[CVRC] Updates on Reno SKYWARN Program

[Matthew Parker]

I am pleased to announce that Reno SKYWARN now has a new home on the 
Internet. The web site is now located at http://renoskywarn.org. It is 
hoped that by establishing this web site it will allow participants in the 
SKYWARN program to stay in touch with what is going on in the program. We 
are headed into our active thunderstorm season and Roger has requested that 
we be prepared to assist the Reno Forecast Office more frequently in the 
future - so, look for SKYWARN activities in our area to start picking up 
soon, and keep checking the new web site for updated information on activities.

The web site is also the launching point for a new e-mail list to provide 
for the timely distribution of SKYWARN and other weather related messages 
for this area. Weather spotters and those interested in SKYWARN are 
encouraged to subscribe to this list so as to keep up with activities. A 
link allowing those interested to subscribe to this list is on the front 
page of the new website. The Reno Forecast Office recently began 
transmitting by e-mail zone forecast products automatically upon their 
issuance to selected recipients, and plans are ongoing to do the same with 
other forecast and warning products. I am working with the folks at NWS to 
have these things distributed to our e-mail list for the benefit of SKYWARN 
spotters.

The topic of expanding the weekly Reno Area SKYWARN net, currently held 
Wednesday evenings at 1905 on the 147.12 (V.A. Medical Center) repeater has 
again come up. I have previously stated that I would like to see the net 
expanded to cover a wider area of the Reno CWFA, but have made the action 
to do so contingent upon an expression of interest from outlying areas. So 
far, that expression of interest has been minimal. Since the topic was 
again raised, I have sought and received permission to use the 146.61 
repeater system for this net on Wednesday nights. This opens the door to 
expand the net and include more of you from the outlying areas; however, I 
do not intend to go forward with actually moving the net unless I receive 
comments expressing interest from those of you in the additional areas that 
would be served by moving the net. The other thing that will be needed to 
make an expanded net will be more net control stations. Participation 
locally has been light, and if this situation were to continue with even 
with changes in the net, in my mind this would be needless occupation of 
the .61 system. So, it's up to you - if you live in an outlying area and 
would like to participate in the SKYWARN net on a regular basis, let me 
know as soon as possible and I'll set up the changes moving the net to the 
.61 system.

Now that I have packet back in 24/7 operation, I have resumed loading 
forecast and warning information for this area into the packet mailbox at 
the National Weather Service station. I am trying to keep this updated 
twice daily (morning and evening), with more frequent updates during severe 
weather. Doing so right now is entirely dependent upon my schedule and 
other activities. Anyone willing to help keep updated information available 
via packet from the Weather Service station is encouraged to contact me. 
Tony, KB7NV, has already offered to help and has also donated a 128K memory 
chip that will be used to expand the capacity of WX7RNO packet beyond the 
10K it currently has on board. Thanks, Tony!

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 22-28. Roger and I are planning to 
conduct at least one drill during this time, and one we are talking about 
at present would be a Wednesday evening event to coincide with the radio 
nets. Additionally, there will be a public open house at the NWS Office on 
Saturday, June 28, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. It would be nice to have amateur 
radio represented. This is, of course, opening day for Field Day - I will 
be in Portola, CA at the railroad museum and therefore unavailable to be at 
NWS. If we have interested operators not otherwise committed to Field Day 
events, please let me know. Or, if we have a group that would like to run a 
Field Day station from the NWS Reno property, that option is open as well 
and would cover both bases.

73,
Matt, N7TOD