Hello to all…

As mentioned earlier this week by KC8TCQ-Keith Hosman, it is with deep regret and sadness that we report that N0UAM-Jim Sellars, Assistant Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations and Net Control Operator during net activations passed away Tuesday May 22nd, 2018 at the age of 64 after a long battle with heart issues.

Jim was a huge supporter of VoIP Hurricane Net activations for over 10 years. Jim’s most recent accomplishments with our net were supporting some very long net control stints during the historic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Jim’s voice was authoritative when reading advisories and warning information yet consoling when receiving reports from Amateur Radio Operators being impacted by the hurricanes such as when NP3OD-Francisco reported the damage to his home in San Juan Puerto Rico during Maria. Jim summarized and provided many reports from weather stations that were often used in advisory information from the National Hurricane Center.

Jim was also very active in the NWS Springfield Missouri SKYWARN program as well as storm chasing. Jim coordinated having the NWS Springfield Missouri office on SKYWARN Recognition Day on our *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for several years. Despite his health issues, Jim remained active on the air in whatever ways he could. On a personal note, I recall Jim checking into our New England SKYWARN net operations in December 2008 asking if we needed assistance after a major ice storm ripped through the area. Despite great personal hardship, Jim put the needs of others ahead of himself.

There have been several tributes to Jim online and Jim wrote his own obituary. Links to this information can be seen below:

Springfield News Leader Article:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/now/2018/05/23/springfield-storm-chaser-dies-ashes-shot-tornado/637264002/

KTTS-FM Article:
https://www.ktts.com/news/local-news/local-storm-spotting-community-mourns-loss-of-jim-sellars

N0UAM-Jim Sellars Obituary:
http://www.greenlawnfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/3509446/Sellars-Jim/obituary.php

At the start of the WX4NHC scheduled time slot to be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system on Saturday 5/26/18 at 400 PM EDT/300 PM CDT, we will do a short on-air tribute to the life of N0UAM and all he did for our net. We hope you will tune in but we also intend to record this tribute.

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

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

Hello to all…

Please see the announcement on the WX4NHC On-Air Communications Test for this Saturday May 26th, 2018. WX4NHC will be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system between 4-5 PM EDT/2000-2100 UTC Saturday and on other frequencies and modes throughout the day.

Announcement from WX4NHC – Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, Miami Florida
WX4NHC will be On-The-Air for the Annual Station Test
Saturday, May 26th, 2018 from 9AM-5 PM EDT (1300z- 2100z)

This will be our 38th year of public service at NHC.

The purpose of this event is to test Amateur Radio Station equipment, antennas and computers prior to this year’s Hurricane Season, which starts June 1st and runs through November 30th.

This event is good practice for Ham Radio Operators world-wide as well as NWS Staff to become familiar with Amateur Radio communications available during times of severe weather.

We will be making brief contacts on many frequencies and modes, exchanging signal reports and basic weather data exchange (“Sunny”, or “Rain”, etc.) with any station in any location.

WX4NHC will be On-The-Air on HF, VHF, UHF , 2 & 30 meter APRS and WinLink wx4nhc@winlink.org subject must contain “//WL2K”.

We will try to stay on the Hurricane Watch Net frequency 14.325 MHz most of the time.

Due to space and equipment limitations, we will have 2 operators per shift, we cannot be on all frequencies or on every mode at the same time.
You may be able to find us on HF by using one of the DX Spotting Networks,

Such as the DX Summit Web Site: http://www.dxsummit.fi/Search.aspx

We will also be on VoIP Hurricane Net 4pm-5pm EDT (2000-2100z)
(IRLP node 9219 / EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node 7203). http://www.voipwx.net/

Florida Statewide SARNET and local VHF & UHF Repeaters will be contacted.

QSL Cards are available via WD4R.
Please send your card with a S.A.S.E.

Please do NOT send QSLs directly to the Hurricane Center address, as it will get delayed.

Due to security measures:

NO VISITORS will be allowed entry to NHC without prior clearance from NHC PIO and Security.

Only WX4NHC Operators on the pre-approved operating schedule will be allowed entry.

For more information about WX4NHC, please visit our website
www.wx4nhc.org

Thank you for your participation in the WX4NHC Annual Station Test event.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Julio Ripoll Architect WD4R
WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator
www.wx4nhc.org
Celebrating 38 years at the
National Hurricane Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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

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