[AARA] Annual WX4NHC On-the-Air Station Test Set for Saturday, May 29
Herman Campbell
kn5grk at lusfiber.net
Thu May 20 16:57:11 CDT 2021
Annual WX4NHC On-the-Air Station Test Set for Saturday, May 29
The annual WX4NHC <https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/> station on-the-air test will
be held on Saturday, May 29, 1300 - 2100 UTC. The WX4NHC operators plan
to be working remotely again this year as the National Hurricane Center
plans to maintain all CDC COVID-19 pandemic protocols until the end of
2021. The yearly exercise takes place just ahead of the official start
of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, June 1 - November 30. Assistant WX4NHC
Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, said the event offers an opportunity for
radio amateurs worldwide to exercise the sorts of communication
capabilities available during severe weather.
"We will be making brief contacts on many frequencies and modes, and
exchanging signal reports and basic weather data (sunny, rain,
temperature, etc.) with any station in any location," Ripoll said.
Participating stations may use HF, VHF, UHF, APRS, and Winlink, with
WX4NHC HF activity centering on the Hurricane Watch Net frequencies of
14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz, depending on propagation, and will operate
elsewhere as conditions dictate. WX4NHC will also participate in the
VoIP Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net/>, 2000 - 2100 UTC.
As for the upcoming hurricane season, Ripoll said, "Even if you are not
directly affected by a hurricane situation, please volunteer to monitor
and relay reports; just one report can make a difference and help save a
life!"
In conjunction with the National Hurricane Conference
<https://hurricanemeeting.com/> next month, the traditional Amateur
Radio Workshop sessions will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 15,
10:30 AM - 12 PM EDT and 1:30 - 5 PM EDT. The sessions will be moderated
by Rob Macedo, KD1CY,**Director of Operations, VoIP Hurricane Net, with
Ripoll.
To access the Zoom meeting check-in
<https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84497886921?pwd=ZVJKZkx4VDk1bGJzbWFjaEhweTY4QT09>,
use the meeting ID 844 9788 6921, and the passcode 565708.
Red Cross Emergency Communications Spring 2021 Drill was a Success
The Red Cross Emergency Communications Training Group
<http://arc-emcomm-training.org/> held its third nationwide drill on
Saturday, May 8. While results are still being compiled and checked, it
appears that some 800 participating radio amateurs took part in sending
traffic via Winlink to one of eight Red Cross Divisional clearinghouses
around the nation.
The Training Group has two overarching goals: to attract and train a
*Bruce McQuade, KD2PSP, operating from Warwick Town Park, Warwick, New
York, ARC Nationwide Winlink Drill on May 8, 2021. [Steven Hoffman,
KC2YYF, photo]*
large number of radio amateurs in the basic use of Winlink and to
incrementally raise the bar to higher levels of proficiency. To
accomplish this, Winlink Thursday training ops were held all winter.
For the May 8 nationwide drill, participants were asked to send two
Winlink messages -- a Winlink check-in form providing GPS coordinates of
the station, and a message containing a Red Cross Shelter Requisition
Form 6409. The valid GPS coordinates were mapped and displayed in real
time during the drill.
One challenge for the second message was that the sample Form 6409 had
been filled in by hand, to provide a more realistic scenario than a
neatly typed one. Operators had to transcribe the requisition items.
The use of radio to send Winlink messages was encouraged, and more than
80% of participants did so, either on HF or VHF/UHF frequencies. The
percentage number and message accuracy rate have continually risen
during the Winlink Thursday drills.
Because the May 8 date fell on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
<https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/celebrate-world-red-cross-and-red-crescent-day.html>,
hams from around the world were invited to participate, and more than 50
checked in from Central and South America, Canada, Germany, and South
Africa.
For more information about the Red Cross Emergency Communications
Training Group, visit the group's website and sign up for its group
email service <http://arc-emcomm-training.org/JoinGroupsIO_2.html> to
receive announcements of future activities. -- /Thanks to / The ARES
Letter <http://www.arrl.org/ares-letter/>/via the Red Cross Emergency
Communications Training Group/
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