Category: News

SARA AND SERC SET TO MERGE ON NEW YEARS DAY 2021

The Sarasota Amateur Radio Association, (SARA: http://www.saraclub.org) and the Sarasota Emergency Radio Club (SERC: http://www.n4ser.org) entered into negotiations to merge the two clubs into one club on Thursday October 15, 2020.  Both clubs share many of the same members and the two clubs felt that consolidating each club’s efforts into one unified organization brings strength and continuity to the local amateur radio community.

The Sarasota Amateur Radio Association was formed in 1962 from a group of amateur radio operators looking for technical information for the benefit of its members, knowledge for the ever-growing hobby of amateur radio, and to share this information with each other to further their knowledge.

The Sarasota Emergency Radio Club was formed in 1976, and was the first organization to put an amateur radio repeater on the air in Sarasota County.  The Sarasota Emegency Radio Club has overtime expanded with multiple repeaters and Winlink gateways in the Sarasota and Venice Communities.

The merger of SARA and SERC will be complete and take effect January 1, 2021. SERC members look forward to warmly welcoming the SARA members into our organization. SERC is extremely excited about this merger and welcome the many talented hams from SARA to be members of the SERC family.  For more information, please refer to the SERC website at http://www.n4ser.org.

Thanks to Gary Wells WB9AYD, President of the Sarasota Emergency Radio Club, for the information used in this press release.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

SECTION NET CANCELLATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS HOLIDAYS.  SPECIAL EAGLE NET SESSIONS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

As is traditional with the Christmas and New Years Holidays, the following nets will be cancelled for the following holidays:

(1) The ARRL West Central Florida Section Technical Net – Thursday 2100: Thursday December 24, 2020 will be cancelled in observance of Christmas, and Thursday December 31, 2020 in observance of New Years Day.  (2) The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net on the NI4CE Repeater System – Monday 1930:  Monday December 21, 2020 will be cancelled in observance of Christmas and Monday December 28, 2020 will be cancelled in observance of New Years Day. (3) The ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net on 3940 KHz – Saturday 0730:  Saturday December 26, 2020 in observance of Christmas, and Saturday January 2, 2021 in observance of New Years Day.

The Eagle Net, our NTS traffic net that meets daily at 2030, will operate as scheduled during the holidays.  There will be special sessions of the Eagle Net on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve with Darrell Davis KT4WX, our Section Manager as Net Control.  Darrell will have some trivia questions for those who check in on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and are willing to answer the trivia questions.  All other nets will resume normal operations on Monday January 4th, 2021.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

 

RANDY PAYNE K4EZM IS THE 2020 WHITE AWARD RECIPIENT

Randy Payne K4EZM, of Sebring, has been named the 2020 White Award recipient.    The White Award, established in 2016 in honor of Ellen White W1YL, is to name the amateur radio operator who has made the greatest contribution to amateur radio in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.

Payne was first licensed in 1957 as KN4KTI, later upgrading to a Conditional Technician with the call of K4KTI, which he allowed to expire while in college.  After Payne graduated from college in 1965, he passed his Advanced class license earning his current callsign of K4EZM.  While living in Homestead in the mid 1960’s Payne participated in the local RACES/CD (Civil Defense) group, developing the main area of his interest in Amateur Radio: emergency communications. That interest led to his enrollment in ARES around 2002 in Highlands County. In March of 2005 Payne was appointed as the ARRL Emergency Coordinator for Highlands County ARES. In 2015, Payne was appointed as an Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator by Ben Henley KI4IGX, and as an Assistant Section Manager by Darrell Davis KT4WX.

Payne enjoys building antennas, small pieces of equipment including Morse code keys, and dreams of constructing an HF transceiver.  Payne is also a Drake Radio equipment enthusiast which includes owning two Drake TR-7s and several Drake tube receivers and transmitters, all of which need some restoration.

Payne in his professional career was a school teacher, a church pastor and assistant pastor in several churches, and as an adjunct professor and Reference Desk Assistant at South Florida State College, from which he retired in 2012. Payne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Stetson University in 1965, a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1975, a PhD in Church History in 1981, and a Master of Library Science degree from University of South Florida.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section congratulates Randy Payne K4EZM on being named the 2020 White Award Recipient.  The 2020 White Award was presented at the ARRL forum during the Tampa Bay Hamfest on Saturday December 12, 2020.  Payne will also receive a one year ARRL membership compliments of the West Central Florida Group, who operate the NI4CE Repeater System for the being the recipient of the 2020 White Award.

For all the details and history of the White Award you may go to http://arrlwcf.org/wcf-special-events/white-award/

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STEVE MULLER KM4VRK IS A SILENT KEY

Steve Muller KM4VRK, an Assistant Section Manager for the ARRL West Central Florida Section, became a Silent Key on Saturday December 12, 2020, due to complications following a prolonged battle with cancer.  Muller was 69 years old.

Muller became an amateur radio operator in 2016.  Upon relocating to Hardee County in 2016, Muller became active with Hardee County ARES, and serving for two activations of Hardee County ARES: Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.  Muller had also served as a net control station for the Eagle Net and the Hardee County ARES Net.   Muller was an ARRL Official Emergency Station, an ARRL Technical Specialist, and was appointed as an Assistant Section Manager in 2018.    Muller was also active, until recently, with the Coast Guard Auxiliary helping to provide communications.

Darrell Davis KT4WX, Section Manager of the ARRL West Central Florida Section, made the following statement about Muiller’s passing, “Steve was very dedicated to public service through ARES and the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  Steve gave fantastic service in his deployment during Hurricane Irma even with facing damage to his home from the storm.  Steve will be missed by all who knew him and myself in particular.  I am praying for his wife and children during this difficult time.”

Muller is survived by his wife Abby and five children.  At press time, no details were known about a memorial service or internment.

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SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY 2020 TO BE HELD AS ONLINE EVENT ONLY DUE TO COVID-19

SKYWARN Recgnition Day, which is held on the first Saturday in December of every year, will be held on Saturday December 5th but with some changes due to COVID-19.  The following information was received from Richard Rude KE4EXL, who is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Ruskin, concerning how Skywarn Recognition Day 2020 will take place this year.

“The National Weather Service has SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD 2020) scheduled this year on Saturday, December 5th.  However…due to COVID-19 restrictions the event will be conducted online. Unfortunately there will be no amateur radio operations at weather service offices.  Here at the Tampa Bay Area office in Ruskin we will be monitoring and posting to FaceBook and Twitter (#Skywarn20) throughout the afternoon of the 5th. In addition, for people with access to NWS chat, we will be logged into the “tbwhamchat” room. Some of the operating details are still being finalized but the attached PDF gives some details and includes links for the SRD 2020 website and for FaceBook.”

You may download the PDF document at the following link:  http://arrlwcf.org/download/wcfevents/AWARE_Nov2020_SkywarnRecogitionDay2020Information.pdf.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

SECTION NET CANCELLATIONS FOR THANKSGIVING

In observance of Thanksgiving Day on Thursday November 26, 2020, the ARRL West Central Florida Section Technical Net scheduled for Thursday November 26, 2020 at 2100 EST on the NI4CE Repeater System, and the ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net scheduled for Saturday November 28, 2020 at 0730 EST on 3940 KHz have been cancelled.  All other Section nets will operate as scheduled.

The ARRL West Central Florida Section Technical Net on the NI4CE Repeater System will resume its normal schedule on Thursday December 3, 2020 and the ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES and Information Net on 3940 KHz will resume normal schedule on Saturday December 5, 2020.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

SOUTHCARS TAILGATE AND LUNCHEON PLANNED IN LAKELAND ON 11/21/20

SOUTHCARS (South Coast Amateur Radio Service), a net which meets daily on 7251 KHz from 0800 – 1300 Eastern Time, is planning a tailgate hamfest and luncheon on Saturday November 21, 2020.  The tailgate and luncheon will be at the Golden Corral on the north side of Lakeland.  The address of the Golden Corral is 4705 U.S. 98 North, Lakeland, FL 33809.  The exit number off of I-4 for U.S. 98 is Exit 32, and the restaurant is about 1-2 miles north of I-4 on the east side of U.S. 98.

The tailgate will begin at 0900 and run until sometime between 1100 and 1200.  Then everyone will go inside and have dinner following the conclusion of the tailgate.  All tailgaters are asked to display items for sale either in or on your vehicle.  No tables or tarps on the ground are to be used to display items for sale.

There is now available a calendar entry on the Section website with talkin and location information including a Google Map.  The link to the calendar entry is http://arrlwcf.org/event/southcars-tailgate-and-luncheon-2020/.

END OF PRESS RELEASE

TROPICAL STORM  ETA – 1900 EST – 11/11/20

Eta made landfall early this morning (0400 EST) near Cedar Key, crossed the Florida Peninsula, and exited the east coast early this afternoon (approximately 13000 EST) near the Florida – Georgia border.   Eta is expected to continue north-northeast and accelerate in forward speed along a frontal boundary and to be either absorbed by a trough ahead of the next cold front or transition to an extratropical area of low pressure in the next 24 to 48 hours.

SUMMARY OF 400 PM EST…2100 UTC…INFORMATION

———————————————-
LOCATION…31.6N 80.6W
ABOUT 90 MI…150 KM SSW OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…40 MPH…65 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NE OR 35 DEGREES AT 18 MPH…30 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1004 MB…29.65 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.  All watches and warnings were discontinued at 1300 EST today.

DISCUSSION

The following excerpts are from the Forecast Discussion issued at 1600 EST today, “Satellite imagery and surface observations indicate that the center of Eta moved off the Georgia coast around 18z, a little farther north than previously anticipated. The satellite presentation of the storm has become quite ragged with the primary convective band located well east of the center. The circulation has also become more elongated, with the strongest winds occurring east of the center over the Atlantic waters. Based on the continued degradation of Eta’s organization, the initial wind speed has been lowered to 35 kt. Little change in strength is anticipated through early Friday due to moderate to strong westerly shear. The UKMET and ECMWF models continue to show some re-intensification of the system as an extratropical low by late Friday, and that is what is indicated in the official foreast. A plausible alternative scenario that is favored by the GFS is for the circulation to become elongated and dissipate along an approaching frontal boundary on Friday.

Eta is moving northeastward at about 16 kt. The cyclone should continue to accelerate northeastward over the next day or so ahead of a mid-latitude trough that is forecast to move across the Great Lakes Region and approach the northeastern United States on Friday. Only slight modifications to the previous official forecast were required, and the new NHC track forecast is near the middle of the tightly clustered dynamical models.

Deep-layer moisture that has spread northward along a frontal boundary across portions of eastern North Carolina and theMid-Atlantic coast is producing heavy rainfall and flash flooding that is not directly associated with Eta. See products from the NOAA Weather Prediction Center and your local National Weather Service office for additional information.”

SITUATION AND ACTIONS:

Tropical Storm Warnings are still in effect for Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Coastal Pasco, Coastal Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, and Coastal Charlotte Counties.  A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect for all counties in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  With the weakening of Eta into a tropical storm, the Hurricane Watch was allowed to expire and the Tornado Watch that was previously issued has been allowed to expire.

Hillsborough County ARES/RACES and Pinellas ARES/ACS, who had been activated for Tropical Storm Eta for nearly 24 hours, deactivated all operations this morning.  Other ARES groups that had been on standby have also stood down.   As a result, the ARRL West Central Florida Section Level 2 activation was discontinued at 1600 EST today.

Everyone is highly encouraged to continue monitoring the latest Tropical Weather Outlooks and or any advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center in Miami.  There is an area of disturbed weather currently in the southern Caribbean Sea that will need to be monitored.

LATEST NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER INFORMATION:

Public Advisories:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/052330.shtml?
Forecast Advisory:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCMAT4+shtml/052053.shtml?
Forecast Discussion:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/052054.shtml?
Hurricane Local Statement:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/WTUS82-KTBW.shtml

 

This will be the last WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN on Tropical Storm Eta.

END OF SPECIAL BULLETIN

TROPICAL STORM  ETA – 1900 EST – 11/11/20

Eta became a minimal Category 1 hurricane around 0700 hours this morning and now due to dry air entering the storm, cooler waters, and increasing wind shear on its current track, has weakened slightly and is now a tropical storm once again.  Eta is picking up forward speed slowly and is still expected to make landfall as a Tropical Storm around Citrus or Levy County early tomorrow morning, and cross the Florida Peninsula and exit out into the Atlantic by tomorrow afternoon.  The ARRL West Central Florida Section will continue to experience gusty winds and heavy rainfall through tomorrow and conditions to really begin improving on Friday.  Eta is expected to be absorbed by a cold front headed towards Florida in about 72 hours. One should always be ready for the worst, that is, each person should build a culture of prevention in their lives, so if you want to avoid heart problems and apart from looking fit for women, you should consume ikaria lean belly juice, the supplement that will make you slimmer and be at your ideal weight. There are many supplements to add to your daily nutrition goal or other organic options. The Exhale’s pre rolls are very popular

SUMMARY OF 700 PM EST…0000 UTC…INFORMATION

———————————————-
LOCATION…27.9N 83.4W
ABOUT 45 MI…70 KM W OF ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA
ABOUT 55 MI…90 KM W OF TAMPA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…70 MPH…110 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…N OR 10 DEGREES AT 12 MPH…19 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…993 MB…29.32 INCHES

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
* Bonita Beach to Suwanee River Florida, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Bonita Beach to Suwannee River Florida

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…
* Steinhatchee River to Suwannee River Florida

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* North of the Suwannee River to Aucilla River Florida

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* North of the Suwannee River to Aucilla River Florida

DISCUSSION:

The following excerpts are from the Forecast Discussion issued at 1600 EST today, “Almost as quickly as Eta regained hurricane status, it then lost it shortly thereafter. Dry air entrainment eroded most of the significant convection around the center this afternoon until a slight resurgence recently developed. However, the overall convective pattern has changed little with the bulk of the convection located primarily northeast through southeast of the center. The last recon pass through Eta showed that the central pressure had increased to 990 mb. Recent Doppler velocities of around 70 kt between 5000-6000 ft east of the center supports surface winds of about 56-58 kt, so the 1800Z intensity of 60 kt will also be kept for the 21Z advisory intensity.

The initial motion estimate is northward, or 010/10 kt. Eta is expected to move between north and north-northeastward tonight as the cyclone rounds the western periphery of a deep-layer ridge to the east. The new NHC model guidance remains in excellent agreement on Eta turning northeastward after 12 hours, with the cyclone making landfall along the western coast of the northern Florida peninsula in the region from Cedar Key to Crystal River. Eta is then expected to accelerate northeastward across northern Florida as a weakening tropical cyclone, and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday morning or early afternoon. By 72 hours, if not sooner, Eta is forecast to merge with a frontal system off of the southeastern United States. The new official track forecast is similar to the previous advisory track, and lies close to a blend of the consensus models TVCN, NOAA-HCCA, and FSSE.

Eta will be moving over progressively cooler waters during the next 12 hours, with SSTs decreasing to less than 25 deg C just before the cyclone makes landfall along the Florida coast. The cooler waters, in conjunction with continued dry air entrainment and increasing westerly vertical wind shear, should result in at least gradual weakening until landfall occurs, followed by more rapid weakening as Eta moves over the northern Florida peninsula. Although the official forecast calls for Eta to be a tropical storm as it nears the northeast coast of Florida, a Tropical Watch or Warning are not required at this time since any tropical-storm-force will likely be occurring over water and not inland or along the coast due to Eta’s poor convective structure that is expected at that time. Eta is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low by 60 hours due to even stronger wind shear, and dissipate by 72 hours due to frontal interaction.”

SITUATION AND ACTIONS:

Tropical Storm Warnings are still in effect for Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Coastal Pasco, Coastal Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, and Coastal Charlotte Counties.  A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect for all counties in the ARRL West Central Florida Section.  With the weakening of Eta into a tropical storm, the Hurricane Watch was allowed to expire and the Tornado Watch that was previously issued has been allowed to expire.

At the present time Hillsborough County ARES/RACES and Pinellas County ARES/ACS are active assisting their respective emergency management agencies with auxiliary communications via amateur radio. Manatee ARES and Sarasota ARES were as of last report on standby to deploy if their services were requested.  ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES Activation Level continues at a Level 2 activation and will remain there until all ARES groups in the ARRL West Central Florida Section demobilize.  A Regional Skywarn Net will continue to be in service on the NI4CE Repeater System (http://www.ni4ce.org)  to report any severe weather to the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin.  Note:  The Eagle Net normally scheduled for 2030 EST has been cancelled for this evening in order to not impede emergency operations.

All ARES, ACS, and CERT personnel should monitor their email and phones for any requests for assistance from their served agencies via their respective chains of command.  Please do not self-activate as requests for assistance and or mutual assistance must follow through the proper procedure.  Everyone is highly encouraged to continue to check each advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center in Miami and any advisories issued by the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin.

LATEST NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER INFORMATION:

Public Advisories:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/052330.shtml?
Forecast Advisory:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCMAT4+shtml/052053.shtml?
Forecast Discussion:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/052054.shtml?
Hurricane Local Statement:  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/WTUS82-KTBW.shtml

 

The next WCF SECTION SPECIAL BULLETIN will be issued around 1900 EST tomorrow evening, unless conditions warrant a sooner release.

END OF SPECIAL BULLETIN