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 Previous: Canadian Special Event Planned for September |  Next: ARISS Contact with Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children |
Hurricane Dean, currently a Category 1 hurricane and the first Atlantic hurricane this season, continues to intensify and now has sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Its track is expected to take the system through the Netherland Antilles, with Dominica and Martinique bearing a potential direct hit from the hurricane. Dean should continue westward into the Caribbean and has the potential to continue to increase in strength and threaten Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Other surrounding islands will also feel Dean's impact. Hurricane warnings and watches have been posted for parts of the Lesser Antilles, where Dean is expected to hit sometime Friday morning.
According to National Hurricane Center Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, the Amateur Radio station at the NHC in Miami, WX4NHC, plans to activate on Friday, August 17 at 6 AM EDT (1000 UTC) as Hurricane Dean approaches the Lesser Antilles. The VoIP Hurricane Net on EchoLink *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 will activate as well, starting at 2 AM EDT (0600 UTC). This could change based on the speed of Dean.
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz. Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- interference, should propagation be lost on 20 meters. EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored. WX4NHC will also monitor the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP), Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) and MADIS/Mesonet automated weather stations in the affected area. Surface reports using the on-line hurricane report form will be monitored.
Listen Only IRLP/EchoLink includes the following systems:
IRLP
• Reflector 9508 Sydney Australia Reflector channel 8.
• Reflector 9129 New England Reflector channel 9.
EchoLink
• *KC4QLP-C* Node: 290251
• *VKEMCOMM* Node: 270177
• *N5API* Node: 77433
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net Rob Macedo, KD1CY, said, "We have made contact with Clem James, J73CI, who is on the island of Dominica. Clem has worked with us on several VoIP Hurricane Net activations for this area over the years and was happy that he will be able to help us once again. Other amateurs from surrounding islands will be contacted to assist in relaying reports to the VoIP Hurricane Net."
Macedo asks that amateurs who have contacts in Dominica, Martinique and the surrounding Caribbean islands, and can relay reports from there, to contact him. "It would be greatly appreciated," he said.
WX4NHC has maintained an active Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center since 1980.
| Previous: Canadian Special Event Planned for September | Next: ARISS Contact with Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children |
