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Hi Everyone & Happy New Year.

I hope that Santa treated you well and that Father Time will do likewise and that you have a
blessed and prosperous 2016.

As we unwind from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, remember that our next ALERT meeting on the 12th.

The Birmingham Hamfest http://birminghamfest.org/ is only nine weeks away, March 4 & 5.
There has been a date change, as it will, at least this year, be a Friday & Saturday affair.
This Birminghamfest is not to be confused with the Birmingham Fest, in Birmingham UK which will run July 15 through 21, http://birminghamfest.co.uk/
I wouldn’t mind going to that one either, but, I guess I had better concentrate on the local one instead.
I hope to see you there!


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Hints, Kinks and Hacks For Net Control Stations
&
Those Checking In To Nets

As we enter the New Year, I have just passed a milestone of completing my 38th year in ham radio.
My first exposure to Ham Radio was in 1973 listening to the Alabama Emergency Net X-ray or AENX, now known as The Jefferson County Ares Net, on the old 146.940 repeater with an old “police radio”.
I vividly remember the night of “The Day of 100 Tornadoes” back in April of 1974, as wave after wave of storms passed through. I remember the power going out at the house just as the NCS began shouting, “someone kill the auto patch”, which had activated itself just as the line hit, jamming the desperate reports that were flooding in, adding to the drama & chaos of that night.
Listening to this and other storms inspired me to get my ham license.
“Can I get a ham license?” a teenage Mark asked his Mom.
“You can, as long as you promise me not to chase tornadoes”, Mom replied.
I agreed.
I lied.
One of the first things I did as a new ham was become active in the 3.965 Net. In the course of time I was an NCS on the AENX which is now the Jefferson County Emergency Net, the AENN which is now the Shelby County Net, the AENB also called the Alabama Section Net, which is a fast speed CW traffic Net and the now defunct AEND, the slow speed CW traffic Net, of which I was also Net Manager. I was Net Manager of now defunct West Jefferson County Emergency Net and the 440 Frontier Net, years, and years ago, and have been Net Manager of the ALERT Sunday Night Net for 15 years.
It is on this experience and knowledge base and consulting with others that I base this article.
Nets are interesting creatures. They are one of the best ways to learn and meet the ham community. If you are shy about rag chewing, they give you a chance to “ham it up”. They also give you an excuse to blow the dust off the radio and remind everyone that contrary to the rumors, you really aren’t Silent Key.
And, they are fun.
So, what are Mark’s suggestions about nets?
First I’ll say this to Net Managers. Especially “old” Net Mangers and to older hams in general.
Don’t despise youth. If a younger operator wants to try their hand at task, let them. Mozart’s 1st Symphony was written when he was 8 years old. I’m turning 58 and haven’t written one yet.
Maturity is not defined by age, license class, call sign design, FCC test requirements or even mistakes of youth. People grow. People Learn.
No, new hams didn’t pass the same test that you did. But, then you didn’t pass the same test as of those from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s who called you a “dummy” when you first got started either, did you? And, truth be told, you probably would have trouble passing a 2016 vintage test, and you know it. They’ve invented wire since then. Just take a practice test sometime and then fess up.
New operators want to learn and they want to learn how to “do it right”.
It is up to the older operators to guide them, coach them and encourage them. We should be leading and inspiring, not tearing down and damning. The experience we have is experience learned by “trial & error”, steps and missteps, not because we were prettier or smarter anyone else. We learned by trying, goofing up and trying again and again until we “got it right”.
We should be shepherding” and teaching the younger operators in the right ways of doing things, both technically and operationally.
And as I said previously, they want to learn and want to “do it right”.
Dogging them out is not the right way of teaching. Leading by example is. Giving them a chance is.
We older operators should also be willing to listen and learn from the younger operators. They have much to teach us. They have grown up with and are comfortable with technology that we are still trying to figure out. Listen to them. They can tell you more than a thing or two.
Likewise younger operators should be willing to learn from the experiences of the older operators. Some things are “tried and true” because the “old goats” tried the umpteen “new and improved” methods and gizmos and they old ways just worked better. Fancy looks and names do not guarantee fancy results. There is a reason why we still commonly use antennae designed for World War One zeppelins on HF. It’s because they work.
I believe we potentially have the best generation of hams that has ever been.
Do you want them to be that best generation? Lead by good example
Do you want the next generation of hams to be crotchety, grumpy, condescending old goats that cause people to groan and reach for a knob the second they hear them come on the air? Then lead by bad example.
You see, we all lead by example. Whether you lead by a good example or a bad example is entirely up to you.
Now, let’s get back on topic.
To start, be knowledgeable of net procedures and protocols. Preferably listen to the net a time or two to learn the ebb and flow of the net, and then check in and after some time consider volunteering as NCS.
If you wish to be an NCS, have a decent radio and antenna so you can consistently hit and hear the repeater. While a handi-talkie & rubber duck may suffice for checking into a net, for an NCS it doesn’t qualify unless you can actually see the repeater tower and sometimes not even then, as you may have what I call a “mushy repeater”.
Have a pad of paper and a couple of pens or pencils.
Begin the Net on time and use the issued preamble. Everyone has their own style and rhythm as NCS and on the ALERT Sunday Night Net (Sunday 7PM 146.880 MHz) occasionally the NCS will stray from the preamble, as I am also guilty of doing. On a formal emergency net, however, stick to the script as closely as you can, and as the situation allows.
When checking in (or calling the net) speak clearly and use standard ITU phonetics. “Witch Doctor Four Nice Yellow Lemons” may sound cute, but, it makes life hard on an NCS because they have to change gears and figure out what in the world you are saying. It slows the entire process down.
When checking in, check in at your appointed times and “don’t break the line” except for emergencies and high priority messages. “Could you check me in, my chili is getting cold” doesn’t fit those criteria.
Likewise if one is trying to check in to a net and fails five times, do the net a favor and give up for now. It isn’t working. But, do try again later.
The NCS should pay attention to what is going on. During long lulls it is easy for your mind and concentration to drift. This is especially true if there is a computer nearby. If someone calls you on the radio, quit texting, gaming, Facebooking, Instagramming, semaphoring, smoke signaling and answer the call.
On the other hand, remember to leave enough pause between transmissions so that a station can break in in the event of an emergency. Don’t time the repeater out.
Remember to identify fairly frequently so that stations will know what net they are listening to, and to keep the FCC happy.
Other hints are:
Have some knowledge of weather and what the needs of the National Weather Service are. That way you can better filter out useless “leaf debris” reports from good reports and those reports that sound goofy but, are actually valid, the operator just having a hard time describing what they are seeing. Or the opposite, a very valid, very detailed report, that is way “over the head” of the NCS and therefore not being understood is dismissed as garbage.
Example One:
WD4NYL – “I see green lightning moving across the horizon to my northeast”.
NCS – “Geeze, please keep the frequency clear. It will lightning during thunderstorms, that’s why they are called ‘thunderstorms’ duh”.
Verdict: WD4NYL was seeing “power flashes” from transformers’ blowing up as the power grid was being shredded by some kind of wind concentrated circulation moving on the ground. A valid – but, dismissed report of a possible tornado.
Example Two :
WD4NYL – “I’m in Shelby County looking at the Jefferson County storm. There has been a sharp increase in lightning – almost continuous & the thunderstorm column appears to be twisting or ‘barberpolling’.”
NCS – “(frustrated) Sir we are looking for reports from Jefferson County – Jefferson County only. Please keep the frequency clear.”
Verdict: WD4NYL was seeing evidence that the thunderstorm was rapidly intensifying and seeing visible evidence of possible rotation. A valid – but, again dismissed report of possible severe storm.
Have some knowledge of local geography, and have a map handy so you can assist in relaying a valid location to the NWS. Yes you can track them on APRS if they are so equipped, but, can you track them quickly so as to not miss a vital report, instead of dinking with a computer during a tornado emergency?
Likewise the reporting station should know where they are located. Using street/cross street, house number or mile markers. The NWS does not know where “Old Miller’s Bait and Tackle used to be located”. And, saying I’m on I-65 is of no help, since it runs from Mobile to Chicago.
The reporting station should spell the name if it is a non-common name. A good example of a garbled RF report is the day Mark Rose of the NWS & I spent 30 minutes with an atlas trying to find “Del Ray Road by the Air Force base gate” in Montgomery where it was flooding. We couldn’t find the street and it didn’t help that Montgomery had two Air Force bases.
We called the reporting station back repeatedly and he kept saying “Del Ray Road” and I finally asked him to give the street name phonetically, which he did.
It was “Dalraida Road by Gunter AFB”.
Have more than one way of receiving NWS warning and updates. NOAA weather radio is great, but, not the end all of sources. The NWSBOT on BMXEMA Chat or the IEMBOT Monitor http://weather.im/iembot/ is the fastest method that I have found.
At this point in the life of an NCS you probably will be accused by one of the “Guardians Of Ham Purity” of “Broadcasting Media Reports”.
Those who like to complain I would say this – the reason the reports the NCS gives sounds like what is being reported via the broadcast media is that it comes from the SAME SOURCE – a Ouija Board and Magic Dust.
Or, maybe as rumor has it, the NWS.
All valid warnings will originate from the NWS, not the Weather Channel or a local TV station. And, all media outlets will receive it via the NWSBOT or the IEMBOT which simultaneously relays the same information in real time.
Using these same sources sometimes an NCS may give an NWS warning before the sirens have gone off, the weather radio sounds or the TV Meteorologist reads it. This is because of technical and time delays in the process. This is NOT as NCS “broadcasting” or “jumping the gun”. Once the NWS releases a product on the NWSBOT or IEMBOT it is meant for public distribution.
Time, being our worst enemy during an emergency would indicate we should relay the information as quickly as they receive it, for this will save lives.
Notice I used the term “distribution”, not the term “broadcasting”.
To say most hams are clueless as to what “broadcasting” from the FCC point of view really is may sound a little harsh, but, it is true. The FCC says nothing at all about relaying reports from the media. Just collecting information for the media, which is a big difference.
I beat this subject to death in the December 2010 ALERT Newsletter, and rather than repeat it I refer you to: https://alert-alabama.org/blog/?p=394
Suffice it to say that relaying NWS Watches, Warnings and Updates is NOT broadcasting according to the FCC Rules.
Passing media reports is not forbidden by the FCC either. The problem is that they are “unconfirmed reports” and can cause chaos and much confusion. If they are showing a tornado on their tower cam it is one thing, but, “Joe Blow reports cows being blown in the air around Sispey” is another matter completely.
We will say “let common sense rule”.
Now to all the critics out there I will say that the easiest job in the world is to sit back, do nothing and criticize everything. How about getting up, getting involved, trained and then picking up a mic and actually do something useful for a change?
To the NCSs I say DO expect to run into know it all’s and overly “helpful hands” appearing from time to time. It “goes with the territory”. But in the end YOU are the Net Control. So, Control The Net. In other words “when in command, command”.
Incidentally, there are two schools of thought at to how much information an NCS should pass on a net.
The NWS will issue a tornado warning, and reissue it with updated position reports.
One theory is to give the initial warning and nothing else, as the listeners will numb the updates out. Also, if there are multiple counties under warning, there may not be time to give these updates.
The other theory is that it helps localize spotter response, so that they are looking in the right location. “Where the storm is and not where it ain’t” so to speak. “Is it still in Bessemer or is it now in Forestdale?”, for instance.
Though I prefer the latter position, both, arguments have valid points. I’m a little biased, so I’ll not give judgement on this one.
Have multiple ways of reaching the NWS. The 1-800-856-0758 NWS Emergency Number is an excellent method. Even if you get a recording, be assured that the call is being listened to real-time. The BMXEMA Chat, if you are eligible for it, is another great way. Also there is an NWS online reporting form you can use. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/StormReport/SubmitReport.php?site=bmx
One thing I should mention is that if you are on the BMXEMA chat, the conversations being carried on there are private and NOT for public dissemination, only information released on the NWSBOT or IEMBOTs should be revealed.
That way needless rumormongering and misinformation is avoided.
Know how to relay emergency reports to other agencies, and utilities as well. This includes technical methods in case cell towers or landlines become overwhelmed with calls. Have a list of the direct fire and law enforcement numbers in case 911 should become unusable. Also, have a list of the utility emergency numbers – power, water, gas, etc. I keep one on the fridge and on a file cabinet by the radios.
Remain as calm and patient during emergencies as possible. Exercise diplomacy. Be respectful to operators. Remember people are eager to help and may not give best reports due to fear, excitement & inexperience. Remember when YOU first started and how you would have wanted to be treated and use this as your guide.
Finally, remember that you are doing, even on a practice net, may someday save a life. You may never know what positive impact you have made, but, you have made a difference.
And that is what it’s all about.

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Mark’s Almanac

January is named for the Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors, and so openings and beginnings.

January receives more sunlight than December, but the equilibrium between incoming solar heat and the heat radiated into space by the northern snowfields does not peak until late January and early February, six weeks after winter solstice. So the weather continues to cool, with January 8 – 20 being the coldest part of the year.

Typically in January there is a 53% chance of up to one inch of snow and a 25% chance of over one inch of snow.

With the exception of the southern tip of Nova Scotia, all of Canada and roughly one half of the Continental US, or “CONUS”, are now covered with snow. Canada’s Hudson’s Bay is frozen, as is the ocean water between Baffin Island and Greenland.

http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/ims/ims_gif/DATA/cursnow_usa.gif
Barometric pressure is highest in January.
Looking towards the sky, Mercury remains low in the Southwest as twilight fades. Look for him thirty minutes to an hour after sunset.

Saturn, Venus, Mars and Jupiter form a large diagonal line in the early dawn, running from low in the Southeast to high in the Southwest, in that order.

Brilliant Venus, sometimes confused as a UFO, is easy to spot shining at magnitude -4.1.

To the lower left of Venus is Saturn shining much fainter at magnitude +0.5. Saturn and Venus are closing with each other and will be closest, or in conjunction on January 9th.

Bright Jupiter shines high in the predawn sky at magnitude -2.1, widely separated from Venus, with much fainter Mars in between them, shining at magnitude +1.3.

At borderline naked eye brightness, Uranus shines high in the South in Pisces at sunset at magnitude +5.8.

Faint Neptune shines at magnitude +7.0 in Aquarius and is getting lower in the Southwest at sunset.

1919 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of December 17, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower will occur overnight Sunday-Monday, January 3 & 4. This is an above average shower producing between 40 to 100 meteors per hour radiating from the constellation Bootes, in the area near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the head of Draco the Dragon.

This shower is a quirky shower in that it has a very narrow particle stream. Therefore, the peak time is only a couple of hours, and that peak varies each year. According the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s “Observer’s Handbook 2016” and the International Meteor Organization, the 2016 peak will occur around 2 AM CST on January 4, which will, unlike last year, put the stream above the northeast horizon. But, as with all things astronomical, one should look before the predicted time in case the timing should slip. That way even if the stream arrives before the predicted time, you will see them as, they would still be zipping overhead and will appear longer in the cold sky.

This shower favors the Northern Hemisphere because its radiant point, or the point where the meteors appear to originated in the sky, is so far north on the sky’s dome.

This shower is believed to be produced by dust grains from burnt out comet 2003 EH1, which may also be the remainder of comet c/1490 Y1, which was lost to history after a prominent meteor shower was observed in 1490, possibly due to the breakup of the comet.

The Quadrantid meteors take their name from an obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis, found in early 19th-century star atlases between Draco, Hercules, and Bootes.

The constellation Quadrans Muralis was removed, along with a few other constellations, from crowded sky maps in 1922 when the International Astronomical Union adopted the modern list of 88 officially-recognized constellations.

New Moon will occur at 7:30 PM on Saturday, January 9, as the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky.

Full Moon will occur Saturday January 23, 7:36 PM CST.

January’s Full Moon is “Wolf Moon” in Native American folklore. This was also called “Wulf-Monath” or “Wolf Month” by the Saxons, because at this full Moon packs of wolves howled in hunger outside of the villages.

It has also been called “Old Moon” and “Moon After Yule”.


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This month’s meeting will be on January 12 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

If for some reason you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still participate via telephone. The teleconference number is 1-877-951-0997 & and the participant code is 741083.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database

 

ALERT / National Weather Service Birmingham Coverage Area
  • ALERT covers the BMX county warning area. Presently, this includes: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston