[HCARC] Our role as Hams and the NWS.

[kd5wdq .]

Hcarc team,

Lee Besing sent me an email and I explained to him this:

The role as ham storm spotter is now diminished to that of a backup
system.
With internet and the NWSChat software, most reports now come in that way.
Funny thing how that's changed.  The phone at the NWS barely rings during
severe WX.

So, what I'm looking for is ways to get RF in/out of Kerrville without use
of
the internet.  Such as the 1999 event - where power/internet/phones all
went down - it happens.  Ham radio was the only way messages got in or
out of the NWS.

Was going to explain this if we'd showed up for today's meeting.
Those are the ideas I want the HCARC team to think about.

This eliminates echolink (which did not work the last couple of times I
tried it)
and IRLP (unless via a 440 or microwave link to nearby repeater.)

Please come with the Ideas!  Lee's idea: can you reach the 444.450 repeater?
Possibly with high gain antennas-- we can try a link up with this.

--eddie kd5wdq/wx5ewx