SKYWARN - ICT-Wichita, KS NWS

When and Where?
Net Control Pre-amble link

Net Time (UTC/24hr)	Net Frequency and Area
2345UTC/1845 each Tuesday UPDATED NET TIME	Flint Hills Skywarn Net - NEW - The Flint Hills ARC Skywarn Net is being held on the 147.150 EL Dorado repeater each Tuesday at 6:45pm.
0000UTC/1900 each Tuesday	Wichita Area Net - Repeater repairs made! (effective October 3, 2007) The SKYWARN net around and NW of the Wichita NWS will be held every Tuesday on the 146.820 repeater East of Hutchinson at 7:00pm.
0030UTC/1930 each Tuesday	Beaumont (SE Kansas) Area Net - SKYWARN net for SESaturday, April 26, 2008 22:44aumont) has a PL tone of 156.7

Who may participate?

The Skywarn nets are open to all licensed Amateur Radio operators. You do not have to be active with Skywarn to take a report. It is encouraged that all hams attend annual storm spotters presentations and training. When theSaturday, April 26, 2008 22:44radio is likely on and monitored. When conditions warrSaturday, April 26, 2008 22:44Saturday, April 26, 2008 22:44Saturday, April 26, 2008 22:44Saturday April 26, 2008 22:44g severe weather. Most recently the tornado in Greensburg and flooding in Coffeyville. The National Weather Service tries to monitor certain frequencies. Don't expect staff to answer at all times, however try calling WXØICT with your reports meeting the reporting criteria when your area is under a warning.

What is the purpose of the net?

The purpose of the SKYWARN net is to provide a link between the NWS and amateur radio operators, to be used to enhance the gathering and distribution of critical severe weather information. The routine weekly net also allows the National Weather Service to notify SKYWARN volunteers of upcoming events and other important information.

The 146.820(-) repeater East of Hutchinson is used for events effecting counties as far North as Saline County, east to extreme NW Butler County, south into Sumner County and west to the extreme Eastern Stafford County with a 50watt station.

Communications on public service frequencies are also used for some surrounding counties.

Communications Modes In Testing Phases

Asterisk

When communications interoperability is a must one communications resource that stands out with the capability to create one from many operating modes is Asterisk.

Asterisk is a software suite that operates on Linux with the capability to manage PSTN (land line telephone), Internet phone (SIP, IAX2) and RF Gateways (Remote HF Base, VHF, UHF links and repeaters.

Asterisk can be used in a published network setting as well as being a totally private network that can be used with public safety radio systems, amateur radio systems as well as commercial system while all remain separate yet in a emergency incident they can be interconnected.

With the interoperability capabilities of Asterisk the resource is present that allows for a person in the field to be contacted via telephone (be it PSTN or Internet) as well as radio from a second network. Asterisk can be inter-tied with EchoLink, IRLP, along with other RF Gateway equipment and VoIP services.

To learn more about Asterisk and how it can be used in SKYWARN and other communication support activities, contact NØPCO or check out Asterisk Amateur Radio Network and ALERTradio ERC at http://asteriskradio.net and http://alertradio.net respectively. Open source software can be found at the Asterisk Open Source PBX and Telephony Platform web site

EchoLink

For licensed hams, EchoLink® software opens up new possibilities for communicating around the world with other amateurs. Your PC links you or your local repeater to any of thousands of other stations over the Internet.

There are several different ways you can use the EchoLink software. You can set up a "simplex link" in your shack, with a VHF or UHF transceiver connected to your PC, to allow anyone in range of your station to communicate by voice with any other EchoLink station around the world.

Or, you can use the PC's microphone and speakers and remotely connect to any of more than 2,000 different repeaters that have EchoLink capability.

Internet Radio Linking Project

The aim of the IRLP project is to reliably and inexpensively link amateur radio systems without the use of RF links, leased lines, or satellites.

The IRLP uses Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) custom software and hardware. Coupled with the power of the Internet, IRLP will link your repeater site or simplex station to the world in a simple and cost effective way.

IRLP operates a worldwide network of dedicated servers and nodes offering very stable worldwide voice communications between hundreds of towns and cities. All this with unsurpassed uptimes and the full dynamic range of telephone quality audio.