Hello to all….

…Updated to add WX2PHI to the 1000-1100 UTC time slot. Remainder below is unchanged…

SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) is December 1st, 2007 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. Details on SKYWARN Recognition Day can be found on page 64 of the December 2007 issue of QST and can also be found at the following web page links:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/20/100/?nc=1

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.

There are still some time slots open on the system for NWS offices who might be interested in acting as a net control. If you’re interested, please contact Rob Macedo-KD1CY at kd1cy@voipwx.net and the time will be scheduled.

Below is the updated schedule for this year as of 11/21/07:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: WX1BOX
0100-0200: WX1GYX
0200-0300: WX4MLB
0300-0400: KH6SW
0400-0500: KH6SW
0500-0600: WX9GRB (Confirmed)
0600-0700: WX4HUN
0700-0800: Open
0800-0900: Open
0900-1000: WX7PHX (Confirmed)
1000-1100: WX2PHI
1100-1200: WX6MTR
1200-1300: K0MPX
1300-1400: VE4WWO (Confirmed)
1400-1500: WX4HUN
1500-1600: WX1BOX
1600-1800: WX4NC (2 hour time slot and time slot is from last year)
1800-1900: WX0GLD
1900-2000: WX4LWX
2000-2100: WX4MLB
2100-2300: WX4NHC (2 hour time slot is from last year)
2300-2400: W4IAX (Confirmed)

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by the NWS Taunton, Mass. and NWS Gray, Maine offices from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years on reflector 9250 and have its gateway system on IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 125266 open for NWS offices. In addition, The NWS Honolulu, HI office, KH6SW, will be frequently monitoring the Hawaiian IRLP/EchoLink gateway system on IRLP reflector 9254/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* Node: 357564 when they are not on the *WX-TALK*/IRLP 9219 system. Please contact Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system.

The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!

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

We completed Daylight Saving Time this week. The VoIP Hurricane Net will continue to be at its time slot of 0000 UTC. This means the local time for the net will be 0000 UTC minus 5 hours in 24 hour time versus minus 4 hours in 24 hour time like it was previously in US time zones when we were in daylight savings time. Internationally, it may differ depending on your location.

To give a couple of examples, for folks participating on the East Coast of the US, the net was at 8 PM EDT. Instead, the net will now be at 7 PM EST. For those in other time zones in the US, the net will be an hour earlier than it was previously. For international time zones depending on where you’re located, it could be an hour later or an hour earlier.

Many will now ask why we don’t simply keep the same local time for the net. The reason we are not doing that is while the US has fallen back an hour, other parts of the world are entering spring and have “sprung” their clocks ahead. Therefore, we keep the time of the net in UTC so that everyone internationally can have a better chance of participating based on an internationally recognized time verus locking the net into a local time zone that may not be good for other areas that check-in regularly.

I realize this always bring confusion but regardless of what we do, I think there will be confusion here. Hopefully, this note will help dispel confusion for those who want to participate in the weekly net and hear Tony-VK3JED’s talk on Australian Fire/Summer Weather in an El Nino pattern for this week’s net.

The Yahoo calendar, which also has its limitations, has been updated to reflect the Eastern Standard Time net start of 7 PM EST. The VoIP WX Net web site will be updated similarly as well.

Hopefully, we will get many check-ins on the net and people will adjust to the time change for the net correctly. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net 1
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Hello to all….

Extratropical Noel slammed Eastern New England Saturday and continues to slam Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Canada. Hurricane force wind gusts occurred on Cape Cod and Nantucket island with an 89 MPH measured wind gust reported in Barnstable, Massachusetts by Frank-WQ1O before the wind instrument was blown off the tower and destroyed. A 92 MPH measured gust was recorded on Nantucket Island. SKYWARN was active with Operations at NWS Taunton Amateur Radio Station, WX1BOX, from 7 AM EDT through 11 PM EDT, which was a total of 16 hours. Cape Cod ARES had a call-up at 8 PM Friday Evening and was active from 930 AM Saturday through 1230 AM Sunday. Wind damage was recorded as far west as Northeast Connecticut and through much of Southeast Massachusetts through the Boston area and North Shore of Massachusetts. Links to the Storm Reports are listed below:

NWS Taunton Local Storm Report
NWS Taunton Public Information Statement

Nova Scotia Canada along with portions of Newfoundland and New Brunswick Canada are now being significantly impacted by Noel. Below are links to the Canadian Hurricane Centre statements on Extratropical Noel:

CHC Complete Hurricane Information Statement

CHC Intermediate Hurricane Information Statement

Further details on our operations in Southern New England will follow in the next couple of days.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net 1 1 1
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Hello to all….

Noel intensified into a hurricane as it pulled away from the Bahamas Thursday Evening. Noel is expected to become a large and powerful extratropical storm bringing strong and damaging winds to portions of New England as well as the Canadian Maritimes. The latest NHC advisory urges interests from North Carolina northward to New England to monitor NWS Products and for people in the Canadian Maritimes to monitor products issued by the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

As many of you are aware, I live in South Coastal Massachusetts. We are preparing for a long duration SKYWARN Activation Saturday with the potential for possible ARES activation on Cape Cod and the Islands where there is the potential for wind gusts of 75 MPH and possibly higher in that area. We are anticipating an activation of Operations at NWS Taunton under call-sign, WX1BOX on Saturday as well. From a VoIP perspective, we intend to use the New England EchoLink Conference, *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123 for our operations. Updates on the storm’s impact can be heard there and updates will be posted when possible on our NWS Taunton SKYWARN Home Page which is at the following link:

http://www.wx1box.org

This will be the last update on Noel for the VoIPWXNet web site and email lists as extratropical transition is underway. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricnae Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
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Hello to all….

Tropical Storm Noel has moved away from Cuba and has slowly intensified with Maximum Sustained Winds of 60 MPH. Noel is expected to reach a maximum intensity of 70 MPH for Maximum Sustained Winds before become a large ocean storm of non-tropical origin. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for extreme Southeast Florida to guard against either a slightly more westward track that brings Tropical Storm Force winds to Southeast Florida or an expansion of the tropical storm force wind field. A Hurricane Watch has been reissued for the Northwest Bahamas with Tropical Storm Warnings in effect for much of the Bahamas. The tropical storm warnings for Cuba have been discontinued.

Noel is expected to move through the Bahamas today and will become extratropical later Friday or early Saturday. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor Noel in case it reaches minimal hurricane strength as it moves through the Bahamas.

Specific information on the tropical storm warning for Southeast Florida can be found on the NWS Miami Florida web site, which can be seen via the following link:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mia/

Advisories on Noel can be found on the voipwx.net web site by clicking the Atlnatic Tropical Products link off the Main Menu and clicking the links on Noel that will appear under the Atlantic Tropical Products link. They can also be found on the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The chance that the VoIP Hurricane Net may need to be activated for Noel for any impact on the Northwest Bahamas if contact can be made with the affected area remains low though it was slightly higher than yesterday’s update. Anyone with contact with the Bahamas that can relay via our net can contact me via email. This will be the last update on Noel as it should move away from land and become a strong system but of non-tropical origin either late Friday or Saturday and may affect extreme Southeastern New England with strong winds and possibly some rainfall.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team continues to closely monitor the progress of Noel. 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….

TD 16 has intensified significantly during the day Sunday and has now become Tropical Storm Noel with Maximum Sustained Winds of 60 MPH as of the 5 PM Sunday October 28th, 2007 advisory. Noel is currently slated to remain at tropical storm strength but it is certainly possible that Noel could become a hurricane. Noel’s current track is through the Southwest part of Haiti and moving into Southeast Cuba and then the Bahamas. The track and intensity guidance is more uncertain than normal and its possible that a short fused VoIP Hurricane Net activation maybe required either Monday or Tuesday depending on the eventual track, speed and intensity of Noel as well as contact with the affected area of Noel.

Any Amateurs either in the affected area of Noel or who have relays into the affected area of Noel are asked to make contact with me via email for possible relay of reports to WX4NHC if an activation of their station and our net occurs. We appreciate everyone’s 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 Atlantic Hurricane Season is not over yet. Tropical Depression (TD) 16 has formed in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. TD 16 is expected to intensify into a tropical storm with a track that is very uncertain and any further intensification beyond tropical storm strength being very uncertain. If TD 16 intensifies into a tropical storm as expected, it would be named Noel.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor the progress of TD 16. The latest advisory information and Satellite pictures can be seen from the voipwx.net web site off the Main Menu under Atlantic Tropical Products. That information can also be seen off the National Hurricane Center web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

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 link below has the PDF version of the October 2007 VoIP Hurricane Newsletter as provided by our VoIP Hurricane Net Newsletter editor, Rich Long-KF6BKA. We again thank Rich for his tremendous efforts!

October 2007 VoIP Hurricane Net Newsletter

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 Depression (TD) #15 forms in the North-Central Atlantic ocean. TD #15 has formed about 860 miles east of Bermuda. It is no threat to land and is expected to remain out to sea and is not expected to intensify. If it were to unexpectedly intensify into a tropical storm, it would be named Noel.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will monitor the progress of this system. 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….

In the October 2007 issue of QST, the VoIP Hurricane Net and EchoLink/IRLP technologies were mentioned in an editorial on Interoperability from Dave Sumner-K1ZZ, ARRL Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This was mentioned in the context of the GAREC, Global Amateur Radio Emergency Council, presentations. The editorial was posted on the ARRL web site and can be seen below:

It Seems to Us: Interoperability

Mention of the article and the efforts of Eastern Massachusetts Amateurs in the effort was mentioned a the Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section page via the following link:

Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Web Page

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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