File Name Convention
The full-rate TiPS observation data accessible from this web site is in Merit II format. The data is sorted into files; each file contains the observations made by a single particular station on a single particular day. The files are named XXXX_YYMMDD_A.TIPS, where XXXX is a station identification number, and YYMMDD is the observation date, in year, month, day format.
The following image illustrates this.
The satellite ID numbers currently in use for TiPS are: 9602903 (Ralph) and 9602902 (Norton). These numbers are derived from but not identical to the official COSPAR numbers.
Useful Resources
The following resources may assist your interpretation of this SLR data:
FTP from CDDIS
You can also use anonymous ftp to obtain the MERIT II observations directly from the Crustal Dynamics Data Information System. Anonymous ftp to:
cddis.gsfc.nasa.govand change directories:
cd slr_data:[slrfr.tips]This directory contains a directory for each station that has recorded TiPS observations. These directories each contain one observation file per day of observations. They are stored in compressed format.