Monitoring SKYWARN?

dandrzejewski · #1 (**permalink**) 03-29-2012, 10:15 PM

Hello - I've been lurking for a little while, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to this stuff. This year, during the severe weather season, I'm interested in monitoring the frequencies that SKYWARN spotters in my area use, which are almost all in the 146-147MHz vicinity - except for one outlier at 443.700MHz.

I'm a pretty technical person and I understand the terminology in use, but I have no idea what kind of scanner to get. I really don't know what features I should be looking for, and I don't know what brands are good - that's really what I'm looking for.

I'm not interested in scanning police, fire, or EMS radios, as that would require a much more expensive digital scanner.

Thanks very much in advance!

AMDXP · #2 (**permalink**) 03-29-2012, 10:41 PM

Any non digital scanner will work fine for those frequencies. Check ebay for like a 100 channel used scanner that's fairly new. I suggest a Uniden or Radioshack....if you can find a GRE, that too. Most can be had for $100 or less.

n5ims · #3 (**permalink**) 03-29-2012, 11:44 PM

Pretty much any scanner should work (so long as the scanner works). Skywarn is nearly always standard analog and although many of the repeaters may use a PL tone, you don't need to worry about programming one in since all that will do is limit what you hear (and you probably want to hear everything anyway).

Even this old Radio Shack scanner should do the job for you Radio Shack Pro 90 300 channel trunking scanner | eBay (I know nothing about it, having only found it using a search on eBay - so do your own research on it if you descide to bid). The Pro-90 should cover the necessary channels, based on the specs for it from the RR WIKI article Pro-90 - The RadioReference Wiki

Just avoid a crystal controlled scanner (it'll work, but you'll nearly certainly have to spend more on crystals which will probably put the price over what a programmable scanner would cost if you look around.

angelofwar · #4 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 8:38 AM

Figured I'd ask here before posting a new thread...where's a solid, reliable website to get SKYWarn Freq. in your area...I'm in the Sumter SC area, and can't find JACK for the freq. I need to program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

CommJunkie · #5 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 8:48 AM

Here are the SkyWarn groups in SC:
South Carolina | SKYWARN® National | Severe Weather Spotters, Local SKYWARN® Groups, Severe Weather Information, SKYWARN® Training

Also, this:
http://scheart.us/irlp_web/main/

Sprinter06 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 8:51 AM

Not only the skywarn freqs but but do a search thru the Ham bands even in good weather. You will hear radio clubs and the like having their meetings and discussing things normally in the evenings. Make a note for later on frequencies they discuss and who the club is and what they do. I like to turn on news to watch the weather and mute the TV. Then I run the scanner for the audio.A lot of time more accurate than the news.

angelofwar · #7 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 9:03 AM

Thanks Comm Junkie and Sprinter! Checking out the links now!

eagleswings01 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 5:12 PM

Welcome to RR! As was previous said, almost any scanner will do the trick for SKYWARN. Hoping you have a safe weather season!

dandrzejewski · #9 (**permalink**) 03-30-2012, 5:26 PM

I will probably try to get my hands on one of those cheapies from eBay. If I really enjoy it, I was thinking about the GRE PSR-310, because it has some nice options for weather band. Also I'm a gadget geek

dandrzejewski · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 12:35 AM

So wouldn't you know it... I actually found a Radio Shack PRO-89 in my parents' basement - (20-514). Can't beat free!

I've been screwing around with it, I think I've got most of it figured out.

I'm a bit new to the lingo. I looked up some information on my local SKYWARN (Cuyahoga County, Ohio), and, for example, they say they're on "146.760/R" - what does the /R mean?

angelofwar · #11 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dandrzejewski

So wouldn't you know it... I actually found a Radio Shack PRO-89 in my parents' basement - (20-514). Can't beat free!

I've been screwing around with it, I think I've got most of it figured out.

I'm a bit new to the lingo. I looked up some information on my local SKYWARN (Cuyahoga County, Ohio), and, for example, they say they're on "146.760/R" - what does the /R mean?

I'm new here as well, but I'm GUESSING it means that it's a freq. on a repeater.

CommJunkie · #12 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 2:10 AM

I've never seen a frequency with /R, but a call sign with /R means it's that call sign's repeater. For example K3JLT/R would be a repeater I own.

KB7MIB · #13 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 2:30 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

It means it's a repeater. /S would be simplex. I believe that 146.555 is a common storm chaser/spotter simplex frequency. But you won't hear anyone more than a few miles from you.

KB7MIB · #14 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 2:34 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

Check your local NWS office's website. They should have a page for their local SKYWARN info.

dandrzejewski · #15 (**permalink**) 03-31-2012, 8:26 AM

Quote:

Check your local NWS office's website. They should have a page for their local SKYWARN info.

That's where I got that information with the /R listings (and there is one listed as /S). So now I guess I just have to wait for some interesting weather!