Mark Duff, KB1EKN writes:
“The sixth annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) will take place this year on Saturday, December 4. For the second year in a row, the Boston Amateur Radio Club will participate in SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) at the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton MA. We will be operating on Saturday December 4 from 0900 to 1500 on HF and VHF.
SRD consists of Amateur Radio operators who set up at the National Weather Service (NWS) offices and other weather related locations and contact similar stations around the world. Many NWS Offices, including NWS Taunton, have permanently installed Amateur Radio equipment.
Hams have assisted the National Weather Service by providing real-time reports of severe weather and storm conditions. We recently played a key role by providing communications during the hurricanes that affected Florida and other Southeastern states.
Although the NWS operates a network of 120 Doppler radars to track severe storms, at greater ranges weather radar has difficulty time sampling conditions close to the ground. The information hams provide plays a key role in aiding forecasters.
During the SRD, stations will exchange signal reports, location and a brief description of the current weather at their respective locations (“sunny,” “partly cloudy,” “windy,” etc). We also plan to send out unique QSL cards. This is a great opportunity for members to operate the club’s Yaesu 897 and make some DX contacts. If you are interested in participating please contact me directly at emgmgt@comcast.net.
—Thanks, Boston ARC The SPARC, November, 2004