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» Online Classroom   » Marine Weather   » Public Discussion of Marine Weather   » Ship Reports

   
Author Topic: Ship Reports
chetco


 - posted November 21, 2009 03:25 PM      Profile for chetco           Edit/Delete Post 
As many times as I have pulled up the SHIP POSITION REPORTS on NWS is an many times as I can't see anything on the EASTERN PACIFIC SURFACE ANALYSIS. But then too, when I do pull up the SHIP POSITION REPORT I get ship reports at 48.6 126.9 and two at 48.4 -123.4. The later puts the vessel either at the south east of Vacouver Island or just south of New Dungeness Light - more like at Sequim Bay.

The reports, the lat and long, how do they get the ".6" and the ".9" of something when there is only 60 seconds and 60 minutes. Are the ship poitions in degrees, minutes, seconds or what? The 48.4 like I say is on land. But if you change it to 48.04 you're still on land but very close to Sequim Bay.

Does the NWS truncate the zeros in front of numbers to the right of decimals? Or is the ship position reports the actual way they are sent?

From: oregon
David Burch


 - posted November 21, 2009 04:31 PM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
ship reports often use decimal degrees for lat lon... ie 48.75 rather than 48° 45', etc.

in passing, have you tried our ship reports program?

just send a blank email to [email protected] with the word "help" in the subject line to learn how to do it.

--david

From: Starpath, Seattle, WA
chetco


 - posted November 22, 2009 07:38 AM      Profile for chetco           Edit/Delete Post 
No, I haven't tried the reports. But am on my way to do so now. Is there a reason why the SURFACE ANALYSIS don't have the ship positions and report indicators on them? Am I looking at the wrong print-outs?

Thank you,

From: oregon
David Burch


 - posted November 22, 2009 10:13 AM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
All surface analysis maps from the NWS OPC and from the UA maps do have the ship reports. They are presented in terms of limited station model diagrams. see figure 7.7-1 for a sample.

In fact you can use our report system to show exactly the reports seen on the maps. It is often instructive to see what reports are used and which ones are not. this is discussed in the text book. In the book we explain how to get the reports for other time periods than just the past 6h and 300 nmi range that our email program uses.

--------

So back to your question. YES, it seems you may be using the wrong maps. What are the surface analysis maps you refer to that do not show these reports?

From: Starpath, Seattle, WA
chetco


 - posted November 23, 2009 01:27 PM      Profile for chetco           Edit/Delete Post 
The surface analysis maps that I use are; I go to the NWS OPC home page, just above the "UNITED SURFACE ANALYSIS" there is "PACIFIC PRODUCTS." I click on PACIFIC PRODUCTS, that brings up another page with several surface analysis' there I click on "E. PACIFIC." The next screen is PACIFIC SURFACE ANALYSIS. Which has yet to ever have any kind of indication of SHIP POSITION anything. If I am in the wrong place, please re-direct me.

Also, in the "MODERN MARINE WEATHER" book, page 64, right column, there is mention of "Tropical maps from the NHC show ~ bla, bla, bla," can you direct me to that location. I get to the NHC and am not able to locate ITCZ/Doldrum maps. Please? When I go to NHC I click on "TROPICAL WEATEHR DISCUSSION," below the opening page picture "ATANTIC TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY." Tropical Weather Discussion takes me to a page where I click on XXXX UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS. Which takes me to a BLACK "XXX TROPICAL SURFACE ANALYSIS."

Thank you,

From: oregon
David Burch


 - posted November 23, 2009 10:49 PM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
Part 1.

I think the issue might be identifying the reports. the maps you refer to have many reports on them. Please take a look at figure 2.2-5 in the text. In the middle top half there are two reports. the left one shows a south wind of 10 kts and a pressure of 1026.1 mb (right under the underlined 1024) to the east of it is another report showing an east wind of 5 kts with a pressure of 1028.3 Refer to the recent mention above of "station model" formats for these reports.

Note that these reports also give the vessel IDs but that process was discontinued about half way between our book production.

From: Starpath, Seattle, WA
David Burch


 - posted November 23, 2009 11:14 PM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
Part 2.

You bring up an interesting point. I too have always had trouble finding these. There is a link somewhere on the NHC site, but i gave up on this and now i get them by email.

send an email to

[email protected]

and in the body of the message put

open
cd fax
get PYEB11.TIF
get PYEA11.TIF
quit

must be exactly that, no spaces at the end of the line etc

You will get both maps in your email in a minute or two

This powerful technique is covered in the book, but i am not sure we list the file names. the files above are for the latest versions, there are other file names for 00z, 06z, 12z, and 18z

--david

From: Starpath, Seattle, WA


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