RPG Requests

This lesson provides instructions on how to use One-Time Requests (OTRs) and Radar Multiple Requests (RMRs) to request products that do not normally appear in your local AWIPS database. These may be products that are not routinely sent by your dedicated RPG(s) or products from surrounding RPGs that your office receives via dial-up connections rather than the AWIPS SBN. With many radar products becoming more available operationally in recent years, the need for OTRs and RMRs has declined. Since Super Res data is not ingested through the AWIPS SBN for your dial radars, this is one product you may want to request.

The RPG request functions are located in the Applications section of the Radar menu. There are a number of other radar related tools not covered in this course: VCP Change Request (change VCPs, AVSET, SAILS, and volume scan restart coming with RPG build 18 due in 2018), Radar Server Configuration (tool for configuring Radar Server ingest), RPS List Editor (tool for building routine radar product request lists), and the Radar Tools menu (duplication of radar tool in D2D Tools menu).

Note: Because the tasks described in this lesson involve interactions with a real WSR-88D RPG, these tasks must be performed using a live AWIPS workstation. 

One-Time Requests (OTRs)

Sometimes an AWIPS operator needs to access products not included on your Routine Product Set (RPS) list, not from one of your dedicated radars, and/or not in the AWIPS SBN data feed. When only a single product is needed for a short period of time, or when the product request requires user input that might change from one request to another, then an OTR is the best way to request that product from an RPG.

An OTR can only request a single product from a single RPG with each request, but it can request multiple instances of a product over several Volume Scans (up to nine total).

Radar Multiple Requests (RMRs)

When an AWIPS operator requires non-standard products from their dedicated RPG(s), or products not found in the normal AWIPS SBN feed from a non-dedicated RPG on a more regular basis than is possible with an OTR, then a RMR is usually used to request that data. The RMR application allows the AWIPS operator to automate non-routine radar products, including multiple RPGs and products. These requests are saved and can be resubmitted by other AWIPS operators in the future.

NOTE: Unless you are creating a new RMR or manipulating an existing RMR, the only buttons you need to use are the “Submit” button in the top and the “Cancel” button in the bottom of the RMR GUI.

Creating a new request

While most offices probably have a fairly thorough list of RMRs, situations may arise where you need to create a new request. Use the step-by-step GUIs and the “New Request” feature to name the request and add products to the list.

Sometimes, you may wish to edit an existing RMR. For example, you may need to adjust a recently made RMR or you may wish to add some newly developed products to the list.

Submit an existing request

Once you have an RMR product listing, you can submit the request whenever you wish to receive those products. An RMR can be submitted even when other RMRs are currently active. After the request is submitted, it appears in the “Active Request” panel of the RMR application.

Monitoring RMR activity

Although RMRs provide users more flexibility to receive data than an OTR, there are drawbacks. It is possible to request too much data using the RMR application. When this happens, the data will still be requested, but the system will warn the operator that the requested products may not be received in a timely fashion. If you receive errors with your RMRs, you can cancel the Active Requests by selecting a particular request listed in the RMR window and clicking on the Cancel button next to it.

VCP/VMI Change Request

Under the Radar menu Applications section, there is a VCP/VMI Change Request that allows forecasters to make multiple types of requests to the RPG from AWIPS:

• change VCPs,
• set AVSET on/off,
• specify the number of SAILS/MRLE cuts,
• force volume scan restarts
• and change the velocity measurement increment (VMI; note this feature was added to 21.4.1 for when RPG build 22 is deployed).