VoIP Hurricane Net

Hello to all..

For this evening’s VoIP Hurricane Prep net, there will be a training topic concerning an overview of Amateur Radio presentations for the 2012 National Hurricane Conference which takes place from March 26th-29th 2012. The VoIP Hurricane Net will be represented at the conference once again by Rob Macedo-KD1CY and Jim Palmer-KB1KQW. The presentation for tonight’s net will be available at either one of the following links:

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 net will also be recorded using the Echolink recording feature for those that can’t attend this evening’s net and posted on the VoIP Hurricane Net web site on Sunday. We hope people will find this presentation helpful and will get Amateurs, particularly near the Hurricane Conference in Orlando to attend the conference.

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

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

Last Sunday 1/22/12, portions of the Southeast United States including Arkansas and Alabama were affected by a severe weather outbreak including tornadoes. One of our VoIP Hurricane Prep Net NCOs, Daryl Stout-AE5WX was mentioned in an ARRL story for bringing up the Weather Watch Net, a pre-net for Arakansas SKYWARN. The complete story can be seen at the following link on the ARRL web site:

http://www.arrl.org/news/hams-in-arkansas-and-alabama-help-provide-assistance-to-nws-during-severe-sunday-storms

We are pleased to have Daryl-AE5WX and all of our NCOs who support our VoIP Hurricane Prep Net and Net activations and congratulate Daryl on his great work during last week’s severe weather in Arkansas. We also extend our gratitude to all Amateur Radio SKYWARN groups in the Southeast US and around the country who support SKYWARN operations such as what occurred last Sunday. We also thank everyone for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

On behalf of the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to all. Thanks to all of you for your support of the VoIP Hurricane Net during 2011.

The 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season was active and featured several activations for Hurricane Irene as Irene impacted portions of the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the region from the Carolinas northward to New England. With the impact to New England, several net management team members stepped up to perform critical functions so that New England net management team members could prepare for Irene’s impact. Those net management team members were NODRC-Dustin Cox and N0UAM-Jim Sellars. Also, several new net controls joined the net during the Irene activation and we appreciated their support as well. Irene was the worst tropical system to hit New England since Hurricane Bob in 1991 causing significant inland flooding in Western New England and significant wind damage and power outages in Southern New England with power outages lasting 2-4 days in many locations with some locations without power for close to one week. Similar power outages, damage and flooding occurred from the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic northward to New York State. Irene also caused widespread power outages and damage on Puerto Rico as well as the Bahamas.

The net was then activated for Hurricane Maria which impacted Newfoundland Canada but the highest winds stayed offshore of Newfoundland with only minor impact to the province. The net was also activated for Hurricane Rina which weakened to a tropical storm prior to impacting portions of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Rina’s main impact to their region was heavy rainfall. The VoIP Hurricane Net was active for 3 named storms, with a total of 6 activations, 3 of which were for Hurricane Irene.
Read more

Hello to all..

As the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season winds down, NOAA released a news release on the season. Highlighted was Hurricane Irene, the lone hurricane to hit the United States and affected the area from North Carolina northward to New York and New England. Irene is labeled in the news story as the most significant tropical cyclone to hit the Northeast since Hurricane Bob in 1991.

See complete article via the following link:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20111128_endofhurricaneseason_2011.html

Thanks to all for their support of the VoIP Hurricane Net during the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We hope to catch folks on SKYWARN Recogntion Day on Friday December 2nd through Saturday December 3rd, 2011.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 3rd, 2011 from 0000-2400 UTC 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.

Read more

Hello to all..

Subtropical Storm Sean became Tropical Storm Sean yesterday as Sean made a complete transition to a tropical system. Sean could potentially impact Bermuda with tropical storm force conditions and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Bermuda. Some increase in strength is possible over the next 24 hours but Sean is expected to remain below hurricane strength and become extratropical in about 72 hours. Some of Sean’s moisture will feed a front approaching New England and will result in 1-3 inches of rainfall in portions of Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Advisories on Sean can be seen on the voipwx.net web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. Advisories can also be seen on the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will closely monitor the progress of Sean and the rest of the Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

The Atlantic Tropics are not finished yet. Subtropical Storm Sean has formed in the Atlantic midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. Sean may transition to a tropical storm or remain a subtropical storm. Sean will track northwest and is expected to merge with a frontal system. At that point, Sean’s remnants may bring 2-3 inches of rainfall to Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

A subtropical storm is defined per the National Hurricane Center Web site as a subtropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1-minute average) is 34 kt (39 mph or 63 km/hr) or more. A subtropical cyclone is defined as a non-frontal low pressure system that has characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones. This system is typically an upper-level cold low with circulation extending to the surface layer and maximum sustained winds generally occurring at a radius of about 100 miles or more from the center. In comparison to tropical cyclones, such systems have a relatively broad zone of maximum winds that is located farther from the center, and typically have a less symmetric wind field and distribution of convection.

Advisories on Sean can be seen on the voipwx.net web site under Atlantic Tropical Products. Advisories can also be seen on the National Hurricane Center web site via the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will closely monitor the progress of Sean and the rest of the Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

A reminder that starting with the Saturday November 12th net, the net will be one hour earlier in most of the continental United States that observes ‘falling back’ to standard time. That means the net will be at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, 5 PM MT, 4 PM PT. This is to accommodate keeping the net at 0000 UTC and to accommodate our international partners who don’t observe daylight savings time. The Yahoo calendars reflect this in the reminders for the net as well.

We appreciate everyone who checks into the regular edition of the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2011 will be on Saturday December 3rd, 2011 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 7 PM EST through Saturday Evening 7 PM EST). Our last VoIP Hurricane Prep Net will take place immediately following SRD’2011.

We will have many NWS offices rotating on a schedule during SRD’2011. The first update to NWS offices who have participated on the system before has been sent. If new NWS offices are interested in participating the system, please contact me at kd1cy at voipwx.net.

The SRD web site has been updated with information for 2011. Please see the link below:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov

We look forward to hearing many stations on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system as well as on other Echolink and IRLP nodes and systems, HF, VHF and UHF during SRD’2011. Thanks to all for their continued support.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more

Hello to all..

The following is an update on Hurricane Rina as of 8 AM EDT/1200 UTC Wednesday 10/26/11.

Hurricane Rina is expected to reach major hurricane status today and tonight followed by weakening as Rina gets near or over the Yucatan Peninsula Thursday. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from north of Punta Gruesa to Cancun. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Chetumal to Punta Gruesa. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from the coast of Belize from Belize city northward and the Honduran Bay Islands of Roatan and Guanaja.

Based on the present track, WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center is expected to activate on Thursday. The VoIP Hurricane Net will also activate Thursday as well.

We are looking for any contacts over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico or any relays into the affected area. Any support from Hams who may have contact with the affected area or are in the affected area are asked to come on to the net on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system on Thursday. Further details on net activation plans will be posted late Wednesday Evening.

We will continue to closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Rina. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

Read more