WICHITA FALLS MAN

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12-17-2023 - The hunters are out hunting again on 151.820 MHz, a Multi-Use Radio Service frequency. They were probably out yesterday, but I didn't tune in then. You can catch them on your scanner.

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12-17-2023 - Forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 64. South wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 37. Light north northwest wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the evening.

12-17-2023 - Good Morning! It's Morse code and coffee again. I'm listening to what is, for me, a high-speed conversation on the 80-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band. They're going at it at about 30 words per minute and I'm getting about 25% of it. It's good practice. I was listening to some voice chatter on the same band but the IQ total of that 4-man group was probably 50. I think they must have bought their Ham Radio license on the black market. Don't think it doesn't happen. Hopefully, it doesn't happen too often. With the Morse requirement eliminated, and a written test almost anyone can pass, only an imbecile would have to resort to such a thing. Getting an Amateur Radio license isn't "rocket science", as they say. Switching back to the locals on 160 meters - 1947 kHz - they're talking about old Wichita Falls restaurants that no longer exist.

12-16-2023 - At 5:40 AM I hear our local Air Evac Lifeteam preparing for a flight to Fort Worth. Tune in to the action at 159.900 MHz on your scanner.

12-16-2023 - Forecast - Today - Sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 32. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight.

12-16-2023 - Good Morning! It's coffee time once again. It's also Saturday and I'll be going to the 8th & Austin Street Farmers Market to replenish my supply of salsa. I get mine from Joey, The Salsa Guy. Search for him on Facebook. He's easy to find. Or, just go downtown and buy a few jars. Also, the International Space Station will make a pass over Wichita Falls at 6:50 AM. I might go outside and watch unless we've got cloud cover.

12-15-2023 - International Space Station over Wichita Falls - Time: Sat Dec 16 6:50 AM, Visible: 7 min, Max Height: 67°, Appears: 10° above SW, Disappears: 10° above NE. Listen on 145.800 & 437.800 MHz for possible Amateur (ham) Radio communications.

12-15-2023 - From the U.S. Federal Communications Commission - For Immediate Release - FCC PROPOSES TO FINE NEW YORK CITY ELECTRONICS MARKETER FOR SELLING UNAUTHORIZED, NONCOMPLIANT WIRELESS DEVICES - Failure to Respond to Investigators and Continued Unauthorized Marketing Practices Result in a Proposed $1.2 Million Fine - WASHINGTON, December 14, 2023—The Federal Communications Commission today proposed a fine in the amount of $1,202,454 against Sound Around, a Brooklyn-based online seller of audio and video electronics and accessories, for marketing 33 unauthorized, noncompliant radio frequency devices and for failing to comply with Commission orders. These apparent violations are compounded by the fact that the company had been cited in 2011 and fined in 2022 for marketing noncompliant radio frequency devices in violation of the ommunications Act and the Commission’s rules. Instead of complying with the Commission’s rules, Sound Around continued to market noncompliant radio frequency devices, resulting in the current Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture. “While Sound Around continues to be a repeat player in this space, let this be a message to others that we will vigorously pursue those that choose to engage in the marketing of unauthorized and noncompliant equipment like the ones referenced in the Notice of Apparent Liability,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal.

12-15-2023 - You might have seen the video of the Ukranian Deputy tossing hand grenades into a council meeting. The resulting explosion from the hand grenades used looks like something obtained from a fireworks stand. Also, you can tell from the comments those who have thrown a real hand grenade and those who have not. Mind you, there's absolutely nothing wrong with never having thrown a real hand grenade. I've only thrown one and one was enough to keep me laughing at the ones thrown in movies.

12-15-2023 - The 147.140 MHz Amateur (ham) Radio repeater has been getting a little bit of a workout this morning with on-the-way-to-work chatter. I haven't heard anything on 146.520 MHz, the 2-meter simplex calling frequency. Let's see what the day brings.

12-15-2023 - Good Morning! It's coffee time and I see that we got some rain last night. This is good. Lawns need rain year-round. Oh, and so do our lakes! I'm listening to the hams on 1947 kHz (160 meter ham radio band) to see what they're up to this morning. A lot of folks complain about "old" hams talking about their medical conditions, but these guys are talking about cooking! I'm also monitoring our local VHF Amateur (ham) Radio frequencies for anything that might pop up there.

12-14-2023 - Smackalicious, described by the owners as a "one-stop shop for drink and snack needs", has opened on the first floor of "Big Blue", the First Wichita, building in downtown Wichita Falls. This is a good thing! On a related note, a Dallas sports podcaster stopped by the 8th Street Coffee House and tweeted about his positive experience. He said he had a "grilled PB&J w/ bacon." That delicacy alone might be worth a visit from any spot on the globe!

12-14-2023 - Good morning! If you know me, you know it's coffee time once again. I'm listening to those local and semi-local guys on 1947 kHz (1.947 MHz) on my Yaesu FT 857D. This is a good example of what Amateur (ham) Radio is for a lot of "hams". Instead of sitting at a local eatery sipping coffee and "shooting the breeze", they sit behind a microphone in the comfort of their homes, sip coffee, and "chew the rag" as it is called in the hobby.

12-13-2023 - From the U.S. Federal Communications Commission - FCC REAFFIRMS DECISION TO REJECT STARLINK APPLICATION FOR NEARLY $900 MILLION IN SUBSIDIES - Applicant Failed to Meet Burden for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund - WASHINGTON, December 12, 2023—The Federal Communications Commission today reaffirmed the Wireline Bureau’s prior decision to reject the long-form application of Starlink to receive public support through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program, based on the applicant’s failure to meet the program requirements. The program, which uses scarce universal service funding collected from consumers, sought to expand access to broadband networks in rural areas.

12-13-2023 - Federal Communications Commission - WASHINGTON, December 13, 2023—The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to further protect consumers from scam communications by directly addressing some of the biggest vulnerabilities in America’s robotext defenses and closing the “lead generator” robocall/robotexts loophole. The new rules allow blocking of “red flagged” robotexting numbers, codifies do-not-call rules for texting, and encourages an opt-in approach for delivering email-to-text messages.

12-13-2023 - From the U.S. Federal Communications Commission - NOTICE OF ILLEGAL PIRATE RADIO BROADCASTING - Case Number: EB-FIELDNER-20-00030704 - The New York Office of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enforcement Bureau is investigating a complaint about an unlicensed FM broadcast station operating on frequency 107.9 MHz. On June 20, 2023, agents from the New York Office confirmed by direction finding techniques that radio signals on frequency 107.9 MHz were emanating from the property at 591 East 40th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11203 (Property). Publicly available records identify The Joseph Best and Sheila Y. Best Living Trust, Joseph Best, As Trustee, and Sheila Best. The FCC’s records show no license issued for operation of a radio broadcast station on 107.9 MHz at this location. Radio broadcast stations operating on certain frequencies, 47 CFR § 73.201. including 107.9 MHz, must be licensed by the FCC pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act). 47 U.S.C. § 301. Although the FCC’s rules create exceptions for certain extremely low-powered devices, our agents have determined that those exceptions do not apply to the transmissions they observed originating from the Property. Accordingly, the station operating on the Property may be violating the Act. See, e.g., id. § 511.

12-13-2023 - I see that Frank & Joe's Coffee has opened a third location at 4111 Southwest Parkway, next to Chick-fil-A. I didn't know there was a Chick-fil-A on Southwest Parkway. Maybe I should get out of the house more. Anyway, this is good news. Better news would have been to read about a new Frank & Joe's just outside the Sheppard AFB Main Gate. Maybe that'll be the fourth location!