WICHITA FALLS MAN
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12-15-2024 - 6:05 AM - Good Morning! Simplex Sunday is a day to give those Amateur Radio repeaters a break 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! I didn't make it to Natural Grocers today but went to United Market Street. There, we picked up some House-Smoked Turkey Breast and some pizza. Also, we stopped by Region 9 Education Center to vote in the run-off election for that City Council seat. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
12-14-2024 - I made contact with WC8L at Watters Smith Memorial State Park (US-1828) in West Virginia on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
12-14-2024 - I made contact with AC9HP at Cataract Falls State Recreation Area (US-5963) in Indiana on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
12-14-2024 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing for December 14, 2024
National Current Ops / Monitoring – December 13-14, 2024
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• Franklin Fire – CA – FINAL
Hazard Monitoring:
• Heavy Snow – Pacific Northwest, Northern Intermountain, California
• Freezing Rain – Montana, Mississippi Valleys, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic
• Heavy Rain / Flash Flooding – California
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
12-14-2024 - According to several news sources, The Hive Community Coffee Company, located at Seymour Highway and Loop 11 (the loop that doesn't loop), will shut down. The last day of business will be December 21. The Hive has been open only a few months.
12-14-2024 - NOAA Aviation Weather
METAR for: KSPS (Wichita Falls Rgnl, TX, US)
Text: KSPS 141052Z AUTO 23010KT 10SM CLR 14/13 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP176 T01440133
Conditions at: 1052 UTC 14 Dec 2024
Temperature: 14.4°C ( 58°F)
Dewpoint: 13.3°C ( 56°F) [RH = 93%]
Pressure (altimeter): 30.07 inches Hg (1018.4 mb) [Sea level pressure: 1017.6 mb]
Winds: from the SW (230 degrees) at 12 MPH (10 knots; 5.1 m/s)
Visibility: 10 or more sm (16+ km)
Ceiling: at least 12,000 feet AGL
Clouds: sky clear below 12,000 feet AGL
QC Flag: automated observation with no human augmentation
12-14-2024 - 5:24 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light northwest in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Light and variable wind.
12-14-2024 - 5:24 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: 326 km/sec Solar Wind Magnetic Fields: Bt 8 nT, Bz -3 nT Noon 10.7cm Radio Flux: 164 sfu.
12-14-2024 - 5:24 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 69.5% Kemp: 100.0% Kickapoo: 69.4%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 82.8% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (69.45%) to determine drought stage.
12-14-2024 - 5:24 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 9,298 Megawatts.
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12-14-2024 - 5:24 AM - Good Morning! It's Saturday and a group of local Amateur (ham) Radio Operators usually meet informally at Pioneer #3 at 8 AM. The Montague County Simplex Net kicks off at 9 AM on 147.500 MHz. My only planned activity today, other than radio stuff, is a trip to Natural Grocers. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
12-13-2024 - I stopped by the website of the Wichita County Sheriff's Office. I checked the "Daily Briefing" section to find that the latest briefing was on April 22, 2024. This doesn't seem very daily.
12-13-2024 - I have an idea for the former Hawk Ridge Golf Course: A "Disc Golf on Roller Blades" course. I've seen the idea mentioned online. Before you say it's a silly idea, I'll remind you that the City hosted a Quidditch tournament.
12-13-2024 - A busy radio frequency in Wichita Falls is the James V. Allred Unit, our very own male, maximum security prison, population 3,700+-. The General Population frequency is 155.813 MHz. The Expansion Cellblock (informally: ECB or High Security) operates on 155.725 MHz. The cell doors in the ECB are operated remotely at the request (by radio) of officers working in the various wings. This content makes up a lot of the ECB radio traffic. How can you tell the Allred Unit is a "maximum security" prison? You might think it's the four gun towers, but the real sign is the two fences surrounding the unit. Get a scanner radio and listen in!
12-13-2024 - If you didn't know, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is in the process of adding air conditioning to all units. The Allred Unit currently has air conditioning for 492 beds under construction. Unknown when the Allred will be completely air-conditioned. A temperature of 110 degrees in the living areas is a little too much for offenders and security staff. Your opinion may vary.
12-13-2024 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing for December 13, 2024
National Current Ops / Monitoring – December 12-13, 2024
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• Franklin Fire – CA
Hazard Monitoring:
• Heavy Snow – Sierra Nevada Mountains and New York
• Freezing Rain – Iowa
• Excessive Rainfall / Flooding – Northwest California
• Fire Weather – Southern Plains
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
12-13-2024 - SCAM ALERT - The WFPD warns that some citizens have received phone calls from persons claiming to be WFPD officers, telling them they have outstanding arrest warrants for failing to appear for jury duty. The caller advises the victims to go to the PD to take care of this issue or go to a website to pay the fine online. The WFPD says this is a scam and that citizens should not visit any website related to this scam. The WFPD will not call you about arrest warrants.
12-13-2024 - Remember, a local CB Radio group meets at 5:30 PM each evening on Channel 23. Speaking of CB Radio, I think the Multi-Use Radio Service - MURS would make an excellent replacement for local CB communications if only MURS had about ten more channels. People can still use the current CB Radio service for local communications, but it seems more suited for long-distance contacts. I think it has morphed into a skip-shooters paradise. This development is fine, especially since the FCC deleted the old 155-mile range restriction.
12-13-2024 - For military air communications (think Sheppard AFB), set your scanner radio to search from 225 to 380 MHz. You'll find a lot of interesting things to monitor. The regular air band is located from 108 MHz to 136.9875 MHz. Locally: Kickapoo Airport on 122.700 MHz, Wichita Valley Airport on 122.800 MHz, and Wichita Falls Regional Airport on 119.750 and 122.950 MHz.
12-13-2024 - 5:05 AM - Aviation Weather
METAR for: KSPS (Wichita Falls Rgnl, TX, US)
Text: KSPS 131052Z 15008KT 10SM OVC028 11/05 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP200 T01060050
Conditions at: 1052 UTC 13 Dec 2024
Temperature: 10.6°C ( 51°F)
Dewpoint: 5.0°C ( 41°F) [RH = 68%]
Pressure (altimeter): 30.13 inches Hg (1020.4 mb) [Sea level pressure: 1020.0 mb]
Winds: from the SSE (150 degrees) at 9 MPH (8 knots; 4.1 m/s)
Visibility: 10 or more sm (16+ km)
Ceiling: 2800 feet AGL
Clouds: overcast cloud deck at 2800 feet AGL