans
		Short range
	21:05	Changed Zdr_FUDGE_FACTOR from 0.15 to -0.09 
		  (reduced by .24 dB)
	21:06	Vertical pointing mode, short range 
	21:12	End vertical, start research sequence, short range
	21:47	Start long range
	22:05	Start short range.  Change CONFIG.RDR Zdr 
		  from 0 to -0.24.  Test pulse Zdr now -0.80


13-Dec-2001						P25544/45/46
	20:37	Started vertical pointing
	20:44	Restarted research sequence


14-Dec-2001						P25546/47/48
	19:07	Changed to SUR scans, still short-range
	20:10	Changed to DPol.srv and added 0.0 and 
		  3.5 deg elevation [tilts].  Since long-range
		  SUR was not going to Zebra.
	22:22	Change to research scans.


15-Dec-2001						P25549/50
	17:35	Change to long-range SUR, only.
	19:21	Changed to short range
	23:45	Cleaned Q-0 and P-1 tape drives


16-Dec-2001						P25551/52
	05:19	Cleaned Q-1 and P-0 tape drives.
	21:17	Changed RHI angles to start from 60 and go to 240
17-Dec
	01:15	Ran vertical pointing scan
	04:25	Antenna pedestal stopped -- high wind 
		  tripped breaker


17-Dec-2001						P25553/54
	20:42	Began long range SUR
	22:50	End ops.


18-Dec-2001						P25555/56
	17:00	Receiver H/V switch was left in H-only overnight


19-Dec-2001						P25557/58
	xx:xx	16:10 to 17:10, Possible data loss on 25558 tapes.
		  -- both [tape] drives full upon arrival in morning
		  [Post review note: RDA disk caching seems to have 
		   worked as intended, resulting in no data loss.]
	22:58	Ran vertical pointing.


20-Dec-2001						P25559/60
	20:15	End ops


21-Dec-2001						P25561
	19:01	Clutter scan, no transmit.
	19:39	Clutter scan, with transmitter "ON"
	19:58	Turned off clutter filter.
	20:19	End clutter scan
	02:28	Started ops


22-Dec-2001						P25562
	14:21	Running research sequence, IMP2_EW.SCN
	15:25	Ran vertical
	15:33	End vertical
	22:05	End IMPROVE-II ops.

*** END-OF-PROJECT ***

**PRECIP98 S-Pol Operators**
Initials	Name
SE	Scott Ellis
JE	Jonathan Emmett
DF	Don Ferraro
TL	Tashi Lama
JL	Jon Lutz
AP	Al Phinney
RR	Bob Rilling
MS	Mike Strong
JVA	Joe VanAndel

--- Bob Rilling --- / NCAR Atmospheric Technology Division
Created: 27-Dec-2001
Last modified: