RadioMan763™
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052
05-12-2026 - 5:15 AM - Good morning! It’s Tuesday, and quite possibly a day to mow the yard. Or, at least part of the yard. My yard is not that big, even though it’s a corner lot, but I am not feeling very energetic today. I’m getting behind on my Morse code Parks on the Air® contacts, but that’s okay. Even when I’m not actively making contacts, I’m still listening to Morse code, as I am right now. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
--- 5:30 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 87. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 61. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
--- 5:35 AM - NWS Short Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:40 AM - NWS Extended Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:50 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 85.0% Kemp: 94.9% Kickapoo: 86.8%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 89.6% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (85.9%) to determine drought stage.
--- 9:00 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing
--- 9:05 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 16,696 Megawatts.
--- 1:45 PM - According to an online headline from the Times Record News, a hearing has been scheduled on the data center related housing boom expected in Wichita Falls. I haven't done any real research on the benefits of having a data center, so I'm pretty much in the "take it or leave it" mindset. When I say benefits, I mean direct benefits for me. For now, my only hope is that there is some interesting radio communications to be intercepted from that location, either during construction, actual operation, or both.
--- 2:15 PM - It seems that one chore after another has jumped in the way of me and my radios today. I haven't had time to even listen, let alone make a contact. Well, I'm taking tomorrow off. No chores. Maybe I'll get a couple of contacts in. If not, that's okay. I enjoy receiving as much as transmitting. Actually, I like receiving more than transmitting. Some Amateur (ham) Radio operators talk even when they have nothing to say. I try not to be one of those guys.
--- 4:00 PM - Appliance Operator is an unflattering term used by some Amateur (ham) Radio Operators to describe a class of “hams” who have no real technical radio knowledge and merely operate the controls of their equipment according to the user manual. In other words, they cannot build or repair radio equipment, so they send it to the shop. I say someone should start an Amateur Radio Appliance Operators Club! With most radio equipment unserviceable by anyone other than a trained technician with a bench full of test equipment, membership will be huge. I consider myself eminently qualified to be president!
--- 4:15 PM - Last year, there was a lot of online discussion about the "rebranding" of Cracker Barrel. I don't know how that turned out. All I remember about Cracker Barrel is the horrible sausage patties. They were an abomination of a travesty. Tip for Cracker Barrel: Buy some Jimmy Dean sausage from a local store and charge extra if necessary.
--- 5:00 PM - Back 40 years ago and beyond, the ladies working at our local Gibson's Discount Center got off at 1 PM on Saturdays. The men had to stay until closing. This was so the ladies could do what ladies do to prepare for Sunday. That was the reason given.
--- 6;00 PM - The local Amateur (ham) Radio VHF frequencies have been pretty quiet the last few days. I've heard only sporadic chatter on the repeater (147.140 MHz) and the simplex frequency (146.520 MHz). It's quite possible that they are operating on frequencies that I don't know about. After all, there are thousands of frequencies available.
--- 8:00 PM - For some reason, I thought the Clay County Amateur Radio Club had moved its weekly net to Thursdays, but I guess not. They are on the air on 146.800 MHs as I write this. Maybe their monthly club meeting, on a Thursday, fooled me.