Monday, March 25, 2024

SkyWarn Spring 2024 Training

 The 2024 Skywarn Spring Training Season is upon us!


Learn more from your local NWS office listed below:

Binghamton NY NWS SKYWARN page: http://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining

Buffalo NY NWS SKYWARN page: http://www.weather.gov/buf/Skywarn

Albany NY NWS SKYWARN page:  http://www.weather.gov/aly/skywarn

The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. 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.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

Learn more about CNY SKYWARN here: https://www.upstateham.com/p/skywarn.html

Learn more at the National SKYWARN web site: https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN



 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Syracuse/Rochester area GMRS repeaters

 Lots of interest lately in GMRS with the reduced cost of licensing. 

Some Syracuse/Rochester area GMRS repeaters:

462.550     Auburn, PL 141.3 - est. 5-15 mile coverage

462.550     Fulton, PL 136.5 - est. 5 mile coverage, City of Fulton

462.550     Cazenovia, PL 162.2 - est. 35 mile coverage

462.575    Bristol, Alliance, PL141.3 - est. 70 mileage coverage

462.600    Syracuse, ADD, PL 151.4 - est. 70 mile coverage

462.625    Locke, PL 71.9, est. 10 mile coverage (Owasco Valley?)

462.725    Bristol, Covert, PL-TBD (ask), est. 80 mile coverage

Some info about getting licensed and using the GMRS radio service - see links below:

https://www.mygmrs.com/help/about-gmrs

https://www.nysgmrsalliance.com/considering-gmrs

http://www.usagmrs.com/usgmrsassociation.html

https://woofthebeatenpath.com/quick-start-guide-to-gmrs-radio-for-beginners/

https://www.retevis.com/blog/a-guide-for-new-gmrs-radio-comers

GMRS/FRS Frequencies:

https://www.rightchannelradios.com/blogs/newsletters/gmrs-radio-frequencies-and-channels

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Operators needed - Syracuse St. Patrick's Day parade on Sat. 3/16

 We still need a few more operators to help with communications at the parade on March 16. Long range forecast is for 52F, so it will be balmy.  Please help if you can.... RAGS has loaner radios if needed.  Please contact Walt, N2IK at n2ikwkb@gmail.com or 315-243-0736. 

Jerry, NK2C

Monday, March 4, 2024

WNY Ham radio support for 4/8 Solar Eclipse


To:   All WNY Ham Radio Clubs

From:  Vince Harzewski N2JRS, Emergency Coordinator, Erie County ARES/Assistant Radio Officer, Erie County RACES
 
Re: April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
The Erie County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
has requested the assistance of amateur radio operators in conjunction
with the total solar eclipse on April 8.
 
Amateurs will be asked to provide critical information on the day of the
eclipse:
 
All Amateurs from any county are invited to participate.
 
Hams working with Emergency Services will establish communications in
the Emergency Operations center in Cheektowaga NY and will take reports
from amateurs on location, traffic, weather and amount of people
gathering during the key times of the eclipse on the 8th.
 
They will also establish cross border communications with Canadian
amateurs to test viability of passing traffic across the pond.
 
Hams in the EOC will establish communications with the state EOC with HF
voice and WINLINK connectivity.
 
Amateurs from Erie County ARES/RACES will be positioned at certain areas
of interest in the county that are deemed possible points where traffic
leading up to and at the end of the eclipse might become a problem if an
emergency arises and will provide reports to the EOC throughout the
duration of the event.
 
Amateurs in Erie County will also establish 2 quick deployment teams and
station them in the north and south in the county should the need arise
to setup and operate until other county resources can assist and Erie
County RACES will provide an operator to Buffalo Fire in their
respective EOC for a link back to the county EOC and to test the
viability of using us as a backup to inter EOC communications.