Cell Phones and Internet use for Skywarn Operations
In article <199705241721.MAA45906@postoffice.cso.uiuc.edu>, Powell E. Way III <powell@scsn.net> wrote:
> His point that cell phones are fine to use have been proved wrong over and over and over... ... The main problem is
> that at even a *HINT* of any weather or anything exciting, folks get on the phone. ... AND the cell network has
> FAR less capacity than the landline one. Wanna wait an hour for a outdial?
Anyone who wants to test the theory that the analog cellphone net can't be relied upon in a tactical situation need
only try to use a carphone in any situation where lots of others are too:
Major traffic jam (one with the radio reporting how many lanes are closed for the medevac chopper LZ, or for Investigation)
A major sporting event that draws Reporters and Yuppies in droves (like the Boston Marathon)
Weather that causes cancellations/early dismissal of schools/government offices letting out early
I've had a 10 minute (half mile) dial-town delay on the cell-phone. Granted, when the guys on the
traffic-politics-and-technical-net on WARA 146.64- are fast-keying, it can take that long to find
a pause long enough to break in politely with a traffic spot [(:-) or HI HI as you prefer] but now
that I've got a little more OOMPH than the HTX-202 in the truck, I can BREAK in if I have priority
traffic traffic...
The GOVERNMENT wireline phone system has an extra column on the touchpad that allows them to set a priority on a call.
If Spotters were going to try to give TORNADO warnings via phone-like service, they'd need guaranteed priority service
from their phone provider. You can't get that with off-the-shelf service, maybe you can with government contracts.
But would CellOne or the TelCo want to admit to everyone else that they had a lower priority for cellcalls than anyone
else? Hah. I don't know if NEXTEL (one of the Digital PCS all-in-one vendors) can provide that or not; I know both
Boston FirstNight and Boston Marathon are using NEXTEL, not analog cellphones; and even with NEXTEL, the Marathon
uses Ham Radio exclusively for the life-critical (Am.Red Cross) functions.
73 de Bill N1VUX (backup SKYWARN NCS, Middlesex/Suffolk Co., E MA)
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--
Bill Ricker N1VUX
wdr@world.std.com
http://world.std.com/~wdr
