NIM/TSI/M1 - Reprocess: incorrect daily movies

Due to file management problems on the operating computer, the daily movie files are 
either missing, incomplete, or contain images from other days.

• (MPEG data stream - documentation not yet available)

NIM/TSI/M1 - Reprocess: Data processing problem

Due to the high aerosol conditions at Niamey, the TSI appeared to be beyond the limits of 
processing the color JPEG image into cloud fraction values. Several attempts to adjust 
the sky filter values used to process the images did not yielded the desired results. The 
processed images indicate an opaque sky cover, even in the absence of clouds.

The problem was corrected by removing the neutral density filter from the lens and 
re-adjusting the sky filter values.

The data can be reprocessed.

• PNG data stream - documentation not supported(png)

• Pixel count: number total thin(count.thin)
• Pixel count: number thin in horizon area(region.horizon.count.thin)
• Pixel count: number total opaque(count.opaque)
• Pixel count: number opaque in horizon area(region.horizon.count.opaque)
• Pixel count: number opaque in zenith circle(region.zenith.count.opaque)
• Sunshine meter(sunny)
• Pixel count: number opaque in sun circle(region.sun.count.opaque)
• Pixel count: number thin in sun circle(region.sun.count.thin)
• Percent opaque cloud(percent.opaque)
• Percentage thin cloud(percent.thin)
• Pixel count: number thin in zenith circle(region.zenith.count.thin)

NIM/TSI/M1 - Shadowband Misalignment

From installation, the shadowband was positioned south at solar noon until the vernal 
equinox when it began to migrate counter-clockwise until reaching east 37 days later on 4/26 
(about 9 days before mid-spring). The shadowband at solar noon continued to migrate until 
reaching its most northerly position (~15 deg) on the summer solstice (if everything was 
perfectly aligned, it probably would have been pointed north on this day). It then began 
to migrate clockwise and reached east again 56 days later on 8/16 (about 14 days after 
mid-summer). As expected, the shadowband reached its most southerly position on the 
autumnal equinox but was about 10 deg off of being due south. 

With the apparent alignment problem, I don't understand why the shadowband was mostly 
blocking the sun. When I started noticing this offset in May, I chose to leave it alone 
because I felt that adjusting the shadowband to where I thought it should be would cause it to 
not block the sun at either sunrise or sunset. 

The alignment was corrected on 9/29 (6 days after the day of the autumnal equinox).

• JPG data stream - documentation not supported(JPEG data stream - documentation not yet available)

• PNG data stream - documentation not supported(png)

• (MPEG data stream - documentation not yet available)

NIM/SKYRAD/M1 - Tracker inoperative

Starting on 9/12 the NIM radiometer tracker drifted enough due to sinking supports and a 
drifting clock that the direct normal measurments (NIP) and the downwelling hemispheric 
diffuse shortwave measurments (8-48) were adversely affected in the afternoon hours.  The 
shortwave hemispheric global instrument (PSP) and downelling hemispheric longwave shaded1 
and shaded2 (PIR) are unaffected by this problem. 

The tracker problem greatly affected direct measurements and affected the diffuse 
measurement to a lesser extent. There are no redundant measurements for these instruments.  
However, during this time range the data collected before local noon (aprox 1140GMT) for all 
shortwave Skyrad instruments appear to be good.

• Instantaneous Direct Normal Shortwave Irradiance, Pyheliometer Thermopile
  Voltage(inst_direct_normal)
• Instantaneous Uncorrected Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse, Shaded Pyranometer
  Thermopile Voltage(inst_diffuse)

• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrgeometer(short_direct_normal)
• Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Pyranometer, Standard Deviation(down_short_diffuse_hemisp_std)
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrgeometer, Maxima(short_direct_normal_max)
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrgeometer, Standard Deviation(short_direct_normal_std)
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrgeometer, Minima(short_direct_normal_min)
• Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer(down_short_diffuse_hemisp)
• Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer,
  Maxima(down_short_diffuse_hemisp_max)
• Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer,
  Minima(down_short_diffuse_hemisp_min)

• null(Raw data stream - documentation not supported)