JD:    00-147       DoW:  THU/FRI       UTC Date:  26MAY2000	

SUMMARY:            Sprites over edge of LMA from large MCC

YRFS OPS SUMMARY:   Orogenic storms developed early and moved off
into plains, numerous local warnings for hail and some winds by early noon.
Off and on showers and small hail at YRFS. Took daytiem TL with Sony,
Pulnix and KY19. At sunset, cells to ESE were producing ocnl ltng and some
spiders. Shot Sony in II and 16:9 mode, also routed to TL deck. Did 3 Sony
tapes total. Tested KY19 in LoLux mode for lightning with good results (1
tape). Huge MCC developed as forecast in SE CO and
Panhandle region and moved northeast. NLDN rates were over 10,000/hr, with
15% positive around sunset and slowly falling to 7% by 07Z. Low clouds and
rain suddenly ended just before midnight. Deployed patrol and zoom Xybion.
Stanford tested telescope. Ran for two hours before low clouds obscured
view to SE. Saw 26+ TLEs, mostly from northwest part of MCC. A small storm
at 200 km produced ocnl flashes and also blocked views below 4 deg
elevation, so many sprites were not seen. Some of sprites were most likely
close to our in the southeast quadrant of the LMA. The photodiode and the
MRC data acquisition system had problems and were not used. VLF audio level
on tapes is also rather low.

STEPS OPERATIONS:   Full operations? (com problems limited communications). 
Paul Krehbiel called, said LMA fully up. Mark Stanley had field mills running 
(dust was a problem) and was still putting interferometer on line.

TLE PREDICTION:     [0.4]   0.8 chance of TLEs; 0.5 chance of viewing  
RESULTS:            26+ TLEs during two hour viewing window		
LESSONS:            classic MCC with TLEs over stratiform region
PERSONNEL:          Lyons, Nelson, Nordem, Gerken, (Thomas Viner)

STEPS  STATUS:      Operations?
KEY RESULTS :       Possibly FIRST sprites imaged above an LMA!

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 	 26+


FMA EQUIPMENT:
Red Xybion (A)-Patrol: one tape (started with aurora from 24 May)
Sony TRV900 3CCD:      TL of daytime clouds; Image Intensified 16:9 of lightning 
                       (3 tapes) (also on S-VHS)
JVC KY-19:             shoot daytime TL/STEPS Cam (to ESE); night lightning to ESE (LoLux)
Pulnix CCD:            shoot various TL scenes (did not do ltng well)		
Photodiode:            completed, not tested
Winckler PMT:          available
GPS:                   OK
WWV Source:            OK
VLF Inspire:           OK
ELF N-S:               not available
ELF E-W:               not available		
NLDN Live:             OK	
NLDN Paper:            6 maps	
NLDN Archive:          6 saves
MRC Data Acquisition:  error messages
FMA Data Acquisition:  not available		
Thunder Mic:           available
LANL Tracker:          OK			
Red  Xybion (B)-Zoom;  1 tape
Red Xybion (C)-Tele:   available
Blue Xybion(D)-zoom:   available
Mountain Cam:          nominal
STEPS Cam:             nominal
Shure Mic:             OK
NEXRAD Archive:        OK-revised scrips
GOES Archive:          OK-revised scrips
RUC2 Archive:          OK			
		
STANFORD/STAR LAB:
Telescope              worked nominally
LLTV                   OK
ELF/VLF                tape system worked

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY: not present		
				
MIT ELF:               nominal
FULELLEKRUG ELF:       says 80% operational
ISRAELI ELF:           nominal