Subj : Idalia Prompts Amateur Radio Activations
To   : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Tue Aug 29 2023 12:02 am

08/28/2023

Volunteers of ARRL� The National Association for Amateur Radio[1]� 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[2]�Arc Thames, W4CPD, shared plans for activation of Amateur
Radio Emergency Service� (ARES�) 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)[3] 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)[4] 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 7.268MHz 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:


   o 20-meters: 14.325.00 MHz at 8:00 AM EDT (1200 UTC) daily until
propagation is lost at night.
   o 40-meters: 7.268.00 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 ET 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[5] 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).
http://www.voipwx.net/[6] The station is monitoring WinLink reports sent to
[email protected]�(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[7]. (Link: https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php[8])

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 Dstar, 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[9] as the storm moves toward them.

About Amateur Radio and ARRL�

Amateur Radio Service licensees use their training, skills, and equipment to
practice radio communications and develop radio technology. Amateur Radio
Operators volunteer their qualifications and equipment for communications duty
in public service and during emergencies. Amateur Radio also provides a basis
for hands-on STEM education and pathways to careers.�

ARRL� The National Association for Amateur Radio[10]� was founded in 1914 as
The American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of Radio
Amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active Radio
Amateurs (or "hams") in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the
standard-bearer in promoting and protecting Amateur Radio. For more information
about ARRL and Amateur Radio, visit�www.arrl.org[11].

About ARES��

Amateur Radio Operators, or "hams," have a long history of serving their
communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication
infrastructure, such as cell phone towers and fiber optic networks. Amateur
radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and
a ham radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Amateurs can
quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and
power source, and communicate effectively with others.�

The ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service� (ARES��www.arrl.org/ares[12])
consists of hams who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and
equipment with their local ARES leadership for communications duty in the
public service when disaster strikes. They use their training, skills, and
equipment to prepare for and provide communications during emergencies When All
Else Fails�.


[1] https://www.arrl.org/ares
[2] http://www.arrl.org/groups/view/northern-florida
[3] http://www.sarnetfl.com/
[4] https://www.hwn.org/
[5] https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/
[6] http://www.voipwx.net/
[7] https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php
[8] https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php
[9] https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/get-help/pdfs/hurricane/EN_Hurricane-Safety-Checklist.pdf
[10] https://www.arrl.org/
[11] https://www.arrl.org/
[12] http://www.arrl.org/ares

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