SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2023 on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 System – Saturday 12/2/23 0000-2400 UTC
Hello to all..
SKYWARN Recognition Day is Saturday December 3rd, 2022 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 12/1/23 from 700 PM ET-Saturday Evening 12/2/23 at 700 PM ET) and Echolink and IRLP will be playing a role in SRD as it has in past years. SKYWARN Recognition Day is an opportunity for National Weather Service Forecast Offices across the United States to thank SKYWARN Spotters for their efforts in obtaining timely severe weather reporting for the protection of life and property. This is the SKYWARN program’s main mission.
EchoLink and IRLP are just a couple of modes people can utilize to contact NWS offices during SKYWARN Recognition Day. Also, there are other modes that will be available on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system via the sunflower network. Those additional modes from the Sunflower network are listed below:
Allstar 28848
Echolink KC5FM-R 906281
Hamshack Hotline 94032
DMR TGIF 31207
P25 31207
DSTAR XLXOKL C
Yaesu Fusion 31207
M17-SUN module A
For 2023 SRD, more NWS offices will be on the air live from their local NWS offices and some may also maintain a virtual/hybrid component where offices may be active at their actual office as well as from home/other locations at different times or simultaneously. Similar to the last couple of years, you can operate with your personal call-sign as NWS coordinator or some may elect to use the NWS Call-Sign and state they are portable. WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center, did a combined approach of live office and remote/hybrid operations for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Many NWS offices will be on 2 Meters, 440 MHz, HF and other VHF/UHF bands.
EchoLink and IRLP are just a couple of modes people can utilize to contact NWS offices during SKYWARN Recognition Day. Many NWS offices will be on 2 Meters, 440 MHz, HF and other VHF/UHF bands. Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day including a registration link opened up to all Amateurs given the new SRD format can be found via the following link:
https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition
This year’s Google registration form also auto-issues SRD Numbers to non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters. For this year, SRD numbers will only be issued for non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters. The form can be found off the SKYWARN Recognition Day web site and can be see at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddUcp7LltIiaBLvu7bCKXhLzOe14XBQhao2y5eitJrp25WrQ/viewform
Similar to past years, there is also a GIS Spotter Mapper where NWS office Amateur Radio Operations and spotters can be mapped. The registration form for the mapper is different from the google registration form for registering as GIS cannot do some of the things that the GIS spotter mapper can do. Link to the spotter mapper registration form can be seen here:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/6af367236b8b499f8a3c40110e58a596
Also, there is a SRD Facebook group created. Those with Facebook can join it at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/429783718861293
The ARRL has posted the SRD’23 information via their weekly ARRL Letter and ARES E-Letter. The SRD article is listed below:
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter?issue=2023-11-16#toc04 (ARRL Letter)
http://www.arrl.org/ares-el?issue=2023-11-15#toc02 (ARES Letter)
For 2023, the EchoLink *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system will be scheduling time for NWS offices or SKYWARN Coordinators with specific NWS office time slots to act as a net control to make contacts with spotters that are on the system. If a NWS office/SKYWARN Coordinator runs out of contacts and there are other NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators on the system, the NWS office acting as net control can turn it over to a different NWS office or SKYWARN Coordinator to act as a net control on the system at their discretion. You can also reach the network via Allstar 28848 and Hamshack Hotline 94032.
We’d like to ask NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators to do their best to adhere to the schedule. Sometimes this is difficult due to the number of contacts received by NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators. We ask for everyone’s patience and work cooperatively to respect the time slot schedule.
Below is the current 2023 SRD Schedule with NWS offices that have confirmed their time slot from last year. We will attempt to update this one more time on Friday with any updates:
Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0200-0300: WX7SLC (Time slot from last year)
0300-0400: WX4HUN (New time slot for this year)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0500-0600: Open
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0800-0900: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0900-1000: Open
1000-1100: WX7SLC (Time slot from last year)
1100-1200: WX1GYX (Time slot from last year)
1200-1300: Open
1300-1400: WX7SLC (Time slot from last year)
1400-1500: WX1AW (Time slot from last year)
1500-1600: WX1BOX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1600-1700: WX4NC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1700-1800: WX4JKL (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1800-1900: N2KDX @ WX2PHI (New Time Slot for this year)
1900-2000: WX1GYX (New Time slot for this year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2300-2400: Open
Here will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:
The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by SKYWARN Coordinators from New England from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG3* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other SKYWARN Coordinators and NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS offices wish to make contact with you.
Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years and have multiple reflector channels and Echolink conferences available. There is reflector 9250/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* node: 357564, IRLP 9251 and the *WORLD* Echolink Conference node: 479886, IRLP 9257/*DCF-ARC* Echolink Conference node: 336037 and IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 152566 open for NWS offices.
A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG3* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:
-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219. It is possible we will have DMR/D-STAR and other modes directly linked on the system. This will be updated in the next few days regarding that aspect.
-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system. The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.
For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.
We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!
73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Boston/Norton Massachusetts
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator