Tech Staff Meeting Notes May 2, 2025

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

Duty Table updated April 2025

Priorities

• Permanent BAT3 (as weather permits)
• NM station repair
• ET station repair
• Preventive Maintenance

News & Highlights

Change over to Oracle Cloud is scheduled for July 1.

1. NO purchase orders will be processed in the current system after May 30. Whatever you need soon and have money for -- BUY IT NOW
2. NO travel authorizations will be issued between June 1 and June 30. If you plan to travel and need to set up an expense authorization -- DO IT BEFORE JUNE
3. All outstanding travel expense reports should be done through Chrome River before June 20. Else you'll wait till the new system is up...

No word yet on DM2025. Rumor is staff cuts and buyouts are slowing paperwork. Helene hardening for 17 stations is funded but coupled with DM. Request includes four projects:

• upgrade and harden five ET stations (Helene);
• replace obsolete server room HVAC system;
• upgrade repeater at Luxora to remote data concentrator node; and
• replace system disks in data processing servers.

Helene GFE is on order. ASL offered to advance hardware so we can make repairs to ET in one visit rather than repair now and upgrade later.

EOL was declared for the ABB. Can retire mudworm and remove hardware from SFTN, Luxora, and LNXT. STAM2 is transmitting to LNXT and working. Can retire STAM analog.

Travel approvals and reimbursements are slow and cumbersome. Fortunately, we get to continue to enjoy Chrome River because it will be used with the new oracle database the University is using to replace Banner on July 1.

Fish Fry was, of course, a success and the weather cooperated. We had 54 people signed up, took in $559, and spent $539. Got lots of good help from faculty and students on the cleanup.

The money pit (aka LNXT generator) needs a block heater, radiator cap, and battery charger. It also needs propane again, likely sooner than otherwise due to a malfunctioning transfer switch for WASL. Dave reconfigured so the generator can turn off when AC is restored. Once we're certain we have Liebert replacement funds from DM25, then we can use IDCR to replace the LNXT generator.

We are working with Swazoo Claybon replacing the 2018 Liebert. Need for a quote for the initial planning document for DM25 passed without a quote. It will be required for the formal proposal likely due end of April or early May. If we can't get the quote, then we'll have to find another way to pay for it. Possibly IDCR.

Painting 3904 room 212 (Cody's office) is complete.

ET trip was very successful. WMTN2 and ASTN radio links are not working. Did not have sufficient radios to test.

Discussion on wiki. Make sure Cody and Nick have access. Confluence isn't quite as useful as it used to be and space is relatively limited by our license. Jim's photo library is on onedrive. Should we switch to it?

Emergency contacts sheet is updated on the wiki. Mitch will incorporate into ContOps plan.

Task table is updated. See the link above.

411 needs tires and alignment. Hopefully the frame isn't bent as well.

Win11 upgrades broke Swarm. Need to check for an update (https://www.usgs.gov/software/swarm).

General agreement with Holly's plan on helicorder reorganization. Need to group strong and weak motion together and restore distrubution by node. Regardless of telemetry path, use a virtual node the recaptures previous distribution. Updated plan is here. James will reconfigure as time permits. Create brand new page and switch from old to new when it's ready and all are satisfied with the changes. Do we need to include a comment on the heli web page about the change and provide a list of some sort on where to find which station?

Helene Upgrade and Hardening

Congress approved Helene Disaster relief funding in December 2024 and it included funds to upgrade/harden 13 NM and ET stations in disaster declared states (TN, NC, SC, GA, and VA.) We'll do the three remaining digital upgrades in NM (ARPT, FPST, and MFRT) and the rest in ET. Prioritize replacing Geobits (MGNC, TVNC2, DSNC, WMTN2, CCNC, VHTN) and stations with single-component problems (GMG and VHTN). Install LRVA replacement and repair as yet unknown damage at MGNC.

Funding is for two years (only 1.5 for us) and GFE for all 13 will arrive first year. Our first year runs 7/1/25-1/31/26 and we plan on doing Five ET upgrades in year 1. Complete the remaining 8 upgrades (5 ET and 3 NM) in year 2 that runs 2/1/26-1/31/27. This funding is part of annual DM supplements. Year 1 in DM25 and year 2 in DM26.

NMSZ

DBB is sensitive to inversions and rain. Cell modems are carrying the load. Have new radios that transmit 1W. Need to install them.

Need to review station list to reduce reduncancy (e.g. PLAL) and the number of urban strong motion stations (e.g. GILT).

DM24 upgrades. Only STAM remains. Made contact with owner and a new site is selected. Work can begin as soon as we dry out from the current 4 day deluge.

Luxora building still under construction. Good call moving our equipment to a temporary location. Several mkta upgrades will need to repeat through Luxora instead of a node. DM25 request will include upgrading to a node.

CVTN/CVMS. A contractor, A2H, was hired to design and build the new school. They're aware we're there and are willing to work with us to restore those stations when the time comes.

Both UALR pipe vaults were full of water. Will replace them with a CERI style surface vault.

The City of Cape Girardeau sold the building housing sm station CBMO. Mitch has been unable to get in touch with the real-estate agent. Dave discovered the buyer is a philanthropist possibly converting it to a museum. Dave checked on it during the trip to NHIN in April and its still empty with no apparent changes.

FVM. Joe Davis (Joe.Davis@mdc.mo.gov) was looking into easement they have with SLU. Not sure where its going. Still should get a new UofM permission for it but wait and see for now.

NMDown

ETSZ

LRVA is closed due to Helene damage. Need to recover the equipment and find a new site.

Murray Co. Fire/EMA is using the lower part of the fire tower at GMG and have 5G microwave. Might be able to piggyback and get AC and internet. Sensor needs to be reinstalled.

ETDown

Etowah utilities is running fiber up to Starr Mt. They seemed amenable to sharing bandwidth with us if it can be made to work with our router. Could then get the camera going again. Camera is damaged and needs replaced. And we can bail on the Dalton link.

GPS

Lost contact with RLAP. Needs a site visit. GPS status page

AG Network

FDL

The old FDL wiki is here: https://umwiki.memphis.edu/display/FDL/CERI+FDL

The new FDL wiki is here: https://uofmwiki.memphis.edu/books/ceri-fdl-migrated/page/ceri-fdl

MISCELLANEOUS

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

The seisnet wiki uses confluence at https://www.atlassian.com/