WICHITA FALLS MAN
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08-31-2024 - I had a pleasant flashback of listening on my scanner radio for the "jump plane" over Grandfield, Oklahoma, to report to Sheppard AFB Air Traffic Control "jumpers away." Later, I was one of the jumpers reported as "away." And later, I was the jump pilot reporting "jumpers away." Check the scanner frequency page for relevant frequencies.
08-31-2024 - According to an online story, some Tesla owners are doing a Tesla/APRS integration to broadcast their car’s location and status to the APRS-IS network. APRS-IS stands for Automatic Packet Reporting System-Internet Service. There is a lot of interest in APRS in the Wichita Falls area, but I'm not sure there are many Ham Radio Tesla owners. That's all I know. I don't have an interest in Teslas and I haven't found a personal use for APRS. Google the topic if you want more information.
08-31-2024 - I made contact with AA5JF at Fort Gaines National Historic Site (US-0042) in Alabama on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
08-31-2024 - I made contact with WV3H at Culpeper Battlefield State Park (US-11719) in Virginia on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
08-31-2024 - Here we are at the end of August. Coming up will be a short "window of opportunity" to enjoy Hobby Radio activities from our local city parks. Yes, before you know it, it will soon be Winter in Wichita Falls.
08-31-2024 - National Current Ops / Monitoring – August 30-31, 2024
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No significant incidents/operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Severe Thunderstorms – Central Appalachians and Northeast
• Heavy rain/flash flooding – Central Appalachians, Northeast and the Gulf Coast
• Tropical Activity:
Atlantic:
• Disturbance 1: Low (20%)
• Disturbance 1: Medium (50%)
• Disturbance 1: Low (10%)
Central Pacific:
• Tropical Depression Hone
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Two Amendments issued
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
08-31-2024 - I see occasional tweets promoting CB Radio as the original social media. Amateur (ham) Radio predates CB Radio by 35 years.
08-31-2024 - NWS Forecast - Today: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. North northeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
08-31-2024 - 5:57 AM - Wichita Falls reservoir status according to Water Data for Texas: Arrowhead: 68.3 Kemp: 100.0% Kickapoo 71.4%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 82.6% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses the combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo to determine drought stage.
08-31-2024 - 5:57 AM - NOAA SPACE WEATHER - Last 24 Hours - Radio Blackouts (Minor) Solar Radiation Storms (None) Geomagnetic Storms (Minor) Current - Solar Wind Speed: 367 km/sec Solar Wind Magnetic Fields: Bt 9 nT, Bz 3 nT Noon 10.7cm Radio Flux: 214 sfu.
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08-31-2024 - 5:57 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 8,446 Megawatts.
08-31-2024 - Good Morning! It's Saturday, and I'm listening to a conversation in CW (Morse code) on the 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band while my coffee brews. The weather forecast might be saying one thing and the sky another because I expected a little more rain than we've received. Maybe the situation will improve. According to new reports, there is supposed to be some meat grilling at the 8th & Ohio Farmers Market this morning. I can envision all those people jammed into that small space. I think that location has outgrown its britches a long time ago. They need a bigger house! My coffee is ready!
08-30-2024 - The local 147.140 MHz Amateur (ham) Radio repeater has been undergoing upgrades related to Wires-X and Yaesu System Fusion. I'm not fluent in these topics because these are technologies that I'll never use. Everyone involved seems really excited about it all, so what could be better? Tune in with your scanner radio. You'll be able to hear analog voice traffic but not digital traffic.
08-30-2024 - Parole Dust - Fog so heavy that it hides the prison fence, enabling inmates to climb over unseen. Tune in to the James V. Allred Unit daily operations at 153.815 MHz on your scanner radio.
08-30-2024 - From the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service - Hickory Hollow Jerky, a Eufaula, Ala., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection.
08-30-2024 - I made contact with W4LOO at Jordanelle State Park (US-3080) in Utah on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. (Second contact.)
08-30-2024 - Several decades ago, I did a long-term substitute teacher gig at Kirby Middle School in the aerospace program. The school had two partial T-38 fuselages and the crew section of an F-111 Aardvark that was put into service as the Space Shuttle. Since the program was an "unofficial" elective, no teacher certification was required. I did, however, have a dusty Commercial Pilot certificate with Instrument and Multi-Engine ratings, and expired Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor ratings. I figured I was semi-qualified to lead the class. At one point I set up a two-meter Amateur (ham) Radio station and let the kids talk to local hams. I had planned to have the class make radio contact with the International Space Station, but I moved on before that developed.
08-30-2024 - Emcomm* vs Freecomm. One is organized, the other not so much. With all the Baofeng radios being sold, Freecomm might be something of a thing. I have no idea how many Baofeng radios are going to licensed Amateur (ham) Radio Operators, those who intend to become licensed, or those who have no intention of becoming licensed. There's always talk online about how Amateur Radio gear can be used without a license in the case of an emergency. I get the feeling that what many of these folks consider an emergency and what the FCC considers an emergency are not the same. *Emergency communications.
08-30-2024 - FEMA National Current Ops / Monitoring – August 29-30, 2024
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No significant incidents/operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Severe thunderstorms – Michigan
• Heavy rain/flash flooding – Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana
• Tropical Activity:
Atlantic:
• Disturbance 1: Med (40%)
• Disturbance 1: Low (20%)
Eastern Pacific:
• No tropical cyclones expected during the next 7 days
Central Pacific:
• Remnants of Gilma
• Tropical Depression Hone
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration - Illinois
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration - Nebraska
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration - Vermont
• Approval: Major Disaster Declaration - New York
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
08-30-2024 - NWS Forecast - Today: A slight chance of showers before 10am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10am and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 97. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. East northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.