Ra7dio3 Report
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08-21-2025 - 5:10 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
08-21- 2025 - 5:15 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 93.1% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 96.7%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 96.7% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (94.9%) to determine drought stage.
08-21-2025 - 5:20 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 7,800 Megawatts.
08-21-2025 - 6:00 AM - One of the many advantages of Wichita Falls is its manageable size. Well, it's a good thing when it comes to radio communications. As I like to say, you can get on a hill or overpass and see from one side of town to the other. Antennas just 20 feet in the air can certainly "see" one another. This means that even the least expensive VHF or UHF handheld radios, using an outside antenna, can communicate from one side of town to the other. Even base station to mobile unit would find few dead spots. There is no reason to be out-of-touch in Wichita Falls, even when there is no Internet or cell service.
08-21-2025 - 6:15 AM - A few years ago, a local Operator was pulling his hair out over an SWR reading of 1.4:1. He was discussing the situation with an operator across town. No matter how much he shortened, lengthened, or mutilated his antenna, he couldn’t get the SWR lower. Finally, perhaps with the assistance of gremlins, he managed to get it down to 1.3:1. He asked the other operator if he could detect any difference in his signal. Not surprisingly, the other operator said he could not. It was interesting that he was freaking out over a reading of 1.4:1. What was more interesting was the idea that a station across town could tell the difference between the two SWR readings. The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Handbook is a valuable reference. Every Hobby Radio Operator should read the first 10 chapters. That’s my opinion, anyway.
08-21-2025 - 6:40 AM - Way back in the late 1960s, a CB Radio Operator, living in the housing area just east of the Channel 6 TV station, had a few CB friends at the house. This guy just happened to be the proud owner of a Browning Golden Eagle CB Radio station. The wife of one of the friends called for him on the radio. He started to answer her on the Browning, but first had the owner turn off that classic Browning Golden Eagle "ping." This, apparently, was the only Browning in town at the time, and he didn't want his wife to know his location. You old CBers probably know what I'm talking about.
08-21-2025 - 7:10 AM - If you're not a Harry Potter fan, and I am not, you might not know that the 2018 US Quidditch Southwest Regional Championship was held in Wichita Falls. I'm still not sure what to think about the sight of people running around a playing field with a stick between their legs. If they're happy, I'm happy. I'm sure they would laugh at me for using Morse code in 2025.
08-21-2025 - 8:10 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – August 20–21, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Excessive Heat – California, Southwest, and Florida
• Fire Weather – Great Basin and the Rockies
• Tropical Activity
Atlantic:
• Hurricane Erin (CAT-2)
• Disturbance 1: High (70%)
• Disturbance 2 (AL99): Med (40%)
• Disturbance 3: Low (30%)
Eastern Pacific:
• Disturbance 1: Low (30%)
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• Request: Major Disaster Declaration – Leech Lake Band of OjibweV
Event Monitoring:
• No significant events
08-21-2025 - 11:58 AM - I contacted a station in Mount Jefferson Natural State Conservation Area (US-3846) and New River State Park (US-2748) in North Carolina on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program. POTA hunter count: 552.
08-21-2025 - 12:05 PM - Our local Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter just flew over. Tune in to their company communications on 159.900 MHz on your scanner.
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08-21-2025 - 3:00 PM - The CB Radio band is a little flat this afternoon. When Channel 6 is quiet, you usually don't have to check anywhere else. There has been some local traffic on Channel 19, but, of course, local communications isn't dependent on band conditions.
08-21-2025 - 6:30 PM - I have come to the temporary conclusion that the newcomers to 151.940 MHz are at the new Crossroads Luxury RV Park. I mean permanent party, not RVers. Please note that I mentioned a temporary conclusion. I'll continue to monitor the situation.
08-21-2025 - 8:00 PM - The Colony (Dallas-Fort Worth area) will soon be home to the first White Castle in Texas. I grew up on White Castle sliders in St. Louis when they were 12¢. When we moved from St. Louis to Texas, they were 14¢.
08-21-2025 - 8:45 PM - The year was 1969 or 1970. I had just finished a Taekwondo class at the YMCA and was headed for the door. The guy behind the desk asked me if I would get him two burgers from a greasy spoon on Scott. It was somewhere in the 800 or 900 block. He wanted mayo on his burgers. At the restaurant, I ordered two burgers with mayo to go. The waitress yelled through the kitchen window, "I need two regulars, make 'em white, and they're walking."
08-20-2025 - 5:00 AM - Good Morning! It's Wednesday, and storm clouds are bearing down on us from the north, and we should get some rain in just a few minutes. I was thinking of mowing the yard this morning, but that probably won't happen. Someone local was playing Morse code on CB Radio Channel 19 yesterday. I've heard it a few times in the past. Unknown if it is a Ham Radio person, a CB Radio person, or a hybrid Ham/CB person like me. They're not jamming people with it, so that's a good thing. My guess is that it's a no-code Technician Class Ham Radio guy. I could be wrong. My coffee is ready.
08-20-2025 - 5:05 AM - Wichita Falls NWS Forecast - Today: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 102. Calm wind becoming north northeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
08-20-2025 - 5:10 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
08-20- 2025 - 5:15 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 93.2% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 96.8%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 96.7% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (95.0%) to determine drought stage.
08-20-2025 - 5:25 AM - I hear a BNSF train sounding off at the railroad crossings on Old Iowa Park Road. Tune in to their operations at 160.920 MHz on your scanner radio. I'm also hearing local chatter on CB Radio Channel 12. Other than that, it's been quiet locally, and the band has yet to open for long-distance communications.
08-20-2025 - 5:35 AM - The Wichita Falls area Skywarn® storm spotters just issued a weather update on the 146.940 MHz repeater concering a NWS-reported severe thunderstorm forming on the Wichita/Clay county line.
08-20-2025 - 6:05 AM - Flashback - After being "sworn in" in Dallas, I recall stepping off that air-conditioned bus at Fort Polk, when an unseen force put a hand over my face and said, "Don't breathe!" I had never experienced humidity like that. We were herded into a room and given a talk by a Lieutenant or Captain. He pointed to the Amnesty Barrel at the back of the room and announced that anyone having drugs, guns, porn, etc., could put them in the barrel, and nothing would be said. One guy put something in the barrel that resembled a photo. I bet after each of these sessions, the regulars licked their chops as they headed to the barrel to see what goodies they got. We got some cheeseburgers and fries, sheets and blankets for the bunks, and went to bed. The real fun awaited.