I’ve been scanning for some time and am exploring the potential to get a ham license and participate in the local weather spotter community (DFW Metroplex Area). I am trying to get a handle on the type/costs for a portable tranciever and antenna that would be required. Are handhelds powerful enough for this application and can someone suggest a few models so I can research? Same with mobile equipment ... and will there be much improvement between portable and mobile? Most of the frequencies I hear spotters on are around 146/147 and 442/444. Thanks.
Portable transceiver for Skywarn/ARES
- Thread starter TexTAC
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Yaesu FT-60R. Not fancy but a durable workhorse.
FT-60R is a good suggestion. However, it would be a good idea to check with the weather spotter group you wish to join to see what they are using for portable and mobiles.
mmckenna
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Ultimately you'll want a mobile with a good external antenna outside the vehicle. Portable radio inside the car is going to suffer greatly in the performance department due to the metal all around you. You may find that your fellow hams get annoyed trying to copy your poor signal.
Yes, you could plug in an external antenna to the portable, and that will help, however that tends to put a lot of strain on the antenna jack, which can result in failure. Also the audio quality of a small speaker or speaker mic is going to make listening tedious at best.
A good mobile, powered directly off the battery, with a good external antenna is going to make life easier, give you much better audio, and much better signal.
Yes, you could plug in an external antenna to the portable, and that will help, however that tends to put a lot of strain on the antenna jack, which can result in failure. Also the audio quality of a small speaker or speaker mic is going to make listening tedious at best.
A good mobile, powered directly off the battery, with a good external antenna is going to make life easier, give you much better audio, and much better signal.
KB2GOM
Active Member
I would suggest getting in touch with the National Weather Service office in the area. Here's a link to local SkyWarn
NWS Fort Worth SKYWARN Program
Also, try reaching out to local ham clubs; they could tell you about handhelds and mobiles that work well in the area.
Can you recommend a few good all around entry-level mobile units?
A couple of links for followup on. The Fort Worth because of where I used to live and the Dallas for where you live.
www.garlandtx.gov
www.fortworthraces.org
Storm Spotters | Garland, TX
Skywarn® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
www.garlandtx.gov
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TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
I second the motion for the Yaesu FT-60R - very affordable and built like a tank. My go-to SkyWarn ht is my Yaesu VX-7R. Same attributes as the 60r and submersible, rugged and dependable with excellent extended receive that is a very useful as a one-in-all SkyWarn radio. You can find them on eBay now and then.
You'll need to find out what frequencies your local Skywarn folks use. If they're on 2M, something like a Kenwood TM-281A would work. I used to own one and it was a solid, dependable radio.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, really need to find out what your local group uses.
2 meter band is very common. You might get some using 70 centimeter band.
If it's just 2 meters, stick with a Kenwood, Icom or Yaesu mobile. You won't go wrong with one of those.
Avoid the low tier Chinese stuff, you don't need those kind of headaches.
nd5y
Member
I don't know how Plano/Collin County operates but in Dallas and Tarrant, at least when I lived there, you can't just get your ham license and then claim to be a weather spotter and show up uninvited on their Skywarn nets.
If Plano is anything like its neighbors you will probably have to take the NWS spotter training, FEMA ICS online courses (or whatever they are called now) and be a member of your county RACES.
If Plano is anything like its neighbors you will probably have to take the NWS spotter training, FEMA ICS online courses (or whatever they are called now) and be a member of your county RACES.
I understand and am interested in pursuing that path. I’ve been scanning the weather nets for years and have a decent understanding of how to receive various radio frequencies but need to better understand the mechanics and equipment necessary to transmit.
KB2GOM
Active Member
The mechanics and equipment necessary to transmit are actually pretty simple. Doing the necessary to get your ham license will help you to understand what is required, and I have found hams to be generous of their time and expertise in helping a "newbie." There is a Plano ham radio club that can be found here: Plano Amateur Radio Klub – Promoting the hobby of amateur radio through public service, emergency preparedness, and education Reach out to them.
Skywarn training will depend a lot on what the Skywarn spotting priorities are in your area. Reach out to your local weather service office (I provided the link above.)
You said that you have been listening to the weather nets for years. Great! If you want to participate in those nets, then your priority should be getting the training that will allow you to integrate smoothly into their operations.
I run the Commuter Assistance Net on ham radio in the Capital District of New York State and have done so since 1996. If you are curious, you can find out more here: Commuter Assistance Net
Most of the time, we operate in a very relaxed manner, and everyone is welcome. Sometimes, however, things get really hairy, like the day that an ice storm shut down the Adirondack Northway (I87), and there were dozens of multi-car accidents. We took 70 calls in 2 hours. We were triaged-up so far that the only incidents we were reporting to the authorities were accidents where there were known injuries. In the midst of this chaos, a young man shows up. He had never checked into the Commuter Assistance Net before, and he has no idea what he is doing in terms of actually helping.
While I applaud his desire to be of service, the midst of an emergency is not the time to be trying to train someone to be useful.
I also applaud your desire to be of service, and I would humbly suggest that "what gear you need" should be an issue you address after you have gotten some training to be useful when you participate in the weather nets.
All good information! I'll add from my Tarrant County experience so go with a dual band, dual receive radio. Bottom tier radios often will have a single receive and "peek" at the other selected channel interrupting the primary channel conversation, very annoying! It's sometimes hard to tell for the radio specifications how the receive is done, look for dual receive in the narrative description of the radio. Not that "I" can effectively listen to two channels at a time, it can be interesting to hear the back channel conversation between EOC. Often done on UHF channels or the VHF backup channel. Also sometimes "interference" will force the net to a different frequency and you might miss that change on the primary. All mobile installations are a compromise. While my installations were corner mounted on the hatch of a Ford Escape and later a Toyota Prius they worked on medium power anywhere in the metroplex. The majority of repeaters in the metroplex are well placed (height) and doing all the work. Good luck with your journey, just stay out of the path of the hail column. 
Mike
P.S. No need to spend the extra $$$ for a DStar or Fusion radio now as your first radio, maybe later...
jonwienke commented as I was P.S.ing. Not the premium of the other two modes, but a fair choice. I can't say digital in the area of spotting has made any inroads.
Mike
P.S. No need to spend the extra $$$ for a DStar or Fusion radio now as your first radio, maybe later...
jonwienke commented as I was P.S.ing. Not the premium of the other two modes, but a fair choice. I can't say digital in the area of spotting has made any inroads.
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The best ham HT choice is the FT-60R. I also have a couple of used professional VHF radios that have great audio and very good transmit quality. My fist choice for a HT in fringe situations is a Thales Racal 25. They have FPP, very solid build, and reasonable cost except for batteries. Battery life is very good if you follow the suggested charging instructions.
I was able to get into an online test on short notice tonight and passed both the Technician and General exams! The examiners were really great people who stayed on to chat afterwards and offered some good advice for equipment specific for my location. They also gave me some good advice on local clubs and meetings. Now I just need to decide on a transceiver and whether I want to go handheld or mobile.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Many choose a hand held as their first radio. That's a good, inexpensive place to start.
If you spend any of your time commuting, traveling, or generally in the car for more than a few minutes at a time, you will eventually want a mobile.
If you do choose a mobile, remember that the antenna is the most important part of the setup. Don't spend $500 on a fancy mobile and hook it up to a $5 Chinese antenna and expect it to work like a $500 radio. It's not. It's going to work like a $5 Chinese antenna.
Congrats on passing your test! If Skywarn/RACES is your goal, a dual band 144/440 mobile rig should be your choice! Good antenna permanently mounted on your vehicle! Go over to HRO there in Plano and lay eyes on the rigs!
I think I am going to get a handheld and upgrade to a mobile later if I stick with the hobby. Ham Radio Outlet is all out of FT-70DRs which probably would have been my first choice because it is Fusion compatible and only a few $ more than FT-60R (There are some fusion repeaters near me and a bunch of traditional FM and some DStar). HRO has FT-60R (no Fusion) and FT-3DR (Fusion) in stock. Any suggestions/comments between the FT-60R and FT-3DR. I realize there is a big price difference in price. Should I wait for FT-70DR to be restocked?
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