Russian Antarctic Comm Station Burns

The Russian "Progress" research station in Antarctica has experienced a fatal fire in one of its buildings. Word of this fire was slow in arriving, because all of the radio gear was destroyed. Routine HF communication from this station has been interrupted.

From RIA Novosti:

Russia Antarctic research station fire kills one, injures two

MOSCOW, October 9 (RIA Novosti) - A two-story building, part of Russia's Progress station in Antarctica, caught fire killing one construction worker and seriously injuring two others, the expedition's head said on Thursday.

Valery Lukin said the fire broke out on Sunday on the station, where 29 people are based, completely destroying the radio equipment, which made it impossible to contact Russian officials about the incident until Thursday.

...

The Progress research station was opened in 1989 and is located in the Larsemann Hills in East Antarctica. The station is around 1.5 kilometers from China's Zhong Shan research station, where the injured Russians are receiving medical treatment.

Air Recon Taskings for October 15-16

000
NOUS42 KNHC 151400
WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS
CARCAH, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, MIAMI, FL.
1000 AM EDT WED 15 OCTOBER 2008
SUBJECT: TROPICAL CYCLONE PLAN OF THE DAY (TCPOD)
VALID 16/1100Z TO 17/1100Z OCTOBER 2008
TCPOD NUMBER.....08-137

I. ATLANTIC REQUIREMENTS
1. HURRICANE OMAR
FLIGHT ONE -- TEAL 71
A. 16/1500Z, 2100Z
B. AFXXX 0615A OMAR
C. 16/1300Z
D. 20.1N 62.8W
E. 16/1430Z TO 16/2100Z
F. SFC TO 10,000 FT

2. OUTLOOK FOR SUCCEEDING DAY: NEGATIVE.
3. REMARKS: FLIGHT TWO FROM TCPOD 08-136 WAS CHANGED
TO TAKE OFF 3 HOURS EARLIER (16/0100Z) AND GET FIXES
AT 16/0300,0600,0900 AND 1200Z. ALL TASKING ON TD 16
WAS CANCELED BY NHC AT 15/1005Z.

II. PACIFIC REQUIREMENTS
1. NEGATIVE RECONNAISSANCE REQUIREMENTS.
2. SUCCEEDING DAY OUTLOOK.....NEGATIVE.
JWP


000
NOUS42 KNHC 141500
WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS
CARCAH, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, MIAMI, FL.
1100 AM EDT TUE 14 OCTOBER 2008
SUBJECT: TROPICAL CYCLONE PLAN OF THE DAY (TCPOD)
VALID 15/1100Z TO 16/1100Z OCTOBER 2008
TCPOD NUMBER.....08-136

I. ATLANTIC REQUIREMENTS
1. TROPICAL DEPRESSION-16
FLIGHT 0NE -- TEAL 74 FLIGHT TWO -- TEAL 75
A. 15/1800Z A. 16/0600Z
B. AFXXX 0216A CYCLONE B. AFXXX 0316A CYCLONE
C. 14/1400Z C. 16/0200Z
D. 16.5N 84.5W D. 16.6N 85.5W
E. 15/1700Z TO 15/2100Z E. 16/0500Z- 1000Z
F. SFC TO 10,000 FT F. SFC TO 10,000 FT
2. OUTLOOK FOR SUCCEEDING DAY: CONTINUE 12-HRLY FIXES
UNTIL NO LONGER A THREAT.

3. TROPICAL STORM OMAR
FLIGHT ONE -- TEAL 71
A. 15/1800Z,16/0000Z
B. AFXXX 0315A OMAR
C. 15/1600Z
D. 16.2N 66.5W
E. 15/1700Z TO 16/0000Z
F. SCF TO 10,000 FT

FLIGHT TWO -- TEAL 70
A. 16/0600,1200Z
B. AFXXX 0415A OMAR
C. 16/0400Z
D. 17.9N 64.8W
E. 16/0500Z TO 16/1200Z
F. SFC TO 10,000 FT
4. SUCCEDING DAY OUTLOOK: CONTINUE 6-HRLY FIXES
PROBABLY THROUGH 17/0000Z.

II. PACIFIC REQUIREMENTS
1. NEGATIVE RECONNAISSANCE REQUIREMENTS.
2. SUCCEEDING DAY OUTLOOK.....NEGATIVE.
WVW

Hurricane Omar Advisory #9

000
WTNT35 KNHC 151449
TCPAT5
BULLETIN
HURRICANE OMAR ADVISORY NUMBER 9
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL152008
1100 AM AST WED OCT 15 2008

...OMAR STRENGTHENING OVER THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA...
...HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE TO LASH ARUBA...BONAIRE...AND CURACAO...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE ISLANDS OF VIEQUES AND CULEBRA.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR ST. MARTIN/MAARTEN... SABA...ST. EUSTATIUS...ST. BARTHELEMY...THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS...ANGUILLA...ST. KITTS...AND NEVIS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...AND MONTSERRAT.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PUERTO RICO.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WARNING COULD BE REQUIRED FOR PUERTO RICO LATER TODAY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OMAR WAS LOCATED BY SATELLITE AND NOAA DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR TO BE NEAR LATITUDE 15.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 67.2 WEST OR ABOUT 235 MILES...380 KM...SOUTHWEST OF ST. CROIX AND ABOUT 235 MILES...375 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.

OMAR IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. ON THIS TRACK...OMAR IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OMAR IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND OMAR SHOULD BE A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. ALSO...STRONGER WINDS... ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE LIKELY OVER ELEVATED TERRAIN.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. DURING THE PAST HOUR...NOAA BUOY 42059 LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF THE EYE OF OMAR REPORTED A 1-MINUTE SUSTAINED WIND OF 64 MPH...104 KM/HR...AND A WIND GUST TO 78 MPH...126 KM/HR.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 982 MB...29.00 INCHES.

OMAR IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES...WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWESTERN AND NORTH-CENTRAL VENEZUELA AND THE NORTHERN GUAJIRA PENINSULA. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE PATH OF OMAR. IN ADDITION... OMAR IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE SWELLS THAT WILL AFFECT THE WEST- AND SOUTH-FACING COASTS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE ISLANDS OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND DAMAGE TO COASTAL STRUCTURES.

REPEATING THE 1100 AM AST POSITION...15.2 N...67.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...982 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 PM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500 PM AST.
$$
FORECASTER STEWART

RSGB Letter to UK Authorities Re:PLC

The Radio Society of Great Britain has sent a letter to the British Ofcom regarding the Society's perception of a weak response on the dire matter of Power Line Communications.

While RSGB has expressed considerable concern over strong HF interference caused by the wide deployment of home Ethernet power line adapters, Ofcom has spent two years making vague excuses based on a legal issue regarding the European Union.

As anyone who has been following the situation knows, politicians worldwide have been reluctant to rule decisively in PLC matters. Generally, they have preferred to see what the marketplace does, rather than be perceived as against "new technology." This has led to the approval by Germany of home computer networking gear that is clearly in violation of ITU regulations regarding access to spectrum. Further, these units do not generally meet their claimed specs as submitted for CE certification. These specs come from a self-test in a best-case situation which is unlikely to be replicated in the real world.

Here is a portion of the RSGB letter as published on the Society web site:

The RSGB has recently received a reply from Ofcom in response to a PLT complaint made almost two years ago. The Society has in turn expressed its’ dismay at the contents of this letter and has responded accordingly with a letter from the President. The following edited extract will hopefully show that the Society is not about to roll over and accept what amounts to “shoddy service” from the regulator -

“The Radio Society of Great Britain understands that as the product in question was declared compliant in Germany, Ofcom extended the usual courtesy of asking BNetzA to investigate as the home authority in the first instance. You say that BNetzA has investigated but decided not to take enforcement action but you have given no reasons. The implication is that you will not be taking any further action. However as the product is available from UK outlets we do request that you continue to investigate our complaint of non-compliance. You will know that if your investigations confirm the non-compliance, the fact that the German authorities have chosen not to take enforcement action is not a bar to the UK doing so under the principle of national subsidiarity. The integrity of New Approach Directives is in fact dependent on Member States acting where non-compliance is found. The procedure under Article 10 of the EMC Directive or Article 9 of the RTTE Directive provides the method by which Member States must notify the Commission of such independent action.

The Society submitted a detailed complaint case nearly two years ago and is still awaiting positive action by the UK regulatory authorities. You will appreciate that there is considerable frustration among HF radio users about this matter, many of whom are members of the RSGB. This delay, attributed to restructuring, is frankly deplorable, unprofessional and certainly does not reflect well on the neutrality of the administration or the stated Statutory Duty of “Ensuring the optimal use of the electro-magnetic spectrum”. We believe the recent increase in reported incidents of interference received from licensed radio amateurs and short-wave broadcast listeners alike and attributed to units from various manufacturers represents only a small percentage of those suffering with this problem, with the majority not yet aware of what is causing the harmful interference to their reception.
It is understood a number of sufferers have already written to their MPs and MEPs in respect to this problem and no doubt these letters will reach your desk in due course. In the meantime we look forward to hearing of the results of your investigations as referred to above and the pursuance of the “enforcement policy in line with stakeholders needs””.