Date: January 2023
Amount: $101,302

Since 1978, the WX5FWD SKYWARN Team has been serving the citizens of North TX as a group of amateur radio operators liasing between storm spotters and the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters in times of severe weather. WX5FWD provides this service using amateur radio equipment and infrastructure located in the NWS office in Ft. Worth, TX. This setup is both funded and maintained by the WX5FWD’s volunteer members. Unfortunately, this setup is approaching end of life due deterioration and otherwise failing equipment. Funding for upgrades and replacements significantly exceeds the current financial resources of the WX5FWD team.

This grant will provide funding to modernize WX5FWD via updated radio equipment, improvements to their antenna and tower, computer and network upgrades, remote base buildouts, and updates to their remote station operations. As a result, they will be able to communicate effectively with all storm spotter groups in North TX; receive mission critical information in a timely manner; and educate the community about communications and safe storm spotting, among other things. This improvement of information flow between storm spotters and the NWS forecasters will significantly improve the warning decision process, thus saving lives and property.

Update

WX5FWD Modernization Project – A Complete Success

The WX5FWD SKYWARN^© modernization project, funded through an ARDC grant, has been an immense success. The project was executed diligently and methodically in four structured phases, resulting in a fully modernized and highly capable Skywarn station at the National Weather Service (NWS), Fort Worth. This modernization directly strengthens the communications backbone that supports severe weather operations across the area of North Texas.

Phase One – Network and Workstation Modernization:

WX5FWD modernization established a secure, centralized network architecture anchored by a Ubiquiti Dream Machine SE deployed within the NWS-FWD data center in compliance with National Weather Service physical and cybersecurity standards. To improve operational accessibility and maintenance efficiency, a dedicated radio desk rack using a 24-port Ubiquiti UniFi switch, interconnected via a 10-gigabit fiber backbone, supports operational equipment, including radio control systems, four Allstar nodes, a Beelink SER5 computer, SDR receivers, and workstation terminals. All computers, radio assets, and tower camera systems are securely integrated through the network core, ensuring centralized routing, firewall enforcement, segmentation, and managed internet access. This enables secure remote operation of station assets, real-time tower camera monitoring, and enhanced operational reliability while maintaining full compliance with NWS security requirements. Furthermore, consistent network access throughout the NWS office was achieved using several Ubiquiti Unifi U6 pro access points. New Beelink SEi12 i7-1260P mini workstations equipped with dual 27-inch Sceptre 4K IPS monitors supporting resolutions up to 3840 × 2160 provide the processing power necessary to manage 4K video feeds from tower cameras and field spotters while simultaneously displaying multiple weather radar and data applications.

These upgrades significantly enhance visual clarity, situational awareness, and operational efficiency during severe weather events, ensuring the WX5FWD team can effectively support National Weather Service forecasters and regional storm spotters.

Phase Two – Radio Upgrades and Remote Capabilities:

To modernize the radio infrastructure and support current digital voice usage among storm spotters, the system was upgraded to integrate DMR, C4FM, and remote-access capability within a hybrid (in-person and remote) operating environment.

The existing radio platform was transitioned to a standardized fleet of Kenwood TM-V71A radios. These radios were integrated into the AllStar network, allowing interoperability with digital voice systems and remote node access. Each radio was paired with a Raspberry Pi 4 configured as a control interface. An in-house-developed Python application was implemented to provide remote control functionality (https://github.com/WX5FWD/). Through this configuration, the radios can now be accessed and controlled using multiple methods, including AllStar nodes, desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, network radios, and the local radio desk computers.

To expand monitoring capability, a remote wideband receive infrastructure was installed using SDRplay RSP1B units. These receivers provide frequency coverage from 1 kHz to 2 GHz and are accessible remotely via the OpenWebRX platform. This allows team members to retrieve ground-truth weather and public service communications data from a broad range of frequencies. Additionally, a Uniden SDS200 was installed and integrated with ProScan software to enable remote monitoring of public safety communications. This allows authorized team members to monitor public service traffic from either the radio desk or remote locations.

Phase Three – Tower and Antenna Upgrades:

Before installing any new antennas or equipment, the tower’s grounding and lightning protection system was upgraded to meet NFPA 780 recommendations. As part of the upgrade, a comprehensive grounding and lightning protection system was implemented to protect the tower, building, and all connected equipment. A dedicated grounding enclosure was installed at the building entry point, and all coaxial and Ethernet cables descending from the tower are routed through this enclosure before entering the building. Inside the enclosure, each line is connected to a surge protection device mounted to a solid copper grounding plate. The grounding plate and enclosure are bonded to the tower grounding system, ensuring a low-impedance path to ground. This installation included 19 lightning surge arrestors, incorporating both coaxial and Ethernet surge protection devices. Cable routing and bonding were also improved to maintain vertical cable runs and reduce lightning impedance, further enhancing surge energy dissipation.

Following completion of the grounding and lightning protection upgrades, the damaged antenna systems from the 100-foot tower were removed and replaced with new, modernized communications and monitoring platforms. Eight VHF (2-meter) DB224-B antennas and eight UHF (440 MHz) DB408-E antennas are installed at 25, 50, 75, and 100 feet to provide enhanced coverage and redundancy. Two 75-meter delta loop antennas are mounted at 45 and 80 feet to support HF operations, along with two discone antennas for wideband monitoring capability. In addition, three 5 GHz AREDN mesh network nodes are installed at approximately 85 feet to provide high-speed emergency data connectivity, and three 4K weather monitoring cameras were mounted at approximately 95 feet to improve real-time situational awareness. A compliant FAA obstacle light was also installed at the top of the tower.

Phase Four – Remote Bases:

Seven AllStar remote bases, controlled by WX5FWD team members during severe weather events, are made operational in Wise, Young, Hamilton, Limestone, Tarrant, Ellis, and Dallas counties. This significantly expands the coverage area, as several counties fall outside the WX5FWD amateur radio station’s normal coverage range at the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Fort Worth. These remote bases allow operators to monitor storm dynamics before systems enter our primary support area, providing valuable pre-event information to our forecaster team and enhancing overall situational awareness during rapidly evolving weather events.

Today, the WX5FWD SKYWARN team consists of 10 active team members who provide critical communications support to:

• 26 active forecasters at the National Weather Service Fort Worth Office.
• An average of 1,100 active storm spotters across the North Texas region.

WX5FWD now stands fully modernized, mission-ready, and prepared to support North Texas severe weather operations with enhanced reliability, coverage, and resilience.

Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/wx5fwd/.