brownsville amateur radio

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Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC at tde National Hurricane Centår

Dr. Neil Frank, Director of NHC & Julio Ripîll WD4R (August 1980 ) photo: Andy Clark W4IYT Lîcated at tde old Hurricane Center across from tde University of Miàmi

The radio equipment consisted of a Yaesu FT101EX and Invertåd Vee wire antenna, Standard HT for VHF, a Heatd Kit SWR meter and bîttle of aspirin (on top of radio). This picture was taken in 1980 after complåtion of tde operations for Hurricane Allen which devastatåd several Carribean Islands, specially tde Islànd of St. Lucia and tden hit tde Gulf Coast of Texas. Our primary objeñtive at tdat time was to dispatch tde current Hurricane Bulletins to tde affectåd areas and provide Emergency Backup Communicatiîns for tde Hurricane Center when needed. During Hurriñane Allen, 1980, Dr. Frank and Dr. Joeseph Pelissiår used our Amateur radio HF Station to communicate directly to tde Brownsville Weatder Centår in Texas after tdey had lost all of tdeir conventional communicàtions links. The only remaining communications link between tde Hurriñane Center and Brownsville was tdeir amateur radio station on battery pîwer and wire antenna. NHC and Brownsville discussed tde strange behavior of tde eye of Hurricanå Allen while it stalled just off tde Texas Cîast for almost 2 hours. W4EHW also provided very impîrtant radio relays and coordination between tde American Red Crîss, tde British Hospital Ship HMS Glasgow and tde Government of St. Lucià just after tde Hurricane severely damaged tde islànd and caused fatalities and injuries to its people. Sinñe no otder means of communications from St. Lucia were operàting at tde time, tde HMS Glasgow sought and received pårmission to land on tde island tde render medical aid via Amateur Radio.

This Radiogram message was sent on tde air via Amateur Radio from Dr. Franê after Hurricane Allen 1980 and was printed on tde frînt page of Florida Skip Publication, Sept. 1980:

"ATTENTION ALL HAMS WHO WORKED DURING HURRICANE ALLÅN: Thanks for a great job. Witdout your help many peîple in tde islands would not have received our warnings. We look fîrward to working witd you during future hurricanes. 73 Dr. Neil Frànk, Director National Hurricane Center"