[Skywarn] Fwd: SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2020 and VoIP Operations on EchoLink Node: 7203 *WX-TALK*/IRLP 9219 Update #1

[Lloyd Colston]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: rob macedo <kd1cy.rob at gmail.com>
-


Apologies for those that have received this email multiple times. Its hard
to believe but another SKYWARN Recognition Day is upon us. My sincerest
apologies that this note is coming so late. With the changes in SRD due to
the inability of volunteers being able to go into NWS offices due to COVID
causing a revamp of this year's event with NWS along with several critical
work projects, this first note has been delayed but I'm confident we can
get the schedule pulled together for this year. The following is the first
in the series of updates on SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2020 and
Echolink/IRLP operations.

For 2020 SRD, understanding any NWS offices that are on the air will most
likely be via NWS employees, we wanted to give everyone on this
distribution first choice on the various time slots. You can operate with
your personal call-sign as NWS coordinator or some may elect to use the NWS
Call-Sign and state they are portable. WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at
the National Hurricane Center, did that this year with their operations
during hurricane activations.

EchoLink and IRLP are just a couple of modes people can utilize to contact
NWS offices during SKYWARN Recognition Day. Many NWS offices will be on 2
Meters, 440 MHz, HF and other VHF/UHF bands. Additional details on SKYWARN
Recognition Day including a registration link opened up to all Amateurs
given the new SRD format can be found via the following link:

https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

Also, there is a SRD Facebook group created. Those with Facebook can join
it at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/skywarnrecognitionday

For 2020, the EchoLink *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system will
be scheduling time for NWS offices or SKYWARN Coordinators with specific
NWS office time slots to act as a net control to make contacts with
spotters that are on the system. If a NWS office/SKYWARN Coordinator runs
out of contacts and there are other NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators on the
system, the NWS office acting as net control can turn it over to a
different NWS office or SKYWARN Coordinator to act as a net control on the
system at their discretion.

We'd like to ask NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators to do their best to
adhere to the schedule. Sometimes this is difficult due to the number of
contacts received by NWS offices/SKYWARN Coordinators. We ask for
everyone's patience and work cooperatively to respect the time slot
schedule.

Below is the 2019 SRD Schedule with the time slots from last year along
with one confirmation for 2020. We would like to know if the remaining NWS
offices or SKYWARN Coordinators with that office would like to keep their
time slot or change time slots and then what call-sign should be listed on
the schedule. See the list below:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS
0100-0200: WX1GYX
0200-0300: WX7SLC
0300-0400: WX9GRB
0400-0500: WX1BOX
0500-0600: WX9LOT
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX
0800-0900: WX8APX
0900-1000: WX7SLC
1000-1100: WX4HUN
1100-1200: WX7SLC
1200-1300: W7NWS
1300-1400: Open
1400-1500: WX1AW
1500-1600: WX1BOX
1600-1700: WX4NC
1700-1800: Open
1800-1900: WX6LOX
1900-2000: K0MPX
2000-2100: Open
2100-2300: WX4NHC
2300-2400: WX6NWS

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition
Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by SKYWARN
Coordinators from New England from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New
England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG3* Node:
9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other SKYWARN Coordinators and NWS offices
would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants
in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with
various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node:
7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS
offices wish to make contact with you.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in
past years and have multiple reflector channels and Echolink conferences
available. There is reflector 9250/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* node:
357564, IRLP 9251 and the *WORLD* Echolink Conference node: 479886, IRLP
9257/*DCF-ARC* Echolink Conference node: 336037 and IRLP 9258/EchoLink
Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 152566 open for NWS offices. Please contact
Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the
NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England
Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG3* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users,
you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users,
you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219. It is possible we will have
DMR/D-STAR and other modes directly linked on the system. This will be
updated in the next few days regarding that aspect.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have
EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will
automatically kick the node or PC off of the system. The reason this occurs
is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that
may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic
moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our
web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information
on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web
site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the
*WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, New England Reflector
Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their
support!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Boston/Norton Massachusetts
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

-- 
Lloyd Colston
KC5FM
Hamshack Hotline 50052