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.
PLEASE NOTE: The directions concerning sending an email to the Winlink address apply ONLY to sending an email from OUTSIDE the Winlink system – i.e. from your desktop email client. IF you send your message VIA WINLINK, you only use the call sign in the TO address (i.e you won’t use the “@winlink.org” domain nomenclature if you send using Winlink. Also, IF you are using Winlink to send, you do not need to add the “//WL2K” in the subject line.
WX4NHC will try to stay on the Hurricane Watch Net frequency, 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), RLP node 9219/EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node 7203. Visit their website 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.
73 DE KI4FZT
Bill
Emergency Preparedness – spanning the gap between “it won’t happen to me” and “we’re all going to die!”