Hello to all..

Today, Saturday June 1st, 2013, marks the start of the 2013 Atlantic Season. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, Communications Test was completed today and was very successful with over 50 contacts made on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system. Thanks to all stations that participated in the communications test over our network. The VoIP Hurricane Prep Net will shift to weekly beginning with tonight’s net at 800 PM EDT/700 PM CDT/0000 UTC.

Also, on the National Hurricane Center web site, WD4R-Julio Ripoll, Assistant WX4NHC Coordinator was featured in the monthly National Hurricane Center Q&A web series. This can be seen at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/qa/201306_julio_ripoll.php

Now is the time to prepare for Hurricane Season. Even if a hurricane or tropical system does not affect your area, it will make you more prepared for future seasons. Also note that strong tropical storms and in particular strong and large tropical storms can pack as much power as some Category-1 hurricanes.

Below is the 800 AM National Hurricane Center Tropical Weather Outlook which lists information on the 2013 Hurricane Names as well as the products that the National Hurricane Center prior to and as storms form over the region:

690
ABNT20 KNHC 011131
TWOAT

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 AM EDT SAT JUN 1 2013

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC…CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO…

DISORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK AREA
OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND
THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. DEVELOPMENT…IF ANY…SHOULD BE SLOW TO OCCUR
DUE TO UNFAVORABLE UPPER-LEVEL WINDS AND PROXIMITY TO LAND.  THIS
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Hello to all..

On Thursday May 23rd 2013, NOAA issued their Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook and predicts an active 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The press release can be seen below:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130523_hurricaneoutlook_atlantic.html

The Atlantic Hurricane Season will begin on Saturday June 1st and ends on November 30th.

NOAA also issued their Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook calling for a below average hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific. The press release for that outlook can be seen below:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130523_hurricaneoutlook_easternpacific.html

The Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season has already begun on May 15th and ends on 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

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Hello to all..

Amateur Radio Coordinators for WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida, Julio Ripoll-WD4R and John McHugh-K4AG, have announced that the WX4NHC Communications Test will take place on Saturday June 1st, 2013 from 9 AM-5 PM EDT (1300-2100 UTC) across various modes. WX4NHC will be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system from 1-3 PM EDT (1700-1900 UTC) and net controls for the VoIP Hurricane Net will be active during that timeframe. Also, announced is a new QSL card and a letter requesting support from Amateur Radio Operators along coastal areas affected by hurricanes were also issued. Links to those items can be seen below:

http://www.wx1box.org/local/WX4NHC_Hurricane_Season_letter_to_Ham_Radio_Operators.pdf
http://www.wx1box.org/local/wx4nhc_qsl_front_web.jpg

We encourage all Amateurs using all the various Amateur Radio modes to make contact with WX4NHC during this communications test over the course of the day. This will help assure the equipment at WX4NHC will be ready for use. Amateur Radio stations in hurricane prone areas are also strongly encouraged to check into the test.

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Hello to all..

As alluded to by Dr. Gray at the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana the week of March 25th, an above normal Atlantic hurricane season is forecasted by Dr. Gray and Dr. Klotzbach and the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project. The detailed forecast can be seen via the following link:
http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/2013/apr2013/apr2013.pdf

An archive to all their forecasts can be seen via the following link:
http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/

It is never too early to prepare for Hurricane Season. Preparations made ahead of time makes it easier if a hurricane or major tropical system affects your area. The NOAA outlook will be issued sometime in May.

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

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

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Hello to all..

The National Hurricane Conference is coming up starting from Monday March 25th through Thursday March 28th. Amateur Radio will be represented at three sessions during the conference on Monday March 25th, 2013.

All Amateur Radio workshops on Monday March 25th, 2013 will be livestreamed. The livestream links that are available are as follows:

http://www.nsradio.org/stream.htm
http://www.voipwx.net/files/stream.htm
http://www.nsradio.org/video/features/voipwxnet/NHC13/

The timeframes are as follows (listed in EDT and CDT):

1130 AM-100 PM EDT (1030 AM-Noon CDT): Opening Remarks, Local Presenter on Hurricane Isaac, Hurricane Sandy: A New England Perspective, Hurricane Sandy: A Mid-Atlantic Perspective

230-400 PM EDT (130 PM-300 PM CDT): WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, Group Presentation, Weather Initiatives by WX4NHC, WX4NHC Group Response to the Haiti Earthquake Crisis and the Importance of Amateur Radio/Spotter Surface Reports (This last presentation being done by Dr. Rick Knabb, Director of the National Hurricane Center)

430-600 PM EDT (330 PM-500 PM CDT): Brief Overview of the Hurricane Watch Net, Brief Overview of the VoIP Hurricane Net, ARRL Update, and Rap Session — Amateur Radio: The Emergency Manager’s Hidden Resource

The complete list and information on the presenters including presenters from the NWS Taunton Amateur Radio Program are listed via the links below:

http://southeastern.arrl.org/2013NationalHurricaneConferenceActivities.pdf
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Hello to all…

Well, unfortunately, those of us in Southern New England will not escape the 2012-2013 Winter without a Blizzard! New England Blizzard Operations will occur on Echolink/IRLP on the *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123/IRLP 9123 system. The *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system has been linked in as a listen only reflector system to the operations. SKYWARN Activation will start no later than 2 PM ET Friday Afternoon lasting through Saturday late afternoon/evening. Further details are available at:

http://www.wx1box.org
http://ares.ema.arrl.org

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton Massachusetts
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

On behalf of the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to all. Thanks to all of you for your support of the VoIP Hurricane Net during 2012.

The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season was active and more active than expected due to several landfalling systems affecting the United States and portions of Central America/Mexico this year. The VoIP Hurricane Net activated several times over the course of 2012 including for Tropical Storm Beryl which was very close to hurricane status but fell just short of that status impacting northeast Florida, Hurricane Ernesto affecting portions of Mexico and Belize. The net activated for Hurricane Isaac and its impact on the northern US Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Mississippi including the New Orleans Metropolitan area. The Crescent City Amateur Radio Group (CCARG) and the N5OZG Repeater system along with several other repeater systems and Amateur Radio Groups in Louisiana were connected providing real-time reports of damage and meteorological data into WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center.

The VoIP Hurricane Net also activated for Hurricane Sandy. The Net was active for impact on Jamaica, Eastern Cuba and the Bahamas and then active for impact on the mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States coast where severe impacts were felt particularly in New Jersey and the New York City/Long Island area but also across portions of Southern New England. Several reports gathered in both Hurricane Isaac, affecting the Northern US Gulf Coast, and Hurricane Sandy and its impact on the mid-atlantic and Northeast US were utilized in National Hurricane Center advisories. In addition, the VoIP Hurricane Net received PR from Amateur Radio Newsline for its efforts during Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US coastline.
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Hello to all..

Friday November 30th represents the end of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The season was a bit busier than expected with 2 landfalling intense systems, Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern US Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi and Hurricane/Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy affecting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US Coast as well as portions of the Caribbean, Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas. Two tropical storms, Beryl and Debby, affected the state of Florida. A link to the complete news release is listed below:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20121129_hurricaneseasonwrapup.html

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

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

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Hello to all..

Please see the announcement from WX4NHC – Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center on their SKYWARN Recognition Day activities. WX4NHC will be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system from 400-600 PM EST (2100-2300 UTC). Their complete announcement is listed below:

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Hello to all..

A reminder that the last VoIP Hurricane Prep Net for 2012 and the CANWARN ‘Weather Radio Listeners’ Net will be combined for Saturday December 1st, 2012 at 7 PM EST/0000 UTC immediately following SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2012. The CANWARN ‘Weather Radio Listeners’ Net takes place weekly on Saturday Evenings at 7 PM EST and the net was backed up one hour to allow folks from their net to participate in the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net. Since that was done, we kept the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net at 8 PM EST to encourage participation in both nets on Saturday Evenings. With SRD being an all day event and the fact that the CANWARN ‘Weather Radio Listeners’ Net was at 7 PM and we didn’t want people to have to wait until 8 PM to check into our net after what is typically a long day of operating, we have combined the nets to take place at 7 PM EST immediately following SRD’2012.

We hope folks will check into this combined net and this combined net will be the last VoIP Hurricane Prep Net for 2012 as we revert to the first Saturday of the month at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST for the non-hurricane season months. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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

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