As Hurricane Helene bears down on Florida and Georgia, please be mindful of our brother and sister Amateur Radio ops who will be manning their radios on behalf of public safety. Some HF frequencies to be aware of:
Some Florida Nets
South Florida ARES Net3.940
North Florida ARES Net3.950
Northern Florida ARES Net (NFAN):
9:00 AM Eastern time Monday through Saturday Frequencies are 7.198 MHz. Backup on 7.242 and 7.265 MHz, all LSB-
Hurricane Watch Net
14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz
To ALL our friends in the Southeast who are in Helene's path ...... our prayers are with you. Take care, be safe and may God be with you.
I AM REQUESTING ALL MEMEBERS OF THE EMECT NET TO SEND A LIST OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONejaeut3iIMES AND FGREQUENCIES YOU OPERATE OR PLAN TO OPERATEDURING A HURRICANE OR OTHER LOCAL, REGIONAL OR NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
AN EXAMPLE: ONE OF OUR MEMBERS CONVEYED TO ME, HIS RIG IS ON FLDIGI AT NIGHT AND MORNING UNTIL AFTER THE EMECT NET (3581). HE CHANGES OVER TO NET 40 (7104 LSB) DURING MOST OF THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. OBVIOULSY THERE ARE TIMES HE WILL BE USING WINLINK FOR SENDING /RECEIVING MESSAGES.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW WE CAN EXPECT TO CONTACT SOMEONE IN CASE IT IS NEEDED. THIS IS WHAT EMERGENCY COMMS IS ABOUT. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH YOUR INFO OR QUESTIONS. I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. WE WILL GET THE RESULTS COMPILED AND POSTED FOR THE GROUP AFTER IT IS RECEIVED.
I do not claim to be knowledgeable in Space Weather (forecasting).
I consider myself a Space Weather enthusiast.
The sun shines bright in my old Kentucky home as it does over most of the earth during Solar Cycle 25.
For several weeks now it seems no matter what region of the Sun is facing Earth, the Sun is having a hissy fit with solar flares, solar storms, CMEs and radio blackouts. How has Solar Cycle 25 affected, if any your Amateur Radio operating?
In anticipation of Solar Cycle25, during the Pandemic shutdown I delved into areas of Amateur Radio that I was familiar with but wanted to expand my knowledge. One area is Space Weather and the effects the sun has on Amateur Radio operating.
During the shutdown, I probed the far reaches of the internet searching for any content, instructions, courses, papers, blogs, social media posts and videos for information on space weather. I knew a little about how the sun effects radio propagation from my Amateur Radio exams over the years. One thin I did know from spending many hours in TV weather sets during my broadcasting career, that Space Weather is just as unpredictable as Terrestrial Weather. One thing I wasn't aware of, Space Weather forecasting is basically in its infancy in comparison to Terrestrial Weather. Especially in the area of Solar Cycles, since they come basically every 11 years. Satellites and computer models data models have definitely aided in space weather forecasting.
My internet search turned up many people with vast knowledge in Space Weather and Space Weather forecasting. The person who caught my eye and provided ME with an easy understanding of Space Weather and Forecasting is "The Space Weather Woman:, Dr. Tamitha Skov.
Dr. Skov's YouTube channel's wide range of Mini courses, her "Live" presentations and "Q & A" sessions along with updated Space Weather forecast have served ME well in my Space Weather and Forecasting education. Here are some of the sites pertaining to Dr. Tamitha Skov.
https://www.spaceweatherwoman.com/
https://www.facebook.com/spaceweatherwoman
https://x.com/tamithaskov
https://www.instagram.com/tamithaskov/
https://www.youtube.com/@TamithaSkov/featured
I don't have a hard fast RULE of whether I allow a Space Weather forecast determine if I am going to operate that day. Basically, I use Space Weather forecast data as a means to determine what antenna I may use, QRP or QRO rigs, what mode I may use (SSB, CW, or Data) or if I'm operating Parks on the Air, what park and what area of a park I'll operate from. I use this data just as I would a Terrestrial weather forecast that may forecast a 30% chance of rain. Do I need to carry an umbrella
After several months of trying to determine what works for me. Here are some of the places I visit almost daily.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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