Not happy with SKYWARN at ALL!

[UNIT105]

Hello All.... 1st off I wanna just say this .... Why do these people put these ridiculous emergency lights & Antennas on their vehicles....?? Just because they're a Certified Skywarn Storm Spotter does not mean you're above the law.... 1st off they teach you in the class to become a spotter to SAFELY PULL OFF THE ROADWAY INTO A PARKING LOT or DRIVEWAY and observe the storm, NOT TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, Which in every state in this country is designed as a BREAKDOWN LANE.... Not a stop and flash your ridiculous lights lane and distract other motorists....!!!!! If you must pull off to the side of the road get as far as you SAFELY can from the solid white line on the side of the road and ACTIVATE YOUR REGULAR VEHICLE EMERGENCY FLASHERS..... Also it would be a good idea to put some reflective tape across the rear of your vehicle and use that to warn traffic you are there.... ALWAYS OBEY your local and state laws regarding the use of amber,and or any other colored emergency lighting on your P.O.V. ......... an remember if your vehicle gets struck while parked on the side of the road and or while in motion displaying and or flashing your emergency lights your insurance may not cover that so you might be stuck paying for the other drivers damages whether he/she was at fault for the accident or not.... LEAVE THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNAL....!!!!!!! When I'am out storm spotting I simply take my 2Meter/ 440 HT and put it on the local Skywarn Net and have a 150 Channel Handheld Scanner with me , and I will park in a shopping plaza parking lot and observe the storm from there .... If I must park onto the side of the road to observe a storm I will pull as far off the road as I can away from the solid white line on the side of the road,and if at night time will leave my park lights on with my right turn signal on to let other motorists know that I'am parked there .... Remember that in some states if you park within a certain amount of feet from that solid white line on the right side of the road the police can and will write you up for parking on a way if your vehicle is not disabled.... So with that said Skywarn Storm Spotting can be a thrilling experience just be smart and use your head when out there and always remember to never spot alone and to always obey your local & state laws, Thank You for reading my blog and stay safe out there spotting.........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lindsay34654]

Well spoken, You can blame Hollywood for glamorizing this on TV and Films. Some of these people that do this are PROFESSIONALS that make their living off of this, they know how to do it and safely, all the others are thrill seekers with all the bells and whistles are the ones that are making everyone else look bad. I guess when you really have no life and you need to stare at all the pretty flashing lights on your car sitting in the drive way to get excited, Oh well.

 

[jim202]

To add to the conversation here is my observation and listening to some of the radio channels that are playing the "SKY WARN" trip. There seems to be the notion that when they are on and using the different ham repeaters, that they are GOD. No one else is allowed on to use the radio channel or add anything to the radio traffic unless they are a certified and trained person in weather spotting. This attitude is totally wrong and needs to be curtailed.

The radio clubs that support the different repeaters repeaters should rein in these so called net control stations and explain the facts of life and radio operation to the individuals that take on these attitudes of they control the situation, the radio repeater and who is going to use the radio. Let me stop here and add that yes, the repeater belongs to the radio club and they can t a certain part allow who can use the repeater. On the other hand, the radio frequencies do no belong to anyone as a personal piece of property. The frequencies are there for the use of the licensed ham radio operator. If a person is using a repeater and the repeater owner would prefer that an individual not use his repeater, then let the owner tell that person. Not let some so called net control, self appointed, wound up ham that thinks he controls the world say so.

Ham radio is designed to be a hobby. Let us try to keep it that way. Don't go and start causing hard feelings between people. Just because there is some storm going through your region is no reason to become wound up and demand that everyone jump to your orders at the instant you give them.

Jim

 

[jaspence]

Skywarn radio traffic

I have been involved in four Skywarn nets where a tornado actually struck and caused major damage. Tight control is needed to allow the important messages to be transmitted. During the last tornado a month ago, good spotters and an early warning prevented any loss of life and serious injury. Nothing is more frustrating than some comments in the middle of a a warning reporting things like "we are getting a little rain here". In the 20 plus years I have been active, I have yet to be on a net where this doesn't happen. Thankfully, not all storms turn into a tornado, but clear communication is critical to public safety.

 

[rdale]

To add to the conversation here is my observation and listening to some of the radio channels that are playing the "SKY WARN" trip. There seems to be the notion that when they are on and using the different ham repeaters, that they are GOD. No one else is allowed on to use the radio channel or add anything to the radio traffic unless they are a certified and trained person in weather spotting. This attitude is totally wrong and needs to be curtailed.

Actually that attitude is totally RIGHT. During an emergency event, you don't want Bubba bringing up the autopatch to order pizza. That frequency needs to be used for emergency purposes only, or life saving information may not get through. Nothing like trying to key up and report a wedge while grandpa is trying to remember the call sign of his buddy so they can meet at the corner store.

 

[KC4RAF]

Ham radio IS a hobby, BUT:

It is used in emergencies and ALL traffic should vacate that frequency except those relaying or reporting information relevent to THAT emergency. There's many other frequencies that some one can get on to gab about their pains, grandkids, dear John letters, etc. What gives the right to that indivual or others to jump onto an emergencies frequency to gab about the time of day? If ya don't like it, turn the radio off and leave the hams alone doing their job of helping protect people and property...

 

[AK9R]

I have no problem with the hobby aspect of amateur radio. I participate in amateur radio as a hobby, myself. But, the word "hobby" does not appear in Part 97. The word "service" appears many times, but not "hobby". And, emergency communications is listed first in amateur radio's basis and purpose:

§ 97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

I do agree, though, that there's nothing in Part 97 that gives an amateur radio operator participating in Skywarn, ARES, or RACES free rein to take on a holier than though attitude towards other hams. On the other hand, if those other hams don't care to participate in a Skywarn weather spotters net or an ARES public service net, there are many other frequencies they can turn to. In most cases that I am locally familiar with, the repeater owners endorse the use of their repeaters for these public service activities. Heck, in some cases the net control operator is a trustee of the repeater or a board member of the club that owns the repeater.

 

[jim202]

Don't interpret what I have already said as the right or wrong impression of how things should or should not be done during a SKY WARN activation. My gripe is with those people that go overboard during a rain storm of winds that might hit 35 MPH. In these cases, there is no actual danger, no storm that is causing damage. Yet these yahoos are yelling that they need to do this and that.

If there is an actual weather related cause or reason to activate a SKY WARN net, then do it. But to go overboard on a summer rain shower that the weather service is watching is no reason to start these red neck type activities. I am sorry, it is not called for with they way some of these people act. Save it for the times where the funnel clouds and 60 plus MPH winds are dropping trees and power lines all over the place.

It might surprise some of those on the radio to actually hear a recording of how they sound. It might remind them of how their two to four year old kids sound like when they don't get along with each other.

 

[ka5lqj]

Larger "Area of Responsibility".....

Hi!

We have a most excellent NOAA Office and Skywarn group here in Shreveport, Louisiana. The group takes radio traffic from Marshall,
Texas, just west of us, up through East Texas towards Texarkana, Texas, eastward to Union County in Arkansas down to Monroe, LA,
down to Olla, Louisiana, on WEST to Alexandria, LA and Natchodoches, Texas and back North to Marshall. That's quite an area and the
2 meter repeaters are 'linked' only in severe wx. They've been doing good now for over 30 years. But, not all the 2 meter repeaters are
linked, especially in the "little towns".

In 30 years of sly watching a storm my start in the Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas area, continue to hold together down Interstate 20 coming East
to Monroe, Louisiana. So I'm organizing a group of HF operators to use J-65 digital on 10 & 6 meters to warn folks in little towns, as well as the
missed 2 meter repeaters to put a long-range word out.

To aid the cause along, I've gone to the F.C.C ULS database and pulled every 'active' fire & police agency with in a 250 mile radius of Blanchard,
Louisiana, just up the road from Shreveport, LA, to give out free those clubs willing to participate, even the 'rebanded" an 700 mhz band.

Our "database" covers some of 5 states: Texas;Oklahoma;Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Cost is "FREE" as long as you DON'T pass the
info on to "Whackers" (Nut jobs, LOL!). This information is not for those who 'pester' and interfere with the public safety folks with a scanner/HT
hung everywhere on his police tactical belt and a black tee shirt with "Security" in gold letters on the back, ROFL! :lol: :roll:

So far, we have 3 groups, the Area 5 Wx Group, Atlanta, TX and Bell County Texas , hoping to get more as time goes on.

So, if the wx looks bad enough, despite what the radar is showing and Skywarn ISN'T called up, get on the repeater, declare the frequency is
being used for Emergency Health & Welfare traffic and take the reports.

Oh, I don't know that it happens there, but if you have some guy just wanting to get on the the repeater to just say, "It's raining over here
in Broadmoor (light normal rain), I'd let hem know, nicely that you're ONLY taking severe wx reports.

GOD BLESS,
73,

Don/KA5LQJ
2 AU-368 - Australia United DX Club

 

[kb2vxa]

Sorry Jim but you've got it wrong, if it's "these yahoos yelling this or that" it's only yahoos. Skywarn is activated by NOAA and only under hazardous weather conditions when they issue an emergency warning. Then and only then is it considered emergency traffic and all other traffic MUST clear the frequency. What gripe? When you have cats burying turds in the sandbox just find another sandbox to play in.

Pardon my chuckles:
"Why do these people put these ridiculous emergency lights & Antennas on their vehicles....??"
Why do you think we call them whackers?

 

[KB7MIB]

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

What's wrong with external antennas on your vehicle? An external antenna will get a better signal out father than an HT with a rubber duck inside the steel body of your car ever will.

 

[rdale]

Skywarn is activated by NOAA and only under hazardous weather conditions when they issue an emergency warning.

I think you mean NWS? In any case, it doesn't have to be activated by them, a ham can activate on his own if the weather warrants. And waiting for a warning is a bad idea, good groups will get going when a watch is issued.

 

[burner50]

Sorry Jim but you've got it wrong, if it's "these yahoos yelling this or that" it's only yahoos. Skywarn is activated by NOAA and only under hazardous weather conditions when they issue an emergency warning. Then and only then is it considered emergency traffic and all other traffic MUST clear the frequency. What gripe? When you have cats burying turds in the sandbox just find another sandbox to play in.

Pardon my chuckles:
"Why do these people put these ridiculous emergency lights & Antennas on their vehicles....??"
Why do you think we call them whackers?

Skywarn isn't activated by NOAA or the NWS.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rdale]

Skywarn isn't activated by NOAA or the NWS.

It can be (well, not by NOAA) but it is not a requirement.

 

[kb2vxa]

"What's wrong with external antennas on your vehicle?"

This is, THIS is a whacker. Note the Skyporn placard on the left rear door, this is precisely what we're talking about.

 

[KC4RAF]

Gotta agree with you Warren.

Even though that individual is a Ham, (his car tag appears to be his call), he has gone overboard. Noted the placard you pointed out, and those roof mounted lights! Whacker.

 

[KB7MIB]

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

Heh, ok

 

[burner50]

It can be (well, not by NOAA) but it is not a requirement.

Every year at Spotter training I get told the same thing. Don't look for any "Activation" from NWS. They don't do it. If you are in the area and can call in reports, they will accept them... Then again, they'll accept reports at any time, not just during warned storms if there is something reportable.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

 

[kb2vxa]

Well there geeters and skeeters, no comment on why I called it Skyporn but I suppose the picture doesn't show the logo clearly. (;->) I went looking for it and came up with Europeans who have more sense.

Oh, I like that KB7 Men In Black call, the KB2 Very Xcellent Amateur phonetics somebody tagged me with make me sound more conceited than I actually am.

 

[newsphotog]

Every year at Spotter training I get told the same thing. Don't look for any "Activation" from NWS. They don't do it. If you are in the area and can call in reports, they will accept them... Then again, they'll accept reports at any time, not just during warned storms if there is something reportable.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

Yep, same in my area... they have to be careful not to "assign" or "direct" any spotters. Everything is voluntary and basically self-"activation", except for net control at the NWS office itself.