Summary of RAINEX Conference Call                                           3 May 2005

Participants: B. Houze, B. Smull, S. Brodzik, D. Dirks, J. Meitin, G, Stossmeister, P. Chang, Carl Newman et. al., R. Rogers et. al., B Baeuerle, C. Burghart, M. Daniels, J. Carswell, T. Lynch et. al., M. Bell, P. Romashkin, J. Franklin, J. Gamache, J. Moore, J. Scannell

General Update Items:

1) RAINEX workstation from U. Wash is now installed and operational at the RAINEX Operations Center (ROC) at RSMAS.  Testing has begun on data transfer rates and protocol.  Contact S. Brodzik with questions or access.

2) RAINEX Operations Timeline will be updated and available on the web site within the next couple of weeks.  Please send comments to J. Moore/B. Houze.

3) Access to the NOAA aircraft will be possible during June and then again in early August, 2005.   They will be deployed to Mexico and Costa Rica from 1-30 July 2005 in support of the NASA TCSP Project.

4) A meeting will occur on May 10 2005 between NESDIS and HRD to work details of data download requirements during the upcoming hurricane season.

5)Current plans are for both NOAA P-3s to have identical data streams for download to the ground.

6) There will be a full ground and airborne test of the new NRL dropsonde system on 24 May 2005 at Pax. River.

7) AOC will perform test flights during June 2005 in preparation for project work in support of HRD and TCSP.

8) J. Gamache has completed the write-up of the mature storm component of this year’s research plan.  This includes several RAINEX flight plans.

9) B. Baeuerle reported that a solution has been found that will permit foreign nationals to fly on the NRL P-3, subject to successful completion of the swim test.

Action Items:

1) J. Carswell will establish a communications simulator to allow all aspects of the RAINEX data communications system to be tested.  He will have a Globalstar system to confirm download rates, aircraft radar processing computers that will eventually reside on the AOC aircraft and associated software.    Radar and flight level data will be sent to the ROC  for processing through Zebra to produce the image products that will eventually be sent to the NRL P-3. 

2) EOL with establish a chatroom capability for RAINEX engineering and software development staff to use over the next several months.

3) Final agreement on the LF radar data format and content will be required quite soon.  J. Carswell and C. Burghart will be working out the details.

4) The major push for all installation and check-out of RAINEX communications capabilities will occur in the first 2 weeks of August at AOC, NRL (at NCAR JEFFCO at that time) and in the ROC. 

5) Jim Carswell will put together a new testing timeline.

6) RAINEX will need to submit proposed enhanced dropsonde release patterns by the USAF to Mike Blackand at HRD and James Franklin at NHC.  These patterns will be prepared and submitted over the next several weeks.