Wichita Falls Pundit
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05-22-2025 - At 7:00 PM, a two-meter simplex net kicked off on 146.520 MHz. The Net Control Station was atop Mount Scott, near Lawton, Oklahoma. I think this happens on the fourth Thursday of the month. Tune in or check in.
05-22-2025 - At 6:35 PM, the Wichita Falls area Skywarn® weather spotters issued a weather update. They were busy earlier but now enjoy a lull in storm activity. They may activate again, informing the National Weather Service and local news media of the situation in real time. Listen to the Wichita Falls spotters on 146.940 MHz and the Clay County spotters on 146.800 MHz.
05-22-2025 - At 3:50 PM, I'm getting pea- and dime-sized hail at the Wichita Falls Pundit HQ on the North side of Wichita Falls.
05-22-2025 - I didn't hear the new users of 151.940 MHz today, but I have it in my scanner radio rotation. Hopefully, I'll be around when they speak again. I ordered a set of MURS handheld radios today just so I can say, "Who are you?" when I hear them. I'm just kidding. I did order the radios, though. Meanwhile, the regular users (two guys) of 151.880 MHz are on the air. And, someone is sitting on their mic on 462.6125 MHz. Tune in with your scanner radio!
05-22-2025 - At 2:45 PM, the Wichita Falls area Skywarn® weather spotters were activated due to thunderstorms building to the south of Wichita Falls. Spotters are being sent to the usual monitoring locations throughout the city and county. Tune in to 146.940 MHz with your scanner radio.
05-22-2025 - At 12:45 PM, a representative of the Wichita Falls area Skywarn® weather spotters issued an update on conditions expected later this evening. Tune in to these updates on the 146.940 MHz repeater. Bee-boop bloop. That's my impression of the courtesy tones of the linked VHF and UHF repeaters. I had to throw that in there!
05-22-2025 - At 12:30 PM, the CB Radio band is relatively quiet. These are good conditions for local communications, whether you're a trucker or just someone wanting to chat. A chat today is what the FCC used to call "non-substantive" communications. I'm sure Uncle Charlie still feels that way.
05-22-2025 - Shortly after Noon, I heard what sounded like itinerant storm chasers on the Amateur (ham) Radio simplex frequency of 146.520 MHz. I based this on hearing unfamiliar call signs and their movements discussed over the air. I could be wrong. It's not a big deal one way or the other. We have a 50% chance of storms this evening.
05-22-2025 - I contacted a station in Big Cypress National Preserve (US-0569) in Florida on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. This brings my POTA hunter count to 528.
05-22-2025 - There's a lot of trucking traffic on CB Radio Channel 19 this morning. I've heard two "oversized loads" come through town; the rest has been general trucker-to-trucker chatter. Everyone should have a CB radio and a decent antenna. You never know when your "on the grid" communications world will go dark. We are living in interesting times.
BUY TWO-WAY RADIOS & SCANNERS!
05-22-2025 - Several upcoming Amateur (ham) Radio scheduled school contacts with the International Space Station are listed on the ARISS website. None of them are in the United States. When a U.S. contact is scheduled, I'll post it. Meanwhile, be sure to have 145.800 MHz and 145.99 MHz in your scanner radio rotation. You never know when you'll hear a random ISS contact with a Ham on the ground at 145.800 MHz or ground-based Hams using the repeater - 145.990 MHz - aboard the ISS.
05-22-2025 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – May 21-22, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Severe Thunderstorms – Southern Plains
• Heavy Rain/Flash Flooding – Northern Plains to Mid-Atlantic
• Tropical Activity:
Eastern Pacific:
• Disturbance 1: Medium (50%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Requests: Major Disaster Declaration – OR (2)
• FMAG Approval: Cody Fire – AZ
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
05-22-2025 - In the early 1980s, when I was still a "green" pilot with about 200 hours, a crop duster pilot I knew wanted me to join the ranks of that profession on a part-time basis. He said I would need more flight hours, but we could "pad" my logbook to satisfy the powers that be. I passed on the deal. A few years later, Mr. Duster dusted some power lines. He survived the event. Tune in to Kickapoo Airport at 122.700 MHz, and Wichita Valley Airport at 122.800 MHz.
05-22-2025 - At the old Gibson's Discount Center on 12th and Ohio streets, a female cashier was totaling the goods for a man, probably three times her age. Suddenly, in a loud voice, the cashier asked: "Do I shack?" The man said, "No, no, I said put that in a sack!" Later, the cashier explained that the man did indeed ask her if she wanted to "shack up."
05-22-2025 - Someone has been keying (kerchunking) the 147.140 MHz repeater using a radio with a "roger beep" activated. I heard it last night and again this morning. A Baofeng? I don't know of any "brand name" Amateur (ham) Radio with a roger beep. The kerchunker is not identifying their station. It won't be long before someone inquires about his call sign.
05-22-2025 - 5:45 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 95.6% Kemp: 100.0% Kickapoo: 98.2%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 97.9% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (96.9%) to determine drought stage.
05-22-2025 - 5:45 AM - 6:00 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 11,272 Megawatts.
05-22-2025 - 5;30 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 91. East southeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy during the early evening, then becoming mostly clear, with a low around 64. East wind 8 to 11 mph.
05-22-2025 - 5:30 AM - Good Morning! It's Thursday. I'm listening to a local/semi-local group on Amateur (ham) Radio 1.947 MHz. This is the 80-meter band or "75 phone" as some call it. You'll need a long - usually wire - antenna to get a good copy on this frequency. I don't have the best copy on them because I'm using my 10-40 meter Zero Five ground plane antenna to listen. Luckily, these guys are running a lot of power. I have no plans to ever transmit on this band, so I doubt I'll put up an antenna tuned for it. But I've been known to change my mind. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.