Minutes, 8 May 2025 PSWS Operations Zoom

[Gary Mikitin, AF8A]

Here's a brief wrap-up of the 8 May, 2025 PSWS Operations Zoom call.  ~13 in attendance. (The meeting was recorded and will be available at a later date - however, the recording was stopped for a time, during the system security discussions.)

PSWS CCS:  Bill AB4EJ is working diligently with the Univ of Alabama computing center staff to set up the 'best' possible security on the PSWS Central Control System.  As with any security project, 'best' depends on perspective - administrators, PSWS users (uploaders), the general public (it *is* open source data, per our grant terms), and ultimately, the science community, who is the primary audience for the data we are collecting.  Discussions are ongoing.

PSWS CCS Server Move/URL Change:  We don't have a hard date to shut down the existing server and begin using the new.  June 17th has been bantered about.  Stay tuned....

Summary of Upload Functionality

• Grape 1 Legacy:  A few stations are uploading to the PSWS CCS (and no longer to the WWVARC server).  W0DAS is going to be the next to move, checking instructions as he goes.  W7LUX has offered to be next in line.
• Grape 2 fldigi/CSV data:  It is known how to send data to the PSWS CCS, but not yet implemented for anyone
• Grape 2 'Full Bandwidth' Audio Recordings:  This is 'big data', ~4gb per day.  It is understood that many users cannot inexpensively upload  that much data each day.  More discussion is needed.  AB4EJ is the current test user for this upload.
• Magnetometers:  Have been uploading to the PSWS CCS for some time.
• WSPRDaemon Grapes: Have been uploading to the PSWS CCS for some time.
• Grape 1 DRF: Have been uploading to the PSWS CCS for some time.

Open Question:  What does the science community need/want relative to downloading data - how soon after interesting events occur, what formats, how much, and so on.  It has been strongly suggested that the science community meet (with AB4EJ, perhaps others) to scope out their wants/needs/wishes.  It is also realized that this is somewhat of a moving target, as new people (with new ideas) join the research, technology evolves, and science questions come and go.  Could a plan for such a meeting be hatched at Hamvention?  What upcoming conferences might support such a group?  CEDAR?  AGU?

73 de Gary, AF8A