Radio Hams donate severe weather early warning system

Thanks to the Socorro Amateur Radio Association, an early warning system will alert the police when dangerous weather approaches New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley. This, after volunteers from the local ham radio group built the needed gear and then donated it to the 911 Call Center.

According to association member Jon Spargo, KC5NTW, Socorro sits in a void in the National Weather Service radio based alert system. In New Mexico there are two that can broadcast toward Socorro however, neither signal is reliably received.

Remembering a hailstorm of October 5, 2004, the local ham community was determined to make certain that another storm would not sneak up on them. So the Socorro Amateur Radio Association built and installed the system at the Socorro police station to permit city officials to hear the National Weather Service alerts and tell them if severe weather is headed their way.

Spargo said the general public still will not be able to pick up the Weather Service’s warning signal because it’s a direct link to city officials. He also noted that association members Glenn Mauger, WB5OAF and Vern Leavitt, KD5UHB, put in many hours designing and installing the antenna and receiver.

Ownership of the new receiving system was officially transferred to the city of Soccoro last July 25th .

Source: ARNewsline, K5CEC