• ARRL Extra Bulletin

    From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue Nov 8 10:41:08 2022

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX011
    ARLX011 Amateur Radio and ARRL Devotee Ellen White, W1YL (SK)

    ZCZC AX11
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 11 ARLX011
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT November 8, 2022
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX011
    ARLX011 Amateur Radio and ARRL Devotee Ellen White, W1YL (SK)

    Ellen White, W1YL, of Brandon, Florida, passed away on Sunday,
    November 6, 2022. She was 95. White became a radio amateur in 1946
    and devoted over 75 years of her life to ham radio, including more
    than 25 years on the headquarters staff for ARRL, The National
    Association for Amateur Radio. She retired in 1978 as Deputy
    Communications Manager and became the editor of the column "How's
    DX?" for ARRL's membership journal, QST. White was an ARRL Life
    Member and donor.

    At its meeting in January 1978, the ARRL Board of Directors adopted
    a resolution recognizing White and her husband Robert (Bob) L.
    White, W1CW (SK), after having "completed a quarter-century of
    faithful service to the American Radio Relay League." The resolution
    cites that Ellen White had "built a reputation for thoroughness and
    objectivity on a mountain of contest logs," and celebrated her
    "intelligent and creative work as Deputy Communications Manager."

    White was admired by the worldwide amateur radio community. In 2019,
    she was the sole US radio amateur to be awarded the Russian E.T.
    Krenkel Medal, a prestigious award granted to individuals and
    organizations for outstanding global contributions to amateur radio.

    Director of ARRL's Publications and Editorial Department Becky
    Schoenfeld, W1BXY, reflected on the news of White's passing. "Ellen
    was a trailblazing woman in amateur radio. She and I corresponded
    over the years [before] finally meeting up at Orlando HamCation in
    2020. Ellen often marveled at how much farther women had come in the
    ham radio hobby, service, and community since she got her start.
    Every time I talked to her, I thanked her for paving the way," said
    Schoenfeld.

    Remembrances for White began arriving at ARRL Headquarters early
    Monday morning.

    First Class CW Operators' Club (FOC) Membership Secretary Tyler
    Barnett, N4TY, sent a message to all club members. "Ellen joined FOC
    in May 1966, and was active in retirement from her Florida contest
    station, and most recently remote via the W7RN Comstock Memorial
    station. This is a very sad day. She will be missed on the air, and
    at the Florida dinners." Barnett said White was FOC member #875.

    White was also referred to as the "founding grandmother" of the
    Florida Contest Group (FCG). President Chris Plumblee, W4WF, added,
    "It is fitting, in a few ways, that Ellen passed away during SS
    [ARRL Sweepstakes] CW, a contest that she administered for years
    while she worked at the ARRL."

    White had already learned Morse code in high school, and only rarely
    operated any other mode. "Ellen loved CW, contesting, and DXing,"
    said Rosalie White, K1STO (no relation), former ARRL Field And
    Educational Services Manager, who was hired by Ellen White to work
    for ARRL in 1973. "Ellen and I got a lot of hams asking, 'Are you
    Ellen's daughter?' or 'Are you Rosalie's mother?'" said Rosalie
    White. "We always replied, 'No, but that would've been cool.'"
    Rosalie White is now an ARISS-International US Delegate representing
    ARRL.

    Rosalie White recounted that in the 1940s, Ellen and Bob White
    earned First Class Radiotelephone and Second Class Radiotelegraph
    commercial licenses. "She [Ellen White], being a maverick, also took
    the Class B FCC Amateur Radio test to become W2RBU, and promptly
    joined ARRL. Radio broadcast station KPOA based in Oahu, Hawaii,
    hired her (then KH6QI) as station engineer in the day when it was
    unheard of for a woman. She and Bob then headed to San Diego,
    California, where she took another radio broadcast engineer job, and
    also ran for and became ARRL San Diego Section Communications
    Manager (now called Section Manager). This was prior to their
    applying for jobs (at ARRL) in Newington in 1947."

    The article "A Conversation with Ellen White, W1YL," by Rosalie
    White appeared in the May/June 2015 issue of NCJ, published by ARRL.
    That article can be found at,
    https://ncjweb.com/features/mayjun15feat.pdf .

    Eric Guth, 4Z1UG, of the QSO Today Amateur Radio Podcast, introduced
    Ellen White as the "Grande Dame" of amateur radio in an interview
    recorded on April 27, 2016. The interview can be found at, https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/w1yl .

    Ellen White was preceded in death by her husband Bob in 2003, and
    her son Jim White, K4OJ (SK), in 2004.
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Sat Dec 24 05:25:11 2022

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX012
    ARLX012 Amateur Radio Operators Invited to participate in Asteroid
    Bounce Experiment

    ZCZC AX12
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 12 ARLX012
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT December 24, 2022
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX012
    ARLX012 Amateur Radio Operators Invited to participate in Asteroid
    Bounce Experiment

    The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be
    conducting a research campaign/experiment on December 27, 2022, with transmissions between 1100 - 2300 UTC (0200 - 1400 AKST).

    This experiment will reflect HAARP transmissions off of Near-Earth
    Asteroid (NEA) 2010 XC15, and the echo will be received by the Owens
    Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA) at the
    California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and by the University
    of New Mexico's Long Wavelength Array (UNM-LWA). The target asteroid
    will be roughly two lunar distances away from Earth at the time of transmission. Characterizing the interior structure and composition
    of NEAs is critical for advancing the understanding of solar system
    evolution and aiding in planetary defense.

    Actual transmit times are highly variable based on real-time
    ionospheric conditions and all information is subject to change.
    Currently, the Asteroid Bounce (2010 XC15) experiment will take
    place December 27, 2022, from 1100 UTC to 2300 UTC; 9.6 MHz, LFM
    (linear FM), 0.5 Hz WRF (waveform repetition frequency), 30 kHz
    bandwidth. Reports recording echo are encouraged; demodulated
    recordings in .WAV or .MP3 are recommended.

    For real-time ionospheric conditions in Gakona, please consult
    ionograms from the HAARP Diagnostic Suite at, https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/diagnostic-suite .

    Amateur radio and radio astronomy enthusiasts are invited to listen
    to the transmissions/echoes and submit reception reports via email
    to the HAARP facility at, uaf-gi-haarp@alaska.edu, and request a QSL
    card by mailing a report to:

    HAARP
    P.O. Box 271
    Gakona AK 99586
    USA
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Tue May 16 11:30:00 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX001
    ARLX001 National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station Annual Test

    ZCZC AX01
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 1 ARLX001
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT May 16, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX001
    ARLX001 National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station Annual Test

    The amateur radio station of the National Hurricane Center, WX4NHC
    (NHC), located on the campus of Florida International University in
    Miami, will conduct their on-the-air Annual Communications Test on
    Saturday, May 27, 2023, from 9 AM - 5 PM EDT (1300z-2100z).

    This is the NHC's 43rd year of public service. NHC Amateur Radio
    Assistant Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R/WX4NHC, reports that the
    purpose of this event is to test amateur radio equipment and
    antennas at the NHC as well as operators' home equipment, antennas,
    and computers prior to this year's hurricane season. The 2023
    hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30.

    This event is good practice for amateur radio operators worldwide to
    practice amateur radio communications during times of severe
    weather.

    Ripoll said WX4NHC will be on HF, VHF, UHF, 2- and 30-meter APRS,
    and Winlink. To contact the NHC's amateur radio station send an
    email to, wx4nhc@winlink.org. The subject of the email must contain
    //WL2K.

    The Hurricane Watch Net will try to stay on 14.325 MHz for most of
    the time, as well as 7.268 MHz depending on propagation. They may
    also change frequencies due to potential QRM.

    You may be able to find WX4NHC on HF by using one of the DX spotting
    networks, such as the DX Summit website at, http://www.dxsummit.fi .

    The VoIP Hurricane Net will also be active from 4 PM - 5 PM EDT
    (2000-2100z), on IRLP node 9219/EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node
    7203. Visit their website at https://voipwx.net for more
    information.

    WX4NHC will also make a few contacts on local VHF and UHF repeaters,
    as well as the Florida Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet)
    system to test station equipment.

    QSL cards are available via WD4R with a self-addressed stamped
    envelope. More information about the NHC is available at their
    website https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/ .
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Thu May 18 14:42:59 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX002
    ARLX002 Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, Section Manager of the ARRL South
    Carolina Section, SK

    ZCZC AX02
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 2 ARLX002
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT May 18, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX002
    ARLX002 Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, Section Manager of the ARRL South
    Carolina Section, SK

    Section Manager of the ARRL South Carolina Section Marc Tarplee,
    N4UFP, passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

    Tarplee served as the South Carolina Section Technical Coordinator
    for 7 years before becoming the South Carolina Section Manager in
    2010. He was the longest-serving Section Manager of the century
    within the ARRL Roanoke Division.

    He was a member of the York County Amateur Radio Society (YCARS),
    the Carolina DX Association (CDXA), a founding member of the York
    County Contesters Group, and he recently retired as the Chief
    Financial Officer of York Technical College in Rock Hill, South
    Carolina. He completed his undergraduate degree in physics at the
    State University of New York in Brockport, and then he pursued an
    M.Sc. at the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology. He earned
    his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of South
    Carolina.

    After spending many years as a shortwave listener, Tarplee became
    licensed in 1988. He was an avid CW operator and was chasing ARRL's
    Fred Fish Memorial Award, which is granted to hams who work all 488
    maidenhead grids in the continental US via VHF/UHF. He had more than
    420 grids confirmed.

    Tarplee also enjoyed 160 meters and particularly relished working
    the top band from a large piece of marshland he owned on the South
    Carolina coast. From there, he had the space to run a full-wave
    Beverage antenna. As both a committed DXer and contester, Tarplee
    could be found anywhere from 160 meters to 23 centimeters.

    "Marc's service to the South Carolina Section was legendary. He
    served as Technical Coordinator prior to my successful election as
    Section Manager in 2003 and continued in that position throughout my
    tenure. When I was elected to the ARRL board to start in 2010, I was
    looking for a replacement. As I was considering candidates, Marc
    came to me and wanted to give it a shot. I admitted to him that I
    did not even consider him at first, but that he was absolutely the
    right person for the position," said Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, Director of
    the ARRL Roanoke Division.

    ARRL Field Organization Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, said, "Marc
    was a wonderful ambassador for ARRL. While working him over the
    years, I sensed that he really enjoyed sharing his interest in
    amateur radio, and he knew how to encourage others to participate
    and get involved."

    Tarplee is survived by his wife, Lee, W7LEE, and his daughters,
    Austin and Marley.

    A memorial service for Tarplee will be held at the Learning Commons
    in Building L at York Technical College, 452 South Anderson Rd.,
    Rock Hill, South Carolina on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 1:00 PM.
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri May 26 20:19:04 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX003
    ARLX003 ARRL and FEMA Sign Agreement: Ham Radio is as Relevant
    as Ever

    ZCZC AX03
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 3 ARLX003
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT May 26, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX003
    ARLX003 ARRL and FEMA Sign Agreement: Ham Radio is as Relevant
    as Ever

    The agreement emphasizes the importance of skilled Amateur Radio
    Operators in times of crisis and the role of ARES leadership within
    the emergency communications space.

    ARES (see the ARES fact sheet at, www.arrl.org/ares) is a network of
    trained Amateur Radio Service licensees organized across the country
    to provide communications and other support to served agencies, such
    as local governments, hospitals, and disaster response charities.
    More than 20,000 ARES volunteers actively participate in the ARRL
    program. In 2022, they provided more than 420,000 labor hours of
    service saving local officials $13.4 million in personnel costs.

    Each member of ARES has specialized training in emergency
    communications. Many have also completed training in the National
    Incident Management System (NIMS) in order to integrate with local
    officials during an emergency response.

    In March 2023, FEMA released the final version of the NIMS
    Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Functional Guidance,
    which includes radio amateurs in the response ecosystem and national
    emergency preparedness.

    "The agreement is representative of the continued commitment and
    cooperation between FEMA and ARRL," said ARRL Director of Emergency
    Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. "Serving our country during
    emergencies is an important service provided by ARES volunteers and
    a principal purpose of our Amateur Radio Service. Our well-equipped
    volunteers bring their training, use of innovative technologies, and
    community partnerships together to serve before and during
    disasters."

    FEMA announced the new agreement on Twitter stating, "We recently
    signed a new MOA with ARRL -- establishing our partnership with
    licensed, voluntary amateur radio operators to support response
    (and) recovery efforts. We're honored to work side-by-side to meet
    the needs of millions in the wake of disasters."

    Former FEMA Administrator and ARRL member Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, led
    the agency when the previous MOA with ARRL was signed in 2014.
    Fugate said the agreement underscores the importance of ham radio.
    "By incorporating amateur radio into their emergency plans, FEMA
    ensures that they have access to a network of trained operators who
    can establish and maintain communication links when traditional
    infrastructure fails. This collaboration between FEMA and Amateur
    Radio Operators allows for more robust and resilient emergency
    communication capabilities, ultimately contributing to effective
    disaster response and recovery," said Fugate.

    "The ARRL Board and the Emergency Communications and Field Services
    Committee are committed to strengthening our resourcefulness to the
    EmComm (emergency communications) community," said ARRL President
    Rick Roderick, K5UR. "Our partnership with FEMA helps further ARRL's
    work to better serve our volunteers, partner agencies, and the
    country."
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Fri May 26 20:19:10 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX004
    ARLX004 Gomez Nominated for Vacant FCC Seat, Two Commissioners
    Renominated

    ZCZC AX04
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 4 ARLX004
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT May 26, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX004
    ARLX004 Gomez Nominated for Vacant FCC Seat, Two Commissioners
    Renominated

    President Joe Biden announced three nominees for the Federal
    Communications Commission (FCC) on May 22, 2023. The President will
    nominate Anna M. Gomez for a vacant FCC seat. Two sitting
    Commissioners, Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr, will be nominated
    for new terms at the same time.

    Gomez is an attorney with decades of experience in domestic and
    international communications law and policy. Gomez currently serves
    as a Senior Advisor for International Information and Communications
    Policy in the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital
    Policy, where she has been leading US preparations for the monthlong
    WRC-23 conference that will commence on November 20 in Dubai. ARRL
    The National Association for Amateur Radio has represented the
    interests of US radio amateurs in preparation for the conference,
    and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, has
    been appointed to the US delegation to WRC-23. ARRL also actively
    supports the work of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU),
    which, as a member of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector,
    participates in conference preparatory work and whose
    representatives will also attend WRC-23 by invitation as observers
    in an advisory capacity.

    Earlier in her career, Gomez served for 12 years in various
    positions at the FCC, including Deputy Chief of the International
    Bureau and Senior Legal Advisor to then-Chairman William E. Kennard.
    From 2009 to 2013, she served as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator. Gomez also briefly
    served as Counsel on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, as well as Deputy
    Chief of Staff of the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration. Prior to joining the State Department in 2023, Gomez
    was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm Wiley LLP. Gomez also
    was Vice President for Federal and State Government Affairs at
    Sprint Nextel and an Associate at the Arnold (AND) Porter law firm.

    Senate hearings on all three nominees are expected to be held in
    June.
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Mon Jun 5 14:39:47 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX005
    ARLX005 Licensee Hit With $24,000 Fine for Jamming Net, Failure to
    ID: FCC

    ZCZC AX05
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 5 ARLX005
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT June 5, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX005
    ARLX005 Licensee Hit With $24,000 Fine for Jamming Net, Failure to
    ID: FCC

    An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
    results in a large fine against a California amateur radio license
    holder.

    A Notice of Apparent Liability Forfeiture (NALF) for $24,000 has
    been filed against Phillip J. Beaudet, N6PJB, of Burney, California.

    According to the filing, the penalty is for Beaudet "willfully and
    repeatedly interfering with the radio communications of the Western
    Amateur Radio Friendship Association (WARFA) while it was attempting
    to hold a regularly scheduled net and for failing to provide station identification on amateur radio frequencies."

    FCC agents used direction finding techniques during November and
    December of 2022 to track the interfering signals to Beaudet's home
    station. Agents "heard him playing recordings on 3.908 MHz that
    caused interference to the ongoing WARFA net while failing to
    provide his assigned amateur call sign," the document stated.
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Mon Jun 19 11:26:56 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX006
    ARLX006 2023 W1AW and K6KPH Field Day Bulletin Schedule

    ZCZC AX06
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 6 ARLX006
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT June 19, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX006
    ARLX006 2023 W1AW and K6KPH Field Day Bulletin Schedule

    2023 W1AW and K6KPH Field Day Bulletin Schedule

    W1AW:

    Day Mode Pacific Mountain Central Eastern UTC

    FRIDAY CW 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 0000 (Sat)
    Digital 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 0100
    Phone 6:45 PM 7:45 PM 8:45 PM 9:45 PM 0145
    CW 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM 0300

    SATURDAY CW 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 1400
    Phone 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 1500
    CW 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 0000 (Sun)
    Digital 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 0100
    Phone 6:45 PM 7:45 PM 8:45 PM 9:45 PM 0145

    SUNDAY CW 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 1400
    Phone 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 1500
    Digital 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1600


    K6KPH:

    SATURDAY CW 7:30 AM 8:30 AM 9:30 AM 10:30 AM 1430
    CW 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 7:30 PM 8:30 PM 0030 (Sun)
    Digital 6:30 PM 7:30 PM 8:30 PM 9:30 PM 0130

    SUNDAY CW 7:30 AM 8:30 AM 9:30 AM 10:30 AM 1430
    Digital 9:30 AM 10:30 AM 11:30 AM 12:30 PM 1630


    W1AW will operate on its regularly published frequencies:

    CW frequencies are 1.8025, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975,
    21.0675, 28.0675, 50.350, and 147.555 MHz.

    Digital frequencies are 3.5975, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095,
    28.095, 50.350, and 147.555 MHz.

    Phone frequencies are 1.855, 3.990, 7.290, 14.290, 18.160, 21.390,
    28.590, 50.350, and 147.555 MHz.

    During Field Day weekend, W1AW will transmit the Field Day bulletin
    using 45.45-baud Baudot, PSK31 in BPSK mode and MFSK16 in this
    order.

    Please note the Field Day bulletin will not be sent out via
    EchoLink.

    Also note, on Friday local, June 23, 2023, the digital version of
    the 2023 Field Day bulletin sent from W1AW at 9 PM EDT (0100 UTC on
    June 24) will be transmitted using BPSK31, Baudot, and MFSK16 in
    this order.

    The regular digital mode lineup of Baudot, BPSK31, and MFSK16 will
    be used during Field Day weekend.

    The Maritime Radio Historical Society's station K6KPH will transmit
    the CW portion of the W1AW Field Day message for the benefit of West
    Coast stations on 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975 and 21.0675 MHz.

    The frequencies for the K6KPH Teleprinter version (RTTY, PSK31 and
    MFSK16) will be 3.5975, 7.095 and 14.095 MHz (in this mode order).

    Any additional transmissions or changes in the schedule will be
    posted on the web at, http://www.arrl.org/Field-Day .
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)
  • From Daryl Stout@432:1/112 to All on Mon Jul 31 15:59:33 2023

    SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX008
    ARLX008 Hurricane Watch Net Seeks Bilingual Net Control Operators

    ZCZC AX08
    QST de W1AW
    Special Bulletin 8 ARLX008
    From ARRL Headquarters
    Newington CT July 31, 2023
    To all radio amateurs

    SB SPCL ARL ARLX008
    ARLX008 Hurricane Watch Net Seeks Bilingual Net Control Operators

    The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is looking for new members who are
    willing to train to become Net Control Operators. HWN is especially
    interested in recruiting bilingual operators who are fluent in
    Spanish and English or French/Creole and English. Net Control
    responsibilities can entail hours of duty to ensure all received
    ground-truth weather reports are forwarded directly to the National
    Hurricane Center in Miami.

    The net generally activates whenever a system has achieved hurricane
    status and is within 300 statute miles of a populated landmass. This
    can vary, however, due to the forward speed and intensity of a
    storm, or at the request of the forecasters at the National
    Hurricane Center. Once activated, the HWN continuously operates
    until a storm is no longer a threat to life and property.

    The mission of the net is to disseminate the latest advisories
    issued by the National Hurricane Center, and to obtain real-time,
    ground-level weather conditions and initial damage assessments from
    amateur radio operators in the affected areas. The net then relays
    that information to the National Hurricane Center by way of WX4NHC,
    and when required, the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

    It also functions as a backup communication link for the National
    Hurricane Center, National Weather Service Forecast Offices, the
    Canadian Hurricane Centre, Emergency Operations Centers, emergency
    management agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other vital
    interests that can involve military relief operations. Such
    operations can be involved in the protection of life and property
    before, during, and after a hurricane event.

    HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, says training will be provided and
    each candidate will go through a probationary period with a mentor.
    Graves, an ARRL member, says an applicant's station must be
    reliable. "While having a tower, beam, and/or amplifier is not a
    requirement, your station must allow you to hear and be heard.
    Therefore, directional antennas and amplifiers are preferred," he
    said.

    The net coverage area includes the hurricane-prone areas of eastern
    Canada, the US East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and
    the Caribbean. The net specifically seeks applicants in the
    middle-to-western sections of the US, Canada, Central America, and
    the Caribbean. "As always, the HWN is hoping for a quiet season, yet
    [we are] prepared for the worst," said Graves.

    Those interested in learning more can visit the HWN Net Control
    Information web page at, https://hwn.org/about-us/ncs_info.html .
    NNNN
    /EX
    --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (432:1/112)