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Java NEXRAD Tools

Frequently Asked Questions








Top of Page How do I get data?


NEXRAD Data must be ordered from the NCDC Archive. This can be done via the NEXRAD Inventory
( http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/ ) or the HAS ( http://has.ncdc.noaa.gov/ ).
If ordering from the HAS, the "UnTar" option must be used.

Top of Page I ordered data from the HAS but the Viewer/Exporter cannot find it?


The "UnTar" option must be used when ordering the data from the HAS. One solution is to use the new NEXRAD Inventory system ( http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/ ).

Top of Page I have data from a non-NCDC source (LDM, etc...). Why can the Viewer/Exporter not find the data?


Right now, the Viewer/Exporter uses several standard naming conventions to indentify the data. The Level-III data must be uncompressed while Unix (.Z) and GZIP (.gz) compressions are supported for the Level-II data. Level-III data from the NWS FTP Site (sn.last, sn.0001, etc...) are now supported. More information can be found in the Viewer help page accessable from the "Help" menu.

Top of Page How do I animate Level-II data?


Level-II data may now be animated using the Nexrad Animator tool. If VCPs change between files, the same integer cut number will be used regardless of the actual elevation angle. If the cut number doesn't exist, the last cut in the volume scan will be used.

Top of Page I get a connection error when I enter my HAS number into the Viewer


This could be a firewall ftp configuration issue. The data can also be accessed by http by entering the following under the "Custom" tab under the "NEXRAD Data Selector":
http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/has/HASxxxxxxxxx

where the x's are the HAS number assigned to your order.

Top of Page My GeoTIFFs look all black and/or white in ArcGIS?


ArcGIS seems to not handle 32-bit GeoTIFFs correctly, when using the 'Stretched' symbology. Try changing to a 'Classified' symbology with many classification breaks.

Top of Page I tried to download/install the Viewer and got 'Microsoft JScript compilation error'. Now what?


This could be a network settings issue within Java Web Start. Try the following steps to fix the problem:

1) In Windows XP, do a "Start"-"Run" and type "javaws", or "javaws -version" if using Java version 6 or greater. This can also be done by typing "javaws" or "javaws -viewer" from the command line. This will bring up the "Java Application Cache Viewer".

2) Click on the "Edit" menu option and select "Preferences" to bring up the "Java Control Panel". (This may also be done in Windows by selecting "Java" under "Settings"-"Control Panel")

3) Under the "General" tab, click on "Network Settings...".

4) Select "Direct Connection" and apply all changes.

Top of Page How do I add Desktop Shortcuts or a Start Menu entry (Desktop Integration)?


  1. Right-click on the 'Launch the BETA/STABLE Version x.x.x Java NEXRAD Viewer' link and bookmark in your browser.
  2. Drag the 'Launch ...' link onto your desktop.
  3. From the Windows Start Menu, select 'Run' and type (without quotes) "javaws -viewer". This brings up the Java Cache Viewer. Select the NCDC NEXRAD Viewer application, right-click and select "Install Shortcuts". Note: This is the only method that will allow use of the software without an internet connection.