| Publisher: Information Station Specialists |
| Editorial | ||
| NOAA News Is Bad News | ||
| New York's National Weather Radio Station Disappears, Reappears, Disappears Again – Just in Time for Snow Storm | ||
A National Weather Service representative had stated in emails to the New Jersey Borough of North Plainfield that “We will continue to place KWO35 back in operation … any time a life threatening weather hazard is forecast” and later explained “Through this upcoming [January] storm, the weather radio transmission will continue to be in flux with you receiving the signal, at times, but always.” At times, but always? Is that a new federal doublespeak? Sure enough, the station’s 162.55 MHz signal kicked in bright and early on January 2nd in advance of the big snow storm that socked the Northeast later that day. But by afternoon it was again AWOL, and remained that way throughout the storm. It remains off the air. The reason for the difficulties, according to the National Weather Service, is an ”intermodulation” between NOAA’s transmission and another agency’s transmitter in the immediate area, which is resulting in interference on the Coast Guard’s Channel 16 – a channel used for international maritime distress calls. Technicians tell The Source that it is not clear why the interference suddenly appeared, since the transmitters involved have been in service on the same frequencies for years. The National Weather Service issued a statement December 15th, stating “We have installed a filter on the transmitter ... which reduced, but did not eliminate, this problem.” On January 6th, the National Weather Service acknowledged to Borough representatives by telephone that the agency has recently engaged a private firm to troubleshoot the problem. In the meantime, the National Weather Service’s lack of service to the Big Apple is a big embarrassment. |
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| Lee Hovis Nocatee Operations Manager |
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| Really Reaching Residents | |||||
| Home Owner
Associations Install Information Radio Stations to Prepare for Emergencies |
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FLORIDA
& CALIFORNIA: On a good day, Lee Hovis talks
to visitors and homeowners as they navigate
the North Florida Resort Community “Nocatee”
about how to participate in events and take
advantage of the area’s amenities. On a bad
day, Hovis may be advising residents how to
take steps to ride out an approaching
hurricane. It’s all made possible through an
innovative Information Radio service
appropriately named “Nocatee Radio.”
Residents and visitors receive the 1630 kHz
radio signal on their car radios within a
3-5 mile radius of the community.
Hovis, the Community Development District’s operations manager, states, “This radio service is getting a lot of praise. And, within the next few months, I will even be able to update the broadcasts from my computer at home.” The station’s programming is currently controlled on the District’s network. Because Nocatee is organized as a Community Development District (CDD) – a unit of government under Florida law – it can be licensed by the FCC to operate the service. Private community organizations such as Home Owner Associations (HOAs) can coordinate with a local unit of government (county, township, etc.) to operate a station. The first private community on record to initiate an Information Radio service was the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association in 1999. Located just south of Bakersfield, California, and situated right on the San Andreas Fault, the Pine Mountain Club station keeps residents apprised of earthquake events, which, according to operator Bob Clark, “Is something we, in California, have to deal with…” In 2004, the Wildland Residents Association near Santa Barbara, California, began a similar service called the “San Marcos Pass Emergency Radio Service (SMPERS)” – which has been called into action numerous times to inform residents evacuating neighborhoods in advance of approaching wildfires. (See the "Putting Out Fires" article.) States Association President Michael Williams, “When the power goes out, telephone lines are down, there are no computers and everything stops, this system allows anyone to turn on the radio to hear emergency advisories.”
According to team leader Chuck Holliman, a power outage in the summer 2011 made obvious the need for the station. “Many residents of our desert community lost both air conditioning and communications – and therefore were unable to learn about emergency cooling centers available to them. This radio station allows us to provide essential information to our residents in future emergencies.” The station is powered by the Association’s generator should grid power be lost. The Association’s Emergency Broadcast Radio Team (EBRT) is on call 24/7 and can activate
Because the 1620 kHz signal can be received for miles outside the property boundaries, locals in their cars or with battery-powered radio receivers can learn if they may safely return home after an incident has occurred. This is a real possibility in a desert community where flash flooding, wildfires and earthquakes can sever transportation lines or otherwise make travel unsafe for an extended period of time. Sun City Palm Desert Association operates the Information Radio Station in conjunction with the Riverside County Fire Department, the FCC licensee for the service. |
| Florida DOT Asks Permission to Nuzzle Up |
| FCC Considers Bending Rules to Allow Cozier Station Spacing |
 The
Florida Department of Transportation wants
to operate two Highway Advisory Radio
Stations (TIS) on I-595 near Fort
Lauderdale. Not a problem, except that the
two stations would be located as close as 35
miles from the primary signal contour of a
broadcast station in Marco Island, Florida,
which is on the same frequency. Eighty miles
is the "bear" minimum separation distance in
FCC
Rules (Part 90.242), which all operators
have respected since the in-band TIS rules
were adopted in the early 1990s.
The DOT is asking the FCC for a waiver to operate the stations at the closer distance, despite the interference potential, it says, citing non-technical reasons; asserting that the TIS stations would not be in the broadcast station's market area and that they could be used in a future hurricane evacuation plan. Perhaps sensing that granting the waiver would set a new precedent, the FCC is asking for comment. To include your input, refer to Public Notice DA-14-42 in the FCC’s Universal Licensing System. Responses are due February 14. |
| Letters to The Source |
| TIS Is Competition? |
 “That 3-kHz TIS filter [on TIS Transmitters]
is a joke! But the burning question is WHY
is this filter [there] to begin with? Are
the big money radio stations afraid of a TIS
station as competition?"PUH-LEEEZE!” Jeff Laurence - Autumn Hill Studios, Franklin, NC |
| Station for Sale |
| “Just wanted to let you know that I
purchased a [pre-owned] Information Radio
Station at public auction last Saturday. If
you know of someone needing some or all of
it, let me know.” Dan - Wauseon, OH Editor's Note: Contact Information Station Specialists to get pricing on this pre-owned package or individual components that comprise it. Included are transmitter, voice system, antenna system, cabinet, arrestors, etc., which may be used as spares for existing operators. |
| Community "Flamethrower" |
| “The Mayor has made our 'Flamethrower'
[Information Station on 1630 AM] status
official in his annual state-of-the-Borough
message at last night's council meeting. He
made reference to what the station has been
able to accomplish through severe weather
and his appreciation for this unique service
in our town, referencing it as 'The
Flamethrower.' He is a retired professional
firefighter and understands the nature of
emergencies and the necessity of getting
accurate, vital information to the public. Richard K. Phoenix - Borough Clerk, North Plainfield, NJ |
PO Box 51, Zeeland, Michigan, USA, 49464-0051, Phone 616.772.2300, Fax 616.772.2966, Email
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