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

Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Web Page

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

ARRL HQ personnel will be in Washington DC today with several folks from Army MARS and they are expecting a visit from members of Congress. This visit is coinciding with a MARS exercise planned for today where various parts of the country get hit with various natural disasters in an attempt to stress the MARS system and promote interoperability between MARS, ARES, RACES and SKYWARN.

Understanding that this great event is unfortunately happening during work hours between 10 AM-5 PM EDT (1400-2100 UTC) Wednesday 10/3, any Amateurs that are available are asked to check into the operation on HF voice, 14.250 MHz and 7.250 MHz as well as PSK-31 on 14.070 MHz. Manager of Preparedness and Response, Dennis Dura-K2DCD, who is also the Assistant Director for VoIP Hurricane Net Operations has asked that Net Controls monitor the *WX-TALK* EchoLink Conference Node: 7203 and IRLP reflector 9219 as they hope to sign on there and take drill traffic reports from this exercise using those means as well. It is not clear when they will be able to get on *WX-TALK*/9219 but they will get on at some point during the 10 AM-5 PM EDT timeframe.

A link to the national article is listed below:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/09/27/100/?nc=1

Those that can check-in by any of the means listed, HF, PSK-31, EchoLink/IRLP would be of great help to the exercise and demonstration. 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 VoIP Hurricane Net activation for Hurricane Lorenzo secured at 5 AM EDT/0900 UTC as Lorenzo weakened to a tropical storm. Lorenzo hit a fairly remote area of the Southwest Mexico coast. No reports were received from this area. John McHugh-K4AG, WX4NHC Coordinator, checked in on the net from home at 1145 PM EDT/0345 UTC to give his thanks for our efforts in being there to provide reports to WX4NHC as needed.

The net activation also served as a way to break in a few new net controls who monitored during the overnight hours and to test how quickly the net could be brought up if a tropical system became a hurricane quickly near a land area. Special thanks to Bill Aber-N2JAI from Cape May County SKYWARN for his efforts as well as the efforts of Jim Palmer-KB1KQW on monitoring the system and scheduling and to Tony Langdon-VK3JED for his overnight monitoring of the net as well.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor Karen and any other potential developing tropical systems in the Atlantic. 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 to Commence at 8 PM EDT/0000 UTC Thursday September 27th, 2007 for Tropical Storm Lorenzo’s potential landfall as a Category-1 hurricane on the Southwest Mexico Coast….
…Activation may run informally due to short-fused nature of activation….

The VoIP Hurricane Net will be activating at 8 PM EDT/0000 UTC Thursday September 27th, 2007 to support WX4NHC with surface/meterological reports from stations in the affected area on *WX-TALK* node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219. Given the short fused nature of getting this activation put together, the net may be run more informally than normal. Tropical Storm Lorenzo is expcted to intensify into a hurricane before making landfall on the Southwest Mexico coast sometime beween Midnight and 4 AM EDT Friday or 0400-0800 UTC.

As of 5PM EDT Thursday Evening/ 21:00 UTC, A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the gulf coast of Mexico from Palma Sola to Cabo Rojo. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from south of Palma Sola to Veracruz. Lorenzo is currently located 105 miles East-Southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico.

The VoIP Hurricane Net will be looking for any reporting stations in the affected area of Lorenzo. In addition, any relays into the affected area that can monitor any emergency nets on other frequencies and modes along with Mexican Television and radio stations would be especially helpful for this net activation. Spanish translators will also be helpful for this activation.

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.
Reflector 9058 Northeast Reflector channel 8.

EchoLink:
*KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
*VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177
*N5API* Node: 77433
*NCPENN* Node: 137634

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

Tropical Depression (TD)13 became Tropical Storm Lorenzo at the 2 PM EDT/1800 UTC advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds are now near 60 MPH. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast of Mexico from Palma Solo to Cabo Rojo and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect along the Gulf Coast of Mexico from north of Cabo Rojo to La Cruz. Lorenzo is currently a small tropical storm with tropical storm force winds only extending 35 miles from the center.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to closely monitor the progress of Lorenzo. Lorenzo is not expected to strengthen further but this will be monitored in case something unexpected occurs. 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) 13 has formed in the Southweat Gulf of Mexico. TD-13 is expected to intensify into a tropical storm and potentially make landfall in Southwest Mexico. It is too early to say whether it will reach hurricane strength. If TD-13 were to intensify as expected, it would be named Lorenzo.

The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will continue to closely monitor the progress of TD-13, Karen and several other areas of disturbed weather in the Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean. 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-12 has intensified into Tropical Storm Karen Tuesday Morning. Karen is expected to remain in the open Atlantic waters over the next 5 days and may get near hurricane strength. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor the progress of Karen. Additional tropical waves over the Southern Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and Western Atlantic are also being monitored for signs of development and the VoIP Hurricane Net Management team is also monitoring those systems in case they develop. 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-12 has formed in the Open Atlantic. TD-12 is expected to intensify into a tropical storm in the next day or two and may reach hurricane strength in 5 days. At this time, TD-12 is not expected to impact any land areas but this will be monitored closely. If TD-12 intensifies as expected, it would be named Karen.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will closely monitor the progress of TD-12. 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….

Subtropical Depression 11 has become Subtropical Storm Jerry as of the 11 AM EDT/1500 UTC Sunday 9/23 Advisory. Jerry may become fully tropical and strengthen a bit more before being absorbed by a larger non-tropical system. Jerry poses no threat to land and is largely only a concern for marine interests in the open Atlantic and Jerry is not expected to become a hurricane at this time.

There remains several other areas where tropical depressions could develop per the previous tropical update. The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will continue to 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….

The Tropics have become very active in the last couple of days with Subtropical Depression (TD) 11 forming in the open Atlantic west of the Azores. In addition, there are several other potential systems that may become Tropical Depressions in the next several days.

SubTropical Depression 11 has formed in the open Atlantic west of the Azores and is expected to take on tropical characteristics and become a tropical storm before being absorbed but a larger non-tropical system. If that were to occur, it would be named Jerry as Tropical Depression 10 made landfall in the Northern Gulf of Mexico prior to becoming a tropical storm. Sub TD-11 should remain over open waters and be no threat to land. Several other systems have the potential to become tropical depressions in the next few days and are being monitored per the National Hurricane Center Tropical Weather Outlook.

A broad area of low pressure in the Northern Yucatan Peninsula is moving into a favorable environment for intensification as it emerges into the Gulf of Mexico. An Air Force Recon Aircraft may investigate this system later today.

Another broad area of low pressure associated with a westward moving tropical wave about 450 miles east of the Windward Islands is continuing to get better organized. A tropical depression may form in this area during the next couple of days as it moves through the Windward islands.

Yet another tropical wave about 600 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands is showing signs of organization. This system also has the potential to become a tropical depression as it moves to the West at 15 MPH.

There is the possibility that we could have as many as 4 tropical systems to monitor over the next several days. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will continue to monitor the active pattern we now appear to be in across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. 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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