c################################################################               
c                                                                               
      subroutine abstim(timestring,fstart,time)                                 
c                                                                               
c   converts a data base timestring to to abs time, time,                       
c   from 1900. if fstart ne 0, the time string is the data                      
c   base file name, else a simple time string                                   
c                                                                               
c   oct 91 by j. havskov                                                        
c                                                                               
c   updates:     
c   aug 15 92 by jh : bgs type                                                               
c   jan 98    by jh : year 2000
c   aug 98          : --------- version 7.0 check --------------
c                   : long file names
c             
      implicit none                                                             
      character*80 timestring                                                   
	  double precision time                                                        
	  integer fstart                                                               
	  integer year,month,day,hour,min,isec                                         
	  real sec                                                                     
c                                                                               
c   read time                                                                   
c
       if(fstart.eq.0) then                                                      
	     read(timestring(1:14),
     *   '(i4,5i2)') year,month,day,hour,min,isec           
       else                                                                      
           read(timestring(fstart:fstart+19),                     
     *    '(i2,1x,2i2,1x,i2,3x,i4,i2)')                                     
     *    day,hour,min,isec,year,month                                          
       endif                                                                        
       sec=isec                                                                     
c                                                                               
c   convert                                                                     
c                                                                               
      call timsec(year,month,day,hour,min,sec,time)                             
	  return                                                                       
	  end                                                                          
