|
1/4/2012 7:12:38 AM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
While out exploring the mountain ridges of Indian Valley a couple of weeks ago I found a NOAA Radiosonde
I turned it over and found some instructions inside. It was pretty beat up and crumbling apart
I guess I am supposed to return it. I had a large trash bag with me so I packed it up and tied it to the outside of my pack and hauled it home
I would be curious to know if anybody else has found one of these in the park or elsewhere.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gyx/weather_balloons.htm
--
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
1/31/2012 2:38:39 PM
|
ziphius
Posts 36
|
That's a very cool find. I've never found one! I work for NOAA, though not in the Weather Service portion of the agency. Definitely mail that thing in... you will be advancing science! Congrats on the find.
|
|
1/31/2012 8:59:11 PM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
OK..thanks for letting me know..! I still have it in the garage in the trash bag, took it out of the truck and left it there. I will mail it in..!
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
2/6/2012 10:39:03 AM
|
ziphius
Posts 36
|
Better yet, if you are in the vicinity of any NOAA National Weather Service Office, you could probably drop it off with them. There's a local San Diego office in Rancho Bernardo:
11440 W Bernardo Ct # 230 San Diego, CA 92127
(858) 675-8700
You can always call one of the forecasters (they are friendly) and describe what you have. They should be excited to receive it. - Jim
|
|
2/7/2012 8:17:17 AM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
i will drop it off tomorrow, i am going out that way...thanks!
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
2/8/2012 6:58:34 PM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
OK, so I stopped off at the local office and...yeah, you were right, they seemed very interested. I thought it would be a quick drop off but instead they offered to give me a tour of the facility. Wow!
I got to see them make actual weather forecasts for marine and aviation stations, they explained how it all works, the data collection mechanisms, how the different stations across the US collaborate and more. I was happy to see they used a real OS for the computer systems (RH Linux). I was even able to listen in on a weather debrief with the whole staff. The entire staff was very nice and very eager to share with me how the whole weather system works.
Thank you so much for directing me to them!
Daren
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
2/8/2012 7:01:35 PM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
Forgot to mention they said that they send out (2) each day from Kearny Mesa and there is about a 5% return rate. Mine did not get very far, must have been a low pressure day.....
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
2/10/2012 8:54:24 AM
|
ziphius
Posts 36
|
Great story Daren! 
Those guys are always happy (at any NWS office it seems) to show people around. Wow, a 5% return rate... I wonder what the return rate is for sondes that have been 'at liberty' for over 10 years though! They are a good bunch and some of the best computer modelers in the world work at NWS (despite how we all make fun of weather forecasters being 'wrong' all the time). One of the reasons that their models are so good is that they have a TON of data. Your contribution means one more data point! - Jim
|
|
2/10/2012 9:02:38 AM
|
dsefcik
Posts 546
|
Speaking of data points, one thing I learned that I found pretty interesting is that another data point collection mechanism is that they have collection devices on airplanes like UPS, FedEx, etc. These planes are flying 24/7/365 around the world sending data back to them. This seemed like a major contributor to the system.
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
|
|
2/10/2012 4:42:59 PM
|
ziphius
Posts 36
|
dsefcik wrote:
Speaking of data points, one thing I learned that I found pretty interesting is that another data point collection mechanism is that they have collection devices on airplanes like UPS, FedEx, etc. These planes are flying 24/7/365 around the world sending data back to them. This seemed like a major contributor to the system.
Wow, didn't know that! Great stuff. - Jim
|
|
pages:
1 |
|---|