Packet Weather Reporting System
Santa Barbara California
Hello from the Santa Barbara Section. We are trying something new out here and want to see if anyone else is currently
using packet for this purpose or has any suggestions. One of the problems we have in this section is an accurate method
of keeping an eye on the weather. We are not faced with the problem that many of you are with hurricanes and tornados,
but we are faced with the problem of heavy rains in hillside areas.
In the past, we have been using voice communications to relay reported conditions to the Weather Bureau. While more
effective than than no communications, the method has been spotty at best. What we are looking at now is to use packet
as a more automated and reliable method of transmitting the data from the spotters to the Weather Bureau. A local Ham,
Dave Faige KE6JQP, is an Official Weather Observer for the Weather Bureau and has devised a standard format that
spotters can use to report conditions via packet. The format is described in the following message that was sent
to all packet BBS's in the Santa Barbara Section. This message is being posted at the request of the Section Emergency
Coordinator, Jennifer Roe AA6MX, to obtain any input and suggestions you may have.
Howard Coleman N6VDV
Bulletin Manager
Santa Barbara Section
Your help is needed in the reporting of local weather conditions! Dave Faige, KE6JQP, who is an Official Reporting
Station for the Weather Bureau, has put together a method allowing any that are interested, to input information, via
packet, into a central database. The database can be read or downloaded by anyone that is interested. Currently, the
program is in beta test and data input ( as described below ) as well as suggestions, would be appreciated. The Weather
Bureau is interested in seeing the data reported via packet operators. Please use the following format ONLY:
Send your packet report addressed to:
SP MSYS @ N6VDV.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM
TITLE: DBADD 0
(^ = number zero - NOT the letter OSCAR)
SUBJECT: <see following information>
Reports must be ASCII text - no more than 78 characters per line. To continue the report on a new line, put a backslash
(\) at the end of the current line. Example report:
06-05-95 SimiValley3E 5:30pmPDT High78 Low55 Cur68 WindWSW3,GustNW15 \ Precip0.15,rainshower Bar29.92r SkyLowOvercast
Rain shower between 1 \ and 2 pm
(NOTE: DO NOT PLACE A BACKSLASH (\) ON THE LAST LINE OF THE REPORT)
06-05-95: date of report in mm-dd-yy format. You must add leading zeros (i.e., do not enter the date as 6-5-95 instead
use 06-05-95.)
SimiValley3E: location of reporting station. This is the name of your city and the number and direction in whole miles
from the U.S. Post Office that serves you. Use only whole miles and the eight major compass points.
"SimiValley3E" means the station is located in the city of Simi Valley, three miles east of the post office.
5:30pmPDT: time of report in am/pm format. Include time zone (either PST or PDT, as applicable).
High78: the highest temperature in degrees Fahrenheit that occurred during the past 24 hours.
Low55: the lowest temperature in degrees Fahrenheit that occurred during the past 24 hours.
Cur68: the current temperature in degrees Fahrenheit at the time of report.
WindWSW3,GustNW15): current average wind direction and speed in mph measured over 1 minute, and the highest wind gust
direction and speed that occurred during the past 24 hours. The example reads "current average wind is from the
WestSouthWest at 3 mph, the peak wind gust during the past 24 hours was from the NorthWest at 15 mph". If there is no
wind, report WindCalm. If you do not have a wind gauge and are estimating the winds, append "est" to the report (for
example, WindW5est - note that Gust is not indicated). If you are estimating wind gusts, place this information in the
comments section (example: Santa Ana winds gusting to 50 mph, estimated).
Precip0.15,rainshower: amount of any form of precipitation in inches (preferably accurate to 0.01") that fell during
the past 24 hours, plus the type of precipitation. It is desirable that you add information about when precipitation
occurred in the comments section.
Bar29.92r: current barometric pressure in inches of mercury (Hg). Append r for rising, f for falling, or s for steady,
if known.
SkyLowOvercast: description of the cloud cover. If you can specify the cloud type (i.e., cirrus, altocumulus, stratus,
etc.), then by all means do so. If you don't know the cloud types, then indicate if they are low, middle, or high
clouds and indicate if they are causing rain. Also note the amount of cloud cover. You can do this either of two ways:
1) you can express the cloud cover as a percentage, or 2) you can use these terms: clear (less > than 10%), scattered
(10% to less than 50%), broken (50 to 90%), and overcast (more than 90%).
Examples: (64%) SkyScatteredStratus,BrokenAltocumulus or Sky10%Stratus,60%Altocumulus or SkyScatteredLowClouds,
BrokenMiddleClouds. SkyOvercastNimboStratus or Sky100%NimboStratus or SkyLowOvercastRainClouds. If there are no clouds,
simply report SkyClear. If the clouds are not discernable (due to fog, etc.), then report SkyObscured.
The remainder of the report is for any comments to expand on the data presented, descriptions of haze, fog, other
phenomenon, etc. The example above states in the comments "rain shower between 1 and 2 pm". This is used to enhance
the precipitation information. The following are examples. The system inputs the information following the ***>>> to
indicate who submitted the information.
***>>> FROM KE6JQP Sat Jun 17 02:39:38 1995:
06-14-95 SimiValley3E 7:30pmPDT High60 Low50 Cur57 WindCalm,GustWSW9 \
Precip0.40,rainshowers Bar29.92r Sky45%Stratus&Cumulus Light to \ > occasionally moderate rainshowers during the morning
and afternoon \
hours. Rain ending by approximately 3pm.
***>>> FROM KE6JQP Mon Jun 19 02:20:11 1995:
06-18-95 SimiValley3E 7:15pmPDT High79 Low50 Cur72 WindWSW4,GustNW14 \
Precip0 Bar29.91r SkyClear
***>>> FROM KE6JQP Tue Jun 20 02:54:01 1995:
06-19-95 SimiValley3E 7:50pmPDT High80 Low54 Cur71 WindWSW1,GustWSW15 \
Precip0 Bar29.84s SkyClear
All weather observers and amateur weather observers are invited to participate by sending reports from their station.
The database can be read by any that are interested by connecting to the SIMIBB:N6VDV-1 bbs and following the directions
in the help file. The file(s) can be requested using the following format:
SP REQFIL @ N6VDV.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM
TITLE: <blank>
SUBJECT: FILES/DATABASE.0
or SUBJECT: FILES/DATABASE.1
DATABASE.0 is the information accumulated since midnight and DATABASE.1 is the total accumulated data. At midnight, all
the data accumulated since the previous midnight is appended to DATABASE.1 and DATABASE.0 is purged. As information comes
in, it is added to DATABASE.0 until the midnight sequence. Any questions regarding the report format, please contact:
Dave Faige: KE6JQP @ N6VDV.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM. Any questions regarding the database or any packet problems, contact:
Howard Coleman: N6VDV @ N6VDV.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM
73 de Howard
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Eddie Horton Northwestern State University Division of Business Natchitoches, La. 71497
(318) 357-1518 Voice (318) 357-5990 Fax (318) 356-2056 Pager
The Demon BBS, (318) 357-6579 Roast Duck, (318) 994-2919 (98%)
Email : NSHORRTON@ALPHA.NSULA.EDU
