FKB/WACR/M1 - Decreased Pulse Repetition Frequency

Following a disk swap, an old configuration file was used, which set the Pulse Repetition 
Frequency to 8333 Hz instead of the intended 10000 Hz.  This caused Nyquist velocity to 
be reduced to 6.57 m/s (from 7.885 m/s) and the maximum height of data collection to 
increase to 18215 m MSL (from 15215 m MSL).

• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• heights
• SignalToNoiseRatio
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)

FKB/WACR/M1 - No cross polar data collected

Following a disk swap, the wrong configuration file was used.  As a result only co-polar 
data was collected.  No cross polar data is available for this period. Also, the maximum 
height of data collection was 7672 m MSL.

• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• Noise
• heights
• SignalToNoiseRatio
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)
• Polarization

FKB/WACR/M1 - Radar parameters changing frequently

The number of data heights and polarization status changed several times during this brief 
period. 

Look at each data file during this period to determine the number of heights of data 
collection and whether dual polarization data or only co-polar data was collected. (pol_mode = 
0 for co-polar only, pol_mode = 2 for alternating co-polar/cross-polar data collection).

• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• Noise
• heights
• SignalToNoiseRatio
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)
• Polarization

FKB/WACR/M1 - Chaff released in Murg valley

As part of the research activities associated with the COPS field campaign, the research 
center at Karlsruhe released aluminum chaff (2.5 cm in length) in the Murg Valley in order 
to study atmospheric diffusion.  It is possible that some of this chaff drifted over the 
AMF site and thus may have influenced the radar observations (as spurious echos). 

20070817 Comment from WACR Mentor, Kevin Widener:
I reviewed the data from the two chaff releases and I'm unable to see any effect in either 
co-polar or cross-polar backscatter signals.  I also looked at the MPL and ceilometer 
and could not see anything that might be chaff. {Editors note: The DQR quality color was 
changed to "Transparent".}

• Temp_Antenna_Bottom
• Temp_Hot
• PowerTransmitDriver
• Temp_LNA
• MMCR Mean Doppler Velocity(MeanDopplerVelocity)
• wacr_status
• PowerAmbientLoad
• lon
• Noise
• MMCR Spectral Width(SpectralWidth)
• Temp_Outside
• Temp_Future
• Temp_Chiller
• time
• Temp_Chiller_Return
• Temp_modulator
• Polarization
• PowerHotLoad
• alt
• txpower
• SignalToNoiseRatio
• lat
• Temp_Computer_Enclosure
• Temp_Modulator_Control
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)
• Temp_ambient
• Temp_EIKA
• heights
• time_offset
• Temp_Chiller_Supply
• base_time
• Temp_Antenna_Top

• AVHRR satellite images for Darwin from BOM (RAW)(raw)

• AVHRR satellite images for Darwin from BOM (RAW)(raw)

FKB/WACR/M1 - Reflectivity and Height Offsets

The instrument vendor has informed us of a range (height) offset of 13 m and has provided 
an updated reflectivity calibration.  All values reported for 'Reflectivity' are 
approximately 1.5 dB too low.   In addition, the Reflectivity in the first and fourth range gates 
(starting from the surface) need to be further corrected by an additional 2.7 and -0.9 
dB, respectively. The 'height' field values are 13.33 m too low.  The data will be 
reprocessed to correct these problems.

• heights
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)

• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)
• heights

• heights
• Cloud, reflectivity, at altitude(Reflectivity)