PICKENS COUNTY EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATION GROUP (PCCG)

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(last updated: Tue, January 02, 2024 02:22 gmt)
 

 

All announcements are archived on this page after they are no longer timely.
They are displayed with the newest on top.

 


There are 64 archived announcements dated between   Friday, 1 Sep 2017 08:20:20 PM   and   Monday, 28 Oct 2024 08:18:54 PM
Posted on: Monday, 28 October 2024 at 08:18:54 PM

THE NOVEMBER 2024 MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 7:00 PM ON TUESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER.
Due to Election Day, our November meeting will not be held on the first Tuesday of the month. Instead, we will meet on the second Tuesday, 12 November at our regularly scheduled time of 7:00 pm.
Also, please remember to set your clocks BACK one hour on Saturday night, 2 November.


Posted on: Sunday, 6 October 2024 at 08:55:01 PM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 20:50 6 October 2024
Based on the current situation and OPCON levels at the Pickens County EOC and at SCEMD in Columbia, the need for significant assistance from PCCG members for Hurricane Helene response has reduced. As a result, the OPCON level for the Pickens County Communications Group has been returned to OPCON 3.
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator



OPCON level 2 changed to Level 3 by Thomas Poole



Posted on: Sunday, 29 September 2024 at 08:49:37 AM

HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY UPDATE - 0845 29 SEP 24
SCEMD is are asking all operators to send in field status reports via winlink, radio or email to races1@emd.sc.gov. The report should list the following information: power status, internet status, & landline/cellular status.
Also, please send SCEMD informaitoin regarding grocery stores and service stores which are open in your area and have supplies.
We will conduct the PCCG Welfare net of 147.195 MHz agan tonight at 20:00 local time.
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator


Posted on: Saturday, 28 September 2024 at 07:43:58 PM

PICKENS COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS GROUP OCTOBER IN-PERSON MEETING
Due to ongoing recovery efforts in the county, a decision has been made to postpone the monthly meeting until 19:00 (7:00 pm) on Tuesday, 8 October 2024.
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator


Posted on: Saturday, 28 September 2024 at 05:30:07 PM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 17:30 28 SEP 24
Although the weather threat from Hurricane Helene has passed, Pickens County is still experiencing severe aftereffects of the storm. Until further notice, the Pickens County Communications Group will be conducting daily welfare check nets at 20:00 local (8:00 pm) using the 147.195 MHz repeater. These welfare check nets are open to all licensed amateur radio operators regardless of whether or not they are members of the Pickens County Communications Group.
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator


Posted on: Friday, 27 September 2024 at 06:18:45 PM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 18:00 27 SEP 24
The major threat of severe weather from Hurricane Helene has passed in our area. Lingering hazards include the risks of river and stream flooding, mudslides, etc., as well as widespread power outages.
Based on discussions with Andy Child at Pickens County Emergency Management, we will stand down ARES Emeregency Communications in the county from midnightt onight through 07:00 Saturday morning. We will provide radio monitoring support as needed Saturday, with a decision regarding further coverage to be announced late Saturday afternoon.
Please be prepared to report any severe weather conditions through the Skywarn net. Please report any hazardous conditions inside Pickens Count such as flooding, road conditions, downed trees or power lines, etc. using the 442.400MHz repeater on Caesar's Head Mountain to report these conditions to the Pickens County EOC.
Local weather forecast information may be obtained from the National Weather Serive at: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.881214&lon=-82.706178
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator


Posted on: Friday, 27 September 2024 at 08:27:12 AM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 08:10 27 SEP 24
Our 442.125 MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain seems to have gone offline during the overnight hours. PLEASE USE OUR 442.400 MHz REPEATER ON CAESARS HEAD FOR INTER-COUNTY TRAFFIC.
Due to the frequently updated forecasts from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, I will not re-state the forecast here. Please consult the National Weather Service forecast at weather.gov.
Please be prepared to report any severe weather conditions through the Skywarn net. If there are any conditions, such as flooding, road conditions, downed trees or power lines, etc. please use the 442.125MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain to report these conditoins to the Pickens County EOC. DO NOT jeopardize your safety to make any observations during this storm.
An updated announcement will be posted on the Pickens County Communications Group website around mid-day on Friday, 27 September.


Posted on: Friday, 27 September 2024 at 08:24:51 AM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 08:10 27 SEP 24
Our 442.125 MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain seems to have gone offline during the overnight hours. PLEASE USE OUR 442.400 MHz REPEATER ON CAESARS HEAD FOR INTER-COUNTY TRAFFIC.
Due to the frequently updated forecasts from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, I will not re-state the forecast here. Please consult the National Weather Service forecast at weather.gov.
Please be prepared to report any severe weather conditions through the Skywarn net. If there are any conditions, such as flooding, road conditions, downed trees or power lines, etc. please use the 442.125MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain to report these conditoins to the Pickens County EOC. DO NOT jeopardize your safety to make any observations during this storm.
An updated announcement will be posted on the Pickens County Communications Group website around mid-day on Friday, 27 September.


Posted on: Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 10:04:17 AM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 10:00 26 SEP 24 Due to the frequently updated forecasts from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, I will not re-state the forecast here. Please use the following links for the latest storm information: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.881214&lon=-82.706178 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Helene Please be prepared to report any severe weather conditions through the Skywarn net. If there are any conditions, such as flooding, road conditions, downed trees or power lines, etc. please use the 442.125MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain to report these conditoins to the Pickens County EOC. DO NOT jeopardize your safety to make any observations during this storm. An updated announcement will be posted on the Pickens County Communications Group website on Thursday evening, 26 September.



OPCON level 3 changed to Level 2 by Thomas Poole



Posted on: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 07:48:01 PM

HURRICANE HELENE MESSAGE #2 Please email me your availability to operate either from your home station or an assigned location between the times stated in the subject line of this email.  Please send me this availability in two hour time blocks, if possible.
I will use this information to develop a staffing schedule during this severe weather event, in case we are asked to provide support to Pickens County.
Tom Poole W4ATP Pickens County ARES Emergency Coordinator SC ARES Area 1 Assistant District Emergency Coordinator
W4ATP@outlook.com


Posted on: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 07:25:07 PM

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATE - 19:30 25 SEP 24 Due to the frequently updated forecasts from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, I will not re-state the forecast here. Please use the following links for the latest storm information: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.881214&lon=-82.706178 https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Helene Please be prepared to report any severe weather conditions through the Skywarn net. If there are any conditions, such as flooding, road conditions, downed trees or power lines, etc. please use the 442.125MHz repeater on Six Mile Mountain to report these conditoins to the Pickens County EOC. DO NOT jeopardize your safety to make any observations during this storm. An updated announcement will be posted on the Pickens County Communications Group website on Thursday morning, 26 September.


Posted on: Tuesday, 24 September 2024 at 03:30:39 PM

MEET and GREET
The Pickens County Communications Group is parting with the Upstatescgmrs for a meet and greet at the Six Mile County Park Saturday October 12,2024. All Amateurs and GMRS operators are invited to attend.Bring a cover dish. There will be a talk in on Six Mile 550 PL 127.3 GMRS Repeater and on Six Mile 2 meter 146.700 PL 141.3 Repeater We all have one thing in common is that we all have radios and talk on them. Their will be a Ham radio HF and VHF station set up to demonstrate Ham radio to the GMRS operators. (like a small field day).


Posted on: Monday, 23 September 2024 at 03:11:03 PM

POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE 9
This is a message from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. Due to the potential impacts from Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 please inspect all gear, check your go bag, and ensure you are ready in the event of any possible response actions that are warranted. Currently the storm is forecast to remain west of South Carolina with the main impacts being wind and heavy rain, however tracks can change and any shift of the track east would mean higher impacts for the State. Please stay tuned for updates from S C E M D to include possible coordination calls and or radio room activation. Thank you for your service.


Posted on: Thursday, 12 September 2024 at 05:12:38 PM

BROADCASTIFY
147.195 WX4PG Repeater is back on the air on Broadcastify.

You can find it under WX4PG Skywarn Linked Repeater. You can get it on the Broadcastify app or on your computer.


Posted on: Friday, 6 September 2024 at 05:18:00 PM

GMRS MEET & GREET
The Upstate SC GMRS has been set for Saturday October 12, 2024 at Six Mile County Park. All GMRS operators with Ham Radio operators is invited.For more details, go to www.upstatescgmrs.com.



Posted on: Saturday, 31 August 2024 at 06:13:40 PM

POOLE OBITUARY
Tom Poole W4ATP mother passed away Friday morning. Here is the arangments

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, from 1:30pm until 2:45pm at Robinson Funeral Home -Powdersville Road. The funeral service will follow 3:00pm in the funeral home chapel.A private entombment will be held at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Please attend if you can go


Posted on: Friday, 14 June 2024 at 12:58:32 PM

147.195 Repeater
A preamp was installed on the 147.195 Repeater first of this week. It did made some difference in the repeater receiver. Hope that helps in the repeater hearing better.


Posted on: Monday, 13 May 2024 at 12:05:33 PM

SKYWARN FREQUENCY CHANGE
New frequency is 147.135 receive, 147.735 Transmit WITH A DCS PL TONE 311.The new frequency was changed Saturday May 11,2024.
The packet digipeater on Caesars Head is back on the air on 145.050 MHZ


Posted on: Monday, 13 May 2024 at 11:54:33 AM

SKYWARN FREQUENCY CHANGE
New frequency is 147.135 receive, 147.735 Transmit WITH A DCS PL TONE 311.
The frequency was changed Saturday.
The packet digipeater on Caesars Head is back on the air on 145.050 MHZ


Posted on: Monday, 13 May 2024 at 11:30:18 AM

SKYWARN FREQUENCY CHANGE New frequency is 147.135 receive, 147.735 Transmit WITH A DCS PL TONE 311. The frequency was changed Saturday. The packet digipeater on Caesars Head is back on the air on 145.050


Posted on: Friday, 10 May 2024 at 08:57:54 AM

The threat of severe weather has passed. Please regularly check the forecast for any changes. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.887479051219344&lon=-82.72526377722761



OPCON level 2 changed to Level 3 by Thomas Poole



Posted on: Wednesday, 8 May 2024 at 11:54:27 AM

South Carolina ARES has raised the statewide ARES OPCON to 2 due to the risk of severe storms today through Thursday night, 9 May.
Please be alert to severe weather at your location and report any severe weather events, such as tornadoes, very strong winds, hail, or flash flooding through the K9OH Skywarn net, through the WX4PG UHF repeater on 443.450 MHz, or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.
Please check the national weather service website frequently for updates regarding the risk for severe weather in our area. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.881214&lon=-82.706178


Posted on: Wednesday, 8 May 2024 at 11:52:11 AM

South Carolina ARES has raised the statewide ARES OPCON to 2 due to the risk of severe storms today through Thursday night, 9 May.
Please be alert to severe weather at your location and report any severe weather events, such as tornadoes, very strong winds, hail, or flash flooding through the K9OH Skywarn net, through the WX4PG UHF repeater on 443.450 MHz, or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.
Please check the national weather service website frequently for updates regarding the risk for severe weather in our area.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.881214&lon=-82.706178



OPCON level 0 changed to Level 2 by Thomas Poole



Posted on: Wednesday, 1 May 2024 at 11:07:05 AM

SKYWARN FREQUENCY CHANGE

New frequency is 147.135 receive, 147.835 Transmit
WITH A DCS PL TONE 311.

(Most Amateur Radios have both the analog and digital pl's installed.)

Please program your radio ASAP.

The change will be within the next 2 weeks when time permits.

Keep the 145.470 in your radio for temporary use.

Anyone has problems in programming the frequency,
please let me know, be glad to help.

Mandell Rigdon, WR4XM


Posted on: Wednesday, 10 April 2024 at 09:09:16 AM

Website page changes


If you have visted the https://wx4pg.org website recently, you might (or might not) have noticed that the page displayed after you have signed-in has changed slightly.

Two new items have been added to the "Members Only" page, and about 4 others that were on that page have have been moved to a new page,


Membership Tools is where you can find options to display a membership roster (that you can print), or to verify your information on the Membership Database. Other lookup tools are also available there. A few new Online forms have been developed, and others are planned for the future, all of which will be accessible via the Membership Tools page. New administration options for generating reports have been added to the system administration pages (which are only visible to the Admin staff).


A new option where downloadable files can be selected is undergoing development. Currently planned are several reference documents and a section where handouts passed out during the monthly meeting can also be downloaded. Currently plans are being made to support ".txt", ".pdf", and ".doc" file types along some of the standard picture types.


Some Members have not registered yet for "MembersOnly" access to the website - If this is applies to you, please follow the "Not Registered yet?" instuctions at the bottom of the signin page...

...There have been problems in the past, getting some administrative "notification" email messages delivered to the support staff, so if you have completed the "paperwork" steps to gain access to the Members Only areas, but have not yet received access, please create an email describing your issue and send it to support@wxpg.org

You should receive an automatic acknowledgement from the HelpDesk system within 3 to 5 minutes and someone will contact you as soon as possible afterwards.


Changes to the website are usually documented in the
"Notes on Website Changes" item in the MembersOnly
portion of the "Additional Resources" page.

/s/ Bill Turner, wb4alm
Webmaster, wx4pg.org



Posted on: Monday, 1 April 2024 at 08:35:08 PM

This is a test of the the annoucement page Please do not respond to the accouncement


Posted on: Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 07:05:46 PM

Website Main Menu change


If you have visted the https://wx4pg.org website recently, you
might (or might not) have noticed that the main menu is slightly shorter.

Some Main Menu items have been moved to
the "Additional Resources" page.


The contents of the "Additional Resources" page has also been updated, and in particular, a special "Members Only" category has been added to the top of the "resources.php" page. This special category of items for "MembersOnly" can only be seen if you are signed into the website.


Some Members have not registered yet for "MembersOnly" access to the website - If this is applies to you, please follow the "Not Registered yet?" instuctions at the bottom of the signin page...


Changes to the website are usually documented in the
"Notes on Website Changes" item in the MembersOnly
portion of the "Additional Resources" page.

/s/ Bill Turner, wb4alm
Webmaster, wx4pg.org



Posted on: Thursday, 25 January 2024 at 10:50:53 AM

WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT

Information from the National Weather Service website


This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia, western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Periods of moderate to occasionally heavy rain are expected to continue through tonight. Storm total rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches through early Friday morning could result in localized flooding of some streams and low lying areas. In addition, isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms are expected this afternoon into the evening. Some of these could produce occasional cloud to ground lightning and gusty winds.


.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Another passing storm system over the weekend could bring another round of heavy rainfall Saturday through Saturday night. The threat for isolated flash flooding may be higher with this later system, particularly with heavy rain falling on saturated soils from the earlier rainfall.


Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater (145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repeaters 147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.

Additional updates will be provided as necessary.



Posted on: Tuesday, 23 January 2024 at 08:10:32 PM

WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT


Tuesday night through Friday morning expect 3-4 inches of rain, there will be isolated flooding of streams.

Brief drying is expected on Friday through early Saturday; however Saturday afternoon into Saturday night heavy rainfall.

Sunday we will see temps in 60s and drying up from rain.

Please be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions.




Posted on: Sunday, 14 January 2024 at 02:21:17 PM

New Announcement Option


In the future, PCCG members may see some emailed messages from "PCCGAnnounce@wx4pg.org". These will be legitimate messages and are an exact copy of any important messages that were posted as an announcement to the wx4pg.org website.


Whenever you access the wx4pg.org home page, The very first sentence you see will identify how many announcement messages are currently posted. This sentence is "color coded"...

The message will either be colored black and say
"There are no new announcements."
,
or it will be colored RED and will say how many messages are posted,
along with the date range of when the messages were first posted.

Whomever creates any WX4PG.ORG announcements will also have the option of having the same message sent as an email to the entire PCCGmembers Email list.


All such emails will be from "PCCGannounce@wx4pg.org"



Posted on: Sunday, 14 January 2024 at 11:38:27 AM

HAMSHACK HOTLINE CHECK-IN ON 16 JANUARY


As previously announced, we will be conducting a Hamshack Hotline check-in at the conclusion of our net this Tuesday, 16 January.

Please call bridge number 351, then enter the conference PIN 147195 to enter the conference call.

At the voice prompt, please say your callsign and wait for the net control station to recognize you. You may leave the call, if you wish, after net control has recognized you.




Posted on: Sunday, 14 January 2024 at 10:57:06 AM

Repeater PL change

The Glassy Mtn Repeater 443.450 PL 110.9 will change to 127.3 PL tone. The change will take place on Thursday Febuary 8, 2024.

This change in PL tones will become the standard for all or most of the WX4PG UHF Repeaters.

Please program the change in an another channel space in your radio, then after the change, you can delete the old channel.


Posted on: Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 07:19:45 PM

SEVERE WEATHER RISK FRIDAY & SATURDAY, 12 & 13 JANUARY


There is a risk of thunderstorms and gusty winds in Pickens County during the day and into the evening hours on Friday, 12 January.

Although only 1/2 to 1 inch of rain are forecast, there could be some localized flooding due to the ground being saturated from the heavy rains earlier this week.

During the daylight hours tomorrow, winds will be from the east at 7 to 14 mph with gusts as high as 21 mph. Later in the evening tomorrow west southwest winds are expected to be 13 to 18 mph, increasing to 20 to 25 mph after midnight, with some gusts approaching 40 mph. On Saturday, west southwest winds 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph are expected. Due to the wet soil conditions in the area, the gusty winds may cause some downed trees and power lines on Friday into Saturday.

Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater (145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repeaters (147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.

Additional updates will be provided as necessary.



Posted on: Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 07:17:13 PM

SEVERE WEATHER RISK FRIDAY & SATURDAY, 12 & 13 JANUARY


There is a risk of thunderstorms and gusty winds in Pickens County during the day and into the evening hours on Friday, 12 January.

Although only 1/2 to 1 inch of rain are forecast, there could be some localized flooding due to the ground being saturated from the heavy rains earlier this week.

During the daylight hours tomorrow, winds will be from the east at 7 to 14 mph with gusts as high as 21 mph. Later in the evening tomorrow west southwest winds are expected to be 13 to 18 mph, increasing to 20 to 25 mph after midnight, with some gusts approaching 40 mph. On Saturday, west southwest winds 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph are expected. Due to the wet soil conditions in the area, the gusty winds may cause some downed trees and power lines on Friday into Saturday.

Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater (145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repeaters (147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.

Additional updates will be provided as necessary.



Posted on: Monday, 8 January 2024 at 07:42:38 PM

POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL (3" - 4" EXPECTED)

HIGH WINDS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING


According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning, causing significant rainfall and gusty winds.


The highest risks expected for Pickens County as a result of this system are excessive rainfall (3" - 4" expected, with the possibility of locally higher amounts) and high wind.


Locally heavy rains may cause flash flooding to occur in some areas. Some minor river flooding may also be observed beginning late on Tuesday and into Wednesday.


A wind advisory has been issued for our area. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour may occur in some areas, which may cause downed trees and power lines.

Based on estimated timing from the National Weather service, we should expect the gusty wind between sunrise on Tuesday morning until the late evening on Tuesday. The highest risk of strong wind gusts will likely be between early afternoon through Tuesday evening.


There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms and/or tornadoes in our area, however you should remain alert in case a severe storm develops.


Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater (145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repeaters 147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.


Additional updates will be provided as necessary.



Posted on: Monday, 8 January 2024 at 04:54:44 PM

According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning, causing significant rainfall and gusty winds.
The highest risks expected for Pickens County as a result of this system are excessive rainfall (3" - 4" expected, with the possibility of locally higher amounts) and high wind.
Locally heavy rains may cause flash flooding to occur in some areas. Some minor river flooding may also be observed beginning late on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
A wind advisory has been issued for our area. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour may occur in some areas, which may cause downed trees and power lines. Based on estimated timing from the National Weather service, we should expect the gusty wind between sunrise on Tuesday morning until the late evening on Tuesday. The highest risk of strong wind gusts will likely be between early afternoon until early evening Tuesday.
There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms and/or tornadoes in our area, however you should remain alert in case a severe storm develops.
Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater (145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repeaters 147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.
Additional updates will be provided as necessary.


Posted on: Monday, 8 January 2024 at 12:58:17 PM

According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning, causing significant rainfall and gusty winds.
The highest risks expected for Pickens County as a result of this system are excessive rainfall (3" - 4" expected, with the possisbility of locally higher amounts) and high wind.
Locally heavy rains may cause flash flooding to occur in some areas. Some minor river flooding may also be observed beginning late on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
A wind advisory has been issued for our area. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour may occur in some areas, which may cause downed trees and power lines. Based on estimated timing from the National Weather service, we should expect the gusty wind between sunrise on Tuesday morning until the late evening on Tuesday. The highest risk of strong wind gusts will likely be between early afternoon until early evening Tuesday.
There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms and/or tornadoes in our area, however you should remain alert in case a severe storm develops.
Be prepared to report any severe weather or hazardous road conditions using the Skywarn repeater(145.470 MHz), the WX4PG repaters (147.195 MHZ, or 443.450 MHz), or by texting WR4XM or W4ATP.
Additional updates will be provided as necessary.


Posted on: Sunday, 7 January 2024 at 06:17:20 PM

According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will likely move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning. This system is expected to produce heavy rainfall in the area, which could lead to flooding in some locations. There is also a risk of high winds associated with this system, which could result in downed trees and power lines. Please be on the lookout for severe weather on Monday night through Tuesday evening and be prepared to report any severe weather to the National Weather Service through the normal Skywarn channels. Additionally, please avise the County of hazardous conditons by texting W4ATP or WR4XM, or by reporting these condtions using the 147.195 MHz or 443.450 MHz repeaters.
This announcement will be updated as additional information becomes available.


Posted on: Sunday, 7 January 2024 at 06:15:47 PM

According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will likely move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning. This system is expected to produce heavy rainfall in the area, which could lead to flooding in soome locations. There is also a risk of high winds associated with this system, which could result in downed trees and power lines. Please be on the lookout for severe weather on Monday night through Tuesday evening and be prepared to report any severe weather to the National Weather Service through the normal Skywarn channels. Additionally, please avise the County of hazardous conditons by texting W4ATP or WR4XM, or by reporting these condtions using the 147.195 MHz or 443.450 MHz repeaters.
This announcement will be updated as additional information becomes available.


Posted on: Sunday, 7 January 2024 at 05:16:13 PM

2017-1025_0805-38_Duke_Energy_illumination_Magazine_article_about_Amateur_Radio

An email was forwarded to me this morning that was originally from Denise Kwiatek, Director of the Pickens County Emergency Management (EOC). She provided a link to an article that was published in the Duke Energy illumination Magazine about Amateur Radio. The article also highlight\'s some of what we do for the Pickens County EOC and also with Duke Energy and the Oconee County EOC in the every two year graded exercise that is required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Duke Energy Oconee Nuclear Station.


The article why ham radio maintains its essential appeal can be read by clicking on the link, while I figure out a way to post articles like this directly on our website.

I'm open to any suggestions...such as a new category that provides links to the original stories and/or to pages stored on our website. Lots of things to consider, such as copyrights, etc.

/s/ Bill Turner, WB4ALM
wx4pg.org Webmaster


Posted on: Sunday, 7 January 2024 at 02:50:35 PM

According to the most recent information from the National Weather Service, a low pressure system will likely move into the area on Monday night into Tuesday morning. This system is expected to produce heavy rainfall in the area, which could lead to flooding in soome locations. There is also a risk of high winds associated with this system, which could result in downed trees and power lines.
Please be on the lookout for severe weather on Monday night through Tuesday and be prepared to report any severe weather to the National Weather Service through the normal Skywarn channels. Additionally, please avise the County of hazardous conditons by texting W4ATP or WR4XM, or by reporting these condtions using the 147.195 MHz or 443.450 MHz repeaters.


Posted on: Saturday, 6 January 2024 at 06:45:18 AM

Potential winter Weather

Good morning. According to the National Weather Service there is a chance that we may see a small amount of frozen precipitation overnight tonight. Please be on the lookout for icy roads and bridges, downed trees and powerlines, etc. overnight and early tomorrow. If any icy conditions, downed trees, etc. are observed, please report these to the National Weather Service using the Skywarn net on the K9OH repeater, or to Tom (W4ATP) and/or Mandell (WR4XM) by text or over the WX4PG repeaters noted below.


 
| Repeater |Your Receive Frequency|Your Transmit Frequency| Tone |
|===============|======================|=======================|========|
| K9OH (Skywarn)| 145.470 Mhz | 144.870 Mhz | 91.5 |
| WX4PG | 147.195 Mhz | 147.795 Mhz | 141.3 |
| WX4PG | 443.450 Mhz | 448.450 Mhz | 110.9 |

We may also have a slight chance of frozen precipitation overnight Monday evening into early Tuesday morning of next week, followed by possibly heavy rain later in the day on Tuesday. Please be prepared to report any weather-related issues on Tuesday as well.


Thank you for your participation in the Pickens County Communications Group.

Tom Poole
W4ATP



Posted on: Thursday, 4 January 2024 at 10:46:26 AM



Posted on: Monday, 1 January 2024 at 09:26:40 PM

Attention

Testing of the revised announcement system has been completed.

Public viewable Announcements can now be created and/or archived by any member of the Announcements team.

Sorry for any inconveniences, while the software was being redesigned and tested.

/s/ Bill Turner, wb4alm
Webmaster





Posted on: Sunday, 31 December 2023 at 11:24:59 PM

Attention

The revised announcement system is being tested, please ignore any messages as long as the dates listed are PRIOR to 1 January 2024.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

/s/ Bill Turner, wb4alm
     Webmaster





Posted on: Monday, 05 June 2023 at 11:21:10 PM

Field Day 2023

Dates for Field Day: Saturday - Sunday 24-25 June 2023


Location: Pickens County Fire Training Center
2145 Old Liberty RoadEasley, SC
(near the county landfill)


Setup will begin at the site at approximately 11:00 on Saturday Morning. The Field Day operating period begains at 1800 UTC (2pm local) on Saturday and ends no later than 2059 UTZ (4:59 pm local) on Sunday.


This will be a 24-hour operation.


Objectives

    Gain experience settup up and operating the equipment in the Pickens County Communications Group\'s (PCCG) trailer. Practice HF & VHF Communications skills in multiple modes including Voice, Data (including Winlink & VarAC), and CW. Conduct communications operations for 24 hours. Log all contacts made in each mode and forward to ARRL.
    (5) HAVE FUN & LEARN.

See you there on the 24th and 25 of June!




Posted on: Thursday, 20 April 2023 at 09:06:33 AM

Time change for our May
Monthly meeting on 2 May 2023

SKYWARN Training


Clay Channey, from the National Weather Service, will be conducting SKYWARN training for us.

Due to the length of the training, we will begin the meeting at 6:30 pm so the meeting does not run too late.

As usual, we will have a Zoom meeting for those who cannot attend in person.

Hope to see you there!


Remember: Tuesday, 2 May 2023 at 6:30 pm


/s/ W4ATP



Posted on: Saturday, 24 April 2021 at 06:20:06 AM

Today Saturday, April 24, 9am to 4pm

The South Carolina State Wide Communications Exercise.


Additional Objectives: Establish County Communication Network
  • Create a functional network within the county to obtain observational reports.
  • Establish County to County communication network for simplex relay.
  • Establish an alternate communication path that doesn’t use repeaters.

County EOC’s

  • T1.  Use the assigned county tactical frequency, contact as many operators within the county aspossible, recording time, Call Sign and County location.  
  • T2.  Use the statewide coordinating frequency contact as many county EOCs as possible, recording time, Call Sign and Facility.
  • T3.  Use any HF frequency to make contact within the state and record time call sign, and county.
  • T4.  Report contact totals for each mode by Call Sign at the designated time to the SEOC

/s/ Gabe Turner


Posted on: Monday, 19 April 2021 at 09:21:21 AM

On Saturday morning, April 24, 9am to 4pm. The South Carolina State Wide Communiations Exercise will be held.


  • Demonstrate the ability to pass traffic to the State EOC
  • Demonstrate the ability to use simplex
  • Demonstrate the ability to use all resources available.
  • Demonstrate the ability to relay traffic accurately!

You should be familiar with how to fill out:

  • ICS-214 (activity log, the State EOC calls this the position log)
  • ICS-205 Communications log
  • ICS-213 general message
  • All participents should stay alert, surprises are planned.


/s/ Bill Turner, wb4alm - PCCG Webmaster




Posted on: Wednesday, 30 September 2020 at 11:37:21 AM

On Saturday morning, September 26, the new 220 mhz Spectra repeater on Caesars Head (224.140) was put on an Arcom RC210 controller. It now has the capability of linking to the 442.400 repeater when needed and the WARNS system for SKYWARN WX warnings. The repeater has been on the internal controller for a while since the repeater was installed.


New antennas were also installed on Echolink node 4031, Allstar node 40642, and Radio Reference Saturday evening.

The 224.400Mhz repeater on Glassy Mountain has changed callsigns, the new call sign is WX4PG. We will get the Repeater voice announcement updated ASAP.


/s/ Mandell, WR4XM


Posted on: Saturday, 16 February 2019 at 01:50:00 PM

There are no announcements at this time


Sorry for the inconvenience, but there is currently
a programming problem with the announcement system...

It thinks there is an outstanding message! But there isn't.




Posted on: Thursday, 20 December 2018 at 11:45:47 AM

Holiday Schedule Changes


The regular NET scheduled for Tuesday, 25 December, 2018, has been CANCELLED in order for members to enjoy the Christmas Holiday.

There will be NO NET or meeting on 1 January 2019. The January meeting has been moved to the 2nd Tuesday, January 8th at 1900 at the EOC.


Best wishes to all and your families for a Happy and Safe Holiday.




Posted on: Wednesday, 15 November 2017 at 05:00:10 PM

The Motorola MTR2000 UHF on 442.400 was installed Wednesday evening, November 15th on Caesars Head. The 6 meter link is disconnected, but will be connected at a latter time when more time is available. The link to the 2 meter will be operational for the net on Tuesday.




Mandell


Posted on: Wednesday, 15 November 2017 at 05:00:00 PM

GRIDX Exercise.  

We would Like to thank the 12 members that participated in the South Carolina Gridx drill on Wednesday, November 15th with the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency (EOC) and South Carolina ARES.   Pickens was one of the 6 counties that activated their EOC, and 24 South Carolina Counties participated in some fashion.   I think we all learned a lot, and this will be a topic of discussion at our next monthly meeting.




In Pickens County, the following members participated:
Connie Bowen, N4SBQ
Harry Davis, N4DDS
Mary Hoffken, KJ4UYO
Ronald Lewis, K4RDL
Cliff Mcleod, WB4DPP
Thomas Phillips, N4ARS
Mandell Rigdon, WR4XM
John Sargent, KN4GTI
Eric Sloan, KO4MZ
Jack Taylor, KK4ZJV
Rich Tillotson, WA4SSJ
Bill Turner, WB4ALM

James Littleton, WB4LZT participated in Anderson County.



Posted on: Friday, 10 November 2017 at 09:00:00 AM

SKYWARN GSP

From: Jake Wimberley
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2017 3:38 PM
Subject: Skywarn Recognition Day 2017

Hello,

The annual Skywarn Recognition Day is approaching. This year it is December 2, 0000-2400 UTC. At the NWS office at Greenville-Spartanburg, we are planning to participate this year, and host a special event station. We will only be participating during the day (EST) Saturday, December 2. I have registered for callsign W4G to use during this event.

I expect to be here at 8:00 a.m. so we can start setting up.
Please DO NOT arrive earlier than 8:00 a.m.
We\'ll plan to start shutting things down at 5:00 p.m.

Details on the event can be found here: http://hamradio.noaa.gov

Due to security concerns we cannot make this a public event, or even open to all hams. If you are receiving this message from me, we have you listed as a known contact in the Skywarn/ARES community. In recognition of your service to the NWS, we are formally inviting you to join us for SRD.

We have an opening in the wall of our conference room through which cables can be run; most recently we had visiting hams set up radios on the conference room and connect to portable antennas in our side yard. As our office ham station is not currently in operation, this is what we will have to plan on for this year. Weather permitting, we can probably arrange for those bringing equipment to come to the office the evening before the event, in order to set things up.

If you are interested in attending Skywarn Recognition Day, please respond to this message. If you would like to bring other active hams from your respective organizations, we can accommodate a small number. Please indicate that as well.

If you are willing to volunteer your equipment (particularly portable antennas), also let me know. I will coordinate the equipment setup after finding out the interest.

Map showing our office location:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1549+GSP+Dr,+Greer,+SC+29651/

Thanks & 73,
Jake Wimberley, K4ZAU
NWS GSP
Meteorologist (General Forecaster),
AWIPS Focal Point,
Amateur Radio Focal Point
NWS WFO Greenville-Spartanburg, SC




Posted on: Saturday, 04 November 2017 at 09:51:00 PM

SKYWARN Open House and Special Events station WX4CAE

We just received an email from Billy Irwin, K9OH (South Carolina ARES, Section Emergency Coordinator) about an announcement that he received recently from Doug Anderson, N4NWS in the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Columbia, SC about an up and coming SKYWARN event...

Click here to view the 2017 SKYWARN Recognition Day Open House Announcement (This event is not for the public, and is only for SKYWARN Spotters and/or Ham Radio Operators involved or interested in SKYWARN)

The Open House will be held in Columbia on Saturday, 02 December 2017 from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm EST. pre-registration is required.

Doug would prefer that you use this Registration form to pre-register ,

Or you can email Doug


Doug Anderson
Hydrometeorological Technician/Acting OPL
National Weather Service Forecast Office Columbia, SC
803-822-8133


Posted on: Wednesday, 25 October 2017 at 08:05:38 AM

An email was forwarded to me this morning that was originally from Denise Kwiatek, Director of the Pickens County Emergency Management (EOC). She provided a link to an article that was published in the Duke Energy illumination Magazine about Amateur Radio. The article also highlight\'s some of what we do for the Pickens County EOC and also with Duke Energy and the Oconee County EOC in the every two year graded exercise that is required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Duke Energy Oconee Nuclear Station.


The article why ham radio maintains its essential appeal can be read by clicking on the link, while I figure out a way to post articles like this directly on our website.

I'm open to any suggestions...such as a new category that provides links to the original stories and/or to pages stored on our website. Lots of things to consider, such as copyrights, etc.

/s/ Bill Turner, WB4ALM
wx4pg.org Webmaster


Posted on: Saturday, 07 October 2017 at 07:25:43 PM

Edward Teagle (Ed) N4SSC became a silent key today. Receiving friends is from 5-6 Monday evening October 9, 2017 at Shady Grove Baptist Church. Memorial Service follows at 6 pm. Any one from our group that can go, please do. Our prayers are with the family. Anyone that do not know where the church is, please get in touch with Mandell.


Posted on: Saturday, 07 October 2017 at 06:00:00 PM

Work was completed today on the antenna for the DMR repeater
for internet access from Glassy Mountain.
We are now on the SC Hearts Network.
Frequencies are 442.3125 RX And 447.3125 TX.
Ron Lewis K4RDL, Eric Sloan KO4MZ, Connie Bowen N4SBQ and Mandell Rigdon WR4XM worked on the project. Pictures will be available soon on the www.wx4pg.org website Media page.


Posted on: Saturday, 07 October 2017 at 11:10:33 AM

Don't forget to reserve some time for the South Carolina State Wide EOC exercise currently scheduled for November 15 and 16. More details to follow.


Posted on: Tuesday, 03 October 2017 at 09:00:00 PM

During the October Monthly meeting tonight, it was announced that the DMR repeater is now connected to the Internet and that the antennas will be permanently mounted in the near future.


Posted on: Tuesday, 12 September 2017 at 06:09:41 AM


The "Flash Message" and "Announcements" mechanisms are now available on our website.

At this time, only the webmaster can create either message type. When a Flash message is available, it will be displayed as a single line scrolling message on a yellow bar on three separate webpages: (1) on the main page, (2) on the mobile page, (3) on the announcements page.

A reminder message will also be displayed on the main page and the mobile page whenever announcements have been posted with the number of outstanding messages and the date range on when they were posted.

The full text of an announcement is only displayed on the Announcements page and eventually each announcement will be moved to the announcement archive page.

For additional details, contact the Webmaster.


Posted on: Monday, 11 September 2017 at 09:16:12 AM

Today is 9/11 ...
Never forget September 11, 2001.

(This is a test message.)


Posted on: Friday, 01 September 2017 at 08:20:20 PM

The new WX4PG.ORG website is now live and online.



 



 


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