[SFDXA] ARLB019 Idalia Prompts Amateur Radio Activations

[Bill]

> SB QST @ ARL $ARLB019
> ARLB019 Idalia Prompts Amateur Radio Activations
> 
> ZCZC AG19
> QST de W1AW  
> ARRL Bulletin 19  ARLB019
> From ARRL Headquarters  
> Newington CT  August 29, 2023
> To all radio amateurs 
> 
> SB QST ARL ARLB019
> ARLB019 Idalia Prompts Amateur Radio Activations
> 
> Volunteers of ARRL are activating ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia.
> The storm, which is forecast to intensify into a hurricane, was
> tracking from the Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico, between Cancun
> and the western tip of Cuba. Models agreed that it could make
> landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane on
> Wednesday.
> 
> In a planning call Monday night with leadership of ARRL Florida
> sections and ARRL Headquarters staff, Section Emergency Coordinator
> of the ARRL Northern Florida Section Arc Thames, W4CPD, shared plans
> for activation of Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers within
> the section. "Beginning at 7:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, August
> 28, ARES volunteers will begin to staff AUXCOMM positions at the
> State EOC," he said.
> 
> The Florida Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) is the primary
> emergency communications system planned for use. The system is a
> series of linked UHF repeaters that covers the entire state. There
> are also HF nets planned as a backup.
> 
> Radio amateurs are asked to yield HF frequencies to emergency nets
> when they are activated.
> 
> The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) was activated Monday afternoon. HWN
> activated on 14.325 MHz at 2:00 PM EDT (1800 UTC) and planned to
> remain active until 11:00 PM EDT (0300 UTC) or until propagation was
> lost. HWN then planned to activate on 7.268 MHz at 7:00 PM EDT (2300
> UTC) and remain active until 11:00 PM EDT (0300 UTC).
> 
> HWN Activation Plans for Tuesday, August 29 through Wednesday,
> August 30:
> 
> 20-meters: 14.325 MHz at 8:00 AM EDT (1200 UTC) daily until
> propagation is lost at night.
> 
> 40-meters: 7.268 MHz starting at 7:00 PM EDT (2300 UTC) Tuesday.
> HWN will remain active on this frequency throughout the remainder of
> this event.
> 
> "We will suspend operations each morning at 7:30 AM EDT to allow the
> Waterway Radio and Cruising Club Net - WRCC (Waterway Net) to
> conduct their daily morning Net. After the Water Way Net has
> concluded, generally around 8:30 AM ET, we will resume operations,"
> wrote net manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV.
> 
> The WX4NHC amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center
> also activated Monday and plans to be active Tuesday and Wednesday
> as the storm continues towards Florida.
> 
> WX4NHC is active on the HWN frequencies but will also utilize the
> VoIP Hurricane Net: IRLP node 9219 / EchoLink WX-TALK Conference
> node 7203. Details can be found at, http://www.voipwx.net/ .
> 
> The station is also monitoring WinLink reports sent to,
> wx4nhc at winlink.org (subject line must contain //WL2K).
> 
> WX4NHC asks that radio amateurs please relay any surface reports
> (weather data, flooding, damage) to them by one of the nets or an
> online hurricane report form at, https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php .
> 
> The Hurricane VoIP Net plans to activate on Tuesday. "In addition to
> reports meeting Skywarn criteria, the operators, using Echolink
> WXTalk conference server 7203 and Internet Relay Protocol 9219, will
> be joined to the Kansas Sunflower Network offering Hamshack Hotline
> 94032, Echolink KC5FM-r, Allstar 28848, and other modes such as
> D-Star, Fusion, M17, and P25," wrote Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, Public
> Information Officer for the VoIP net.
> 
> ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and the
> ARES headquarters staff are staying in frequent touch with members
> of the ARRL Northern Florida Section. Section Manager of the ARRL
> Southern Florida Section, Barry Porter, KB1PA, sent a message to the
> hams in the lower part of the Sunshine State. "Much of the northern
> part of our state will be facing impacts from Idalia, which could be
> a Category 3 or higher storm. In other words, they might be the
> victims. Since the southern part of Florida will not see much severe
> impact, we should be ready to assist with backup communications and
> welfare messages, if asked," he wrote.
> 
> ARRL will provide updates to the situation as it develops. Members
> in Florida are encouraged to monitor local emergency officials and
> prepare to take action to keep themselves safe as the storm moves
> toward them.
> NNNN
> /EX