[Scan-DC] NOAA

[Cathy Drzyzgula]

They usually announce outages(at least controlled ones) in the Public
Information Statement:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=LWX&product=PNS&fo
rmat=CI&version=1&glossary=0&highlight=off

This appears to be planned maintenance.  Last Friday they had an unplanned
outage, perhaps this is making the last repairs today before they really
need it to work tomorrow.

-----Original Message-----
From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of wapak at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 8:32 AM
To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Scan-DC] NOAA


Is it just the Washington, DC area that loses NOAA Weather Radio so often? 

They're gone again, as far as my scanners (with indoor antennas) can tell.

>From the NOAA website, they appear to rely on listener reports to tell 
>when
they're off-air.  

A REAL radio system would have some kind of "the carrier disappeared!" 
alarm and maybe even a "hey, there's a carrier but no mod" alarm.  And maybe
even a technician with a big red "RESET" button.  

But it's just a warning system.  Their S.A.M.E. system is supposed to warn
us about 
any "hazardous              event (nuclear power plant problem, a chemical
or biological 
accident,              etc.)" but ... oh well ...  If it's important, the
Government will announce it
on MSNBC.

Yes, I might be a bit critical of folks who are probably trying to do a good
job and hope for promotions, but I know that the system could be better.
NOAA could contract with a ham radio club (or MARS radio) to run the area
transmission system and I'm sure it would be more reliable.  And probably a
lot cheaper.  
And reliable.  In the Capital area, it seems like that would be considered
an "important thing."



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