Reporting Numbers

[Drew Terril]

Mike, I'm at work right now (and logged on via Tapatalk) but I'll get on the laptop when I get home and send an email so we can start to get a handle on how we're going to do this. The easy part will be the NWS offices. The Ham repeaters may be more tedious but I need to play with a program on my computer that might make that a lot easier.

 

[John Wetter]

I would encourage everyone to use SpotterNetwork vs. mPing as SpotterNetwork gets it to more places and makes it more useful in warning operations faster.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

John, I've been using mPing for a couple of years now. I've always had the reports go right where they need to go, which is mainly to the NWS. Using actual SN on a mobile device is very cumbersome trying to locate where you are, write the report, and hope the data gets your report out there. I use SN only to put out my location for the NWS since they call me quite a bit.

 

[Mike Cox]

John and Marcus, I was going to say the same thing about SN on a mobile device. I know there's a few apps on the android platform, but accessing SN on a iOS device is a pain as you have use the non-mobile friendly website. I definitely think an iOS SN app is much needed, however I'm no Steve Jobs, so I'm not much help. I haven't used mPing for SVR wx yet, so I can't comment on that end of things.

@Drew T and I are actively working on building the reporting numbers / NWS information list. We're concentrating on the middle of the county at the moment (with storm season starting) and will post more information once we get a good base started.

 

[John Wetter]

If someone is interested in writing an app for SN, please let me know! I fear mPING may also fall victim to the same issues SN ran in to a few years ago with reporting severe weather information, we'll have to see what happens. Do that many people really want to do reporting on a phone though? Are people leaving laptops faster than I think they are?

 

[Mike Cox]

@Ryan Hickman's post in the Actual Warning Times thread has some good information for this thread as well. He posted a link to the list of NWS numbers that they verify with the NWS. I will be working with the ST admin crew and @Drew T to get this resource posted somewhere in our library of information.

In regards to the SN app, I think there definitely needs to be an iOS client similiar to the one found on the Android platform. I think it would make a lot of lives easier in reporting.

@John Wetter from what I've read / seen lately, I think more and more people are moving away from laptops and going with tablets. I made the move a couple of years ago and haven't looked back. Yes there are times I wish I had the functionality of a laptop, but 99% of the time, my tablet suites me just fine. I made the move to lessen the amount of stuff in my vehicle and to allow me to focus more on the storm and not all the tech.

Mike