Hurricane Sandy

[RadioRay]

What looked like yet another hurricane that was going to arc out to sea is increasingly predicted to enter the coast north of us, perdictions have it breaching the coast between Maryland and Pennsylvania (all open to change), putting our home in Virginia into the western semi-circle of slightly lower winds, but this hurricane is on a track that could easily knock-out commercial infrastructure for many people. Here, I've been charging batteries, retrieving equipment from a tin shed for safer storage and filling water containers. QRP radio is no problem, because the basic radios operate for a week of sjeds from AA cells and the big batteries are recharged via folding, portable 'expedition' solar panels (www.ctsolar.com)  and a few mil-surplus , folding panels. Entertainment/news radios are the plastic, hand-crank jobs, one with a built-in light.

>>>=====>  This is a fine illustration of why skeds arranged by internet are no better than selling our radios and using only internet.  A regular - hopefully daily- quick check is great, even if it's just to check-in.  The next is having a regular net that you check-in with, like the MMSN on 14300USB, or some of the CW nets like the waterway CW net or some of the traffic handling CW nets (which are likely my next move).

If we're not doing it NOW, we'll likely not be doing it 'then'.

I am curious what others in the storm track are doing?



73 de RadioRay ..._ ._

[cockpitbob]

I'm 10 miles inland in northern Massachusetts.  We may get the snot kicked out of us.  I've got a 5KW generator to keep the house's sump pumps, refrigerators and some lights going.  Tomorrow I'm making sure I've got enough fuel, food and booze for a 2 weeks+.  I might go the the library and get a book and a couple movies for when the internet is down.  We are down in a hole which is bad for ham radio but good for wind damage.  My biggest worry is the basement flooding and a tree coming down on the house, but the trees are loosing their leaves which reduces the wind forces on them. 

[RadioRay]

An example of what NOT to do:

As a sail-bum at heart, I was listening to the Cruiseheimer's net this morning at 08:30 local on 8152USB.  Well, in comes the coast guard, having to radio relay through a sailor to reach a vessel in distress . . . a sport fisher in the Bahamas (i/e the bullseye of this hurricane yesterday) . This Gomer went out to sea with 31 aboard, including crew & paying customers to go SPORT fishing in the tail of the hurricane.  The sailor/relay reported winds of 40kt with gusts higher in port, but this sport fisher went out anyway.  The relays for coasties via the sailor in port state that there are not enough life jackets for all aboard, no HF radio only VHF - so the coasties had to relay through the sailboat who is equipped with both HF & VHF who was juuuust close enough to reach the sport fisher who has now declared a MAYDAY. His engines are still running but are not going to help for much more than pointing - at best -  in high winds and huge/confused seas.  Engines tend to die when the fuel is sloshing around in the tanks, stirring-up sediment which clogs fuel filters. . .

Hmmmm, Let's review - SANDY was a CAT2 Hurricane when it passed his position yesterday.  Need I say more?  Naturally all the cruisers /with a brain/ from North Carolina to New York are seeking hurricane holes - the sport fisher dude in the Bahamas drives into the tail of the hurricane with customers aboard and drives in so far that he cannot return on his own, then calls other vessels to help.  There are some things that you can't just power your way through - despite what's seen on TV. Most of these type vessels have a TALL spotting tower/flying bridge which is a lot of windage + weight and adds to his liklihood of capsize in high winds and steep / confused seas.  Unlike a mono-hull sailboat, which designed to be self-righting after a capsize, if this thing goes over - their odds of survival are basically zero. Let's hope for the best, despite his poor judgement. This serves as an example of what unthinking people can do to themselves and others even on land during an emergency.

Lesson:  Do NOT assume that others INCLUDING "AUTHORITY FIGURES" around you are going to think first or well.  You CAN assume that when they get into trouble, paniced people will do ANYTHING to try to get out of it - including tear you to shreads.

99.9% of what we call 'surVival' is nothing more than good home economics: Shelter, water, fire and the last .1% is having the means to hang on to your shelter , water & fire.



QUESTION:  If the customers survive, do they get a refund???    ::)

QUESTION:  If they survive, do they lynch the SKipper when they reach the dock?


We may never know.


de RadioRay ..._ ._

[cockpitbob]

When Sandy hits the fan, what are some good HF frequiencies to monitor?

[Jonas Parker]

When Sandy hits the fan, what are some good HF frequiencies to monitor?

Hurricane Watch Net 14.325.00 USB
Maritime Mobile Service Net  14.300.00 USB

[RadioRay]

Good call, Jonas!

Add to that:

7268LSB as night time Huricane Watch Network.

14265USB = Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) // relief operations.
  7265LSB


We'll likely be loosing internet when this thing hits. Virginia is spooling-up to take a hit right now, nas declared emergency and the counties are activating their EOC's beginning as soon as tomorrow afternoon in some places.


>Ray

[White Tiger]

The area I am in is still experiencing some interesting gusts - so it has delayed my antenna raising efforts - and I'm missing it ALL!

But I did get my call sign...

[RadioRay]

Congratulations on the call sign!  Also a low antenna beats no antenna - really!

String it over the backs of three kitchen chairs if you have to . . .




>RadioRay ..._ ._

[KC9TNH]

Good stuff each post Ray. Nice topic. I have no words for the epic fail (I learned that expression from the kids) of the sport-fisher, in what had to be at least 15-25 ft seas - and like you pointed out, uh, "look Ma! No keel." (Hope they end up OK, honest. The operator should practice nautical Darwinism on is own.)
:o

RE the 2 nets mentioned, particularly HWN. HWN is generally not someplace that takes check-ins when things are "slow" - they are an ad hoc net. BUT... if someone here is in an affected area, and you've done your prepper thing and are on the air, believe me, they WANT your no-kidding on-ground report. They will solicit these. Just the same as the difference between an airport forecast 48 minutes old and an actual pilot's live report of conditions NOW.

Many of the MMSN NCS operators shift their priority to covering HWN when it's active. Pretty tight ships (pun intended) w/o being draconian.

[White Tiger]

Last week I had a conversation with a friend who lives on Long Island (Manhattan) - about levels of preparedness. He originally thought it was overkill to have the two weeks of supplies many longtime Floridians stock for hurricane season, but allowed (eventually) that numerous close calls/brushes with reality down here in hurricane alley - might make you err on the side of caution. Then he told me of a sailing friend of his down in Narraganset, MA, who he thinks went overboard...because he has a years worth of food, guns and a few hundred rounds of ammo...he considered that potentially "lunatic fringe" material.

...the last conversation I had with him tonight, winds were sustained 80mph, the power had just gone out, and he was worried about the trees in his backyard...

I'm thinking when the battery dies in his cell...he's going to start asking questions about ham radio and food storage.

...I never told him the level of preparedness I'm at - I just asked a lot of questions - hopefully he's thinking about them right now.

****anyone catch the bulletin from the National Weather Service regarding the strength of the storm and it's historic proportions? After thanking numerous watching services (including Skywarn), in an attempt to drive home how important it was to obey the evacuation notices - they asked folks intending to "ride out the storm" to notify family/ friends of what to do "...if you don't survive..."

[gil]

When people tell me prepping is lunacy, I ask them if they wear a seat belt while driving or think health insurance is a good idea... A small percentage will start thinking... The rest are fools and can't be convinced. The key is to only spend time with the ones open to the idea. I don't waste my time with the others. Asking questions is a great way to plant a seed. People don't like to be exposed as fools, so they need to believe they decided on their own.

Gil.

[KC9TNH]

I'm thinking when the battery dies in his cell...he's going to start asking questions about ham radio and food storage.

...I never told him the level of preparedness I'm at - I just asked a lot of questions - hopefully he's thinking about them right now.

****anyone catch the bulletin from the National Weather Service regarding the strength of the storm and it's historic proportions? After thanking numerous watching services (including Skywarn), in an attempt to drive home how important it was to obey the evacuation notices - they asked folks intending to "ride out the storm" to notify family/ friends of what to do "...if you don't survive..."

How about a window into what such an event causes in terms of traditional power loss...?

http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/named_event.aspx?ID=67

Click on your favorite daily SITREP.

[gil]

I just talked to a client in New jersey. Had to call him twice before getting through. I was getting an "all circuits are busy" message. They're supposed to be without reliable power until Monday, maybe longer... That will make a few people think about prepping, that's for sure...

Gil.

[raybiker73]

I was lucky in that we weren't in the storm track, it mostly stayed east of here. Got some rain and wind, and that's about it, but it was a good time to do some "emergency practice." I shut off the power for a couple minutes and made sure that, in the dark, I could make my way to every lantern, portable radio and loaded firearm in the house. After turning the power back on, I cranked up all my hand-crank radios and shaker flashlights and whatnot to make sure they were all still working properly (they were). To wrap it up, I made breakfast outside today (bacon and eggs in the dutch oven), and went through my fire/waterproof box to make sure all my important documents and such were properly sealed. Just because this storm didn't nail me doesn't mean the next one won't.

It also showed me how woefully inadequate my "emergency ham radio" situation is. Beyond an HT, a RockMite and the 2 meter rig in my Jeep, the only radio access I would have would have been to hook my IC-7200 up to a car battery. I decided then and there that a radio "go box" is one of my top priorities, so an FT-817 or equivalent is in my very near future.

[raybiker73]

One other thing: what type of hand crank emergency radios does everyone prefer? I have a couple of Kaito Voyager 500 models, which are pretty decent and also run on batteries or solar, but aren't very sensitive. My primary crank radio is a much-used and always faithful BayGen Freeplay, purchased from C Crane back in the late '90s. Anybody have an emergency radio preference?