Get Your Radio On: SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 3

The annual SKYWARN ™ Recognition Day (SRD) will be held this year on Saturday, December 3, 2016. This is the day when Amateur Radio operators visit National Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the world. The purpose of the event is to recognize the vital public service contributions that Amateur Radio operators make during National Weather Service severe weather warning operations. It also strengthens the bond between Amateur Radio operators and the local National Weather Service. The event is co-sponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service. Please remember that this is not a contest, so no scoring will be computed.

Object: For all radio amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many National Weather Service stations as possible on 80 through 10 meters, including 6 and 2 meters bands and the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via repeaters are permitted.

Date: National Weather Service stations will operate December 3, 2016, from 0000 - 2400 UTC.

Exchange: Call sign, signal report, QTH, and a one or two-word description of the weather occurring at your site.

Modes: National Weather Service stations will work various modes including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call sign (e.g. NØA/NWS).

Station Control Operator: It is suggested that during SRD operations, a non-National Weather Service volunteer who is a licensed radio amateur serve as a control operator for the station that is set up at a NWS office.

New this year: There will be a new log submission process introduced this year, and W1AW at ARRL Headquarters is scheduled to be on the air for SKYWARN Recognition Day. More details will be released later. More information about this event may be found at:
www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio

QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 19 ARLX019
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT November 23, 2016

To all radio amateurs
SKYWARN Recognition Day On-the-Air Event is Saturday, December 3

The annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) on-the-air activity will take place Saturday, December 3, from 0000 until 2400 UTC (starts on the evening of Friday, December 2, in US time zones).

SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and ARRL to honor the contributions that SKYWARN volunteers make to the NWS mission - the protection of life and property during threatening weather. During the SKYWARN Special Event, hams will operate from several NWS offices. W1AW will take part in the event.

The object of the event is for all participating Amateur Radio stations to exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters plus 70 centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted.

Stations will exchange call signs, signal reports, locations, and a one or two-word description of the weather at their respective locations (e.g., "sunny," "rainy," "partly cloudy," "windy"). NWS stations will use various modes, including SSB, FM, AM, RTTY, CW, and PSK31. While using digital modes, special event stations will append "NWS" to their call signs (e.g., N0A/NWS).

Event certificates will be electronic and printable from the main website after the conclusion of SRD. An online submission form is available to submit your log summary for SRD at, www.arrl.org/srd-form .

A webinar will be offered on November 30 at 0100 UTC (the evening of November 29 in US time zones) in advance of the 18th SKYWARNRecognition Day (SRD) on December 3. Register for the webinar online at,
attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7546142194155183873 .

The pre-event webinar will cover SKYWARN Recognition Day basics, explain how to participate, and alert participants to a few changes in store for 2016. The webinar will be recorded and posted to the ARRL YouTube channel.
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