NCAR has demonstrated that the same low-cost, high reliability architecture used by WV-DIAL can be used to build a low-cost high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL).  HSRL is distinguished from elastic backscatter lidar in that it is able to directly retrieve the optical properties of aerosols and clouds without assumptions about particle scattering properties, coupling of retrieval errors between altitude regions or significant correction factors for low altitude returns.  The new DLB-HSRL is ideal for aerosol and cloud characterization and yet cost competitive with commercial elastic backscatter lidar systems.