Missing part keeps radar out of service
(CNS): The Cayman Islands weather radar has been out of service now for around six weeks, since 21 October, as a result of a broken part and there is no sign of the important link in the regional weather forecasting equipment being online anytime soon. John Tibbetts, the director general of the National Weather Service, told CNS this week that since the public notice was issued just after the radar went down, his staff has identified the problem but the difficulty now is getting the necessary part.
“My technical staff have taken a look at the system and have located a problem which requires a part to be ordered. At this point we are reaching out to the manufacturer of the radar to order the part,” he said.
The Doppler radar system not only helps with general local weather forecasting, it provides accurate, timely and detailed weather data for the region, which is especially important during hurricane season.
Accurate local forecasts are still being produced, however, and the weather service now has a new website.
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Category: Science & Nature, Weather
Hold on! Am I getting this correctly:
NWS Tibbetts: “At this point we are reaching out to the manufacturer of the radar to order the part”.
Does this mean that (“At this point…”) SIX weeks later they are just now reaching out to the manufacturer to get the part? If so, Tibbetts has some real splainin’ to do, Lucy.
Still not working!!?
OMG – Fix this thing already
November 2014.
Grand Cayman’s Doppler weather radar down, awaiting part from Germany
“… the part was ordered and he was hopeful the radar, which went down late last week, would be back up “any day now,” but he was not sure how long it would take for the part to arrive. … “We’ve been told the part has been shipped, but we’re not sure what that means [ 😂],” he [John Tibbetts ] said. …some replacement parts are kept on hand, but the part needed now was not one that would normally fail. “
2015
EU team evaluates Cayman’s Doppler weather radar system
“ “The report will evaluate some seven important EU criteria: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, coherence [compliance with local policies] and added value to the community.”
“ The radar has been down several times in the past year [🤦♀️🤯], most recently for more than two weeks in June. The system went down just after a tropical wave. John Tibbetts blamed the June failure on a broken gearbox in the German-made radar. A technician with the weather service tried to fix the problem, but ultimately a German technician had to come to Cayman to get the system back up and running. “
2017
Weather takes out weather radio service
“… the National Weather Service revealed today, 17 October, that its public radio programming on channel 107.9 is off air for repairs, which are expected to take at least a month [‼️]… The radio tower was reportedly [❓] struck in a lightning strike on Wednesday, 27 September, and the station has been silence ever since… The National Weather Service sincerely apologises to listeners for the inconvenience,”
2021
Suspected [🤨] lightning strike knocks out weather radar generator
“… it is believed this was triggered by a possible lightning strike, but that was “unconfirmed[❓❗️]… repairs to the radar will cost about $7,500.”
Readers input over the years:
“ Q. Shouldn’t any tall structure in the Cayman Islands, by building code, be outfitted with sensible lightning conductor and grounding precautions of some kind? After all, the USA has been updating NFPA-780, since 1904. Retrofit kits are widely available and cost <$50.”
“ If its done properly, and I will guess it has or this would be a monthly occurrence, it will have several wells with ground rods maybe 20- 40ft deep. Everything exothermically welded and internal halos. Ground straps every so often on the cable and the tower either bonded to the rods or an ufer type system (Google it)
Entry point grounding and more stuff on phone lines, power panels etc.
Thousands of dollars my friend and why this may reduce the risk it by no meNs eliminates it.
Retired broadcast engineer”
I appreciate your notes and comments. Unfortunately you are not in office and your expertise will not be appreciated. Those that could benefit will ignore logic. That is the sad truth of those WE elected. We can blame no others than ourselves. How many times does Cayman need to read of the ills of who we elected? How many times do we need to read of environmental issues that we ignored, or allowed to pass through the committees.
Yea, no answers, just chirps.
So Cayman, this is what we have. We elected idiots. And we have idiots governing us. No surprises with stupid decisions, and we only need to look in the mirror to see those responsible.
Please, we need to elect educated, intelligent, ethical, moral officials. We (the electorate) have not done our part to insure our future. We have elected corrupt, uneducated, immoral officials. Who is to blame? OURSELVES. Be well.
Maybe we should fix or order a new John Tibbetts, he seems to be the broken part that has never been fixed or replaced. Wilbur Welcome and Julianna O’Connor also own these infrastructure failures. This stuff is expensive and important.
You would think that CIG would have a service/maintenance agreement in place. But that’s too logical. This piece of equipment is right there along side the parking ticket machines at the airport….
Like many civil service positions and government appointments, sometimes a role requires timely actions. Once the necessary part has been ordered, paid for, rec’d, installed and is working, those in charge of this facility should be relieved of their posts, and sent to work in the tourism sector, where their self importance will no longer apply.
Don’t you know it can’t say commercial invoice when it goes to customs. No wonder its held up. Plus it got lost in shipping and they needed to list it as a short shipment and there is no instructions to do this anywhere. If you ask customs they just tell you its common sense.
Didn’t work during Grace either.
It’s named after Kearney Gomez, what do you expect?
😂😂😂😂
Close it down, use google like the rest of the world
Put wind farm in its place
hmmmm…Where does Google get their radar infomation from?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar-orbiting environmental satellites
Any more dumb questions I can help you with?
They get wind and pressure from me in North Side among others. I expect they use the ground based radar also. The radar produces a much different set of data, Smarty.
And these satellites are fitted with doppler radar? I do not think so.
Satellite is not the same as radar moron.
I know. The radar doesn’t work
Google Does not have real time radar of Cayman. The system, when working, is very helpful. It gives real time conditions. They need to get it working and have spare parts on hand in case of future failure.
Hmmmm reminds me of another radar not in use here
Hmmm reminds me of another radar on island that doesn’t get used.
The new site is terrible. Not forecast for wind or chance of rain
Important link, missing link, CNS you’ve just about covered all the links this week 💯👍
Considering that this is the most accurate and Cayman specific forecasting tool in use by farmers of all sizes, its a real pity this radar keeps failing… Granted ‘storm season is over but so many rely on this to schedule crop watering and planting. How about a second station for high availability? Can’t be the most expensive item …
It was operational within the last week. I admit that it had been down for a considerable period of time, but then it came back.
You mean the Kearney Gomez Radar Station opened by Juju?
Most aptly named thing yet, never works.
Hahaha good one….full of bs too.
02 @ 1:24 pm – Nice one! Actually should have been Frank Roulstone II Weather Radar Station
Yes fully agree Frank Roulstone Snr Weather Station.A fitting tribute to our past and 1st weather guru
After 6 weeks the broken part is identified and now we are “reaching out” to order it. How about getting two of the parts so if it happens again we are not without radar again for months. World class.
6 weeks and not ordered yet? Does anyone do any work around here at all?
If someone really knew what they were doing, this should have been fixed weeks ago. They must know where the components are made.
A complex system like this should have some kind of technical support to keep it up and running.
6 weeks and the part hasn’t been ordered yet?
No excuse
Out of service is the normal state of the Radar.
Is there ANY branch of the Civil Service – Ministry, Department, SAGC, ANY, which can deliver it’s mandated services to the public without the respective heads providing flimsy excuses time after time after time??!! Can anyone accept culpability or poor planning or lack of follow-through and simply say to the PAYING PUBLIC, “we apologize, we screwed up”??
Do your jobs Civil Servants and EARN the big pay you get! NWS Director General salary must be really healthy. Where’s OUR value for money Mr. Tibbetts? Franz Manderson where are you?
World Class Disgusting!!!
11.22am Five years ago I needed to renew my driving licence but the printer at the G.T location was out of order and I had to drive to Breakers. Yesterday my 5 years were up,so back to the DVDL, paid my fee only to be told the printer was not working, – Breakers I suggested?, no good was the reply, theirs is down as well. Don’t worry they said as long as you have your receipt you can use that as your licence.This is World’s A–e!.
Question – did this impact anyone?
They could literally of not told us and no one would have known.
Some of us like to see what weather is coming. Look at it every day.
No parts on hand Mr. Tibbetts? Installations like this are usually commissioned with a minimum spare parts list as recommended by the manufacturer? Uh…wot’s the deal?
Perhaps do it right this time, order spares.