ASCII MDR Radar File
This type of file is generated by the radcvt program for use with the WXP radar display program.
FORMAT
The format of the file is as follows:
WXPRAD
hhnnZ dd mmm yy
SDUS SUMMARY
+ rr ccc
echos
+ rr ccc
SDUS
+ rr ccc
...
SDXX STATIONS
iiiii CCCC ppp ttt TTT,dddrrr Mddff Mddff Mddff
iiiii CCCC ...
Header Format
The first line of the file is the string:
WXPRAD
which is used to determine file type. The second line of the data file contains the date and time in the following format:
hhnnZ dd mmm yy
Where:
- hhnn -- Hour and minute of the observation in GMT
dd -- Day of the observation
mmm -- A three letter abbreviation for the month
yy -- The last two digits of the year
Example: 21Z 14 JUN 98
Radar Summary Data
The radar summary data are displayed on the following lines. Line three of the data
file marks the start of the radar summary information:
SDUS SUMMARY
This is followed by a location line containing the following:
+ rr ccc
Where:
- rr -- The row of the "+" on a 90 row by 120 column grid.
- ccc -- The column of the "+".
The actual summary data are listed on the following lines up to the next location line. Each character on the following lines represents the radar echo value for a grid box starting in column ccc and incrementing one column for each character on the line. The line following the location line represents row rr+1, and each successive line increments the row by one. This sequence is repeated until the whole radar summary is displayed.
SDUS
+ rr ccc
echos
+ rr ccc
The last rr ccc sequence represents the physical row column location of that "+". An example of a summary listing is:
SDUS
+ 44 040
1 2
243 1 1 1
21
12 22
12444
24442
23233
332333
13 24412
3 1334 2
222 2453 1
2 465 2
245
3244
12234442
12225333
2223243
23545253
22225553342
14436623332
2 1266 3432 4
2 2 5552 212 64
422 5533 24
22 1 2554 4 3 25
23211 6563 2 2
233563642 35
122522666566 4
23155 4423 4 4
1 2 22
2
111
3
+ 44 080
Radar Site Data
After the radar summary is listed, decoded information from each MDR report is listed for radar annotation. A separator line is listed to denote the start of the station reports:
SDXX STATIONS
The MDR information is formatted as follows:
iiiii CCCC ppp ttt TTT,dddrrr Mddff Mddff Mddff
Where:
- iiiii -- Station identifier. (followed by a space)
- CCCC -- The precipitation configuration which may be: (followed by a
space)
NA -- Not available
NE -- No echoes
OM -- Out for maintenance
AREA -- Area of precipitation
CELL -- Precipitation cell
LINE -- Line of precipitation - ppp -- Precipitation type. ("*" for missing)
- ttt -- Precipitation trend which may be: ("*" for missing)
NEW -- New precipitation
NC -- No change in intensity
+ -- Increasing
- -- Decreasing - TTT,dddrrr
Maximum precipitation tops and location. ("*" for missing) - TTT -- Maximum precipitation tops in 100s feet.
- ddd -- Compass direction of top from station in degrees
- rrr -- Distance from station of top in nautical miles.
- Mddff -- Precipitation movement ("*" for missing)
M -- Type of precipitation which could be:
A -- Area of precipitation
C -- Precipitation cell
L -- Line of precipitation - dd -- Direction of movement away from in degrees
- ff -- Speed of movement in knots.
An example of converted MDR reports are listed below:
SDXX STATIONS MPX AREA RW++ * * * * * EAX AREA RW++ * 540,199113 * * * LSX AREA * * * * * * SGF AREA RW++ * 470,262085 * * * GWX NA * * * * * * JAN AREA RW++ * * * * * BLX NA * * * * * * GGW CELL * * * * * * MSX AREA RW+ * * * * * TFX AREA * * 390,050067 * * * LTX AREA RW++ * 190,084126 * * * MHX AREA RW++ * 390,114086 C1006 * * RAX NE * * * * * * BIS LN * * * C0911 * * MBX NA * * * * * * MVX LN TRW++ * * * * * LNX AREA * * * * * * OAX AREA RW++ * * * * *
Describing the information from MHX (Moorehead, NC). There is an AREA of very heavy rain showers (RW++). The maximum precipitation tops are 39,000 feet located 114 degrees at 86 nautical miles away from the radar site. The cell is moving from 100 degrees at 6 knots.
EXAMPLES
A sample radar converted file would look like:
WXPRAD
0030Z 3 AUG 98
SDUS SUMMARY
+ 01 081
...
1
4
431
2342
+ 44 081
SDUS
+ 43 081
4444
54522
15442
32
32
45
252
1 3
21 3 5
222
5 232
22234
55 55
4 22445 2
62
442
5
52
34
4
+ 90 081
SDUS
...
+ 90 002
SDXX STATIONS
BMX NE * * * * * *
EOX NA * * * * * *
HTX NA * * * * * *
MOB CELL * * * * * *
MXX NA * * * * * *
LZK CELL * * * * * *
SRX NA * * * * * *
EMX CELL * * * * * *
FSX AREA RW++ * * * * *
IWA AREA TRW++ * * * * *
...
MPX AREA RW++ * * * * *
EAX AREA RW++ * 540,199113 * * *
LSX AREA * * * * * *
SGF AREA RW++ * 470,262085 * * *
GWX NA * * * * * *
JAN AREA RW++ * * * * *
BLX NA * * * * * *
GGW CELL * * * * * *
MSX AREA RW+ * * * * *
TFX AREA * * 390,050067 * * *
LTX AREA RW++ * 190,084126 * * *
MHX AREA RW++ * 390,114086 C1006 * *
RAX NE * * * * * *
BIS LN * * * C0911 * *
MBX NA * * * * * *
MVX LN TRW++ * * * * *
LNX AREA * * * * * *
OAX AREA RW++ * * * * *
...
FILES
- rad.cty -- used to located radar sites on the LFM grid
SEE ALSO
Last updated May 10, 2020