I have a question:
Being in Oregon, there is little need for Tornado watchers! However, SHOULD
something like that occur, without having to stay by the radio or terminal
24/7, is there a program that allows for or provides ALARMS that are audible to
alert a network of Packet stations?
To me this would be a GREAT feature to have, especially in an area where sudden
storms are a regular occurrence. I realize that there are radios that have a
NOAA alert setup in them (The TM-271A for one) But I don't keep my radio on
24/7 and it's mounted in my vehicle and my FT-1500 (Base station) doesn't have
that feature (that I know of). I use the FT as my Packet station as well and
can keep it up and running 24/7, so some kind of alert signal, transmitted via
Packet, would be a GOOD thing!
I'm rather new, green, ignorant...to Packet and only know how to send and
receive Packet messages! I'm not up on how to do all the bells and whistles my
TNC can do. That's why I joined THIS group!
Any ideas?
Rod
KC7CJO
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Considering the
number of years I have supported ARES/RACES and Skywarn,
most of the value of amateur radio has been with Skywarn. Yes, we were
heavily involved with the flood of 1965 in the upper Midwest U.S., but
nothing like that since due to infrastructure improvements.
With cellphones often working from nearby towers, you might even be able
to maintain tactical emergency communication which is mostly what local
government wants us to do in case of more widespread damage which in our
area would typically be freezing rain pulling down power and
communications lines.
Within the last few years we have provided nearly real time observation
of storm cells from our spotters, including two tornadoes a few minutes
apart, and yet hams were enroute and tracking literally a couple of
minutes behind the tornado.
Typically, the NWS will call us on 2 meters and ask if we can see any
rotation when they are observing it on radar. My ridge farm was within
4.5 miles of the small tornadoes touch down point that took out a
person's home with the person in the home. The occupant was severely
injured (broken back) but survived when the house was moved 100 feet or
so. The other tornado hit a small community and caused widespread damage.
In the past couple weeks we had a rotation to the south of me and at
first it seemed like it could head directly for my QTH but it swerved to
the east and went over the community to my east and rotation ceased just
as it moved 7 miles further north right in line with another community.
Our spotters could see no rotation (good visibility) and it avoided a
tornado warning that otherwise would have had to have been issued by NWS
since they saw the rotation on screen but they could not tell if it was
reaching the ground. Only a human can really do that. And no one in our
area has the capability to stay in direct contact with NWS via radio ...
except for radio amateurs.
Having said this, we still prepare for possible digital communication.
Our club has several drills each year, plus public service support for
WAR (Wisconsin Adventure Racing). We even try to improve our digital
communications on VHF, although we have not been able to get Winlink
2000 to work when you need it. Not that we really needed it, of course,
as it is mostly an exercise in possibilities.
What I want to see happen is GREATLY increased use of HF digital modes
but thus far we have almost no interest in my State:( There are perhaps
a dozen members on the Wisconsin HF digital yahoogroup and over the past
couple of years there have been only a few posts by me. And this is any
kind of HF digital, not just emergency communications.
We really need to have BBS systems for HF that lets you use a sound card
to inexpensively time shift communication. This requires an ARQ mode
that can get through difficult condx with a full ASCII character set.
Nothing like that exists yet for the Windows environment.
How about someone with the knowledge and interest in bringing an
improved PSKmail to the Microsoft Windows environment that has an error
free keyboard mode and also has a rudimentary BBS and perhaps even an
e-mail component too?
73,
Rick, KV9U
jgorman01 wrote:
> As far as I know there is no amateur radio support even needed. Here
> in Kansas the National Guard manages and is responsible for the State
> EOC and for implementing support plans for all county and local EOC's.
> They have also integrated plans with all the law enforcement agencies
> for communications. The State EOC itself is a "secured" military
> facility and I do mean secured. If you even pull into the driveway to
> turn around an MP is on your ass immediately. They have even pulled
> the RACES station out due to neither "needing" it and due to security.
>
> The National Guard had their communications equipment on site in a
> handful of hours after the event. I've seen this rig and its a DC to
> daylight trailer full of high priced military gear along with
> pressured collapsible towers. You've seen the army TV commercial
> about setting up the self-contained satellite station on the side of a
> mountain - yep, they've got those too. The news reports also said
> that they were providing security at Greenburg in place of law
> enforcement. They also had some heavy equipment on site helping in
> the search and rescue operation.
>
> As to shelters, the town was wiped clean. Survivors were transported,
> again by the National Guard I believe, to a nearby (15 miles away)
> community where communications are fully intact.
>
> I'll tell you, I'm not sure that hams won't ever be needed in
> situations like this but it will be minimized. As you noted it was an
> isolated occurance over a small area compared to what a hurricane
> affects. A ham on the ground at the time it happened might have been
> helpful, but after a few hours the Guard would have taken over. In a
> disaster over a much wider area, hams probably could be helpful with
> shelter communications.
>
> I believe the cell phone company had a portable setup there even
> before the Guard would let them in to set up.
>
> I don't know how many states have this kind of setup or how well their
> National Guard is organized. I do know I am glad we have this
> arrangment and don't regret for minute the fact that the need for ham
> radio as a communications backup is minimized during major disasters.
>
> The real kudos go the the National Weather Service who decided to have
> the tornado sirens blown in Greensburg. These folks are pros and in
> just this one instance saved a number of people. I participate in the
> Skywarn net here and it provides the NWS valuable information. Just
> on last Saturday here, Skywarn gave the NWS info on one tornado on the
> ground and several funnels that didn't reach the ground. In tornado
> alley, this is a VALUABLE service.
>
> Jim
> WA0LYK
>
---------------------------------
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.
