JD: 00-148          DoW:  FRI /SAT     UTC Date:  27MAY2000	

SUMMARY:            Bright Sprites over Kansas;
                    Lightning in Western Part of LMA

YRFS OPS SUMMARY:   Upper air cold core system caused widespread
convection over High Plains. Numerous small MCS formed over CO and WY and
drifted E and SE during the day. STEPS was in operation with the T28,
radars and chase teams. Gust front from system to north passed Yucca Ridge
around sunset and triggered a small batch of cells to the east and
northeast of YRFS from 1-2 hours after sunset. Mostly negative CGs at 100
km except for a few +CGs during dissipating stages at 150 km. Since they
were in the western part of the LMA, we took multi-imager lightning video.
After that system dissipated (around 0530Z) we began monitoring for sprites
from the large complex MCS in southern and eastern Kansas. As many as 7
watch boxes were out for the region. Sprites became visible just after
0600Z. Some were quite large and well formed, showing up well in the blue
LLTV system. Some telescope views obtained. One very large elve was seen.
The MCS began to weaken after 0800Z after a flurry of large sprites. The
moon rose at 0830Z into our field of view, which terminated observations. 
Phoptodiode unit needs to be rebuilt and DA unit trigger needs to be redone.

STEPS OPERATIONS:   Full operations. T28 flies-hit by lightning? 

Total TLEs from Yucca Ridge This Campaign: 	      51

KEY RESULTS :       Strong images in (refurbished) blue Xybion camera even
at ranges of 600 km.  Need to compare blue and red camera views. Also 
compare to Stanford telescope.

Also took multi-imager views of CG and IC flashes in western LMA:  Sony w/
image integration, Pulnix CCD, KY19 (LowLux) mode, Xybion blue and Xybion
red. Mosly ICs and -CG flashes at 100-125 km. No major spider action.

TLE PREDICTION:     [0.4]   0.5 chance of TLEs; 0.8 chance of viewing  
RESULTS:            25 TLEs during 3.5 hour viewing window
LESSONS:            classic MCS with TLEs over stratiform region
PERSONNEL:          Lyons, Nelson, Nordem, Gerken,Trabuco

STEPS  STATUS:      Operations?


FMA EQUIPMENT:
Red Xybion (A)-Patrol:  1 tape ( lightning,  sprite)
Sony TRV900 3CCD:       TL of daytime clouds; Image Intensified 16:9 of lightning 
                        and sprites (3 tapes)  (also on S-VHS)
JVC KY-19:              shoot daytime TL/STEPS Cam (to ESE); 
                        night lightning to ESE (LoLux) (1 tape)
Pulnix CCD:             shoot various TL scenes; and lightning
Photodiode:             needs to be reworked
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 (lightning and sprites)
Red Xybion (C)-Tele:    available
Blue Xybion(D)-zoom:    2 tapes
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               obtained sprite images
LLTV                    OK
ELF/VLF                 tape system worked

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY:  not present

MIT ELF:                nominal
FULELLEKRUG ELF:        says 80% operational
ISRAELI ELF:            nominal