GOES 14 now broadcasting EMWIN

The EMWIN Broadcast from GOES-14 at 105 degrees West, has been activated and is currently available as an alternate to the GOES-East (GOES-13) EMWIN satellite broadcast signal.  The GOES 14 EMWIN broadcast will remain operational for six months and is scheduled to terminate on or about June 13, 2018. 
See SCN 17-120:  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notification/scn17-120goes14.htm

This service is provided to extend the opportunity for GOES-13 users to continue using their existing EMWIN equipment and software beyond the GOES-13/16 transition in mid-December 2017; while acquiring and installing the new GOES-16 HRIT/EMWIN antennas, receivers and software. 

EMWIN data customers that transition to the GOES-14 EMWIN broadcast service are reminded that the downlink is a linear polarized signal.  Once the antenna has been properly oriented for azimuth and elevation, the receive feed may need to be adjusted for optimum reception.  This is usually accomplished by loosening the feed set-screw(s) and rotating the feed to achieve the highest signal strength on the EMWIN receiver.

Please contact the following, to address any comments or questions:    nws.emwin.support@noaa.gov

HRIT/EMWIN Status

Here is an update from Seth Clevenstine, Direct Broadcast Manager.

Currently the GOES-16 HRIT/EMWIN broadcast is down due to a ground system anomaly that we're testing a fix for in hopes to have it up and running by next week. I'll post an update by the end of the week regarding the broadcast and it's status. I apologize for the delay in communication.

I would also like to take the time to point out the GOES East transition schedule.

Key Dates for GOES East Transition:

1. November 30th, the HRIT/EMWIN broadcast will be offline while GOES-16 will transition eastward at 1.41 degrees a day
2. December 11th, GOES-16 will stop it's drift at 75.2 degrees West.
3. December 14th, ~1530Z GOES 13 will turn off the LRIT transponder
4. December 14th, ~1545Z GOES 16 will turn on the HRIT transponder
5. December 14th, ~1545Z, the HRIT ground system will start broadcasting to HRIT/EMWIN as the operational GOES East satellite.

For further information on next month's GOES East transition plans, please see the following website:
http://www.goes-r.gov/users/transitiontToOperations.html

GOES-16 Drift and Transition to Operations

GOES-16 is planned to begin drifting to the GOES-East operational location of 75.2 degrees west longitude on November 30, 2017. Drift is scheduled to complete on December 11, 2017 and nominal operations will resume by December 20, 2017. During the drift period, five instruments (ABI, GLM, SUVI, SEISS, and EXIS) will be placed in safe or diagnostic modes and will not be capturing or distributing data. MAG is the only instrument that will continue to operate with nominal data distribution during the transition. GOES Rebroadcast (GRB), Data Collection System (DCS), High Rate Information Transmission (HRIT)/ Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN), and the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system will be disabled during drift. This is due to X-band radio frequency downlink interference.

On December 7, 2017, GOES-13 GOES VARiable (GVAR) service will begin relay through GOES-14 and will be available through both satellites until December 14, 2017, at which time GOES-13 GVAR will only be transmitted through GOES-14. GOES-13 GVAR users will need to repoint their antennas to 105 degrees west to maintain receipt of GOES-13 data. Once GOES-16 reaches 75.2 degrees west on December 11, 2017, there will be three to nine days of calibration activity. All instruments will resume nominal operations by December 20, 2017, and GOES-16 will officially become GOES-East. There will be a period of overlap with GOES-13, which will remain at 75 degrees west, after GOES-16 becomes GOES-East. GOES-13 will remain on and provide data until January 2, 2018, at which time it will begin drifting to its storage location at 60 degrees west. During this period of overlap, GOES-13 GVAR will be relayed through GOES-14. Additional information will be communicated as needed.

All drift and transition operations will be led by the NESDIS Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) with GOES-R Program operational support. Final scheduling of drift operations may change based on operational needs and will be a NOAA-level decision.

See for more information - http://www.goes-r.gov/users/transitiontToOperations.html 

Change in Satellite Broadcast Network

Effective on or about January 16, 2018, the SES-1 satellite will no longer provide data to the NWS Satellite Broadcast Network (SBN). Data will become available from the Galaxy 28 satellite (G-28) by early December, before discontinuing the broadcast from SES-1. In addition, the location of the Master Ground Station (MGS) will move to Holmdel, NJ; the Backup Master Ground Station (BMGS) will remain in Fairmont, WV. These changes are a result of the transition to Signal Mountain as the new NWS SBN communications support subcontractor under Raytheon, the Prime Contractor for the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS).

The downlink antennas at all receiving site ground stations (SGS) will need to repoint to G-28 to accommodate this transition. Users should not need new equipment to continue receiving NOAAPORT data once the antenna has been adjusted.

Important specifications are below:

Galaxy 28 Satellite Location (new): 89 degrees West FEC Type: DVB-S2

Polarity: Vertical/Right

Band: High, C-Band

The changeover from SES-1 to G-28 will occur in several phases to ensure a smooth transition that maximizes the amount of time with satellite backup coverage. The date of the initial broadcast from G-28 is still being finalized. Additional information and specific dates will be provided in the coming weeks in the form of subsequent Service Change Notices.

If NOAAPORT users experience problems with service during the satellite transition period, please contact James Calkins and Kevin Conaty at NWS Headquarters.

Kevin Conaty

    NOAA/NWS Office of Central Processing

    Silver Spring, MD 20910

    Email: Kevin.Conaty@noaa.gov

James Calkins

    NOAA/NWS Office of Central Processing

    Silver Spring, MD 20910

    Email: James.Calkins@noaa.gov

NWS AWIPS sites experiencing service problems should contact the Network Control Facility.

AWIPS Network Control Facility (NCF) Help Desk

    NOAA/NWS Office of Central Processing

    Silver Spring, MD 20910

    Email: nws.ncf.supervisors@noaa.gov

NWS National Service Change Notices are online at:

 http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm

NWS Soliciting Comments on Discontinuing EMWIN Internet Feed

NWS is accepting comments until October 24, 2017, on the proposed termination of the EMWIN ByteBlaster and HostMaster services on or about April 30, 2018.

ByteBlaster is a client-server software application which has been implemented in privately developed and commercial software offerings. The NWS operates four ByteBlaster servers as a public service, actively pushing all products appearing on the EMWIN satellite broadcast to users operating a ByteBlaster client or other compatible software over the Internet. Users may connect to the NWS ByteBlaster servers without the approval of, or intervention by, the NWS. HostMaster is a ByteBlaster server load-balancing software application used to manage the clients connected to ByteBlaster servers and automatically transfer connected clients from one known server to another in the event of a server failure.

Weather, water and climate products disseminated by the NWS ByteBlaster service include national and international watches, warnings, advisories, observations, forecasts and remote sensing information in text and picture (binary) formats. As an Internet-based service, ByteBlaster client-server connections can be operated from any location, worldwide, with Internet access.

The NWS is in the process of consolidating its dissemination services into a common architecture. Transitioning ByteBlaster into this new architecture will require significant NWS resources and time. Alternate public Internet-based methods are available for acquiring the products disseminated by ByteBlaster. These alternatives provide users with the opportunity to replace ByteBlaster in their local operations. A sample of these services and their comparative equivalence to ByteBlaster follows:

1. EMWIN File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Archive
- Interface: file pull initiated by user
- Text Products: all text files on EMWIN satellite broadcast, in ZIP file format
- Binary Product: all binary files sent on EMWIN satellite broadcast in ZIP file format
- Reference: click on the link "eEMWIN FTP Service Description draft v0.2 (Draft)," available here:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/#documents

2. NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) Operational Interface (OI).
- Interface: automated XMPP file push to registered users (no
fee)
- Text Products:  NWS US weather watches, warnings and advisories; does not include International products and non- weather emergency messages.
- Binary Products: none.
- Reference: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwws/

3. Global Telecommunication Service (GTS) Internet File Service
(GIFS)
- Interface:  user initiated web browser Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a command line interface over public Internet
- Text Products: limited to International products for North America, Central America and Caribbean; virtually no US WFO generated products
- Binary Products: none.
- Reference:  click on the "GIFS Open Access RMTN Users Guide"
link here: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/iscs/documents.html
Web browser link:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/iscs/documents.htmlhttps://ra4-gifs.weather.gov/data/RMTN/

4. All EMWIN binary products may also be obtained by users directly from the web pages accessed by EMWIN, which are documented in the "EMWIN Image and Data Capture Catalog," here:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/EMWIN_Image_and_Text_Data_Capture_Catalog_v1.0_r170301-1500a.pdf

The final disposition of the EMWIN ByteBlaster and HostMaster services will be determined after the NWS has reviewed all comments.  NWS will issue a Service Change Notice in the event termination is approved.

Partners and users are encouraged to email comments regarding this proposal to:

nws.emwin.support@noaa.gov

National Public Information Notices are online at:

 http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm

Transition of the NWS EMWIN FTP service

The NWS is accepting comments until September 15, 2017, on the proposed transition of the legacy Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) File Transfer Protocol (FTP) service to the NWS Integrated Dissemination Program (IDP) enterprise environment.

The EMWIN FTP file service is transitioning to a new consolidated enterprise infrastructure referred to as IDP.  The new EMWIN IDP FTP service is scheduled to be operational on November 1, 2017. Users of the EMIWN legacy FTP service are encouraged to transition to the new service prior to January 31, 2018, the scheduled date for deactivating the legacy FTP server.

The new EMWIN IDP FTP service provides the following improvements:

-Eliminates the need for users to register for and use assigned user name and passwords to access the EMWIN archive files.  The new EMWIN IDP FTP service is hosted on an anonymous FTP server, providing open public access 24x7, over the public Internet.

-Increases the FTP service operational availability by employing a backup IDP anonymous FTP service that becomes operational in the event of a catastrophic failure of the primary IDP anonymous FTP service.

Two separate and unique sets of EMWIN archive files will be presented on the EMWIN IDP FTP service: one for the older generation GOES-15 satellite (GOES-West) and one for the newer generation GOES-16 satellite (GOES-East). The unique characteristics of their individual satellite broadcast services require separate archives as a result of:

-Different file naming conventions used for the WMO product files appearing on the GOES-West and GOES-East broadcasts. Products on GOES-West retain the legacy EMWIN eight character file name, while the GOES-East will implement the 63 to 66 character WMO compliant file name convention. Additional information on the GOES-East file naming convention is available for review here:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/EMWIN_GOES-R_filename_convention.pdf

-The maximum data rate on the GOES-West and GOES-East satellite broadcast services will be 19.2 kbps and 256 kbps, respectively.  The higher data rate may periodically deliver a greater number of products in a given time interval, potentially increasing the archive file product count for comparable periods of time.

The NWS EMWIN IDP FTP archive file names and descriptions are:

*** TEXT PRODUCTS ***

txtmin02.zip ....... two minute file
txtmin06.zip ....... six minute file
txtmin20.zip ....... twenty minute file
txthrs01.zip ....... one hour file
txthrs03.zip ....... three hour file

*** BINARY FILES (IMAGES) ***

imgmin15.zip ....... fifteen minute file

imghrs01.zip ....... one hour file

imghrs03.zip ....... three hour file

Additional information on the new IDP anonymous FTP service and files is found in the Enterprise EMWIN FTP Service Description document available here:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/eEMWIN%20FTP%20Service%20Description%20draft%20v0.2%20-%20r161118-0935.pdf

A Service Change Notice (SCN) will be sent before transitioning operations to the new EMWIN IDP FTP service.

Questions or comments about this service should be emailed to:

iscs.dm@noaa.gov

National Public Information Statements are online at:

http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm

EMWIN GOES-East satellite broadcast signal and file format changes effective November 2017

Effective in November 2017, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 will replace the existing operational GOES-13 at the GOES-East geosynchronous orbit location of 75 degrees west longitude. The GOES-East location assignment was announced by NESDIS on May 25, 2017. The specific date and time in November for the replacement has not been announced. An updated Service Change Notice will be sent when the date is determined.

The NWS and NESDIS hosted two public Webinars in April and August 2016 to identify and review the changes to the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) broadcasts with the introduction of GOES-16. The Webinars also included time to receive and respond to participant questions and comments regarding these changes. Participants included individual users, emergency managers, third party emergency alert service providers, media outlets and hardware and software manufacturers. The presentations provided at these Webinars are available here:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/#documents

The operational deployment of GOES-16 introduces three changes to the GOES-East EMWIN broadcast impacting the reception and decoding of products in the High Rate Information Transmission (HRIT)/EMWIN L-band satellite broadcast data stream, as follows:

-HRIT/EMWIN Receiver: GOES-16 broadcasts the EMWIN and the NESDIS HRIT data streams over a single transponder in a combined HRIT/EMWIN format. EMWIN receive stations will need to be updated with an HRIT/EMWIN receiver and antenna system to receive and decode the EMWIN data stream from the HRIT/EMWIN broadcast.

-Full-File Format: The products on the EMWIN segment of the GOES-16 HRIT/EMWIN broadcast are sent as complete files, in contrast to the Quick Block Transfer (QBT) packet format employed on the GOES-13 EMWIN broadcast. Software updates may be required to properly handle this new full-file format.

-File Name Change: The file name assigned to each of the full- file products on the EMWIN segment of the HRIT/EMWIN broadcast will contain 63 to 66 alpha-numeric characters followed by a period and a three character file extension. The new file name convention is online at:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/EMWIN_GOES-R_filename_convention.pdf

The GOES-16 satellite is now in orbit at a service check-out location (89.5 degrees west longitude) until November 2017.  The satellite's HRIT/EMWIN transponder is active but may periodically be taken off line to accommodate other spacecraft events. Users are encouraged to install and verify the operations of new or updated HRIT/EMWIN receive equipment and software. The HRIT/EMWIN broadcast should not be used for operations until GOES-16 is declared operational in November 2017.

Questions or comments regarding these changes may be emailed to the NWS EMWIN support staff at:  nws.emwin.support@noaa.gov.

Manufacturer and User Feedback During the HRIT/EMWIN PLT

We are still on track for to a two-part post-launch test or PLT of HRIT/EMWIN. We will do the first part from the CBU on June 6-8 (where there will be CMI imagery for 23 hrs June 6-7 and all other products the whole time) and [b] from WCDAS on June 13 -15 with a more or less full suite of data content including the CMI imagery.

To make this test "successful", we would like to get some feedback from our partners, manufacturer community and users. We would like to receive relevant metrics and feedback during and after the test periods. A draft list of input is below. Please let me know if you would like to participate either formally with a report or with anecdotal testimony. If you are uncomfortable with any aspect of the list below, let me know what you can perform. Please pass this on to anyone else you may know about and ask them to contact me if they are interested.

I am especially interested in the usability of the CMI imagery and the EMWIN file-based data which is a large change from the GOES-NOP format.

Paul

Pre-test: 

o   Confirm readiness to receive HRIT signal, and provide point of contact info

o   Provide info on receiver model and software to be used. 

o   Provide info on the antenna size at your installation

o   Identify which products will be ingested and evaluated. 

o   Prepare to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback, such as:  

counts of products received/ingested per type per time interval

reports of anomalies (time-tagged)

·         

During test: 

o   Confirm broadcast "lock" and quality of signal

o Monitor broadcast reception; collect metrics on HRIT from user system perspective

o   Spot-check readability and usability of products (indicate what times looked at).  o Report anomalies or other immediate feedback to HRIT POC, as appropriate

After each test: 

o   Follow-up on any discrepancies observed or

o   As appropriate, sample/compare products received via HRIT to quality of same available from another source.

o   Send summary feedback and metrics for each test period.

Paul

Paul Seymour

Direct Broadcast Manager

301-817-4521

Paul.Seymour@NOAA.Gov

GOES-16 set to become GOES-EAST in November

GOES-16, the most advanced weather satellite NOAA has ever developed, will be moved to the GOES-East position once it is declared operational in November.  NOAA officials announced the decision regarding GOES-16’s placement, during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook news conference at NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland.

When GOES-16 takes over, EMWIN-N users will need to point their dishes to GOES-West to receive the EMWIN-N signal.  GOES-16 will replace the EMWIN-N signal with HRIT/EMWIN.  HRIT/EMWIN uses a different signaling method and will require a new receiver.

See this link for more information on this announcement GOES-16.

WeatherWire Password Reset

The NWS has added the ability for users to reset their passwords.  You can access it from this link - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwws/news.html#Reset

If you have forgotten or lost your user id, you retrieve it using this link - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwws/news.html#Resend

WeatherWire Setup

If you want to use WeatherWire, the first step is to obtain a user name and password from the NWS.  Use this link to make that request.  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwws/news.html#NWWS_OI_Request  It may take up to two weeks to get your user name and password.

After you obtain your user name and password, you will need to purchase the WeatherWire ingest engine.  That can be done at this link. http://www.weathermessage.com/Purchase/tabid/124/ProdID/5/CatID/1/Weather_Message__Weather_Wire_Ingest.aspx

When you get your registration code, Click Start, Weather Message Net, Ingest, WxWw2000 (or WxWw2).  This will start the Weather Wire ingest program.  Click the Register option and enter your registration codes, then click Register.  Click File and Setup.  Enter your Weather Wire user name and password.  Click Save.  The program should connect to the Weather Wire server.

Start Weather Message Server Setup.  In the upper right hand corner, check the Weather Wire option.  This will tell the software to automatically start Weather Wire ingest.

You should restart your computer and verify that the WeatherWire ingest engine is automatically started with Weather Message.  Look for a blinking satellite icon in the system tray.

EMWIN Data Outage Announced

TO EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS.

FROM GISC/RTH WASHINGTON DATA MANAGEMENT

SUBJECT: NOTICE TO ALL USERS OF THE EMWIN BROADCAST SERVICE:

EMWIN SERVICE DISRUPTION COMMENCING 1400 EDT 1800 UTC... FRIDAY.. MARCH 31.. 2017

1.  RTH/GISC WASHINGTON EMWIN SERVICES WILL BE DISRUPTED BY A SCHEDULED FACILITIES MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY FROM FRIDAY MARCH 31.. TO SUNDAY APRIL 2.. 2017.

2.  EXPECTED EMWIN SERVICE IMPACTS:

A.  DURATION:  ON OR ABOUT 1400 EDT /1800 UTC/ MARCH 31.. 2017.. TO ON OR ABOUT 1200 EDT /1600 UTC/ APRIL 2.. 2017.

B.  EMWIN FTP SERVICE WILL /NOT/ BE OPERATIONAL.

C. EMWIN SATELLITE BROADCAST FROM GOES EAST AND WEST WILL OPERATE IN A LIMITED PRODUCT /SERVICE BACKUP MODE.. BROADCASTING ONLY US NATIONAL TEXT PRODUCTS INCLUDING ALERTS AND WARNINGS.. PRODUCTS FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AND IMAGE FILES WILL /NOT/ BE INCLUDED.

D.  EMWIN BYTE BLASTER SERVICE IMPACT IS NOT LIKELY. SHOULD A SERVER CONNECTION FAIL.. USERS MAY WISH TO CONSULT THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC WEATHER MESSAGE WEB PAGE IN CONSIDERATION OF MANUALLY CONNECTING TO AN ACTIVE BYTEBLASTER SERVER:

HTTP://WWW.WEATHERMESSAGE.COM/ SUPPORT/BYTEBLASTERSTATUS.ASPX

3.  EMWIN SYSTEM STATUS UPDATES WILL BE PERIODICALLY UPDATED ON THE EMWIN WEB PAGE ISSUES TAB LOCATED HERE:

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/EMWIN/ INDEX.HTM#ISSUES

4.  EMWIN USERS ARE REMINDED TO CONSIDER INCORPORATING ONE OR MORE ADDITIONAL WARNING SOURCES.. OTHER THAN EMWIN.. AS A BACKUP IN THE EVENT OF AN EMWIN SYSTEM FAILURE.   THE NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE NWWS.. IS AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE US NATIONAL WEATHER PRODUCTS VIA BOTH INTERNET AND SATELLITE BROADCAST PUSH SERVICES. EITHER CAN BE USED INDEPENDENTLY.. BUT THE INTERFACE WAS DEVELOPED SO BOTH CAN BE USED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO IMPROVE TIMELINESS OF DELIVERY.. SERVICE AVAILABILITY AND PRODUCT ACCOUNTABILITY.  FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE HERE:

THE NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE NWWS. WEB PAGE:

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/NWWS/

5.  PLEASE DIRECT ALL EMWIN QUESTIONS AND SERVICE ISSUES TO THE EMWIN SUPPORT STAFF AT:

NWS.EMWIN.SUPPORT@NOAA.GOV

6.  POC: ROBERT GILLESPIE.. ROBERT.GILLESPIE@NOAA.GOV / 301-427-9693

This information is also posted on the NWS Data Management
change notices web page. the url is listed below.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ datamgmt/notices.shtml

Data Management
NCO Implementation & Data Services Branch Silver Spring
GISC/RTH Washington Sends

WxRadar Update Needed

The NWS changed their radar sites to use https instead of http.  Because of this WxRadar cannot download radar images.  We have made changes in WxRadar to use https.  A beta is now available to address this issue.