USDA Forest Service Missoula Technology & Development Center Air Program News

Issue 6

January 2007

New Real-Time Smoke Monitor Comparison Report

MTDC conducted a series of collocation tests comparing the results from real-time particulate monitors to results from a Federal Reference Method (FRM) gravimetric air sampler when sampling smoke particulate. Details of the comparisons are discussed in Smoke Particulate Monitors: 2006 Update (Username t-d Password t-d, 0625–2842–MTDC). The Met One Instruments Inc. E-BAM (ac and dc pump versions) and E-Sampler, the TSI Inc. DUSTTRACK, and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. DataRAM 2000 and DataRAM 4 smoke monitors were included in the comparison.

Based on a correction factor of 1.00, results were:

E-BAM—Essentially identical to the FRM (1 percent difference)
E-Sampler—Overestimated concentrations by 13 percent
DUSTTRACK—Overestimated concentration by 217 percent
DataRAM 2000—Overestimated concentrations by 15 percent
DataRAM 4—Overestimated concentrations by 143 percent

Contact Andy Trent (atrent@fs.fed.us or 406–329–3912) for more information.

Satellite Telemetry System Update

If you plan on using smoke monitors from the Forest Service cache system, you will see a change in the averaging periods on the Interagency Real-Time Smoke Particulate Monitoring Web site (http://www.satguard.com/usfs/). Averaging periods for the DataRAM and E-BAMS will be changed from 5 minutes to 1 hour to help with the data transmission. Many people were experiencing problems with data not being transmitted or data showing up hours late. Changing to a 1-hour average will reduce the amount of data being sent and processed, which should significantly increase the reliability and speed of the data being posted. Additionally, most users did not use the 5-minute data and had to compute 1-hour averages. This switch will eliminate these problems.

If you have your own satellite modem and would like to change to 1-hour average, please contact Cole Morton at AIRSIS (cmorton@airss.com or 858–586–0933). They will reprogram the modem for free.

Contact Andy Trent (atrent@fs.fed.us or 406–329–3912) for more information.

Smoke Monitor Training Aids

Development of a training aid for the DataRAM 4 is in final stages and should be available this spring. The training aid will be available on CD or on the Web as Flash media. It will show users how to set up, operate, and site the instrument and satellite telemetry system.

After the DataRAM 4 training aid is completed, MTDC will begin developing one for the E-BAM.

Contact Mary Ann Davies (mdavies@fs.fed.us or 406–329–3981) for more information.

Project Ideas Are Needed!!!!

If you have ideas for new projects, please let us know. The National Watershed, Soil, and Air Technology and Development Program steering committee meets each year to select new projects for the coming year. The committee includes Forest Service employees from across the country. If you have ideas for projects they should consider, please fill out our project proposal form or call Dick Karsky (rkarsky@fs.fed.us or 406–329–3921) or Andy Trent (atrent@fs.fed.us or 406–329–3912). They will submit your proposal.

Download (Username t-d, Password t-d) printable proposal form (20K, Adobe Acrobat)

Download (Username t-d, Password t-d) editable proposal form (29K, Microsoft Word)

Forest Service and BLM employees can fill out an online proposal form available over their internal computer networks: (http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us/proposal/online.htm)

Click the icon on the left to download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader