[Xastir] NWS shapefiles HOWTO?

[John Ronan]

On 25 Mar 2011, at 14:15, Kai Günter Brandt wrote:

> I would like to make a NWS service like NWS USA and WXSRV-AU
> (http://wxsvr.aprs.net.au/index.html)  but i need some starting information.
> 
> Translating: http://meteoalarm.eu/index2.php?country=NO&day=0&lang=
> to the NWS format is not a problem.
> 
> I understand that i have to:
> 
> 1. Make a LGA - Counties database.
> 2. Make a ZONE database
> 3. Make a Products database
> 4. Make shapefiles for the Counties
> 5. Make dbfawk files
> 
> As No(r)way is a small country this should be relatively simple?
> 
> How should the Counties database be formated? We have only 19
> How should the Zone database be formated? Are Zones a sub level of the
> Counties?
> How should the Products database be formated? I guess this is the
> caption of the alerts like "Flood warning"
> How should the shapefiles be created? I have read that you can use
> XASTIR to create a object and then move it, store the tracks and you
> have a SHP file. To make i.e 19 counties should i then create 19
> different "tracks" ?
> 
> I know it's lots of "how's" but i need something to work on to get
> started and get int the terminology of all the different files etc.
> Anyone? Links?
> 
> -- 
> Kai Günter Brandt
> LA3QMA
Hi Kai,

I had started this process  (for Ireland) before work intervened. I was going to base my effort on the shapefiles available from 
http://downloads.cloudmade.com/europe/ireland#downloads_breadcrumbs. They are useful to use as templates (open them in openoffice)

 In the METEO database, Ireland is divided into 5 zones so I was just going to draw the outline in xastir, and save that as a shapefile for each zone. I hadn't looked at 'counties' vs 'zone' issue yet.  As the 'zones' for Ireland cover more than one county.

Unfortunately, work has halted my investigations (and we have our national Radio society AGM this weekend, so I won't get to look at it)

Regards
John 
EI7IG