new to ham, interested in skywarn / DMR

[fireboat61]

I have been in the fire service for many years and have always listened to radios. My radio listening was completely public safety. Recently i have began to read about Ham radio and its components. Then a few years ago I took a skywarn class and became interested in the wx spotting. Lastly i have been reading about the DMR and now am going to commit and get my license. Now to my question. I will be using all fashions of amateur radio but i really like the clarity of DMR. I also plan on using the license to relay wx spotter info. Are they any Do's or Dont's pertaining to Amateur Radio , DMR and Skywarn? I would find it interesting to be able to listen to the skywarn event from a distance and if it was over DMR it should be crystal clear.

Example : I live on the Delaware coast and there is a hurricane making landfall in the Carolina's. If the transmissions were networked over DMR it would be very clear. Does this exist or is it allowed ect ? Secondly if there is a major tornado outbreak in the central US and the tornado chasers where using DMR to communicate, can a user go to there talk group and CC to hear them? Please be gentle, my goal is Q/A not to infringe on past practices or rules of amateur radio. Remember im not trying to event the wheel just a prospected very new Amateur guy trying to figure out all the ways to move the wheel.

 

[teufler]

DMR is one of of the new digital modes that Ham Radio has. There is Dstar and then there is Fusion. Check you local state and find out if anyone has put up a DSR repeater in your area, If not you could be talking to yourself. Now Skywarn interests means weather chasing and weather spotting. It sort of like monitoring and Scanning. DMR is not widely accepted yet, though in certain areas it has taken off. Uses of DMR technology have just started to take hold but many areas do not have DMR installed yet.

 

[N4GIX]

I strongly urge you to make contact with one of the local amateur radio clubs in your area and discuss with them what activities are available and being used in your specific part of the country.

For example, here in Indiana we have nearly 90% DMR coverage statewide, so the Hoosier DMR Network is available to be used during severe weather and other emergencies.

You stated you live on the coast of Delaware, so here is a direct link to your state's Skywarn information page(s), as well as contact information for Ham radio training:

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA SKYWARN PROGRAMS WEB SITE
https://skywarn.wordpress.com/

 

[wrath]

Digital modes are trailing straight analog , with the exception of APRS in my area one word of caution , some of the SKYWARN stuff is on designated frequencies that generally either you know them from being involved or from accidental scanning and coming across them. If intrested in weather and such you can also do a Google search for CWOP Civilian Weather Observer Program by NOAA & NHC, Amateur radio is one of the backbones of the weather service observer program and is a fine example of the public service aspect of this hobby, I encourage you as said get in touch with a club, and get your ticket, through the club you can also find an Elmer who shares your intrest in weather and can guide you in getting what you need to be involved.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

[royldean]

You stated you live on the coast of Delaware, so here is a direct link to your state's Skywarn information page(s), as well as contact information for Ham radio training:

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA SKYWARN PROGRAMS WEB SITE
https://skywarn.wordpress.com/

Delaware County PA is NOT Delaware, just FYI.

 

[N4GIX]

Delaware County PA is NOT Delaware, just FYI.

That is the link one is sent to when clicking on "Deleware" on this national website's map:
Delaware | SKYWARN® National | Severe Weather Spotters, Local SKYWARN® Groups, Severe Weather Information, SKYWARN® Training

 

[N5TWB]

I have been in the fire service for many years and have always listened to radios. My radio listening was completely public safety. Recently i have began to read about Ham radio and its components. Then a few years ago I took a skywarn class and became interested in the wx spotting. Lastly i have been reading about the DMR and now am going to commit and get my license. Now to my question. I will be using all fashions of amateur radio but i really like the clarity of DMR. I also plan on using the license to relay wx spotter info. Are they any Do's or Dont's pertaining to Amateur Radio , DMR and Skywarn? I would find it interesting to be able to listen to the skywarn event from a distance and if it was over DMR it should be crystal clear.

Example : I live on the Delaware coast and there is a hurricane making landfall in the Carolina's. If the transmissions were networked over DMR it would be very clear. Does this exist or is it allowed ect ? Secondly if there is a major tornado outbreak in the central US and the tornado chasers where using DMR to communicate, can a user go to there talk group and CC to hear them? Please be gentle, my goal is Q/A not to infringe on past practices or rules of amateur radio. Remember im not trying to event the wheel just a prospected very new Amateur guy trying to figure out all the ways to move the wheel.

I'll attempt to address your questions pretty much in order. To be clear about my context, I've been an in-the-field spotter and a net control operator in the same room with the National Weather Service meteorologists. With that said, I'd say there are some preferences on how spotters interface with the NWS but some of those preferences are very local and others are more general. The primary thing to understand when making a report are the reporting criteria, i.e. what are the meteorologists wanting to know and how do you best add value with your on-scene information? Modern dual-polarity radar can tell them a lot but eyeballs looking at a storm and what it is doing on the ground still add value if done in a timely way that assists in decision-making. The best way to learn about all of this is to attend the training offered by most NWS offices. Local ham clubs and emergency managers will know when this is scheduled.

DMR usage will also be a local decision. Since the storm is a local phenomenon, it's likely that the traffic will only be on the local or regional network. This means it won't likely be available to you from a distance as your area network will have its own local/regional talkgroup on Time Slot 2 with additional access to US and Worldwide on Time Slot 1. What you envision does not exist to my knowledge but I suppose it could be allowed except for the amount of network resources it would use.

Here's how I do it, both field and in the NWS Office: I have DMR in my spotting vehicle so I'll monitor the local network via whatever repeater is near me. If I go to the NWS Office, I carry my handheld DMR with me to monitor. In either case, if I know DMR is available to the spotter I'm talking to in the field or I know the Net Control Operator also has his DMR with him, I might establish an alternative way to make contact, i.e. a Plan B. I'll still keep primary communications on the wide-area UHF and VHF net resources that are already well-known and used by the entire group.

Glad you're interested in amateur radio and digital modes. I wish you the best success in getting licensed soon and hope this response has been helpful to you. I'm glad to answer any other questions, either in the forum or via PM.