Yesterday we posted a message on the RUC-2 forum page on the
Web that RUC-2 output was temporatily NOT being sent to the
OSO server. The situation was rectified overnight, and we
hope you have noticed.

The main purpose of this message is to invite your participation
in a conference call next Monday morning, 15 December 1997 at
10:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. The purpose of the conference
call is to convey your early impressions of the RUC-2 versus
the operational RUC, tell us of any difficulties you are having
receiving or interpreting the output, and point out any
weaknesses in performance. Of course, we'll also be happy to
hear about strong points. We mentioned this conference call in
an earlier communique, but we're giving you the details here.

We ask that you participate in this conference call only if you
are charged with examining the output of RUC-2 as one of the
field test participants. We have room for not more than 20
participants. Peggy Bruehl, we'd appreciate your being on line
with us, if your schedule permits.

Since this will be a large conference call, please announce your
name and location each time you speak. This will save major
confusion. We'll do the same here at FSL.

Here are the instructions for partipating. Beginning at 9:55 a.m.
MST, call this number: 1 (888) 232-0361. You will NOT need to
give a credit card number, in contrast to what we thought earlier.
A computer will ask you for a number which gives you access to
this particular conference call. On your touch-tone phone, key
in 353114. That is your participant access code. On our end,
we'll be doing the same and typing in a separate host access code.
We'll terminate the conference call at 11:00 a.m. MST, if we're
still talking at that time. You will pay only the cost of a
standard FTS long-distance call. We'll pay for connecting us all
together.

Stan and I will be in Monterey, California after today for a
U.S. Weather Research Program Workshop. Stan will be back in
the office Friday. I will return Friday night. You can reach
Stan via email at benjamin@fsl.noaa.gov or telephone at
(303) 497-6387. If questions arise on Tuesday through Thursday,
contact Carol Frank by phone at (303) 497-6251 or by email:
frank@fsl.noaa.gov.

Tom Schlatter
Stan Benjamin