Amy Sebring: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Amy Sebring: Today I will present a how-to session on acquiring EMWIN data via Internet broadcast. Amy Sebring: We are also pleased to have Ken Bashford with us today to take your questions later on. Ken is the NWS Project Coordinator for EMWIN. Kenneth Bashford: Good morning everyone, and thanks, Amy, for inviting me to this forum ... Kenneth Bashford: This is my first time using the 'chat' format ... should be fun ... Kenneth Bashford: Before Amy goes on, I'd like to make a few brief remarks ... Kenneth Bashford: First ... I'm a meteorologist, NOT a radio/electronics expert ... Kenneth Bashford: My role is to look at EMWIN from the users' perspective ... Kenneth Bashford: and try to be of some help in that way ... Kenneth Bashford: However, send your technical questions to me anyway ... Kenneth Bashford: if I can't answer them, I'll pass them to someone who can ... Kenneth Bashford: Second ... this is not a full-time job for me ... Kenneth Bashford: it's only about 25% of my workload here ... Kenneth Bashford: but it's by far my favorite 25% ... Kenneth Bashford: I even try to answer e-mail from home on the weekends ... Kenneth Bashford: And finally ... I think Amy has dug a lot deeper into the software than I have ... Kenneth Bashford: So I gladly defer to her knowledge in this area ... Thank you. Amy Sebring: There is a great deal to cover so we want to get right to it, but remember, you will have an online transcript available next Monday ... Amy Sebring: with all the links we are going to use today, so you do not need to make extensive notes as we go along. Amy Sebring: Also, if you do not have time to load all the links today, you can go back later to look at them. Amy Sebring: For the benefit of our first-timers, when you see a blue web address, you can click on it and the referenced web page should appear in a browser window. Amy Sebring: After the first one, the browser window may not automatically come to the top, so you may need to bring it forward by clicking on a button at the status bar at the bottom of your screen. Amy Sebring: Right before we begin the Q&A portion I will review how to submit questions. Amy Sebring: Background information for today's session may be found at http: //www.emforum.org/varena/990127.htm Amy Sebring: The NWS EMWIN page is now located at http: //iwin.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/index.htm and includes a good introductory overview. Amy Sebring: The National Weather Service has done a great job with outreach to emergency managers about EMWIN, and those that are familiar with it know that it is available via satellite, and VHF rebroadcast in some areas ... Amy Sebring: however, I felt that many are still not aware that it is now available via Internet broadcast, and hence this session today. Amy Sebring: Since you are all with us today, you have the equipment necessary to acquire the data stream, you just need the software. However, if you are behind a firewall, port 1000 needs to be opened. Amy Sebring: Xenocode is the vendor, and you can try the WeatherNode software out for 30 days for free, and then if you find it valuable, the cost is only $79.95 to register. As Ken says, it is a lot of bang for the buck. Amy Sebring: First let me briefly mention what data is available. The default configuration provides you with text and images for the entire country ... Amy Sebring: and also, if you are planning a vacation, Hawaii, the Pacific, and also Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean data is available. Amy Sebring: Unlike other weather products available via Internet, you can set customized alarms for different types of messages down to the county level. Amy Sebring: With some additional plug-in modules, you can also set up automatic notification to others via email. Amy Sebring: You can also automatically update your webpage if you have one, and with the ByteBlaster Server software, rebroadcast to other EMWIN users via Internet. Amy Sebring: I first began looking at the Internet access last fall, but I re-installed for this presentation. It is even easier and faster now than it used to be! Amy Sebring: However, I disclaim any expert knowledge, and will defer to Ken or Xenocode Tech Support for details. That being said, let's get into it. Amy Sebring: First, to see where to download the software, please click on http: //www.weathernode.com/nodedown.asp Amy Sebring: If you have a reliable connection, I would suggest trying the Full Download of WeatherNode 4.0 EZ. It will take about an hour with a 28.8 connection. Amy Sebring: If your connection is shaky, then you may want to break up the download into the individual disks. Amy Sebring: When you start the download, you will be prompted for a location on your hard disk. Remember where you put it, preferably in C: \TEMP or C: \WINDOWS\TEMP. Amy Sebring: I would recommend you download and install the WeatherNode program first, and then go back and get other modules as needed. But while we are here on the download page ... Amy Sebring: I would like to point them out. If you scroll down you will see an Update listed next. You do not need that if this is your first install. Amy Sebring: Next is the ByteBlaster engine. You don't need that either if this is your first install as it is built in to the WeatherNode EZ version. Amy Sebring: Next is the ByteBlaster Server BETA. You don't need that unless you want to try re-broadcasting, either from satellite or from Internet data. Amy Sebring: The next three, the FTP Plug-in, WeatherMail demo, and HTML Plug-in, you may want to go back and download later. I will be talking about these later when we get to the modules. Amy Sebring: Finally, the last one is also for retransmission via a modulator, and you do not need unless you plan to rebroadcast. Amy Sebring: While we are here at Xenocode, let's look at 2 more pages. This next page contains some hardware accessories that will allow you to take alarm signals from your computer and trigger external devices. Amy Sebring: http: //www.weathernode.com/x10modls.asp Amy Sebring: And finally, the WeatherNode software works on filenames, and it is a good idea to understand how they are constructed. Amy Sebring: Generally, the first 3 letters represents a message or product type, for example LFP stands for Local Forecast. Amy Sebring: The next 3 letters represent the data source and this is generally a weather service office, for example CRP = Corpus Christi. Amy Sebring: The last 2 letters represents the state as in TX. This is followed by the file extension which indicates the file format such as .TXT or .GIF. Amy Sebring: Therefore, in our example, the text local forecast issued by Corpus Christi would be stored as LFPCRPTX.TXT. Amy Sebring: In some parts of the program, you can designate products desired using wildcards, for example ???CRPTX.TXT would indicate all products issued by the Corpus Christi office. Amy Sebring: In other parts you cannot, for example the Mail Program and the HTML module do not seem to allow wildcard matching. Amy Sebring: For a nice, concise list of these codes, see (and perhaps bookmark) the following page. Amy Sebring: http: //www.weathernode.com/names.asp Amy Sebring: Ok, once you have downloaded the WeatherNode program, you install as with almost any other download. You can use Start, Run, and then Browse to find and execute the downloaded file. Amy Sebring: Then an install program will run. It is recommended that you accept the default directory of C: \WEATHER. You must restart your computer after the install, then reconnect to the Internet ... Amy Sebring: and start WeatherNode from your Programs list. This next graphic is similar to what you will see when you start up. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin1.gif Amy Sebring: You are actually looking at 5 different windows, and I have other modules running which are minimized. Amy Sebring: We will go through these in a clockwise rotation. At the top left is the WeatherNode menu. The Modules option on the menu is the main thing you will use. Amy Sebring: It gives you access to all the various modules and plug- ins, except the WeatherMail program which must be started separately, at least for now. Amy Sebring: Before we go on, there is one more module that normally runs minimized, called the Housekeeping module. Amy Sebring: Here you can specify certain products to save, or archive files. Unless you are very familiar with the products you desire, such as experience with the Weather Wire ... Amy Sebring: it is probably wise to leave the default settings alone. You may inadvertently screen out products you actually want to have. Amy Sebring: Here is the Housekeeping module and it provides a good list of products available by type: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin2.gif Amy Sebring: Lets go back to our first image http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin1.gif Amy Sebring: Next on the top right is an Image Processor. The trial version limits you to one image processor, but the registered version allows 6. Amy Sebring: There are several graphics products included with the data stream, including satellite, radar, and others. Amy Sebring: You can automatically capture succeeding images and animate them. This is quite easy. This next link is a sample animation. It is a fairly large file, so we will pause for it to load and run. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin3.gif Amy Sebring: Back to our first image http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin1.gif Amy Sebring: Proceeding down, bottom right, the next is an AFOS processor, again one with the trial version, 6 with registered version. There are several products that may be overlaid on each other. Amy Sebring: Next on the bottom left is the ByteBlaster Engine. When you startup, the engine will connect to an available server and start downloading data that is being transmitted at that point. Amy Sebring: It is as fast as the satellite stream, that is, 9600 baud, and is only a block or two behind the satellite, so the data comes in very near to real time. Amy Sebring: The main points about the ByteBlaster is to set an Option to Auto-Reconnect on Server Disconnect, and you can also specify a server address... Amy Sebring: if for example, someone in your state were operating a server, and you wanted to access that data only. But normally you would leave that alone. Amy Sebring: And finally, the main module which is the State/National Module. This is where you will have the most interaction with the program. Amy Sebring: Notice the Alarms Option on the menu. I am going to show setting alarms for an entire state, however, you can do the same thing for your county only, or for yours and some surrounding counties. Amy Sebring: You actually select a state or county by clicking on the map. The bar below the menu will show what is selected. By choosing Add Selected County or Add Selected State from the Alarms menu option ... Amy Sebring: an Alarm Configuration window is displayed, such as http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin4.gif Amy Sebring: Here you designate which products you would like to alarm and which colors to use. The colors refer to colors displayed on the map when an alarm is triggered by receipt of ... Amy Sebring: the corresponding file. I have selected Red for warnings, Yellow for some types of statements, and Green for others. Amy Sebring: As you move your mouse into each column, you may set these alarms separately, however, the maximum number of alarms is set only once. Amy Sebring: Also note the External Alarms. These can be thought of links to other modules, including an Auto-Print Manager, the AlarmSpeak .wav Player, and the X10 Controller. Amy Sebring: The latter is the device we saw earlier on the Xenocode Accessories page. As Ken mentioned to me, you could actually configure the system to turn on your coffeepot in the EOC! Amy Sebring: When the pre-defined warning is issued, the area will be colored accordingly on your map. By setting Track Alarms to ON from the Alarms option on the State/National menu ... Amy Sebring: the warned area will be centered in your window. Here is an example from yesterday morning, however, only my 33 counties are displayed. I believe there were more. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin5.gif Amy Sebring: If you had set up a sound on the Warning Configuration, a sound would have gone off as well. If you click on the map in the warning area, the text is displayed. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin6.gif Amy Sebring: You can define your own warning sounds. This next graphic is the AlarmSpeak Player on top, and the Windows Sound Recorder (see Programs, Accessories, Multimedia later) on the bottom. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin7.gif Amy Sebring: I used the Sound Recorder to make 2 short voice recordings. I created a subdirectory named WAVS in the C: WEATHER subdirectory and saved them there. Amy Sebring: Then I was able to designate them using 2 different External Alarms. Apparently the Player module must be running to work. Yesterday afternoon I got several Winter Storm Warnings in a short time. Amy Sebring: Here is the recording for warning, which if you are configured to handle .wav files through your browser, you should be able to play. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/warning.wav Amy Sebring: A quick word about 2 other modules. The FTP module, if you downloaded and installed looks like the following. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin8.gif Amy Sebring: Xenocode suggests that when running ByteBlaster, to turn the scheduled updates off, since you are getting those files via ByteBlaster. Amy Sebring: But if you had been shut down, you can do an Immediate Update of either 1 hour or 3 hours worth of data to bring you up to speed quickly. Amy Sebring: This will retrieve a large compressed file and then decompress it. Amy Sebring: Here is the WeatherMail program set up with Isabel to receive some of the products for the Vancouver area. Amy Sebring: http: //www.emforum.org/varena/emwin9.gif Amy Sebring: She informed me last night that she had successfully received some of the products. Amy Sebring: I am also experimenting with the HTML module to see if I can get some products automatically loaded to a local prototype webpage at http: //home.earthlink.net/~asebring/ Amy Sebring: I haven't managed to capture anything yet, slow weather day I guess, but you might check back in about a week. Amy Sebring: I will close with a little bit about user support. A Users Manual is provided in the download, but it is not updated yet to include the ByteBlaster info or some of the newer modules. Amy Sebring: There is some online help provided, and further info is on the Xenocode website. Amy Sebring: Ken has also provided us with information about an EMWIN List Serve which you can subscribe to by sending an email to majordomo@lists.win.net ... Amy Sebring: with the message "subscribe emwin-users you@youraddress" where you substitute your email address. Amy Sebring: There has also been an EMWIN Conference in Houston recently, and another one is planned in Oklahoma for this coming February. Amy Sebring: Info about the Houston conference is on the Xenocode page at http: //www.weathernode.com/emwincon.asp ... Amy Sebring: and the OK conference info is at http: //www.onenet.net/~odcem/emwinconf.htm Amy Sebring: Before we open it up to the audience Ken, do you have anything you wish to add at this point? Kenneth Bashford: Yes ... Kenneth Bashford: Great overview. One unfortunate deficiency of the data stream ... Kenneth Bashford: is that we can't include live local radar in the national feed ... Kenneth Bashford: However, it's possible for this data to be inserted into a local re-broadcast. Amy Sebring: Thanks Ken. Amy Sebring: Audience please enter a question mark (?) to indicate you wish to be recognized, go ahead and compose your comment or question, but wait for recognition before hitting the enter key or clicking on Send. Amy Sebring: We are ready for questions now. Kevin Starbuck: ? Amy Sebring: Kevin pls. Kevin Starbuck: What is the speed of the download? Amy Sebring: 9600 baud Kevin Starbuck: Will it be increased in time Amy Sebring: That is the max from the satellite. Amy Sebring: Ken? Kenneth Bashford: Not in foreseeable future. Goal is to keep it inexpensive for users. Gil Gibbs: ? Amy Sebring: More questions? Amy Sebring: Gilbert Gil Gibbs: Got in late due to local link - did I miss on how to connect to the NWS link? Kevin Starbuck: ? Amy Sebring: Yes Gilbert, please review the transcript. Amy Sebring: Kevin pls. Kevin Starbuck: Do you have to keep WeatherNode running in the background of your computer to keep the information current Amy Sebring: Yes you do ... Amy Sebring: I will say that if you are going to do a setup ... Amy Sebring: that uses several graphics or AFOS processors ... Amy Sebring: and run the various modules that I have showed ... Amy Sebring: you would almost want a dedicated machine. David Crews: ? Jose Musse: ? Amy Sebring: David please. David Crews: Does FEMA have a connection through NEMIS? Amy Sebring: Cannot answer for FEMA David ... Amy Sebring: but I would expect them to have a direct link to NWS! Amy Sebring: Ken? Kenneth Bashford: I don't know. Amy Sebring: Jose please. Jose Musse: Application international, example PERU? Amy Sebring: Jose is coming to us from Peru Ken. David Crews: FEMA has internet access in the DFOs but it would be a lengthy procedure. Amy Sebring: Does the data go that far south Ken? Cindy rice: ? Kenneth Bashford: The GOES satellite coverage is Western Hemisphere ... Kevin Starbuck: ? Kenneth Bashford: The data comes mostly from US & territories. Amy Sebring: Cindy next please. Cindy rice: Amy, is there a spec for what the minimum for a dedicated machine to run this? David Crews: ? Amy Sebring: Yes, I have it and it is basically ... Amy Sebring: a 486, however you will want something pretty up to date ... Amy Sebring: with a good chunk of memory and graphics acceleration. Amy Sebring: Would you agree Ken? Kenneth Bashford: Yes! Amy Sebring: Kevin next. Cindy rice: ? Kevin Starbuck: Could you go into some more depth about how it posts information to a web page? Is it text, images, warnings, in other words what exactly does it post to a page? Amy Sebring: I see only text available via the HTML module at this point ... Amy Sebring: the graphics options do not appear to be accessible, but I am not sure. Amy Sebring: Ken, do you know? Kenneth Bashford: I'm not sure where Xenocode is with that, but I'll check. Amy Sebring: Hopefully they will add in future Kevin ... Amy Sebring: if it is not currently available, the process would be the same. Amy Sebring: David next please. David Crews: Is there a feed from the CEOS data base? (NOAA Remote Sensing) Also doesn't this need a sound card? FEMA PC do not have sound cards installed. Amy Sebring: You would need whatever makes the computers go DING for sound warnings ... Amy Sebring: but yes, I think you would need a sound card for the recorded wav files. Amy Sebring: Ken, do you know about CEOS? I am not familiar with that. David Crews: Sound Cards with multimedia plus memory! Kenneth Bashford: No feed from CEOS. Amy Sebring: ok, Cindy next please. Cindy rice: Amy , do you know if this would work with a third party modeling package (HAZUS, CATS - Consequence Assessment Tool System, ArcView (Spatial Analyst and related components) etc)? David Crews: CEOS also is set up with emergency info. Amy Sebring: I am not aware of any direct connections between the programs Cindy. Kenneth Bashford: EMWIN just brings ... Cindy rice: ? Kenneth Bashford: files into your PC, mostly text, gif, and jpg ... Kenneth Bashford: Anyone can develop applications to use these files. Cindy rice: Maybe not direct connections but can the files be saved to ported to other programs or are they encrypted someway to work within weather mode. Amy Sebring: Yes, I may emphasize ... Amy Sebring: that you do not need to be an emergency manager to get and use either. David Crews: ? Amy Sebring: Did you have a follow up Cindy? Amy Sebring: Cindy, sorry ... Cindy rice: just my comment above I sent Amy Sebring: they are plain text and accessible graphics formats. Amy Sebring: David please. Kenneth Bashford: No encryption ... once you have these files ... David Crews: Amy does monitoring EM require your PC to be dedicated to this task only? Kenneth Bashford: you may do as you like with them. Amy Sebring: I mentioned earlier David ... Amy Sebring: that if you have a setup using several modules and processors ... Amy Sebring: and several alarms, it probably should be dedicated, and especially if you are re-broadcasting in some manner. Amy Sebring: But with minimum setup it should run in background OK. Kevin Starbuck: ? Amy Sebring: Yes Kevin. Kevin Starbuck: Can modules be turned off and on as desired? Amy Sebring: Yes, with exception of Housekeeper. Amy Sebring: Housekeeper must be running as it is managing the incoming files. Kevin Starbuck: ? Amy Sebring: Also you must have ByteBlaster going to get the stream. Amy Sebring: Kevin. Kevin Starbuck: Can you post information to a file server so that personnel on the server can access the information from throughout a facility or even a city? Amy Sebring: Well ... Amy Sebring: you can use the ByteBlaster server to rebroadcast via Internet ... Amy Sebring: but then the user would need to have the ByteBlaster client to access ... Amy Sebring: otherwise, you can post to a webpage. Kenneth Bashford: The short answer .. Kenneth Bashford: is yes ... the data can be distributed across a network ... Kenneth Bashford: just another software application. Amy Sebring: You could also place the data on a shared directory if people knew where to look for it. Amy Sebring: We have time for one more question. Amy Sebring: If none, I will ask Ken what the NWS has planned for the future of EMWIN. Kenneth Bashford: Some vision stuff ... Kenneth Bashford: How about going mobile with a 3-inch ceramic antenna ... Kenneth Bashford: embedded in the roof of your vehicle ... Kenneth Bashford: receiving the Emwin data stream ... along with music on other channels ... Kenneth Bashford: and coordinated with your GPS system to tell you which way to go ... Kenneth Bashford: to get out of the twister's path. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much for being with us here today. Would you put up your official email address for follow up questions? Kenneth Bashford: kenneth.bashford@noaa.gov Kevin Starbuck: Thanks for the program, Amy and Ken! Very useful information. Amy Sebring: thanks and I am at asebring@emforum.org Amy Sebring: Ava, can you give us a heads up for upcoming events? Avagene Moore: Thanks, Amy. Tomorrow night, Thursday 8 PM EST, we will have an informal Mutual Aid session. Any topic or discussion is welcome. ... Avagene Moore: Next week, we start off the month of February with a Round Table discussion by a new Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP, Counselors at Law. .... Avagene Moore: David Graham and John Zangerlie will be leading the discussion about Baker & Hostetler's Emergency Response & Crisis Management Capability on Tuesday, Feb 2, 1: 00 PM EST. ... Avagene Moore: You will find this Round Table very interesting. We were glad to have David Graham with us for the first time today. ... Avagene Moore: On Wednesday, Feb 3, 12: 00 Noon EST, we have a Virtual Library presentation .... Avagene Moore: Jennifer Wilson and Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel, co-authors of Quick Response Report #110 will present their paper, Emergent Coordinative Groups and Women's Response Roles in the Central Florida Tornado Disaster, Feb 23, 1998. ... Avagene Moore: URL for paper is http: //www.Colorado.EDU/hazards/qr/qr110/ar110.html ... Avagene Moore: Please start off February by adding these opportunities in the EIIP Virtual Forum. Back to you, Amy. Amy Sebring: Thank you audience. We will adjourn for now, but you are invited to return now to the Virtual Forum room for some open discussion. [Post-script: Kenneth recommends keeping an eye on the Xenocode website for further developments in the future.]