WICHITA FALLS MAN
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11-03-2024 - I made contact with KD9RDO at Kaskaskia unit of Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area (US-4153) in Illinois on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
11-03-2024 - There is a story in the latest AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin about Amateur (ham) Radio satellite AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (AO-7), launched in 1974. The satellite was operational for 6.5 years before its battery began to fail. Increased series resistance was given as the problem. Just a few weeks after symptoms appeared, the battery failed completely. After sleeping for 21 years, a CW (Morse code) signal was heard on AO-7's beacon frequency. It is believed that something caused an open circuit in the battery. According to reports, AO-7 is still operational in 2024, on solar panels only.
11-03-2024 -5:15 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 74. South wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between midnight and 3am, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 3am. Some of the storms could be severe. Increasing clouds, with a low around 65. South southeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms
11-03-2024 - 5:15 AM - NOAA SPACE WEATHER - Last 24 Hrs: Radio Blackouts (R1 - Minor) Solar Radiation Storms (S - None) Geomagnetic Storms (G - None) Current: Radio Blackouts (R - None) Solar Radiation Storms (S - None) Geomagnetic Storms (G - None). Solar Wind Speed: 433 km/sec Solar Wind Magnetic Fields: Bt -- nT, Bz -- nT Noon 10.7cm Radio Flux: 251 sfu.
11-03-2024 - 5:15 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 63.1% Kemp: 91.2% Kickapoo 65.5%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 75.7% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses the combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo to determine drought stage.
11-03-2024 - 5:15 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 9,692 Megawatts.
11-03-2024 - 5:15 AM - Good Morning! We got a fair amount of rain last night and this morning. We need more! Unknown if the storm spotters were activated during the night. It's Simplex Sunday, a day to give those Amateur Radio repeaters a break if possible and flex those simplex muscles. It's like giving your generator a regular run. Use the more inclusive two-meter FM simplex. Analog, please! GMRS users, you can play, too! My coffee is ready!
11-02-2024 - 11:45 PM - The Wichita Falls area Amateur (ham) Radio storm spotters issued a weather update on the 146.940 MHz repeater. It looks like more rain is on the way. Be sure to follow the spotters on this frequency.
11-02-2024 - Today is the 43rd anniversary of legalized CB Radio in the United Kingdom.
11-02-2024 - I made contact with KA0LDG at Sheyenne National Grassland (US-4132) in North Dakota on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
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11-02-2024 - The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) November Sweepstakes contest is happening this weekend. I hear the CQ SS across the CW (Morse code) portions of the 20- and 40-meter bands. Maybe I'll hand out a few contacts.
Scanner Radio Enthusiasts - The Original Wardrivers
11-02-2024 - 9:55 AM - Listening to the 444.000 MHz repeater, it sounds like local Amateur (ham) Radio Operators are providing communications support for the Veterans Day parade in downtown Wichita Falls. Unknown why the parade is a week early, but I guess there's a good reason.
11-02-2024 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing for November 2, 2024
National Current Ops / Monitoring – November 1-2, 2024
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Heavy Rain/Flash Flooding/Severe Thunderstorms – Central/Southern Plains
• Mixed Precipitation – Pacific Northwest, Southwest to the Rockies
• Tropical Activity
Atlantic:
• Disturbance 1: High (80%)
• Disturbance 2: Low (10%)
• Subtropical Storm Patty
Eastern Pacific:
• Tropical Storm Lane
• Disturbance 1: Medium (40%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Eight amendments issued
• Approval: Major Disaster Declaration – NM
• Approval: Major Disaster Declaration – CRST
Event Monitoring:
• No new significant events
11-02-2024 - International Space Station over Wichita Falls - Time: Sun Nov 03 7:01 AM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 40°, Appears: 12° above NNW, Disappears: 10° above ESE. Listen on 145.800 & 437.800 MHz for possible Amateur (ham) Radio communications.
11-02-2024 - 6:20 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 7am and 4pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South southeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 66. South wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.
11-02-2024 - 6:20 AM - NOAA SPACE WEATHER - Last 24 Hrs: Radio Blackouts (R1 - Minor) Solar Radiation Storms (S - None) Geomagnetic Storms (G - None) Current: Radio Blackouts (R - None) Solar Radiation Storms (S - None) Geomagnetic Storms (G - None). Solar Wind Speed: 443 km/sec Solar Wind Magnetic Fields: Bt 11 nT, Bz -5 nT Noon 10.7cm Radio Flux: 256 sfu.
11-02-2024 - 6:20 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 62.5% Kemp: 91.61% Kickapoo 64.8%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 75.8% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses the combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo to determine drought stage.
11-02-2024 - 6:20 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 9,877 Megawatts.
11-02-2024 - 6:20 AM - Good Morning! It's Saturday, and the Amateur (ham) Radio contest enthusiasts will be out in force. The Parks on the Air® people will also be out and about. I've been lax about making park contacts the last few days, so a little catch-up might be in order. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
11-01-2024 - At 5:50 PM, I hear KI5LET in Wise County making contacts on 146.520 MHz FM simplex. He's a little scratchy, and I think he said he was running just 5 watts. Unknown the type and height of his antenna. As for me, it has been another day of just listening and not too much of that. Other chores have displaced radio fun. Maybe tomorrow will be better.