FKB/MET/M1 - Optical Rain Gauge Data Incorrect

The Optical Raingauge (ORG) data was incorrect during the listed times.  Ice/frost was 
forming on the lenses causing the ORG to believe there was precipitation occurring.

• Precipitation rate standard deviation(precip_rate_sd)
• Precipitation rate mean(precip_rate_mean)
• Precipitation rate maximum(precip_rate_max)
• Precipitation rate minimum(precip_rate_min)

FKB/MET/M1 - ORG Data incorrect during calibration

The ORG data was incorrect during calibration checks.  The check mimics a precipiation 
event so the precip amounts that were collected were not actually measured.

• Precipitation rate standard deviation(precip_rate_sd)
• Precipitation rate mean(precip_rate_mean)
• Precipitation rate maximum(precip_rate_max)
• Precipitation rate minimum(precip_rate_min)

FKB/MET/M1 - Optical Rain Gauge Data Incorrect

Precipitation was being reported on days with no rain.  Problems with the grounding and 
the orientation of the receiver facing south (sunlight in the optics) caused erroneous 
readings.

• Precipitation rate standard deviation(precip_rate_sd)
• Precipitation rate mean(precip_rate_mean)
• ORG carrier mean(org_carrier_mean)
• Precipitation rate maximum(precip_rate_max)
• Precipitation rate minimum(precip_rate_min)

FKB/WACR/M1 - No cross polar data collected

Following a disk swap, the wrong configuration file was used.  As a result only co-polar 
data was collected.  No cross polar data is available for this period. Also, the maximum 
height of data collection was 7672 m MSL.

• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• MMCR Reflectivity(Reflectivity)
• Signal to Noise Ratio(SignalToNoiseRatio)
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• Array of heights for each power(heights)
• 1000 * log10 (noise signal level)(Noise)
• Polarization mode. 0 = copol, 1 = xpol(Polarization)

FKB/WACR/M1 - Chaff released in Murg valley

As part of the research activities associated with the COPS field campaign, the research 
center at Karlsruhe released aluminum chaff (2.5 cm in length) in the Murg Valley in order 
to study atmospheric diffusion.  It is possible that some of this chaff drifted over the 
AMF site and thus may have influenced the radar observations (as spurious echos). 

20070817 Comment from WACR Mentor, Kevin Widener:
I reviewed the data from the two chaff releases and I'm unable to see any effect in either 
co-polar or cross-polar backscatter signals.  I also looked at the MPL and ceilometer 
and could not see anything that might be chaff. {Editors note: The DQR quality color was 
changed to "Transparent".}

• base time(base_time)
• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• Transmit driver power sampled by receiver(PowerTransmitDriver)
• time(time)
• status flag(wacr_status)
• MMCR Reflectivity(Reflectivity)
• Antenna top temperature(Temp_Antenna_Top)
• 1000 * log10 (noise signal level)(Noise)
• Hot load power(PowerHotLoad)
• Polarization mode. 0 = copol, 1 = xpol(Polarization)
• Chiller temperature(Temp_Chiller)
• Low noise amplifier temperature(Temp_LNA)
• Ambient load power(PowerAmbientLoad)
• Antenna bottom temperature(Temp_Antenna_Bottom)
• Detected Pulse(txpower)
• Modulator control temperature(Temp_Modulator_Control)
• Future temperature(Temp_Future)
• lon(lon)
• Dummy altitude for Zeb(alt)
• Chiller supply temperature(Temp_Chiller_Supply)
• Extended Interaction Klystron Amplifier temperature(Temp_EIKA)
• Hot load physical temperature(Temp_Hot)
• Signal to Noise Ratio(SignalToNoiseRatio)
• Modulator temperature(Temp_modulator)
• lat(lat)
• Array of heights for each power(heights)
• Computer enclosure temperature(Temp_Computer_Enclosure)
• Ambient temperature of radar front end components(Temp_ambient)
• Chiller return temperature(Temp_Chiller_Return)
• Outside temperature(Temp_Outside)
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• Time offset of tweaks from base_time(time_offset)

• Raw data stream - documentation not supported(raw)

• Raw data stream - documentation not supported(raw)

FKB/MET/M1 - Optical Rain Gage Reporting Precip Constantly

During the time period listed the ORG reported precip consistently.  Reason unknown as 
deployment ended before resolution of problem.

• Precipitation rate standard deviation(precip_rate_sd)
• Precipitation rate mean(precip_rate_mean)
• Precipitation rate maximum(precip_rate_max)
• Precipitation rate minimum(precip_rate_min)

FKB/MET/M1 - Reprocess: ORG Data has very small rainrate values

The ORG data is collected via analog signal and not digital.  Therefore, we
   continuously collect data even when no rain is occurring.  We also capture
   small events such as leaves, large bugs, dust, etc blowing through the
   measurement path.  Because this discrete event occurs quickly the value is
   usually captured for 1 or 2 seconds.  This value is then averaged to the
   minute producing rainrate on the order of .009 mm/hr or less.  These values
   are not indicative of rain and should be removed from the record or summing
   over long periods can bias the climate record.  We are reprocessing the data
   to remove these small values and are adjusting the collection program to
   remove them before ingest.

• Precipitation rate standard deviation(precip_rate_sd)
• Precipitation rate mean(precip_rate_mean)
• Precipitation rate maximum(precip_rate_max)
• Precipitation rate minimum(precip_rate_min)

FKB/MET/M1 - Wind Speed data contain offset due to induced voltage

The marine model of the RM Young wind sensor needs twisted pair shielded cable.  The 
manufacturer did not originally supply the pigtail with twisted pair shielded cable.  Use of 
twisted pair shielded cable for the rest of the cable run to the logger was also not 
specified.  This caused an induced voltage in the wind speed line from the wind direction 
excitation.  The induced voltage varied from sensor to sensor and probably changed anytime 
the cable was replaced or parts of the wind sensor were repaired or replaced. The induced 
voltage has been seen to vary from 0.15 m/s to as much as 1.08 m/s.

• Wind speed arithmetic standard deviation(wind_spd_arith_sd)
• Wind speed arithmetic average(wind_spd_arith_avg)
• Wind speed arithmetic maximum(wind_spd_arith_max)
• Wind speed arithmetic minimum(wind_spd_arith_min)
• Vector-averaged Wind Speed(wind_spd_vec_avg)