From 73 Magazine, January 1999, Page 8

Digital Weather Reporting on the Horizon

As anybody involved in the emergency and public service aspects of ham radio knows, the participation level that we'd like 10 see is not always there ... shortage of personnel is a real problem. Aside from that, more people can often help alleviate a problem, but it's no guarantee of a full 'fix." After all, there are only so many people who can sit at a net control desk at the National Weather Service, and there are only so many voice repeaters that can be used in reporting

Packet radio has been contemplated as an addition to our system (in Green Bay, Wisconsin) for the past few years, as a way to handle the less critical traffic with some degree of automation. While these reports still are important to us, they are not of critical time-value in nature. The report of a tornado, funnel aloft, or wall cloud certainly requires the speed that only voice reporting can provide. After-the-tact damage re ports or heavy rainfall reports can be passed on a little later. There are also instances where a net control operator cannot instantly appear at the NWS to operate a net.

The Wisconsin packet radio network is reaching the stage where it will soon be practical for secondary or absentee reporting. The system that will be in place will have a computer operational 24 hours a day, with the ability to give information to users and get information from them. The user interface will be (or at least resemble) a BBS. It will be configured to print out any reports at any time, so that meteorologists will be able to simply tear off the report and keep it on me. There will be no direct interaction with the meteorologists; alter all, even if one were available and licensed, he or she cannot operate because he or she is on duty and being paid. There will also be little interaction with the Net Control Operator, mostly because he or she will be actively operating the voice net. Keyboard chats with the NCO will not be needed to file a report.

Another feature of this system will be the ability to get timely information concerning the exact nature of any watches or warnings that have been posted for the Central Warning Area that we cover. This win allow county NCOs to get updated information without interrupting the flow of the net.

From an article in The Wisconsin Packeteer, Andy Nemec KB9ALN, editor; included in Badger State Smoke Signals, July 1998, Jim Romelfanger K9ZZ, acting editor.

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