Hello to all..

The International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (IRESC) and the Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network (SATERN) are both active supporting Haiti Earthquake Operations. Indirect contact has been established via email and second hand reporting and info as relayed by SATERN to IRESC and by IRESC operators. Direct contact to the affected area is being attempted by both groups.

The *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system has been connected directly to the *IRESC* echolink conference node: 278173 for listen only purposes. It will remain connected for as long as IRESC is active. Anyone with emergency/priority traffic or health and welfare traffic should connect directly to *IRESC* echolink conference node: 278173. Information on IRESC can be seen via the following link:

http://www.iresc.org/

SATERN is active on HF and has performed liasion with IRESC. Per the SATERN web site, SATERN activities are active on 14.235 MHz Primary for daytime operations and 7265 and 3977.7 Khz for evening and night time operations. Information on SATERN can be seen via the following link:

http://www.satern.org/

Where this is not a hurricane related incident, the VoIP Hurricane Net will not be directly involved in operations, however, net controls and individuals that help with the VoIP Hurricane Net that either have direct contact with Haiti or have relays into Haiti are strongly encouraged to support SATERN and IRESC with their operations. This would benefit those with Health and Welfare traffic into Haiti. Stations that have Health and Welfare traffic to Haiti can provide the info to these groups but it may be several days before the messages will be delivered and relayed back so those that can help with direct contact with Haiti or contact through relays could help speed up the Health and welfare traffic flow.

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Hello to all..

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a very Happy New Year. Our first net of 2010 will be at 7 PM EST/6 PM CST/5 PM MST/4 PM PST (Saturday Evening in North America) or 0000 UTC and will feature a presentation from VoIP Hurricane Technical Coordinator, Tony Langdon-VK3JED, on Changes in Echolink and IRLP Bridge Technology. A link to the presentation appears below:

http://www.voipwx.net/files/Changes_In_EchoLink_and_IRLP_Technology.ppt

A recording will be made available after the net Saturday Evening for folks who cannot make it. We are hoping to make training topics a part of our monthly net during the hurricane off 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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Hello to all..

I would like to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holiday Season. The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season was extraordinarily quiet with just 2 Hurricane Net Activations this year. The first one being Hurricane Bill for the Canadian Maritimes and the second activation being for Hurricane Ida which approached the Gulf Coast as a hurricane but weakened to a tropical storm before landfall.

While the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season has been quiet, the 2010 Season has the potential to be more active per the early Atlantic Hurricnae outlook from Dr. Gray earlier this month. In addition, while it has been a quiet season, the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team continues to take steps to improve the net as we move into 2010 by preparing to offer Net Control Training for net controls, presentations for the monthly nets during the off-season hurricane months and the team continues work getting more activity from stations in and near the affected area of hurricanes. We are also always looking for more net controls for our net.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team is very grateful to all stations that participate in our net on a weekly/monthly basis and those stations that give reports from their affected area during hurricanes as well as stations that relay reports from stations in the affected area. Without your support, this net would not be successful nor would the operations of WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricnae Center, which will be entering its 30th year of service in 2010, and continues an incredible exemplary service to the community. We are also grateful to play such an important role in their operation.

Once again, a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holiday season to all. We look forward to working with everyone again in 2010! Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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Hello to all..

From the NOAA web site, a slow Atlantic Hurricane Season comes to a close. See the link below for info:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20091130_endhurricaneseason.html

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

73,Rob-KD1CY.

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Hello to all..

From Assistant Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) Net Manager, Brad Pioveson-W9FX, the Hurricane Watch Net will be sponsoring a special event station November 29th and 30th. Details and frequency info follow in the press release as received by Brad below:

http://www.voipwx.net/files/HWN44.pdf

73,Rob-KD1CY.

Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all..

During Monday Morning, Ida has weakened to a Tropical Storm with Maximum Sustained Winds of 70 MPH. Ida is expected to make landfall on the Northern US Gulf Coast late tonight or early Tuesday Morning.

Rich Long-KF6BKA is monitoring the system informally through 7 PM ET/6 PM CT/0000 UTC this Monday Evening. If no significant uptick in traffic for storm related issues with Ida, the net will be secured around or shortly after that timeframe. 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 3 PM EST/2 PM CST/2000 UTC Monday November 9th, 2009 for Impact of Hurricane Ida on the Northern US Gulf Coast. Activation is expected to last through early Tuesday Afternoon potentially. Activation will take place on the *WX_TALK* Echolink Conference Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for the duration of this event..
…WX4NHC Operations Will Also Activate at 3 PM EST/2 PM CST/2000 UTC for Hurricane Ida’s Impact on the Northern US Gulf Coast..

Hurricane Ida will impact the Northern US Gulf Coast late Monday Afternoon through early Tuesday Afternoon with hurricane force conditions expected over the region. The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate at 3 PM EST/2PM CST/2000 UTC looking for surface reports from stations in the affected area of Hurricane Ida or from Amateur Radio Operators who have contact with the affected area of Hurricane Ida through any relays or people they know in the area. Ida is expected to impact the region as a Category-1 Hurricane.

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 Ida 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

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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Hello to all..

Ida intensified into a hurricane early Sunday Morning. Hurricane Ida is currently tracking through the Yucatan Channel with the core of hurricane force conditions staying over the water so there has been no activation of the VoIP Hurricane Net or WX4NHC as it passes through the Yucatan Channel today. Informal monitoring of various weather sources is being done for any significant land impacts in Western Cuba or the Yucatan of Mexico.

Hurricane Watches have now been posted from Grand Isle Louisiana to the Mississippi-Alabama border. This Hurricane Watch does not include New Orleans at this time. Interests in the Northern Gulf Coast east of the current Hurricane Watch area from the Mississipi-Alabama border through the Florida panhandle should closely monitor the progress of Ida as well. With the current track and intensity of Hurricane Ida, VoIP Hurricane Net Activation could occur as early as Monday Evening and last through much of Tuesday for the Northern US Gulf Coast. Ida may become a non-tropical system as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast but regardless of its status as a tropical cyclone, Ida will have the potential to produce hurricane force conditions over portions of the Northern US Gulf Coast and all Amateur Radio Operators and residents in the Northern US Gulf Coast should closely monitor Ida as she has the potential to be a Category-1 hurricane at landfall or a strong non-tropical system capable of hurricane force conditions.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team continues to closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Ida. Another update will be posted later this evening or Monday Morning at the latest. 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..

Tropical Storm Ida, which made landfall in Nicaragua and had weakened, has reintensified over the Western Caribbean Sea and has the potential to become a hurricane and affect parts of the Yucatan Peninsula/Western Cuba with hurricane force conditions. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor the situation and could potentially activate Sunday Morning for Ida if we have contact with the affected area either via Amateur Radio or other means. Any Hams with direct or indirect contact should please let us know via email so we can provide vital surface reports to WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center.

It is noted that the Hurricane Watch Net (a separate net from the VoIP Hurricane Net) operating on 14.325 USB, with the potential of operations on 40 and 80 Meters, will be active at 8 AM EST/1300 UTC per the Assistant Net Manager of the Hurricane Net Watch Net, Brad Pioveson-W9FX. The activation status for WX4NHC is not known at this time.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Ida. 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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