*SKYWARN Newsletter #216

Hello to all...

 

Welcome to New Amateurs and Spotters to the Email List....

Additional Net Controls Requested Across the NWS Taunton County Warning Area...

Southern New England SKYWARN Net Frequency Listing....

ARRL Letter Article: Illinois Hams Support Tornado Relief/Recovery...

ARRL Letter Article: Oklahoma Hams Respond to Severe Weather Emergency...

 

***Newsletter Issued 4/29/04.

 

Welcome to New Amateurs and Spotters to the Email List....

 

First of all, we'd like to welcome numerous SKYWARN Spotters and

Amateur Radio Operators who have signed up for the SKYWARN Newsletter

email list via the SKYWARN training class or the newsletter article

in the Prevailing Winds Newsletter. It is hoped that you will enjoy

the newsletter and find it informative. It is also hoped that the

Coordination Messages prior to storms will be useful to many of you

as well as the post storm messages that are posted after events have

occurred.

 

Additional Net Controls Requested Across the NWS Taunton County Warning Area...

 

We are preparing to begin the SKYWARN Severe Weather Season for 2004.

To assist with these preparations, we would like to solicit support

from the Amateur Radio Community for Net Controls across the County

Warning Area. This is a great opportunity for Amateur Radio Operators

to utilize their communications skills that may have been obtained

from ARRL EMCOMM classes, Emergency Communications Workshops, previous

net control experience or from previous public service event

participation.

 

Decisions on who will become Net Controls will be in conjunction with

the SKYWARN Coordinator for their area and the ARES SKYWARN Coordinator

for NWS Taunton. Please let us know what training or experience you have,

if any, and what your availability is. Accepted Net Control Stations

will be put in the SKYWARN Operational Manual so that either the

coordinator for the area can contact the person or contact can be

made by the ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton. Here are the

areas where we'd like to have additional Net Control Stations.

 

Western Massachusetts (Except for Berkshire County)

Please contact the following people via email:

Ray Weber-KA1JJM  weather@ndws.com

Eric Tuller-N1QKO et-n1qko@juno.com

Jim Bernotas-N1VMH      hmrdo@prodigy.net

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Central Massachusetts (Worcester County)

Tom Pratt-N1KKY         n1kky@verizon.net

PJ Howe-N1PJ            n1pjma@aol.com

Ted Agos-N1SBM          lester@ziplink.net

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Hartford-Tolland County Connecticut

Please contact the following people via email:

Roger Jeanfaivre-K1PAI  k1pai@sbcglobal.net

Phil Berkowitz-WX1CT    philb@ctweather.com

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Windham County Connecticut

Please contact the following people via email:

Bernie Dubb-KB1DGY      kb1dgy@yahoo.com

Phil Berkowitz-WX1CT    philb@ctweather.com

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Rhode Island

Please contact the following people via email:

Martin Mendelson-N1JMA  n1jma@excite.com

John Buco-N1EGS         jbuco@cox.net

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Northeastern Massachusetts (Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties)

Jeff Arnold-N1FWV rwjeffa@comcast.net

Bill Ricker-N1VUX wdr@world.std.com

Phil Knight-N1HWA n1hwa@yahoo.com

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Cheshire County NH

Wayne Helms-KC5WXC      kc5wxc@msn.com

Bruce Bohannon-WA1YZN   hambo@webryders.com

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

Hillsborough County NH

Don Dillaby-KA1GOZ      ddillaby@comcast.net

Steve Maloney-N1JDK     n1jdk@arrl.net

CC: Rob Macedo-KD1CY    rmacedo@rcn.com

 

For Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands, please

contact Rob Macedo-KD1CY directly and he will work with the appropriate

coordinators in Southeast Massachusetts.

 

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of the SKYWARN program.

 

Southern New England SKYWARN Net Frequency Listing...

 

The following is the Southern New England SKYWARN Net Frequency Listing

with updates for Echolink and IRLP nodes. The listing is intended for

those who are new to the email list and as an update for those who

are currently on the email list.

 

This can also be seen at the following link on the web-site:

 

http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo/freq.htm

 

SKYWARN WEATHER NETS:

 

*****MASSACHUSETTS*****

 

REPEATER PAIR & LOCATION       Area Served

146.910/146.310: MT Greylock   Western MA, Berkshire County

146.940/146.340: MT Tom        Western MA (Conn. River Valley, MA.)

147.105/147.705: Wilbraham     Western MA IRLP Liaison/Mount Tom Alternate PL: 162.2 Hz

146.985/146.385: Greenfield    Franklin County MA

146.925/146.325: Worcester     Worcester County Linked with 145.37 PL: 100 Hz

145.370/144.770: Templeton     Worcester County Linked with 146.925. PL: 136.5 Hz

145.470/144.870: Danvers       Essex, Middlesex Counties PL: 136.5 Hz

146.640/146.040: Waltham       Essex, Middlesex and Norfolk Counties

145.230/144.630: Boston        Alternate for Waltham PL: 88.5 Hz

146.625/146.025: Haverhill     Northern Middlesex/Essex County MA PL: 156.7 Hz

146.895/146.295: Walpole       Norfolk County Ma.

147.195/147.795: Attleboro     Northern Bristol County Ma. PL: 100 Hz

147.180/147.780: Bridgewater   South Shore, Ma. PL: 67 Hz

147.225/147.825: Whitman       Alternate for 147.180 PL: 67 Hz

145.490/144.890: Fairhaven     South Coastal MA and RI (Also IRLP/Echolink Capable)

146.955/146.355: Dennis        Cape Cod and the Isles Primary PL: 88.5 Hz

146.655/146.055: Falmouth      Cape Cod and the Isles Optional PL: 88.5 Hz

 

***RHODE ISLAND****

 

REPEATER PAIR & LOCATION              Area Served

146.760/146.160: Scituate             Rhode Island State Liaison

146.700/146.100: Cranston             Northern RI

147.165/147.765: Exeter, RI           Southwest RI PL: 67.0 Hz

444.050/449.050: E.Greenwich,RI       Southwest RI

                       

****CONNECTICUT****

 

REPEATER PAIR & LOCATION       Area Served

146.535: Simplex               CT Statewide Backup

147.000/147.600: Soapstone     Hartford/Tolland Counties CT No PL.

147.090/147.690: Glastonbury   Hartford/Tolland Counties CT PL:77 Hz.

146.790/146.190: Vernon        Hartford/Tolland Counties CT PL: 82.5 Hz. (Test Net)

147.225/147.825: Killingly     Windham County CT PL: 156.7 Hz

145.370/144.770: Torrington    Litchfield County CT PL: 77 Hz.

147.390/147.990: Simsbury      Fairfield County CT No PL.

442.750/447.750: Fairfield     Fairfield County CT PL: 100 Hz linked with 147.390.

145.290/144.690: Killingworth  Middlesex County CT PL:110.9 Hz.

147.505/146.505: West Haven    New Haven County CT PL:77.0 1 MHz Offset

146.730/146.130: Norwich       New London County CT PL:156.7 Hz.

 

****SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE****

 

REPEATER PAIR & LOCATION       Area Served

146.805/146.205: Keene         Cheshire County NH

147.045/147.645: Nashua        Eastern Hillsborough County NH

146.730/146.130: Hollis        Western Hillsborough County NH PL: 88.5 Hz

443.350/448.350: Pk Monadnock  Hillsborough County, NH PL: 110.9 Hz

448.000/443.000: Pk Monadnock  Hillsborough County, NH Alternate PL: 203.5 Hz

 

****NWS LIAISON FREQUENCIES****

 

REPEATER PAIR  Area that Liaison is Provided

53.31/52.31      MEMA/NWS Liaison for Southern New England. PL:71.9 Hz

145.390/144.790  IRLP Liaison Link: West Mass/North CT(Scituate, Ma. Repeater)

443.800/448.800   IRLP Liaison Link: West Mass/North CT (Dartmouth, Ma. Repeater)

145.490/144.890  IRLP/Echolink Nodes (4617/142790) Fairhaven, MA Repeater West Mass/North CT Link*

447.025/442.025  IRLP Liaison Link: West Mass/North CT (Johnston, RI Repeater) PL: 77.0 Hz

146.760/146.160  Rhode Island, Southeast Mass., Northern CT Liaison*

146.925/146.325  Western/Central Ma, Cheshire County NH Liaison*

146.640/146.040  Northeast Mass., Hillsborough County NH Liaison*

146.970/146.370  West/Central MA, North CT Liaison Back-up PL: 114.8** (Paxton Repeater)

443.350/448.350  Cheshire/Hillsborough County, NH and Northeast Mass. Liaison PL: 110.9

448.000/443.000: Pack Monadnock Hillsborough County, NH Alternate Liaison PL: 203.5

 

* - Signifies liaison frequencies that are also considered to have nets

    for specific areas.

 

**- Signifies it is utilized for RACES primarily but has been used in

    the past for auxiliary liaison to effected areas.

 

#- Signifies Alternate IRLP links to be utilized as needed.

 

Note: The 146.64 Waltham Repeater is also used as a RACES primary. Past

      situations have indicated that RACES & SKYWARN have shared the

      frequency or worked out a plan for RACES to utilize the MMRA,

      Minuteman Repeater Association linked repeater system as needed.

 

 

ARRL Letter Article: Illinois Hams Support Tornado Relief/Recovery...

 

The following article is from the ARRL Letter:

 

==>ILLINOIS AMATEURS SUPPORT TORNADO RELIEF, RECOVERY EFFORTS

 

Illinois ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator Pat Ryan, KC6VVT, reports

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) team members and local radio

amateurs in LaSalle County--nearly 100 miles southwest of Chicago--this

week supported American Red Cross relief and recovery efforts in the wake

of tornados April 20 that left at least eight people dead. LaSalle,

Putnam, Kankakee and Will counties were designated as disaster areas.

Especially hard hit was the LaSalle County town of Utica, where the

downtown area was devastated.

 

"There was an outstanding turnout by local and nearby hams," Ryan told

ARRL. "Many local hams are assisting in recovery efforts and damage

assessment." In addition, SKYWARN teams and severe weather spotters

"helped greatly throughout the area to spread the word of the approaching

tornado tracking across many counties.

 

LaSalle County ARES Emergency Coordinator Frank Carraro, KF9NZ, said he'd

settled down to read a book when he began hearing weather-spotter reports

of approaching tornados. He said it soon became obvious that Utica had

been badly hit. "All the electric power was out, the roads were clogged

with debris and panicked residents of the area--some trying to get in, and

some trying to get out," he said.

 

Jim Stefkovich, KD5HLE, the meteorologist in charge at the National

Weather Service (NWS) Chicago Forecast Office, expressed gratitude for

Amateur Radio's assistance in providing ground-level storm reports. "This

was a true team effort, and I truly appreciate everything that was done

from everyone in the Amateur Radio Community," he said. "I could not be

more proud of everyone's efforts."

 

Ryan, who lives in LaSalle County, reports that after the N9OUW Tri-County

repeater was knocked off the air, owner Rich Grimshaw, N9OUW, and Kurt

Clausen, KB9RKU, installed a deep-cycle battery from the Starved Rock

Radio Club to get the machine back up. "This essential ham repeater then

provided ideal coverage to link the downtown Utica area below the Illinois

River bluff for further operation by the many amateurs responding," he

noted. "It was the critical link for this area."

 

The reactivated repeater supported disaster recovery efforts coordinated

by the Illinois Valley Red Cross chapter in Peru. Simplex nets were

activated in the Utica area on 2 meters to support shelter operations and

disaster assessment and to minimize battery drain at the repeater. Grundy

County amateurs also turned out to assist in LaSalle County.

 

LaSalle County Assistant EC Joe Tokarz, KB9EZZ, said some 30 amateurs

responded in his county alone. With telephone service being restored by

week's end, Amateur Radio's role was beginning to wind down, he said. He

encouraged hams to take advantage of ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency

Communications on-line classes, weather-spotter classes as well as other

available emergency preparedness training to be ready. In this situation,

he noted, there wasn't much advance warning.

 

Ryan reports "outstanding assistance" from Community Emergency Response

Teams throughout Northern Illinois. Twisters also hit the town of

Granville in Putnam County.

 

Salvation Army Team Emergency Network <http://www.satern.org> National

Director Pat McPherson, WW9E, reports Salvation Army canteens have been

roving stricken neighborhoods providing food, beverages and respite and

assisting with damage assessment and cleanup.

 

"We used SKYWARN and our SATERN folks to keep us abreast of reports as the

weather conditions turned sour, and they turned out to be invaluable

assets in determining the course of the tornados," said McPherson, who's

headquartered in Chicago.

 

Will County ARES Emergency Coordinator Rob Sobkoviak, K9NYO, said tornados

destroyed one house and damaged dozens of other homes and businesses in

Joliet. He said The Salvation Army--with SATERN support--was called in to

assist with damage assessment and cleanup and to provide meals to affected

residents and emergency workers. Sobkoviak also cited the efforts of the

ARES Severe Weather Net and of numerous weather spotters. Will County

amateurs staffed ARES stations at local emergency operations centers and

at the National Weather Service in Chicago.

 

"These guys are true heroes," Sobkoviak said of his ARES team members.

 

ARRL Letter Article: Oklahoma Hams Respond to Severe Weather Emergency...

 

The following article is from the ARRL Letter as Oklahome Hams Respond

to Severe Weather in their state:

 

* Oklahoma hams respond to severe weather emergency: ARRL Oklahoma Section

Manager John Thomason, WB5SYT, reports that Amateur Radio Emergency

Service teams responded after tornados, severe thunderstorms and

hailstorms struck the state April 20 and 21. "Several ARES groups assisted

in severe weather spotting, radar analysis, city shelter management and

damage assessment," Thomason told ARRL. "Severe thunderstorms with large

hail, heavy rain and tornadoes struck Oklahoma for the second day

consecutive day. A tornado warning lasted for almost an hour. Hail the

size of baseballs punished people and vehicles." Thomason said hail

accumulation on roadways made travel difficult, and the National Weather

Service at one point had most of the state's 77 counties under a tornado

watch. As of mid-week, several hundred residents remained without power.

The ARRL-affiliated Southern Oklahoma ARES club in Ardmore provided

numerous weather spotters and radar interpreters to assist public service

agencies. The Ardmore Amateur Radio group's activity, including a picture

of Matt Jones, W5FLW, were reported in the April 22 edition of The Daily

Ardmoreite <http://www.ardmoreite.com/stories/042204/loc_okstorms.shtml>.

Thomason said the Edmond Amateur Radio Society--an ARRL Special Service

Club--provided spotters and shelters monitors in that community. "Other

ARES groups throughout Oklahoma provided similar support to city and

county emergency service entities," Thomason said.

 

That's all for this edition of the SKYWARN Newsletter.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)

ARES SKYWARN Coordinator

Southeast Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator

SEMARA ARES Emergency Coordinator

Pager #: (508) 354-3142

Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)

Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)

Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)

Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com

http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo

 
 
 
 
 





 
 
 
 

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