CalNex-LA Logistics

This page is a repository for all logistical information for the CalNex-LA site.

Dates and Location

The dates for all the platforms of the larger CalNex campaign, including the LA ground site, are at http://tinyurl.com/calnexschedule.

The FINAL dates for the CalNex-LA site are:

• Setup and start of measurements: week of May 7-14
• Official measurement period: May 15 0:00 to June 16 0:00
• Tear Down: June 17-19

These dates were partially chosen to maximize overlap with other platforms, especially the NOAA P3 and the R/V Atlantis.

The site is planned at Caltech. The location of the site can be seen in this Google Maps Link (easy-to-remember shortcut is http://tinyurl.com/calnex-la-site. The coordinates are 34.140582 N, -118.122455‎ (+34° 8' 26.10", -118° 7' 20.84). Please do not contact Caltech with logistical questions, rather send those to Jochen, Joost, or Jose.

Planned Instrumentation

This information is now kept as a Google Spreadsheet due to easier formatting and modification. It can be viewed in two ways:

• As a non-editable web page by anyone here
• As an editable Google Spreadsheet with the link that was sent by email to everyone (email Jose if you want to be able to edit directly and did not get or have lost that link)

Travel and Lodging

• Transportation to and from Caltech
  • The closest commercial airport to Caltech is Burbank (BUR). Los Angeles International (LAX) and Ontario (ONT) are also good options. Orange County Airport (John Wayne, SNA) is farther.
  • Some information on local transportation is here, here, here, and here.
  • Besides rental cars, a flexible and convenient option to go from the airports to Caltech and back is SuperShuttle. Reservations are highly recommended.
  • Parking at the site: TBD. It will likely be limited, and we encourage people to share rental cars to save parking spots and expenses.
• Maps
  • Google Map of the Site (same as above).
  • This is a map of the local area around Caltech which marks restaurants, grocery stores, banks, and other stores].
  • Multiple maps of the Caltech campus are available here. In particular the PDF map and the Interactive Map may be very useful.

• Logding: see this list of hotel, motels, and long stay options from Caltech. We will contact some of the places and try to reserve a room block.

Other Setup Information

• Trailers: we plan to rent 8 ft x 40 ft trailers from Mobile Mini, exactly as the ones in this link
• Shipping location: TBD.
• Shipping of chemicals, gas cylinders, and rad. sources: TBD
• Suppliers of gas cylinders and liquid N2: TBD
• Internet connection at the site: being investigated.
  • A good alternative is that each group acquires a cell-phone system hotspot, such as the Mifi, which also acts as a Wifi hotstop that can connect up to 5 computers to the internet. This is a link to the Mifi from Verizon Wireless and this is the same device through Sprint. Data rates are reasonable, and cost for Verizon is $100 per Mifi and $60 per month for 5 GB of data, without the need for a contract.
• Restrooms at the site: TBD
• Power converters: for investigators coming from Europe, remember that electricity in the US is 110 V and 60 Hz, while in Europe it is typically 220 V and 50 Hz. Please verify that your equipment can work with US power, or get the appropriate adaptors or transformers. Note that some components may not work under 60 Hz. E.g. we have had this problem in the past with some sampling pumps.
• Setup costs: TBD

Science Meetings and Data Sharing

• Science Meetings while in the field: we expect to have weekly meetings, dates and locations TBD.
• Data need to be submitted in ICARTT Format to facilitate sharing. We would like to encourage people with continuous instruments to upload preliminary data often (daily, or every few days), and we will try to produce merged plots for discussion at the meetings.
  • The data will be uploaded into a password-protected FTP site provided by NOAA. Details TBD.