Very technical question about recon decoding

[Chris_in_Tampa]

Take this for example:

499
URNT15 KNHC 191801
AF304 WXWXA 07061915304 HDOB 18 20070619

What does the number "07061915304" mean?

07061915304
YY/MM/DD/??/Aircraft

From various things I have come across, the first two numbers are the last two digits of the year, the second two numbers are the month, the third two numbers are the day, and the last three numbers are the aircraft number. But what would the 15 be? I think it might be the departure time (Z), but I'm not sure. I would really like to see a site that explains that if anyone has a link.

The "499" is a number that changes all the time and I don't think it has any importance in decoding a message. I think it is a queue number:
http://www.weather.gov/tg/head.html
If wrong, let me know.

I know how to decode the rest.

[wjs3]

I don't have time to research the exact answer to your question, but here are two manuals for you to take a look at regarding rcon planning, coding, etc:

http://www.ofcm.gov/nhop/07/pdf/f-chap5.pdf

and

http://www.ofcm.gov/nhop/07/pdf/r-app-g.pdf


Hope these help. The section you refer to is generically referred to as the mission ID (as you probably know) and is described in chapter 5, (the first link), I believe.

Best--

WJS3

[Chris_in_Tampa]

Unfortunately, they don't cover this particular identifier in NHOP. You probably would never see an identifier like this from recon in a tropical system since it comes with missions that are generally not tasked as tropical missions. I think for that reason they don't include it in the NHOP.

[wjs3]

I noticed that you had what appeared to be a training mission there. Sorry I couldn't help (and probably covered ground you already knew--ah well...maybe some other folks will be interested in seeing the NHOP).

Good luck.

WJS3

[Chris_in_Tampa]

Thanks for trying.

NHOP is a very interesting document that people can learn a lot from.

[pojo]

499
URNT15 KNHC 191801
AF304 WXWXA 07061915304 HDOB 18 20070619

What does the number "07061915304" mean?

07061915304
YY/MM/DD/??/Aircraft
____________________________

Being that this is my job..... YY/MM/DD/ZZ(hours)/AC

Here is the definition
AF 304 WXWXA 07061915304 HDOB 18 20070619

Is decoded as
AFRESAircraftTail#_ WX trainer_ YY/MM/DD/ZZ(hours)/AC_High Density Obs_Obs#_YYYY/MM/DD

All USAF RES Wx aircraft will be 30# (300-309)

I hope that helps.

Shannon

[Chris_in_Tampa]

Thank you very much.

I was just thinking that what if the messages don't start at takeoff. If the messages start an hour into the flight, I would assume, but don't know for sure, that the hour would be the hour in which the first, 01, HDOB message went out. Would that be correct?

[pojo]

Thank you very much.

I was just thinking that what if the messages don't start at takeoff. If the messages start an hour into the flight, I would assume, but don't know for sure, that the hour would be the hour in which the first, 01, HDOB message went out. Would that be correct?

The hour starts on when the first HBODs go out... If the Wx officer is doing their job, the first HDOBs should start right after the first Wx Computer calibrations are completed... I will check on that for you.

Shannon

[Chris_in_Tampa]

I thought I had once noticed that HDOB messages stopped well before a flight landed and thought that perhaps sometimes they start the messages when they get nearer to the storm and stop them after they depart. For example, if what you are investigating is 500 miles away from where you took off from, then perhaps the data would not be needed that far out. Although I suppose any information along the flight route could be helpful.

Thanks for the info and thanks for the services you provide!

[WindRunner]

I thought I had once noticed that HDOB messages stopped well before a flight landed and thought that perhaps sometimes they start the messages when they get nearer to the storm and stop them after they depart. For example, if what you are investigating is 500 miles away from where you took off from, then perhaps the data would not be needed that far out. Although I suppose any information along the flight route could be helpful.

Thanks for the info and thanks for the services you provide!

They do sometimes stop on their way back, and on the very, very rare occasion they'll start after departure, though I have a feeling that this is a sign of transmission/reception problems and not anything having to do with the actual data being sent. Typically, the data flows from pre-taxi to landing, and you can see every little motion the plane makes in between.

[Chris_in_Tampa]

I have seen observations before takeoff where you can plot the plane on the ground at the airport. Quite neat.

---

And just to add a little more. The identifier is the first HDOB observation in no matter what product it is. Take this product, Air Force Non-Tropical RECCO Message (URNT10 KBIX):

000
URNT10 KBIX 232055
97779 20294 71299 96908 40000 99005 02012 /8020
RMK AF304 WXWXA 07062319304 OB 01

From:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/recon/2 ... 232055.txt

Observation Time: Saturday, 20:29Z

But the hour noted in the identifier is 19Z, even though the first RECCO message was in the 20Z hour.

I just realized that and thought I would point it out to others.

---

And this afternoon I finished a beta version of another part (URNT15) of the recon decoder I have been working on:
http://www.tropicalatlantic.com/recon/

I still need people to let me know all the bugs remaining.

[pojo]

I have seen observations before takeoff where you can plot the plane on the ground at the airport. Quite neat.

---

And just to add a little more. The identifier is the first HDOB observation in no matter what product it is. Take this product, Air Force Non-Tropical RECCO Message (URNT10 KBIX):

000
URNT10 KBIX 232055
97779 20294 71299 96908 40000 99005 02012 /8020
RMK AF304 WXWXA 07062319304 OB 01

From:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/recon/2 ... 232055.txt" target="_blank" target="_blank

Observation Time: Saturday, 20:29Z

But the hour noted in the identifier is 19Z, even though the first RECCO message was in the 20Z hour.

I just realized that and thought I would point it out to others.

If I remember right... the ARWO didn't change the time in the Header (That was a wx trainer with 2 ARWOs onboard... they were doing a training mission with our new aircraft modification)

In actuality... the squadron doesn't like the NHC for releasing the codes out to the public immediately.... its a breach of security.... especially since we have to overfly countries (that aren't friendly).... the AF is extremely worried about Operational Security, however, this they could careless Several Million dollar aircrafts/ people onboard.... lives at stake.... makes a lot of sense!

[WindRunner]

And just to add a little more. The identifier is the first HDOB observation in no matter what product it is. Take this product, Air Force Non-Tropical RECCO Message (URNT10 KBIX):

000
URNT10 KBIX 232055
97779 20294 71299 96908 40000 99005 02012 /8020
RMK AF304 WXWXA 07062319304 OB 01

From:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/recon/2 ... 232055.txt" target="_blank" target="_blank

Observation Time: Saturday, 20:29Z

But the hour noted in the identifier is 19Z, even though the first RECCO message was in the 20Z hour.

I just realized that and thought I would point it out to others.

RECCO obs aren't done until significantly after departure time, so if this mission departed sometime around 1930z then I would not be suprised if the first recco took that long . . . although pojo is probably more right

[pojo]

And just to add a little more. The identifier is the first HDOB observation in no matter what product it is. Take this product, Air Force Non-Tropical RECCO Message (URNT10 KBIX):

000
URNT10 KBIX 232055
97779 20294 71299 96908 40000 99005 02012 /8020
RMK AF304 WXWXA 07062319304 OB 01

From:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/recon/2 ... 232055.txt" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Observation Time: Saturday, 20:29Z

But the hour noted in the identifier is 19Z, even though the first RECCO message was in the 20Z hour.

I just realized that and thought I would point it out to others.

RECCO obs aren't done until significantly after departure time, so if this mission departed sometime around 1930z then I would not be suprised if the first recco took that long . . . although pojo is probably more right

Normally RECCOs aren't made until cruising altitude (FL230-240).... this is purely for the judgement of the atmospheric conditions at 400mb....UNLESS we are in a storm and then the cruising altitude is FL100-110... For instance... that particular mission took off around 19z... it would take us about a 1/2 hour to get to the point of releasing RECCOs (we have ARWO checklist stuff to complete after take off.)