Hurricane Information
Hi Everyone,
The Ham radio Hurricane Watch Network is now active at 14.325 Mhz. You will hear reports of weather conditions, messages and related traffic.
If you're not familiar with ham radio networks keep in mind that a good part of the time is spent listening for ham operators to report or relay information. However if you don't mind some dead air you will hear weather and damage reports before they are received by the NWS.
The organization also has a website at www.hwn.org
This is a great way to get information on the hurricane for those of you wanting to do supplemental programming.
Hi again,
Active tonight with hurricane information is a net at 3.845 Mhz. Also WWL at 870 AM is doing a great job if you can receive it.
For other frequencies for hurricane information of all types check out http://aa6kc.home.mindspring.com/ You won't find all of them active but it's worth searching through them if you are looking for current accurate information about the area.
Even though we are in the middle of the country and have no threat from any hurricane our special coverage of the storm is proving to be a great way to demonstrate our value in times of emergency. It's also getting us some very positive listener reaction.
Thanks tech - I hope everyone is following the new developments in Ham radio, too - the Code requirement for all the license levels will be dropped soon, so maybe I'll take another look at that...
Hi again,
Active tonight with hurricane information is a net at 3.845 Mhz. Also WWL at 870 AM is doing a great job if you can receive it.
For other frequencies for hurricane information of all types check out http://aa6kc.home.mindspring.com/ You won't find all of them active but it's worth searching through them if you are looking for current accurate information about the area.
Even though we are in the middle of the country and have no threat from any hurricane our special coverage of the storm is proving to be a great way to demonstrate our value in times of emergency. It's also getting us some very positive listener reaction.
I've been hearing WWL on the HF bands too, via WHR transmitter in S. Carolina. How 'bout THEM apples?!
It seems that the bands are thick with other ham emergency activities like SATERN and ARES as well on HF, not to mention the Coast Guard RTTY.
I'm not hearing much about RACES; their website looks sorely outdated.
Say...didn't I see the page you linked to mentioned in DXLD or something...???
Hi!
I found the web site by doing some searching. I used to be fairly active in Ham radio, but there just wasn't much happening locally.
You are right, many of the websites are very dated. I've seen some websites where the latest information is about a hamfest that happened two years ago.
Despite the website updating I don't think the Ham operators are getting anywhere near the credit they deserve for their emergency work. During Katrina they were the most reliable source of information. Listening in to the nets it was also obvious that our government failed to respond promptly. I heard one frustrated operator early Monday (as Katrina raged) who tried calling repeatedly to emergency officials. He got no response. He finally just said "This is the biggest waste of time I've ever seen." I hope this changes as Ham operators do play such a vital role in an emergency.
Likewise I feel low power AM or FM stations are ideal for emergency situations as they are somewhat portable and have low power requirements.
BTW I'm also a huge Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan. I really liked the British TV version. Just got the movie and I've spent a lot of time looking for the hidden jokes. The commentary on DVD was great. Now back to my recreational impossibilities.