Tom, K1TL, sent this link along. It is an excellent source of history in regards to radio operations in the Merchant Marine during WW II and the subsequent years. A special thanks goes out to WB9UJS, W4BGH, W4KDX, and W4CQC for putting this together.
A Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is a system where many of the traditional radio hardware components have been replaced or supplemented by means of software on a separate personal computer or a built-in operating system. While the concept of SDR has been around since the early 1970’s, recent technological advances and cost reductions have made these radios both affordable and popular among the amateur radio community.
A WebSDR is a Software-Defined Radio receiver connected to the internet which allows for multiple users to independently listen and tune simultaneously across the radio spectrum.
One of the benefits of listening on a WebSDR is that you can monitor a given frequency from an entirely different geographic location without having to actually visit that area. Here on the New England Weather Net the propagation is not always favorable to hear some of our participating stations from the local receiver. This is where listening remotely to a WebSDR will often assist you in being able to copy the net control or other participating stations.
In addition to using a WebSDR for as a remote receiver, there are some other good reasons you may want to give it a try. Here are a few:
Below you will find some links to a few WebSDR’s that can be used to monitor the New England Weather Net:
A global list of active WebSDR servers can be found here: http://www.websdr.org/.
73,
Jack, W1AYX
WA1ZJL (Roster #2), Hal in Calais, ME, sent along this helpful little form that can be printed out and used for your daily weather reports:
For a printable/downloadable version please click this link and use the File>Download As feature.
Here is a recording of session #19547 from June 11, 2018. The audio was captured on the K3FEF radio in Milford, PA.
https://youtu.be/euvq_UuvdsE
May 1, 2018 – Here is some raw drone footage (Courtesy of W1AYX) of the St. John River and Fish River at Fort Kent, ME and Soldier Pond, ME running just below moderate flood stage at 11.91 feet.
https://youtu.be/KBd7oZtjnRo
This past winter seems to have been especially long here in northern Maine but spring is nipping at its heels. Ice flow and subsequent jams along with spring flooding are always a concern for those who live along the rivers of Maine. However, this year the area has a new tool to help monitor progress of the ice flow along the St. John River in northern Maine. NB Power is hosting a GPS tracking project by placing automated buoys on the river ice at various locations. Once the buoys begin to move with the ice they start sending out automated position reports thus helping to track the progress of the ice flow.
If you want to take a close look here is a short video taken on April 19, 2018 that shows the buoy on the ice at the Dickey Bridge at Allagash, ME. It is visible at about 00:25.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qti6akGLAM
If you want to track the progress of the buoy click here.
Jack, W1AYX
Here is some aerial footage from Jack Caron, W1AYX, of the world record ice carousel built on a frozen lake in northern Maine on April 7, 2018. The diameter of the carousel is 426.5 feet (130 meters) with 30 inches (76.2 cm) of ice thickness. The estimated 11,000 ton disk of ice was turned by three outboard motors put through holes in the ice.
Click Here for the local news story from Bill Green’s Maine.