ALERT to ALERT2 Conversion

What is ALERT and Why is it Important ? ALERT represents a standard for gathering and sending by radio information from rain, water-level and weather sensors in near real-time We use and provide this information to: Monitor and Operate our Structures & their Watersheds Support Flood Response and Emergency Action Plans Identify hazardous areas that may require evacuation Identify hazardous transportation routes that may require closure

ALERT System Schematic FCDMC ALERT SYSTEM STATIONS Rain Gages Stream Gages Weather Stations - 37 Radio Repeaters - 11 NWS, PHX, AFWS Internet Server Remote PCs ALERT Room Mobile MCDEM MHz MHz

ALERT 1978 – Present, over 35 years VHF or UHF Radio Frequencies, Licensed by FCC Transmits 1 device ID number (0 – 8192) and 1 data number (0 – 2047) Time stamped by Base Computer

Development of ALERT2 Committee Formed in 2001 – ALERT Vendors and Users First Feasibility Study in 2002 Working Prototypes by 2008 Field Testing since 2010

Alert2 Data Changes Alert2 uses the station ID and sensor ID together to identify a sensor data value Station ID range: 1 – Sensor ID range: 0 – bit integer data range: -2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,648 Data won’t look any different to the end-user

Why Convert to ALERT2 ? ALERT will not be supported beyond 2020 Transmitter time set from GPS – sample time sent with message Data collision avoidance using TDMA Station ID range expanded Data transmitted in engineering units

ALERT2 Conversion Process 1.Base Station Software – Already Installed 2.Convert Receivers/Decoders – Durango done, MCDEM in near future 3.Convert Existing Stations (354) to ALERT2 – converted 87 to date 4.Convert Repeaters (11) to Rx ALERT 1/2 and Tx ALERT2 – 1 converted 5.At current conversion rate, we could by done before next summer

Alert2 Transmitter

QUESTIONS ?