Hello to all…

Apologies for those that have received this email multiple times. It’s hard to believe but another SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) is upon us and this year’s edition is the 25th anniversary of SRD which is an impressive milestone! The following is the second in the series of updates on SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2024 and Echolink/IRLP operations. SRD takes place on Saturday December 7th, 2024 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 12/6/24 700 PM EST-Saturday Evening 12/7/24 700 PM EST). 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 2024 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.

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. Similar to last 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/1FAIpQLSd5-bcm8jmg4wHs0-Q3TAdo2jp8vKBtVi3O-zm3Gf8YK1jXhQ/viewform

Similar to past years, there is also an optional GIS Spotter Mapper where NWS office Amateur Radio Operations and spotters can be mapped. At the end of the Google form registration, the registration link for the GIS Spotter Mapper will be seen and it will also be emailed as part of your Google form registration upon completion.

Also, there is a SRD Facebook group created. Those with Facebook can join it at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/429783718861293

For 2024, 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.

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 2024 SRD Schedule with NWS offices that have confirmed their time slot from last year, offices where we are still waiting for confirmation and open time slots. We would like to know if the remaining NWS offices or SKYWARN Coordinators with that office would like to keep their time slot or change time slots and then what call-sign should be listed on the schedule. Also, any new NWS offices added to our distribution, please let us know if there is a time slot that you would like from the current schedule. See the list below:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot from last year)
0200-0300: WX7SLC (Time slot from last year)
0300-0400: WX4HUN (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Time slot from last year)
0500-0600: Open
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX (Time slot from last year)
0800-0900: WX8APX (Time slot from last 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 from last year)
1600-1700: WX4NC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1700-1800: WX4JKL (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1800-1900: N2KDX @ WX2PHI (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1900-2000: WX1GYX (Time slot from last year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot from last 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 9252/Echolink Conference *SKY_GATE* node: 868981, 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. The Sunflower system will be connected that will allow other VoIP mode connections as listed at the top of this message.

-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 systems. 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

Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Net activation for Hurricane Rafael secured on Wednesday Evening 11/6/24 at 1000 PM ET and WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center secured at that time. Special thanks to KC5FM-Lloyd for net control and technical connection support during the net. Approximately 40 volunteer hours of service was logged by the team.

While no direct Amateur Radio contact with Western Cuba, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Island was established, through online weather stations and social media work, over 30 reports were generated from the affected area including wind damage, coastal storm surge and rain related flooding. Highest wind gusts were recorded from Mariel, Artemisa Cuba with sustained winds of 81 MPH (130 Kilometers Per Hour) and a gust of 115 MPH (186 Kilometers Per Hour) with a wind gust of 93 MPH in Casablanca Havana Batabano Cuba. Higher end damage reports were a light tower blown down at Artemisa Stadium and damage to Artemisa Hospital. The complete list of reports can be seen in the report viewer at the following link:

https://www.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records1?auth=OK

Rafael has an uncertain future over the Gulf of Mexico in terms of both track and intensity but is not expected to threaten land over the next 5 days. The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will closely monitor the progress of Rafael and any other developments in the Tropics. 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…

**The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate at 7 PM through 10 PM Tuesday Evening in anticipation of Rafael intensifying into a hurricane as it passes through the Cayman Islands. The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate on Wednesday from 9 AM-10 PM for Rafael and impacts across Western Cuba. The net, on *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system and other VoIP radio systems via the KC5FM-R node is supporting WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida.**
**WX4NHC will also be active with their Amateur Radio Station as well during this timeframe.**

Here are the VoIP Hurricane Net Plans for Rafael as of Tuesday 11/5/24 at 1010 AM EDT:

The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate at 7 PM through 10 PM Tuesday Evening in anticipation of Rafael intensifying into a hurricane as it passes through the Cayman Islands. The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate on Wednesday from 9 AM-10 PM for Rafael and impacts across Western Cuba. The net, on *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system and other VoIP radio systems via the KC5FM-R node is supporting WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida. WX4NHC will also be active with their Amateur Radio Station as well during this timeframe.

Any Amateur Radio Operators in the affected area of Rafael or with relays into the affected area of Rafael are asked to provide surface and damage reports into the VoIP Hurricane Net for relay into WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center. We appreciate any and all support from Amateur Operators in the affected area or Amateur Operators with relays into the affected area. We are looking for reports based on the National Weather Service SKYWARN Reporting criteria. This can be seen on the VoIP Hurricane Net web site at the following link:
https://voipwx.net/voip-hurricane-net-reporting-criteria

Any pictures or videos of wind damage, river/stream/urban/storm surge flooding etc. can be sent to our voipwxnet Facebook and Twitter feeds or the following email address: pics@nsradio.org and credit will be given to the Amateur Radio Operator, weather spotter or individual that took the photos and media and be shared with the Amateur Radio team at the National Hurricane Center and other agencies and outlets.

Advisories on Rafael can be seen off of the Atlantic Tropical Products menu selection on the voipwxnet web site, via our Facebook and Twitter feeds, and off the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Reports as obtained via the VoIP Hurricane Net from Amateur Radio Operators in the affected area, relays from the affected area or from APRS/CWOP Weather Station feeds and other social media outlets can be found at the following link:
https://www.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records1?auth=OK

APRS, Winlink, AllStar, Hamshack Hotline resources that can be monitored are as follows:
APRS kc5fm-9
Winlink KC5FM
Allstar 28848
Echolink KC5FM-R 906281
Hamshack Hotline 94032
DMR TGIF 31207
P25 31207
DSTAR XLXOKL C
Yaesu Fusion 31207
M17-SUN module A

Stations outside the affected area that do not have relays into the affected area who would like to listen into the VoIP Hurricane Net can use any of the following systems for listen-only purposes and can connect on either Echolink or IRLP:
*NEW-ENG3* Echolink conference node: 9123/IRLP 9123
*SKY_GATE* Echolink conference node: 868981/IRLP 9252
*KC4QLP-C* Echolink conference node: 290251
*ARERT* Echolink conference node: 902723 (Also bridged to Allstar on Node 273660 and on the YCS311 C4FM Server at http://c4fm.mntrbo.net ID:74)
*FLORIDA* Echolink conference node: 3082

These streaming audio feeds should be available. Those streaming audio feeds are as follows:
Streaming feed 1: http://74.208.24.77:8000 -Provided by KC4QLP-Bob Carter
Streaming feed 2: http://radio.arert.net:8000/ARERT -Provided by the ARERT conference owners and sysops
Streaming feed 3: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/38868 -Provided by the ARERT conference owners and sysops

Video streams will be provided by ARERT if they find video feeds from the affected area and will have audio from the hurricane net on it. Those streams are below:
Video stream feed 1: https://www.twitch.tv/pp93news
Video stream feed 2: https://dlive.tv/ARERT
Special thanks to N0VZC-Mike Norrbom and the ARERT sysops for their support of these feeds.

Please note that there could be additional listen only nodes and streaming feeds. If time allows, this info will be updated via the voipwxnet web site and social media feeds.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team continues to closely watch Rafael. 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…

Tropical Storm Rafael has formed in the Southwest Caribbean Sea and is expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday Evening. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Jamaica, a Hurricane Warning for the Cayman Islands and a Hurricane Watch for portions of Western Cuba. VoIP Hurricane Net Activation is likely Tuesday Evening and again on Wednesday for Rafael and impacts in these areas. It is possible the net could activate earlier if Rafael intensifies sooner than expected as it passes near Jamaica. Advisories can be found off the Main Menu of the voipwx.net web site, via our Facebook and X feeds and via the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to monitor Rafael and any other systems as required in the Tropics. Hurricane Season’s official end is November 30th. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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