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Mission Statement:
Our mission is to observe local weather conditions and pass important weather related information to the Hall County EMA/EOC, the National Weather service in Peachtree City, Ga., Gwinnett ARES (Gwinnett Amateur Radio Socity (GARS)) and to the Jackson/Banks County SkyWarn team of the North East Georgia Amateur Radio Club. We hope to foster a good working relationship with other surrounding counties and formulate plans in order to have a solid network of storm reporting to/from our neighbors in surrounding counties as well as our served agencies. Formal "SKYWARN' training from the NWS is a prerequisite to participate in this all important facet of Emergency Communications. Ongoing training and practice is the key to our effectiveness. We will conduct weekly check-in and training nets at a specified time and day not yet determined.
NOTE: Storm Spotting and Storm Chasing is dangerous and should not be done without proper training, experience and equipment.
Storm Spotter Guides (Online study Tools)
Hall County Emergency Net Frequencies
146.67 Repeater 131.8 PL minus offset
(Courtesy of the Lanierland Amateur Radio Club (LARC) Gainesville, Georgia)
SIMPLEX
Primary VHF 146.580
Alternate VHF 147.510
Primary UHF 445.925
Alternate UHF 446.175
On HF, we operate using 3.975 MHz LSB, (the Georgia ARES Frequency)
Gwinnett County Emergency Net Frequencies
Primary VHF 147.075 Mhz + offset PL 82.5
Alternate UHF 444.525 Mhz +offset PL 82.5
(Courtesy of the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (GARS) Lawrenceville, Georgia)
Jackson/Banks County Emergency Net Frequency
147.225Mhz + offset PL 123.0
(Courtesy of the Northeast Georgia Amateur Radio Club (NEGARC) Repeater, Commerce, Georgia)
Georgia
Skywarn Linked Repeater System
WX4PTC
(NWS,
Jasper 146.805 + 100 Hz
Dahlonega146.835 + 100
Hz
Tyrone Hub Repeater
444.675 + 77 Hz
Fayetteville 145.210 – 131.8hz
Thomaston 147.390 +
131.8 Hz
Macon 146.850 – 77 Hz
Cumming 441.900 + 141.3
Hz
Forsyth147.315 +
Forsyth 147.315 +
Irwinton 147.240 + 77Hz
Cedar Grove 147.150 +
Eastman 145.210 –
103.5 Hz
Wayside 145.370 –
88.5 Hz
Eatonton 146.655 –
186.2 Hz
GEROGIA
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National Weather Service Contact info
2009 Scheduled Spotter Classes
What is a "Storm Spotter" and what is "Skywarn"
WX4PTC is the Club Callsign for the Skywarn Net Control station at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, GA. The station trustee is Lynn Bianco, KN4YZ. Lynn is also the Assistant SEC for NWS in the Georgia Section.
The operating station at the NWS office is equipped with (2)Icom 207H dual band (VHF/UHF) radios, an Icom 2000 with a PacComm TNC for APRS/packet operations, and a Kenwood TS-570D HF radio. Antennas consist of (2) DiamondX-50 dual band (VHF/UHF) antennas, a Cushcraft 10 element 2 meter beam, and a Alpha Delta 10-80mhz dipole all mounted on a 40' tower. They also have a HustlerG-7 to be installed eventually. The NWS PTC office is located adjacent to Peachtree City's Falcon Field.
One Icom IC-207H is used for net control operations and the other is used for remote linking member repeaters to the Skywarn Hub repeater. The second IcomIC-207H is also used to access repeaters that do not have linking abilities. They access those directly and gather spotter reports.
The Georgia Skywarn Linked Repeater System is a series of repeaters linked during severe weather. Three repeaters are used for Skywarn net control operations. The WX4PTC repeater is 444.675+ 77.0 Hz tone is one of the Skywarn hub repeaters, located in Tyrone. The other hub repeater is W4PSZ, 444.600+,and is located in Fayetteville. A third repeater can be used for remote linking. It is also a W4PSZ repeater, 442.500+ and is located in Peachtree City. These three repeaters are usually found linked together to serve Fayette County and the surrounding communities.
We also operate packet using the APRS software. Storm reports can be sent, via"one-liner" messages to WX4PTC.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND TEST MESSAGES, as it triggers a .wav file in the forecast office.
On HF we operate using 3.975 MHz, the Georgia ARES net, when conditions permit. Installed at their work station are computers displaying real time NWS text and graphics (including real-time radar).
Use
Condition
Green for this level
of activation to alert spotters and
other observers and listeners of potential severe weather conditions and NWS
statements.
CONDITION GREEN STATUS: Severe weather is possible in the area. No Net-There is the potential for severe weather to develop. Spotters have Non Exclusive repeater use. Casual discussion of weather conditions and make preparations to activate a directed net. Designate a Skywarn station to relay significant reports to the NWS should they be received. Line up Primary and Alternate NCS should the Net become upgraded. Read Watch, Warning, or Special Advisory Reports on frequency when issued by NWS. Watch or Warning may be in effect. No significant weather reports are being received at this time. Light radio traffic on the Skywarn net frequencies. A Primary and Alternate NCS are being designated in case of upgrade. The NWS office may or may not have called to activate Skywarn.
Use Condition Yellow for this level of activation to alert spotters and other observers and listeners of potential severe weather conditions and NWS statements.
CONDITION YELLOW STATUS: Controlled Informal Net is called. Non-Exclusive Repeater Use - All traffic through NCS - Limited casual traffic. Use Net Script at regular intervals. (Min. every 20 minutes). Watch or Warning is in effect. Significant weather reports are being received. Moderate radio traffic on the Skywarn net frequencies.Primary and Alternate NCS have been designated. The NWS office may or may not have called to activate Skywarn.
Use Condition Red for this level of activation to alert spotters and other observers and listeners of potential severe weather conditions and NWS statements.
Condition Red Status: Controlled Formal Net. Exclusive Repeater Use - All traffic through NCS - No casual traffic allowed. Traffic on frequency limited to Skywarn spotters and stations only. Use Net Script at regular intervals. (Min. every 20 minutes). Watch or Warning is in effect. Significant weather reports are being received. Heavy radio traffic on the Skywarn net frequencies. Primary and Alternate NCS have been designated.
The
NWSoffice may or may not have called to activate Skywarn.
Controlled
informal net. Severe
weather is (possible) in the area. This condition is set when the NWS has issued
a "watch" for our area. A formal directed net on the LARC
repeater will be called .
Amateurs are asked to actively search for signs of severe weather and provide
appropriate reports to Net control if/when a directed weather net starts. Only
stations with legitimate severe weather reports,
or emergency traffic should break into this net. The only reports to be made are
reports of tornadoes on the ground, funnel clouds, wall clouds, hail (any size),
winds 35 mph or greater, flooding, snow/ice
accumulations
and other actual storm damage (OR REPORTS AS DIRECTED BY THE NWS). Reports not
meeting these criteria should not be passed unless specifically requested by Net
Control.
A state of emergency exist in the area due to an actual emergency,
i.e., Tornado touch down, River flooding, etc. Net Control has ABSOLUTE CONTROL
of the net. Transmissions on the repeater are PROHIBITED, unless made in
response to a call by Net Control, or having life or death urgency. All
Amateurs should monitor the LARC repeater for additional instructions.
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