🚀 go-pugleaf

Sam Barricklow <sam.barricklow@drig.com> wrote...

>During trips through tornado alley, SKYWARN nets are
>occasionally encountered who use codes to identify
>storms, denote the net condition, label spotting locations
>and otherwise confuse critical information.  This is an
>extremely negative practice and must be stopped and
>eliminated.
>
>The general public, media, government agencies, visiting
>spotters, chasers and others frequently monitor
>SKYWARN nets.  It must be remembered that these nets
>exist to provide an important service to the public.
>Scanning receivers are common and from comments
>made by co-workers and friends, they are frequently
>tuned to SKYWARN nets during bad weather.  Plain
>language must be used so that those monitoring can
>receive maximum information and benefit from the net
>operation and reports.

I have real mixed feelings about this issue.  There are some subtle
points that need clarification.

While the *ultimate* purpose of having a SKYWARN net (be it amateur
radio or emergency management-based) is to serve the public, the
net itself is designed for internal communication between network
participants  --not to communicate directly with the public. Further,
amateur radio traffic technically may only be transmitted to other
amateur radio operators.  While this does not prohibit the general public
from monitoring (intercepting), the public has no real nor implied right
to receive this information directly off the air.  Yes, the Communications
Act of 1934 says they can receive it but it says nothing about us having
to talk in plain-language.  Thus the use of weather jargon or nicknames/grid
identifiers for spotting locations is perfectly legal.

The deliberate cyphering of information is prohibited in amateur radio but
this also does not mean the use of codes, abbreviations, or techno babble
is prohibited because there is no *intent to deceive*.

In certain circumstances it is useful to code information.  Some examples
include:

   --Nets with large numbers of spotters and a high volume of traffic.
     Here, coding information makes dispatching more efficient.

   --Nets covering large areas or rural areas where pre-determined site
     names are much easier to transmit than exact locations.

   --Nets operating in areas where the broadcast media has proven to
     be irresponsible and "run with" information that has not been confirmed
     or only tells part of the story (like listening to a single hurricane
     recon aircraft report and proclaiming "the storm is weakening").

   --Protecting sensitive information or avoiding a rush of thrill-seekers
     such as in the case of VORTEX reports or after a bonefide disaster
     when scene protection and information embargoing are necessary.

I am not saying that coding information is *always* the best solution.  One
could argue that while the network traffic is not intended for direct
reception by the public, since we know they are listening anyway (because
they want the most up-to-date info possible) why not do whatever it takes
to make the information easy to understand?  Further, if the information
is coded, the public and media may make false assumptions (guesses) leading
to secondary problems like false evacuations or diverting of disaster relief.
Finally, coding information can introduce problems and delays when reports
come from panicked spotters.  A spotter's accidental report of a "C22"
(a tornado) instead of a "C23" (a shelf cloud) could have bad consequences.
However, training, use of unambiguous codes, and good control of the net
makes these situations very unlikely.

It really all depends on your local situation.  If you are a roving
spotter or a chaser and do not understand what you are hearing ask
the net control station for a plain-language briefing.  If they refuse
to give you information, refuse to acknowledge you (many nets have policies
of accepting traffic only from people personally known to the net), then
they probably will send your report of a tornado directly to the trash
bucket anyway.  I've done a lot of traveling and have checked into
a bunch of spotter nets throughout the Plains.  Some nets are really good
and others (especially in "tornado alley") have been quite disappointing.

I'll stop here and solicit more comments.  ..Chris..
*====================================================================*
Chris Hayes Novy - WA9V   Internet: chris@siu.edu
Southern Illinois Univ.             chris@lib.siu.edu
Systems Administration       Phone: (618) 453-1683 (work)
Morris Library                      (618) 457-6149 (home)
Carbondale, IL 62901-6632      FAX: (618) 453-3440
*====================================================================*