Day: May 30, 2007

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Observations for 30 May

Yesterday afternoon was another Rift delayed Grand interval in cold and wind. At least the last snow shower was a few hours earlier while waiting for Giant.

Note how yesterday's Giant hot period's alternated durations between long and medium.

Overnight was clear and calm and cold. The moon set just as the east was starting to show some light, so it never got totally dark. The Grand eruption was with the moon only a few degrees above the horizon, and a moonbow/fogbow in the steam over the main runoff channel. Like yesterday, the eruption appears to have been delayed by Rift, or perhaps more accurately, West Triplet. And I've never heard of a Rift interval of less than 10 hours before.

This morning there was only a single hot period, at 05:56, lasting 4m46s, as it appears that Grotto is having another marathon (starting around 02:57). As of the mid-day Grand eruption, it's still erupting.

Other Geyser Times

29 May 2007

  • Penta 19:07ie, steam phase
  • Grotto Ftn 19:02
  • Giant hot periods
    • 11:18 d=8m25s
    • 14:39 d=3m36s
    • 16:36 d=6m06s
    • 17:59 d=3m15s
    • 19:13 d=6m45s
    • 21:02 d=2m20s
  • Rift 16:21 d=43m05s

30 May 2007

  • Grotto 02:57
  • Giant hot period
    • 05:56 d=4m46s
  • Rift 01:59 d=38m39s
  • Uncertain 08:49

And nothing to do with geysers

Yesterday afternoon when I left my cabin to head out into the basin, I heard a noise to the left. Down the slope, about 20ft away, was a bison grazing away on the hillside.

While waiting at Grand, I thought I saw motion on the top of the hill. It turned out to be a coyote who ducked back into the trees.

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Unsolicited Advice to FRS Radio Users

Here are tips based on my observations on how these have been used the last week or so:

  • Talk slowly and distinctly. Speak up, because my volume control only goes up to 10.
  • Don't press the "Send" button and immediately start talking. Receivers can take a second or two to recognize your carrier signal, and start playing what you are saying.
  • Repeat any times, or even spell out the digits the second time.
  • Give people time to write down the first time before you announce the second.
  • Figure out what you are going to say before transmitting. Get to the point. Don't spend the first 15 seconds doing your William Buckley impression
  • To get the maximum range, hold so that the antenna is vertical. (Don't nod down to talk into a radio held at an angle.)
  • Put your radio where you won't keep hitting the [expletive deleted] "Call Button". You know, the one that makes a chirping sound in every radio at Grand or Giant. Even, better see if the instruction manual says you can disable it completely. Don't make me come find you...
  • If people keep asking you to repeat, or to have your reports relayed, that is a good sign that you're doing something wrong, or that your radio isn't working right.
  • If someone is calling out Giant hot period information, your Plume or Atomizer time can wait.
  • And if someone does call out one of those times during a hot period, they've already made their decision on where they'd rather be, so don't respond by telling them to get to Giant.
  • Why is it that people who, in person can't shut up, on the radios think that saying nothing during a Giant hot period is being descriptive?

Actually, the general behavior is a lot better than my last times here, without all the yakking between the same two or three people asking their friends to "switch to five." If anything, the yakking there is comes from the NPS, not gazers.