Montana's Ham Radio Forum

Tis the season to start preparing for "Convection Season" or Thunderstorm season.

I would like to see every ham or none ham to start using a free application by N3FJP called "WX Spots". This application allows you to see current warnings, post routine weather and report severe weather. This will not replace a call to the National Weather Service (NWS) or for life threating weather your local law enforcement or 9-1-1. The application can be downloaded at www.wxspots.com
or direct download of file @ http://n3fjp.ky1v.com/WXSpot.exe.

For those of you whom have completed the weather spotter program, consider reviewing your severe weather manuals @ http://www.weather.gov/os/brochures.shtml

Scroll to bottome of page for the section labeled "Storm Spotter Materials".
There is a plethera of material to include a great brochure on NWS Radio warnining system. NWS Radio's come in all sorts of capability to include a built in application called "SAME" Specific Area Message Encoder. With "SAME" you can program the weather radio for specific county and the type of warnings you would like the radio to alert you to. The NWS weather frequency in Great Falls is 162.55mhz.

If you have not attended a weather spotter program, I highly encourage you to attend one. If you would like to schedule your group or organization for a weather spotter class, please contact me [url=mailto:w7gmc@bresnan.net]w7gmc@bresnan.net[/url] and I'll put you in contact with Ben Schott, Severe Weather Meterologist for the Great Falls District.

SAME weather radio brochure:
http://www.weather.gov/os/brochures/nwr_brochure.pdf

Ken,
Hey it's great to see a Sky Warn message from You. The other day I printed out the Radar Patterns from the 4 Montana Weather Stations. I am looking at the over lapping coverage of each. Gt. Falls From the High Line Area, Lewistown, Helena, Dillon Area. You may do this and look at what Repeaters can be used to cover the entire area. I know the Aguesta area is still a problem area.

Jim, the only problem is, its not the radar coverage areas that need reports, its the areas not covered by radar or areas behind large hills and mountains that we need the reports the most. Also if your within 5 miles of the radar, the radar can't see the tops of the storm. Great Idea, that we are currently working on for which repeaters for which areas. Another process is linking Echolink stations to ease the load on the 73 repeater.

Link to Misssoula's NWS Office for online weather spotter training for those who need a refresher, or for those who can't attend a training session.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mso/train/img0.html

Good info Ken.

Ken and I have been discussing several things for preparation of this coming severe weather season. We have discussed conducting NCO training at the weather service so when your called out everyone is on the same page as what to do. We have also considered having a weekly, bi-weekly or even a monthly weather training net so that the NCO's can get some practice calling the skywarn net and eveyone else can get practice checking into the net and reporting weather conditions as a skywarn net is run a little differently than the ARES net.

I guess we are wondering the interest of our current NCO's and spotters and anyone wishing to become a NCO or spotter.

Let us know your thoughts and inputs. Thanks.

Sounds like very good ideas to me........ Keep us informed...

That sounds really good Mark. Talk to Ken and get it put in motion as soon as you can. The season will be sneaking up on us real soon.73

As soon as I complete my current class I'm taking, Mark and I will have something planned for the first half of May....if our scheduling will permit. Stay Tuned!

Ken

Hi All,
Do any of you have current info on the status of Espotter within the TFX office/area?
I signed up for it via the national site and it doesn't work locally until they hook into the system...
It will take your posting, but it has no where to go or be seen...
(Espotter is a gateway for e-mail reports from spotter's direct into the local forcast office and forcasters').

Espotter website is slowly being brought online for the Great Falls NWS office.

http://espotter.weather.gov/

I just setup my account and it should be up and running fully within the month. Note: Severe weather that is an immediate threat to life and property must be called into the NWS Office.

N3FJP WXSpots www.wxspots.com software is another great free application that can be used to help share information to other weather enthusiasts. It does not replace a phone call to the NWS for life threating weather, but does help share information.


[quote poster=KD7DCR_Whitehall date=1240685288]Hi All,
Do any of you have current info on the status of Espotter within the TFX office/area?
I signed up for it via the national site and it doesn't work locally until they hook into the system...
It will take your posting, but it has no where to go or be seen...
(Espotter is a gateway for e-mail reports from spotter's direct into the local forcast office and forcasters').[/quote]

New change to Severe Thunderstorms!

As of 1 Jun 2009, a severe thunderstorm will be hail size of 1inch in diameter or larger. The previous 3/4 inch was found not to cause significatant damage to property.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/pns/2009/Ap ... hp?wfo=tfx
Video is included at the linked website explaining the change.

I know what your thinking, imagine it being driven by Montana winds. Sorry folks, the insurance companies and structrural engineers got together and the NWS agrees with the determination.

NOTE: Weather spotters will report any hail size regardless of change per standard operating procedures.