WAICOII 15 Feb - 15 April 2009 Wyoming Cloud Radar Data Status Report Content: General Notes WCR configuration Radar Status/Problems Calibration Notes Data File Information Terminology and other notes ................................................................................ General Notes: * Quick look images of co-pol reflectivity for all the flights are stored on the project WCR web site in their corresponding directories(mmmDD) as pdf files. * WCR raw data is archived on a disk array in the UW DAS and a mass storage at NCAR. Quicklooks, dataquality, and calibration data are also archived. Radar processed data files in NetCDF format are available usually within 2 months after the conclusion of the experiment (preliminary version may be available earlier). The NetCDF files are available via the Internet. They may be protected with a password. Contact the PI for access. ................................................................................ WCR configuration: WCR is installed on UWKA with 3-antenna configuration: Antenna 1 2,4 and no polarization capability. Antenna ports are: Ant1 (up) - H1, Ant2 (near nadir) - V2, Ant4 (down-aft) - H2; H/V stands for the receiver used (there are 2 receivers). Cross-channels (HXVX and VXHX channels) have no meaning for this configuration. ................................................................................ Radar Status/Problems * ______ Feb 11 = KA data system did not record events for the radar mirror position ... ............................................................................. Calibration notes: **************************************************************************** Power Calibration: * Calibration constants for this experiment as of Calibration constants (250 ns pulse, 5 MHz IF filter, dynamic range > 70 dB; for 500 ns pulse subtract 3.5 dB): Ant. 1 (side/up), HHcal1 = 49.5@ 250ns Ant. 2 (nadir), VVcal2 = 50.5@ 250ns Ant. 4 (down-aft), HHcal2 = 55.5@ 250ns Notes: 1) Calibration constant precision over the whole dynamic range (no less than 70 dB) is about +-1. dB for both receivers 2) The absolute accuracy of the calibration constant for the nadir antenna is estimated to be around +-2.5 dB (based on the overall variability of the calibration constant from CR measurements and the expected drift in the receivers and transmitted power). Transmitted power drift is estimated to be in the order of 1 dB for less than 2 hour flight and no more than 1.5 dB for longer flights. Receiver gain drift is estimated to be less than 1 dB. 3) Cross-channel Isolation > 50 dB Antenna Coupling Separation: better than 50 dB; weak coupling between side and nadir antenna is possible for strong(close range) surface returns) * Calibration constants used for the quick look images: Ant. 1 (side/up), calHH1 = 49.5@ 250ns Ant. 2 (nadir), calVV2 = 50.5@ 250ns Ant. 4 (down-fore), calHH2 = 55.0@ 250ns **************************************************************************** Beam angles calibration: * Unit beam angles(in AC coordinates) for this experiment as of 18 Nov 2005 X(along AC) Y(right wing) Z(down) Ant. 1 (up): 0.052336, 0., -0.9986295 Ant. 1 (side): -0.0125, 0.99992, 0.00296 Ant. 2 (nadir): -0.0544, 0.005937, 0.99850 Ant. 4 (down-fore): 0.439959, 0.0131354, 0.897861 **************************************************************************** ................................................................................ WCR Data File Information: ************************************************************************** feb11: Test Flight Total data: 548 MB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 288M W2009-02-11-18-03-39 pp6,250, U,D,D 244M W2009-02-11-18-22-53 pp6,250, U,D,D 17M W2009-02-11-18-45-09 pp6,250, S,D,D ************************************************************************** feb16: Test Flight Total data: 1.2 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 564M W2009-02-16-21-57-28 pp6,250, U,D,D 391M W2009-02-16-22-34-56 pp6,250, U,D,D 231M W2009-02-16-23-03-38 pp6,250, S,D,D beamcal: 230930-231155,2 right turns 231608-231837,2 left turns ************************************************************************** feb18: WWDC flight Total data: 3.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 470M W2009-02-18-16-21-18 pp6,250, U,D,D 608M W2009-02-18-16-52-35 pp6,250, U,D,D 594M W2009-02-18-17-33-01 pp6,250, U,D,D 287M W2009-02-18-18-12-31 pp6,250, U,D,D 676M W2009-02-18-18-31-37 pp6,250, U,D,D 649M W2009-02-18-19-16-37 pp6,250, U,D,D 166M W2009-02-18-19-59-47 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** feb20: Total data: 1.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 477M W2009-02-20-17-18-48 pp6,250, U,D,D 467M W2009-02-20-17-50-34 pp6,250, U,D,D 390M W2009-02-20-18-21-38 pp6,250, U,D,D feb20: WWDC flight Total data: 3.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 625M W2009-02-20-21-29-02 pp6,250, U,D,D 392M W2009-02-20-22-10-35 pp6,250, U,D,D 604M W2009-02-20-22-36-41 pp6,250, U,D,D 578M W2009-02-20-23-16-51 pp6,250, U,D,D 244M W2009-02-20-23-55-18 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** feb23: Total data: 1.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 393M W2009-02-23-21-13-55 pp6,250, U,D,D 560M W2009-02-23-21-40-01 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 399M W2009-02-23-22-17-14 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes ************************************************************************** mar04: Total data: 537 MB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 524M W2009-03-05-00-35-57 pp6,250, U,D,D 13M W2009-03-05-00-56-45 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar06: Total data: 2.7 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 545M W2009-03-06-20-47-35 pp6,250, U,D,D 571M W2009-03-06-21-23-50 pp6,250, U,D,D 476M W2009-03-06-22-01-51 pp6,250, U,D,D 574M W2009-03-06-22-33-28 pp6,250, U,D,D 526M W2009-03-06-23-11-40 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar10: WWDC flight Total data: 3.6 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 453M W2009-03-10-13-57-34 pp6,250, U,D,D 497M W2009-03-10-14-27-41 pp6,250, U,D,D 459M W2009-03-10-15-00-40 pp6,250, U,D,D 475M W2009-03-10-15-31-11 pp6,250, U,D,D 375M W2009-03-10-16-02-42 pp6,250, U,D,D 417M W2009-03-10-16-27-35 pp6,250, U,D,D mar10: Total data: 1.1 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 511M W2009-03-10-21-37-58 pp6,250, U,D,D 597M W2009-03-10-22-11-57 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar12: Total data: 2.5 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 560M W2009-03-12-22-57-29 pp6,250, U,D,D 707M W2009-03-12-23-34-50 pp6,250, U,D,D 576M W2009-03-13-00-21-52 pp6,250, U,D,D 514M W2009-03-13-01-00-11 pp6,250, U,D,D 156M W2009-03-13-01-34-23 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar16: Total data: 3.3 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 345M W2009-03-16-17-24-14 pp6,250, U,D,D 576M W2009-03-16-17-47-09 pp6,250, U,D,D 416M W2009-03-16-18-25-29 pp6,250, U,D,D h/vnoise spikes 213M W2009-03-16-18-53-07 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 25M W2009-03-16-19-07-37 spp,250, U timestamp glitch 19:12, 2nd trip 430M W2009-03-16-19-16-37 pp6,250, U,D,D h/vnoise spikes,2nd trip ground 451M W2009-03-16-19-45-13 pp6,250, U,D,D vnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 484M W2009-03-16-20-15-35 pp4,250, U,D vnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 410M W2009-03-16-20-46-45 pp4,250, U,D vnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 40M W2009-03-16-21-13-10 pp4,250, U,D vnoise spikes 81M W2009-03-16-21-16-05 spp,250, U 6.6M W2009-03-16-21-31-30 spp,250, U ************************************************************************** mar18: Total data: 1.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 521M W2009-03-18-21-05-48 pp6,250, U,D,D 443M W2009-03-18-21-40-23 pp6,250, U,D,D 453M W2009-03-18-22-09-46 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar25: WWDC flight Total data: 5.5 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 591M W2009-03-25-15-56-05 pp6,250, U,D,D 428M W2009-03-25-16-19-33 pp6,250, U,D,D 457M W2009-03-25-16-36-31 pp6,250, U,D,D 613M W2009-03-25-16-54-38 pp6,250, U,D,D 529M W2009-03-25-17-18-58 pp6,250, U,D,D 426M W2009-03-25-17-39-58 pp6,250, U,D,D 402M W2009-03-25-17-56-53 pp6,250, U,D,D 418M W2009-03-25-18-12-50 pp6,250, U,D,D 423M W2009-03-25-18-29-24 pp6,250, U,D,D 395M W2009-03-25-18-46-12 pp6,250, U,D,D 422M W2009-03-25-19-01-52 pp6,250, U,D,D 501M W2009-03-25-19-18-37 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar27: Total data: 1.4 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 45M W2009-03-27-19-17-52 pp6,250, D,D 441M W2009-03-27-19-21-28 pp6,250, U,D,D 496M W2009-03-27-19-38-58 pp6,250, U,D,D 399M W2009-03-27-19-58-37 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** mar30: WWDC flight Total data: 4.7 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 523M W2009-03-30-17-03-09 pp6,250, U,D,D 370M W2009-03-30-17-23-52 pp6,250, U,D,D 402M W2009-03-30-17-38-35 pp6,250, U,D,D 546M W2009-03-30-17-54-32 pp6,250, U,D,D 473M W2009-03-30-18-16-13 pp6,250, U,D,D 404M W2009-03-30-18-34-58 pp6,250, U,D,D 422M W2009-03-30-18-51-00 pp6,250, U,D,D 399M W2009-03-30-19-07-45 pp6,250, U,D,D 411M W2009-03-30-19-23-34 pp6,250, U,D,D 428M W2009-03-30-19-39-53 pp6,250, U,D,D 431M W2009-03-30-19-56-51 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr02: Total data: 4.2 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 18M W2009-04-02-19-43-57 pp6,250, U,D,D 408M W2009-04-02-19-45-22 pp6,250, U,D,D 463M W2009-04-02-20-01-33 pp6,250, U,D,D 20:03:31-32 timestamp glitch profs: 3880-3909; stamps fixed 467M W2009-04-02-20-19-54 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 447M W2009-04-02-20-38-24 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 410M W2009-04-02-20-56-08 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 556M W2009-04-02-21-12-22 pp6,250, U,D,D 498M W2009-04-02-21-34-25 pp6,250, U,D,D 21:39:53-54 timestamps wrong by ~120min profs: 10771-10807; stamps fixed 511M W2009-04-02-21-54-10 pp6,250, U,D,D 1.4M W2009-04-02-22-14-25 pp6,250, U,D,D 462M W2009-04-02-22-16-19 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr03a: Total data: 1.2 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 496M W2009-04-03-19-19-21 pp6,250, U,D,D 409M W2009-04-03-19-39-01 pp6,250, U,D,D 338M W2009-04-03-19-55-14 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr03b: Total data: 1.3 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 526M W2009-04-03-20-53-04 pp6,250, U,D,D 471M W2009-04-03-21-13-57 pp6,250, U,D,D 233M W2009-04-03-21-32-40 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr08: Total data: 3.9 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 245M W2009-04-08-16-59-12 pp6,250, U,D,D ground return only 84M W2009-04-08-17-09-28 spp,250, U 442M W2009-04-08-17-25-33 pp6,250, U,D,D h/vnoise spikes 509M W2009-04-08-17-43-04 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 494M W2009-04-08-18-03-15 pp6,250, U,D,D 537M W2009-04-08-18-22-52 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 456M W2009-04-08-18-44-10 pp6,250, U,D,D h/vnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 544M W2009-04-08-19-15-19 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes, 2nd trip ground 491M W2009-04-08-19-36-54 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes 132M W2009-04-08-19-56-28 pp6,250, U,D,D hnoise spikes ************************************************************************** apr10: Total data: 2.2 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 494M W2009-04-10-23-07-13 pp6,250, U,D,D 398M W2009-04-10-23-40-03 pp6,250, U,D,D 462M W2009-04-11-00-06-29 pp6,250, U,D,D 572M W2009-04-11-00-37-10 pp6,250, U,D,D 303M W2009-04-11-01-15-13 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr14: Total data: 2.7 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 451M W2009-04-14-19-05-02 pp6,250, U,D,D 426M W2009-04-14-19-35-00 pp6,250, U,D,D 455M W2009-04-14-20-03-21 pp6,250, U,D,D 539M W2009-04-14-20-33-36 pp6,250, U,D,D 431M W2009-04-14-21-09-24 pp6,250, U,D,D 428M W2009-04-14-21-38-04 pp6,250, U,D,D ************************************************************************** apr30: test flight Total data: 1.39 GB Alg Pulse Ants Notes 474M W2009-04-30-20-01-27 pp6,250, U,D,D 517M W2009-04-30-20-31-34 pp6,250, U,D,D 394M W2009-04-30-21-04-27 pp6,250, U,D,D 2 time stamp glitches ............................................................................. Terminology and other notes: Other Notes: * WCR data acquisition system (DAQ) records time stamps from the vxi IRIG card which is slaved to the master KA data system time server. The recorded time stamps are GPS time. * The zero range gate, when at 75 m, is contaminated with the transmitter pulse leakage which appears at levels as high as -35 dBm@500ns (+15 dBZ). On the other hand very stong returns at 0 and 1st range gates are slightly undervalued (1 dB or less) due to receiver protection switches still residually closed. This range is in the far field for the two 12" 'down-pointing' antennas. Far fields for the 15" 'down-slant' antenna is 91 m and for the 18" nadir antenna it is 132 m. Thus for the bigger antennas the first few range gates may have larger calibration errors. * When maximum unambiguous range is 7.5 km, the data can be contaminated from second trip echoes, mostly from surface. * Average DSP jumps (data jumps between two consecutive profiles due to data acquisition DSPs) are mostly near zero for low power returns but frequently high power return (as indicated by the leak) exhibit jumps as high as 1-2 dB and thus averaging at least two profiles is recommended to reduce calibration errors. Terminology used to acknowledge data quality for each data file reported under Data file indormation: 1) SPIKES are defined as short lasting (less than a few secs), large excursions in positive or negative direction (higher than 2-3 dB). 2) ELEVATED NOISE (including short spikes) is defined as occasional change in the mean noise that exceeds 2-3 dB and lasts from fraction of a second to more than a minute. It is usually associated with ground hits and/or multi-trip echoes. It is observed for side looking mode only. 3) NOISE JUMPS/SPIKES (up to 10-20 sec). Probably some sort of short interference not necessarily in both channels and in some cases associated with the mirror position change or A/C radio communications at freqs close to 120MHz 3) NOISE DRIFT is up to 2dB slow drift in the noise channel; likely due to drift in the receivers gain. Usually it does not exceed 0.5 dB. 4) BAD DATA refer to corrupted data or improbable data behavior. 5) DATA SHIFT means that all data channels are shifted one range gate to the right for one or both of the DSPs. 6) DATA GAPS: gaps between profiles exceeding several times the average time interval between profiles 7) TIME STAMP ERROR: known fixed shift in the time stamps. 8) TIME JUMPS/GLITCHES: sync problem in the time which results in time stamps jumps including negative jumps 9) DATA DISCONTINUITY: unexpected jumps in reflectivity occurring thru all range gates from one profile to another. 10) V/H-MISSING or V/H severely attenuated reffer to unidentified problem causing severe attanuation or lack of signal from a target