Hello to all….

The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate in coordination with WX4NHC at 6 PM EDT Sunday August 16th to support the relay of reports from Cuba. The activation could extend into Monday and Tuesday as Fay is expected to also impact portions of the Florida Keys and the Florida Peninsula. The exact parts of Florida to be hardest hit by Fay is not known at the present time.

The VoIP Hurricane Net would like any relays into Cuba for the net. There are no direct IRLP nodes on the island of Cuba. There are a few Cuban EchoLink stations and if those stations could connect with us at 6 PM EDT Sunday, that would be greatly appreciated.

We have a number of SKYWARN Coordinators for Florida who checked into the Prep Net on Saturday Evening August 16th. We will be looking for any and all stations from Florida to assist with reports from the affected area from Fay. If any Florida folks can relay from Cuba, that would also be helpful.

For the latest advisory information including watches and warnings, you can go to the VoIPWXNet web site and click Atlantic Tropical Products and click on the advisory information for Fay under the Atlantic Tropical Products section. You can also gaather the advisory information from the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

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 Sydney Australia Reflector channel 8.
Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.

EchoLink:
*KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
*VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177
*N5API* Node: 77433

A streaming audio feed has been setup thanks to the assistance of David McAnally-WD5M. This is the first time he has setup a streaming audio server so please bear with any technical difficulties. The links are listed below:

Streaming Audio Feed in MP-3 Format
Streaming Audio Feed in OGG Format

Links to these streaming audio feeds have also been provided in the Main Menu of the VoIPWXNet web site. Bob Carter-KC4QLP may also setup a server if his time from work allows him to set it up.

Below is the WX4NHC Activation Announcement as provided by John McHugh-K4AG, WX4NHC Coordinator and Julio Ripoll-WD4R, Assistant WX4NHC Coordinator:

WX4NHC ANNOUNCEMENT – HURRICANE FAY OPERATIONS
Released August 16th, 2008

PLEASE RELAY TO STATIONS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS.

The 2 PM EDT (1800z) Advisory from the National Hurricane Center forecasts further strengthening of TS Fay on approach to the Southern coast of Cuba on Sunday.

“MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH…75 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS…AND FAY COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES CENTRAL CUBA ON SUNDAY.”

In anticipation of Fay reaching Hurricane strength on Sunday evening, WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, will be activating it’s HF and EchoLink/IRLP station on Sunday, August 17th , 2008 at 6 PM EDT (2200z).

We request all land based stations as well as ships at sea in the areas affected to send us weather data (measured or estimated) and damage reports.

If you are in the affected area and normally monitor on a local Net on VHF, 40 or 80 meters, we would appreciate your checking into the HWN NET or EchoLink/IRLP Net once per Hour to receive the latest Hurricane Advisories and to report your local conditions.

Please do not venture outside during the hurricane to gather weather data.

Your safety is the first priority.

There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the storm’s track and strength.

Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official information. www.nhc.noaa.gov

WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org on 14.325 MHz.

Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- QRM, should we loose propagation on 20 meters.

EchoLink “WX-Talk” Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored. www.voipwx.net

WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated weather stations in the affected area.

Surface Reports using our On-line Hurricane Report form will be monitored.

Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to WX4NHC on-line.

http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html

ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather observers that use their own weather instruments to submit “Surface Reports” directly to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line report form. These “Surface Reports” are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a better idea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the storm.

The WX4NHC Group continues to expand its efforts to increase the quantity and quality of surface reports to include many different modes of reception and groups of people; including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP & EchoLink, VHF & HF APRS, CWOP NOAA Program and ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.

(see our web site for more information on these programs): www.wx4nhc.org

WX4NHC is very proud to have maintained an active Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center for the past 28 years.

We appreciate all of the volunteers who help with our efforts.

OUR MISSION: TO HELP SAVE LIVES.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Julio Ripoll Architect WD4R
WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator
www.wx4nhc.org

National Hurricane Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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

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

Hello to all….

Tropical Storm Fay has formed near Hispaniola. Fay is expected to traverse portions of Hispaniola before emerging over the water and moving over the north coast of Cuba in 72 hours and then inland in Florida in 72-86 hours. The intensity of Fay will be controlled by how much land interaction she goes through.

Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for portions of the Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba. The track of Fay is a bit uncertain and now appears to be across Southern Cuba in the Northern part of the Caribbean Sea through Western Cuba and into the Western Gulf of Mexico. Will need to watch future model runs for any deviations in the track of Fay.

For complete advisories on Fay, you can go to the VoIPWXNet web site at http://www.voipwx.net and click on Atlantic Tropical Products and you’ll see the Fay advisories and Satellite imagery. You can also go to the National Hurricane Center web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Fay. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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

Read more

Hello to all…

At 8 AM ET/1200 UTC Tuesday, Edouard has made landfall as a tropical storm between High Island and Sabine Pass on the Upper Texas Coast in the Mcfaddin Wildlife Refuge. It is noted that this position was significantly north of the track guidance from last night. The intensity, however, remain as forecasted which was just under hurricane strength. Given Edouard has made landfall as a tropical storm, we will suspend the informal net on the *WX-TALK* Echolink Node 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system. A few of our Net Controls and folks on the net management team may monitor when possible during the day when time permits but consistent monitoring throughout the day will be cancelled.

The latest advisories on Edouard can be found via the VoIPWXNet web site at http://www.voipwx.net and click Atlantic Tropical Products off the Main Menu of the web site. The advisories can also be seen off the National Hurricane Center web page at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Please note: Stations in the Houston area should be advised that the 147.000 repeater PL 103.5 +offset is their local repeater as well as the Salt Grass link for local ARES and SKYWARN operations. Thanks to Kevin – K5WTF for the information.

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

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