Steps 2-5 are done once, while steps 6 and 7 are done each time you wish to plot retrieval data. Steps for plotting GOES-9 retrieval data: 1) Contact Kevin Schrab to get executables so plotting will function. 2) Set up ingest of GOES-9 retrieval file. Enter the following on the McIDAS command line: SKE 96300 16:5?:00 999999 01:00 TOL=00:05 "GETRETS where ? in 16:5?:00 is a number 0-5, this is so not everyone ingests the data at the same time. NOTE: GOES-9 retrievals are ingested hourly. For example, the 15Z retrieval is ingested at 15:5?. 3) Set up conversion of retrieval file into a file that a skewt can be plotted from by entering: SKE 96300 16:58:00 999999 01:00 TOL=00:05 "RETSRAOB 4) On McIDAS command line enter: SCHE DCIRAB this will allow the creation of the SKEWT type files by the RETSRAOB program 5) Enter SKL on the McIDAS command line to see that these entries have been added to the schedule. They should look something like: T# ID XS NEXT EXECUTN # REM INTERVAL TOL NAME PROJ COMMAND TEXT -- -- -- ------------ ----- -------- ----- ---- ---- ------------ 1 29 96300 165100 MANY 10000 500 MTR 5000 GETRETS 1 30 96300 165800 MANY 10000 500 MTR 5000 RETSRAOB the ID may be different, the main thing to check is #REM and INTERVAL and the COMMAND TEXT. 6a) To plot a GOES-9 derived parameter on a single satellite image enter: SOUNDONE param time where, param is parameter to plot, param can be (click to get sample plot): LI lifted index WV total precipitable water WV1 low level (1000-900mb) precipitable water WV2 mid level (900-700mb) precipitable water WV3 high level (700-300mb) precipitable water IDN identification number of sounding (used in skewts) ALL plot LI,WV,WV1,WV2,WV3 in a station plot and, time is hour (hh format) of sounding to plot (defaults to match time of image, so can usually be omitted) 6b) To plot a GOES-9 derived parameter on all images in a loop enter: SOUNDALL param time where, param is parameter to plot, param can be (click to get sample plot): LI lifted index WV total precipitable water WV1 low level (1000-900mb) precipitable water WV2 mid level (900-700mb) precipitable water WV3 high level (700-300mb) precipitable water IDN identification number of sounding (used in skewts) ALL plot LI,WV,WV1,WV2,WV3 in a station plot and, time is hour (hh format) of sounding to plot (defaults to match time of image, so can usually be omitted) CAUTION: Since soundings come from 2 different sounder scan sectors the idn may not be unique. This problem is being worked on. 7a) To plot a skewt of GOES-9 sounding over the Pacific (west of 125W) enter: SKEWTG9 idn time (click to get sample plot) where, idn is identification number of sounding (use SOUNDONE to locate the idn you wish to plot) time is hour (hh format) of sounding to plot 7b) To plot a skewt of GOES-9 sounding over WR (east of 125W) enter: SKEWTG99 idn time (click to get sample plot) where, idn is identification number of sounding (use SOUNDONE to locate the idn you wish to plot) time is hour (hh format) of sounding to plot NOTE: Use a blank frame to plot skewt. So, before doing SKEWTG9 enter: SF 250;EG 250;EU REST BLACK 250 NOTE: You may wish to make a loop of skewts by entering numerous SKEWTG9 commands. You could use frames 1-16 for this purpose. NOTE: The idn for a particular location changes for every time since they are numbered by of many sounding are produced (which is dependent on cloud cover). 8) If SOUNDONE does not plot anything click here. If SKEWTG9 does not plot anything click here.