Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Air Quality System (AQS)
  3. All Manuals and Guides
  4. User Guide

Setting Up and Mapping Monitors to Samplers and Sampler Channels

This walk thru will explain how a user can create and load the necessary transaction to associate speciation samplers with monitors so that flow quality assurance data can be submitted.

A sampler is the physical piece of equipment.

This is the top of a sampler with 8 channels, 3 of which are being used.

Picture of an 8 channel sampler

Here the sampler cover is down and the filters can be seen in three of the channels.

Picture of a sampler with the cover down

In AQS, a monitor is defined as a parameter measured at a site.  Thus each filter will be associated with a monitor for each parameter that the filter is analyzed for (typically between 3 and 60 parameters for each filter).

[Note] this tutorial assumes that the user has already setup the samplers and sampler channels.

The user should verify the samplers and sampler channels are setup.  To do this the user will open the Maintain Site Samplers form.  After logging in to AQS the user will select Maintain from the Menu Bar then select Site Sampler from the drop down menu.  This will open a blank Maintain Site Samplers form.

screenshot of the site sampler form in AQS

Here the user should fill in the relative information.

screenshot of only the top portion of the site sampler form in AQS

Then the user will click the Execute Query icon.  This will populate the form and allow the user to verify Samplers and Sampler Channels.

screenshot of an example sampler queried in AQS

If there are multiple samplers the user can click the Next Record icon to move to the next sampler.

In order to set up and map monitors to samplers and sampler channels the user will create a text document containing AQS Monitor Channel (MP) transactions.  Each transaction should contain:

  1. Transaction Type, which will be MP, for monitor channel
  2. Action Code, which will be I, for insert
  3. State Code
  4. County Code
  5. Site ID
  6. Parameter
  7. POC
  8. Sampler ID
  9. Channel Number
  10. Begin Date, this is the begin date for the affiliation of the monitor to the sampler.
example of an AQS transaction file to map samplers to monitors

The user may also run a report that will list a transaction for all samplers, sampler channels, and parameters associated with the site to assist in the creation of the text file.

The user will select Retrieval from the Menu Bar then select Standard Report Selection from the drop down menu.  This will open the Standard Report Criteria Selection form.  In the Report Code field the user will use the drop down to select the Extract Site/Monitor Data Report (AMP 500).

screenshot of the report selection menu in the report retrieval form in AQS

After this selection is made the user will click the Data Selection tab.  The user will then fill in all the relative fields.  In Protocol Criteria area of the form the user will choose ALL for pollutant type.

screenshot example of the report retrieval data selection tab in AQS

The user will then click on the Report Options tab.  Then click the Uncheck All button on the form.

screenshot of the report retrieval report options tab in AQS

The user will then select MONITOR BASIC by clicking the check box to the right of the selection.

screenshot highlighting the monitor sample period selection in report options in AQS

The user will then scroll down and select SITE SAMPLERS and SAMPLER CHANNELS.

screenshot highlighting the sampler and channels selection in report options in AQS

The user will then click the Generate Report button.  The user may use this information in creating the text file needed to create and map the monitors to the appropriate samplers and sampler channels.

screenshot of the an example AMP500 output file from AQS

Here the user can see the three selections that were made:

  1. AD is Site Sampler
  2. AE is Sampler Channel
  3. MA is Monitor Basic
screenshot of a snippet of the example AMP500 output from AQS

And all of the Parameters associated with the site.

screenshot highlighting the parameters in the example AMP500 output in AQS

The MA transactions can be used as a template to create the MP transactions described earlier.  The MA transactions will contain the monitor identifier (state + county + site + parameter + POC) for all monitors at the site.  These can be edited, duplicated, etc. to create the necessary valid MP transactions.

After the user creates the text file he can then submit it through the ENSC (Exchange network Services Center).  Once the submission is complete all of the monitors should be appropriately mapped to the samplers and sampler channels.


Previous  |  Next

Air Quality System (AQS)

  • AQS User Support
    • New User Registration
    • Training
    • Events Calendar
    • Java Memo
  • All Manuals and Guides
    • User Guide
      • AQS at a Glance
      • ENSC at a Glance
      • Logging On
      • Site ID Format
      • Batch Submission - Overview
      • Batch Submission - Using the ENSC
      • Batch Submission - Loading Using AQS
      • Batch Submission - Type of Data
      • Correct - Overview
      • Correct - Raw Data
      • Correct - 1-PT QC
      • Maintain - Overview
      • Maintain - Site
      • Maintain - Monitor
      • Maintain - Adding Events
      • Maintain - QA
      • Setting Up Samplers
      • Data Reports
      • CA Dump Bucket
      • Logging Off and Additional Info
    • Code Lists
    • Data Dictionary
    • Data Coding Manual
    • AQS Primer
    • AQS Frequent Questions
  • Related Resources
    • Monitoring and Policy Memos
    • AQS Pollutant Memos
    • Quality Assurance and Audits Memos
  • Archive Data
  • Obtaining AQS Data
    • API
    • About AQS Datamart
    • Pre-Generated Data
AQS Contact Us
AQS Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on December 17, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.