58 -- UPPER AIR RAWINSONDE OBSERVATION SYSTEMS

Notice Date

September 13, 2001

Contracting Office

U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/OFA/AGFS/AMD -- OFA51, 1305 East West Highway -- Station 7604, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

ZIP Code

20910

Solicitation Number

N/A

Point of Contact

Mary A. Watson, Procurement Technician, telephone 301-713-0823; Edward F. Tennant, Jr., Contracting Officer, telephone 301-713-0823

Description

This is a Request for Information (RFI). The information will be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Weather Service (NWS)/ Office of Science and Technology (OS&T) to assess the viability of commercially available Upper Air Rawinsonde Observation Systems to serve as back up systems for the current MicroART-1 and MicroART-2 observation systems while they are being replaced with the Radiosonde Replacement System. The Government will not award a contract based on this RFI. The Government will not pay for the information received in response to this RFI; provided, however, that costs which are properly chargeable under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Section 31.205-18, "Independent Research and Development and Bid and Proposal Costs," may be allocated to Government contracts consistent with the terms of such contracts. In the information exchange, NOAA/NWS/OS&T will sign a non-disclosure statement at the respondent's request. Responses to this RFI must be submitted in writing to the attention of Mary Watson at the header address or at fax (301) 713-0806. All information submitted in response to this RFI which is received not later than October 15, 2001 will be considered by NOAA/NWS/OST in its deliberation of this subject. Specifically, the Government seeks performance information for Commercial Off-the- Shelf (COTS) or Modified COTS Rawinsonde Observation Systems. The information can be in the form of specifications sheets, brochures, user documentation, training guides, technical documentation, technical details, and a list of countries/government agencies using the systems. Information on the radiosonde must include at a minimum: Range, accuracy, and the resolution for pressure, temperature, and relative humidity; Transmitter Frequency; Transmitter stability;Modulation; Power output; Pressure, Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Wind output data rate; Method used for computing heights; Shelf life; and Warranty. Information on the ground receiver/antenna must include at a minimum: Extremes of the operating environment for which the unit will function for temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind (if not in a radome); Effective tracking range of the receiver; Frequency range of tracker; Wind accuracy for mid-latitude winter ranges associated with flights to 35 Km heights; Wind vector accuracy for selected antenna elevation angles from 5 degrees to 20 degrees and the associated heights; Auto lock-on to radiosonde signal and auto tracking; and Warranty. Information on Software feature availability must include at a minimum: Baselining methodology for vendor(s) radiosonde; Ease-of-use with respect to user interface; Graphical displays provided to the operator; WMO coded message for International, Regional, and National practices; RADAT message capability;NCDC standard upper air archive; Protocols for message transmission to any telecommunications networks; High Resolution data archive capability for both corrected and uncorrected data; Radiation Correction for long and short wave effects; Offset pressure correction; and Ease-of-use for modifying software to NWS needs. Additional information requested, if system supports the following (Note, if this information is not available, then please make note of this in the response): Antenna/receiver interoperability with other vendor radiosondes through use of NWS specified Signal Processing System interface protocols and data processing with NWS software; Ability of Antenna/receiver to use NWS SPS interface protocols for input of data into NWS workstation for processing with NWS software; and Ability of Antenna receiver to use any vendor radiosonde through SPS interface. Information on system costs supporting the following (Note, if this information is not available, then please make note of this in the response): Ground system including optional equipment for 1-10 systems (Note, an estimated pricing range can be furnished); Radiosonde costs for each type offered under this RFI in quantities of 1000; and Maintenance or servicing plan, including spare parts, if required.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010917/58SOL009.HTM (W-256 SN50X4L2)