Appendix 1: Aviation Verify Quick Set Up

On a Windows computer (fast with at least 128MB of RAM) with Microsoft Excel installed, open the C drive and create a new folder called TafVer. Copy the AVNVerify file of choice, 2.1(mav) or 2.0(mos), into the folder. Copy the three data files per station that you want to verify into the folder TafVer. Better yet have the LDAD FTP the files directly into the TafVer folder. TO DO THIS SEE APPENDIX 3. (Note: Samba users can pull files directly from the LDAD) The three files are for the TAFs, the MTRs, and the MOS. The files must be named in the format: XXXTTTNNN_yymm.txt Where: XXX is the node ID TTT is the file type either TAF, MTR, or FWC NNN is the station ID yy is the year mm is the month Example for Santa Maria California (KSMX) for July of 2000 Metar File SFOMTRSMX_0007.txt TAF File SFOTAFSMX_0007.txt MOS File LAXFWCSMX_0007.txt Usually MOS files come in with your node ID irregardless of what node the station's node ID is. Launch AVNVerify Click on the TAB labeled "SetUp". Fill in the following: TAF Data and Output Options (Verify all TAFs from last month option.) Rows 1 to 17 and Columns A to O Fill in data for each TAF site to be verified. Every station needs a TAF node (first column) and a MTR node (second column). The TAF node and MTR node are usually the same but not always. Fill in the three letter TAF site ID (third column); do not include the international letter. The next three columns (OUTPUT OPTIONS) are used to store output options for the "3rd" button on the "start page". The "Verify All TAFs from last month" button allows you to create a monthly verification report for each TAF site with a single command. The OUTPUT OPTIONS are: Column 4 "TYPE" - This indicates the type of output you wish to generate for this site. Use "B" (Basic); "C" (Combo); or "A" (Advanced) Column 5 "ALL Z" - This indicates if the output should be one page with all the Z times lumped together ("A") or 4 pages with each TAF issue time broken out separately ("I") This option does not affect advanced output since it is broken down into Z groups already. Column 6 "Raw Stats": Indicates if a RAW stats file should be generated as well as the printed output. Enter "YES" in this column if you want RAW stats files generated. (Usually not) This option gives you the ability to create your own stats. FWC NODE ID Row 3 columns Z to AC. Type in the three letter NODE that your FWC data has. This is usually your station node. International Letter ID Row 13 columns Z to AC. Type in the one letter International Letter your TAFs and MTRs are assigned. It is "K" in the Conus and "P" in Alaska and the Pacific. Input Data Drive ID Row 3 columns AE to AI. This holds the drive ID for the hard drive and folder that the input files are stored in. Ordinarily this will be C:\TafVer\, but sites using SAMBA can change this to the LDAD file and folder. Spelling and format must be perfect. Individual Forecaster Data Rows 21 to 57. Forecaster Data (Columns C to M) This section is used if you wish to produce verification for individual forecasters. Fill in the forecaster names or initials in the first column. These names are for the Aviation focal point only and are never used in Aviation Verify output. Then place his or her corresponding forecaster number in the second row (forecast number can be any number from 0 to 1000. The numbers do not have to be in order). The third column holds random letters that are used in the output for privacy protection and are the only identification that is ever attached to output. If further privacy is desired at your office, the names that correspond to the forecaster numbers can be kept in a separate location by the MIC or Aviation focal point, leaving the forecaster name column blank. Who wrote which TAF (Columns O to BW). Every month fill in the matrix with the forecaster number of the forecaster who wrote each TAF cycle. Z times go across and dates go down. (You only have to do this to run individual statistics). If possible, have forecasters fill out a matrix in real time and transfer the data to this program at the end of each month. Takes about 20 minutes. You must now change Excel's error handling preference. (Very Important!) In Excel go to the Tools menu, find the Macro submenu and then open the "Visual Basic Editor" (you can also press the ALT key and the F11 key at the same time) Find the menu bar for visual basic (not Excel) Go to the Visual Basic Editor Tools menu go to options. This will bring up the options floating window. Click the "General" tab Find the section called "Error Trapping" Click the button labeled "Break on unhandled errors". Click Ok and Quit the Visual Basic Editor. (If you start getting lots of errors check here to see if the error handling has been switched.) In Excel click on the tab labeled "Start Page" Click a button corresponding to the type of verification you want to run. Button 1 "Verify one TAF for one month" Allows the forecaster to see specific biases for one station. Pick the site, month, year. The TEMPO/PROB option allows you to view your stats with or without these groups. The purpose is to see if your forecast stats improve without the addition of TEMPO/PROB groups. The "generate raw stats" option is more for the person who wants to make their own stats. For most its not needed. Create individual reports...this will not work unless the forecaster #s have been entered in the setup page. This process is usually 20-30 minutes. Print output...self explanatory. Output parameters, the first option is fairly basic and the times are in 12 hour increments. The combined page breaks up the data into 3 and 6 hour intervals. The advanced pages take on more relevance to specific TAF issuances. Forecasters will note statistics that they might otherwise miss. When the basic or combined buttons are clicked on, another box will pop up. Its called "separate by Z time". This will allow you to unmask diurnal biases that might otherwise be smeared out by lumping all TAF issuances together. Button 2 "Verify one or more TAFs for one or more months" Allows the forecaster to view all or some TAFs together. Perhaps a WFO has 2 out of 8 stations that are climatologically easy to forecast. With this option, the biases for tougher areas to forecast are easier to discern. The remainder of the options remain the same as in button 1. Button 3 "Verify all TAFs from last month" This button's output is determined in the setup page from above. It's a quick way to see the offices stats for the month. Either all together or for each TAF issuance. Edit in this setup page the kind of output you want. If you want a raw stats file generated enter "yes" in the "raw stats" box. The statistics will also be available under the appropriate tabs.

Appendix 2: Printing problems

For page printing: Click on the tab of the sheet, i.e., "A1". Click on the file menu. Select "Page Setup" The Page set up floating pallet should pop up. Select the Page TAB. Click on the "Fit to one page" button. Select the Margins TAB. Set all four margins to 0.25". Click both the "Center Vertical" and "Center Horizontal" boxes. Close page set up box and save application. Repeat for tab's A2, A3, A4, A5

Appendix 3: Transferring data from LDAD to the PC

The following are excerpts from several field sites on transferring the data. It's to give you an idea on which way you may prefer to go. Since most sites have a preferred method of sending data. The script ftp's from ls1 to my sac where I created an account for ldad. I have it on ls1 in /data/ldad. Its called tafxfer and its owned by ldad and has permissions 755. Here it is... !#/bin/csh -f cd /data/ldad/archive #ftp to sac ... enter sac ip ftp -niv xxx.xxx.xxx << _EOF_ # supply user name and password user xyzxyz !xk1Mk? binary # cd to sac directory cd /users/ldad mput * bye _EOF_ Next, I added it to ldad's cron. Sites may have to modify cron.allow for this: 0 0 * * * csh - c '/data/ldad/tafxfer" Finally, I have a profile setup on a Windows lan pc using wsftp95_le. This is gui program which logs into the sac as user ldad and allows the user to transfer the files to c:/tafver10. Here are the instructions I have written up for our aviation focal point: Open a DOS window Go to j:\tafver type: ftp ls1-pub at the user prompt type: ldad at the password prompt enter the ldad password type: cd /data/ldad/archive type: ascii type: mget filename example: mget DENFWC*_0101.txt mget DENTAF*_0101.txt mget DENMTR*_0101.txt (where the 0101 is yymm) type: bye (this will end the ftp session) In response to this second procedure above I received the following reply... This is exactly what we do, just in the opposite order. Instead of ftp'ing TO the windows machine, they are ftp'ing FROM the windows machine. In my case, it's easier to use a cron from LDAD than a windows scheduler.

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