[Skywarn] Echolink

[Kevin Heyboer]

To the best of my knowledge, the VoIP Weather Net also links with the
WX-Talk Conference in Echolink under certain circumstances, but you would
have to look up their web site and determine how and when.  I believe it is
only used for major events like hurricanes.  I know they have a net on
Saturday evening, but I do not know the exact membership requirements.  They
were definitely active during the Colorado flooding last summer as well.

Also, many local Skywarn groups have echolink nodes.  My node, 821243, is
activated under my callsign of KD4UYR/R and is connected by RF to the K4AIH
repeater on 147.045- PL 151.4 located on Joanna Bald at an elevation of 4900
feet above mean sea level.  The repeater has an effective
transmission/reception radius of approximately 100 miles in all directions,
except possibly slightly less to the north where it runs into the highest
peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains.  The repeater trustee has given us
permission to connect with echolink during regularly scheduled nets and
anytime severe weather threatens.

The K4AIH repeater is the primary Skywarn repeater for Cherokee and Clay
Counties of far southwest North Carolina, but also takes reports from
Graham, Swain, and Macon Counties of NC, and Towns, Union, and Fannin
Counties of Northeast Georgia, and if necessary, Polk County, TN.  To put
that in context, that would be the towns of Murphy, Andrews, Hayesville,
Brasstown, Culberson, Robbinsville, Sylva, Bryson City, and Franklin, NC;
Hiawassee, Blairsville, and Blue Ridge, GA; and if necessary, Ducktown, TN.

It is physically possible to connect my node to the node in the Raleigh area
should there be a weather event affecting all of North Carolina, but the
state is so long and narrow that this rarely happens.

I suggest you check your local area to see if the repeater used by your
local Skywarn group has an echolink node either directly connected to the
repeater or connected by RF to the repeater.

I can tell you that the echolink node on our repeater has resulted in
receiving reports of severe weather over the net from amateur radio
spotters.  Due to the mountainous terrain, portable radio operation only
works well in close proximity to the repeater.  During a flash flood and
power failure, one of our local hams was able to get the message through and
help was sent before anyone was harmed. 

Kevin Heyboer KD4UYR
AEC Cherokee County NCARES
Southwest Carolina SKYWARN Net Manager
 
-----Original Message-----
From: skywarn-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:skywarn-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of pacey Wetstein
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 6:15 PM
To: SKYWARN Group
Subject: [Skywarn] Echolink

Does Skywarn have a net or activate on Echolink?
73
KB3WGA
PS Wetstein
pswetstein at gmail.com
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