OKC Spotter Number Doesn't Work!!!

[Rick Smith]

I find it hard to believe OUN doesn't have a spotter number... Did they actually tell you that in response to your email?
[/b]

We have a spotter number -- it is 405-360-5928.

Rick

 

[Amos Magliocco]

Bill,

It's unfortunate that you were told this about spotter networks. Spotters in almost all cases are dedicated and conscientious citizens who put themselves in harm's way and get their paint jobs banged up for no pay and little thanks. They don't have websites or sell video on the internet. Of course they don't see as many storms as we do, but in places like Oklahoma and Kansas, they have seen plenty. You can trust what they report. I wish some of those "experienced" chasers would come forward and put their names to claims like this. I don't expect it, however.

As for the value of a Skywarn net, here's what happened to me Monday. I was repositioning after having observed an initial wall cloud organize and then occlude. While I was turned away from the meso, a spotter reported a debris cloud visible on the ground. I drove down a side road that was more elevated and still could not see condensation on the ground, but after waiting a few more minutes, the tube emerged and touched down. If I hadn't been listening to the net, I don't know how long I would have repositioned without glancing at the area where I'd seen the WC. It's not out of the question that, given my distance from the tornado (~7 miles), I would have missed the whole thing.

Anyway, I'm glad you raised this issue. I think chasing is growing more distant from the integrated warning system and that doesn't help anybody, as far as I can tell.

Good comments from all. Amos you bring up some good points. I should mention that I have considered getting the Ham and listening in on nets, but other much more experienced chasers that used to be plugged into the nets have told me that it is a great source of misleading information, that many spotter reports are bad, and you can make bad storm decisions based on them. Sorry spotters, this is just what I was told.[/b]

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I completely agree with Amos's positive sentiments about the OUN linked spotter system. I find the information given out on the various repeaters (Cyril, OKC, etc) to be extremely informative. When the net is active, you'll usually hear radar updates every 5-15 minutes, along with any warnings, statements, or (my favorite) warning decision updates. Even if you have mobile data / internet, I find it very informative and worthwhile, unless you sit on an NWS text page and hit refresh every 30 seconds to check for the latest updates/warnings/etc. The radar updates are excellent, and give you another point of view or opinion about the situation (another being one different from your own). Two thumbs up to OUN and those who work on the amatuer radio system across the OUN CWA. With all that said, I strongly suggest getting even a scanner if you chase in the OUN CWA much. For whatever reason, I've heard much more discussion on the OKC and Cyril repeaters than on the Watonga repeater, so I consider the coverage in the southern and southwestern part of the state to be a tad better than the northwestern and north-central part of the state. Of course, there are numerous smaller-area repeaters that are intended to be used for spotter-to-net command communication (while the Cyril and OKC repeaters are intended more for net commend / EOC to OUN communication from my experience).

(Note, TSA and other NWSFOs have nice amatuer radio systems as well, but OUNs is tops in my experience).

 

[Bill Tabor]

Bill, I'm not sure why the number did not work for you on Monday - sorry you had problems! We answer that phone every day from 7AM until 8PM, and it is left on longer during significant weather. We do not publish our toll free number since it is used by emergency managers and public safety officials across our 56 county area of responsibility, and it gets quite a workout during active weather.
[/b]

Rick, please check out the voice mail system on the non-800 number. As I recall there were only two options (seems like they were #4 and #5). None were to report weather. I tried to call earlier but the first time I got in was 8:39:29. I had to borrow a ladies cell phone of a family out standing on the road watching the storm. I had initially attempted contact between 8:20 and 8:31 as I approached the wallcloud and before the tornado was completely down.

Also your office might consider providing Chris Novy with the 800 number as other NWS offices have US wide. See the link http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=10782. If you provide it to me, I can update it, but it may take awhile.

Also (the rest of you), what frequencies do y'all recommend we monitor? I do have a Bearcat Scanner. Perhaps it would pick some up? Thx.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Bill,

In the OUN CWA:

I made a placefile of Skywarn / spotter repeaters for use in GRLevel3, but it contains the location (the lat/lons aren't in for every one yet) and the frequencies for a bunch of repeaters across the central US (again, the lat/lon points for the KS/NE/TX repeaters aren't in yet; if someone wants to sit down with Street Atlas or something and get those lat and lon points, feel free!... Check it out at http://grlevel3.tornadocentral.com/repeaters.txt

 

[Joe Dorn]

I have to put another plug in for the wide area repeater, W5BEC, near Eddy, Texas. The repeater is 1600 feet AGL and covers about 20 Central Texas counties. The covered area is roughly San Saba on the west, Bryan/College Station on the east, Round Rock to the south and Hillsboro to the north

We are not and will not be linked to other repeaters but we are linked to the NWS Fort Worth via EchoLink. FTW loves us because of our coverage and approach to spotting. I personally dislike linking repeaters since one person can tie up all of the repeaters on a network.

I am often the net control station (night vision is very poor and have to be in by dark) and have several weather related programs and displays running including GRL3, RealEmwin, DA, WeatherTap, and APRS (UIView with radar underlays).

Any LICENSED spotter/chaser is welcome to make reports on this repeater. Some repeaters require that you be regeristered in some form or fashion to make reports. In the DFW area you must be a RACES member.

The details:
W5BEC 147.140, PL 123
31.16.7N, 97.13.9W, 1600 feet agl (four miles east of MM 315 on IH-35)

BTW, a good 'new in the box' 2 meter radio and the mag mount antenna can be purchased for about 200 dollars. You can have multiple repeaters being scanned. You can listen but not transmit without a ham license. There is an exception that allows emergency transmissions if life or property is in immediate danger such as the event at the start of the thread described. BEWARE, the FCC does not take kindly to unauthorized transmissions, especially if it is deemed to be interference with emergency communications.

Joe Dorn, W5VEX
Trustee for W5BEC

 

[KenMcWatters]

Also (the rest of you), what frequencies do y'all recommend we monitor? I do have a Bearcat Scanner. Perhaps it would pick some up? Thx.
[/b]

If you don't have a frequency list handy for your current location (not uncommon while chasing), you can just scan the 2m and 70cm ham bands. Most Skywarn frequencies are found here. These bands are from 144 - 148 MHz and 420-450 MHz.

 

[KMcCallister]

Good comments from all. Amos you bring up some good points. I should mention that I have considered getting the Ham and listening in on nets, but other much more experienced chasers that used to be plugged into the nets have told me that it is a great source of misleading information, that many spotter reports are bad, and you can make bad storm decisions based on them. Sorry spotters, this is just what I was told. I do have a scanner - I don't really know what frequencies to monitor. My scanner usually has static anyway. With the above said, IMO it seems that in retrospect there have been times such as Monday where monitoring those frequencies could be useful. Also, the OUN spotter network sounds impressive.

Also, these were some good points, but there is still the issue of OUN not having a valid spotter report number and no option for chasers not part of the net to call in reports. If this is their decision and opinion on the subject then I guess we just live with it. Perhaps the idea of chasers being able to help out with reports just isn't realistic. Perhaps I should worry more about taking pictures from now on. You should see my damn blurry pictures!!! Arghhhh!!! At least I can grab from video that looks marginal. My bad photos are primarily due to my concern for public safety and interest in making a call to NWS. The multitasking right in the heat of battle had me mega anxious as the tornado was headed my way and it was starting to get dark, When combined with my asthma it wasn't good - seems I could hardly breathe for a bit.
[/b]

Obviously everybody looks at it a little differently, but I can't imagine the value of listening to spotter reports as much of a tool to chasing anyway. If spotting is really so bad out there, then that seems like a good reason for you (as an experienced chaser) to become a ham, not avoid being a ham. Assuming somebody is chasing (and not spotting), I see (for myself at least) ham radio as having two primary purposes:

First purpose is to listen to the spotter networks to make sure that the NWS is fully up to date on what is happening. If I hear six spotters feeding continuous information to NWS and I have nothing to add, then I can happily leave that running in the background as I enjoy the storms. I don't have to worry about the safety of the public if I have nothing to add. I don't have to wonder what the NWS knows or doesn't know, and I don't have to mess around with my cellphone. On the rare occasion that a path to NWS is available and the situation isn't being heavily covered, then I'm definitely going to get on there and try to help (especially when NWS starts asking for information). In Oklahoma (especially), the NWS will even broadcast useful information over the radio.

Second, ham provides a high quality and reliable method of communications directly to other chasers. Adds to the fun side of chasing being able to meet chasers, find people you want to meet up with, or just talking about the days storms on the long drives home. It is so nice to be able to talk to a group of people by radio instead of trying to use cellphones in areas where the systems are already overloaded.

I certainly encourage non-ham chasers to become hams. At the very least, you give yourself options that could possibly make a big difference one day.

 

[Shane Adams]

The 360-5928 number works, you just have to be patient through the recorded message and then choose option #5. This will send your call to a live desk where a human being will answer. The problem I had the other day wasn't with the automated system, it was just getting through. At first I had no signal. Once I did, I was directed to the live line each time I called, but it was always busy.