A bit of BWN history from Don, W9IXG, SK

A Little History: Badger Weather Net (BWN) was started December 14, 1964 by a handful of Wisconsin Amateur Radio operators (HAMS). Since that time the Badger Weather Net (BWN) has provided the National Weather Service (NWS) with valuable weather observations of high/low temperatures and precipitation from across the state. This collected data is utilized for input into the river forecast model, for public and fire weather forecasts, verification of watches and warnings, for local media use, and various research projects.

The BWN has grown over the years from only a handful of reporting sites to over nearly 60 stations that report the weather data daily. The weather reports are reported by radio on the frequency of 3.984 MHz every morning to one of the members. The net is operated from 5AM to 715AM Central Time, seven days a week. In the early days the National Weather Service office in Milwaukee would call the Ham who collected the weather data and he would relay the data to them via voice over the telephone.

This reporting procedure was later improved. In June of 1995 the NWS gave the weather relay stations a computer program that allowed the weather pickup station to enter the data in the computer and send it via modem to the NWS office.

During December 1999, the reporting procedure was again improved. The NWS visited the reporting stations and installed a new version of the computer program allowing the sending stations to send the weather data direct via a secure internet connection.

BWN is always looking for additional HAM/sites stations to report weather information.

From the Former Net Manager Donald E. Michalski W9IXG, SK.


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