rdale
EF5
Where are you checking? Go to weather.gov/Milwaukee and click on Skywarn for the 2011 list.
I also plan on taking my first skywarn class this month. My question is location. The class I want to take is for twin citys skywarn but i am not included in the area it covers. Is this only for ham radio or am i going to show up just to find out i don't apply?
amytierney
EF0
Shane Lee
EF0
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2009
- Messages
- 15
Mike...check out the Woxoun Handheld radio. I have heard some good reviews about them despite their Chinese (read: stereotypically cheap) lineage. I don't personally own one, but I was thinking about getting one myself. Might be a cheap way for you to get started in Amateur Radio. They sell brand new for about $120-140 with battery and charger. You can look around online and find an American company that sells them and ships them from the US if you would like. I hope this helps!
Karen St John
EF3
A great deal of used ham equipment is available at very reasonable pricing.
Can you describe your situation better? From your post I don't understand your question.
Metro Skywarn is a ham radio organization and their class list is here: http://www.metroskywarn.org/cgi-bin/classes.pl
The Twin Cities NWS Office has training all around the region: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/skywarnSchedule.php
AAHHH! i am typing this for the third time now. my computer is being screwy so i apologise if i am actually posting this for a third time.
To be completely honest, although i have done a ton of research on storm chasing i never really looked into the technical aspect of spotting. I was told that one class around here is supposed to be one of the best in the area. The problem is, it is presented by metro skywarn and i live in stearns county, which is just out of the metro skywarn area. So, I guess i have a few extremely basic questions.
1.am i going to the class only for educational purposes(which is fine) or am i registering with skywarn.
2. does skywarn only operate via ham radio or can i call in as a spotter.
3.if i can call in as a spotter, then does it matter if i take the class that doesn't cover my region.
4.is skywarn split into regions like metro skywarn or does it operate under 1 system with metro skywarn just being its own little sub category.
sorry i am asking such basic questions. this is the most noobish i have felt on here for a while.
Skip Talbot
EF5
Probably just for education. That's all many spotter classes provide. To "register" you usually have to belong to the club to club giving or receiving the class which may be a ham radio club, EMA, police or fire. You don't have to "register" or belong to these groups to spot or give reports.
You can call in. The popular tool here on Stormtrack is Spotter Network: http://www.spotternetwork.org
It does not matter (unless the class is for a closed group of people).
Each local club has its own "jurisdiction." So yes, a spotter group might cover a particular town or county (counties). Again you don't have to belong to a particular group, or are required to report from the same location to be a spotter if you're phoning in your reports or using Spotter Network. The local spotter groups might require you be part of their group to use their reporting methods like a ham net, however.
Skip being the rockstar that he is took care of the answers. I'll just add that both Stearns County Skywarn and Metro Skywarn are primarily amateur radio organizations as the NWS office has a large build-out in ham radio. The office also actively takes spotternetwork.org reports as Skip mentioned. Which class are you looking to attend? Hopefully it isn't the one in Blaine this Saturday, otherwise I'll have my work cut out for me... ;-)
thank you both for your help! The one i am looking at is indeed blaine. Is this a bad thing?
