VoIP Hurricane Net

Hello to all..

A few folks were asking about the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, Communications Test. The WX4NHC Communications Test will take place on Saturday June 2nd, 2012 as confirmed with WX4NHC Coordinators, John McHugh-K4AG and Julio Ripoll-WD4R via email. The entire Communications Test is from 9 AM-5 PM EDT (1300-2100 UTC) and WX4NHC will be testing different radio modes at different times including VHF/UHF, HF and Echolink/IRLP. WX4NHC will likely be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system from 1-3 PM EDT (1700-1900 UTC) as they have done in past years.

Further details will be made available from the WX4NHC coordinators as we get closer to this test. 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 National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida has issued a couple of Special Tropical Weather Outlooks, one for the Atlantic and one for the Pacific on areas of disturbed weather with the potential for development. Here are the details:

In the Atlantic, a non-tropical low pressure system has developed 400 miles southwest of the Southern Azores Islands and has thunderstorm activity near the center. This system has a medium chance, 40%, for tropical development as it moves little over the next couple days.

In the Eastern Pacific, an area of disturbed weather has developed 550 miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico and upper level winds appear conducive for development. This system has a medium chance, 40%, for tropical development as the system moves slowly northwestward.

Neither system is an immediate threat to land at this time. Subsequent Special Tropical Weather Outlooks could be issued later tonight and Sunday as the National Hurricane Center monitors these systems. The Special Tropical Weather Outlook product can be seen on the main menu of the voipwx.net web site under Tropical Weather Outlook under Atlantic Products for the Atlantic system and under Pacific Products for the Eastern Pacific system. The Special Tropical Weather Outlook can also be seen on the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

It is noted that the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season officially starts on May 15th. The Atlantic Hurricane Season officially starts on June 1st.

The VoIP Net Management Team will closely monitor these tropical 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..

Irene has been retired from the list of Atlantic Basin Storm Names because of the damage and fatalities it caused over Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and from portions of North Carolina all the way through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and New England states. Irene is the 76th name to be retired from the Atlantic list since 1954 and will be replaced with Irma. Further details can be seen via the link below:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120413_irene.html

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 National Hurricane Center has announced some product changes for the new year and has reiterated some links of interest. This information is available in a PDF document via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/20120403_pa_productChanges.pdf

The product changes include:
1.) Minor Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Modification
2.) Tropical Cyclone Forecast Cone of Uncertainty reduced in size

Other items reiterated was as follows:
1.) Information on the lead times for Tropical Storm and Hurricane Watches and Warnings. These changed in 2010.
2.) Storm Surge Exceedance Products are operational.
3.) Links to the Storm Names Prononuciation Guide
4.) The National Hurricane Center Facebook Page link located at http://www.facebook.com/US.NOAA.NationalHurricaneCenter.gov
5.) NHC is now on Twitter with 2 accounts, one for the Atlantic basin (@nhc_Atlantic) and one for the eastern Pacific @nhc_Pacific)

Additional links and experimental product information was also highlighted. Please check it out via the link above. 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 now has a presence on Facebook and Twitter. The Twitter feed is voipwxnet for those that want to follow us and the facebook web site is as follows:

http://www.facebook.com/voipwxnet

When information is posted via the VoIPWXNet facebook site, it will feed to Twitter as well as we have linked both sites. We hope this will provide another additional means to stay informed on VoIP Hurricane Net activities.

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..

A reminder starting with this month’s net, Daylight Savings Time (DST) is now in effect and the VoIP Hurricane Net will be at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/6 PM MT/5 PM PT/0000 UTC to account for our international partners who may observe different DST rules or may not have DST in their area. We hope you will join us for this evening’s net. There will be no training for this month’s net but there will be several net announcements to include updates from the National Hurricane Conference and the visit to WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center.

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 National Hurricane Conference is coming up next week from Monday March 26th through Thursday March 29th. Amateur Radio will be represented at two sessions during the conference as well as at a function at the Orange County Florida Emergency Operatons Center Monday Evening March 26th where Dr. Richard Knabb of The Weather Channel will be present.

All workshops will be livestreamed. The livestream links that are available are as follows:

http://www.nsradio.org/stream.htm
http://www.voipwx.net/files/stream.htm

Information on the presenters including presenters from the VoIP Hurricane Net are listed via the link below:

http://www.arrl.org/news/2012-national-hurricane-conference-to-feature-amateur-radio-activities

This information is also posted in the ARES E-Letter via the following link:

http://www.arrl.org/ares-el?issue=2012-03-21

We encourage folks to watch the livestream as presenters go through the role of the Amatuer Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC, the WX4NHC group’s role in the Haiti mission, an in-depth review of Amateur Radio’s role in the response to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene and other topics as listed. We will be looking into archiving the information via video on the web for those that cannot watch the livestream as it happens. Thanks to all for their support!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

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Hello to all..

For folks in Mexico and the Caribbean, NOAA will be doing their Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunter” Aircraft tour from March 12th-March 17th. The details can be seen at the link below via the NOAA web site:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20120301_hurricaneawaretour.html

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..

There will be minor modifications made to the Hurricane Saffir/Simpson Scale effective May 15th, 2012. See the Public Information Statement posted at the National Hurricane Center web site:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/20120301_pis_sshws.php

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..

A recording of the March 2012 Net starting with the presentation of the National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Presentations is now available. See the link below for the recording (recording is about 8-Meg in size to preserve audio quality):

Links to the Power Point presentation can be seen at these links below:

Adobe Format:
http://www.voipwx.net/files/National_Hurricane_Conference_Overview_of_Amateur_Radio_2012.pdf

Microsoft Powerpoint format:
http://www.voipwx.net/files/National_Hurricane_Conference_Overview_of_Amateur_Radio_2012.ppt

This information has also been added to the VoIPWXNet presentations archive for those who missed the March 2012 net. We hope you find the presentations helpful. 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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