[EAS] concerning the request for new weather Event Codes

[Sean Donelan]

On Sat, 9 Jul 2016, Clay Freinwald wrote:
> OK Group ... Taking Lowell's suggestion (Below)
>
> QUESTION - What would be the down side of -
>
> 1- Eliminating some of the - over used- NWS Event Codes
> 2 -Programming the SPS Event Code as an automatic relay
> 3- Have your LECC or SECC work with the NWS to develop an understanding for
> the use of SPS - covering such criteria as

All of the current EAS weather event codes are used in NOAA's full
suite of data products, including SPS.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product_types.php?site=NWS

NWS can keep using all the weather event codes.  The question is
which weather event codes should broadcasters and cable systems
interrupt programming and relay?  Other event codes could
still be transmitted by NWS Weather Radio, but ignored by
broadcasters and cable systems.

One of the requirements for EAS is ulra low-cost.  More expensive
commercial weather products can ingest the full suite of NOAA
dissemination services.  Looking at price lists, it appears
commercial products start at $25,000 and up for a full NOAA
feed.  You get polygons, nice on-screen graphics, complete
text of warnings, storm tracking and so on.  The alerts also
seem to appear a minute or two faster than through NOAA weather
radio EAS broadcasts.

To keep EAS as low-cost as possible, it needs to be as simple
as possible.  It won't be the best system possible, but it will
be cheap enough for those tiny broadcasters and cable systems
the lobbyists always say they are representing.  If it gets 
too complicated, you are better off spending the money on a more 
full-featured systems.