February 23, 2006 Net Report

Thanks to all who checked in to the net tonight. If you're wondering where the February 16th net report is, well... it's not here! I was not able to participate in the net last week so there's no net report for the 16th. But here's the report for the 23rd!

Trivia Question:

The highest wind velocity ever recorded in the United States was measured on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire in 1934? How hard was the wind blowing?

Trivia Answer:

231 Miles per hour!

The photo above by Bryan Yeaton: After the alpenglow fades from sunrise, the summit buildings dazzle in the morning air. Clouds swirl around the tower, turning the sky to slate, before continuing on to the ocean.

The first regular meteorological observations on Mount Washington were conducted by the U.S. Signal Service, a precursor of the Weather Bureau, from 1870 to 1892. The Mount Washington station was the first of its kind in the world, setting an example followed in many other countries.

The Mount Washington Observatory reoccupied the summit in 1932 through the enthusiasm of a group of individuals who recognized the value of a scientific facility at that demanding location. In April of 1934, observers measured a wind gust of 231 mph, which remains a world record for a surface station. In spite of the hardships imposed by their environment, observers regularly monitored weather under the auspices of the U.S. Weather Bureau, and conducted landmark research in short-wave radio propagation, ice physics and the constitution of clouds. The relationship with the U.S. Weather Service has always been close, but the Observatory is not a part of any government agency.

The Observatory continues to record and disseminate weather information. It also serves as a benchmark station for the measurement of cosmic ray activity in the upper atmosphere, develops robust instrumentation for severe weather environments and conducts many types of severe weather research and testing. The term outpost can be defined as a small group stationed away from the main body; it is also referred to as an outlying or frontier settlement. These definitions lend a sense of endangerment associated with the word, as well as the understanding of an important mission. Of the scores of mountaintop scientific stations that eventually followed its lead, the Mount Washington station is perhaps the only one that can be said to have remained in continuous operation with an active and expanding mission.

XXXXXXXXXX Net Check Ins for 2/23/06 XXXXXXXXXXXX

The following people checked in to the net:

• WB6A Pat
• WB6ATV Ron
• KG6DBL Bill
• K6FCC Khalil
• N6HY Ernie
• N6KAS Andy
• KG6KTC Leon
• K6LMN Roger
  
• KE6MSS Thomas
• K6MSU Ron
• W6NVY Gary
• KG6NWJ Barry
• KF6PIH Scott
• WA6QAG Max
  
• K6QVZ Joe
• KG6RDA Sidney
• KG6TRR Bob
  
• WA6USL Murray
• KG6WXY Ralph
  
• KF6ZQM Harry
• N6ZZK Ted
• KG6MZU Walt
• KC6SAD John
  

And the winner of the Trivia Question was... Ralph, KG6WXY who guessed 230 MPH. Congratulations!