Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. With the New Year holiday falling on a Saturday, we will postpone the net to next Saturday January 8th, 2011. If time allows, a training presentation of the December East Coast Blizzard of 2010 will be done on next week’s net.

We wish everyone the best in this holiday season. 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..

SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 4th, 2010 from 0000-2400 UTC 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 and other VHF/UHF bands. Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day can be found on page 62 of the December 2010 edition of QST and at the following web page links:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov
http://www.arrl.org/news/skywarn-recognition-day-set-for-december-4

As in past years, the EchoLink *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system will be scheduling time for NWS offices in 1-2 hour time slots to act as a net control to make contacts with spotters that are on the system. If a NWS office runs out of contacts and there are other NWS offices on the system, the NWS office acting as net control can turn it over to a different NWS office to act as a net control on the system at their discretion.

We’d like to ask NWS offices to do their best to adhere to the schedule. Sometimes this is difficult due to the number of contacts received by NWS offices. We ask for everyone’s patience and working cooperatively to respect the time slot schedule.

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Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Net will be activating with WX4NHC, Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center at 9 AM ET Friday November 5th, 2010 for the impact of Tomas on Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Southeast Cuba and the Bahama Islands. The net will be active through the late afternoon/evening hours on Friday.

We would like any support on gathering reports from the affected area. Any HF relays, people who can monitor broadcast radio over the Internet from Haiti and understand Creole or have contacts with the affected area of Haiti by any means are asked to support the net. Our reporting criteria is on the web site via the following link:

http://www.voipwx.net/node/236

Any support that can be provided is appreciated. 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…

Hurricane Tomas has caused severe damage on the island of Saint Vincent with over 50 homes losing their roofs including well built homes. J73WA-Wayne Abraham from the island of Dominica has been instrumental in relaying reports from the islands of St Vincent, St Lucia and Barbados via the 75 and 40 Meter Caribbean Emergency Weather Net. A report as of 630 PM ET relayed by J73WA from J88NFU states that cell phones are still up in the area. All reports are listed in the VoIP Hurricane Net Reporter Viewer which can be seen via the following link:

http://report.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records?auth=OK

The VoIP Hurricane Weekly Net will take place as scheduled at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/0000 UTC. For AE5WX-Daryl as our primary net control for this week’s net, please call for Wayne-J73WA on the emergency roll call section for an update on Tomas and leave breaks for any updates from the island during the net.

The VoIP Hurricane Net continues to monitor and provide reports to WX4NHC as Tomas continues to severely affect the islands of St Vincent and St Lucia. 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…

Tomas has now strengthend into a hurricane. Tomas has caused significant damage on the island of Barbados. J73WA-Wayne in Dominica provided the following reports forwarded via email to the National Hurricane Center concerning damage on the island of Barbados:

8P6ER reported 100km/h winds at his home close to the airport with gusts to 150km/h.

8P6ET reported roofs flying around his home in Blackrock in the parish of St. Michael. Conditions have deteriorated rapidly after passage of the eye.

Other reports from stormcarib.com bloggers including Amateur Operators have been sent off as well and the reports can be viewed via the following link:

http://report.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records?auth=OK

Tomas will be affecting St. Lucia and St. Vincent with strong tropical storm to minimal hurricane force conditions for the next several hours. Other islands may experience tropical storm force winds sustained or in gusts.

We will be monitoring for reports from the Caribbean islands over the next several hours. Tomas will be largely past the islands by this evening so we will do our regular net as scheduled leaving breaks for any stations or reports from the Caribbean islands.

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…

Despite it being late October, the Atlantic Tropics remain quite active. Tropical Storm Shary has formed in the Atlantic and will affect Bermuda with tropical storm force conditions. Shary is not expected to intensify to hurricane strength over any land area so no VoIP Hurricane Net activation is expected. Advisory information can be seen on the voipwx.net web site under the Main Menu under Atlantic Tropical Products. Advisory info can also be seen at the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Another tropical system 360 miles east-southeast of the Southern Windward Islands is much better organized with a high chance 80% of tropical cycleone formation as it moves west-northwestward at 15-20 MPH. Air Force Reserve Unit Reconnaissance Aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system this afternoon.

There is a third system about 1300 miles west-northwest of the norther Cape Verde Islands as well but this system has a low chance of development.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team continues to closely monitor the progress of these systems. 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 activated since 9 PM EDT/1300 UTC Sunday October 24th, 2010 for Impact of Hurricane Richard on Honduras, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula of Eastern Mexico. 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 has also been activated since 9 AM EDT/1300 UTC Sunday October 24th, 2010..

Richard became a hurricane as of 11 AM EDT Sunday October 24th, 2010 and has been impacting Honduras and will impact Belize later today. The VoIP Hurricane Net has been activated since 9 AM ET/1300 UTC and we are looking for surface reports from stations in the affected area of Hurricane Richard or from Amateur Radio Operators who have contact with the affected area of Hurricane Richard through any relays or people they know in the area.

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 Hurricane Richard 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 Hurricane Richard 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:
Reflector 9508 Sydney Australia Reflector channel 8.
Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.

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Hello to all…

SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2010 will be on Saturday December 4th, 2010 from 0000-2400 UTC (this is Friday late afternoon/Evening into Saturday late afternoon/evening for much of North America). Details can be seen at the following link:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/

Once again, we’ll have a number of VoIP systems available for SRD with NWS offices rotating on an hourly basis on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system and the New England and Western Reflector systems available for contacts. Further details on SRD’2010 will be made available in the coming weeks.

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 to activate formally at 12 PM EDT/1600 UTC Sunday September 19th, 2010 for Impact of Hurricane Igor on Bermuda. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event. Informal operations and monitoring will begin Sunday Morning leading up to formal activation at Noon EDT Sunday lasting potentially through Monday Morning..
..WX4NHC-National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Operations will activate at Noon EDT/1600 UTC Sunday September 19th, 2010..

Hurricane Igor is a category two hurricane that is unusually large and powerful and is forecast to go near or right over the islands of Bermuda. The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate at 12 PM EDT/1600 UTC Sunday September 19th, 2010 looking for surface reports from stations in the affected area of Hurricane Igor or from Amateur Radio Operators who have contact with the affected area of Hurricane Igor through any relays or people they know in the area.

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 Hurricane Igor 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 Hurricane Igor 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):

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