Hello to all….

The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate informally starting at 12 PM EDT to support obtaining reports from the island of Bermuda as Hurricane Florence approaches the island. Florence is expected to become a strong Category 2 hurricane as it makes its closest approach to Bermuda Monday Morning.

There is one Echo-IRLP node on the island of Bermuda. The node, however, does not have backup power. The VoIP Hurricane Net will provide support for as long as we have access to the Echo-IRLP node on Bermuda. If the node does not connect directly to the IRLP reflector 9219/*WX-TALK* conference system, our net controls will connect directly to their node to see what information can be obtained from their node/repeater and bring it back to IRLP 9219/*WX-TALK* EchoLink Node: 7203.

The reporting criteria and activation policy for our net during hurricane net activations can be found on our web site at http://www.voipwx.net

Listen Only IRLP/EchoLink capability include the following systems:

IRLP:
Reflector 9508 Syndey Australia Reflector channel 8.
Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.

EchoLink:
*KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
*VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177

It is possible that the *N5API* EchoLink Node: 77433 listen only conference may also be connected to the system as it has permission to connect.

If any Amateurs have contacts within Bermuda and can relay reports from the island, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net 1
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Hello to all….

The latest model trends and official NHC Forecast track bring Tropical Storm Florence to hurricane strength with a threat to the island of Bermuda. Florence has an unusually wide area of tropical storm force winds. Tropical storm force winds of 34 Knots or greater could start affecting Bermuda as early as Sunday Morning with winds of 50 Knots or greater affecting the island Monday Morning and the potential for hurricane force winds on the island shortly before daybreak on Monday Morning with winds subsiding Monday Afternoon.

The model trends, track and intensity of Florence could change and possibly spare Bermuda hurricane force conditions as impact to Bermuda is still 48-72 hours away. Watches and Warnings may be posted by the Bermuda Weather Service in the next 24 hours per NHC advisories.

There is an IRLP node in Bermuda. Therefore, the VoIP Hurricane Net could potentially mobilize to support obtaining reports out of the island of Bermuda as long as the node is operational.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Managment team continues to monitor the threat from Florence. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
1
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Hello to all….

Tropical Depression #6 has become Tropical Storm Florence in the open waters of the Atlantic. Florence is expected to gradually intensify in the short-term and intensify more rapidly longer term becoming the season’s second hurricane. There is still some questions on the intensity forecast but this is the solution given by most weather models at present. It is possible that Florence may become the first major hurricane of the season but that is uncertain at this time.

The track of Florence will remain over open waters for the next 5 days. It is not clear whether Florence will stay out over the open waters or threaten some portion of the US East Coast as we get into next week. There is quite a bit of model divergence once we get into the 4 day period and beyond.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor the progress of Florence. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
1
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Hello to all….

The following are web site updates as of 9/4/06:

1.) Added a link to Net Management Seeks Experienced Net Controls to the Main Menu and posted it as an announcement.

2.) Added the ARRL Feature on the VoIP Hurricane Net extending an invitation

3.) Added a VoIP Hurricane Net in Amateur Radio News link with articles from the ARRL. More to follow in that section in the coming weeks.

4.) TD #6 advisory information has been added.

5.) Additional Web links have been added to the web links section including a link to StormStudy, Hurricane Frequencies, Satellite Imagery, WX models and much more. More to be added here in the coming weeks.

The VoIP Hurricane Net web site remains a work in progress and more will be completed over the coming weeks. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net 1
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The VoIP Hurricane Net is looking for net control operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly hurricane preparation net and during hurricane net activations. The VoIP Hurricane net, which was created in 2002, is a support net working with WX4NHC, the amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). WX4NHC operations are organized by Julio Ripoll-WD4R, Assistant National Hurricane Center Coordinator and John McHugh-K4AG, National Hurricane Center Coordinator.The VoIP Hurricane Net uses a cross-link between an IRLP Reflector channel and an EchoLink conference to allow the NHC to access Amateur Radio Operators who do not have access to HF communications and Amateur Radio Operators located at official National Weather Service (NWS) offices, and Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) providing additional means to forward severe weather and damage reports to flow into WX4NHC. It is also useful in times when poor HF Propagation does not allow contact with the NHC. It is another way to reach the NHC with critical weather and damage reports in times of a communications emergency caused by hurricanes. VoIP technology can also be utilized for other weather related and disaster communications.

VoIP Hurricane Net Management is in search of additional NCOs to support the weekly VoIP Hurricane Net that meets every Sunday at 0000 UTC, which is Saturday Evening across most of North America. In addition, we are looking for NCOs to participate in VoIP Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane Net activates to support WX4NHC’s operations and there are EchoLink and IRLP nodes in areas affected by the hurricane. The VoIP Hurricane Net can also self-activate if a tropical system unexpectedly gains hurricane strength and threatens a land area with EchoLink and IRLP nodes in the area or a region requests use and support of the EchoLink/IRLP cross-link system for their area for weather related or other disasters requiring emergency communications.

The VoIP Net Management team is looking for NCOs from any geographic area in order to maintain a net for as long as emergency communications are required before, during, and shortly after hurricanes, up to 24 hours a day and sometimes for several days. Net Control Operators from the Pacific, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and other international areas can play a critical role in assisting our net operations during the overnight hours of a North American activation during their local daytime, providing North America Net Control Operators rest during their normal overnight hours. We also encourage NCOs who can fluently speak Spanish to contact us in order to further support operations in South and Central America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. We will consider individuals who possess any of the qualifications listed below:

• Most importantly, a sincere desire to serve as a net control operator and being flexible with the pressure and issues that arise during a hurricane net activation.
• Prior experience with an emergency or public support net.
• Prior experience with running a club or VoIP Net.
• Net Control Training through their local Amateur Emergency/Public Service group.
• Incident Command Training.
• SKYWARN Weather Spotter Training or equivalent international weather spotting training.
• Any professional experience as a communications dispatcher.

The VoIP Net Management team will be offering NCO training for our specific net in the coming weeks. If you’re interested in becoming an NCO, please contact Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations at rmacedo@rcn.com Thank you for you interest and thanks to all of you for your continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

Respectfully Submitted,

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team
1
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Hello to all….

TD #6 has formed in the East-Central Atlantic. TD #6 will intensify in the next few days and have the potential to become a tropical storm tonight or Monday and possibly a hurricane later this week. If TD #6 intensifies into a tropical storm, it would be named Florence.

The current track of TD #6 has it remaining over the open waters of the Atlantic this week and no threat to land. Its possible that TD #6 could threaten some land area next week but far to early to know where it may threaten or if it will remain in the open ocean. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will closely monitor the progress of TD #6.

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
1
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Hello to all….

The VoIP Hurricane Net was secured at 1 AM EDT. Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall at 11:30 PM EDT in Long Beach, North Carolina failing to reach hurricane strength.

We received several reports from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wilmington, North Carolina office, WX4ILM, of sustained winds of 56 MPH in Southport, North Carolina and 62 MPH at Monkey Junction, North Carolina. There were numerous pockets of trees and wires down and power outages along with significant flooding in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties of North Carolina and surrounding areas. The bridge connecting Carolina Beach to the mainland was shut down due to the strong winds. We also had support from John Williams-KF4VGX, who liaisoned reports from the Wilmington, North Carolina area when the IRLP node lost power due to Ernesto. John had 3.49″ of rain at his location in Little River, South Carolina with 7″+ of rain reported in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The efforts of someone like John-KF4VGX are more of what the net needs. If we lose links to the affected area, stations that are near the affected area, may be able to assist in liaisoning to those stations that were on the linked system before the link was lost. In addition, reports received from stations meeting SKYWARN reporting criteria, even in a hurricane, are very useful to have in as much detail as possible. Remember, the reporting criteria is on the main menu of the web site. The web site is http://www.voipwx.net/

Julio Ripoll-WD4R, Assistant National Hurricane Center Coordinator, wishes to thank everyone for their support during the Ernesto experience. Julio reminds everyone that despite Ernesto falling short of being a hurricane, we must be prepared and this is was a good dress rehearsal for what is yet to come this season. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net. 1
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