Usually I seem to write when it is stormy out. However this morning, though it is well below zero, it is good weather. About 0715 we noticed a pinkish red sky below a bank of clouds where the sun was about to rise. It turned the  grayish hillsides to a raspberry red. We call this phenomena "raspberry hills". It happens quite often, but this morning it was spectacular. The color was so strong, you never would have guessed the somber color of the winter hillsides. Fifteen minutes later you never would have guessed the landscape could be so colorful in January.

     N1FCV sustained the second repeater loss of 2000 when the high winds on Dec. 18th blew apart the shack that houses the .33 repeater. Earlier in the year fire damage put the repeater off the air. Gil, we wish you better luck  when you resurrect the repeater in the spring.

      The SJVARA has had two interesting meetings to start off the new millennium. Hendricus Lulofs was our speaker for our Jan. 8 meeting. He is the Warning Coordinating Meteorologist at the National Weatherservice in Caribou. More about his lively, interesting presentation on page 3.

Address comments, questions, or suggestions to: 
Gale Flagg  R.F.D.#3  Box 250
Fort Kent  ME 04743 
Phone: 207-834-6670
E-mail: galeflagg@sjv.net

Called to Order:  18.35  by N1UYA
Program: Hendricus Lulofs---see page 3.
In Attendance: Gale N1UYA, Steve NICHF,  Peter N1PMS,  Charles
N7GLR, Ruth KA7VNR , Gil NIJHD, Sandra N1QMC, Lee N1LON, Dave N1FCW, Marty KWIC, and Rosaire Gagnon (studying for March Test).
Secretary's Minutes:  Motion was made by N7GLR to dispense with the
reading of the December minutes, seconded by N1PMS and passed.
Treasurer's Report:  Steve, NICHF, Treasurer, reported that the
previous balance was $715.56 +$1.45 interest -$76.51 (Motorola manual, crystals, connectors, fuse holder) New Balance $640.50-- Motion to accept by N1FCW, seconded by N1PMS, and passed.
OLD BUSINESS:
Rocky Mountain:  Batteries are charging well. The problem mentioned last month with a low signal and low charging was caused by everything at the site being ice coated. Steve chipped the ice off the solar panel and all has been ok since. Presently you do not need a tone to get into 146.715-.
Feed-Point on Line: All is well. N7GLR wonders if photos should be in color or black and white. He will experiment a bit.

Paul Ciarletta 2-11
 

      From 1939 to 1999 the Caribou station was an observation station employing 5 people. In mid 1999 they spun up to a Forecast office, after being only one of two stations out of 300 nationwide  to survive scheduled closing.

Now 22 employees give public, aviation, and marine forecasts, as well as warnings for severe local weather. They cover from Bangor and Stonington north.   A trillion dollars of the economy are weather sensitive.

     The station is one of 45 observation sites in the U.S. It is one of six stations nationwide making ozone measurements. The station launches two weather balloons a day, at 7 AM and 7 PM. Weather balloons are sent up worldwide. Robotic weather sensors are located in several places, one set being in Frenchville. 
 

     Pictures of the large central computers and the 5 workstations, each with 5 computers, were shown. One meteorologist has 5 screens to study. 

   KB1ELT, Mike, is a meteorologist and he is looking into the purchase of ham gear for the Caribou station. When it is set up they expect to call local operators in to operate the ham equipment during severe weather. Nets will be called by the weather service when needed. Coordinators will hold the nets and call in the results. (N1UYA signed up to be a coordinator. Perhaps others did, too).

     Lulofs stressed that human observers (in addition to robots) are needed to give warnings and confirmations. Also, nothing electronic  can yet measure snowfall. There are currently 300 weather spotters and Lulofs hopes to get the number up to 500.     N1UYA