From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank each and every one of you for all the pluses, likes, comments, and shares. Your continued support means more to me than I can express and you have all helped make 2012 truly wonderful. Cheers to 2012 and may 2013 take each of you closer to your dreams.
This post is a collection of my favorite moments, my favorite photos, and my favorite memories from 2012.
We kicked off the year with a quick (and restful) trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina where we spent a few days wandering around the city. Instead of making photography the goal of the trip, I took a break and did some touristy things instead.
In January I also had a chance to visit Panama City for a few days of shooting. One of my not so favorite moments of 2012 was driving around completely lost in Panama City at 2AM in the worst part of town. Thankfully our rental car didn't look too flashy and we made it safely to our hotel.
In February, Naomi and I spent 10 days in Dubai, UAE while we revamped blamethemonkey.com into version 2.0. I also had the chance to meet up with my friend ,and fellow photographer, Daniel Cheong. One evening we drove out to shoot the uniquely designed Meydan Bridge. I also dedicated some time during this visit to capturing an incredible metro station. Security doesn't allow the use of tripods in the metro stations so I had to shoot it hand held. It took two nights to get it right but it was worth the effort.
After returning from Dubai, I also took a whirlwind trip to Singapore with a good buddy of mine and it was love at first sight. (I mean with Singapore of course, not my friend Matt). We spent two nights scouting and shooting the Marina Bay Sands laser show and had a late night adventure with fellow photographer, Victor Marz. Since then we've become good friends and have had many more late night adventures.
In the final moments, I snapped an iPhone photo of what I called my "last hold out" – my laptop sitting on top of a cardboard box desk. As I left the apartment, the laptop went into my bag and the cardboard went into the garbage. Our "sell all" adventure was finally complete. Words can't begin to express the feeling of relief when we stepped onto that plane to begin the next chapter of our lives.
Our very first stop was Sydney, Australia. Here we rented a room from a nice elderly woman in the Millers Point area, which made a great base location to photograph the Sydney Opera House.
After 3 early mornings waiting for the right light, the sun finally broke through the clouds and produced the sunrise I was hoping to capture. Needless to say that on the 4th morning, I slept in.
After Sydney, we flew to Singapore where I met up with with The Landscape Hunters for the first time – an extremely talented group of photographers. On one of my first nights in town, a few of us went to shoot the laser show from this awesome vantage point.
A special thanks to Edward Adios for helping to coordinate the first Blame The Monkey Photo Walk. We had an excellent turnout and I was able to make some great new friends in the process.
Since there were some patchy thunderstorms, we all took shelter under the bridge for a Q&A session. After that, the rain cleared up and we set out to shoot the 2012 iLight Marina Bay Festival.
After the Photo Walk, a few of us went out to eat at Lau Pa Sat – a big street market filled with food vendors. I highly recommend it to any travellers visiting Singapore.
In April we spent the entire month in China, first visiting Shanghai and the nearby water village of Tongli, followed by Beijing before flying down to Hong Kong.
This was my second visit to Shanghai and I got lucky with a very clear night on the Bund. While I was shooting there, quite a few people asked if they could take a photo with me, something that happened to me often while we were in China (really not sure why). These two girls were flattered when afterwards, I asked for a photo with them as well.
In Beijing we rented a budget (aka, really crappy) apartment right across the street from the North Wall of the Forbidden City. The location and price was outstanding but calling the apartment a dump would be too much praise. Despite the grime, it was an excellent base location for exploring the city.
By far, my favorite memory from China was having full 3G service on top of The Great Wall. The signal was so strong in fact, that I was able to Skype call my mom and have a great conversation. I also wrote a blog post from there while we were taking a rest.
From Beijing we flew down to Hong Kong for a few days where I had the chance to meet up with Alexander Safonov – a very talented underwater photographer. We went out for dinner and drinks and, from what I remember, we had a great time. Consequently, I also spent 2 days recovering from one of the worst hangovers of my life.
Since then, Alex and I have become good friends. You can check out his underwater photography on 500px.
May started off with a brief visit to Florida where I finally got hold of my long-awaited Nikon D800 and some other much needed gear. Then, after a week in Vancouver, Canada and a brief visit to Seattle, Washington we were off to Tokyo, Japan.
Being constantly on the move, we have to set up mobile workstations using whatever flat surface is available at the time. In Vancouver we rented a great apartment through Airbnb and had a sweet setup with an actual desk and big monitor we could connect to our laptops. In Seattle, we took over the kitchen table and attempted to catch up on some work before the next leg of our journey. But not every location presents this luxury and we have certainly had our fair share of uncomfortable and odd working environments in 2012.
Upon arriving in Japan, we spent a week in Tokyo exploring the dense city and getting lost in the wonderful culture. I also had the opportunity to meet up with fellow Google+ Photographer Takahiro Yamamoto for some evening shooting around the Rainbow Bridge. I had a really good time seeing Tokyo through his eyes and if you want to be inspired by some exceptional photography, definitely check out his work.
About half way through June, we left Japan and returned to Singapore where I hosted another Blame The Monkey Photo Walk. We had an excellent turnout along with an epic sunset — as always, it felt great to be back in Singapore.
During that visit, I also had the pleasure of teaching an HDR Photography Workshop. As you can see, we were able to book a location with a great view of Marina Bay. It was a fun and informative day filled with post-processing goodness, pastries, and quite a few cappuccinos.
From Singapore we flew to Amsterdam and, from what I remember, it was a beautiful city… I have to admit that while I did manage to get some good shots there, I also spent a bit too much time at the pub. We enjoyed watching the locals on the party boats cruising around the canals of the city, but I couldn't quite figure out what they do for bathrooms… Maybe a bathroom barge somewhere? With all that beer and that many people they must have some solution worked out, right?
Despite the late night adventures, I was still able to explore quite a bit of Amsterdam and it really is a great city and I'm looking forward to getting back there for more shooting in 2013.
From Amsterdam we flew to Barcelona to see the newly finished interior of Sagrada Familia. We were able to find a cool little studio apartment right across the street. Unfortunately, we also came down with a bad case of food poisoning that knocked us out for a few days. Let's call that a not so favorite memory of 2012.
After Stockholm we travelled to Dublin, Ireland where I celebrated my birthday with a few pints of Guinness. After a few days catching up on work in Dublin, we started our two week driving adventure around Southern and Western Ireland.
During our road trip around Ireland, we stayed in many different campgrounds and slept in the car for 12 nights in a row. I was really surprised that after a few nights it started to feel quite cozy. You can also read all about our Ireland Road Trip in the Behind the Scenes Wrap Up.
Ireland has one of the most epic landscapes that I've ever seen. The weather rarely cooperates though, but when it does the drama in the sky can create something truly amazing. Out of the two weeks I think there were only two or three colorful sunsets. Fortunately, I was in the right location to capture this red sky over the Cliffs of Kerry.
In August we returned to mainland Europe with a brief stay in Copenhagen followed by a week in Prague. We rented an apartment right next to Tyn Church, which you can see pictured in the photo below.
At night, this part of the city comes alive with all sorts of drunken debauchery and when you set out early for sunrise, there are still plenty of people stumbling around, trying to make it home. Prague at night is a people watching paradise.
During the visit, my friend Christian Krieglsteiner drove down to meet me for a few days of shooting. We had some good fun shooting from a few of the towers situated all around the city. The photo below is one we shot together from Powder Tower.
I also had the opportunity to meet up with HDR Photographer Miroslav Petrasko for a couple sunset and blue hour shoots.
After Prague we flew to Rome and spent a week with my family while I explored and photographed The Eternal City.
It's hard for me to express how happy I was to be back in Rome. In 2009 — before I got into photography — my wife and I visited for the first time and connected with our Italian family. At the time, I had no idea that visit would be the start of the biggest change in our lives.
Since then I've made 6 more visits to Rome and the eternal city never ceases to amaze me. When we are there it just feels like home, and for two people who have given up their home, this is a very special feeling.
Atrani is only a short walk from the town of Amalfi, which shares it's name with the entire coast. One early morning I walked over and found this beautiful scene.
In preparation for our drive we rented a campervan from KuKu Campers that we affectionately named "Truck Norris…" What's that Iceland? You're planning some wind? Some Rain? BRING IT ON! My buddy Chuck here can handle it.
From the epic waterfalls, to the volcanic mountains, to the black sand beaches, The Icelandic countryside left us breathless at every turn. I'm planning on making a couple more visits in 2013.
My all time favorite memory from Iceland (as well as the entire year) was watching and photographing the extraordinary Northern Lights.
The Auroras danced in the distance and began to peak around 11pm when we found ourselves right in the center of the activity. No longer were we watching them on the horizon. Now the lights were falling right over our heads—swirling, spinning, and cascading all around us.
For nearly 3 hours we watched in awe as I photographed this magnificent and life changing event. When I was all finished it only felt like 15 minutes had passed. I will be forever humbled by the beauty of our amazing planet.
After Iceland, we returned to Italy for a week in Venice, where we had a few days of great shooting weather. We rented a nice little apartment in a quiet residential district fairly close to all the sights. I was even able to catch up on my laundry.
Venice is an extremely beautiful city and as a result, it's also overcrowded with tourists. Thankfully most people — excluding us crazy photographers of course — don't get up before sunrise. So, if you can manage the early mornings, you will find yourself nearly alone in the city and when the lighting is right, it's a photographic playground.
I was also finally able to shoot The Bridge of Sighs without it being covered in scaffolding – an unexpected surprise.
It was an absolute pleasure to co-host a photography workshop with my good friend Colby Brown in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We spent 7 days leading the group through unbelievable ancient temples and unique little villages. I would personally like to thank everyone that was involved for making this one of the most memorable experiences of 2012.
My favorite memory is from our first morning, when we led the group to the a local pagoda in Siem Reap to witness and photograph the Pchum Ben Festival, known to us as the festival of the dead. It's a time when the spirits of the dead ancestors walk the Earth and the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat. Shortly after the main ceremony I managed to make some new friends.
After a brief stop in Singapore, we flew to Miami to spend a couple weeks in South Florida with our friends and family. It had been so long since we returned to the USA that my immigration form was a bit full.
I have to admit that when I wrote 10 countries on my Customs Declaration card, I thought it would at the very least raise an eyebrow. With all my travel, I've certainly had my mix of good and bad experiences with border agents but this time, it was really pleasant.
Once again, we said goodbye to our friends and family to get back on the road. We spent Thanksgiving in Singapore where I shot the Supertree Grove with Edward Adios. The atmosphere wasn't totally clear but it helped add a nice effect to the shot.
After that we were off to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We spent 10 days in the city to enjoy and photograph the annual Loi Krathong festival where the Thai People release thousands of lanterns into the sky. Naomi grabbed a great photo of me during the festival.
One of the best things about the Loi Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai is definitely the street food. Whether it's sweet banana roti, stir fry, pad Thai, or (my personal favorite) grilled squid in spicy sauce, the Thais really know how to do it right.
In December we started off the month by returning to Siem Reap, Cambodia to commit a few more days (and very early mornings) to photography. I was also lucky enough to capture a truly extraordinary sunrise over the ancient city of Angkor Wat. I still can't believe the colors.
After Siem Reap we crossed the Cambodian border into Thailand on foot to spend a few days down in Phuket. While we saved quite a bit of money traveling this way, we also spent 5 hours in line crossing the border. Despite the savings, I don't think I'll do it again.
In Phuket, there was a big street market where I had a bit more fun sampling some of the Thai street food. Over the years I've had my fair share of tasty treats including, street omelets, snakes, dried fish, squids, crickets, and even silkworms. But when I came across these giant water bugs, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
From Phuket we flew to New Zealand, aka "Middle Earth," to explore the south island and enjoy the Holiday Season Kiwi style.
Our first stop in New Zealand was Dunedin and being on the beach really made me feel at home. It has also been nice to take some time to rest and feed my soul. Whether we love the mountains or the ocean, the desert or the snow, we all have a place that has a special meaning in our hearts… No matter where I travel, for me, the beach will always be my home.
There are so many amazing locations to shoot in New Zealand and I plan on sharing many of them in an upcoming Behind The Scenes post. Some of these spots just beg to be photographed.
After a few days exploring the southern coastline and The Catlins, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Milford Sound and cooked a nice grilled salmon dinner. Since we stayed in a lodge with shared facilities, everyone was super jealous of our meal. Most everyone else just prepared simple camping food like pasta and beans.
After Christmas we picked up my friend Victor Marz and since then we've continued to explore the beautiful south island of New Zealand.
Wishing you all a wonderful and Happy New Year! May 2013 take each of you closer to your dreams!


Families looking to rekindle an old holiday tradition can visit Jackson County, NC. where the experience of selecting your own real tree from one of several tree farms in the area, replacing the artificial tree from the store.
Due to the location, range of elevations, excellent soil and rainfall, Jackson County is home to the southern-most natural stand of Fraser fir in the world. Researchers have even shown that the genetics recovered from this southern stand produce some of the fastest growing, most aesthetically pleasing Christmas trees.
Hutch's Mountain Trees: Owner Jerry McAbee has been growing his Fraser firs for more than 30 years, and his Masters in Forestry has led Hutch's Mountain Trees to a growing forest of 200,000 firs in the ground. All trees are grown at or above 3,800 feet in Glenville, in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Tom Sawyer Tree Farm: Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina overlooking beautiful Lake Glenville, Tom Sawyer Tree Farm and its Elf Village offer a full day of holiday celebrations. 80 acres of Fraser Firs are maintained by Tom Sawyer's "elves" who help maintain the trees. Pick from Christmas trees ranging from 3' to 12' in height, and use one of the farm's handsaws.
After you find the perfect tree, visit the elf-sized collection of houses in the Elf Village, where kids can make crafts, visit Santa Claus, write and mail letters to Santa, hear holiday stories, roast s'mores and even take horse and carriage rides.
Buck Knob Farm: Trek the sloping mountainside acres of Fraser firs at Buck Knob Farm where firs are anywhere from five to 10 feet tall, and available to choose and cut.
There are a number of choose and cut farms in the area including: Grandy Mountain Farm and Landscaping, Moss Tree Farm Inc., Mountain Hardy Christmas Trees, Sandy Hollar Farms, Pressley Tree Farm, Boyd Mountain Tree Farm and Long Hollow Tree Farm. If you are looking for additional farms, or more information on how to choose and cut your own tree in Jackson County, visit JacksonCountyTrees.com.
Jackson County's festive celebrations don't stop there! After the tree is taken care of, get in the holiday spirit and check out the festivals, arts and crafts shows and Christmas parades throughout the towns of Jackson County.
In Cashiers, visitors to Cashiers Crossroads can enjoy twinkling lights, the village tree lighting, holiday music, s'mores and more—including a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus—during the Festival of Trees.
In Cullowhee, the Hard Candy Christmas Show features more than 100 vendors selling Christmas trees, crafts, holiday gifts and more.
One of the best small-town celebrations is Dillsboro's Lights and Luminaries event, where the streets are lined with 2,500 lights and luminaries. Held during the first two weekends in December, this evening festival transports visitors to a winter wonderland, where they can shop, listen to carolers, take horse and buggy rides and indulge in treats like Christmas cookies and hot cocoa.
Stroll under the lights through fun, interactive displays that tell ancient Christmas legends during the Cherokee Lights & Legends Christmas event. You can also see the lighting of the 40-ft. Christmas tree, have a visit with Santa, and take a spin on the synthetic ice rink. Warm up by the bonfire and enjoy Cherokee storytelling. With bounce-houses, face painting, balloon animals, and more. Happening every Friday and Saturday from December 2 – 31, with a special fireworks display on New Year's Eve.
Visitors can also stay in Jackson County and still travel the short trip to Bryson City on to hop onboard The Polar Express. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad takes families to and from the North Pole on a 1.5-hour train ride. Listen to the story of The Polar Express, sip hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols on your ride.
Both Cashiers and Sylva host festive Christmas parades in early December to usher in the season. The Cashiers Christmas Parade starts at The Village Green and features more than 75 floats, marchers, musicians, vintage cars, fire engines, animals for the "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly" theme. On the other end of the county, the Sylva Christmas Parade is themed each year, and floats this year will be decorated as "A Cinema Christmas.". The parade strolls right through Sylva's iconic Main Street.
Jackson County finds a way to bring holiday cheer to both visitors and locals alike through their small-town charm. So, load the sleigh and head our way for a new kind of holiday tradition!


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Soltau (Han) station is in the town of  Soltau in the German state of Lower Saxony, located in the centre of the Lüneburg Heath. As a junction station on two railway lines, Hannover Hbf – Buchholz (Heath Railway) and Bremen Hbf – Uelzen (Uelzen–Langwedel railway), it is a central transport hub of the region and serves commuters and visitors to the Lüneburg Heath as a destination and transfer station.

The station was opened in 1873 and by the mid-20th century it was served by local and long-distance services running in seven different directions. The America Line (Amerikalinie), which ran from Berlin to Bremerhaven via Soltau, had considerable significance for passenger and goods traffic from the ports of the North Sea at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, Schnellzug (semi-fast) services also ran. In addition, there were connections to several light railways to Lüneburg, Celle and Neuenkirchen. After the Second World War, the America Line increasingly lost its national significance. Passenger traffic on the light railways has been discontinued.

History

Despite Soltau's geographically favourable location in the triangle between the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen at the beginning of railway development in the Kingdom of Hanover, it was not connected to the railway network in the 1840s. Because of the greater importance of Lüneburg, the Hanover–Hamburg line, which was opened in 1847, was built on a detour via Lüneburg and Celle rather than on the direct route through Soltau.

After the annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover by Prussia in 1866, the Prussian capital, it was decided to connect Berlin to the ports on the North Sea by the shortest route. This Bremen–Berlin link for industrial traffic would run through Soltau. A "second class" station was planned in the town. Because of the better connection to the trunk road (now federal highway 3), the state commission preferred a location east of today's Celler Straße. At the request of the town of Soltau, however, the station was then built in only three years near Walsroder Straße. The cost of the construction was met by the city of Bremen. On 1 August 1873, the station and line were sold to the Prussian state. The Uelzen–Langwedel railway was opened for goods traffic on 15 April 1873 as part of the line from Berlin to Bremen and on 15 May 1873 for passengers. Until 1886, the Magdeburg–Halberstadt Railway Company (Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahngesellschaft) operated the railway on behalf of the Bremen State Railway. After that it was nationalised and administered by the Eisenbahndirektion (railway division of) Hannover of the Prussian state railways. The element (Han) was added to the station's name to make clear it was located in the Province of Hanover and it still retains it.

The development of the Lüneburg Heath did not have a high priority and so the plans for additional lines were repeatedly postponed. In 1881, a direct connection from Hanover to Walsrode and Soltau was discussed for the first time. However, a request by Hanover in relation to the administrative district of Fallingbostel was rejected for financial reasons. The plans changed several times in the next few years and finally, in 1890, the Hanover–Walsrode railway was extended, not to Soltau, but first towards Visselhövede. Because the citizens in Fallingbostel, in particular, demanded a connection from Walsrode and Soltau, a line was finally approved and it was opened on 30 September 1896. From the beginning, four train pairs ran on the Walsrode–Soltau line, three of them ran through to and from Hanover. The journey from Soltau to Hanover took more than three hours.

In addition, a connection from Soltau to Buchholz, that is towards Hamburg, was opened on 1 October 1901, completing the line now called the Heath Railway. The trip from Hamburg to Soltau took almost four hours—partly due to a long stop in Buchholz and sometimes a requirement to change there. Thus Soltau had become a railway junction, from which trips were possible in all four directions.

At the neighbouring Soltau Süd light railway station, it was possible to transfer to the Celle–Soltau (from 1910), Lüneburg–Soltau (from 1913) and Soltau–Neuenkirchen (from 1920) light railway lines.

In the 1920s, semi-fast trains that stopped only at the main stations also ran on the Heath Railway and, for example, reduced the travel time from Hanover to Soltau to less than two hours. The permissible running speed was raised to 60 km/h on 2 October 1932. In the 1930s, especially on Sundays and public holidays, thousands of day trippers from the cities of Hanover, Altona and Harburg took the train to the heath. The importance of the Soltau station was also evident in its outward appearance, such as the entrance building with its numerous outbuildings and signal boxes as well as the length of the main platforms.

The most significant route was the Uelzen–Langwedel main line, which was also called the America Line because of the emigrants to America who used it. There were also some express services on this line that served Soltau station. For example, in 1939 the timetable showed three D-Züge (long-distance expresses): Berlin–Norddeich Mole (D 102), Berlin–Wilhelmshaven (D 106) and Berlin–Bremen (D 108).

Soltau station under the Nazis

Soltau (Han) station played a tragic role in the transport of prisoners of the Nazis as a supply and junction station, connecting to the concentration camps of Neuengamme and Bergen-Belsen as well as to the east to Sobibór and Auschwitz. The National Socialist People's Welfare ran a soup kitchen at the station and there was a military hospital barracks there.

From about 1942, normal passenger trains, declared as special trains with many "passengers" from the Netherlands, stopped in Soltau and the misery of the prisoners became more and more obvious, especially shortly before the end of the war. In 1945, thousands of concentration camp prisoners, crammed into cattle wagons, were transported through the stations along the Heath Railway. Over 600 people died on the line between Buchholz and Soltau.

There were air raids on Soltau station from 22 February 1945. The tracks were disrupted on 11 April 1945, so that no train operations were possible. The long concentration camp trains remained on the open line. Some inmates escaped in the Oeninger Wald and made their way towards Soltau. Some people in Soltau supported the refugees with food and clothing, but members of the Wehrmacht, the SS and the local Hitler Youth, together with some citizens of Soltau, hunted down the escapees. They drove them together and killed a total of more than a hundred people mostly on the spot.

Developments after the Second World War

The Berlin – Soltau (– Bremen) route was cut after the Second World War by the occupation zone border and lost its national significance. Even after the reunification and the closing of the gap to Salzwedel, the America Line remained a one-track branch line.

Semi-fast train ran from Hamburg-Altona to Altenbeken via Hanover over the Heath Railway through Soltau from the 1950s until the 1970s. After that they terminated in Hanover. From the 1980s, only local trains ran towards Hamburg, usually terminating in Buchholz, requiring a change of trains. Semi-fast trains often ran towards Hanover until the 1990s; these were later replaced by regional trains.

From 1961 onwards, the passenger trains from Lüneburg and Celle Soltau, which had previously terminated in Soltau Süd light railway station, ran directly to Soltau (Han) station to facilitate the transfer. Soltau Süd station was closed to passenger traffic. The operation of trains from Neuenkirchen to the Deutsche Bundesbahn station (and vice versa) would have required a reversal (with locomotive running around); instead, passenger services on this line were closed on 28 May 1961. Passenger traffic was also abandoned between Bergen and Celle on 30 May 1975 and on the Lüneburg–Soltau line from 21 May 1977. Since then, the two line that connect to the freight yard at Soltau Süd station are almost exclusively used by freight trains.

In 1969, the permissible speed on the Hanover–Buchholz line was raised to 80 km/h. Closure of the branch line was considered from time to time from 1978, which led to protests. The Rettet die Heidebahn (save the Heath Railway) association was founded in 1984 and operated more than 70 special trips with a total of 35,000 passengers in the following years. In 1989, after an upgrade of the line, a ceremony was also held in Soltau for the inauguration of the so-called Neuen Heidebahn (new Heath Railway). Numerous special trains ran in the 1990s on the Heath Railway and through Soltau, so there were in 1994, for example, trips to Bad Segeberg, Westerland, Cologne and the island of Rügen.

Current planning and modernisation

From 2005 the establishment of a memorial for the murdered prisoners transported to concentration camps by train in 1945 was discussed, which was originally intended to be located at the station. The discussion about the memorial and its location, in particular an online vote in the Böhme-Zeitung, in which, after a call in a far-right forum, the majority of the participants spoke out against the memorial, caused a stir nationwide. It was finally built in 2007 near the site of the killings in the Forst Sibirien (forest) of stelae modelled directly on those of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial. The choice of location on the outskirts instead of at the centrally-located station also caused criticism. At the beginning of November 2009, the Train of Remembrance (Zug der Erinnerung), which commemorated the children deported to the extermination camps, stopped at Soltau station.

In the autumn of 2010, the platforms were completely renovated and dynamic displays were installed. Already in February of the same year, a new, modern ticket machine was installed.

In December 2011, the erixx railway company took over operations on the Hanover–Buchholz and Uelzen–Bremen routes, the so-called Heidekreuz (heath cross), from DB Regio.

From mid-2013, the Ministry of Transportation of Lower Saxony examined the reactivation of numerous routes for passenger transport. From an original list of 74 railway lines, the line from Soltau to Lüneburg reached the last eight and was thus in the race for recommissioning until the end. However, in the final decision announced in early 2015, it was not one of the three reactivated lines due to its high cost. The Celle–Soltau and Winsen lines were eliminated in the second selection round.

For a long time there were no lifts or elevators at Soltau station, only a platform subway, so that it was very difficult for wheelchairs or passengers with prams, bicycles or heavy luggage to reach all the platforms. Many took a level crossing over the tracks, intended only for railway employees. When Deutsche Bahn (DB) removed this crossing in 2012, it caused a dispute between the town and DB and the former even threatened a lawsuit. DB persisted with its plan, with Soltau station to be made accessible from 2015/2016 during the Heath Railway modernisation. After further delays, the lifts were finally put into operation in June 2017, before the new pedestrian subway had been completed. As part of this modernisation, which has been underway since 2008, the maximum speed will be raised along the entire route to 120 km/h and will shorten the travel time from Hannover to Buchholz by about half an hour.

The modernisation and electrification of the America line is being discussed in order to make the line more attractive, especially for freight traffic. Also as an alternative to the planned Y-Trasse (Y-route) upgrading of the America line is being discussed, which would increase traffic especially on the line in the Soltau urban area and has already led to protests by residents.

Buildings and facilities

Entrance building

The stately entrance building is multi-storey and has a total area of 1770 m²; the associated property is 934 m² gross.

In the 1960s, the station building received a vestibule and was repainted in a bright colour. The apartments in the building are empty and the station restaurant and the luggage counter have been closed for a long time. The building only has a lounge and a kiosk with ticket sales. The station was renovated for around €350,000 in 2004. The station building was repainted and benches and showcases were installed. The subway was cleaned and painted. In September 2008 and March 2009, one wall each of the tunnel underpass was decorated by Soltau pupils with pictures of the town and the theme Stiftung Spiel (foundation game).

Deutsche Bahn sold the Soltau station building to a private individual for €72,000 on 4 April 2014. The lounge and kiosk have been open since the sale, but nothing is known about the planned future use of the building.

Signal boxes and outbuildings

The station had three mechanical signal boxes of the  Einheit class of 1935, which are still in operation: dispatcher's signal box Smf and two turnout signal boxes So and Sw. The former express shed is connected to the entrance building.

The building also formerly had a goods shed annexed and there was a locomotive yard. To the east were two toilet buildings (latrines), two stables and a residence. On the south side were the facilities of the locomotive yard with a four-stall shed, a coal store, oil store and a washing stall. The Bahnmeisterei (the office of the head of track maintenance) lay west of the ramps of the loading road.

Soltau station changed little over time. Some outbuildings have been demolished and there is now a bus station. The local Social Democratic Party of Germany has set up an office in the express goods shed and a sheltered workshop in the depot.

Railway tracks and platforms

Soltau station has three platforms, which are connected by a pedestrian tunnel. There are four tracks available for passenger traffic. The platform next to the entrance building gives access to track 1 (Uelzen–Langwedel railway), there is an island platform for tracks 2 (Langwedel – Uelzen) and 5 OST (Buchholz – Walsrode/Langwedel) as well as an "intermediate" platform (which has only one platform edge and is only accessible by level crossing) on track 7 (Langwedel/Walsrode – Buchholz).

Track 3 is used as a siding and a headshunt towards Langwedel and track 4 for freight traffic. Track 6 and track section 5 WES are still used as sidings by Deutsche Bahn. There are other sidings.

Transport services

Passenger services
Currently only the Heath Railway and the America Line are served by passenger services at Soltau (Han) station. The two lines are operated by the private railway company erixx. The Heath Railway from Hanover to Buchholz generally stops hourly, the Uelzen–Bremen line is usually served every two hours.

In passenger transport, Soltau station is now mainly used by commuters, students and day trippers to the Heide Park, the Soltau Therme (spa) or the Designer Outlet Soltau. According to Deutsche Bahn information, 1,237 people use the station each day as a destination and transfer point (as of November 2013). Soltau station has belonged since 1 January 2008 to the HVV area for season tickets. It is also planned to extend the GVH area to cover the station.

Occasionally the lines of the OHE to Lüneburg and Celle are used by individual heritage railway trips, for instance the Heide Express operated by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verkehrsfreunde Lüneburg e. V. In addition, the Ameisenbär (anteater), a historic railcar of the Wismar class from 1937 is operated in the summer from Soltau via Bispingen to Döhle.

Freight

The freight facilities were located in the northwest part of the station. They are no longer in operation. Some buildings have been preserved, but the yard has lost its sidings and is no longer owned by Deutsche Bahn. They are used commercially. The street name of Am Güterbahnhof (at the freight yard) recalls its earlier use. Soltau (Han) station itself is usually no longer used for freight transport as it is handled at the freight yard at the Soltau (Han) Süd station of the Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen (OHE), which is only a few hundred metres away and has a track connection. The station is therefore affected mainly by through traffic.

Bus services
Directly in front of the station there is a bus stop. Nine bus lines of the Verkehrsgemeinschaft Nordost-Niedersachsen (VNN) connect the station with the surrounding towns of Schneverdingen (Linie 106), Bispingen (154), Neuenkirchen (205), Munster (305) or Wietzendorf (355) and the Soltau suburbs. Special services to Heide-Park and Designer Outlet Soltau are also operated.

Numerous tour operators also operate to Soltau (Han) station. Until April 2014, the station was a stop of the daily Cuxhaven–Berlin long-distance bus route operated by Berlin Linien Bus-Gesellschaft.

References

Footnotes

Sources
  (loose leaf collection, 5 volumes, 1995–2010)

External links

Railway stations in Lower Saxony
Railway stations in Germany opened in 1873
Soltau

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text:
About: Now
About: Then
Dissertation Resources
Rock the Exam
"Feminist Killjoys." The Promise of Happiness
"Immigration, Citizenship, Racialization: Asian American Critique"
America's Asia: Racial Form and American Literature, 1893-1945
American Narratives: Multiethnic Writing in the Age of Realism
Berlant: The Female Complaint
Bhabha's DissemiNation: Stream of Consciousness Style
Contesting Culture: "Westernization, Respect for Cultures, and Third-World Feminists
Feminism on the Border: Chicana Gender Politics and Literature
Feminism Without Borders
Inclusive Feminism
Interracial Encounters: Reciprocal Representations in African American and Asian American Literatures, 1896-1937
New Femininities
No Future: Queer Theory and the Death Drive
Projansky: "The Postfeminist Context"
Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times
The Disappearance of Childhood
The Modern Girl Around the World
The Third Space of Sovereignty: The Post-colonial Politics of U.S.-Indigenous Relations
Transnational America
Urban Triage: Race and the Fictions of Multiculturalism
"Cultural Citizenship, Inequality, and Multiculturalism" Renato Rosaldo
"Illegal status and Social Citizenship: Thoughts on Mexican Immigrants in a Postnational World."
Ph.D.s and Pigtails
Girlhoods, Grad School, and Popular Culture
Girl Meets World: Pilot Review
by Kasey
Like a lot of people in my generation, Boy Meets World was an important part of my formative years. Cory and Topanga were my favorite love story. Feeney was my role model. All that. As a life-long fan of Boy Meets World, I was doubtful that Disney could recapture that magic. As a girlhood studies scholar and a big sister and a human, I was hopeful that the show could introduce BMW to a new generation.
On Friday, Disney made the pilot of Girl Meets World available on iTunes for free. (YES!) It airs on the Disney Channel on June 27th.
In the pilot. "Girl Meets World," Cory and Topanga's daughter, Riley, is trying to assert her independence and reinvent herself to be more like her best friend Maya, a bad girl strongly reminiscent of Cory's BFF Shawn. Meanwhile, Riley leads a rebellion in Cory's history class, fighting against the tyranny of homework. As Riley tries to become like Maya and Maya tries to get Riley to stop trying to save her and Cory tries to stop Riley from changing while also encouraging to "make the world hers," the episode clearly centers on themes about being oneself while taking control of one's life.
Girl Meets World is clearly very closely adapted from Boy Meets World. It's built around a friendship of a rule-follower and a rebel, there's a Minkus character–Farkle Minkus (who seems like a mix of Minkus and early Topanga). Cory is the history teacher set up to be a combination of Cory, his dad, and Mr. Feeney. It also seems like Lucas may be Riley's Topanga, but it's too soon to tell.
Still, as far as pilots go, Girl Meets World was pretty hit and miss. The characters are there and show plenty of potential for developing into the kind of endearing and complex characters we loved in BMW, but the dialogue hasn't found its pace yet. The pilot was basically very, very cheesy. For example, the episode starts with Riley and Maya sneaking out the window to sneak onto the subway only to be caught by Cory who sends them out the front door to get on the subway. Riley asks, "How long do I have to live in your world?" To which Cory replies, "Until you make it yours." And that was before the opening credits. Basically, the type of sappy lesson-spinning that is to be expected at the end of the episode (Feeeneeey!) was piled on from start to finish.
Here's a run down of some of the hits and misses of the episode:
Like I said, the characters are off to a good start.
While Riley seems really goofy, like her dad. Maya had some pretty snappy lines, including: "Let me show you everything you need to know about boys and girls. Hi, I'm Maya. You're really cute. We should hang out sometime. You make me really happy. You don't pay enough attention to me. This isn't working out. It's you, not me. We can still be friends. Not really."
Riley to Topanga in a line delivery that is very vintage-Cory: ""My teacher followed me home. Can we keep him? Can we keep him? Please say nooo."
It's nice to see a strong father-daughter relationship as well as father-mother and mother-daughter relationships. The push-pull between Cory and Riley comes off as affectionate and supportive of her finding her way while also sometimes too worried. For example: "Do you really think I'm one of those girls who follows all of the rules and never gets into trouble?" "I was hopin'"
The episode does feature a pretty strong message about being yourself in sometimes nuanced ways. As Riley tries to become Maya she faces resistance from Maya who tells her not to try to save her and from Cory who wants them both to stay out of trouble. When Maya sets off the fire sprinklers during her protest against homework, Riley asserts that she deserves dentition too because she got involved. Cory responds: "No you didn't. And because you didn't your best friend is in very big trouble." In the moment, Cory's assertion is more against Riley's passivity than her getting in trouble. Later, he continues "You were so busy trying to be her, Riley, you forgot the best thing you can do for her is to be you." The groundwork is clearly being laid for a similar pattern to Cory and Shawn in which they get in trouble together but Riley ultimately serves as the moral compass who keeps them from going too far–and that's what Cory's mad at Maya for–going too far.
Misses:
The show takes place in NYC and still all the characters are white except some people in the background and a token sassy black woman on the subway.
Cory reduces the Civil War to a lesson about standing up for what you believe in and "History shows that bad things happen when you don't know who you are."
Cory also vaguely threatens to kill Lucas in the El Paso border region, which we know is pretty violent. Yikes.
Not much real conflict in the episode and therefore it's solved pretty ridiculously easy.
Perhaps this will come later, but I think it would have been more meaningful to have Cory assert his love for Maya rather than have Riley do it. While it was great to have the authority expressed by a girl, the lesson came off as really corny while having Cory look out for Maya more directly may have been more effective and more Feeney-like.
Did you watch Girl Meets World? What did you think?
Stay tuned for more as the show airs.
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Ph.D.s and Pigtails by Kasey Butcher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Ph.D. in multicultural American literature. Research interests include girlhood, citizenship, transnational feminism, education, & media. In other words, I drink a lot of coffee and read big books & Teen Vogue.

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text:
Q: Update Manager -
Possible Duplicate:
How can I fix a 404 Error using a PPA?

I'm quit new to Ubuntu and i still getting settled.
But i came across an error that's been bugging me.
Can't update
Failed to download repository information

Check your Internet connection

.
detail:
W:Failed to fetch http-://ppa.launchpad.net/ferramroberto/java/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/source/Sources  404  Not Found
, W:Failed to fetch http-://ppa.launchpad.net/ferramroberto/java/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/binary-i386/Packages  404  Not Found
, W:Failed to fetch http-://ppa.launchpad.net/unity-team/hud/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/source/Sources  404  Not Found
, W:Failed to fetch http-://ppa.launchpad.net/unity-team/hud/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/binary-i386/Packages  404  Not Found
, E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead

I've seen some of this problems around but still can't find out what is wrong :/ (using 12.04 btw)
Any help is really appreciated
thanks in advance

A: The dash after http:// looks weird: http-://ppa.launchpad.net/ferramroberto/java/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/source/Sources
Also, those PPAs seem to have been removed:
http://ppa.launchpad.net/unity-team/hud/ubuntu/dists/
there should be a precise directory here but it's empty? I suggest you check with the people who maintain these PPAs for replacements, but it seems to me like they're not working anymore and you should remove them.
This question has good information on how to remove non-working PPAs: How can I fix a 404 Error when using a PPA or updating my package lists? (taken from Jorge's comment).

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Are you superstitious? Do you think it's no harm and it's sometimes better to perform or not some silly ritualistic action, just in case?
…If you do, congratulations. You have been manipulated by the devil into serving him while thinking you're doing nothing wrong and your actions are all coming from your own sacrosanct Free Will and ideas of problem solving. That's the crowning act of the Great Pretender, you know, and knowing of it is a key prerequisite to fighting it. Truth will make one free, that's a Biblical saying, and Truth is the Word of God. So knowing of the manipulation, that's for the congratulations part, as one can't take action against something one doesn't know of.
Remember how I have sometimes complained that we Bulgarians are still pagans? When I was a baby, I had a red thread around my wrist, to protect me against bad eyes. Countless people wear a red thread today, and, championed by Madonna and other celebrities, it has become a fashion accessory.
From an Orthodox perspective, the problem with superstition is that people, created in the image of God, lose all chances to achieve His likeness because they take away their faith in His Word and place it in created things – threads, stones, lucky charms, numbers, the stars, you name it – which are inferior to them. In this way they burn their bridges to God, the Uncreated as per the Creed, and lose all chances of being guided by divine wisdom when they need it. Given that nature tolerates no void, the place in the human soul freed up by God is promptly filled in by the devil who champs at having won over yet another disciple.
Please be aware that in talking of God and the Devil, I am not suggesting dualism of Good and evil (small e) existing on an equal footing and fighting for dominion to spite each other like ancient Greek deities. Good is the Way, and Truth, and Life, while evil is good fallen because of pride. So evil is ontologically inferior to Good, and it is indeed below the dignity of man as God's creation to serve it. Similarly to how things stand in law, cluelessness does not make wrongdoings any less important, and cluelessness is in fact what evil mostly relies on.
In line with this, I have for a long time wondered at the following phenomenon. Whenever Bulgarian media report of any day being this or that Orthodox holiday, they say the Orthodox Church commemorates this or that occasion in one short sentence. The next sentence is about the folk calendar for the same day that has added to the ecclesiastical occasion all sorts of practices and clairvoyances that have nothing to do with the Orthodox saint celebrated whatsoever. So how about that – On June 24 the Orthodox Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist. In the folk calendar, June 24 is the day when herbs are believed to have the greatest healing powers. Herbs are collected at dawn, are dipped in "silent" water – brought from a clear spring by unmarried girls in total silence the night before – and everybody's head is sprinkled, with wishes for health and luck. Then a kurban – meaning oily meat stew meant to appease or thank God – is cooked and is eaten at the village square. No housework and laundry are allowed, as they are believed to cause hails.
I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions…While I am not quite supportive of hard-line clerics calling folk music pagan, I do call on media to refrain from announcing church and folk holidays together in this glib egalitarian fashion as part of the right to information, as, again, this suggests an equal footing and interconnection between the two festivities, which is not the case.
If anyone wishes to gaze into the silent water to see whom the're going to marry, more power to them, but let's at least not associate that with the Orthodox tradition, as this is not in the least part of anything it stands for.
Another thing, apart from interconnecting clairvoyance and sorcery with God, that the devil uses to sever man's ties to God, is making people want to celebrate "imported" holidays because they're fun, create social occasions, and come along with cool merchandise. But indeed, the next time one feels the urge to celebrate Halloween masked as a decomposing corpse, one had better take a selfie with one at an actual funeral. Quite another league compared with selfies on trains and on top of skyscrapers. Also, instead of bemoaning one's lack of a partner ahead of St. Valentine's Day, one should perhaps ponder their state of literacy ahead of the Saints Cyril and Methodius days on May 11 and May 24.
Right now, I stop indulging in sweet indignation, as this may be pride in disguise. I hope this post might be useful to somebody and help them in some little way get rid of confessional clutter.
* This post owes a lot to books Encounters with Life and Encounters with death, by priest Vladimir Doychev, and a treatise on the superstitions among today's Christians by monks Vissarion Zografski and Joan Filipov of Mount Athos.


text:
Imop
Intercomparisons
Past cimo intercomparisons
Activity Areas (1)
Instruments and Methods of Observation Programme (IMOP)
Past Intercomparisons
Intercomparisoned instruments
Pyrheliometer
High Quality Radiosonde Systems
Yangjiang
Thermometer Screens/Shields and Humidity Measuring Instruments
Ghardaïa
Field Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges
Vigna di Valle
Sub-Regional Pyranometer of the RA VI members from South-Eastern Europe
Pyrheliometers
Vacoas, Mauritius
Laboratory Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges
France, Netherlands, Italy
GPS Radiosondes
WMO Intercomparison of Pyrheliometer
Davos, Switzerland (September - October 2010)
Final Report (2011)
The 11th international Pyheliometer Comparison (IPC-XI) was held together with Regional Pyrheliometer Comparisons (RPCs) of all WMO Regional Associations (RA | to RA IV) from 27 September through 15 October 2010 at the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos/World Radiation Centre (PMOD/WRC) in Davos, Switzerland.
The results presented in this report are based on the measurements carried out during the three weeks assigned to the IPC-XI. The favorable weather conditions allowed to acquire a large number of calibration points for most participating instruments. Cloudy and overcast days were used for technical preparations and training of participants as well as for a the IPC-XI symposium and Course on Radiation Measurement. A Saharan Dust Event (SDE) affected the measurements during several days starting October 8th. Analyzing the effect of the SDE on different types of instruments led to interesting findings which are summaries dedicated section of this report.
top of this page
WMO Intercomparison of High Quality Radiosonde Systems
Yangjiang (July - August 2010)
The 8th WMO Intercomparison of High Quality Radiosonde Systems held in China in July
2010 has produced a large data set on the performance of new operational radiosonde
designs, backed up by measurements from Scientific Sounding Instrumentation. This was the result of China supporting this test very actively, and very good collaboration with the
various manufacturers.
This allows recommendations as to the radiosonde designs that are potentially suitable for the GRUAN network operations and those which are suitable for routine operations, together
with recommendations to improve systems without excessive development expenditure.
At night, most radiosonde systems can provide temperature measurements of suitable quality for both weather and climate work. In the day, many designs need improvement to the sensor exposure to improve the reproducibility of measurements near 10 hPa, and some further testing are needed to reduce the systematic bias between the various radiosondes at these upper levels. With more documentation, several systems have potential for use in GRUAN operations.
The relative humidity sensors tested in Yangjiang had good reproducibility, but several types had large systematic errors at all heights in the troposphere, and the origin of these needs to be identified and rectified as soon as possible. Several systems showed potential for observing relative humidity in the upper troposphere in the tropics, and the new correction schemes seem to have good potential for future observations. It was possible to check the measurements in cloud, using cloud radar (up to 15 km) and ceilometer observations (up to 12 km) to identify some of the clouds. Thus, with more documentation several systems have potential for use in GRUAN operations.
GPS height measurements are very reproducible, and are clearly suitable for all radiosonde
operations, given that the equipment is initiated correctly. On the other hand, cheaper
radiosondes may be used by exploiting systems such as the Chinese secondary radar for good quality operational results.
Thus, where GPS radiosondes are set up correctly, pressure can be deduced from the
geopotential heights and the radiosonde measurements of temperature and relative humidity
As a result of the test, many errors in the various quality radiosonde systems were identified and subsequently rectified ensuring improved accuracy for future radiosondes.
The Radiosonde Comparison was performed as a first collaboration between CIMO and a
range of climate scientists associated with GCOS and GRUAN, as part of a WIGOS Pilot
Project.
WMO Field Intercomparison of Thermometer Screens/Shields and Humidity Measuring Instruments
Ghardaïa (November 2008 - October 2009)
The WMO Field intercomparison of thermometer screens and humidity measuring
instruments was held from the 1st of November 2008 to the 31st of October 2009, at the
meteorological station of Ghardaïa, Algeria.
The need of a combined intercomparison of thermometer screens/shields and humidity
measuring instruments in hot desert conditions was identified in 2003. The site of
Ghardaïa, Algeria, was proposed by the Algerian National Weather Service (ONM) and
accepted by the ET & IOC in 2006.
This intercomparison hosted:
− 18 different types of screens/shields both ventilated (7) and non-ventilated (11),
most of them installed in pairs (the total number being 29);
− 2 wind sensors from the manufacturer Thies (Germany) for evaluating ultrasonic
temperature measurement (proposed by DWD);
− 8 different types of humidity sensors, most of them installed in pairs (the total
number being 17)
Météo-France supplied calibrated Pt100 probes for most of the screens. All humidity
sensors were delivered to Trappes for calibration in agreement with the manufacturers. An
on-site calibration was also performed for a subset of the hygrometers.
The ONM prepared the experimental field and installed 36 platforms for the selected
screens/shields and the ancillary sensors (radiation sensors, 2-meter wind, ground
temperature…).
All data were filtered with quality control procedures. Over the 12 months period of the
intercomparison, more than 500 000 minutes of data are available for the majority of the
screens and hygrometers, allowing a deep data analysis.
Generally the intercomparison was successful. It experienced problems in its schedule,
due to customs constraints and electrical grounding problems at the beginning.
WMO Field Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges
Vigna di Valle (October 2007 - April 2009)
The WMO Field Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity (RI) Gauges was conducted from
1 October 2007 to 30 April 2009, in the Centre of Meteorological Experimentations (ReSMA) of the Italian Meteorological Service, in Vigna di Valle, Italy. It was organized following the request of users and the recommendation of CIMO-XIV.
Heavy rainfall is generally the origin of flash floods. In view of the very high variability of the rainfall intensity, measurements at a 1-minute time scale are crucial to enable proper measures be taken to mitigate the impact of such events and save lives, property and infrastructures. As the return period of heavy rainfall events is large, long-term records of rainfall intensity data are needed to estimate the probability of occurrence of heavy rainfall at a given location and time. Such measurements would also be used for better design of structures (building, construction works) and infrastructure (drainage) to mitigate severe weather impact.
This intercomparison hosted 25 different rainfall intensity gauges. The majority of these instruments were catching type gauges comprising tipping-bucket gauges, weighing gauges and one water level gauge. Non-catching rain gauges were represented by optical and impact disdrometers, one optical/capacitive gauge and one microwave radar gauge. This intercomparison was unique as to the number of instruments and variability of techniques used.
The main objective of this intercomparison was to intercompare the performance of in-situ
rainfall intensity instruments of different measuring principles, with special consideration given to high rainfall intensities. Further objectives were to offer advice on improvements of instruments and precipitation measurements.
Prior to installation in the field all reference gauges and the catching type instruments were calibrated in the WMO recognized laboratory at the University of Genoa. Calibration procedures were based on recommendations of the previous WMO Laboratory Intercomparison of RI Gauges (2004-2005) which were further developed to allow an assessment of the 1-minute measurement uncertainty under constant flow conditions. Additionally all catching gauges were subject to a step response test to assess their dynamic response.
In the field, all gauges were compared with a RI composite working reference consisting of
a set of three reference rain gauges in a standard pit.
The results of the intercomparison confirmed the feasibility to measure and compare rainfall
intensities on a one minute time scale and provided information on the achievable measurement uncertainties. Due to the very high variability of rainfall intensity, the time synchronization of the instruments is crucial to compare their measurements and to design the measurement systems, as two successive 1-minute rainfall intensity measurements can differ much more than the measurements of two well synchronized instruments.
The uncertainty of the RI composite working reference in the pit was evaluated to be 4.3
mm/h, leading to a relative uncertainty below 5% above 90 mm/h and higher than the 5%
measurement uncertainty required by WMO below 90 mm/h.
It is recommended that rainfall intensity measurements be further standardized at an
international level and based on knowledge obtained from this intercomparison to allow the users to obtain homogeneous and compatible data sets. The procedure adopted for performing calibration tests in the laboratory should become a standard method to be used for assessing the instruments' performance. Acceptance tests could be based on the adopted laboratory procedures and standards. A classification of instrument performance should also be developed to help users in selecting the proper instrument for their applications.
The intercomparison results confirmed that uncorrected tipping bucket rain gauges should
be corrected. Very good results can be achieved by software correction methods. Catching gauges that do not use a funnel are sensitive to environmental factors, affecting the measurements of some instruments. It was found that proper techniques can be used to reduce the noise in the measurements.
It was found that manufacturers need to improve their documentation, and users should
contact manufacturers for additional guidance, as how to best operate their instruments for various applications.
The Intercomparison high quality data set (1-min rainfall intensity data) constitutes an
important scientific resource that should be further exploited beyond the objectives of the present data analysis.
It is also recommended that the developed expertise and the infrastructure of the sites, both the field and the laboratory facilities, be further exploited within WMO.
WMO Laboratory Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity Gauges
De Bilt, Genoa, Trappes (September 2004 - September 2005)
Final Report (January 2006)
The WMO Laboratory Intercomparison of Rainfall Intensity (RI) Gauges was held from September 2004 to September 2005 in the laboratories of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (The Netherlands), Météo-France (France) and the Department of Environmental Engineering of University of Genoa (Italy) in collaboration with the Italian Meteorological Service.
No intercomparisons of instruments for the measurement of RI had been organized so far. Following the recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Rainfall Intensity Measurements, Bratislava, Slovakia, April 2001, it was proposed, as the first and necessary step, to organize an intercomparison of RI instruments in the laboratory conditions. Some laboratory tests of rain gauges were done and reported in the literature, however no intercomparison of RI instruments, in one or several laboratories, had been conducted.
The main objective of the Intercomparison was to test the performance of catchment type rainfall intensity gauges of different measuring principles under documented conditions. Other objectives were to define a standardized procedure for laboratory calibration of catchment type rain gauges, and to provide information relevant to improving the homogeneity of rainfall time series with special consideration given to high rainfall intensities. Finally, a comment on the need to proceed with a field intercomparison of catchment type of RI gauges was required as well as to identify and recommend the most suitable method and equipment for reference purposes within the field intercomparison of catching and non-catching types of gauges.
The CIMO Project Team consisted of the Chair of the Expert Team (ET) and the International Organizing Committee (IOC) on Surface-Based Instrument Intercomparisons, the Project Leader and three Site Managers, coordinated the work of the laboratories involved in the intercomparison. The 19 pairs of participating instruments from 18 manufacturers were divided into three groups, with each group being tested for a period of about three to six months in each of the laboratories, in order to obtain a high degree of confidence in the results. The first phase of tests had successfully concluded by 15 February, the second by 15 May 2005 and the third by September 2005. All the cost related to laboratory intercomparisons was born by the laboratories and the manufacturers involved.
The majority of the participating instruments were tipping-bucket gauges, which are the most widely used in operational networks. Second group of instruments were weighing gauges; the third group consisted of two participating instruments only using a non-common measuring principle, namely, a water level based on conductivity measure.
A general methodology was adopted for the tests, based on the generation of a constant water flow from a suitable hydraulic device within the range of operational use declared by the instrument's manufacturer. The water was conveyed to the funnel of the instrument under test in order to simulate constant rainwater intensity. The flow was measured by weighing the water over a given period of time. The relative difference between the measured and generated rainfall intensity was assumed as the relative error of the instrument for the given reference flow rate. In addition to measurements based on constant flow rates, the step response of each instrument was checked based on the suitable devices developed by each laboratory.
Each laboratory developed its own testing device, with some differences in the principle and technology used to generate a constant water flow, as well as in the way the water is weighed in the device. These provided a basis for the development of a standardized procedure for generating consistent and repeatable precipitation flow rates for possible adoption as a laboratory standard for calibration of catchment type RI gauges.
The results of the Intercomparison showed that the tipping-bucket rain gauges that were equipped with proper correction software provided good quality rainfall intensity measurements. The gauges where no correction was applied had larger errors. In some cases problems of water storage in the funnel occurred that could limit the usable range for rain intensity measurement.
The uncertainty of the rainfall intensity is generally less for weighing gauges than for the tipping-bucket rain gauges under constant flow rate condition, provided the instrument is properly stabilized. The measurement of rainfall intensity is affected by the response time of the acquisition system. Significant delays were observed in "sensing" time variation of the RI by weighing gauges. The delay is the result of the internal software which is intended to filter the noise. Only one instrument had a delay that met the WMO 1-minute rainfall intensity requirement.
The two gauges using a conductivity measurement for determining water level showed good performances in terms of uncertainty under controlled laboratory conditions. Siphoning problems for one gauge limits its ability to measure a wide range of rainfall intensity. For the other one, a limitation is related to the emptying mechanism, in which case 2-minute delay was observed. These gauges are potentially sensitive to the water conductivity, with no demonstrated problems during the laboratory tests.
The laboratory tests were performed under controlled conditions and constant flow rates (rainfall intensities) so as to determine the intrinsic counting errors. It must be considered that RI is highly variable in time, thus catching errors may have a strong influence on the overall uncertainty of the measurement. The need to combine the assessment of both counting and catching errors for the instrument analyzed in the laboratory is paramount. Provided the instrument is properly installed in the field, according to the WMO specifications, the question to be answered is what kind of instrument (measuring principle, manufacturer, model) is the most suited to the specific requirements of the user. This question cannot be answered based on the laboratory Intercomparison alone, although the results obtained can provide preliminary information to manufacturers and the first-step selection criterion for the user.
Therefore, it is necessary to proceed with the quality assessment procedure initiated in the laboratory by organizing a follow-up Intercomparison in the field where the instruments tested in the laboratory should have a priority. This would allow continuity in the performance assessment procedure and result in the estimation of the overall operational error to be expected in the measurement of RI in the field. Also other instruments would be included in the field intercomparison, even if not tested in the laboratory phase, with a priority given to the non-catching type of instruments.
For the Field Intercomparison a working reference rain gauge(s) should be inserted in a pit according to the EN-13798 standard Reference Raingauge Pit, adopted by ISO, in order to minimize the effect of weather related errors on the measured rainfall intensities. According to the results of the laboratory intercomparison, it is recommended to select the best performing dynamically corrected tipping bucket rain gauge(s) and the weighing gauge(s) showing the shortest step response and the lowest uncertainty as reference gauges. The combined analysis of the reference gauges allows the best possible estimation of the rainfall intensity in the field, given their demonstrated performance in the laboratory. The use of one reference instrument alone is not recommended.
Finally, the improvement of the uncertainty of RI gauges introduces the risk of affecting the homogeneity of rainfall time series. The improvement of the measurement of RI may produce a discontinuity of the historical rainfall intensities records, which could influence especially the studies of extreme events. The bias introduced by non-corrected records propagates through any rainfall-runoff model down to the statistics of flow rates in water courses, with non negligible effects on the study of floods and flash floods. An example of the correction of the historical rainfall series was demonstrated using the result of the laboratory intercomparison.
Sub-Regional Pyranometer Intercomparison of the RA VI members from South-Eastern Europe
Split , Croatia (July - August 2007)
With the great support of WMO Secretariat and World Radiation Centre, MHSC has
conducted the first international pyranometer intercomparison in the south-eastern part of Europe.
Favourable, sunny weather enabled acquiring a large amount of data for a reasonable
evaluation of the pyranometers participated in the Intercomparison.
Reference value obtained by three recently calibrated pyranometers represented a reliable
basis for further calculations.
Large number of data used for statistics assured reasonable confidence in the calculated
calibration factors. Available auxiliary data could be linked to the calibration factors and considered during future comparisons of the calibration factors for similar conditions.
Generally, slight underestimation of the global solar radiation by the participating
instruments could be addressed also to the degradation of their sensitivity (some of them haven't been calibrated for more than 15 years) or to different type of sensors. Further detailed analyses with the use of available auxiliary data and comparison with previous calibrations and corresponding condition could enable better understanding of calibration factors behaviour.
A larger standard deviation of few pyranometers was a consequence of the larger
dispersion of the measurements.
Although there were some unexpected organisational and infrastructural irregularities,
generally it is believed that the Intercomparison could provide some useful experiences and results for the participants, as well as the community involved in this issue from the sub-region, especially in the field of improving accuracy and assuring traceability of the global solar radiation measurement.
Davos, Switzerland (September-October 2005)
Under the auspices of the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation (CIMO), the Tenth International Pyrheliometer Comparison (IPC-X) was held together with the Regional Pyrheliometer Comparisons of all WMO Regions from 26 September through 14 October 2005 at the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos/World Radiation Centre (PMOD/WRC) in Davos, Switzerland.
The results presented in this report are based on the measurements carried out during the three weeks assigned to the IPC-X. The favorable weather conditions allowed to acquire a record number of calibration points for most participating instruments. Cloudy and overcast days were used for technical preparations and training of participates as well as for a the IPC-X symposium.
Vacoas, Mauritius (February 2005)
The WMO Intercomparison of High Quality Radiosonde Systems, held in Vacoas, Mauritius, 2-25 February 2005, was organized because a new generation of radiosondes is being introduced into most of the global upper air network. Six operational radiosonde systems (Vaisala, Sippican, Modem, MEISEI Electric Co., Graw Radiosondes and Meteolabor) participated in the intercomparison, which consisted of 62 successful comparison flights. In addition Sippican MKII, 3 thermistor radiosondes were flown to provide a daytime "working reference" for temperature and the Snow-white chilled mirror hygrometer as a "working reference" for dewpoint/relative humidity. The working references were flown within the intercomparison to provide additional evidence on the accuracy of the operational radiosondes. The intercomparison was intended to identify any significant flaws in the new radiosonde designs, so that these could be rectified before use became widespread in the operational radiosonde networks. The following is the summary of results.
Measurements of wind by the GPS radiosonde systems were of good availability and quality. Preparing the GPS radiosondes for flight is now much easier than in the intercomparison in Brazil in 2001. The GPS heights measured by the GPS radiosondes were so accurate that in most situations there is no longer any need to use a pressure sensor on a GPS radiosonde. The Intercomparison in Mauritius demonstrated that errors identified in the WMO Intercomparison of GPS Radiosondes in Brazil have mostly been rectified. Temperature, pressure and relative humidity measurements by the radiosondes agreed more closely than in any of the earlier WMO Radiosonde Intercomparisons.
Thus, all radiosondes in this Intercomparison were judged to merit the designation of high quality radiosonde and were of better quality than in the previous WMO Radiosonde Intercomparison in Brazil. Whilst much progress has followed from major investments by the main manufacturer, the smaller manufacturers have also contributed with significant innovations generating a more competitive environment.
Some problems remain in most systems tested. When rectified these will further improve radiosonde measurement quality (including long term stability of measurement quality). This should produce a stability in radiosonde measurements that has not been present in earlier generations of radiosondes.
Manufacturers need to consider from the evidence in the report whether their radiosonde measurements need:
· Hydrophobic coatings on temperature sensors;
· Improved sensor exposure for daytime temperature measurements in the stratosphere;
· Prevention of chemical contamination of relative humidity sensors during storage;
· Procedures to minimize the effects of water contamination on humidity sensors after emerging from cloud;
· Procedures to minimize the effects of ice contamination on humidity sensors after emerging from cloud at all temperatures in the middle and upper troposphere;
· Improved procedures to eliminate low bias in daytime relative humidity caused by the humidity sensor observing at a higher temperature than the reported temperature (software correction or direct measurement of humidity sensor temperature?).
The working reference systems proved very useful in interpreting results from the Intercomparison, but were not developed to the stage that they could be used as stand alone references in the type of conditions experienced in Mauritius.
Recommendations on suitable radiosondes for future climate observing networks are presented. Most of the radiosondes tested in Mauritius could be brought up to a standard suitable for this work. Thus, it is suggested that the best traceable upper air measurement record might be obtained by successive measurements by two of the best operational radiosonde types at one observing site. The use of two different types launched with relatively small time separations would allow possible changes in the measurement quality of either radiosonde type to be identified. For temperature measurements there is a large range of suitable sensors. For water vapour/ relative humidity the range of sensor type is much more limited and further development of new sensors could be beneficial.
The two radiosonde systems currently closest to the standards required for climate measurements to the highest levels in the tropics (pressures as low as 5 hPa) were Vaisala RS92-SGP and Sippican LMS-5. However, it is expected that several of the other systems will be close to this standard shortly, and could possibly offer cheaper consumable costs in the long term.
The use of GPS radiosondes without a pressure sensor, tested in 2001 for MODEM and Sippican in the WMO GPS Radiosonde Comparison in Brazil, and also used by Meisei in Mauritius, was found to offer a reliable method of reducing consumable costs.
The system developed by Graw demonstrates how GPS radiosonde systems can be developed to make setting up and operations extremely easy for unskilled staff.
The SRS digital radiosonde system proved a very reliable method of flying the Snow White chilled mirror hygrometer, with much less operational trouble than was experienced with the Sippican/Snow White combination in Brazil intercomparison.
An extended list of recommendations and conclusions can be found within the relevant sections of the report.
This Intercomparison was performed in Mauritius under the management of a small WMO Project Team. The team was responsible for the conduct of the test and for training of local staff from Mauritius Meteorological Services. The Intercomparison demonstrated that the local staff was experienced enough and could be trained quickly in more advanced test procedures. This resulted in an improved morale and knowledge within the Mauritius Meteorological Services. The deployment of a WMO Project Team to supervise the test was successful, however, for future tests it should be recognized that the supervisory work involves a lot of real time consultation with the participants and is much more than purely managing the test procedures. This consultation period extended for several months after the completion of the test and was not just limited to the time during the intercomparison.
WMO Intercomparison of GPS Radiosondes
Alcantara, Brazil (May-June 2001)
Executive Summary Report (April 2003)
At the invitation of INMET/Brazil, between 20 May and 10 June 2001, under tropical weather conditions, took place the WMO Intercomparison of GPS Radiosondes, at the Alcantara Air Force Satellite/Rocket Launch Centre. The trials were carried out in accordance with the recommendations developed by the International Organizing Committee (IOC) (Final Report). During the project, led by Dr. Reinaldo da Silveira (INMET), the performance of the main types of GPS-radiosonde currently used for operational measurements was tested in over 40 comparison flights. The GPS-radiosonde involved were: Vaisala RS80-15G and Vaisala RS90-AG (Finland); Sippican MKII (USA); Geolink GPSonde GL98 (France); and Dr Graw Messgeräte DFM-97(Germany).
All the GPS wind measurement systems produced high quality wind data (with errors much less than 1 ms-1) when working correctly. Some systems had more malfunctions during flight than others. Another objective was to obtain more detailed information on the performance of humidity sensors, so it was highly appreciated that "Snow-White" chilled mirror hygrometers (Meteolabor/Switzerland) were coupled to the Sippican radiosondes on 20 flights. Preliminary results of humidity comparisons revealed that significant differences between the two commonly used radiosonde relative humidity sensors have still not been resolved. On most flights relative humidity varied a great deal with height, with many ascents passing through upper cloud. The difference in sensitivity and absolute calibration in upper cloud between the older humidity sensors and some of the newer designs can readily be quantified. Results for both wind and relative humidity will be significant in improving the operational reliability of radiosonde designs. Following the completion of the data analysis, the Executive Summary Report has been published under IOM No. 76, TD-1153.
The facilities and support provided by the Brazilian Air Force at Alcantara to participants from Brazil, France, Finland, Germany, UK and USA were excellent and underpinned the success of the experiment.
WMO Ninth International Pyrheliometer Comparison
(IPC-IX)Davos, Switzerland (September-October 2000)
The Ninth International Pyrheliometer Comparison (IPC-IX), conjointly held with Regional Pyrheliometer Comparisons (RPCs), was carried out at the World Radiation Center (WRC/PMOD) Davos, Switzerland, from 25 September to 13 October 2000, led by Dr Isabelle Ruedi. In total 65 radiation experts from 39 WMO Member countries participated and 85 pyrheliometers were calibrated successfully despite unfavourable weather conditions. It can be noted with appreciation that representatives from 18 out of the 21 available Regional Radiation Centres could arrange for their participation. Participants particularly appreciated the opportunity to attend the several symposia and workshops carried out during the IPC-IX. The lectures provided and the discussions held significantly contributed to the transfer of knowledge to participants, especially to those from developing countries. The Final Report of the IPC-IX has already been published and distributed to the participants and to al NMHSs. It can be accessed through the Web-Site of the WRC Davos.
The technical facilities available, the excellent arrangements made and the support provided by Dr W. Schmutz, Director of the WRC, and his staff were essential to the success of the IPC-IX and were highly appreciated by all participants.


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text:
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Prices are going to be an interesting factor later on. Placing a order upfront is your strategy, as I mentioned previously, but will we know how many to purchase? The strategy is to pre-sell. By pre-selling, we will find a more precise understanding of the requirement. It's a means to validate that the interest (see which validation thing again; it's important!) .
In addition, we need to consider that there is potentially a four-to-six-week manufacturing and shipping procedure (mercifully, I have Richie and his Prouduct team helping handle the manufacturing process). And we are going to be working with a different third-party organization to help concentrate our efforts associated with shipping.
Another cost factor (yet another one, yes) is, since there are multiple components for this particular product (calendar, workbook, stickers), additional measures are essential, which translates into additional expenses. We would like to make an amazing product that's reasonably priced, but to do that takes time and patience to make sure we have the measures in position--from shipping to manufacturing to materials--to have it done effectively and as cost-efficiently as possible.
So, things are moving forward, only a little bit slower than we anticipated because of of the details concerning manufacturing and shipping and materials we needed to nail down with the group over at Prouduct. However, that is to be expected. We are still learning as we are putting the plan. Working with Prouduct, a group with vast experience in these things, makes a world of difference in helping me understand principles I understood or might not have seen otherwise.
For instance, what is the pay going to feel like? Although look like, however, feel like. Which will be the materials of the goods? Do I need the consumers to respond once they pick it up? If I include ribbons so people can keep an eye on where they are at in the procedure? Each of these details increase the user experience, and they ingredients in building a product.
That is the thing about working with a group like Prouduct. Despite the fact that the procedure has slowed, and testers have had to wait a bit, we have been keeping them up-to-date on where things really are are at that they're not getting too anxious. Beta testers, if you have not received your products you will very soon!


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For many keen golfers, winter is a time best spent keeping your game in check, perhaps working on things at the range, improving your technique and addressing aspects that were an issue during the past season. On Golfshake, we have an extensive library of tuition videos and articles from a wide variety of teaching and tour professionals, which should prove helpful when it comes to identifying faults and drills that will assist in your practice.
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