ARCUA EMWIN Press Release

ARCUA EMWIN Press Release DATE_LOCAL: Undefined variable

NEWS RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dan Puckett, ARCUA Advisor
phone: (501) 575-4575

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 1998

AMATEUR RADIO CLUB LEADS EFFORT FOR NEW WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM

Just in time for severe weather season, a new weather information system is in place in Northwest Arkansas. The system, the first of it's kind in Arkansas, is called the Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network (EMWIN). Other cities in severe weather-prone areas such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa already have EMWIN in place.

EMWIN provides a live datastream via radio waves of basic weather data such as watches, warnings, radar images, and forecasts from the National Weather Service. The system converts a satellite signal from the National Weather Service into a radio signal that can easily be picked up by a radio scanner. Anyone with access to a computer, a radio scanner, and software to convert the datastream can access EMWIN at no cost.

The EMWIN project for Northwest Arkansas was the brainchild of the Amateur Radio Club of the University of Arkansas (ARCUA). The Amateur Radio Club, along with the National Weather Service, began plans for the project over 6 months ago. The Associated Student Government of the University of Arkansas provided funding for hardware needed to retransmit the National Weather Service satellite feed. Once funding was in place, the Arkansas National Guard donated an unused radio frequency (148.050 MHz) to be used for transmission of the EMWIN datastream.

ARCUA Advisor Dan Puckett says EMWIN can benefit many people in Northwest Arkansas. "Schools, churches, public service agencies, and private citizens can easily access the weather information with very inexpensive hardware. People who already have a computer can use the system with an initial investment of under $200," says Puckett.

The transmitter is located on the University of Arkansas campus. The signal covers a 30-40 mile radius, depending upon terrain.

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