Tech Staff Meeting Notes February 2, 2012
(updated 2/6 with ETDown list)

The top priority is always repair of down stations.
NM problem stations
ET problem stations

Duty Table


Priorities

Scheduled Events

Feb 6 - I40 Lane closure, pull bridge hardware

Feb 7 and following - Chris to join John at Star Mt for AC repair. Dave and Jim to do ISIS maintenance and install Basalt at LNXT.

Week of Feb 13 - LNXT Generator service--contact KLUV

Week of Feb 27 -- NELE Move.


News & Highlights

NetOpsVI is focused on field ops. It will be in Berkeley, CA March 27-28, 2012. Mitch and David will attend on seisnet funds and Jim and John will apply for USGS travel support.

Biology has a Mule we might be able to obtain. Dave and Chris will check it out.


Middle TN Station

The West TN Seismic Safety Commission is sponsoring hadware for a new station in middle TN. It will be a Reftek/T120/Episensor like the AG network stations. Priorities are stable comm and seismically quiet. Funds need to be spent prior to June 30 and we'll shoot for an Autumn install. Chris will start the site/permit process (we could adopt a TA vault but need to be careful with comms). Sensors, DAS, vaults, etc are on order. Still need radios.

Hanging Stations

There are several stations that have a problem with arbitrarily hanging. Mitch sent an email to the netops list but the resulting suggestions didn't really help to solve the problem. Many of the reftek stations mysteriously cleared up after reloading the firmware.

GTTN/CPRT. These are two refteks behind a single router. They use udp to transmit data. The router opens a port when a broadcast is initiated by the reftek. The rtpd on achilles acknowledges back to the reftek on that port. When the refteks creates a new connection for whatever reason, sometimes the router port used by the router isn't the same as what the reftek or rtpd thinks it is. Steve has a "fanless pc" in house with ubuntu installed and he is working on rtpd/rtp2rtpd and on Scream. Jim updated the firmware on the GNAR reftek and its been behaving ever since (even though we were previously at a newer release than what reftek support said was needed to fix this problem). So while we were going to test the fanless pc at GNAR first, we can now go straight to GTTN/CPRT (though new building construction is underway there now).

RDST and MCAR are also prone to hang. They're now on gcf2ew along with a script that forces a kill and restart when necessary. Need a fanless pc.

FPAL was a fiber problem: repaired.


NMSZ

ISIS station review.

Short Period & Broadbands

EDIT, NNAR & CHNM: NNAR and CHNM repeat through EDIT and the received signal is very bad due to trees. NNAR and CHRM are very noisy and fade out quite a bit. EDIT is now located in the Chicksaw National Wildlife Preserve so cutting trees is not an option. There isn't a clear path to a repeater on the Edith forest tower either. Need a new plan (maybe go directly to the node?).

WALK: Chris and Manning were unable to reach WALK up in the KY bend. Mr Lynn indicated that the station was completely underwater but it is still up? (yes still up).

Reinstall the rest of HDBT when internet connectivity is established. We're bailing on Boswell and sending everything to AZTN.

Search for quieter site for CTCT.

PLAR was decommissioned. Marion Haynes gave Chris contacts for a replacement site.


Dynamic NMDown list

Down
HCAR - flooded, need to verify that well stays dry.
PGVM.EHN

Unk Problem
HDAR

Isis Oxidation
GLST.EHE

Muted Amplitude
WALK.EHE
BRGM.EHN
LRAR.EHE
TWAR.EHE
BLAR.EHE
BETM.EHN
HOVM.EHE
MCAM.EHZ

HTAR coax problem.

Weak Battery/Solar There were 10 stations down for this event. I'm guessing that for a majority of them it was just the battery. Chris fixed 4 of them. HCAR was flooded and HTAR is a likely coax problem. The remaining 4 are listed
/gaia/smeagol/dat2/Working/NM/201112/20111224_124800_MAN
LFRT, LVAR, TNMT, and WADM.

NODE Tasks

DBB

MKTA

LNXT:

NMAD:

Steve will cancel phone line.

G and D and the local EMA installed a 25kW generator to power that side of the building. If there's room power-wise would they let us power the rack from it too? We could share the maintenance of the generator. We'd also have to install a transfer switch.

AZTN:

CERI:

Twisted pair from Richardson is extremely noisy causing problems with the analog backbone. Richardson is also on the UM 5-year capital improvement plan to be replaced. We got a tour of Wilder and its doable. We need to see if we can get a path to CERI so we know whether we just need to move what's on Richardson now, or whether we need to turn Wilder into an entirely new node (i.e. new mudworm). Then we can get Planning to help us with a design and then we can get permission.
We could just move the firewall from 3904/218 to Wilder and get the DBB on the campus internet that way (if there's no aironet line of site). There are good telephone pairs from from the Wilder roof to the basement and we could move the ceri node/mudworm to the basement. Otherwise we'd have to find and trust connections between the basement and CERI.

We have line of site from the southeast corner of 3904 except there are powerlines in the way. Can we put up a tower on the east side of 3904 to get over the trees and power lines on central?


ANSS SM

NMEM two way comm restored.

LNXT: Basalt is ready to go.

Ownership, Operation, and Maintenance of the four Charleston, SC stations (C1SC, C2SC, ADSC, and TRSC) was turned over the Univ. of SC at Columbia. At Phillip's request, we letting the data flow through CERI for the time being. Eventually it will get switched to Columbia and the network codes will then change from NM to CO.

RDST, CBHT, and MCAR are coming in via gcf2ew on anssworm. CBHT occassionally loses its connection but is overall, ok. MCAR loses its connection about twice as much so while its mostly functional, it should be better. At RDST, a datapacket sneaks through a couple times per day.

Replace foam rubber plugs at all year 1 stations (need to notch it to accomodate the GPS pods): ASAR, CBHT, CUET, CVTN, HDBT, LNXT, MCAR, NAIT, SFTN & TUMT.

NAIT: Couldn't get the NWS cable modem to cooperate at NAIT (firewall?). Dean was going to ask Comcast about it and maybe get a new modem. Steve will follow up.

CVVA. John contacted DMME again. He's also looking into the possibility of a freewave link to UVA.

We need a single document (access database excel spreadsheet) to document information on all freefield strongmotion stations to include contact(s), current IP's(eternal/external), what ports are allowed in from what IP's here at CERI, telnet yes or no, trigger levels etc. etc.

HDBR

Granites are in house and powered up. Steve assigned ip's (.158.50-57) and David installed rock2slink on them. Data are flowing to earthworm on deagol.

HDAR

Bad CMG5 E/W.

Not getting broadband feed.

HDBT

Replace two bad mss100's.

Bad 100' accelerometer.

Steve will discontinue the Boswell dsl and retreive the pc. We'll make a wireless link from the weigh station to AZTN and look into getting additional bandwidth at AZTN. The building and bridge channels don't need to be exported continuous to CERI but the mud island and weigh station channels do. We might be able to get funding to expand the bandwidth and ship all the channels to NSMP in real-time.


ETSZ

Dynamic ETDown list
Images taken form this teleseism: /gaia/smeagol/dat2/Working/ET/201202/20120206_040800_MAN/

Down
LRVA
GTTN
RCGA
TRYN
WSNC- bad L4
RCGA
Misc Problems
DYTN - gain channel is down - see image
SMNC - gain channel - see image
TVNC- gain channel - see image
Strong Motion problem
CVVA- internet connection

Only the DYTN upgrade remains. See map.
Forest service returned agreement. Mitch is working on it.

STAR Node

BHT move. Latest update from John:

  1. We had planned on moving BHT from it's present location because access has gotten so bad.
  2. I have been working on getting a permission to move it about 3 miles to the E NE to Black Mtn. There is some issue with the permission, but my contact with the Cumberland Trail State Park says he believes we can work it out.
  3. If this station is ever upgraded to a RefTek, it is doubtful we would be able to make the 45 mile radio shot from Black Mtn. to Starr Mtn. so we would have to find a new place to transmit to. It will not repeat through any other station, because it is either blocked by mountains or too long a shot.
  4. Previously, we had discussed trying to find another site to relocate BHT to in order to center it between WMTN and DYTN.
  5. I found a site in the Catoosa Wildlife Area called Pilot Knob Mtn, (36 deg. 322'N, 84 deg. 45'W). It is about 18 miles NE of BHT. It is at an old fire tower site and apparently there is still a good road up to it.
  6. I have also found a couple of potential sites to transmit to where we could get internet.

So, before I proceed any further, we need to decide if a replacement station for BHT should get a RefTek and if so, do we want to put the station at Black Mtn. or at another site.
No there are no plans for a conversion to digital in the forseeable future (but my future goggles are often very cloudy).

BRBC Node

Power upgrades: RBNC, and TRYN.

TRYN: Hardware is removed from the tower and will be reinstalled when the new one is complete.

MTTN Node

Greentop is getting a new tower. Reftek took a lightning hit. We're awaiting the replacemnt from ASL and Jim gave John some instructions for additional surge protection. Trees were cut down so we can move the antennas considerably down the tower.


GPS

STLE landowner has asked that we move eq. cabinet. Chris is looking for options.
The VLF power supplies were installed CJTR and PIGT. Still needed at NMKM and RLAP. Chris is trying to find out if we have them or if we need to purchase. recover the wireless hardware.

LCHS and HCES will get upgrades to NetR9.


I40 Bridge Upgrade


Granites are streaming to test earthworm on deagol.


AG Network


FDL

All 11 CMG6TD's are back, and need to be checked and serviced. They took a beating during the direct burial in VA. Chris is looking for suitable bags to protect them during burial.

What equipment in the FDL is no longer needed. Mitch will call a meeting of FDL users to discuss culling the equipment. Also, the check out/in process is largely ignored--what system could be implemented that people will actually use.


NSMP

NSMP Station List.

Chris will plan a trip to Obion and Union City to check out.


MISCELLANEOUS

The seisnet group on umdrive is at http://umdrive.memphis.edu/mwithers/seisnet You will need your uuid and password.

The pink palace display now includes a heli connection for MPHB. Need to retrieve any remaining hardare (e.g. antenna and reciever on roof).