The annual on-the-air station test of WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami on Saturday, May 26, was “very successful,” Assistant WX4NHC Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, reported. Among the guest operators was the new NHC Director, Ken Graham, WX4KEG.

“All of our radios and antennas worked well,” Ripoll said. “Even with our equipment maintenance, software updates, we were able to make over 150 contacts nationwide, including stations in the Caribbean and South America.” Ripoll said a few dozen contacts were made on the EchoLink Hurricane Practice Net, thanks to Rob Macedo, KD1CY, and the VoIP Hurricane Net team.

Several contacts were made on the Florida SARNET, which links more than 25 UHF repeaters statewide, including many emergency operations centers, Ripoll said. “We also received dozens of weather reports from stations using HF Winlink.