I. INSTRUMENTATION
1. Digital Ionosonde (IPS-42) and Geophysical Netweork Terminals (DBD-43)
In Frebruary the Ionosonde and network Terminals were installed. The use of these new instruments resulted in the complete digitizing of ionograms. These ionograms are stored on digital data tapes instead of the usual use of films.
For the first six months of the year the ionosphere staff has undergone the in-house training program to familiarize themselves in the operation of these digital instrumentation. this includes calibration, setup, initialization and familiarization of the operating and storgate software utitlities that run the sytem. The system is new and quite complex so it took some time before the staff was agble to gain enough working knowldge of its operation.
The use of the digital ionosonde also required some modification on our antenna system.
2. Trans-Equatorial or Oblique Ionosonde
On the second week of July Dr. Clark arrived with a new computer and new program for the operation of the ionosonde. It required orientation of the staff on the new program regarding resetting, calibration, systems checks, parameters input, etc.
3. Ionospheric Tomography
Early in June the Computerized Ionospheric Tomography instruments were installed, one set here in Manila and one set in Baguio. Orientation was conducted in the operation of these instruments. This includes resetting of computers, operating system, optical disk operation and initialization, antenna positioning, etc. In December a new tape drive of 2 Gigabytes capacity was brought in to as backup of the 1 Gigabytes optical disk. Professor Tsai and Mr. Huang came here to install and orient the staff on its operation.
4. Fluxgate Magnetometer
The computerized magnetometer was also installed in June. The staff had been oriented on its operation particularly on calibration and data retrieval from the computer. The installation of the sensor in the non-magnetic shed about 150 meters south of the building was done by the staff.
5. Power Surge and Lightning Protection Devices
The problem of lightning strikes had been minimized this year by installing several protection devices. Most of these were invented here by the staff. Power line installations and circuits were upgraded and converted from 110 to 220 volts. Additional earth grounding were nstalled.
II. COMPUTERIZATION
The division has implemented full compuerization this year. this has been accomplished by conducting weekly seminars and the acquisition of more computers.
1. Ionogram Dumping.
Ionogram are dump from the Geophysical Network Terminal to a computer hard disk. the procedure entails the setting up of data tapes on the Terminal and setting up the computer that receives the ionogram pictures. this is a quite tedious process and requires about 6 hours to dump a month of ionogram pictures which are about 3,000 in all. th dumping of ionograms to a computer is done so that scaling or analysis could be done very much faster than on the DBD-43.
2. Scaling Program.
This program is developed here and is mouse oriented. Scaling is easily done by pointng the mouse arrow and click to the particular parameter being scaled. It is much faster and more user friendly than the original scaling program supplied by KEL, the manufacturer of the digital ionosonde. The scalers has developed sufficient skill in the use of this software. Our Taiwanese partners were impressed when they saw the program and requested a copy for their own use. The data output is importable using Lotus 123 Version 3.1 to convert it into spreadsheet format.
3. Data Entry Module
This module was developed using Lotus 123 version 3.1 which is a multiple worksheet software. It has 32 worksheets in cube, the first 31 is where the daily data are entered and the last contain the data entry, saving and retrieve macros. This module makes data encoding easy by the automatic movement of the cursor to the next entry cell after every entry untill all the daily data are entered. The worksheets are preformatted so that all entries are in the desired format.
4. Ionospheric Data Module
this module has 49 pages, the first 31 for the daily data, the next 17 for monthly tabulation of 17 ionospheric parameters and the last contains the macros. Once the daily data entered in this module by combining it with the Data Entry Module, the monthly data tabulations of the 17 ionospheric parameters can be generated less than a minute. this same generated monthly tabulations were done manually by one person in about five days. The power behind this module is its built in macros which includes the taublation, saving, retrieving, sorting, copying dates for all worksheets macros. The monthly tabulations are then imprted into Lotus 123 for Windows for presentable printouts and for cutting stencils for publicaiton. this has cut publication man-hours by about 80% and materials by about 60%.
5. Magnetic Data Module.
This module has 4 worksheets: a) the first page is for the tabulation or entry of hourly millimeter readings from the magnetograms, the scale values and the baseline values; b) the second is for the nanoteslas above baseline; c) the third is for the absolute values, daily medians and monthly medians; d) the fourth page serves as buffer for calculations. These four worksheets are linked by complex nesting @If formulas so that entries on the first sheet automatically calculates the values of the subsequent pages. Manula work using a calulator for one and half days can now be done instantly.
6. Data Retrieveing Modules
One module is the spread-F retrieving and the other is a generic module which utilizes formulas combined with macros to retrieve any parameter that is specified. These modules are useful in searching the occurrences of a certain phenomenon like spread F, range spread, etc.
7. Computer System and Softwares
Our present computers are three 386s and a 286 which are all equipped with a hard disk and one-plus a tape drive. Installed in them are the lates version of Lotus 123 and Quattro Pro including those for Windows. Our operating syustem is MS DOS 6.2 to take advantage with its doublespace capabilities. Other word-processing and utitlities softwares are also installed. One of them is the FX which is very useful in transfering files form one computer to another with a connecting cable through the printer port. Another is compression utilities that can compress and ZIP several files so that it is much easier to handle. This is very useful in hadling the ionogram files which are about three thousand a month. Once ZIP wee can backup with tape cutting backup time by almost 80%. This is also true in retrieving and handling of files.
III. RESEARCH ACTIVITY
1. Data-Gathering and Reduction.
The ionospheric data for 1994 were obtained from the ionograms produced by two different recorders– the old C-3 and the digital ionosonde (IPS-42). The January data were taken from the C-3. The digital ionosonde became operational from February until mid-August when it malfunctioned. the data for the second half of August to December were again obtained from the C-3.
The scaling of the ionograms from the digital ionosonde was somewhat delayed due to lay of appropriate scaling program. The scaling program was developed a couple of months after the new instrument was installed. Although the program failitates the scaling of the ionogram, the staff have had to familiarize themselves with the new scaling procedure.
the scaled data include the months of January to Septuember. Medians and quartiles were computed for the months of January to June. Data for July to Septermber are still being encoded into the computer for processing. The ionograms for the months of October to December are still in the scaling process.
2. Database Build-Up
The database was expanded for research purposes. The encoding ob back ionospheric data was stretched down to 1984. the complete database encoded into the computer covered the periods from 1984 to June 1994. Geomagnetic data for the same period was also encoded.
3. Research.
The availability of more extensive database facilitated the research particularly on spread-F. Efforst are being made to correlate the pattern of spread-F with sunspot activity. Solar cycle 22 started in 1986 and expected to end in 1997 with the maximum suspot activity occuring in 1989. With the availability of complete ionospheric data from 1986 to 1993, the computerized graphic print-outs of the pattern of spread-F during Solar Cycle 22 had been produced. These graphic print-outs included the annual and seasonal variations of the spread-F.
IV. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
1. Electrical circuits were upgraded for the change from 110 to 220 volts. Suitable circuits were also provided for the new instruments–the IPS-42, Tomography, Magnetic.
2. Antennas changes/modification to accommodate the IPS-42 operating specifications.
3. Antenna reparirs due to damage during the last typhoon.
4. Power surge protection devices installed incuding provisioin of additional earth grounding.
5. Maintenance of C-3, IPS-42, and Oblique Ionosondes.
6. Computer repairs including services to other divisions.
7. Transfer of unused insturments to storeroom.
8. Design and assisting in the construction of the large computer tables.
9. Repair of VHF antenna feein cable damaged by lawn mower.
10. Construction of post for Tomography antenna.
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