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Ham Radio Operators?

Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
So maybe you can explain to me (and all the hams on here who are wondering) why NIST's "WWV" and "WWVH" stations are dropping their geophysical weather reports from their transmissions in September... If were heading into what looks like an irregularly low "solar cycle peak" you'd think that they would want to keep than info beaming out to the public and to hams.

The excuse that NIST, NASA and NOAA are giving for dropping the geophysical weather reports is that they are already doing it on their website, and feel that broadcast of this information is needlessly redundant...

I'm wondering what the REAL reason is. Our government NEVER stops doing something because it's "redundant"...

The only reason, historically, that the government changed modes of information dissemination is because they are trying to control said information more tightly.

Answer: The invaders from Shoggoth demanded it.
 

TechnoWeenie

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Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
2,084
Location
, ,
/tin foil hat


If people want to know who you are, what you post, etc. then posting your callsign is a sure way to freely give that information away.

I would suggest against posting your callsign, as it makes identification that much easier.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
Notice how NOAA weather on VHF is now just a text-to-speech system with a human voice heard only occasionally. There is far more geomagnetic weather info available on the Internet today than I ever heard on WWV..


So explain to me how, after a Katrina-like incident when there is no power or internet in a specific zone for MONTHS, a website is going to be of any value to field-operating hams under emergency conditions?

That's all I'm saying...
 
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xdfan

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2007
Messages
104
Location
Alamance county, North Carolina, USA
A solar propagation web site probably won't be of much interest, but there are plenty of other Internet resources that can be important, so as a supplement to ham communications, yes, I would expect limited Internet access, such as at a mobile terminal. Hams are pretty good at running radio gear on emergency power too (a skill honed by Field Day, among other events). You work with what you have and if Internet is really important, there are ways to do it, such as one of these running on solar or generator power: http://www.peplink.com/max-mobile-router/

At least in the early stages of such a disaster, hams will typically be passing health and welfare message traffic via voice and packet nets, focusing on the essentials. If solar activity will have some bearing on management of the emergency, then sure, it would be included. Local nets are on VHF and UHF, and long-haul nets on HF - commonly 75m. During Katrina I remember listening to a SATERN (http://www.satern.org/) net on 75m that remained active for months. After you get your ham ticket, if you want to help out and get on the fast track learning about emergency communications, consider joining a local club with ARES and/or RACES affiliation.

So explain to me how, after a Katrina-like incident when there is no power or internet in a specific zone for MONTHS, a website is going to be of any value to field-operating hams under emergency conditions?

That's all I'm saying...
 
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Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
So explain to me how, after a Katrina-like incident when there is no power or internet in a specific zone for MONTHS, a website is going to be of any value to field-operating hams under emergency conditions?

That's all I'm saying...

Have you heard of satellite internet? Also, yes the government has many morons in high positions who don't care about backup systems. Heck they probably think HAM is a silly hobby with no use.
 

sraacke

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
1,214
Location
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, USA
/tin foil hat


If people want to know who you are, what you post, etc. then posting your callsign is a sure way to freely give that information away.

I would suggest against posting your callsign, as it makes identification that much easier.
Not an issue for me. I regularly post under my real name on several forums and even on those forums where I use YALE as my screen name most members know my real name. I'm not here hiding from anyone.
 

sraacke

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
1,214
Location
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, USA
So explain to me how, after a Katrina-like incident when there is no power or internet in a specific zone for MONTHS, a website is going to be of any value to field-operating hams under emergency conditions?

That's all I'm saying...
There's always winlink. http://www.winlink.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winlink
Winlink, also known as the Winlink 2000 Network, is a worldwide radio messaging system that mixes internet technology and appropriate amateur radio radio frequency (RF) technologies. The system provides radio interconnection services including: email with attachments, position reporting, graphic and text weather bulletins, emergency/disaster relief communications, and message relay. The system is built and administered by volunteers without pecuniary interests. Winlink 2000 is a project of the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, Inc. (ARSFI), a charitable entity and 501c(3) non-profit organization registered with the US Internal Revenue Service.[1]
 
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Kirbinator

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
903
Location
Middle of the map, Alabama
Ten-fo' *beep* =P

de KE4AHR; Thirteen years as a no-code Tech, upgraded to a no-code Extra when they finally dropped the code and I passed the Extra element. Had a CSCE for the General element in hand from a previous attempt, before the limit was dropped.

Always wanted a repeater until I got one; always wanted a tower until I climbed one. Always wanted a club until I became trustee of one... =D

If you're adept at electronics, go ahead and knock out the Extra. Then you're about half-way to a GROL (if you REALLY want to know how RADAR works).
 
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Kivuli

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
208
Location
North Carolina
KE4LRK here. Was a Tech+ until they dropped the code requirements. Haven't bothered going full Extra class yet since the only thing I play around on are the 2m/70cm repeaters.
 

Kirbinator

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
903
Location
Middle of the map, Alabama
Notice how NOAA weather on VHF is now just a text-to-speech system with a human voice heard only occasionally. There is far more geomagnetic weather info available on the Internet today than I ever heard on WWV. It was cool 30 years ago. I think that just like they say, the agency is cutting expenses because more detailed and numerous info dissemination methods have become available.

In any case, hams themselves do plenty of propagation predictions and reports, such as SolarHam and the K7RA Solar Update on arrl.org. Info about what's happening on the sun - at least in terms of effects on radio propagation, would surely keep coming even in the event of outages of Internet-provided services.

My recommendation would be to suggest that the ARRL take up the slack of this and roll it into the daily/weekly code practice broadcasts. Reason being is that if you're in a disaster area without commercial utility power and need to get a run-down of what bands are open, without that information certain communications paths won't be open.

The hard way is to use ALE, and waste a few kW-hours establishing a link. When kWh are precious and coming from battery power, it's easier to know that you can just use 1W (normal modes) or 100W (NVIS) and leave the kilowatt amp off.

I wouldn't be surprised if WWV went away at some point too, but would miss it. Great as a precise 10 MHz reference for tweaking the master oscillator of my older HF transceiver. :) It used to be people set clocks by the top of the minute beep on WWV, but for instance, I now use a specialized GPS receiver connected to a Linux box running a patched low-latency kernel, keeping its clock set to that same time standard to an accuracy of a microsecond or two.

Trying to keep a PC on time is like trying to build a bookcase out of mashed potatoes. Otherwise I'd say you're just another time-nut. =P
 
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