NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - NIP shaded by skyrad stand around local midnight

Around local midnight 9:30-10:30 GMT during summer clear sky the normal incidence 
pyranometer is shaded by the instrument stand.This causes the reading to be 0 W/m2. If cosine 
correction is applied for irradiance calulations this effect is negligible due to the low 
solar angle.

• Radiation, shortwave, direct normal irradiance, 1-min avg(short_direct_normal)
• short_direct_normal_std
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrheliometer, Minima(short_direct_normal_min)
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrheliometer, Maxima(short_direct_normal_max)

• nip_max
• nip_sd
• nip_min
• nip_mean

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - PSP shaded by MFRSR after local midnight

Just past local midnight (11:00-11:40 GMT during summer clear sky) the global 
hemispherical pyranometer is shaded by the MFRSR instrument for about 40 minutes. This causes the 
reading to be 0 W/m2. This effect would be negligible in a daily average due to the low 
solar angle.

• Radiation, shortwave, downwelling total hemispheric irradiance, 1-min avg(down_short_hemisp)
• down_short_hemisp_std
• Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer, Maxima(down_short_hemisp_max)
• Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer, Minima(down_short_hemisp_min)

• psp1_sd
• psp1_mean
• psp1_min
• psp1_max

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - IRT incorrect min/max value

The values of valid_min and valid_max for field sky_ir_temp were incorrectly assigned to 
-49.7 and +50.0 C, respectively. The actual values should be -60 and +40 C.

• sky_ir_temp_min
• sky_ir_temp_max
• IR Brightness Temperature(sky_ir_temp)

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - IRT measurements during precipitation events

The IRT measurement of sky/cloud temperature was in question during
precipitation events because rain or snow could accumulate in the
upward-pointed lens barrel. This was corrected by reorienting the
IRT to measure the sky temperature as reflected by a gold mirror.

• sky_ir_temp_min
• sky_ir_temp_std
• sky_ir_temp_max
• IR Brightness Temperature(sky_ir_temp)

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - itermittant IRT bias

A problem with the SKYRAD IRT that itermittantly produced a gradual increase in the sky 
temperature measurement then a sudden correction, as compared to AERI, appears to have been 
caused by a combination of a failing IR detector, a poor signal cable, a contaminated 
(with condensation or frost) mirror or lens, and low ambient temperatures. The positive 
bias was apparently not consistant in either frequency or duration but on days when the 
unusual behavior is observed, it usually occurred from about 00:00 to 06:00 local time. 

The instrument was repaired and recalibrated and the signal cable replaced.

• sky_ir_temp_min
• sky_ir_temp_std
• sky_ir_temp_max
• IR Brightness Temperature(sky_ir_temp)

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - Reprocess: Incorrect datalogger program affecting PIR1 and PIR2 
downwelling longwave

The excitation delays using in measuring the PIR1 case thermistor commonly named "Case1" 
and the PIR2 dome thermistor called "Dome2" were discovered to have been incorrectly set 
to 0 in the Skyrad datalogger program when the new CR23X based Skyrad loggers were 
installed.  The result of no delay in these measurements results in an error in the measured 
resistance of the thermistors, Case1 and Dome2 and thus the calculated PIR1 and PIR2 
irradiances.  The errors are inversely proportial to temperature.

Users can apply the temperature dependent irradiance corrections shown in the table below. 
 Recall that the reported uncertainty of PIRs is typically +-.25% to +-.5% or 1 to 2 
W/m2.  The error corrections become the same order of magnitude or larger than the 
instrument uncertainties at or below 260K or 9F. 

Correction Table for Skyrad (TWP and NSA) DIR1 and DIR2 Irradiance				
	DIR1	DIR1	DIR2	DIR2
T[F]	Tcase[K]	Correction[W/m2]	Tdome[K]	Correction[W/m2]
109.4	316.13	0.00	316.13	0.00
100.5	311.20	-0.15	311.20	0.12
93.2	307.14	-0.12	307.14	0.10
87.0	303.70	-0.10	303.70	0.08
81.6	300.70	-0.17	300.70	0.14
77.0	298.15	-0.22	298.15	0.18
59.4	288.35	-0.34	288.35	0.27
47.4	281.72	-0.23	281.72	0.18
38.5	276.74	-0.42	276.74	0.34
31.3	272.77	-0.48	272.77	0.38
25.4	269.48	-0.61	269.48	0.49
20.3	266.67	-0.67	266.67	0.54
16.0	264.25	-0.82	264.25	0.66
12.1	262.11	-0.98	262.11	0.79
8.7	260.19	-0.97	260.19	0.78
5.6	258.46	-1.07	258.46	0.86
2.7	256.89	-1.17	256.89	0.94
0.1	255.44	-1.33	255.44	1.07
-2.3	254.11	-1.41	254.11	1.13
-4.5	252.87	-1.43	252.87	1.15
-6.6	251.71	-1.52	251.71	1.22
-8.5	250.63	-1.63	250.63	1.31
-10.4	249.62	-1.73	249.62	1.39
-12.2	248.58	-1.79	248.58	1.44
-15.4	246.82	-1.93	246.82	1.55
-18.3	245.23	-2.05	245.23	1.65
-20.9	243.78	-2.22	243.78	1.78
-23.3	242.44	-2.36	242.44	1.89
-25.5	241.21	-2.58	241.21	2.07
-27.5	240.07	-2.65	240.07	2.13
-29.5	239.01	-2.75	239.01	2.21
-31.3	238.00	-3.02	238.00	2.42

• down_long_hemisp_shaded2_std
• down_long_hemisp_shaded2_min
• down_long_hemisp_shaded2_max
• down_long_hemisp_shaded1_max
• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, shaded pyrgeometer1(down_long_hemisp_shaded1)
• down_long_hemisp_shaded1_std
• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, shaded pyrgeometer2(down_long_hemisp_shaded2)
• down_long_hemisp_shaded1_min

• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, thermopile (Shaded Pyrgeometer1)(inst_down_long_hemisp_shaded1_tp)
• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, thermopile (Shaded Pyrgeometer2)(inst_down_long_hemisp_shaded2_tp)
• inst_down_long_shaded1_case_resist
• inst_down_long_shaded2_dome_resist
• inst_down_long_shaded2_case_resist
• inst_down_long_shaded1_dome_resist

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - Reprocess: Longwave Calibration error

Modified pyrgeometer calibration procedures were implemented beginning in December 2003.  
These modified procedures introduced a calibration bias in the longwave data.  The 
previous procedures were re-implemented at all sites between December 2005 and February 2006 to 
restore proper calibrations.                                                             
                The data collected while the incorrect procedures were in place are 
being reprocessing to remove the calibration bias.  Note, this also affected standard 
deviation, maximum and minimum data fields.

• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, shaded pyrgeometer1(down_long_hemisp_shaded1)
• Irradiance, longwave, downwelling, hemispheric, shaded pyrgeometer2(down_long_hemisp_shaded2)

NSA/SKYRAD/C1 - Summer solstice shading of radiometers

On and around the summer solstice, the NIP (Direct Normal shortwave measurement) and PSP 
(global hemispheic shortwave measurement) radiometers are shaded by other instruments or 
support structures.  Shading azimuths have been determined for this site.  The radiometer 
mentor suggests not using the data from the NIP and PSP radiometers when the sun is 
within the following azimuth bounds (typically from May 8th to August 5th of each year):
Instrmt Obstruction     AzStart     AzEnd     
NIP     rad table       346         358
NIP     met tower       13          15
PSP     mfrsr           6           16

• psps_sd
• psp1_sd
• Radiation, shortwave, downwelling total hemispheric irradiance, 1-min avg(down_short_hemisp)
• psps_mean
• psps_min
• Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer, Maxima(down_short_hemisp_max)
• nip_sd
• Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Ventilated Pyranometer, Minima(down_short_hemisp_min)
• psp1_min
• psp1_max
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrheliometer, Minima(short_direct_normal_min)
• nip_mean
• Radiation, shortwave, direct normal irradiance, 1-min avg(short_direct_normal)
• nip_min
• psps_max
• nip_max
• psp1_mean
• down_short_hemisp_std
• short_direct_normal_std
• Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, Pyrheliometer, Maxima(short_direct_normal_max)