Hi Everyone, December is here and you know what this means don’t you? Yep you’re right, it’s time for the ALERT Christmas party! You are all cordially invited to the ALERT Christmas party Tuesday, December 13 at the NWS. Be sure to bring a dish and be prepared to have fun. We are well into our second severe weather season & ALERT has been active. I wish to thank the following members who responded to the November 16 callout. David Reed, Bobby Best, Ronnie King & Stephanie Honeycutt. Also, to the members who helped relay reports via the Spotterchats. Thanks! Your efforts and dedication to ALERT, the National Weather Service and her mission are greatly appreciated. Remember, you aren’t just relaying reports. You are helping to save lives. There are some recent news items that I wish to pass along. First concerns ALERT operations and Tuscaloosa. If you Continue reading →

Hi everyone, I hope this finds you well, and untouched by the recent hobgoblin attack of the 31st. We had no trick or treaters this year, so you know what that means. I have to eat ALL of the candy. It will be a challenge, but I shall do my utmost with courage and dedication. Have you tried the HF bands lately? Conditions are the best I’ve seen since 1977 and right now we seem to have a wide open door into Europe on 10, 12 and 15 meters. I worked 28 countries Sunday. Remember that sunspot cycles don’t last very long, so work as many countries you can, while you can. Catch em while they are biting. Now to the business at hand. Alabama’s second severe weather season has now started and ALERT and the NWS need your help. We need operators to man K4NWS and take the stormspotter reports coming in for the National Weather Service. Ther Continue reading →

Hi Everyone, Do you have any plans Sunday night? If not, or if you can squeeze it in, I cordially invite you to join the new ALERT Sunday Night Net. This net, formerly the BARC Sunday Night Net meets every Sunday at 7PM on 146.88 MHz, with a backup frequency of 146.76 MHz. Glenn Glass, KE4YZK, formed the net about 15 years ago and I took over as Net Manager from Mark Nichols, K7NOA in 2001. BARC has now donated the net to ALERT for ALERT promotion and visibility. To BARC, we the members of ALERT say “thank you” for your support and confidence. The ASNN is a “discussion net” and as time goes on I’m going to slip training snippets in as to what the NWS and ALERT does and doesn’t need reported, operating procedures and anything else this dusty brain can concoct. One thing to be stressed is the net is NOT an emergency net and won’t be activating for emergencies. One should always respond to your local ARES / Skywarn Net when situations arise. Should the A Continue reading →

Hi Everyone, I hope this newsletter find everyone doing well. This hot summer seems to be making up for the cold, snow and ice, which we encountered in December and January and which now is only a distant fading memory. I made a New Years Resolution back then not to say in August “gee I’ll be glad when winter get here”. So far I have kept that resolution. Though the temptation is looming ever nearer. Usually I resolve to make no resolutions. It keeps everything simple. As we endure this heat. Remember to drink lots of fluids, hug the shade & avoid the afternoon sun. Also, don’t forget to bring Fido in. If it’s hot for you, think of him wearing a fur coat. And, if you decide to torture, I mean walk the dog in this heat, do so barefooted, so you will get a taste of what you are treating him to. He willp Continue reading →