Received: from hplms26.hpl.hp.com by opus.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA23789; Wed, 27 Apr 1994 19:44:11 -0700 Return-Path: <westes@usc.com-DeleteThis> Received: from uucp4.netcom.com by hplms26.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.36.108.4/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1S) id AA20354; Wed, 27 Apr 1994 19:45:26 -0700 Received: from localhost by netcomsv.netcom.com with UUCP (8.6.4/SMI-4.1) id TAA00466; Wed, 27 Apr 1994 19:36:44 -0700 Received: by usc.com (NX5.67d/NX3.0M) id AA00750; Wed, 27 Apr 94 19:33:40 -0700 From: Will Estes <westes@usc.com-DeleteThis> Message-Id: <9404280233.AA00750@usc.com-DeleteThis> Subject: Re: Need a measuring site for Coyote and Third Avenue To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 19:33:39 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <9404272327.AA02066@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis> from "Ken Poulton" at Apr 27, 94 04:28:24 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23] Content-Type: text Content-Length: 4500
'Ken Poulton says:'
> > To get to the point: I need help from Bay Area windsurfers locating some
> > buildings where we can install a sensor for Coyote and for Third Ave.
>
> I think this is an erroneous starting point. The only buildings that
> will give really good readings are the piers downwind of the runways and
> the San Mateo Bridge. Any building on the shore south of the airport
> is *usually* inside the wind line (that, is, out of the wind).
I think it depends a lot on elevation as well, though. I mentioned the
possibility of putting the gauge on top of Embassy Suites, and they seemed
to think that the wind would be 10 knots higher up there (which may be
okay, by the way, if the wind in the channel is also 10 knots higher than
the lower elevation beach reading). In theory they could put a small tower
on top of the ASD building roof that would give them enough elevation to
overcome the wind shadow caused by the peninsula that sticks out at the
windward corner of the Coyote cove area. But these are all just guesses.
They told me what they really wanted to do was to put a meter and cell
phone out in the channel, but they think the cost of a cell call every 15
minutes would get out of hand.
I suppose if someone really wants to make a science out of this you would
need to do some experimenting and try to calibrate readings at different
sites with the wind reported by the airport and NWS. Personally I wouldn't
mind helping out on that experiment if someone knows where we could get the
equipment on rental to record data for a few days.
> I think we need to work out a remote sensor. I think a workable
> location would be to put a sensor on one of the channel markers
> near the Coyote Point Harbor entrance and put rest of the windtalker
> in the harbor master's office. The end of the jetty is not always
> beyond the windline, but it usually is. The harbor master's office
> is shadowed by the point itself, however.
>
> So come on, techno-weenies, let's figure out some remote sensor.
> Ideally, we'd have something to measure wind speed and direction plus
> temp and dewpoint, but I think we could get by with just wind speed.
> Low maintainence is key, because the remote sensor must be made
> inaccessable to the public to avoid vandalism. Low cost is going to
> be important, too.
Why even hassle with the bother of setting up your own? These people are
willing to spend $1000 bucks on professional equipment, and they have a
employee in the Bay Area (Mike Godsey: 707-823-7988) who can tend to all of
this stuff. For 25 cents a call they give me the last eight hours of data,
with 120 data points per hour (peak and average speeds read each minute).
They give me the software to graph it, and they give me the same data for
other Bay Area sites, including sensors that they already have running at
Crissy and Sherman Island. I don't think we can match their effort cost
efficiently, so why bother? I'm happy to just to find a small outfit like
this that is able to make a business out of doing something that is going
to save me a lot of wasted time.
The idea of using the harbor master's office is a good one. Pass it on to
Mike.
> > P.S. Micro Forecasts has offered to install a sensor at San Luis if the
> > users can help raise half the cost ($500 of $1000). They don't think the
> > site is going to pay for itself, so that's why they are taking that approach.
> > Apparently some guy in the Valley is coordinating raising money for that
> > site, so if you are interested contact me and I'll give you his
> > name/number.
>
> Post it!
His name is Brant Patterson, and his phone is 408-426-3869. So far Brant
has four people going in for $25 each, and I'm in at the same level. The
way I look at it I value my recreational time at $25 per hour (at least), and
four wasted trips to San Luis last year in marginal conditions cost me
about 12 hours of time. $25 for high-quality data that saves me even half of
that time is money well spent.
If anyone is interested in this contact Brant or me, and I'll put your name
on the list. When it comes time to get money, I think we should contact
Micro-Forecasts with the names of the people who are making the donations,
and let them collect the money directly. Maybe I can negotiate with them
to donate some free or reduced-price software in exchange for the
donations.
-- Thanks, Will Estes Internet: westes@usc.com-DeleteThis U.S. Computer Saratoga, CA 95070
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Dec 10 2001 - 02:27:17 PST