Hello to all..

SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 1st, 2012 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening November 30th from 7 PM ET-Saturday December 1st at 7 PM EST)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. Many NWS offices will be on 2 Meters, 440 MHz, HF, Digital other VHF/UHF bands. Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day can be found via the following links:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov

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Hello to all..

SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2012 will be on Saturday December 1st, 2012 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 11/30/12 at 7 PM EST through Saturday Evening 12/1/12 7 PM EST). Our last VoIP Hurricane Prep Net will take place immediately following SRD’2012 and will be combined with the Weather Radio Listeners Newsletter Net in coordination with folks in Canada that run this net at 7 PM EST.

We will have many NWS offices rotating on a schedule during SRD’2012. A complete list of NWS offices participating on the system will be sent later this week. If new NWS offices are interested in participating the system, please contact me at kd1cy at voipwx.net.

The SRD web site has been updated with information for 2012. Please see the link below:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov

We look forward to hearing many stations on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system as well as on other Echolink and IRLP nodes and systems, HF, VHF and UHF during SRD’2012. Thanks to all for their continued support.

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

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Hello to all..

The Amateur Radio Newsline featured the VoIP Hurricane Net efforts during Hurricane Sandy in the November 9th, 2012 edition of their weekly Amateur Radio Newsline program. A link to the recording from the Amateur Radio Newsline focused on the VoIP Hurricane Net Hurricane Sandy story as well as the written transcript are listed below:

http://www.voipwx.net/files/voip_wxnet_newsline_sandy.mp3

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Hello to all..

The following are tentative WX4NHC/VoIP Hurricane Net Activation Plans for Sandy. This will be updated and confirmed by Sunday Evening.

WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, will be activated starting at 9 AM ET Monday through at least Monday Evening. The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate starting at 5 AM ET Monday lasting for the duration of the storm event.

While Sandy may transition to a non-tropical system, its impact will be the same as a large hurricane regardless of the extratropical transition. Therefore, the VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC will remain active until Sandy weakens as a system. Her impacts will affect from the Washington DC area through Southern Maine and many interior locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States.

We will connect up the *NEW-ENG* Echolink conference node: 9123/IRLP 9123 to the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9129 system to form one large network. This is what was done during Hurricane Irene and we feel this was quite successful. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Taunton Massachusetts, WX1BOX, will act as the primary net control. We would like to get as many backup net controls to help handle reports going to WX4NHC and to take the net over if we lose connection into the system.

We appreciate everyone’s support on this potentially historic weather event. Thanks to all for their continued support of WX4NHC and the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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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All,

The VoIP Hurricane Net is securing operations for today October 24th at
2200EDT, 0200UTC.

With the passage of Sandy into areas with no Echolink Stations, our
support operations of WX4NHC and the National Hurricane Center will end
for this operational period.

As Sandy emerges off the northern coast of Cuba and into the Bahamas,
the Net Management Team in consultation with WX4NHC-National Hurricane
Center will determine our next operational period of support. WX4NHC is
planning to commence operations tomorrow, October 25th at 1200EDT,
1400UTC. Please monitor this site for further updates.

Thank you to all stations that supported out operations today. We look
forward to your continuing support and participation through the
duration of Sandy and all future activations of the VoIP Hurricane Net.

73

Dennis Dura, K2DCD
Assistant Director of Operations
VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

..VoIP Hurricane Net Activation Starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Wednesday October 24th, 2012 for Impact of Sandy on Jamaica and Eastern Cuba. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event..
..WX4NHC-National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Operations will also be active starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Wednesday October 24th, 2012..

Tropical Storm Sandy is expected to intensify into a hurricane within the next 12 hours. Given the anticipated strengthening of Sandy, the VoIP Hurricane Net and the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, will be activated starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Wednesday October 24th, 2012 likely lasting into Thursday Morning October 25th, 2012 looking for surface reports and information from Jamaica and Eastern Cuba. Any stations in these areas are asked to join the net and any stations with relays into the affected areas of Sandy are also asked to join the net.

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 Sandy under the Atlantic Tropical Products section. You can also gather 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 and any reports received via relays or directly from Amateurs in the path of Sandy would be much appreciated.

Listen Only IRLP/EchoLink capability include the following systems (We ask that listen-only folks please provide this capability and connect by formal activation time if possible):

IRLP:
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Hello to all..

The following is the latest Atlantic Tropical update as of 200 PM EDT/1800 UTC Saturday Septmber 1st, 2012:

Tropical Storm Kirk, which was previously a hurricane, continues over the open waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean and is a threat to shipping interests only. Kirk is expected to become post-tropical by Sunday.

Tropical Storm Leslie is a 70 MPH tropical storm located 410 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Leslie is expected to track north of the Leeward Islands over the next couple days and gradually turn northward. Leslie may reach hurricane strength over the next few days but is not expected to threaten any land areas at this time. Leslie will continue to be monitored by the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team.

No other areas of disturbed weather are being monitored by the National Hurricane Center at this time. Advisories on Kirk and Leslie can be seen off the Main Menu of the voipwx.net web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. Advisories can also be seen via the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor the Atlantic Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net and hope everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend!

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

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Hello to all..

First of all, a tremendous thank you to all the reporting stations in the affected area of Hurricane Isaac who reported into the VoIP Hurricane Net and to all Net Control Stations and listen-only partners for their support of the net. There are a number of stories in the Amateur Radio News media on the net activation for Hurricane Isaac. Those stories are listed below:

Amateur Radio Newsline Text Script and Audio News:
http://www.arnewsline.org/storage/scripts/nsln1829.txt
http://www.arnewsline.org/storage/audio/NSLN1829.mp3

ARRL Web Stories (From Most Recent to Least Recent):
http://www.arrl.org/news/voip-hurricane-net-provides-support-during-hurricane-isaac
http://www.arrl.org/news/hams-heed-the-call-to-help-as-isaac-makes-landfall-downgraded-to-tropical-storm
http://www.arrl.org/news/tropical-storm-isaac-approaches-us-gulf-coast

The N5OZG-R system run by the Crescent City Amateur Radio Group (CCARG) is continuing to deal with recovery operations in the New Orleans area for Isaac so they will not make the regularly scheduled VoIP Hurircane Prep Net this evening. Joe-N5OZG passes along his thank you to all the folks who supported their local area during Hurricane Isaac. 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..

..VoIP Hurricane Net Activation Starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Tuesday August 28th, 2012 for Impact of Isaac on the Northern Gulf Coast of Louisana including New Orleans, Southern Mississippi and Southern Alabama. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event..
..WX4NHC-National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Operations will also be active starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Tuesday August 28th, 2012..
..Both the VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC are expected to remain active over Tuesday Night through 3 PM Wednesday August 29th, 2012..

Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to intensify into a hurricane within the next 12-24 hours. Given the anticipated strengthening of Iaaac, the VoIP Hurricane Net and the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, will be activated starting at 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Tuesday August 28th, 2012 looking for surface reports and information from the Northern Gulf Coast of Louisana including New Orleans, Southern Mississippi and Southern Alabama. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event which is currently expected to be through 3 PM Wednesday August 29th, 2012. Any stations in these areas are asked to join the net and any stations with relays into the affected areas of Isaac are also asked to join the net.

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 Isaac under the Atlantic Tropical Products section. You can also gather the advisory information from the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

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Hello to all..

The VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC are securing Operations at 630 PM EDT/2230 UTC. While Isaac is becoming better organized, it remains a tropical storm and is passing through the Florida Keys. The new track guidance brings most of Isaac’s effects out over the open Gulf of Mexico for Monday with the exception of some minimal tropical storm effects along the immediate west coast of Florida. Latest model guidance and NHC track guidance brings Isaac to the northern Gulf Coast between Louisiana and Florida Tuesday into Wednesday when the next VoIP Hurricane Net and WX4NHC activation is likely to occur.

We appreciate everyone’s support monitoring Isaac today as it passed through the Florida Keys. 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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