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12-06-2023 - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - December 6 is National Miners Day. The mining sector represented approximately 574,200 jobs, or 0.4 percent of all total nonfarm employment in 2022, and contributed 1.9 percent to GDP.
12-06-2023 - International Space Station over Wichita Falls -Time: Wed Dec 06 6:16 PM, Visible: 7 min, Max Height: 78°, Appears: 10° above NW, Disappears: 10° above SE. Listen on 145.800 & 437.800 MHz for possible Amateur (ham) Radio traffic. UPDATE: I made time to watch this pass, but no transmissions were heard. One of these days I'll give a shout on the VHF uplink frequency.
12-06-2023 - Good Morning! I did not win the Mega Millions last night, but the coffee is still good this morning! For some reason, I did not do a "pedestrian portable" walk yesterday, so I'll try for one today. I need to get in more contacts on 146.520 MHz FM with the semi-new Icom IC-V80 handheld radio. Also, a building has begun to appear at the construction site of our new RV park on the northeast corner of Loop 11 (the loop that doesn't loop) and U.S. 287.
12-05-2023 - At 2020 hours, it sounds like the local Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter is headed out on another mission. Tune in to their operations at 159.900 MHz on your scanner.
12-05-2023 - I heard about three minutes of clear audio from NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, aboard the ISS, on 145.800 MHz as she spoke with students at Orangeburg Christian Academy, Orangeburg, SC this morning. I'm using a Ringo Ranger II VHF antenna about 15 feet off the ground. Load that frequency into your scanner or Amateur Radio rig! According to NASA, she is an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot and Marine Corps test pilot, has over 150 combat missions, and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft.
12-05-2023 - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Total employment is projected to grow 2.8 percent over the 2022-32 decade. Most occupational groups with faster than average projected growth earned more than the overall median annual wage of $46,310 in 2022. Management occupations, the highest paying group in 2022 ($107,360), is projected to grow 5.4 percent over the 2022-32 decade. Computer and mathematical occupations – the second-fastest growing group at 15.2 percent – earned a median annual wage of $100,440 in 2022.
12-05-2023 - From the U.S. National Weather Service - Wichita Falls forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming north northeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Tonight: Clear, with a low around 36. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.
12-05-2023 - Good Morning! It's coffee time again. While I sip, I'm trying to keep up with someone sending Morse code at 25+ words per minute on the 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band. I'm pretty good at 20 WPM. As long as I've been a "ham", I should be comfortable at 40 WPM, but what can I say? I think 20 WPM is probably faster than most hams can copy these days, especially since the Morse code requirement was lifted in 2007. Also, a short, but interesting, burst of tones just happened on 146.520 MHz. I heard it yesterday, also. I don't know what that's all about. It's not the end of the world, I'm just curious.
12-04-2023 - On my morning walk, I saw my first confirmed bobcat in the wild. Yes, folks, I guess I don't get out of the house very much. Well, at least in places where you expect bobcats. I saw him on two past occasions but he was a little too far away for a positive identification. Today, he crossed my path about 50 to 60 yards in front of me. Bobcat, for sure. While out, I made a few calls on 146.520 FM simplex, but without results. Maybe next time. Later, I received a dual-band mobile antenna in the mail. After mounting it, I saw that the coaxial cable was about 3 feet short of what I needed. I'll have to extend it.
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12-04-2023 - From the U.S. National Weather Service - Wichita Falls forecast - Sunny, with a high near 62. West northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
12-04-2023 - Good Morning! It's coffee time, accompanied by a little Morse code on the 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band. The Eagles lost. Can the Cowboys hand them one more? I remember an occasion, almost 40 years ago, when those checking in to the Wichita Amateur Radio Society weekly VHF net were required to do so using battery power only. This meant, for most, a mobile or handheld radio. Has this been done lately? May I suggest another twist to that? Have members check in not only on battery power but from an interesting location.
12-03-2023 - It's Sunday night, 2000 hours, and the Wichita Amateur Radio Society weekly informal net is on the air on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. Licensed Amateur Radio Operators are invited to check in. Scanner listeners are welcome, also!
12-03-2023 - Good Morning! It's 0400 hours, and I'm wide awake. That's what happens when you hit the sack at 2130 hours! Along with my first cup of coffee, I hear a Japanese Amateur (ham) Radio operator calling CQ DX down in the CW (Morse code) segment of the 40-meter band. I'm guessing he probably has USA contacts "out the wazoo" so I'll wait to see if he snags some real DX. Besides, who knows what kind of Morse I'd send in my groggy state? No matter, just as I finished that sentence, he made contact with a station that I couldn't hear.
12-02-2023 - Pity the guy in the middle income bracket - earning too much to avoid paying taxes, and not enough to afford paying taxes.
12-02-2023 - Today is Skywarn™ Recognition Day - From the U.S. National Weather Service - Skywarn™ Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that Skywarn™ volunteers make to the NWS mission, the protection of life and property. Amateur radio operators comprise a large percentage of the Skywarn™ volunteers across the country. The Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication between the NWS and emergency management if normal communications become inoperative. All Skywarn™ spotters provide critical weather information before, during and after adverse weather strikes. This includes reports of rain and snow, ice and wind, storms and tornadoes, flooding and fire. This is our 24 hours to recognize all of the Skywarn™ spotters serving our nation!
12-02-2023 - Good Morning! I started my walk a little earlier than usual, about 0820 hours. I gave a shout on 146.520 MHz using my Amateur (ham) Radio handheld radio, of course, but no answer. That's usually the case, so no big deal. I could have dialed up a local repeater for wider coverage, but then the thrill of the "my antenna to your antenna" contact would be lost.
12-01-2023 - At 1930 hours I'm hearing the usual Friday activity on the Amateur (ham) Radio frequency 146.580 MHz FM. They're not as busy as they have been in weeks past. I'm still hearing only the one station in Wise County. Now, back to the Oregon - Washington game!
12-01-2023 - The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued nine Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting (NIPRB) per its authority from the PIRATE Act to different persons and/or businesses for allowing illegal broadcasting from their property.
12-01-2023 - From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Three cheers for bartenders on Bartender Appreciation Day - The first Friday in December is Bartender Appreciation Day, so we raise our glasses and present a flight of BLS data related to these master mixologists who shake, stir, pour, and serve drinks. Nationwide, bartender employment was 613,070 in May 2022. The Chicago and Los Angeles metropolitan areas each had about 20,000 bartender jobs, while the New York metropolitan area had over 29,000.