Wichita Falls Pundit
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08-29-2025 - 4:41 PM - I contacted a station in Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge (US-12601) in Illinois on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. POTA hunter count: 556.
08-29-2025 - 8:00 PM - The North Central Texas Simplex Net is on the air on 146.580 MHz. You'll need a good outside antenna to listen in.
08-29-2025 - 9:00 PM - If you remember seeing the Kaman Huskie helicopter flittering about above Sheppard Air Force Base, you’re no spring chicken. In fact, you might be reading ads for nursing homes. Heck, many eyeball witnesses have passed away!
08-28-2025 - 6:00 AM - Good Morning! It's Thursday, and I learned a new baseball rule last night when the Angels, behind the Rangers 11-3, started using regular position players (non-pitchers) to lob softballs at the Rangers. The rules allow this if you're behind by a certain number of runs and you want to save your real pitchers. The Rangers won 20-3. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
08-28-2025 - 6:10 AM - Today: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7am and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. East northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 67. East northeast wind 7 to 11 mph.
08-28-2025 - 6:15 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
08-28-2025 - 6:20 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 92.1% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 95.6%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 96.1% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (93.85%) to determine drought stage.
08-28-2025 - 6:55 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 11,691 Megawatts.
08-28-2025 - 7:00 AM - Some Wichita Falls radio scanning targets: Walmart (154.570 MHz), Allred Unit (153.815 MHz), Wichita County Jail (155.520 MHz), State Hospital (154.800 MHz) city transit buses (453.5375 MHz), WFISD school buses (152.360 MHz), school handheld radios (151.940 MHz), Wichita Valley Airport (122.800 MHz), Kickapoo Airport (122.700 MHz), Wichita Falls Regional Airport / SAFB (119.750 & 122.950 MHz), and the BNSF Railroad (160.920 MHz). Find more local frequencies here!
08-28-2025 - 7:05 AM - I still don't know what is being constructed on the west side of Loop 11, the loop that doesn't loop, just south of Old Iowa Park Road. I guess I could ask the City, but it's not that important. I'll just wait and see!
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08-28-2025 - 7:15 AM - According to a story at Texoma's Home Page, a Wichita Falls man was arrested and charged with soliciting a man, by text message, to engage in sex with the suspect's 5-year-old son. It seems that not a week goes by without someone being charged with a "child sex" offense in Wichita County.
08-28-2025 - 8:15 AM - That well-known operator is on CB Radio Channel 6. He's the one who says "I'm gone" a dozen times, but he never leaves. I don't care whether he leaves or not, but why say you are if you don't intend to? Okay, just a little good-spirited agitating.
08-28-2025 - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – August 27-28, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No significant incidents/ops
Hazard Monitoring:
• Heavy Rain/Flash Flooding – Central Plains to Lower Mississippi Valley
• Fire Weather – Washington
• Tropical Activity:
Atlantic:
• Post-Tropical Storm Fernand
• Disturbance 1: Low (20%)
Eastern and Central Pacific:
• Post-Tropical Storm Juliette
• Disturbance 1: Low (near 0%)
• Disturbance 2: High (80%)
• Disturbance 1: Med (40%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration – WI
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
08-28-2025 - 2:10 AM - I contacted a station on the Mound View State Trail (US-9805) in Wisconsin on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. POTA hunter count: 555.
08-28-2025 - 4:30 PM - The Wichita Falls area Skywarn® weather spotter net has been activated. I hear several spotters out and about. I didn't hear the Net Control Station take any check-ins, so it's possible that it's a limited activation. Tune in at 146.940 MHz on your scanner radio.
08-28-2025 - 5:20 PM - I don't hear much on the plane-to-plane frequency of 123.450 MHz, but I keep it in the scan rotation because you never know what you'll find. Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers get "stuck" microphones, just like everyone else. It can be amusing!
08-28-2025 - 8:30 PM - When I was in high school, I went CB Radio "motorcycle mobile" for a short while. It was a simple setup with the radio strapped to the seat behind me and a gutter mount antenna clamped to the license plate. Back then, I had no idea that what I thought was an antenna wasn't even a good dummy load at CB frequencies. It was fun telling people I was "motorcycle mobile".08-27-2025 - 5:30 AM - Good Morning! It's Wednesday. Yesterday was a fantastic day, weather-wise. Today will be warmer, but not terribly hot. I didn't make any attempt at Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® contacts yesterday. I might try later today when the 20-meter band opens. You might wonder why I only work the 20-meter band when it comes to HF (High Frequency) communications. In a way, it's a tactic that limits the time I spend playing radio. For example, the 40- and 80-meter bands are open now. I could go to these bands and look for contacts. Later tonight, when the 20-meter and other bands quiet down, I can return to 40- and 80-meters. The effect? I'd be spending too much time on Amateur (ham) Radio! My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
08-27-2025 - 5:40 AM - Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 103. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. East northeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
08-27-2025 - 5:45 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
08-27-2025 - 5:50 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 92.1% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 95.6%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 96.1% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (93.85%) to determine drought stage.