Hello to all….
**UPDATED WITH WX4NHC OPERATIONS ACTIVATION INFORMATION, IRESC LISTEN ONLY AND SUPPORT INFO AND ADDITIONAL DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN ONLY STREAMING. REMAINDER BELOW IS UNCHANGED.***
The VoIP Hurricane Net will activate at 10 AM ET for Hurricane Gustav and his approach to Southwest Haiti. Hurricane Gustav has formed in the Carribean and is already a Category 1 hurricane after being classified as a Tropical Depression on 11 AM Monday. Gustav will come very close, if not over the coast of Haiti before a track that could take it towards either Cuba or Jamaica. Hurricane Watches and Warnings are posted for many of these areas.
There are few, if any, Echolink and IRLP nodes in the affected area. Therefore, we are hoping that Amateur Radio Operators with these capabilities in neighboring Caribbean islands and the International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (IRESC), can support us with contacts in the affected area via HF and other means. All information will be helpful for WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center.
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 Fay 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:
IRLP:
Reflector 9508 Sydney Australia Reflector channel 8.
Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.
EchoLink:
*KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
*VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177
*N5API* Node: 77433
*IRESC* Node: 278173
A streaming audio feed has been setup thanks to the assistance of David McAnally-WD5M. This is the first time he has setup a streaming audio server so please bear with any technical difficulties. The links are listed below:
Streaming Audio Feed in MP-3 Format
Streaming Audio Feed in OGG Format
Streaming Audio Feed Direct Link without Port listing
Bob Carter-KC4QLP has also setup an online stream for up to 32 listeners at the following link:
Streaming Audio Feed from KC4QLP
An EQSO listen-only feed is also available via KC4QLP-R.
Links to the WD5M streaming audio feeds have also been provided in the Main Menu of the VoIPWXNet web site.
WX4NHC ANNOUNCEMENT – HURRICANE GUSTAV OPERATIONS
Released August 26th, 2008
PLEASE RELAY TO STATIONS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS.
The 8 AM EDT (1200z) Advisory from the National Hurricane Center forecasts further strengthening of Hurricane Gustav on approach to the Southern coast of Haiti today.
…GUSTAV A LITTLE STRONGER…NEARING THE SOUTH COAST OF HAITI… AT 800 AM EDT…1200Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 17.5 NORTH…LONGITUDE 72.0 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES…125 KM…SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI AND ABOUT 265 MILES…425 KM…SOUTHEAST OF GUANTANAMO CUBA.
GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH…15 KM/HR…AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A TURN TOWARD THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY. ON THIS TRACK THIS HURRICANE SHOULD MOVE OVER SOUTHWESTERN HAITI LATER TODAY AND NEAR OR JUST SOUTH OF
EASTERN CUBA ON WEDNESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 90 MPH…150 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. THE HURRICANE COULD BECOME A CATEGORY
TWO HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL IN HAITI LATER TODAY.
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, will be activating it’s HF and EchoLink/IRLP station ontoday, August 26th , 2008 at 10 AM EDT (1400z).
We request all land based stations as well as ships at sea in the areas affected to send us weather data (measured or estimated) and damage reports.
If you are in the affected area and normally monitor on a local Net on VHF, 40 or 80 meters, we would appreciate your checking into the HWN NET or EchoLink/IRLP Net once per Hour to receive the latest Hurricane Advisories and to report your local conditions.
Please do not venture outside during the hurricane to gather weather data.
Your safety is the first priority.
There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the storm’s track and strength.
Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official information. www.nhc.noaa.gov
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org on 14.325 MHz.
Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- QRM, should we loose propagation on 20 meters.
EchoLink “WX-Talk” Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored. www.voipwx.net
WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated weather stations in the affected area.
Surface Reports using our On-line Hurricane Report form will be monitored.
Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to WX4NHC on-line.
http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html
ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather observers that use their own weather instruments to submit “Surface Reports” directly to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line report form. These “Surface Reports” are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a better idea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the storm.
The WX4NHC Group continues to expand its efforts to increase the quantity and quality of surface reports to include many different modes of reception and groups of people; including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP & EchoLink, VHF & HF APRS, CWOP NOAA Program and ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.
(see our web site for more information on these programs): www.wx4nhc.org
WX4NHC is very proud to have maintained an active Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center for the past 28 years.
We appreciate all of the volunteers who help with our efforts.
OUR MISSION: TO HELP SAVE LIVES.
—
John Mc Hugh, K4AG
Coordinator for Amateur Radio
National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC
Home page:- http://www.wx4nhc.org
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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