[ScanIndiana] RE: Dayton Tornado

Fri Jan 21 04:06:40 EST 2005

Wow!!
A tremendous outpouring of  responses to my initial "outlaw" post.
First I'd like to say I have no animosity to the amateur community.
Here in Indy I listen to the Skywarn folks and the coordination with NWS is 
outstanding.It seems the surrounding counties are all feeding reports 
Hendricks,Morgan,Putnam,Monroe,etc and I assumed that type of coordination 
existed throughout the state. The time a tornado is confirmed to the time a 
warning goes out has always been a matter of life and death.
I had no idea of the issues occurring in Tippecanoe county and it boggles my 
mind that the authorities would stonewall a good faith effort by amateurs to 
assist the community in time of need,that being part of the amateur pledge 
to do goodwill.
If, as Duane said someone needs to be "loud and proud" about what they are 
doing (and it sure sounds like he is right) not coming forward and using 
this event as a doorway toward a better system (reconciliation???) and to 
encourage open channels of communication with the local authorites really 
does go against the pledge.

Sorry to go too far off topic. I still feel the public at large has a right 
to listen to local emergency comms without being deemed criminal. Buying a 
new type of scanner every ten years when a new form of "blockage" becomes 
available is a real drag. WE pay for those radios/systems and the folks that 
use them. If what they are doing is on the up and up and WE are not trying 
to do real criminal activity,it should be treated no differently than 
shortwave listening.
I'm glad they don't go "badge happy" at airshows....another place I scan 
openly and without hassle.......so far.

In closing, a list member (Rob?) did request I post my pics but where? I do 
not have a personal website but I do have a PP slideshow if someone wants to 
host it. Can I just post them here in an email and if so, what is the size 
limit?
First shot was through the windshield and the rest are off the shoulder of 
65N
about 2 miles south of SR38 looking NE.  Best part was no one got hurt.
Best of 2005 to all!!
And good luck to the Tippy hams!!!
Stu

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duane Mantick" <wb9omc at nlci.com>
To: "'Indiana Scanning'" <scanindiana at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 8:47 PM
Subject: RE: [ScanIndiana] RE: Dayton Tornado

>A point which is a sore one to many of us Amateurs in the
> Tippecanoe County area.  Once upon a time, we used to have
> a good working relationship with "the authorities" but for
> some reason that nobody seems to be able to bring themselves
> to speak about, we appear to have been "shut out".
>
> To be fair, the hams here in Tippecanoe County anymore have
> nobody to blame but themselves.  During the aforementioned
> tornado, there was no Amateur coordinating any sort of net
> until the event was already taking place.  That needs to start
> when there are watches in place, not warnings about an event
> already on the ground.
>
> (Of course, I imagine that being "shut out", maybe those who
> once were in charge of this stuff on the ham end may have
> simply said "f*** it!" and gave up.....which I think is a
> LOUSY attitude.)
>
> How do I know?  I was one of the few who was ON the air on
> 2 meters at the time, and I had a few fellow hams (3 or 4)
> who cared enough to actually talk about it.  The mess that
> spawned that tornado passed to the south of my QTH in SW
> Lafayette and was plainly obvious as a serious threat at that
> point.  However, monitoring the local cops etc told me that
> they were already aware of it so there was no point in my
> clogging up their switchboard.
>
> I have already discussed the incredibly poor performance
> of our local "group" with some of the guys who are more in
> charge; there was agreement but so far, I haven't seen anyone
> take action to do anything about it.
>
> We don't seem to have a functional ARRL EC hierarchy here
> anymore, which is where the local emphasis used to be.  I
> have some theories about why that is but with no real facts
> to back them up, I just keep poking behind the scenes to see
> if I can hit a "raw spot" and get some people back into
> action.  This group locally used to be very, VERY good.
>
> I also have to say, to be fair, that the groups that at least
> used to exist to our west and would check in to our severe
> weather nets and/or pop up on the local 'net repeater (147.135
> PL 88.5) and give us a heads up about anything coming our way.
> I don't know if these groups no longer exist or if they got so
> tired of not getting a response (or at best getting a poorly
> organized one) that they just gave up and quit doing it.
> That's a "chicken or egg" situation, but one that needs to be
> FIXED, too.
>
> There are plenty of Amateurs in Tippecanoe County who are
> more than able and qualified to do this stuff.  Which pile of
> sand (or other dark location   :-)   ) they have their heads
> stuck into, I don't know.
>
> Duane
> WB9OMC
> Lafayette, IN
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: scanindiana-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:scanindiana-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rob Dale
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 11:58 AM
> To: 'Indiana Scanning'
> Subject: [ScanIndiana] RE: Dayton Tornado
>
>> When I was taking pictures of the F2 that hit Dayton last May in
>> Tippecanoe county 2m was dead. I heard the State Police,
>
> It wasn't really dead - just that spotters in that area seem to be 
> "special"
> and don't use ham radio to communicate but the EM radios... I was there
> (chased all the way down from Lansing that day!) and followed on the
> northwest side of the storm as the road network isn't the best for chasing
> from Purdue ;>
>
>> I got the shots. Better than the ones on the NWS site,too.
>
> Post them!
>
> - Rob
>
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