20201128 - SKYWARN

Post date: Nov 28, 2020 1:03:55 AM

Don KC8CMQ sends us notice of a new event, SKYWARN. The event is on Saturday 5 December 2020.

Hello to all..

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

#contest #kc8cmq #skywarn