Weather 

The Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) is a public-private partnership with three main goals: 1) to collect weather data contributed by citizens; 2) to make these data available for weather services and homeland security; and 3) to provide feedback to the data contributors so that they have the tools to check and improve their data quality.1

WY1U Weather uses an Oregon Scientific WM918 weather station interfaced to a Windows PC running the following software applications:

FreeWX which uploads weather data to the following commercial web sites:

UI-View32 which uploads data via packet radio to the APRS network servicing the Amateur Radio APRS community.

Daily weather data quality charts for WY1U Weather can be found here.


Lightning 

Beautiful to behold, lightning is not only one of nature's most powerful phenomena, but one of the most common and destructive.2

WY1U Lightning uses a Boltek StormTracker Lightning Detection System interfaced to a Windows PC running the following software applications:

Nexstorm which uploads lightning strike data to the following web sites:

Disclaimer: The weather and lightning data supplied by WY1U Weather is not to be used for the protection of life or property.


APRS 

Originally known as "Automatic Position Reporting System" but renamed by its creator, APRS is an amateur radio based digital communications system for local, regional, or long-distance (as in the case of HF APRS) tactical, real-time exchange of information among all members of a net, including map based displays for situational awareness. APRS is used to transmit real-time information such as messages, bulletins, announcements and the locations of any stations or objects via amateur packet radio protocols. Real-time reporting of station position for mobiles is facilitated using the Global Positioning System. APRS is capable of transmitting a wide variety of data including weather reports, short text messages, radio direction finding bearings, telemetry data, and storm forecasts. These reports can be combined with a computer and mapping software to show the transmitted data superimposed on a variety of map displays.

  • APRS
    Official APRS site by WB4APR

DSTAR 

D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) is a digital voice and data protocol specification developed as the result of research by the Japan Amateur Radio League to investigate digital technologies for amateur radio. While there are other digital on-air technologies being used by amateurs that have come from other services, D-Star is one of the first on-air and packet-based standards to be widely deployed and sold by a major radio manufacturer that is designed specifically for amateur service use.


ARISS 

The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program is a cooperative venture of NASA, the ARRL and AMSAT and other international space agencies that organizes scheduled contacts via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS and classrooms and communities. With the help of experienced Amateur Radio volunteers from Amateur Radio clubs, and coordination from the ARISS Team, the ISS crewmembers speak directly with large group audiences in a variety of public forums such as school assemblies or at science museums, Scout camporees and jamborees and space camps, where students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space and space technologies and Amateur Radio.

  • ARISS
    Official website of the ARISS organization
  • ISS Fan Club
    Realtime information about the International Space Station