7.9 Radar Applications Practice

7.9 Practice Modules Using the Radar Applications

NOTE: Only Modules 24 and 25 below are available in the RSA_OB1 software release. The remaining Radar Applications will be added in a future RSA Build.

These modules guide you through the basic use of the Radar Applications.

Module 23: Alert Request

Sending an Alert Request is a four-part process. First, select and edit the alert area. Next, choose a product(s) and threshold(s). Then send the alert request and wait for a response. These parts are delineated in the following objectives.

The Alert Request Application involves both the Graphics and Text Displays.

Objective 1 - Editing an Alert Area

An Alert Area is comprised of small (16 x 16 km) squares (called Cells), as shown in Exhibit 7.9-1, that delineate the Alert Area for the RPG. Cell locations for the radar must be within the 460-km scan range of the radar to be valid. A valid Alert Cell is indicated by a small square.

Exhibit 7.9-1. An Example of a Valid and Invalid Cell

1. From the Scale Option Menu, select State or RFC.

2. From the Radar pull-down menu, choose Alert Request.

3. Press the Alert Area 1 check button.

If there is a previously saved alert area, it is displayed with its legend in the large display pane. If there is not a previously saved Alert Area, only the Alert Area Legend appears.

4. Select the Alert Area Editor button to make the area editable.

Place the mouse pointer over the area of interest. Now press Mouse Button 3 over the large display pane to open a pop-up menu. Choose Select Area. An anchor point with an attached stretch rectangle appears on the screen.

Another way to obtain the anchor point and stretch rectangle is by placing the cursor over the specific point of interest, holding down the Shift Key and pressing Mouse Button 3.

Stretch the rectangle to the desired location and release. Within a moment, Alert Cells fill in the rectangle area.

The anchor point appears wherever you open the pop-up menu in the large display pane, or wherever the cursor is when you press the Shift Key and Mouse Button 3 simultaneously. Refer to Exhibit 7.9-2.

Exhibit 7.9-2. Rectangle Area with Valid Alert Cells

Note: The Select Area Tool toggles all cells within it on or off depending on the state of the anchor point cell. If the anchor point cell is off, then all valid points within the selected rectangle area are turned on, and vice versa.

6. You can remove or add individual Alert Cells by clicking Mouse Button 3. Try this option.

7. If you need to remove a larger block of Alert Cells, press and hold Mouse Button 3 over the cells in the large display pane to open the pop-up menu and choose the Select Area option. Then stretch the rectangle over the cells you want to remove and release. The selected cells are then removed. This is illustrated in Exhibit 7.9-3.

Exhibit 7.9-3. Removing Alert Cells

8. If you desire to add a block of Alert Cells, open the pop-up menu next to the Alert Area where no Alert Cells exist. Use the stretch rectangle to highlight the area you want to add and press Mouse Button 3. This is illustrated in Exhibit 7.9-4.

Exhibit 7.9-4. Adding Alert Cells

Keep the display as is for the next objective.

Objective 2 - Adding a Category and Threshold

1. Click the Add menu button in the Alert Request Dialog Box. The Add Request Defs Dialog Box opens.

2. From the Category Options Menu, choose Vol VAD.

3. From the Threshold Codes Options Menu, select 15 knots.

4. For the Request Product inquiry, select the "No" check button. The "No" selection means that the Volume VAD radar product is not sent to AWIPS, but only a text message is sent to the Text Display when the 15-kt threshold is reached. A "Yes" choice sends the Volume VAD product when the threshold is met.

5. Press the OK menu button to add the Vol VAD Product to your Alert Request List in the Alert Request Dialog Box.

6. Save this list for the next objective.

Note: You cannot send Alert Requests to the RPG for both alert areas at the same time.

Objective 3 - Sending and Receiving the Alert Request

1. From Objective 2, the Vol VAD at 15 knots was selected.

2. Choose the desired RPG from the RPG Options Menu.

3. Press the Send Request menu button to send your request.

4. The Radar Ingest acknowledges your Alert Request with a message in the Radar Status Bar.

5. If the requested thresholds are reached (in our case, if the VAD profile winds reach 15 knots), then a message appears in the Red Banner Announcement Dialog Box.

A message is generated when a threshold is reached, there are no alerts for a Volume Scan, or the alert is canceled.

6. In the Text Display, open the Text Browser.

7. From the Class Option Menu, select Radar/Upper Air.

8. Under the Node Menu, choose WSR (at the bottom of the menu).

9. Choose the desired Category and Designator, then load the Text Product.

Note: You must be an associated user with a dedicated line to send an Alert request to an RPG.

Module 24: RPS List Editor

The products in the RPS List Editor should be familiar to WSR-88D users. The interface is designed to adjust based on the radar products you choose, so you can select the desired elevation angles, resolutions, data levels, and other appropriate parameters. Changes to the RPS List are usually infrequent and should be implemented according to office policy.

Objective 1 - Add One Product to the RPS List

1. From the kxxx pull-down menu, select the RPS List Editor. This opens the RPS Editor Dialog Box.

2. From the View pull-down menu, select Current List. This opens the Select an RPG Dialog Box. Choose the RPG you want and click the OK menu button. The current RPS List appears.

3. Scroll through the RPS List to review its contents and decide which product you would like to add.

4. Press the Add menu button, which opens the Add Product Dialog Box.

5. From the Add Products Dialog Box, select Velocity at 5.3, with 16 data levels at 0.25 km resolution.

6. Click the OK button.

7. Notice that the product has appeared at the bottom of the RPS List.

Notes:

• The steps below (8-9) From Module 25, Objective 1, 2, or 3 should be done with the knowledge that you are about to change the RPS List.

• Any automatic switch in volume coverage pattern (VCP) mode wipes out your changes.

• Appropriate office protocol should be followed in making changes to the default Clear-Air and Precip Mode RPS Lists.

If you do not want to change the RPS List, then click the Exit menu button from the File pull-down menu to abort the Edit RPS List session.

1. Click the Send menu button. The Select an RPG Dialog Box appears once again. Choose the RPG you want and click the Send button in this dialog box.

2. A message appears in the Radar Status Bar when the product addition is received by the RPG. The added product (5.3 degree velocity) should appear in the Radar pull-down menu.

Module 25: One-Time Request

It is important to know that the One-Time Request Application does not change the existing scan strategy to obtain a nonroutine radar product, but it does allow you to request a radar product that is derived from the present scan strategy.

You can make a One-Time Request from either Associated or Non-Associated radars. The latter is achieved through the Dial-Out capabilities.

Each of these is illustrated in the following objectives.

Objective 1 - Make a One-Time Request of an Associated Radar

1. From the kxxx pull-down menu (when "XXX" specifies the associated radar), select One-Time Request. This opens the One-Time Request Dialog Box.

2. From the Repeat count Options Menu, select 4.

3. From the RPG Options Menu, select K(xxx).

4. From the Product Options Menu, choose Reflectivity.

5. From the Request interval Slider Bar, select 3. Based on Steps 2 and 4, every third Volume Scan contains your requested product, and this occurs four times.

6. From the Elevations Options Menu, select 1.5.

7. From the Data Levels Options Menu, choose 16 levels.

8. From the Resolution Options Menu, choose 1 km.

9. In the Time area of this dialog box, select the Current check button (which is the default).

10. Click the Send menu button. A message appears in the Radar Status Bar to inform you that your request was sent out.

11. If all the connections are up with the radar, your requested product should appear in the kxxx Reflectivity pull-down menu in the next four volume scans.

Note: The Repeat count and Request interval apply only to associated radars. For dial-out radars, these values are set to one (1).

There are certain classes of radar products that are available only through the One-Time Request Application.

Objective 2 - Make a One-Time Request of a Non-Associated Radar Using Dial-Out

1. Follow steps 1-10 of Objective 1, except Repeat count and Priority will be grayed out, and choose a different nonassociated RPG than the one chosen in the previous objectives.

In the kxxx pull-down menu, the dial-out radar IDs are listed below the dedicated radar IDs.

Objective 3 - Generate a Radar Cross-Section One-Time Request

1. From the Toolbar, set the scale to WFO.

2. From the kxxx pull-down menu, open the kxxx Reflectivity cascading menu and select the 0.5 Reflectivity product.

3. From the Toolbar, select the Baselines Icon to display the Baselines Tool. Turn on Edit mode for the Baselines.

4. Edit Line C-C' somewhere in your CWA by left mouse clicking on C or C' and dragging towards the center of the line. The line length needs to be between 0 and 124 nm.

5. From the Radar pull-down menu, select One-Time Request. The One-Time Request Dialog Box appears.

6. From the Product Option Menu in the One-Time Request Dialog Box, select Ref X-Sect (RCS).

7. Choose Baseline C and confirm that the line length provided in the One-Time Request Dialog Box is between 0 and 124 nm.

8. Press the Send button at the bottom of the One-Time Request Dialog Box. Monitor the Radar Status Area to see if your request was properly received by the RPG.

9. From the kxxx pull-down menu, open the kxxx Derived cascading menu and select Reflectivity (RCS) in the cross section portion of the menu.

10. Observe the data as they are displayed in an Range Height Indicator (RHI) like presentation.

Objective 4 - Generate a Radar Mosaic

The Radar Mosaic merges like radar data from multiple radars (dedicated and dial-out) into a single composite product. To generate a Radar Mosaic, you must first dial out to various desired radars, and then obtain a specified radar product from that radar. The One-Time Request Radar Application fulfills these two actions. You can dial out and make one-time requests from as many radars as are in your Radar pull-down menu. The data that are time-matched are then combined and made accessible from the Mosaic portion of the Radar pull-down menu.

1. From the Toolbar, clear the large display pane.

2. From the Toolbar, set the scale to State.

3. From the kxxx pull-down menu, select the One-Time Request Application. The One-Time Request Dialog Box is opened.

4. From the Radar Status Bar at the bottom right edge of the D2D display, open the Radar Status Dialog Box, so you can easily read the messages.

5. Within the One-Time Request Dialog Box, make the following selections:

• Select one of your dial-radars.

• Choose Reflectivity at 1.5 elevation, 16 levels, with a 1-km resolution.

• Select Current as the time.

6. Press the Send button and after a brief moment observe the messages that appear in the Radar Status Dialog Box. These messages should tell you that there was a successful connection to the dial-out radar and a successful delivery of the One-Time Request.