[FLham] NHC to Activate

[Radioguy]

WX4NHC ANNOUNCEMENT

Released October 20, 2005, 11 AM EDT

  WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center 
in Miami will activate operations Thursday, October 20th at 6 PM EDT 
(2200z). Operations will be International Communications with the 
affected areas of Mexico and Cuba during first Landfall, followed by 
State and Local operations for forecast secondary Landfall in Florida.

The 8 AM Hurricane Advisory has Hurricane Wilma as a CAT-4 Hurricane 
with sustained winds of 145 MPH and forecast to strengthen to a Cat-5 
Hurricane prior to reaching the Yucatan coast on Friday.

Max Mayfield's Quote Of The Day, in this morning's Miami Herald:

"I know I sound like a broken record, but the potential for large 
loss of life is with us with Wilma."

Max Mayfield, NHC Director, repeatedly reminds everyone "Don't just 
look at the thin black line".

There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect 
the storm's track and strength.

Refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official 
information. www.nhc.noaa.gov

  WX4NHC will be providing back-up communications using Amateur Radio 
to the NWS Field Offices located in the affected area.

  We ask the all NWS Field Offices in the affected have an Amateur 
Radio Station equipped with battery backup in operation for backup 
communications to NHC and NWS. During Hurricane Katrina, Ham Radio 
was the only means of communications between NHC, NWS Regional and 
the Slidell NWSFO (W5SLA) for over 6 hours. Vital information was 
passed during the peak winds of 138 MPH in addition to NWS personnel, 
building damage and equipment status.

WX4NHC has experienced splatter interference from stations operating 
too close to 14.325 MHz and using high power and wide deviation 
during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  We ask that all stations be 
sensitive to the mission HWN and WX4NHC are doing and to PLEASE move 
their operating far enough from 14.325 MHz to allow us to copy the 
weak signals.
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org on 14.325 MHz.

  EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be 
monitored. www.voipwx.net

WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated 
weather stations in the affected area.

Surface Reports using our Hurricane Report form will be monitored.

Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly 
to WX4NHC on-line.

http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html

ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather 
observers that use their own weather instruments to submit "Surface 
Reports" directly to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line 
report form. These "Surface Reports" are very important as they give 
Hurricane Specialists at NHC a better idea of what is actually 
happening on the ground level during the storm.

The WX4NHC Group continues to expanded its efforts to increase the 
quantity and quality of surface reports to include many different 
modes of reception and groups of people; including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP & 
ECHOlink,  VHF & HF APRS, CWOP NOAA Program, CARMEN Program and 
ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.

(see our web site for more information on these programs): www.wx4nhc.org

  WX4NHC is very proud to have maintained an active Amateur Radio 
Station at the National Hurricane Center for the past 25 years.

We appreciate all of the volunteers who help with our efforts.

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Julio Ripoll Architect WD4R
WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator
www.wx4nhc.org

National Hurricane Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov

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