ALERT Newsletter

ALERT NEWSLETTER – September 2026

Published September 1, 2026 | By WD4NYL

Hi everyone, and welcome to the 231st Alert Newsletter!

I hope this finds you doing well as we bake during these last days of summer.

As you fight the temptation to try baking biscuits in your car, remember that hope on the way, as Fall will return on schedule on September 22.

Already we see hints of fall. The grass has slowed its growth and birds and butterflies are in full migration.

Where are the birds? You can track their migrations courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Live Maps – BirdCast

I hope you have a good month, and I hope you join us for our next meeting, which will be on September 8.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Storm Spotter Training On Demand

A new feature that I am excited about is the new online NWS storm spotter training and certificates of completion, which are now available on-demand at skywarn.

This training, which replaces the March and October webinars, can be completed at your own pace, any time of the year.

It features a slide show consisting of 66 slides that cover the entire storm spotter course and when you finish the training there is a short quiz to test your knowledge, so you can earn your Storm Spotter Certificate of Completion.

This quiz covers essential storm spotting information for central Alabama. An 80% passing grade is required; and a retake is permitted if needed.

You will receive your storm spotter certificate via email within 5–10 minutes of passing the quiz. The email also includes a link to join the NWS storm spotter database.

Make sure to enter your first and last name and email without errors.

If you have any issues, email gerald.satterwhite@noaa.gov

Note: This is not storm chaser training. A storm spotting is a volunteer service conducted primarily from fixed locations such as from home, work, or around your community. The National Weather Service does not endorse or encourage the use of storm spotter training for storm chasing. Nor do they recommend or endorse amateur storm chasing.

So, if you get that urge to plaster “Official NWS Storm Chaser” on your car or to identify as such on social media, YouTube, TikTok or wherever, please control the urge.
The reasons are, that storm chasing in Alabama is difficult and dangerous, as most Alabama tornadoes are rain wrapped, the tree canopy obscures the horizon and people drive as if they are possessed during clear weather on straight roads, let alone during driving rain on a curvy road.

Another danger is that if you do pose as an “NWS Storm Chaser” and you get yourself or others in trouble, killed or injured or just look like a nutcase on social media, the NWS doesn’t need the credit and certainly does not need the blame.

So I strongly advise against doing it.

And if you were to choose to do so anyway, remember, please don’t pretend you are with the NWS, and if you make videos, always remember the Golden Rule: “Teeth In”. Please, teeth in.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mark’s Almanac

September is the ninth month of the year and the seventh month of the Roman calendar, which is where the month gets its name.

Temperatures are still hot at the beginning of the month, but, by the month’s end, fall will definitely be felt.

Noticeable in September will be the thickening of the cat’s fur, as she begins growing her winter coat & the drift of Yellow Giant Sulphur Butterflies as they migrate towards Florida.

Weather starts shifting from the summer to autumn pattern and then back again. Storm activity resembles the August pattern, but the Bermuda High starts shifting southward and begins weakening, which weakens the blocking effect that has hampered fronts attempting to invade from the northwest.

September is the peak of the hurricane season, the actual peak being on September 10. This peak coincides with the time of “syzygy”, when the effects of the solar and lunar gravity and autumnal equinox combine to provide the highest astronomical tides of the year. Add a hurricane’s storm surge on top of this and you can have incredibly destructive flooding.

From 1851 – 2026 there have been 652 Tropical Storms, 3 Subtropical Storms and 433 hurricanes, 114 of which made landfall in the United States.

Some notable September hurricanes are:

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which was a Category 4 Storm whose storm surge overwhelmed Galveston Island, killing 8000 people, and is still the deadliest weather disaster in US history.

The Labor Day Hurricane of 1936, the most intense storm to strike the US, was a Category 5 storm which moved through the Florida Keys and along West Florida, overturning trains and literally sandblasting people to death.

Ivan, the category 3 storm which struck Alabama & Florida in 2004, caused tremendous damage to Gulf Shores and extensive damage to the state’s electrical grid. At the height of the outages, Alabama Power reported 489,000 subscribers having lost electrical power—roughly half of its subscriber base.

Rita, a category 3 storm which struck the Texas – Louisiana border in 2005, and, despite the distance, dropped 22 tornadoes over Western Alabama.
Ian, a category 4 storm which struck Florida in 2022, following the exact path of Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

Helene, a Category 4 storm which struck Florida in 2025, the most intense cyclone to hit the Big Bend area of Florida, which caused catastrophic flooding in the Appalachians.

Days continue to grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 64.9 degrees at the beginning of the month to 53.6 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight shortens by 59 minutes from 12 hours 54 minutes on September 1 to 11 hours 55 minutes on September 30.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

September 1 Sunrise 6:21 AM Sunset 7:12 PM
September 15 Sunrise 6:31 AM Sunset 6:54 PM
September 30 Sunrise 6:41 AM Sunset 6:33 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Leo, The Lion.

Mercury, magnitude -0.5 in Virgo, The Virgin, recently passed behind the Sun and is lost in the glow of the Sun.

His 88 day orbit will carry him to his furthest distance from the Sun, or Aphelion, on September 27.

Venus, magnitude -4.8 in Virgo, The Virgin, the brilliant “Evening Star” low in the western horizon, is sinking towards the Sun.

At the first of the month, she becomes visible 7:27 PM CDT, 15° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hours and 41 minutes after the Sun at 8:53 PM CDT.

Her 225 day orbit will carry her to his furthest distance from the Sun, or Aphelion, on September 4.

The Moon will pass very close to Venus on September 14. For observers in parts of Asia, Africa, Europe and western Russia the Moon will pass directly in front of Venus. But, for us, it will be a close conjunction.

At midmonth, she becomes visible around 7:08 PM CDT, 12° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 24 minutes after the Sun at 8:17 PM CDT.

Near month’s end on September 26, she becomes visible around 6:53 PM CDT, 8° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 3 minutes after the Sun at 7:41 PM CDT.

She will then disappear from the night sky and won’t be seen again until she reappears as the Morning Star in November.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, and her Moon is in the Pisces, The Fish.

Mars, magnitude +1.1, with his Moons Phobos and Deimos in Gemini, The Twins, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 2:12 AM CDT – 3 hours and 53 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 37° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:25 AM CDT.

At midmonth he becomes visible rising at 1:37 AM CDT reaching an altitude of 50° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:51 AM CDT.

At month’s end he becomes visible rising at 1:20 AM CDT and reaching an altitude of 56° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:03 AM CDT.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.0, is in Orion, The Hunter.

Jupiter, magnitude -1.8, and his 97 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, in Cancer, The Crab, is visible in the dawn sky.

At the first of the month, he will become visible rising around 4:17 AM CDT, 2 hours and 1 minute before the Sun when he reaches an altitude of 20° above the eastern horizon before fading into the dawn at 6:02 AM CDT.

The Moon will pass in front of Jupiter, also called a “Lunar Occultation” on September 8.

This will be visible in Canada, Greenland, eastern Russia and the United States east of a line roughly from Washington, Utah and western Texas, which includes Alabama.

The occultation will be visible from Birmingham using binoculars or telescopes; however, it will occur during daylight.

At the time of the occultation, the Moon will be just past new moon and will be a 7% illuminated sliver of a crescent. Jupiter will disappear behind the illuminated side of the Moon and reappear from behind the unilluminated side of the Moon.

The Sun will be nearby, so if you try observing this event PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

Extreme caution is necessary when pointing binoculars or telescopes at the sky when the Sun is above the horizon, as even a momentary glance at the Sun through such an instrument can cause permanent blindness.

The occultation will begin with the disappearance of Jupiter behind the Moon at 2:09 PM CDT, and end reappearance at 3:04 PM CDT.

An astronomical term “Occultation”, has nothing to do with the “occult”, by the way. So, if you see folk flying around on brooms, it is just a coincidence. They are practicing for Halloween.

At midmonth he rises at 3:36 AM CDT, 2 hours and 51 minutes before the Sun, reaching an altitude of 31° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:12 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 2:50 AM CDT – 3 hour and 48 minutes before the Sun, reaching an altitude of 42° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:22 AM CDT.

Saturn, magnitude +0.4, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, is in Cetus, The Whale or in Greek mythology, The Sea Serpent, is an evening and early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible around 8:41 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 2:58 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:49 AM CDT, 39° above the southern horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 8:44 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 1:59 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:59 AM CDT, 25° above the south-western horizon.

At month’s end he becomes accessible around 7:42 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 12:56 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:11 AM CDT when he sinks below 10° above the western horizon.

Uranus, magnitude +5.7, and his 29 moons and ring, in Taurus, The Bull, is an early morning object. Uranus only reaches extreme naked eye visibility in perfectly dark locations, otherwise he is only visible using binoculars and telescopes.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 11:16 PM CDT and reaching an altitude of 71° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:17 AM CDT.

On September 10 Uranus will enter retrograde motion, halting its usual eastward movement through the constellations, and turning to move westwards instead. This retrograde motion is caused by the Earth’s own motion around the Sun. As the Earth circles the Sun, our perspective changes, and this causes the apparent positions of objects to move from side-to-side in the sky with a one-year period. This nodding motion is super-imposed on the planet’s long-term eastward motion through the constellations.

By midmonth he rises at 12:12 AM CDT, at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 5:23 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:28 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon.

At months end he becomes accessible around 11:12 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 4:23 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:39 AM CDT, 69° above the south-western horizon

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 16 moons and ring, is in Pisces, The Fish, is a late evening & early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible at 10:06 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 2:19 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:17 AM CDT, 36° above the south-western horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible at 9:10 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 1:23 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:28 AM CDT, 23° above the western horizon.

Neptune will reach “opposition” or be directly opposite of the Sun on September 25, which is also his closest approach to the Earth.

This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune using a telescope. Due to his extreme distance from Earth, he never reaches naked eye visibility and will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

At months end he becomes accessible at 8:10 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 12:22 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 4:35 AM CDT, 21° above the southern horizon.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.5 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.3 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.1 in Coma Berenices.

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris, the second largest Dwarf Planet, and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.7 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least seven additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 near Auriga, The Charioteer.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Cancer, The Crab.

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

25088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.4 magnitude in Aquarius, The Water Bearer.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Centaurus, The Centaur. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.
“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in Triangulum, The Triangle.

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,393,001,240 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 48 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 11 months and 7 days is 15,901,466,560 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 43 minutes from Earth as of 3:40 PM CDT, August 12, 2026, sailing 37,844 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

On November 18, 2026 at 10:16:07 UTC or 4:16:07 AM CST, Voyager 1 will become the spacecraft to reach one light-day from Earth – 16,094,799,096 miles, the distance light covers in 24 hours.

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude +21.5, in Leo, The Lion, is 163,259,217 miles or 975 days from the Earth as of 3:37 PM CDT, August 12, 2026.

There are 1,555,917 known asteroids and 4,071 comets as of August 12, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

6,336 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of August 8, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur September 4 at 2:52 AM CDT or 07:52 UTC.

During the Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on September 6, when she will be
228,823 miles from Earth.

New Moon will occur at 10:27 AM CDT September 10 or 03:37 UTC on September 11. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur on September 18 at 3:44 PM CDT or 20:44 UTC.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on September 18, when she will be 251,169 miles from Earth.

Fall begins at Autumnal Equinox on September 22 at 7:06 PM CDT or 00:06 UTC, when the Sun crosses directly over the equator and night and day is approximately the same length throughout the world. For the Southern Hemisphere it is Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring.

On this date, if there is sufficient solar activity, and you are away from city lights, the aurora may possibly be seen, as the Equinox dates are the two most favored times of the year for auroral sightings.
At this time of year, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) can link up with Earth’s magnetic field, prying open cracks. Solar wind pours in and can fuel displays of the aurora borealis with no geomagnetic storm required. Researchers call this the “Russell-McPherron” effect after the space physicists who first described it in the 1970s.

September’s Full Moon will occur September 26 at 11:50 AM CDT or 16:50 UTC.

The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the “Corn Moon” because the corn is harvested around this time of year.

This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.

The name “Harvest Moon” dates from the time before electricity, when farmers depended on the Moon’s light to harvest their crops late into the night. The Harvest Moon was especially important since it coincided with the largest harvest of the year.

Overhead around 8 PM you will see the bright blue star Vega, the gemstone of the constellation Lyra, The Lyre, sitting atop a tiny parallelogram of stars.

The fifth brightest star in the night sky, Vega is only 25 light years away, and was the second star after the Sun to be photographed.

Vega is notable in that it is near the Solar Apex, or the point in the sky where the Sun is headed.
While there is no particular star to mark the exact location, the point can be located by using an outstretched arm and placing your fist against Vega and looking a fist width or 10° to the South.

The opposite point or Solar Antapex, where the Sun is moving from is located on the opposite side of the celestial sphere 10° south-southwest of Sirius, The Dog Star, in Canis Major, near Zeta Canis Majoris.

Between the two stars marking the bottom of Lyra’s parallelogram, using a 3 inch telescope or larger, you will find M57, the Ring Nebula. The Ring Nebula is a “planetary nebula”, so called because it is roughly planet shape. Planetary nebulae are created when material is ejected from a dying Sun like star as it reaches the end of its life.

Glowing at magnitude 8.8 from 2,500 light years away, this ring is 1 light year across.

Textbook and online images of the Ring Nebula show a colorful reddish, yellow and blue oval object like an angry eye staring at you. However, using a backyard telescope it looks like a ghostly tiny blue/gray smoke ring, having the quirky habit of disappearing when you look directly at it and it then popping back into view as you look away. Gently tapping the telescope helps a little, as the human brain has an easier time recognizing objects in motion, rather than stationary objects.

If one has a good dark observing location and at least a 20 inch telescope, one might see barred spiral galaxy IC 1296 glowing dimly in the background at magnitude 15.4, 238 million light years away.

The Ring Nebula is one of my favorite objects. One of the nifty little secrets waiting for you as you explore the cosmos.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ham News

6 Meter Sporadic E openings are becoming less and less frequent as the Sporadic E season nears its end. Currently HF conditions are weak, with 40, 30 & 20 Meters having the best results, while 160, 80 and 60 Meters are very noisy due to thunderstorms, and the Maximum Usable Frequency has been shy about venturing to 17 Meters and beyond.

As we head into fall and the solar angle decreases, HF conditions will strengthen, and transcontinental and international contacts will become more and more frequent.

I tried my hand with the Hawaii QSO party on 15 Meters, but my signal overshot Hawaii and I ended up talking to Fukushima Japan instead, which didn’t bother me a bit. I heard a station in New Zealand calling Hawaii, but he couldn’t raise anyone. This week I talked to stations in Serbia and Russia on 15 Meter sideband and Belgium on 12 Meter CW. So, the bands are improving.

September contests and events of note are:

September 5 All Asia DX Contest – SSB
IARU Region 1 (Europe) Field Day – SSB
ARRL EME (Moonbounce) Contest

September 6 Tennessee QSO Party

September 12 ARRL September VHF Contest
Colorado QSO Party
New Jersey QSO Party
Ohio State POTA
Worked All Europe DX – SSB

September 13 North American Sprint – CW

September 19 Washington State Salmon Run (QSO Party)
New Hampshire QSO Party
Texas QSO Party
Iowa QSO Party
Wisconsin POTA
Scandinavia Activity – CW

September 21 144 MHz Fall Sprint

September 26 Maine QSO Party

September 29 222 MHz Fall Sprint

For more details and for a more comprehensive list go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

This month’s meeting will be on September 8. Watch for Russell’s email announcement for details. Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

Posted in ALERT Newsletter | Leave a comment

ALERT NEWSLETTER – August 2026

Published July 31, 2026 | By WD4NYL

Hi everyone,

I hope this finds you safe and well as we enter these midsummer days. As you bake and broil in the sun, remember that fall is just a little over a month away, and eventually the heat and humidity will retreat towards the tropical realms from whence it came and in about 6 months we will be griping and wishing we could borrow one of these days for a welcomed winter thaw.

Until then hug the air conditioner and remember to stay hydrated.

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter ALERT dues are due.

For information on where to send the dues and also for the form if you are not a member and would like to join, visit our blog at https://alert-alabama.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/Documents/alertapp.pdf

Our next ALERT meeting will be on August 11.

Hope you can attend!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

That Little Radio

“The whole operation had to be handled carefully.

First, you waited until the house settled.

The last footsteps in the hallway.
Last light clicking off.
The last reminder that it was “time to sleep.”

Then, very slowly, you reached for that little radio by the pillow and
turned the dial just enough to catch a voice through the static.

It felt like sneaking into a bigger world without ever leaving your room.

Music from somewhere far away.
A late-night DJ talking like he knew you were listening.
The soft crackle between stations.
One ear pressed close, one eye on the bedroom door.

You kept the volume low because getting caught would ruin the whole adventure.

But for a little while, under the blankets with the moon in the window,
that tiny radio made bedtime feel like a secret only you knew about…
like a secret window to the whole world.”

The preceding, which was copied from the Good Old Days group on Facebook, describes the experience perfectly, as in 1966 an eight year old Mark would be secretly listening to a tiny “transistor radio”, as every other creature in the house was hopefully snoozing away, Listening first to the local stations playing the music of those days, and then accidentally finding that after dark, stations would drift in from far away.

It was like a portal to another dimension, listening to distant talk shows, which gave you a glimpse of life in Pittsburgh, New York and Chicago. Spanish drifting in from who knew where, and music, much the same, yet also different, as you learned that “country music” and “western music” weren’t necessarily the same thing, and that the music callers in requested in St. Louis might not be the same as that requested in Philadelphia, or Birmingham.

Listening to local AM stations accidently led to AM DXing, then on to Shortwave Listening, then to a now teenage Mark sitting in a darkened room with cushioned headphones listening to long format rock aka AOR or Album Oriented Rock, now an extinct format, the only light coming from the glow of the stereo lights. Then scanners, CB, ham, GMRS and MURS. Along the way I found a group called ALERT, maybe 25 years ago, or so.

The magic of radio has never left me. Whether it’s hearing cities hundreds of miles away on the car radio driving home late at night, or calling someone on the radio and them hearing me from 1000 miles away, using my old equipment, an antenna that looks like my mom’s clothesline and sporting a right ear blown from using an earphone so I wouldn’t get caught listening to midnight voices from “somewhere” in the night.

And, how you have today. Still listening, and probably still interfering with radios, TVs, stereos and PA systems for miles & miles & miles

So, here’s to radio, in all its forms. One of the niftiest inventions ever created by man.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Summer Propagation Or The Lack Thereof

If you have spent any time on the HF bands recently you will notice that conditions have just been awful, with poor propagation and a sharp decrease in signals being heard.

Many blame this on us being on the downward slope of the solar cycle. And, this may indeed figure in. However, there is another factor that is the major culprit – the seasonal variation.

It is Summer and the Earth’s Northern axis is tilted towards the Sun. This increases the incoming solar radiation, causing extended daylight hours and increased heat and ionization.

Long range HF radio communications are thanks to the F layer of the Ionosphere. At night it is a single layer between 93 to 137 miles up and during the day it divides into the F1 & F2 with the F2 layer rising.

This is normally a good thing radiowise as the F2 layer enables coast to coast and transatlantic communications.

But, during the Summer we get too much of a good thing as the increased solar radiation causes the height of the F2 layer to expand upward too much and as it expands its overall density also decreases. The combination of increasing height and reduced density weakens its ability to reflect radio waves.

Meanwhile the D layer, at 40 to 55 miles high which normally absorbs radio signals, tends to become more absorbent during the day and higher both in actual height and in the frequencies affected. The D layer normally dissipates at night, but since the daylight hours longer, it takes longer to dissipate, adding to terrible band conditions. While this normally affects signals from the AM Broadcast Band and upward to 40 & 30 Meters, during the Summer it at times it can affect 20 and 17 Meters as well

As Fall and eventually Winter approaches, ionospheric conditions will gradually improve, as the
F2 layer descends to a more normal lower altitude, and becomes denser, and the D layer becomes less absorbent and lower in height and frequency.

Meanwhile in the Southern Hemisphere they are having the opposite situation. Since its winter there, its prime DX season.

The solar heating also affects VHF and UHF signals. Consider when you are driving on a long stretch of road. You may see a mirage in the distance that looks like standing water on the road that seems to constantly retreat as you near it. The heat is causing the light rays to be bent upward, and that “water” you see is actually the sky. This is called an “inferior mirage”.

Radio signals behave the same way. In hot weather signals are bent upward, so the radio horizon, which in cool weather may extend 60% beyond the visible horizon (5.6 miles compared to 3.5 miles at 5.5 feet on flat ground) is shortened.

In the Winter on frigid days, you can have the opposite situation where light is bent downward causing you to see beyond the horizon or for the radio horizon to extend. Visually mountains may have inverted images hovering above the actual image, or you may see distant mountains that are normally not to be seen. I’ve seen this only once, when the temperature in Birmingham was in the teens.

This is a “superior mirage”, and may be how the Vikings were able discover Greenland, the distant peaks appearing and disappearing over the horizon. So, on Winter days your VHF & UHF range may be extending beyond your normal range.

Back to the blistering days of Summer, the miserable humidity adds to your torment, as it wants to absorb your signals, and with every plant in the world being in full leaf, the foliage jumps in absorbing and physically blocking your signal.

Coincidentally, while the atmosphere and ionosphere are misbehaving, the on the air ham population thins out with less signals to be found on the bands as people are out doing warm weather things – gardening, mowing grass, doing house repairs, and fun stuff such as fishing, camping, grilling and spending time with family and friends. They may not be near a radio or be in a “radio mood”. The net result is miserable band conditions and no on wanting to play.

As the weather cools once again, the operators will withdraw into their caves and lairs to escape the cold, and dusting the cobwebs off the knobs and microphones, once again they will roam the airwaves.

Meanwhile don’t give up, and don’t assume a band is dead just because you are not hearing or seeing much activity.

If a band seems dead, do a little checking. If you tune above and below the band and are hearing aeronautical, marine or shortwave broadcasts, then the ham band in between is open also, it’s just everybody thinks it’s dead. Some of the best DX I’ve worked, especially towards Africa, has been on “dead” bands.

Waterfall displays can give a decent overview or sneak peek at band conditions, and I like them, but know that they are not foolproof, as they can miss weak or marginal signals . For me turning the VFO knob and listening is still the best way of exploring a band.

My equipment doesn’t have waterfall display capability, yet I use one to check the activity on the HF bands. How do I do that? There is an online Web SDR receiver near Birmingham with a waterfall display, courtesy of Brian Wingard, N4DKD. N4DKD WEB-888

This is not only a great way for determining band conditions and general listening, but you can also use it as a monitor to hear your own signal. Got a report of mushy audio? Go to N4DKD WEB-888 and tune in your signal and see if it is true.

Don’t be shy to try to reach weak stations. Just because the signal is weak on your side doesn’t mean that you are weak on their side. I’ve worked some nice DX stations I could barely hear. And the reverse is often true, with them booming in, but, them not hearing me.

This can be due to the Alligator vs Elephant theory. An “Alligator Station” transmitting a great signal, but having a poor receiver – big mouth and tiny ears. Where an “Elephant Station” is the opposite, having a great receiver, but transmitting a poor signal – big ears, tiny mouth.

Another trick I use, though I don’t run FT8, is to use FT8 signals as a propagation beacon, along with actual propagation beacons, especially on 10 and 6 Meters.

FT8 is booming in popularity for its unique operating advantages – the ability to “hear” signals beneath the bands noise floor, and the ease of operation. With this ability of superior reception, given the same power levels, antenna, and propagation conditions, FT8 will outperform CW, which in turn out performs SSB.

Critics point out, with some justification, that seemingly everyone is abandoning traditional modes like SSB and CW for FT8. For example, as I write this 6 Meters is wide open and CW beacons and FT8 signals are booming in, but not a single SSB, CW or FM signal is to be heard.

Another point of contention is the impersonal nature of the contacts. You see a CQ on a computer screen, you click the station and the computer takes care of the rest. It seems so easy. Maybe too easy, some say as the meme floating around with a guy in a lawn chair saying “Hey Alexa, get me a DXCC on FT-8”.

But it could be argued that passing contest exchanges of 599 (even if you can barely hear them), grid squares or whatever bare minimum of information is required for a valid contact, is about the same thing. FT8 is just not designed to be a conversational mode.

As I mentioned, I don’t run FT8. I’m not against the mode, but I am behind the high-tech curve and the process of setting up FT8 – figuring how to connect everything and make everything with my beloved Stone Age equipment, for me anyway, is a monumental task. I look at YouTube videos, read articles, Bing this, Google that and that quacking duck on DuckDuckGo just sits there laughing at me.

Also, there is another factor. While some have stations that look like Starbase 187, with screens glowing everywhere, mine looks like classic drab and I don’t even have a computer in my ham shack, as I don’t have room for one. So, woe is me.

But, so far this year I have worked 541 stations, including 50 states and 68 countries, using CW, SSB and FM, so this Wrinkled Old Coot is doing ok using two cans and a string.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Mark’s Almanac
August was originally named “Sextilis”, the sixth Roman month. It was renamed August in honor of Caesar Augustus and lengthened to 31 days, to equal Julius Caesar’s month of July.

August is hot and humid and summer temperatures remain at or near their summer peak.

The rapid vegetation growth of spring is over, and, since conditions are now perfect for the growth of mold, fungi & germs, plants have a “used” look, which is enhanced if rainfall is scarce. In August the choir of cicadas whine in the afternoon & towards the end of the month the big Yellow Sulphur Butterflies will begin heading to the South-Southeast, giving hints of their soon upcoming fall migration & cats will begin to hint of growing their winter coats.

Hurricane breeding grounds in August are the Atlantic, with Low Latitude “Cape Verde” storms forming off Africa crossing the Ocean and either threatening the Eastern Seaboard or striking the Leeward Islands, entering the Caribbean and then striking the Yucatan, or the Western or Northern Gulf coast. Breeding grounds also include the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

August is second only to September in the number of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. From 1851 to 2025 there have been 409 Tropical Storms and 257 Hurricanes, 85 of which made landfall in the United States, the most notable storms being Hurricanes Camille, Katrina and Ida in 1969, 2005 and 2021, which devastated Mississippi and Louisiana and Hurricane Andrew which ravaged South Florida in 1992.

21% of a year’s Hurricanes occur in August, however, 85 to 95% of land falling Hurricanes have not occurred by August 15.

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 74.4 degrees at the beginning of the month to 65.0 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases 54 minutes from 13 hours 49 minutes on August 1 to 12 hours 55 minutes on August 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

August 1 Sunrise 5:59 AM Sunset 7:48 PM
August 15 Sunrise 6:09 AM Sunset 7:34 PM
August 31 Sunrise 6:20 AM Sunset 7:15 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Leo, The Lion.

Mercury, magnitude -1.28 in Cancer, The Crab, emerges from the glow of the Sun into the dawn sky. At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 4:29 AM CDT)– 1 hour and 28 minutes before the Sun and reaching an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:29 AM CDT

He will reach his widest separation from the Sun, or “Greatest Western Elongation” on August 2 and his highest point in the sky on August 4 when he reaches 17° altitude, shining brightly at
-0.0. He will then steadily recede back towards the Sun as the month progresses.

At midmonth he becomes visible in the dawn sky, rising at 5:03 AM CDT – 1 hours and 3 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 8° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:50 AM CDT.

He will disappear into the glow of the Sun on August 16.

Venus, magnitude -4.4 in Virgo, The Virgin, is the brilliant “Evening Star” above the western horizon.

At the first of the month, she becomes visible 8:03 PM CDT, 21° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 5 minutes after the Sun at 9:51 PM CDT.

She will reach her greatest separation from the Sun in its 2026 evening apparition or “Greatest Western Elongation”, on August 14. Shining brightly at magnitude -4.3 and reaching a peak altitude of 30° above the horizon.

At midmonth, she becomes visible around 7:50 PM CDT, 19° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 55 minutes after the Sun at 9:29 PM CDT.

The Moon will pass within 2.1° of Venus on August 16.

At month’s end she becomes visible around 7:29 PM CDT, 16° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 42 minutes after the Sun at 8:55 PM CDT.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, and her Moon is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer.

Mars, magnitude +1.2, with his Moons Phobos and Deimos is in Gemini, The Twins, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 2:25 AM CDT – 3 hours and 31 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 32° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:15. AM CDT.
At midmonth he becomes visible rising at 2:09 AM CDT – 3 hours and 57 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 38° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:26 AM CDT.

At month’s end he becomes visible rising at 1:53 AM CDT and reaching an altitude of 44° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:39 AM CDT.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.0, is in Taurus, The Bull.

Jupiter, magnitude –1.8, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, in Cancer, The Crab, is hidden in the glow of the Sun until mid-month when he emerges in the morning sky.

Midmonth he rises at 5:03 AM CDT, 1 hour and 4 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 8° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:51 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 4:20 AM CDT – 1 hour and 57 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 19° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:02 AM CDT.

Saturn, magnitude +0.6 and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, in Pisces, The Fish, is a morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible around 11:46 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 5:03 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:25 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 10:50 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 4:07 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:36 AM CDT, 53° above the south-western horizon.

At month’s end he becomes accessible around 9:46 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 3:02 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:49 AM CDT.

Uranus, magnitude +5.7, and his 28 moons and ring, in Taurus, The Bull, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 1:15 AM CDT) and reaching an altitude of 42° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:50 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 12:22 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 56° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:03 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 11:20 PM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 73° above the southeastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:17 AM CDT.

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 16 moons and ring, is in Pisces, The Fish, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible at 12:09 AM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 55° above the southern horizon at 4:23 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 04:50 AM CDT, 56° above the southern horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible at 11:14 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 3:27 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:03 AM CDT, 49° above the southern horizon.

At months end he becomes accessible at 10:10 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 2:23 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:17 AM CDT, 37° above the southern horizon.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.5 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.3 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.1 in Coma Berenices.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 near Auriga, The Charioteer.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Cancer, The Crab.

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

25088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Andromeda, The Chained Maiden.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Hydra, The Sea Serpent. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in Triangulum, The Triangle.

FarFarOut is currently 12,397,103,817 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 29 minutes and 10 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 9 months and 7 days is 15,843,495,728 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 38 minutes from Earth as of 1:32 PM CDT, July 16, 2026, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude +21.7, in Leo, The Lion, is 165,580,962 miles or 1002 days from the Earth as of 1:28 PM CDT, July 16, 2026.

There are 1,552,936 known asteroids and 4,069 comets as of July 16, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.
6,324 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of July 16, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur August 5 at 9:22 PM CDT or 02:22 UTC August 6.

During the Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on August 10, when she will be
225,737 miles from Earth.

New Moon will occur at 12:37 AM CDT or 17:37 UTC on August 12. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

A Total Solar Eclipse will occur on August 12. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun’s beautiful outer atmosphere known as the corona.

The path of totality will begin in the Arctic Ocean off the Northern coast of Russia. It will move across Greenland, Iceland, and the Atlantic Ocean before ending in Spain. A partial eclipse will be visible Alaska, Canada, western Africa, and the northern United States.

The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks on the night of August 12 & 13, with 50 to 60 meteors per hour. This shower, produce by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862, ranks as the best of the best, famous for producing bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.

The New Moon will provide for an excellent year for the Perseids, as there will be no moonlight to interfere with the show so be prepared for what could be an impressive display. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur on August 19 at 9:46 PM CDT or 02:46 UTC on August 20.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on August 22, when she will be 251,434 miles from Earth.

August’s Full Moon will occur August 27 at 10:19 PM or 04:19 UTC August 28. August’s Full Moon was called “Fruit Moon” in Cherokee Folklore, “Women’s Moon” among the Choctaw, “Sturgeon Moon” by the Algonquin because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon and at one time was called “Dog Days Moon” by the Colonial Americans.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

There will be a Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 27 crossing into August 28. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and most of Europe and Africa.
Eclipse times for Birmingham are:

Penumbral Eclipse begins: 8:23 PM – Earth’s penumbra starts touching the Moon.
Partial Eclipse begins: 9:33 PM – Moon begins to darken visibly.
Maximum Eclipse (93%coverage): 11:12 PM – Moon is closest to the center of the shadow.
Partial Eclipse ends: 12:51 AM – Moon starts to brighten.
Penumbral Eclipse ends: 2:01 AM – Earth’s penumbra fully leaves the Moon.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ham News

HF band conditions continue to be weak, while 6 Meters continues to experience very good Sporadic E openings. There also have been Sporadic E openings on 10 Meters, 2 Meters, the lower VHF TV channels & FM Broadcast Bands.

The Sporadic E season will last through August and afterward openings will become rarer and rarer, so catch them while you can!

With the Perseid Meteor Shower peaking on the night of August 12 & 13, one might give thought to meteor scatter, especially on 6 Meters.

Using USB, CW or digital modes, meteor scatter is best around dawn almost any morning, but especially from 2 AM to sunrise during meteor showers, with the Earth heading directly into the meteor stream. The velocity of the Earth’s rotation increases the effective velocity of inbound meteors. Conversely, the evening hours around 9 PM local time, is usually the worst time for observations or meteor scatter, as the Earth is rotating away from incoming meteors

On 6 meters, activity usually starts at 50.130 MHz and moves up, with many operators listening around 50.200 MHz. Contacts are fast, so one must keep their ears perked!

A beam antenna, such as a three element Yagi will help, especially during a meteor shower, by beaming in the general direction of where you hope to make contact. But many Meteor Scatter contacts can be made with dipole, vertical and even mobile antennas, using 50 to 100 Watts. So, you don’t need a NASA grade setup to do this.

In North America, most meteor-scatter work is done on USB, although there is some activity on CW.

As to voice, there is an informal daily gathering of meteor operators, “Meteor Scatter Mornings”, on 50.145 MHz every morning, from 11:00 – 12:00 UTC or currently 6:00 – 7:00 AM CDT (time can vary +/- an hour as this is not a formal net, but rather a gathering of like-minded operators).

This group covers from Wyoming to the East Coast, Florida, Texas, and “everything in between” using SSB and CW.

The procedure for working general meteor scatter is to call CQ for a few seconds and then listen for a few seconds. “CQ CQ CQ scatter WD4NYL WD4NYL”—spoken fast and clearly, without pausing for syllables. A quick reply might be “WD4NYL WD4NYL W3EP.” Contacts are complete when call signs and one other piece of information, usually the grid locator or state, is exchanged and acknowledged by “rogers.” Repeats are often required. Sometimes you may have to wait for the next burst to complete the contact. Keep the transmissions short and stay with a station until a full exchange of information is made.

Many use and promote digital mode MSK144, which was developed for Meteor Scatter, with good success, centered on 50.260 MHz. But, as I am not knowledgeable in that area, I’ll leave that for your own research, and remind folk that long before modern digital modes were invented, USB and CW were being used and used very successfully.

August contests and events of note are:

August 1 10-10 International – Summer – USB
ARRL 222 & Up Contest
North American QSO Party – CW

August 8 Maryland-DC QSO Party

August 15 North American QSO Party – SSB
CVA DX – Brazil – CW
Keyman’s Club Of Japan – CW

August 22 Hawaii OSO Party
Ohio QSO Party

August 29 W/VE Island QSO Party – Canadian & US Islands
Kansas QSO Party

The North American QSO Parties are great opportunities for those looking to work all states, as are the state QSO parties.

For more details and for a more comprehensive list go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This month’s meeting will be on August 11. Watch for Russell’s email announcement for details.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

Posted in ALERT Newsletter | Leave a comment

ALERT NEWSLETTER – July 2026

Published July 1, 2026 | By WD4NYL

Hi everyone & an early Happy 4th of July!

Guess what? It’s time for ALERT dues! Yay!!!

To maintain roster records, according to ALERT’s constitution and bylaws, members who have not paid their 2026/2027 dues (which are due on July 2026’s meeting date, per Article IV), will be removed from the roster. After this point, these members may re-apply.

Members who are not currently in good standing may be ineligible for Callouts, NWSchat access, officer positions and the right to vote in the monthly meetings.

In special cases/hardship, members may submit a confidential request to be considered by the board. Such a request will be kept ultra-hush-hush, and can be brought to any board member.

More on dues, including payment address, can be found in the ALERT Bylaws, on the ALERT-Alabama.org website under Join/Documents.

Join ALERT/Documents

The direct link to the application can be found at https://alert-alabama.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/Documents/alertapp.pdf

Existing members who are renewing can also use PayPal option:
https://paypal.me/WilliamRodgers1973

If anyone would rather use Venmo, route it via @William-Rodgers-73

Or mail a check to:

ALERT
2101 Pope Ave
Steele, AL 35987

Also, for Operational Members (NWS responders), President Kaila is working on new ALERT badges.

If you have a headshot or can get one taken, (with teeth in and hair ((if applicable)) combed), please send it to Kaila kszmajdaham@gmail.com or Russell kv4s@alert-alabama.org

ALERT ID badges or valid photo IDs such as a driver licenses, non-driver ID, military ID, etc., are require to gain access to the NWS Forecast Office, as it is a government facility.

Until next month, everyone stay safe and cool!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Alabama Seismic Stations

Last month I covered earthquakes reported in Alabama.

The data from Seismic stations are recorded by helicorders, and is presented in the form of a continuous paper or a digital chart showing ground motion over time.

You may be curious to see what Seismic stations located in Alabama have recorded today and in recent days.

The links below lead to the helicorder or compiled record of vibrations recorded by the stations in various sites in the Eastern US. The websites will list several stations, none of them being in alphabetical order, so you will have search the page for the station you wish to see. Nestled among these listings the Alabama stations will be found.

Some locations have multiple listings as they may provide “Broadband” or BB, “Strong Motion” or SM or “Short Period” or SP displays.

Blount Mountain BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Brewton BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_nsn/
Carrolton BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Fort Payne BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_bb_ceri/
Fort Payne SM https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_sm_ceri/
Grady BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Hartselle BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Lakeview BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_nsn/
Pickwick Lake SP https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_bb_ceri/
Pickwick Lake SM https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_sm_ceri/
Pickwick Lake BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_slu/

For more information see Recent Helicorder Images for Mid-America – CERI courtesy of the University Of Memphis.

These stations record in 12 hour intervals and normally display just fuzzy straight lines, occasionally more fuzzy due to wind, human caused vibrations or electronic interference. But if an earthquake is detected it will suddenly look like a bad EKG (or my handwriting). I find it interesting seeing the main quake and how long it takes for the motion to settle down, or “coda”.

When a major earthquake occurs, it takes time for the Primary Wave or Pressure Wave to travel from the epicenter to the Seismographs location. In the case of the June 24th 7.1 magnitude Venezuelan earthquake, the quake hit at 5:05 PM CDT. The P Wave reached the Blount Mountain Seismograph, 2053 miles away, 5 minutes 30 seconds later. Before the first reading faded a second wave arrived from the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that followed.

With a major earthquake the Seismograph may record two waves. The Primary or P Wave, or compression wave followed by a Secondary or S Wave or shear wave, which travels more slowly.

Seismologists can use the time difference between the two waves multiplied by 8.4 to get the general distance from the epicenter in kilometers. And by triangulating with at least two other stations they can find the location of the epicenter.

Check these site out, and see if, as the old song says there’s “a whole lot of shaking going on.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
National Water Dashboard

We begin with a legend…

It was said that both the Chickasaws and white traders in the Mississippi Territory considered a nearby area particularly perilous, with dense foliage and dangerous wild animals making travel treacherous. With tales swapped of travelers becoming lost or attacked by animals within this area, the stream and perhaps the valley it runs through was called “Shades of Death Creek”.

In 1820 John Coffee, the Surveyor-general of northern Alabama territory, drew the first map of the area and used the name “Shades of Death Cr.”

In the late 1850’s following a population boom in the nearby areas, the name “Shades of Death Creek” was shortened to “Shades Creek”.

Another, more modern theory is that the forested area under the bluffs was simply known for its evocative shadows, and so was named Shades Creek.

But, that’s no fun, is it?

As time passed a dam was erected in 1915 near Green Springs Highway creating Edgewood Lake, which stretched from just west of Green Springs Highway and where the soccer fields and Homewood High School are today. Edgewood Lake was intended to be five times larger than Birmingham’s East Lake, which at time was a resort and was at first a private-members only lake owned by the Birmingham Motor and Country Club, and was stocked with bream and bass for fishing.

The Birmingham Motor and Country Club dissolved in 1923 and the 117 acre lake was opened to the public and attracted crowds of bathers, boaters and picnickers and was the site of large gatherings and celebrations.

Residents would take an electric trolley up Red Mountain near Vulcan into Homewood by Central Park to where Green Springs Highway is today.

Problems began when torrential rains broke the dam in 1923, 1935 and 1946 causing the lake to go dry. The property changed hands several times and though plans were discussed and a few attempts were made to repair the dam and preserve the lake, eventually they gave up and the area was opened for redevelopment in the 1940’s.

And that is why you have a road called Lakeshore Drive, though there is no lake to be found.

One little know resource which you can access online is the stream monitoring station located on Shades Creek.

During times, such as when we were recently deluged with tropical rainfalls, I find it interesting to see what the nearby creek and river levels are.

By accessing the site USGS | National Water Dashboard you can see the river water levels and discharge rates in near real-time.

When you go to this site you will find a map of North America, which lists every monitoring station in the Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

By using the zoom controls in the upper left portion of the map, you can zoom to a particular location. As you zoom in you will notice a radar overlay, and you can zoom to a street level map of the area of interest.

There are over 30 such stations in the Jefferson & Shelby County area, along the Cahaba River and various creeks.

Using Homewood as an example, the map will show a circle by Shades Creek between I-65 and Columbiana Road. By clicking the circle, you can choose the Monitoring Location Page https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-02423586/#parameterCode=00060&timeSeriesId=228684&period=P7D where you can graph the water level, discharge, temperature and other data.

Or you can choose the NWPS River Forecast or https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/02423586, which gives the water level and describes the various flood stages for this particular location.

Currently, at 3:25 PM June 12, the stream level is 3.78 feet, which is normal.

On June 7 the creek rose from a 3.62-foot lazy stream at 8:30 PM to a 12.25-foot rushing torrent in just 45 minutes. (Which is why, no matter how picturesque it may seem, you never camp right by a creek or river bed. Even if the weather is nice where you are, it may not be so nice 25 miles upstream and all that water will be heading towards your cozy camp.)

The flood record for this location is 19.88 feet on September 4, 2004, followed by 18.79 feet and 17.09 feet floods in 2021.

The Flood Stages for this location are given as follows:

Minor flooding – 14 feet – Water rises above bank full and begins to flood some of the surrounding property including the nature walk (the Shades Creek Greenway).

Moderate flooding – 17.5 feet – Water approaches the right upstream apartment complex with water covering much of the yard and nature walk.

Major flooding – 19.5 feet – Water reaches the edge of the left downstream apartment complex.

About 3000 feet upstream of this monitoring station a small creek, named Griffin Creek, feeds into Shades Creek. On June 7 about 4000 feet upstream on Griffin Creek, the creek spilled over its banks and flooded, blocking Broadway Street and Saulter Road, which is 2500 feet Northeast from my house.

Meanwhile 4000 feet Southwest from my house I-65 was blocked by flood waters and 1 mile north of my house Valley Avenue had standing water.

Being on a small hill, I will probably never need a dinghy or an Ark, but by knowing which areas are prone to flooding and monitoring the current conditions, I might know to divert to point C & D if I was trying to get from point A to B, instead of using the direct route. Which could be crucial in an emergency, especially if I were trying to reach home or a hospital.

This is why, though I love my GPS and mapping apps, I say you should study a map, either online or the old school paper kind, learn and memorize the layout of your various locations and routes – work, home and in between, as trying to find detours in a blinding rain may not be an easy task.

With all the modern technology available, the best navigation too is still that thing between your ears, assuming you “program it” with information beforehand and are not just filling it with Internet dandruff and other useless things.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

NWS Birmingham County Emergency Alert & Weather Radio Directory

The NWS has added a new webpage, the NWS Birmingham County Emergency Alert & Weather Radio Directory, which details every county’s notification methods, how the public can sign up, how to get alerts/updates, weather radio information for each county, links for the different transmitters covering each county, and links river gauge info, and dam info.

This idea was born after the 2016 Gatlinburg fire, where many of the fatalities were people visiting from other areas. Following the 2025 flooding in Texas, the effort was renewed. If someone is traveling to Alabama, evacuating from a different state, or anyone has friends/family in this state, they can go to this page to get what they need.

This page: National Weather Service Birmingham, AL County Notification Information will be updated over time, and frequently, with changes or updates as they become available.

Feel free to use this site and spread the word about its availability. The NWS welcomes any feedback, suggestions, or ideas!

The site is currently very basic, another more colorful site with the same information may be found at National Weather Service Birmingham, AL County River and Dam Information

As time progresses these sites, which are still under construction, will grow and maps and interactive pages will become available.

Check them out!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mark’s Almanac

Originally called “Quintilis”, the fifth Roman month, Quintilis was renamed “July” in 44 BC in honor of Julius Caesar.
July is miserably hot, as land temperatures reach their peaks in late July through early August – the Dog Days of Summer.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11.

The Romans on the other hand said that the Dog Days ran from July 24 through August 24, or, alternatively, from July 23 through August 23, coinciding with the Sun and the Dog Star Sirius rising at the same time & their combined heat supposedly adding to the summer misery.

As you endure this heat, remember to drink lots of fluids, hug the shade & avoid the afternoon sun.

Also please resist the temptation to take Fido for a walk during the heat of the day. Remember that the “official” temperature readings are taken 6 feet above ground level. It’s much, much hotter on the ground where Fido & Puss must walk with bare paws, where it could easily be 150 degrees.

Before taking Muttley for a walk, place your hand on the pavement and see how hot it is. If it’s miserable to you, it will be miserable to him also. Just walk him in the morning or wait until the sun is setting and it cools off to a tolerable level and try to stick to grassy areas. Then go have a good time together.

The last week of July is usually the hottest week of the year. Tropical conditions are dominant, with conditions similar to that of the Amazon Valley.

July and August is the time to test the “Brown Grass Theory”. According to this theory, if the grass remains green the temperature will probably not reach 100, but, if the grass turns brown, get set for triple digits. This is a local Birmingham rule, which the Old Timers at the Birmingham NWS, such as Frank Makosky and J.B Elliott used for years.

In July, the least rainfall falls in the Northern Hemisphere and tornado activity drops sharply, with a 47% decrease nationwide. July has an average of 103 tornadoes.

Hurricane activity increases, but major hurricanes are not yet frequent. By months end, one hurricane will have occurred. Seven percent of a year’s hurricane total occurs in July.

Long track hurricanes are possible, forming off the African coast and crossing the Atlantic, either to threaten the US East Coast, then eventually veering off towards Bermuda. Or in the case of “Low Latitude” storms, cross the Atlantic, strike the Leeward Islands; enter the Caribbean and then striking the Yucatan, or the Western or Northern Gulf coast.

July Tropical Cyclone Breeding Grounds

From 1851 to 2025 there have been 131 Tropical Storms and 62 Hurricanes, 29 of which made landfall in the United States.

Among notable storms are 2005’s Hurricane Emily, the only Category 5 storm to form in July, reaching 160 MPH and striking Mexico.

Hurricane Bertha, a 125 MPH storm holds the record for the longest lifespan for a July hurricane, churning for 17 days.

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon decreases from 78.0 degrees at the beginning of the month to 74.7 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases from 14 hours 20 minutes on July 1 to 13 hours 49 minutes on July 31, or 31 minutes shorter.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

July 1 Sunrise 5:40 AM Sunset 8:02 PM
July 15 Sunrise 5:47 AM Sunset 7:59 PM
July 31 Sunrise 5:58 AM Sunset 7:49 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Gemini, The Twins.

Mercury, magnitude +0.5 in Gemini, The Twins, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

Mercury will reach his furthest point from the Sun, or “Aphelion” on July 1 and will pass between the Sun and the Earth or be in “Inferior Conjunction” on July 12 which will also be his closest approach to Earth, or “Perigee”.

Venus, magnitude -4.2 in Leo, The Lion, is early evening object.

At the first of the month, she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible around 8:18 PM CDT, 25° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 27 minutes after the Sun at 10:27 PM CDT.

At midmonth she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible around 8:14 PM CDT, 24° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 18 minutes after the Sun at 8:15 PM CDT.

The Moon will pass near Venus on July 17.

By months end she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible at around 8:04 PM CDT, 21° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 6 minutes after the Sun at 7:53 PM CDT.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, is in the constellation Sagittarius, The Archer.

Earth will reach her farthest distance from the Sun or Aphelion on July 6 at 12:30 PM CDT or 05:30
UTC, when the distance from the Sun’s center to Earth’s center will be 94,502,962 miles from our home star, as she and the Moon wobble through space, the Moon tugging on the Earth like an unruly pup on a leash.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.3, in Taurus, The Bull, is emerging from behind the Sun.

At the first of the month, he will rise at 3:06 AM CDT – 2 hours and 32 minutes before the Sun – reaching an altitude of 20° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:54 AM CDT.
At midmonth he will rise at 2:46 AM CDT – 2 hours and 59 minutes before the Sun – reaching an altitude of 25° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:02 AM CDT.

By months end he will rise at 2:26 AM CDT – 3 hours and 30 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 32° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:14 AM CDT.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +8.9 is in Taurus, The Bull.
Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring magnitude –1.8, in Cancer, The Crab, is low in the in the Western sky at the first of the Month.

At the first of the month, he will become visible around 8:18 PM CDT, 10° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 16 minutes after the Sun at 9:16 PM CDT.

He will become lost in the glow of the Sun on July 6 and will be invisible until mid-August.

Jupiter will pass behind the Sun or be in Conjunction on July 29 and reach his furthest point from the Earth or Apogee on July 30.

Saturn, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +0.7, in Pisces, The Fish, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he rises at 12:52 AM CDT, he will reach an altitude of 48° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:02 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 11:58 PM CDT, and will reach an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:11 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 11:50 PM CDT, at an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 5:07 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 05:24 AM CDT.

Uranus, and his 28 moons and ring, magnitude +5.8 in Taurus, The Bull, is hidden in the glow of the Sun at the start of the month.

He emerges into the morning sky on July 10.

By midmonth he rises at 2:20 AM CDT – 3 hours and 25 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 29° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:36 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 1:19 AM CDT and reaches an altitude of 41° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:49 AM CDT.

Neptune, and his 16 moons and ring, magnitude 7.7 in Pisces, The Fish, has emerged into the predawn sky.

At the first of the month, he rises at 12:22 AM CDT and reaches an altitude of 46° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:27 AM CDT.

Neptune enters retrograde motion, or will appear to be backing across the background stars on July 7.

By midmonth he rises at 11:27 PM CDT and reaches an altitude of 54° above the southern-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:36 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 12:13 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:49 AM CDT.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.5 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.2 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.1 in Coma Berenices.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 near Perseus, the Greek hero who beheaded Medusa.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Cancer, The Crab.

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

25088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Pegasus, The Winged Horse.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in Triangulum, the Triangle.

FarFarOut is currently 12,380,486,086 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 27 minutes and 41 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 9 months and 7 days is 15,816,381,434 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 58 minutes from Earth as of 2:49 PM CDT, June 16, 2026, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude +21.7, in Cancer, The Crab, is 162,873,125 miles or 1032 days from the Earth as of 2:36 PM CDT, June 16, 2026.

There are 1,548,782 known asteroids and 4,068 comets as of June 16, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

6,298 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of June 4, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur July 7 at 2:30 PM CDT or 7:30 UTC on July 17.

During the Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

Though it won’t peak until the night and morning of August 12 & 13, the Perseid Meteor Shower begins July 17, and lasts until August 24. This shower, associated with comet Swift-Tuttle will peak at 60 meteors per hour in August.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on July 13 when she will be 223,141 miles from Earth.

New Moon will occur at 3:45 AM CDT or 09:45 UTC on July 14. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

Since the Moon is near her closest approach to the Earth, this will be a Super New Moon, even though we can’t see it.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur July 21 at 6:05 AM or 11:05 UTC.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on July 25, when she will be 251,996 miles from Earth.

The Southern Delta-Aquariid Meteor shower peaks on the night of July 28th into the morning of the 29th. This shower annually occurs from July 12 through August 23 is made up of debris from Comet Marsden Kracht and produces a ZHR or Zenith Hourly Rate of 20 meteors per hour.

Unfortunately, the Full Moon will obscure most of the meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few of the brighter ones.

Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

July’s Full Moon occurs July 29 at 9:37 AM CDT or 14:37 UTC, when the Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated.

July’s Full Moon is called “Buck Moon” in Native American folklore. This moon gets its name because the male buck deer begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. It has also been called “Full Thunder Moon” & “Hay Moon”.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

Nighttime arrives late in July, as the days are still long, but if one is able, around midnight and the early morning if you step outside the Summer constellations of Scorpius the Scorpion, the red star Antares, and the Teapot of Sagittarius, the Archer will greet you.

If you are away from the dismal glow of city lights that wash out the night sky, and especially during a New Moon, you can explore the Milky Way, as the Earth is tipped toward the Galactic Core in Sagittarius and we can see it stretching across the sky from the horizon straight up to Cygnus, The Swan, flying overhead, onward though W shaped Cassiopea to the North and to Perseus near the Northern horizon.

A pair of binoculars will reveal rich star fields, nebulae and star clusters as you drift along the length of the galaxy, lost among the stars.

I find 7×35 binoculars, which are low power, but have a wide field of view is close to being a “Rich Field Telescope”. A Rich Field Telescope is a telescope designed to show the maximum number of stars in a given field of view, especially in star‑dense areas like the Milky Way. “Rich Field” is not to be confused with “wide field”, which refers to the widest possible view. “Rich Field” emphasizes star density rather than field of view size.

Other size binoculars may magnify too little or too much, or don’t have lenses wide enough to provide the enough light gathering power, or have lenses so large you could use them for weight lifting.

7×35 binoculars have just the right balance of magnification, light gathering power and weight to give you great views and not wear you out in the process. And, being binoculars, you have twice the light data available for your eyes and brain to process.

Try it, you’ll like it!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ham News

HF band conditions continue weak, though 6 Meters has seen several Sporadic E openings.

To me, these openings can produce conditions like bubbles. Bubbles of signals rise to the top, you answer the strong signal and the signal just fades in two seconds never to be heard again. Or they may last minutes or longer. I’ve seen some do both, with stations on top of each another, one a steady strong signal, and other signals bubbling up and rapidly fading away.

The ARRL June VHF Contest came and went. I went to six meters, and the band was alive with signals. I worked a strong station, but had to leave for about 30 minutes. With high expectations, I came back and there was total silence. The band had collapsed that quickly.

Not to be perturbed, I called on the 70 Centimeter SSB & FM calling frequencies, 432.100 & 446.000 MHz, the 1½ Meter FM calling frequency, 223.500 MHz and the 2 meter SSB calling frequency 144.200 MHz and heard nothing. I did work two stations on 146.520 MHz.

Having worked three glorious stations, I called it “success” and moved on to other things.

July contests and events of note are:

July 1 RAC Canada Day 00:00z – 23:59z, July 1
7:00 PM June 30 – 7:00 PM July 1 CDT

July 4 CQ Worldwide VHF SSB/CW 12:00z, July 5 to 12:00z, July 6
7:00 AM July 5 to 7:00 AM July 6 CDT

July 11 IARU HF Worldwide SSB/CW 12:00z, July 11 to 12:00z, July 12
7:00 AM July 11 to 7:00 AM July 12 CDT

July 18 POTA Support Your Parks Saturday & Sunday UTC July 18 & 19

July 25 Alabama QSO Party 15:00z, July 25 to 03:00z, July 26
10:00 AM July 25 to 10:00 PM July 25 CDT

    RSGB IOTA Contest CW & SSB            12:00z, July 25 to 12:00z, July 26
                         7:00 AM July 25 to 7:00 AM July 26 CDT

Two contests which especially pique my interest are the Alabama QSO Party, where folk are hunting for YOU and the IARU HF Worldwide Contest, where conditions permitting, you can work DX stations by the handfuls.

This includes stations rarely heard outside of contests, such as LP1H in Argentina, 8P5A in Barbados, D4Z in the Cape Verde Islands, FY5FY in French Guiana and CN3A in Morrocco.

For more details go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home & for the Alabama QSO Party: alabamacontestgroup.org/aqp/

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

This month’s meeting will be online July 14 at 7PM. Watch for Russell’s email announcement for details.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

Posted in ALERT Newsletter | Leave a comment

ALERT NEWSLETTER – June 2026

Published June 1, 2026 | By WD4NYL

Hi Everyone,

I hope this finds you well as we cruise into summer!

As we leave Spring tornado season, our eyes turn towards the Atlantic and Gulf as hurricane season begins.

NOAA released its seasonal outlook on May 21, which calls for a below normal season, with 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.

Though hurricane forecasts are calling for a “below normal’ season due to a strong El Niño, it is good to remember the ABCs. Namely Andrew, Betsy and Camille.

Andrew was a Category 5 storm that destroyed 63,000 homes and damaged 100,000 more in Miami-Dade County Florida in 1992. Andrew was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged or destroyed. 1992 was an El Niño year.

Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane that struck South Florida and Louisiana in 1965, pushing a storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain, which breeched the levees in New Orleans flooding neighborhoods, notably the Ninth Ward, causing widespread damage, as Katrina would again do forty years later, with even more devastating results.

Camille was a Category 5 hurricane that struck near Pass Christian Mississippi, producing a 24.6 foot storm surge, killing 348 people from Mississippi to the Virginias.

Both Betsy and Camille occurred during strong El Niños.

So, a strong El Niño doesn’t necessarily mean “don’t worry, this season will be an easy one”, for it takes just one major hurricane to cause widespread grief, “below average season” or not.

So, keep keeping a wary eye towards the tropical waters, in case mischief brews.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2026-2027 officers for ALERT!

The results of the 2026 ALERT election is in and your Officers are:

President: Kaila Szmajda, KR4BZF
Vice President: Roger Parsons, KK4UDU
Treasurer & Membership: Bill Rodgers, K4FSO
Secretary: Justin Glass, N0ZO
Public Information Officer: Kaila Szmajda, KR4BZF
Training: Steven Moss, KB4FKN

The Board Of Directors is as follows:

President: Kaila Szmajda, KR4BZF
Immediate Past President: Johnnie Knobloch, KJ4OPX
Station Trustee: Russell Thomas KV4S
Board At Large: Two Year: Mark Wells, WD4NYL
Board At Large: Dale Chambers, KD4QHZ

Thank you for your dedication and willingness to serve!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

A Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On

I always take social media posts with a huge grain of salt, as anything can be posted and it be accepted as “true” whether it is or not.

Sometimes something will pique my interest though, such as several recent Facebook posts featuring maps of Alabama with the headlines “BREAKING: STRANGE GROUND SHAKING REPORTED ACROSS ALABAMA”.

These maps have icons resembling a seismograph trace near Birmingham, Montgomery, Dothan, Gulf Shores and Mobile. No source for these reports or the map is given and the symbol for Gulf Shores is over Pensacola, and another has a symbol for Orange Beach hovering over Panama City, which could simply be simply typo.

Ever curious, I decided to delve into this, and according the United State Geological Survey or USGS, there have been 5 earthquakes effecting Alabama this year:

04/27/2026 Magnitude 2.5 03:55 UTC 7.5 Miles (12km) NNE Trinity, Morgan County, AL
03/20/2026 Magnitude 2.2 05:40 UTC 9.3 Miles (15km) W Rock Creek, Jefferson County, AL
03/16/2026 Magnitude 2.1 19:36 UTC 1.9 Miles (3km) SW Varnell, Whitfield County, GA
01/17/2026 Magnitude 2.3 02:59 UTC 3.1 Miles (5km) NW Addison, Winston County, AL
01/17/2026 Magnitude 2.4 02:18 UTC 3.7 Miles (6km) NW Addison, Winston County, AL

20 Earthquakes occurred in 2025.

12/20/2025 Magnitude 2.1 06:53 UTC 6.8 Miles (11km) SSW Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa Co, AL
12/17/2025 Magnitude 1.4 03.42 UTC 4.3 Miles (7km) SE LaFayette, Walker County, GA
12/17/2025 Magnitude 2.4 11.38 UTC 2.5 Miles (4km) SW LaFayette, Walker County, GA
11/13/2025 Magnitude 1.5 21:10 UTC 5.0 Miles (8km) SW Chickamauga, Walker County, GA
11/08/2025 Magnitude 1.7 18:48 UTC 3.7 Miles (6km) WSW Linwood, Walker County, GA
10/31/2025 Magnitude 2.3 09:49 UTC 0.6 Miles (1km) SE Talladega, Talladega County, AL
08/27/2025 Magnitude 2.3 18:14 UTC 3.7 Miles (6km) WSW Linwood, Walker County, GA
08/12/2025 Magnitude 2.0 23:11 UTC 2.5 Miles (4km) NNE Trenton, Dade County, GA
08/03/2025 Magnitude 1.9 12:25 UTC 5.6 Miles (9km) NNW Eton, Murray County, GA
06/29/2025 Magnitude 2.1 19:23 UTC 1.9 miles (3km) ENE Cohutta, Whitfield County, GA
06/22/2025 Magnitude 2.4 00:10 UTC 1.9 Miles (3km) SSW Park City, Walker County, GA
04/22/2025 Magnitude 2.4 17:23 UTC 2.5 Miles (4km) NW Cohutta, Whitfield County, GA
04/16/2025 Magnitude 2.2 04:16 UTC 3.7 Miles (6km) WNW Linwood, Walker County, GA
03/29.2025 Magnitude 2.1 11:58 UTC 3.1 Miles (5km) E Trion, Chattooga County, GA
02/25/2025 Magnitude 2.2 19:44 UTC 5.0 Miles (8km) N Menlo, GA, Chattooga County, GA
02/25/2025 Magnitude 2.6 13:01 UTC 5.0 Miles (8km) N Menlo, GA, Chattooga County, GA
01/25/2025 Magnitude 2.3 18:14 UTC 3.7 Miles (6km) WSW Linwood, Walker County, GA
01/16/2025 Magnitude 1.8 18:49 UTC 2.5 Miles (4km) SE Apison, Hamilton County, TN
11/24/2025 Magnitude 2.4 04:01 UTC 2.5 Miles (4km) WNW Sipsey, Walker County, AL
10/27/2025 Magnitude 2.0 23:16 UTC 0.6 Miles (1km) WSW Collegedale, Hamilton County, TN

This compares to:

19 earthquakes in 2024
10 earthquakes in 2023
13 earthquakes in 2022
12 earthquakes in 2021
23 earthquakes in 2020

A few thoughts:

Of the earthquakes listed affecting Alabama, none are considered unusual, but rather “typical”. Most, unless you are standing on top of the epicenter, are never even felt, especially if they are below magnitude 2.5. Per the USGS, typically people report feeling earthquakes starting at about magnitude 3.0 or greater.

With the exception of the March 30th 2026 Rock Creek earthquake, which was caused by a mine collapse, all of these earthquakes are associated with the Southern Appalachian Seismic Zone, which stretches from Western Alabama along the Appalachian Mountains through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Most are clustered near mountains of NE Alabama and NW Georgia.

None of these are associated with the more famous, or infamous New Madrid Seismic Zone, which produced a series of Magnitude 6.1 – 7.5 earthquakes from December 16, 1811 to February 7,1812, in Missouri and Tennessee, which if repeated today could cause significant damage to Northwestern Alabama.

A lesser-known area, the Bahamas Fracture Seismic Zone in Southwest Alabama and North Florida, runs eastward to the Bahamas, and has produced a half dozen or so earthquakes in the last 30 years, most clustered around Alabama and Florida’s Escambia Counties.

The South Carolina Seismic Zone centered around Charleston SC can also potentially affect Alabama. It produced a Magnitude 6.9 – 7.3 earthquake August 31, 1886 just north of Charleston.

The largest earthquakes to strike Alabama are:

Magnitude 5.1 Irondale, Jefferson County on October 18, 1916, causing cracked windows, fallen chimneys, and dried-up wells as the aquifer was temporarily disrupted. While there were no fatalities, the earthquake caused widespread panic, making workers evacuate tall buildings.

Magnitude 4.8 Flomaton, Escambia County on October 24, 1997, which caused large cracks along a beach.

Magnitude 4.6 Valley Head / Fort Payne, DeKalb County on April 29, 2003, which being a deep earthquake causing only minor landslides, sinkholes and masonry damage.

So, whatever is causing the reported “widespread shaking” it’s probably safe to say that it isn’t earthquake related.

What about the “Alabama Boom” then?

The news sources sound the headlines:

“Eglin officials deny sonic boom source…heard and felt in the Mobile Bay area shortly after 8 a.m. Oct. 13, military officials said the jet had been nowhere near Mobile” – AL.com 10/14/2014

“Mysterious Boom Rattles Alabama and No One Knows What Caused It” – Newsweek 11/15/2017
“What are all these loud booms that are being heard across Central Alabama? The noise was reported again on Sunday and Monday in areas from Birmingham to Anniston. Those booms come on the heels of one heard on November 14th.” – WBRC 11/17/2017

“Did SpaceX create the loud boom heard in Alabama and Florida?” – AL.com 5/30/2023

“No reports of injuries after mysterious big boom heard in Shelby County” – 1819news 7/31/2023

The frequently reported Alabama Boom is a mystery to be solved. These “booms” aren’t limited to Alabama of course, and have been reported globally, where they are sometimes called “Mystery Booms” or “Skyquakes”.

The causes are elusive with some possible explanations being:

Sonic Booms, or the shockwave of high-speed military aircraft breaking the sound barrier being heard 100 miles or more.
Meteors & space debris entering the atmosphere producing sonic booms or exploding in the atmosphere
Industrial causes, such as quarry blasting.
Shallow earthquakes
Atmospheric ducting causing distant sounds to come rumbling in, much like VHF radio signals often do.
Distant Thunderstorms
Offshore events, such as geological gas venting from the ocean floor.
Things maybe you don’t really want to know about….

One name for these are “Seneca Guns”, named for Lake Seneca in upstate New York where they have been heard for at least 150 years. These were described in 1850 by James Fenimore Cooper in his short story “The Lake Gun”.

“It is a sound resembling the explosion of a heavy piece of artillery, that can be accounted for by none of the known laws of nature”. “The report is deep, hollow, distant and imposing. The lake seems to be speaking to the surrounding hills, which send back the echoes of its voice in accurate reply. No satisfactory theory has ever been broached to explain these noises.”

In this case I think we can rule out jets.

I have heard some “mystery booms” several times while living in western Birmingham, most with reasonable explanations.

The first was in the early 1960s. It was morning and I was waking up when suddenly a very loud BOOM shook the house and it seemed almost as if the windows were bowing in. “A sonic boom” folk said, “probably from Maxwell Air Force Base”.

The second was on October 31, 1979. I remember hearing “boom, BooM, BOOM!” which rattled the entire house. In this case it was the sound of the Hercules Powder Plant, near Bessemer and Hueytown exploding. The plant never reopened, but Powder Plant Road still exists today.

Every few months the neighborhood would shake from blasts. “They’re cleaning out the ladles at US Steel…they drop a stick of dynamite in them to do it” the old timers would say. Which I guess was true.

One night I was reading about Water Oaks, as we had a huge one in the back yard. At 4:10 AM there was a loud “boom” and the whole house shook. “Earthquake!” I said, “Tree!” my wife said. I turned over to go back to sleep, and Teresa suggested maybe I should check the house. I turned the deck light on and saw that we no longer had a deck and that the roof had a new skylight which wasn’t there the day before. The tree, with no wind or rain to cause it, had just decided to split in to. So, we ended up with a new deck, half a new roof (insurance companies are bizarre) and a lost tree.

So, if you hear a weird boom, or feel the earth move under your feet, just welcome to wonders of Alabama!

And, while we are discussing weird phenomena, let’s not forget the best ones of them all.

Today they call them UAPs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. I remember when they were just called “UFOs”, which I will continue to call them.

Recently the government released files and pictures of unexplained weirdness, which could not be explained away as lens flares, blotches made during the photo processing or folk “drunker than Cooter Brown” flying drones.

It reminded me of the early 1970’s. From around 1972 to 1975 there was a flood of UFO and USO (Unidentified Submerged Object) reports from across the Southeast and around the world. Some we’re perhaps due to “chemical induced visions” (in other words high as a kite). Others we’re reported by pilots, police officers, preachers and other folk generally considered sane.

USOs we’re seen glowing at night underwater near the shipyards at Pascagoula, some fishermen near Biloxi swore they had been abducted, as did a lady who passed a polygraph test and under hypnosis drew a star chart of the Zeti Reticulum star system shown to her by “them”, and a policeman near Falkville, swore that a man dressed in a shiny suit outran his patrol car.

Then, just as with the swarms on mystery drones which we heard of a couple of years ago, “poof” the reports we’re suddenly gone. Though occasional reports still come in today, it is nothing like the surge during the early 70’s.

Whether it’s the “mysterious lights” and “airships” that were seen along the west coast in the 1880’s or orbs buzzing US Navy fighters today, what are these things? Aliens, natural, but not yet understood phenomena, secret hush hush weaponry? Beats me, as I have seen some unexplainable things also.

I am an analytical person. If I see or hear something weird, I figure there is a reasonable explanation, though I may not know what it is at that exact moment. And, I’ve been a “sky watcher” whether it’s astronomy or meteorology since I was 5 years old, so what may be “weird” to one person may not be weird to me.

Most things I’ve seen have reasonable explanations, such as the multicolored lights I saw on the horizon in 1973, which ended up being the Goodyear Blimp, or when my sister, Mom and I saw something shiny fall off a DC-3 aircraft in 1963.

Have I seen some “unexplainable” things though? Oh yes.

At the risk of sounding delusional:

In the early 1960’s I was maybe 5 years old playing in a sandpile. I looked towards Birmingham, which you could see in the distance and there was a pinpoint black spot over the city. I thought it was an insect hovering a few feet away, as bug are known to do. But I noticed that if I moved to the right or left the spot’s position did not move. If I was near its location, it should have moved to the left or right as my visual angle changed. Then I looked down, looked back up and it was gone.

One night in the late 1980’s I was sitting at the kitchen table eating and, in the sky, a large object passed over the house at a low altitude. I thought “man that plane is low”. Then it occurred to me “where is the plane’s sound?”. I went outside and there was a low cloud cover, so it had to be just at cloud level and I should have been able to hear something if it was an aircraft. What I saw was circular in shape, like a foggy Frisbie, colored not unlike a yellowish green glowstick, moving east to west at a high rate of speed.

In the spring of 1999, my father was in Lloyd Nolan Hospital in Fairfield. As I sat with him, I was looking out of the window towards Ensley. I saw two white triangular shaped objects tumbling slowly through the sky. I thought they were large pieces of white poster paper that had been picked up by the wind, as it was a very windy day. Then I watched as they went behind the tallest building in downtown Ensley, the Massey building and I realized: 1. These we’re much farther away that I thought, as the building was two miles away. 2. These are much larger than I thought, as they still appeared large as they disappeared behind the building. The mystery grew when they did not reappear. I assumed I was seeing an aircraft breaking apart and watched for a smoke plume that never appeared. Later I watched the news and nothing unusual was ever mentioned.

Lastly, in November 2018, my wife and I and another couple were camping in Tannehill State Park
When we saw an orange shaped light moving slowly just above the tree canopy about 100 yards away. Since there was no sound, that would seem to rule out a drone.

It is possible it someone launched a Sky Lantern. Sky lanterns are floating lanterns made from a thin paper shell, from 12 inches to several yards across, with a 4-to-12-inch opening at the bottom, surrounded by a stiff collar, which suspends a flame fueled by a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material, flammable oil or a similar ignitable material

As the flame heats the air inside the shell, it acts like a hot air balloon, rises and stays aloft as long as the flame is lit, then it crashes, if it doesn’t get hung up in the trees. Which is why this isn’t the wisest thing to try in the middle of a forest, as they have been known to cause fires and serious damage.

In three of these four examples, I have no explanation reasonable or otherwise as to what they could be. I’ll add that I’ve never done drugs and am as sober as my Baptist Mama ever was. I mean, if can I see these things stone sober, who needs any outside help?

The truth is out there…

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mark’s Almanac

Originally the fourth Roman Month, June at one time had 29 days, until Julius Caesar in a glow of inspiration added the 30th day.

What June was named for is uncertain. Some say it was named for Juno, wife & sister of Jupiter. Juno was the goddess of marriage and a married couple’s household, so some consider it good luck to be married in this month, which is why June has become a month for so many marriages.

The beginning of meteorological Summer is June 1.

Storm activity retains many of the characteristics of spring, but more and more the pattern takes on the summer pattern of pop-up thunderstorms.
Hurricane season begins June 1; however, June hurricanes are usually small and of minor intensity, occurring roughly once every two years.

The centers for June Tropical Cyclone activity are the extreme Western Caribbean, with the storm tracks striking the Yucatan or veering toward Western Florida & the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, with other storm tracks aiming toward the Mexican mainland.

From 1851 to 2025 there have been 107 Tropical Storms and 34 Hurricanes, of which 20 impacted the United States. The most notable June hurricane was Audrey, one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in US history, which killed 416 as it devastated the southwestern Louisiana coast in 1957.

The center of maximum tornadic activity shifts northward over Kansas and Iowa. Activity in Texas and Oklahoma dies down. There is a 5% decrease in tornadic activity over the May average & by June 4th 50% of the year’s tornadoes have occurred.

Days continue to grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon increases from 78.2 degrees at the beginning of the month to maximum of 79.7 on Summer Solstice on June 21 and then lowering to 79.5 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight increases from 14 hours 16 minutes on June 1 to the maximum daylight of 14 hours 25 minutes at Summer Solstice on June 21 and then decreases to 14 hours 23 minutes on June 30.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

June 1 Sunrise 5:37 AM Sunset 7:53 PM
June 15 Sunrise 5:35 AM Sunset 8:00 PM
June 30 Sunrise 5:39 AM Sunset 8:02 PM

The following astronomical data is based on information from In-The-Sky.org, A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky | TheSkyLive, Sea and Sky – Explore the Oceans Below and the Universe Above, AstroPixels: Home, https://moonphasetoday.org, 2026 Calendar – Calendar-12.com, Comprehensive Asteroid and Comet Database | Space Reference and others and is based on Birmingham’s latitude. The memes and charts of planetary alignments seen frequently on social media sometimes may be possible for another latitude, but mostly they just AI generated junk hoping to generate a response, ultimately leading to clicks for profit.

That said…

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Taurus, The Bull.
Mercury, magnitude +0.5 in Gemini, The Twins, is low in the northwest horizon at sunset.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible at around 8:13 PM CDT, 11° above the north-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 28 minutes after the Sun at 9:19 PM CDT.

Mercury will reach his highest altitude in the sky on June 11, reaching 19° above the horizon.

At midmonth he will become visible at around 8:31 PM CDT, 12° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 41 minutes after the Sun at 9:39 PM CDT.

Mercury will reach his greatest separation from the Sun, or reach Greatest Eastern Elongation on June 15.

Mercury will disappear from the night sky descending into the glow of the Sun on June 18.

Venus, magnitude -4.0 in Cancer, The Crab, is the bright Evening Star shining over the western horizon.

At the first of the month, she will become visible at around 8:09 PM CDT, 25° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 35 minutes after the Sun at 10:26 PM CDT.

Venus will reach her highest altitude in the sky on June 12, reaching 30° above the horizon.

At midmonth she will become visible at around 8:15 PM CDT, 26° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 34 minutes after the Sun at 10:32 PM CDT.

Venus and the Moon will pass very close to each other, within 0.3° on June 17.

By months end she will become visible at around 8:18 PM CDT, 25° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 28 minutes after the Sun at 10:28 PM CDT.

Earth, and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in the constellation Libra, The Scales.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.3, in Aries, The Ram is lost in the glow of the Sun during the first week of the month.

He will emerge in the predawn sky on June 7th, rising at 3:44 AM CDT – 1 hour and 50 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 12° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:50 AM CDT.

At midmonth he becomes visible rising at 3:31 AM CDT – 2 hours and 3 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 15° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:50 AM CDT.

By months end he becomes visible rising at 3:07 AM CDT – 2 hours and 30 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 20° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:53 AM CDT.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +8.6 is in Taurus, The Bull.

Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring magnitude –1.8, in Gemini, The Twins at the first of the month is sinking in the western sky.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible around 8:09 PM CDT, 31° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 1 minute after the Sun at 10:52 PM CDT.

By midmonth he becomes visible around 8:15 PM CDT, 21° above your western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 9 minutes after the Sun at 10:07 PM CDT.

At months end he will become visible at around 8:18 PM CDT, 11° above your western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. It will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 20 minutes after the Sun at 9:20 PM CDT.

Saturn, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +0.8, in Pisces, The Fish, is emerging from behind the Sun in the dawn sky.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible in the dawn sky, rising at 2:44 AM CDT – 2 hours and 51 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 27° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:59 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 1:52 AM CDT – 3 hours and 42 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 37° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:58 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 12:55 AM CDT and reach an altitude of 47° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:02 AM CDT.

Uranus, and his 28 moons and ring, magnitude +5.8 in Taurus, The Bull, regardless of what social media memes may say, is invisible, hidden in the glow of the Sun.

Neptune, and his 16 moons and ring, magnitude 7.8 in Pisces, The Fish is visible using a telescope, in the predawn sky.

At the first of the month, he rises at 2:19 AM CDT – 3 hours and 16 minutes before the Sun – and reach an altitude of 25° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:26 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 1:24 AM CDT and reach an altitude of 35° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:23 AM CDT.

At months end he rises 12:26 AM CDT and reach an altitude of 45° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:26 AM CDT.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.6 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.2 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.1 in Coma Berenices.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 near Aries, The Ram.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Canis Minor, The Little Dog.

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

25088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Pegasus, The Winged Horse.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Corvus, The Crow. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in Triangulum, the Triangle.

FarFarOut is currently 12,341,407,984 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 24 minutes and 11 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 9 months and 7 days is 15,786,453,550 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 54 minutes from Earth as of 1:38 PM CDT, May 14, 2026, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude +21.7, in Taurus, The Bull, is 155,070,778 miles or 1066 days from the Earth as of 1:43 PM CST, May 14, 2026.

There are 1,542,606 known asteroids and 4,063 comets as of May 14, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

6,287 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of May 14, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur June 8 at 5:03 AM or 10:03 UTC.
During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The Moon will be at Perigee, or her closest point from the Earth on June 14 at 221,951 Miles.

New Moon will occur at 9:56 PM CDT June 14 or 02:56 UTC June 15. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. This will provide the darkest skies of the month.

Because this New Moon will occur near her closest approach to Earth, this will be a Super New Moon.

Summer Solstice will occur at 3:25 AM CDT or 08:25 UTC on June 21. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur June 21 at 4:55 PM CDT or 21:55 UTC.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The June Bootids Meteor Shower will occur from June 26th until July 2nd. It peaks on June 27th. Normally the shower is very weak, with a Zenith Hourly Rate or ZHR of 1 or 2, but occasional outbursts produce a hundred or more meteors per hour. The source of the June Bootids is Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, which orbits the Sun once every 6.37 years.

A near Full Moon will wash out most of the fainter meteors of this unpredictable shower. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on June 28, when she will be 252,443 miles from Earth.

June’s Full Moon is “Strawberry Moon” in Native American folklore. This will occur on June 29 at 6:58 PM CDT or 23:58 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. It is called “Strawberry Moon” for it signals the time to start harvesting strawberries, as it is peak strawberry ripening time. Other names are “Rose Moon” and “Honey Moon”.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

Because this Full Moon will occur at her farthest distance from the Earth, this will be a Micro Full Moon, appearing smaller than normal.

Around 10 PM in mid-June, Libra the Scales will be passing due South. When Alpha Librae, the lower-right of the two brightest stars of Libra, is due south, if you look directly below it you will see nothing but horizon. But, if you were at a lower latitude, say 29°, the latitude of Orlando, or points south would see our brilliant, -0.27 magnitude neighbor Alpha Centauri above the horizon.

At 4.37 light years distance, the Alpha Centauri system is nearest star system to our own.

It is a triple star consisting of Alpha Centauri A, also called Rigil Kentaurus, Alpha Centauri B or Toliman and the closest star to the Sun, Alpha Centauri C also called Proxima Centauri, 4.24 light years from Earth.

Alpha Centauri A is a near twin of our Sun in almost every way, including age, while Alpha Centauri B is somewhat smaller and dimmer but still quite like the Sun. The third member, Proxima Centauri is a much smaller red dwarf star that travels around the A-B pair.

Proxima Centauri has three known planets: Proxima b, an Earth-sized exoplanet in the habitable zone or so called “Goldilocks Zone” – not too hot and not too cold to support some form of life if it has a suitable atmosphere. Proxima c, a super-Earth, which is possibly surrounded by a huge ring system and Proxima d, which orbits very closely to the star.

Alpha Centauri A may have a Neptune-sized habitable-zone planet, though it is not yet known to be planetary in nature and could be an artifact of the discovery mechanism. Alpha Centauri B has no known planets.

From Alpha Centauri the Sun or Sol is a bright yellow star in the broad “W” shaped constellation Cassiopeia.

The Sun adds another leg to the “W” to the right, turning W of Cassiopeia into a /\/\/ shaped celestial zigzag.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ham News

HF band conditions continue to be less than prime, or put it another way, about as sorry as they can get.

Still contacts are to be made. My most notable was working AO16DIO in Pontevedra Spain, celebrating World Heavy Metal Day. He was the only strong signal on 20 meters, and he faded out just as quickly as he faded in.

The Sporadic E season has begun on 6 Meters, which will last until August. So, if you have 6 Meter capability, keep an ear tuned to the radio and peek at online propagation reports such as HF Real Time Propagation (which you can fine tune to 6 meters or whatever band you wish) and try to catch a band opening.

The best times to catch a Sporadic E opening is from 10 AM to 2 PM & 4 PM to 8 PM local time.

I worked New York yesterday and on the 6 Meter SSB calling frequency, 50.125 MHz there were three QSO’s going on simultaneously, and none of the stations were aware of the others. On another frequency I called station A, was answered by station B instead and both faded before we could trade signal reports and locations.

Such is life on 6 Meters. Unpredictable, but never boring.

Contests and events of note are:

June 6 Atlantic Canada QSO Party
Kentucky QSO Party
VK Shires Contest (Australia)
IARU Region 1 Field Day – CW
RSGB Field Day – CW

June 13 Asia-Pacific Sprint – SSB
ARRL June VHF Contest
Portugal Day
June 20 SMIRK Contest (6 Meters)
ALL Asia DX Contest – CW
ARRL Kids Day
West Virgina QSO Party
Stew Perry Top Band – CW (160 meters)

June 27 ARRL Field Day
His Majesty King Of Spain – SSB

For more details go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home

On thing I ran across online that I found amusing was a discussion of sideband operations on 75/80 meters.

One gentleman said “operators on 80 meters can talk the hind legs off a donkey.”

Another said “the secret is to tell stories that don’t go anywhere.”

A slightly modified example being: “Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe. So, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So, I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on ’em. ‘Gimme five bees for a quarter,’ you’d say. Now where were we… oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have any white onions, because of the war.
YL’s only wanted to talk to fellas with white onion belts., and every stinking restaurant had only red onions. Much too sweet. Might as well have put gummy bears in your salad, except they weren’t invented yet. I remember the headache that the Morganville to Shelbyville name change caused. Oh, the stories I could tell about that and the great Shirt Off Parade. But we should get back to the topic. I have a doctor’s appointment later about my bursitis and need to stop by the prison and see if Aunt Gretchen needs anything. I still say they we’re picking on her and that those parsley plants in her garden that they said was Puerto Rican Lettuce was a just wild variety. That foot cream that old quack doctor gave me hasn’t done even a little bit of good…”

That’s sort of mean.
That’s sort of true.
That’s sort of like the Newsletters you get from me.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This month’s meeting will be on June 9, at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Calera.

I hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL

Editor
ALERT Newsletter

Posted in ALERT Newsletter | Leave a comment

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

Navigation

Categories

Archives

Meta

ALERT Activations

Newsletters

ALERT / National Weather Service Birmingham Coverage Area

Follow us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

ALERT Zello Channel

Navigation

Categories

Archives

Meta

ALERT Activations

Newsletters

ALERT Newsletter

ALERT NEWSLETTER – September 2026

Share this:

Like this:

ALERT NEWSLETTER – August 2026

Share this:

Like this:

ALERT NEWSLETTER – July 2026

Share this:

Like this:

ALERT NEWSLETTER – June 2026

Share this:

Like this:

ALERT / National Weather Service Birmingham Coverage Area

Follow us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

ALERT Zello Channel