Gary Bogue, a staff writer for the Contra Costa Times (California) likes to prove the point that “people love bird nests” by holding an annual Gary’s Wildest Bird Nest Contest. Of the 110 entries this year, our clear favorite was a cozy mourning dove nest in the rain collector of a Vantage Pro. Leslie Graham’s Danville weather station/bird home tied for first place for “Weirdest Nest Location.” (The other first place winner was pretty cool: a hummingbird nest constructed in the reel of a fishing pole!)

Weather Check Quiz Question 1: Here is Brian Jordan’s weather station.

Wherein the USA is it?
A. Berkey, Ohio
B. Dennysville, Maine
C. Brewton, Alabama
D. Tucson, Arizona
E. Hayward, California (Click here for answers.)

TECH TIPS :

Update My Firmware? Didn’t Know I Had Firmware!

Our Tech Team often posts firmware and software updates on our support page. But if you are better at defining cloud formations than understanding computer-speak, you may not really understand what that means.

In computer lingo there is hardware and software, and then there is something in between called firmware.

Hardware is the physical item and it can’t be changed unless you replace it. (We guess you could spray paint your console purple and that would change it…) Software is a computer program that is easily changed - just insert a CD with the new version of the software into your computer or download it from a website.

Firmware is sort of like software because it can be changed, and sort of like hardware because it is permanently installed. Firmware is embedded in the hardware (in an electronic chip) and stored in read-only memory (ROM), rather than being implemented through software. Firmware is in your cell phone, GPS, DVD player. It's basically the brain in all modern electronic devices.

Our engineers are always working on ways to improve all three “wares.” While we can’t send you a new anemometer every time we make a slight improvement, nor can we always provide the newest version of WeatherLink (though we do provide updates), you can update your old firmware to the newest version. Firmware updates are free on our website. How the update is done depends on which weather station and software you have. You can get more information on our website or call our Tech Support team for more help.

Deciding to update your firmware is up to you. If your system is meeting your needs, you don’t have to update your firmware, no matter how old it gets! For most of our weather station users, firmware updates are not usually needed. But some users have specialized setups (such as systems with repeaters) that may be improved with firmware update. It is a good idea to check the Weather Support page occasionally to see if the newest firmware updates offer any “fixes” you are interested in.

WeatherLink owners will also find free software updates on that page – we post intermediate revisions free for download.

Weather Check Quiz Question 2: As the northern hemisphere heads into summertime, we are reminded to remind you to do all you can to avoid sunburn. But here’s the question: is exposure to UV rays all bad? (Click here for answers.)


WEATHER 101:

The Dope on Doppler

We all know that measuring rainfall is relatively simple; the harder part is forecasting whether it will rain on tomorrow’s high school football game or next week’s pool party. If we knew there was precipitation today out on the Pacific off San Francisco Bay, and we knew it was moving eastward very fast, we might be able to postpone the game, or at least take an umbrella to watch the mud-fest. But short of getting on a boat and motoring out to the Farallon Islands, how can we know what’s happening out there?

By far the best way to detect precipitation in the air is by radar. Radar antennas work by sending out bursts of radio waves that shoot out through the air at about the speed of light. When those waves hit something that deflect them, such as raindrops, they bounce right back. The antenna “listens” to these echo waves, and uses the time between sending and bounce-back to calculate how far away the deflector is. The more raindrops or the bigger the hailstones in the “target,” the stronger the echo will be. But knowing that there is a big storm over the Farallones doesn’t help all that much. What if it is moving south, targeting Los Angeles, and we mortify the kid by bringing our umbrella to his sun-drenched football game?

That’s where Doppler radar comes in. Doppler not only takes into consideration the time lapse between send and bounce-back, it also tracks the phase of the wave. The phase is determined by the shape, position and form of the radio wave.

According to the NOAA, “By measuring the shift in phase between a transmitted pulse and a received echo, the target's radial velocity (the movement of the target directly toward or away from the radar) can be calculated. A positive phase shift implies motion toward the radar and a negative shift suggests motion away from the radar.”

Our own ears/brains can do the same thing: when the “Best and Biggest of Yodeling” CD is blaring from a car approaching you at a stop sign, the sound waves are smashed together by the car’s forward motion and the shortening distance to your ears. They become hi gher frequency, and our smart little ears interpret this as “irritating sound approaching.” When the driver guns the engine and takes off from the light, leaving you in the dust, the sound waves are stretched out because the distance from radio to your ear is getting longer. This means lower frequency, and a sigh of relief as our ears tell us “irritating sound is moving away!”

For a good illustration of Doppler radar, see this USA Today web page.

Weather Check Quiz Question 3: Where did the word “radar” come from:
A. For the German physicist, Johan Radahaus, who began experimenting with radio waves in the 1800s.
B. It is an acronym which stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging.
C. It is a combination of “Ra” for the Egyptian god who ruled the earth and sky, and “dar”for the Russian language of Dargwa spoken by the Kazakhstani team of physicists who first developed radar for airflight
D. The guy who came up with “radar” thought he was spelling “Raiders,” his favorite NFL team.

Extra Credit: What is meant by “ground clutter”? (Click here for answers.)

MAILBAG:

Blue Moon, You May or May Not See Me Standing Alone

According to Jan Null, of Golden Gate Weather, the rare “blue moon” may or may not be seen in June. Explains Jan: “It depends on location, location, location. The current definition of a ‘blue moon’ is when there are two full moons in a calendar month. It used to be defined as the third full moon of a single season that had four full moons.

“The point of some confusion this year is that the full moon at the end of May here in the Western Hemisphere is actually on the June 1st from about the middle of the Atlantic eastward. But it occurs at 2:04 GMT June 1st, which is May 30th at 7:04 PM PDT in California. So we have our blue moon at the end of May, but in Europe and points east it will be the end of June before they have their 2007 blue moon.”

More details? See the blue moon pages of Obliquity, and InfoPlease .

Weather Check Quiz Question 4: How often does a “blue moon” happen? (Click here for answers.)

Picky Pilots Parley Precision!

Bob Bruenar, a “reformed” fixed wing pilot who only flies helicopters these days, tells us pilots are even picker than we thought! We raised his pilot-pickiness hackles when we wrote:

“Peter Drew, who’s been flying for 20 years, agrees. He added that ‘the big jets flying up high (well above 10,000 feet) all use the same standard QNH barometric setting so they do not have to change it all the time on transcontinental and intercontinental flights and air traffic controllers know what level they are at.’”

Bob says this not quite correct.

“At flight level (FL) 180 (18,000') and above, altimeters are set to QNE, which is done by setting the Kollsman window to 29.92". This does not just apply to jets, but any aircraft at FL 180 and above. QNE is referred to as pressure altitude. It is also the altitude reported by transponders. QNH, which is the altimeter setting reported by airports, and which should cause the altimeter to read field elevation, is used below FL 180. “One other point, QFE, which sets the altimeter to read zero on the field, is used in China, North Korea, and the former Soviet Union.”

YOU'RE BRILLIANT!:

Question 1: See that poor little frozen gila monster? No? Well, maybe there is one somewhere in this photo from sunny Tucson! (Back to stories.)

Question 2: No. We need some UV exposure to build the body’s annual reserves of vitamin D. In fact, people with very dark skin (who are largely protected from the damaging effects of UV radiation), or people who live where there is little sunlight, can sometimes come up short on vitamin D. So go outside, but not without your sun screens, hats, and umbrellas! (Back to stories.)

Question 3: We do like the Raiders, there is a Russian language of Dargwa, and a German physicist did “discover” radio waves in the 1800s (only his name was Heinrich Hertz), but the only all true choice is B. (Back to stories.)

Extra Credit: No, it is not the miscellaneous empty flower pots and the dog’s vast collection of tennis balls in our backyard. If a little raindrop or snow crystal can reflect radio waves, imagine what an office building can do. Some “stuff” that shows up on a radar screen can be buildings, hills, towers or other “ground clutter.” Since these things don’t move, Doppler Radar can usually filter them out. See USA Today. (Back to stories.)

Question 4: Sez Jan: “Given that the full moon occurs every 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 2.8 seconds, this means there will be a “blue moon” about every two and a half years. About every 19 years there will be two blue moons in a calendar year. The last time was 1999.” (Back to stories.)

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

Davis!
Each month after the E-News goes out, we receive messages back. Sometimes the messages are in response to a story we shared; other times they are a request for help of some kind. We read all the emails, answer those we can, and pass the rest on to the appropriate departments.We think you should know, though, that if you're interested in the fastest possible reply, news@davisnet.com may not be the best place to send your message. Questions about how things work should be addressed to tech support directly at support@davisnet.com. For general information about the products contact sales@davisnet.com. To request a catalog, you’ll find links for catalog requests on our web site at http://www.davisnet.com/contact/catalog.asp. Please continue to send your comments, weather URL's, and story suggestions to news@davisnet.com. We look forward to getting your comments and any responses you have to the E-News. Member participation is what keeps the E-News alive and kicking.

Well, that’s it for this edition. You’ll be hearing from us again next month!


Vantage Pro2, Vantage Pro2 Plus, Vantage Pro, Vantage Pro Plus, Weather Monitor, Weather Wizard, WeatherLink, Weather Envoy, and Perception are trademarks of Davis Instruments Corp.

If you would like to receive the Weather Club e-newsletter via email every month, sign up now.