NCAR Summer Evaluation

This summer has been an excellent opportunity for me to gain hands-on experience in all aspects of engineering. Under the supervision of Terry Hock in the Atmospheric Technology Department, I have mainly been Working on the dropsonde project. I was given the chance to help with the production, testing, and troubleshooting of the sondes. One of the things that I have enjoyed the most about this experience is that I had to come up with solutions to problems on my own. Aside from the normal testing of the equipment and trying to make the sondes work as planned, I was given a few small side projects that were related to the dropsonde project. For example, Terry gave me a small camera, a transmitter, and a downcoverter, along with the instructions to figure out a way to mount the camera on one of the sondeboards (make it fit in the same packaging as the dropsonde with roughly the same weight) in a manner such that it would be able to observe a parachute opening as it falls from the sky. Through working on this project, I have gained valuable skills in troubleshooting, soldering, and tinkering with devices.

A few other aspects of working with NCAR/ATD that I have found extremely beneficial are the flexibility of the department and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Instead of spending the entire summer working on a single project, I have worked with several different people and seen small parts of many different projects under development at NCAR/ATD. This has helped in the sense that it has given me a better perspective of what the department as a whole actually does, rather than seeing only a small fraction of the group’s work. Also, working on one project for a few weeks, then moving to another, then coming back to what I was working on before has been a good way of taking a break from troubleshooting, and then coming back with some fresh ideas. Jumping from project to project at first seemed like it would break up the current flow, but while working with the different groups, everybody was incredibly helpful. I never felt like I was in the way or being brushed aside.

On the whole, I can only say good words about my experiences with NCAR/ATD this summer. The varied opportunities of working both in and out of the lab have been very helpful, as I am still trying to figure out what I would like to pursue as a career. One aspect that I did not get to see but think would be very valuable is the chance to actually go into the field and operate the equipment. If given the opportunity, I would like to come back for another summer here.

Brad Hill