[aprssig] SKYWARN Recognition Day - Starts in 12 hours!

[Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr)]

A few of us have been warming up the SKYWARN group on CQSRVR so it's 
ready for the rest of you to join in!  All you need to make APRS 
contacts is any APRS client and/or message-capable device to make 
world-wide contacts via APRS messaging.

See the instructions for CQSRVR at http://www.aprs-is.net/CQSrvr.aspx 
and use the SKYWARN group name.  Remember to include some sort of 
greeting text after "CQ SKYWARN" and make sure you're in range of a 
bi-directional IGate!

Let the countdown begin!  "See" you on the air...

(oh, and depending on your APRS interface, knowing the local temperature 
is as easy as glancing at the nearest APRS weather station!)

Copying my previous announcement message:

This Saturday (December 4) is SKYWARN Recognition Day when amateur radio
operators light up the airwaves from participating National Weather
Service offices.  See http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/ for more
information.

Since contacts via repeaters and EchoLink/IRLP are considered valid
(this isn't really a formal contest, but an awareness event), then why
not APRS contacts?  To make an APRS contact, simply send an APRS message
containing "CQ SKYWARN <additional text>" to "CQSRVR".  This will send
<additional text> to all those that have gone before and also subscribe
you to receive all future CQs to SKYWARN for the next 12 hours.  (See
also http://www.aprs-is.net/CQSrvr.aspx)

I, for one, will be monitoring the SKYWARN CQ group on CQSRVR as long as
I can starting Friday evening at 7:00pm Eastern (hopefully representing
WX4MLB) until I hit the sack, and will again be monitoring all day
Saturday from elsewhere.  Send a CQ SKYWARN to CQSRVR and I'll get back
to you when I can from wherever I am.

Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32

PS.  I'm already signed up on SKYWARN via CQSRVR, so feel free to send a
message to test it before the contacts begin.