"The Morning Call Inc., Copyright 2002"
Date: Apr. 17, 1983
RADIO HAMS ARE EYE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
By Bob Wittman Jr. The Morning Call
The radar monitor above the control desk pulsated precipitation totals in the form of color-coded
splotches across a map grid of the Mid-Alantic States.
In another part of the room, the Harris Lazerfax printer ejected satellite photographs,
alternately standard mosaic and infrared, one after another every couple of minutes. A careful
interpreter of their shades of gray can use them to measure the heights of clouds.
And the two-screened console of the National Weather Service's computer network bleeped forth, at
command, its wiggly-lined graphs of upper air charts that tracked the storm's speed.
But on that night of Feb. 11, when the Northeast was being pummeled by this century's worst
snowstorm, tow local employed of the National Weather Service who were stranded in their computer
crammed offices in the old terminal of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport could only imagine
what was happening in Andreas, Portland, Erwinna, or Griesmersville.
Yet thanks to a program that got under way last fall involves the volunteer support of about 100 amateur
radio operators, the weatherman knew precisely what the conditions were in Saylorsburg,
East Greenville, Mertztown and a lot of other places, besides.
The volunteers are part of the "6 meter severe weather net" organized by weather specialist
Charles Giannetta, himself an amateur radio operator for the last 25 years. The names come from the
6-meter band the amateurs operate on, and they site in readiness to deliver vergal reports of
precipitation totals, wind speed estimates, temperature readings, cloud phenomenon and atmospheric
visibility during severe weather of long duration.
Says Steve Porter, the official in charge of the weather office, "You can have all the sophisticated equipment
in the world, but nothing beats the human eye"
The net was called to service at 3:30 p.m. on the day of the storm and remained active until
the snow began to subside around midnight. It was the third time the system had been used.
It was almost used a forth time last Sunday, but the rain slackened in time.
The National Weather Service has a long tradition of relying on volunteer spotters to give
personnel in local offices a pair of eyes where weatherman can't be. But their only link to the stations is by
telephone, so their call-up is cumbersome and their usefulness limited.
The amateur radio operators on the other hand know to tune to 50.150 megahertz on the 6-meter
band when a severe weather watch or warning is issued, so communications with the A-B-E office is direct and immediate.
"Net Central" is in Giannetta's Bath home or at the radio he plans to set up soon at the weather
office. When he's available, information from around the region would be funneled through him.
In Giannetta's absence, designated alternates in Saylorsburg, Jim Thorpe, Bangor, or Honeybrook,
Lancaster County, will take over. Giannetta is the only one of the local weather service employees
so far who is licensed to be an amateur operator.
The traffic between the amateurs and Net Central is not idle chit-chat about the weather, either.
Each of the participants has received government-issued rain gauges for placement outside of their homes
and packets of booklets that tell hoe to make technical observations.
Giannetta says he had it in the back of his mind for several years to organize the net. But is wasn't
until a directive came from Washington encouraging such volunteer participation that he decided to act.
So although other amateur radio nets have been organized in concert with weather service offices in other
parts of the country, only at A-B-E is the system being run independently of the local Civil
Defense operation.
When he started, Giannetta envisioned a net of perhaps 10 to 15 stations, and his first recruits were some of
the well situated amateur operators he had come to know. But others asked to join when they read notices about
the creation in their radio club newsletters or when they stumbled onto its test check-in every
Sunday at 10 a.m. They now number about 100.
Being volunteers, the amateurs are not paid for their participation in the weather emergencies, of
course. All they get for their cooperation is an official government certificate of merit. Nor
are they ever obliged to participation. But being dedicated, as they are, to providing assistance
during times of crisis, the operators, enthusiasm has been high.
"The pontential for this systen is tremendous", says Porter. And adds Giannetta, "its a lot of fun"
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"WEATHER BY GIANNETTA"