QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 34 ARLB034 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT November 17, 2020 To all radio amateurs SB QST ARL ARLB034 Clear Frequencies Requested for Caribbean Hurricane Emergency Traffic Stations handling emergency traffic during the response to Category 5 Hurricane Iota, just off the eastern coast of Nicaragua, are requesting clear frequencies. Radio amateurs not involved in the emergency response are asked to avoid (plus/minus 5 KHz) the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and WX4NHC (National Hurricane Center) frequencies of 14.325 and 7.268 MHz, as well as a Honduran emergency net operation on 7.180 MHz (net control station is HR1JFA), and a Nicaraguan emergency net operating on 7.098 MHz. With maximum sustained winds of 160 MPH, Hurricane Iota is expected to bring catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge, and torrential rainfall to Central America. NNNN /EX
Sincere thoughts and prayers for those afflicted. Thanks to those helping. Then there is this related story posted by the ARRL which ought to be a bit embarrassing, International Broadcast Station Interference Overwhelms Hurricane Watch Net "As Category 4 Hurricane Iota neared landfall in Central America on November 16, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) was forced to suspend operations at 0300 UTC because of what HWN Manager Bobby Graves, @KB5HAV, described as “deafening interference from a foreign AM broadcast station that came out of nowhere at 0200 UTC.” At the time, the net had shifted to its 40-meter frequency of 7.268 kHz, collecting real-time weather and damage reports via amateur radio. “This was heartbreaking for our team, as the eyewall of Iota was just barely offshore,” Graves said. “The storm had weakened slightly to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155 MPH.” After activating at 1300 UTC, the net was able to collect and forward reports from various parts of Nicaragua and Honduras via WX4NHC throughout the day for relay to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Iota was the most powerful storm on record to make landfall this late in the hurricane season. Graves said the very strong AM signal was on 7.265 MHz. “From my location, it was S-9,” he told ARRL. “You could not hear anything but the BC station.” The source of the signal was not clear, but as he noted, other foreign broadcast stations are to be heard from 7.265 to 7.300 MHz and splattering close by. Stations handling emergency traffic during the response to Category 5 Hurricane Iota had requested clear frequencies on November 16 to avoid interfering with the HWN and with WX4NHC, as well as with a Honduran emergency net operation on 7.180 MHz and a Nicaraguan emergency net operating on 7.098 MHz. It’s not known if those nets were also affected by interference from the numerous broadcasters on 40 meters. “Thank you to all who allowed us a clear frequency,” Graves said on behalf of the HWN."" The AM signal was obviously the scheduled broadcast from the Voice of Turkey in Spanish for Central/South America. They are on almost every night for an hour starting at 0200Z. With a 500 KW xmtr and commercial antennas certainly it was overwhelming. But it's hard to understand why any radio amateur with basic knowledge of the 40m band would attempt to maintain such an emergency net operation in that shared spectrum segment at that time of the evening. A net for a region like the Gulf of Mexico would do far better on 60 meters, a band whose purpose is primarily for such activities. Lower allowed power levels but nearly zero QRM and perhaps even better propagation on that path at that time. Plus direct interoperability with government agents if that was ever required. Don't be unprepared for and then gripe about interference; anticipate & train for it, be frequency agile, be radio operators, spin the knob ... 73, John, WØPV
John, WØPV[/QUOTE] A net for a region like the Gulf of Mexico would do far better on 60 meters, a band whose purpose is primarily for such activities. Lower allowed power levels but nearly zero QRM and perhaps even better propagation on that path at that time. Plus direct interoperability with government agents if that was ever required. Don't be unprepared for and then gripe about interference; anticipate & train for it, be frequency agile, be radio operators, spin the knob ... 73, John, WØPV[/QUOTE] One answer to this question about why not using 60 meters is 15 tor20 watts is maximum for those countries on 60 meter In fact the US has the highest power I think of any country on 60 And very few people in the region use 60 in the first place. And these frequencies have long been established
As did many people, I read the letter today and was thinking, what even semi experienced amateur radio station would schedule anything that time of day on the upper end of the 40 meter band? "Came out of nowhere"? Come on...really? It was a scheduled half megawatt international broadcaster beaming to where? The Caribbean and South America. I will go out on the proverbial limb and say this was piss poor planning on someone's part. If you think you need 40 meters to get the traffic passed, maybe drop the net frequency below 7200 where there are far fewer broadcasters.
Bad timing in a broadcast segment of this frequency band, its wide open then. Better to shift because its otherwise Don Quichotte fighting against windmills
