Boring Hams Talking About The Weather

[DaveInDenver]

In a now closed thread several times it was derisively mentioned about crusty old hams just talking about the weather. This does happen, but it's no different than sitting in a bar talking about the NFL or around a campfire talking about lockers or at the coffee machine at work talking about the weather. Most of what we converse about is, honestly, dull.

But if you happen to be in or around Colorado you will hear an interesting weather net that dates back to the 1950s. Back before there were interconnected devices and the Internet the National Weather Service needed to know state-wide meteorological data and hams were happy to help. They are now entering their 60th of collecting weather data and reporting it to the NWS every morning.

http://www.5280weather.com

 

[MrWesson]

Old guy topics and old guys aren't the problem.

Its the possessive nature of the guys who chat and what they assume is "their" airwaves or repeater. I've found alot of these people to be by and large unwelcoming to newbies. Its usually the chatty types who mess with or are outright rude to new people on the repeater. I've seen it countless times in multiple cities in multiple states.

I would admit to being the spearheading reason that last thread went off the rails. I will straight up tell you that is because of my experience with listening in on the Ham band. I'm no troll, I don't dislike older people, and I don't condone breaking the law. The OP in the last thread got his answer.

I think you read a post where chatting about the weather was mentioned but you honed in on the wrong thing.

EDIT
I mentioned before I have no interest in getting a license to talk to hams and that may not be true. As time goes on my desire to key up and try to curb some of this possessive rude behavior may steer me in the right direction towards getting a license.

I will also acknowledge that a particularly bad conversation was heard over the radio the day before I posted so I was still a bit pissy about that. I understand that for every possessive ham operator I encounter there's probably 10 good guys. I'm sure most of the ham guys here probably don't fall into the first category and I apologize if I offended anyone.

I still stand by that there's room for a public 16 channels of unlicensed ham.

 

[Robert Bills]

. . . I still stand that there's room for a public 16 channels of unlicensed ham.

Yes, there is. Actually there are 23 channels and its called "citizen's band."


(PS - there are no 'channels' in amateur radio.)





.

 

[proper4wd]

Robert Bills living up to the sterotype.

You and I both know what he means by 16 channels of public HAM bands. 16 designated frequencies for public use. But then that would be taking "your" airwaves away, right?

 

[Robert Bills]

Robert Bills living up to the sterotype.

You and I both know what he means by 16 channels of public HAM bands. 16 designated frequencies for public use. But then that would be taking "your" airwaves away, right?

You are misrepresenting my viewpoint. Although this discussion more properly belongs in a sub-forum dedicated to political or philosophical viewpoints, I will state my beliefs here one time for the record, and then get back to discussing the practical aspects of using ham radio as valuable tool for overlanding:

The amateur radio bands are "our" airwaves. I encourage everyone to use them in the manner intended - by obtaining the license that everyone is entitled to apply for and by following the proper protocols so that these frequencies always remain available to the public, i.e., to all of us.

I disagree with the position that certain bands in the amateur radio spectrum should be released for unlicensed/unregulated use. There are already other frequencies that can be or already are used in this manner, including but not limited to the 11 meter citizen's band channels and by "freebanders" in the 10 meter range. Also, as has been mentioned elsewhere, there are powerful interests in government and private enterprise that covet the amateur radio VHF/UHF frequency bands for their commercial value. The only reason these bands have not already been auctioned off to the highest bidder by our government is the public policy embodied in current FCC regulations to create and protect a pool of radio experts, called the Amateur Radio Service, who can provide necessary backup during civil emergencies. Licensing requirements establish a minimum level of knowledge and competence that promotes this stated purpose, and licenses provide for some degree of accountability by those who use the designated frequencies. Eliminating the licensing requirement risks having the frequencies being declared no longer necessary for emergency use and therefore available to be licensed and/or sold for commercial use. If that happens, all of us lose the ability to use them. Finally, please bear in mind that amateur radio is a worldwide network with a relatively consistent body of rules, protocols and conventions, including the requirement that one must obtain and use valid call letters (i.e., a license). No single country can, or should, eviscerate these rules.

A ham license is simply the "price of admission" to the use of the amateur radio frequencies. Its no different than having to obtain a drivers license to use the public highways. I encourage every overlander to get a Ham license, young or old or in between. The more of us the merrier, and the more we will have to talk about in addition to the weather. To those who refuse to get a license, whether based upon some sense of principled civil disobedience or punk mentality anarchy, please stay off the amateur radio frequencies so you don't ruin things for the rest of us.


Now, back to the thrust of this thread, Hams talking about the weather:


I was invited to visit an operating fire lookout tower in the Plumas National Forest last year. While I was there I noticed an old tube type Ham radio and a hand built antenna. The lookout told me that there was no cell service at the tower and commercial band UHF/VHF reception was spotty. Ham radio was his primary contact with the world and often the only direct human contact he had for weeks at a time. I mentioned that although I had been licensed for years, my primary use for Ham had been limited to trail communications with my friends and potential emergency use. I asked him if my experience with conversations between experienced Hams was typical - old guys talking about recipies and the weather. His response was, "Everyone has weather and everyone likes to eat. Its something we all can relate to." Then he added, "When you live alone in a lookout tower sometimes its just nice to say something and have someone answer back."

 

[Hilldweller]

146.52
If you're wheeling in north Georgia, give me a shout and I'll talk about the weather.

73, you old farts.

 

[DaveInDenver]

If you ever listen to NOAA weather radio you'll hear them mention "Spotter activation will not be necessary." This is a message to the SKYWARN spotters, who are hams. They act as the eyes in the field for their local NWS office during predicted severe storms.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/training/wxspot.php

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tae/?n=tour-ham

When we activate SKYWARN, we try to schedule one or more HAM operators to come into the NWS office to use the station pictured above. This HAM acts as a network controller by relaying information between other HAMs in the field and NWS personnel. HAMs report their positions and eyewitness reports, while NWS personnel give information about storm locations and motions.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The reason the NWS relies on ham operators is that they tend to be disconnected and don't rely on infrastructure or power to be present.

Ham radio operators play crucial role during weather emergencies

By Rich Luterman
Fox 2 News

WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WJBK) -- Dangerous, even life threatening weather, it does happen in metro Detroit from summer storms and tornadoes to the winter storms that bring heavy snow, wind and ice.

How many times have we seen widespread and long-lasting power outages when it takes days to have power fully restored? During these events when up-to-the-minute information can be spotty, especially in rural areas, a volunteer network of amateur radio operators jumps into action to relay crucial information.

Even with the popularity of cell phones, the passion for ham radio is alive and well, and that's evident at the National Weather Service office in White Lake Township.

Modern ham radios are very reliable and have mostly replaced the old tube types used for generations.

During my recent visit to the National Weather Service, local operators were talking to fellow ham operators as far away as Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

"We have 17 different counties that we talk to, emergency operation centers. We check in with them, they check in with us, and they, in turn, have amateur radio operators out in the field in the counties that are under the weather, warnings or watches," said ham radio operator Ted Davis.

During weather emergencies, a break down of communication can be a matter of life and death when cell phones and land lines are not always working.

"The amateur radio community could be very important during a major tornado outbreak, which we have seen in our past," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Rich Pollman. "Probably the other thing that would most affect our infrastructure like electricity and phone lines would be an ice storm where you have a lot of people without power, phone lines would be down, and then the amateur radio community would be vitally important to keep communications."

Information on the ham radio community and how you can be a part of it can be found at www.arrl.org.

It's why we chat on and on about weather, it's a fundamental function of the amateur service that the FCC requires. It's right in the mandate. The daily jibber jabber is at its root about keeping your equipment and skills from getting rusty. When someone needs your help you're not fumbling around trying to find this power cord or that patch cable. You don't forget your net control protocols or how to find your common calling frequency.

The FCC established amateur radio as a voluntary, non-commercial, radio communications service. It allows licensed operators to improve their communications and technical skills, while providing the nation with a pool of trained radio operators and technicians who can provide essential communications during emergencies.

http://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/services/amateur.html

 

[Hilldweller]

I'm also a CERT volunteer and use HAM as part of that infrastructure.

We get our fair share of disaster around here. HAM works.
Don't let the BaoFeng Mafia get you down. Those radios won't last long...

 

[MrWesson]

I don't think anyone in a past post or present insisted that Ham is useless or not useful. It obviously is in many ways.

I'm sure it attracts people who are helpful at heart and provide a service to many in a crisis even if you guys tend to chat about incoming clouds in the downtime.

It also attracts a few condescending pricks as well and even though they are probably 1% of the ham population they make alot of racket.


On a side note how do you guys feel about you're info being out there for anyone to see?

It seems crazy to me that you can find someones full name and address by searching a license.

 

[tgreening]

Hams are no different than anyone else, you've got people that can carry on an intelligent and interesting conversation, and you've got people that can carry on an intelligent conversation and bore you to death in the process. There is way more to the hobby than just the weather, and there is more too it than just keying up the mic.

I dont get into this forum too often, but was rather surprised about the troll comment made by a moderator in another thread, who went right on to make his own derogatory troll wothy comments regarding hams in general, and then promptly locked the thread. Poor form good sir.

Back to my cave....

 

[DaveInDenver]

It seems crazy to me that you can find someones full name and address by searching a license.

You mean hard to find stuff like you'd find in the phone book? People give way more personal information away on Facebook. A search of your county property records tells you as much or more about the people at an address than the FCC does. What additional piece of the puzzle does a ham license add? That the guy at 742 Evergreen Terrace is a geek.

 

[Robert Bills]

On a side note how do you guys feel about you're info being out there for anyone to see? It seems crazy to me that you can find someones full name and address by searching a license.

It is perfectly acceptable to list a valid PO Box rather than a street address in FCC records. The purpose is to provide a mailing address for necessary communications, not a physical location.

In today's world it is easy to find someones full name and address. What used to take the skill and ability of a good private detective or skip tracer can now be done in minutes by paying $20 to an Internet-based search company. The reality is that unless you live completely off the grid and have for quite some time, if someone wants to find you they will.

 

[1911]

On a side note how do you guys feel about you're info being out there for anyone to see?

It seems crazy to me that you can find someones full name and address by searching a license.

"Ain't hiding from nobody,
Nobody's hiding from me..."
- J.J. Cale

 

[Finlay]

On a side note how do you guys feel about you're info being out there for anyone to see?

It seems crazy to me that you can find someones full name and address by searching a license.

That's in the phonebook. And county tax records (also searchable online). And other databases like WI Circuit Court Access or domain registrations. 20 bucks and a PI license and you can get it from the DMV using my plate number.

That is all public information, after all.