Wichita Falls Pundit
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09-13-2025 - 8:00 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – September 12–13, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents/operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Excessive Rainfall / Flash Flooding – Northern and Southern Plains
• Tropical Activity
Atlantic:
• Disturbance 1: Medium (50%)
Eastern and Central Pacific:
• Remnants of Mario
• Disturbance 1: Low (20%)
• Disturbance 2: Low (20%)
• Disturbance 3: Low (20%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
09-13-2025 - 8:30 AM - A few days ago, I posted that X, formerly known as Twitter, suspended my account for "inauthentic content" or some other nonsense. Today, that account was re-instated as I knew it would be as soon as a human reviewed the event. -y response: I promptly deleted the account. That suspension threw a small wrench in my operations. Never again!
09-13-2025 - 8:45 AM - I stumbled upon a website dedicated to QRP - low-power communications - and one of the first things I saw was a review of a 50-watt radio. To me and others, QRP is 5 watts or less. Some people believe that anything less than 100 watts is considered QRP. Maybe this is one of those groups. I'm confused.
09-13-2025 - 8:50 AM - I don't know if the new CB Radio FM mode will be popular. Only time will tell. I can take it or leave it. I'm sure I'm not going to buy a radio without SSB, so if FM is included, fine. If not, that's fine, too.
09-13-2025 - 9:00 AM - According to a story on Texoma's Home Page (KFDX), a former Wichita Falls police officer was sentenced to five years in prison, a decision following a history of protective order violations, police stand-offs, and self-harm. Police departments, like any other business, hire from the human race. Stuff is gonna happen. There was also news of a new golf course, City Limits Golf Club, to be built in the Dean, Texas area. The plan is to begin with nine holes and later expand to eighteen holes. A restaurant and lighting for night play are included in the plans.
09-13-2025 - 10:45 AM - The Wichita County Jail, on 155.520 MHz, is probably the least exciting scanner target in town. I would say that 95% of their radio traffic consists of officers calling for Central Control to open doors. At the old Sprague Annex, the "tanks" had gates in a "sallyport" configuration. I don't know what it looks like at the new location, but it sounds like the cells, tanks, or whatever are still opened remotely. Tune in with your scanner. For the same reason, the Expansion Cellblock (ECB) is not very interesting to monitor. You can listen in at 155.725 MHz. Allred Unit General Population, on 153.815 MHz, is where it's happening. That's just my opinion.
09-13-2025 - 11:45 AM - I contacted a station in Tippecanoe River State Park (US-2271) in Indiana on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
09-13-2025 - 5:20 PM - Someone on CB Radio Channel 19, sleepy or tipsy, is asking people to send him money so he can buy a new CB Radio. His other job is probably holding up an "out-of-gas" or "out-of-work" sign at a local Walmart.
09-12-2025 - 6:00 AM - Good Morning! It's Friday. I might apply some fertilizer to the yard this morning. Next month, I'll do the pre-emergent. I have no other chores planned. I could add another Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® station or two to my count. So far, I've worked 569 unique POTA parks. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready. UPDATE: 8:00 AM - I did apply the fertilizer.
09-12-2025 - 6:05 AM - Wichita Falls NWS Forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 96. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. South southeast wind 8 to 10 mph.
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09-12-2025 - 6:10 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
09-12-2025 - 6:15 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 91.1% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 94.1%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 95.4% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (92.6%) to determine drought stage.
09-12-2025 - 6:25 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 10,469 Megawatts.
An Idea for a Hobby Radio Communications Store in Wichita Falls
09-12-2025 - 6:45 AM - In a parallel universe, there exists a country where CB Radio is more popular than the Internet. CB radios come as standard equipment on all motor vehicles. People use them to call in orders at their favorite eatery and conduct other business. Digital codes containing the "owner identification number" accompany each transmission. Intentional interference is rare and dealt with by summary execution.
09-12-2025 - 7:00 AM - If you monitor the James V. Allred Unit prison on 153.815 MHz, you might have noticed more than a few “incidents” taking place involving offenders. Most of these are simulated ICS (Incident Command System) Drills. You’ll have to listen carefully to distinguish between real and simulated. You still might not be able to tell.
09-12-2025 - 8:05 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – September 11–12, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents/operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Heavy Rain / Flash Flooding – Northern Plains, Central/Southern Rockies, and Florida
• Tropical Activity
Atlantic:
• Disturbance 1: Medium (40%)
Eastern and Central Pacific:
• Tropical Depression Thirteen-E
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Approved: Major Disaster Declaration – CTM
• Approved; Major Disaster Declaration – KS
• Approved; Major Disaster Declaration – NC
• Approved: Major Disaster Declaration – ND
• Approved; Major Disaster Declaration – SWO
• Approved; Major Disaster Declaration – WI
• One amendment issued
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
09-12-2025 - 8:15 AM - The thing about local CB Radio communications is that it's not always local. I don't know how many times I've heard operators from other states break into a local "rag chews" to let them know they're being heard. Also, truckers will respond to a "truckstop ad" only to discover that the truck stop is 500 miles away.
09-12-2025 - 8:15 AM - I was stationed at the now-defunct Savanna Army Depot in Savanna, Illinois, from 1974 to 1975. There, I guarded what the military calls Special Weapons. They were stored in earth-covered bunkers. You know the type of weapons I'm talking about. We had a V-100 (Google it) standing by for the Back-Up Alert Force. Sometimes, when I wasn't patrolling the bunkers, I'd sit in the V-100, crank up the "boat anchor" VHF radio, and listen to radio traffic in the area. Boat anchor is Hobby Radio-speak for big and heavy.
09-12-2025 - 8:40 AM - I have the first issue, 1962, of "S9 The Citizens Band Journal." I bought it on eBay several years ago. The spine is in less-than-perfect condition. It's not detached, but it's starting to show a little wear. Some library archival tape might be in order. Maybe I'll find one in perfect condition one of these days. And, maybe not. I never found that mythical “perfectly good airplane” to jump out of, but that didn’t stop me from jumping.