7/03

Bucket + Lid Weight (Block 6):We have received many Field Observer Report Forms (FORF's) with incorrect values entered for the second set of weights recorded in Block 6,"Bucket + Lid" (Figure 1). The correct entry for "Bucket + Lid" weight is obtained by adding the pre-measured bucket weight (written on the bottom or side of the bucket) and the lid weight (written on the top of the lid) (Figures 2 & 3). DO NOT REWEIGH the bucket and lid to obtain a TARE weight at your site and enter those weights! Field TARE weights are not accurate since the buckets and lids contain too much moisture to yield accurate TARE weights. If you have questions or need more information, review page 3-15 of the NTN Site Operation Manual or contact the CAL. This year marks the 25th year of precipitation monitoring by the NADP! The CAL sends a sincere "Thank You" to four terrific site operators who have been with the program for 25 years! John Melin (GA41), William Dunn (MI53), Arthur Elling (MN16), and Ray Masters (NY20). Check out the NADP link for information on the Fall 2003 NADP Technical Meeting and Ammonia Workshop, October 20-24, 2003 in Washington, DC (http://sws.uiuc.edu/announce/washdc).	Figure 1
	Figure 2
	Figure 3
http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/	E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu
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8/03

Greetings! Here are a few maintenance items regarding your recording raingage. Please sneak them into your schedule. Summer Raingage Inspection and Cleaning - During this relatively dry time you should consider removing the case of your gage for the following two tasks (Note: refer to the National Trends Network Site Operation Manual Appendix D for maintenance details):
1) Debris check/cleaning-. Using a medium stiffness 2" paint brush, remove any spider webs, ant nests, etc. from the areas labeled with the arrows in Figure 1, then spray the area with a solvent such as GUMOUT or an electrical contact cleaner. DO NOT USE WD-40 or other "oily" lubricants. 2) Dashpot fluid check - (See Figure 2) Remove the dashpot and check its contents. Is the fluid inside clean? Does it have water in it? If it’s dirty or watery, the fluid should be emptied, the dashpot wiped out with a cloth, and the fluid replaced. The CAL will provide the dashpot fluid–just circle it on your field form in the SUPPLIES block or give us a call at 800-952-7353.
Monthly Reports - The CAL is in the process of reformatting the monthly preliminary data and field printout reports. We are trying to make them more readable and save on paper and mailing costs. We are evaluating the addition of flags for collector problems, a more effective way of reporting sample notes and errors, and the need to report calculated deposition values. We would appreciate your input. What would you like to see? What can be eliminated? Send your comments to cal@sws.uiuc.edu.
http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/	E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu
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9/03

A Silver Celebration! This year marks the 25th anniversary of the NADP. Four site operators have been with the program since it began. The CAL sends congratulations and a BIG "thank you for your dedication" to John Melin (GA41), Bill Dunn (MI53), Art Elling (MN16), and Ray Maser (NY20). From Scott's desk: Field Equipment Failures – We are experiencing unusually high failure rates of precipitation collector motors and sensors. This creates problems because: 1) we have a very limited amount of replacement parts in the Network Equipment Depot (NED) and we need to use them as effectively as possible (both here AND at your sites), 2) the collector needs to be reliable in order to collect all precipitation events and ensure that sites are included in the annual summary maps, and 3) changing motor and sensor units in the field is no picnic. One thing that keeps coming up in my conversations with one of our NED repair vendors is the condition of the surge suppressor on the AC power lines leading into sites. The vendors "take" on this issue is that . . . if we do not know when the surge suppressors were last changed; we should REQUIRE (not ask) that the local utilities REPLACE the units. We build in all of the surge suppressors we can when motor boxes and sensors are repaired. In spite of this we are replacing record numbers of motor units. How much do you know about the condition of the AC power system at your site? Why not call your local power company and see what type of service they can provide to insure that your equipment is protected? It stands to reason that the fewer boxes we blow the fewer we have to make and the fewer you end up having to change. Any questions please call us at 800-952-7353.
http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/	E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu
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