ALERT NEWSLETTER – July 2018

Hi everyone & an early Happy 4th of July!

I hope you are staying cool and hydrated as we wind our way through the heat of Summer.

Our next ALERT meeting will be July 10, when our new Officers take office. Let’s make sure to support, help and encourage them as they steer ALERT into the future.

Dues time also arrives with the July meeting.

So join me as I dust off the wallet, shoo away the moths and cough up some dough, so I will remain current.

Speaking of remains, or remaining, that is, I will be continuing as Newsletter Editor.

Articles and suggestions for articles are welcome and encouraged.

Remember, this isn’t “Mark’s Newsletter”. It’s YOUR Newsletter.

Thank you in advance.

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ALERT Election Results For June 2018 – May 2019
By
Casey Benefield, NZ2O

Good afternoon everyone!

The election of officers for ALERT happened at our Tuesday, June 12, 2018 meeting. This was from the election being tabled, by motion of the members, at the May 8th meeting.

THANK YOU, to all of the officers and board members for your service to ALERT, NWS, other hams, and our communities in the past year.

The results are as follows, by vote of acclamation (only nominations made/no challengers voiced at the meetings).

These officers take their official position in July, per the bylaws:

NZ2O: Also included, is a quick description the roles of each officer according to bylaws. I’d say we have been in pretty good shape from last year!

We have a few things to do, to get the year underway.
• Secretary
Justin Glass, N0ZO
Roles in Bylaws:
Maintains the official minutes of meetings of ALERT.
Maintains copies of bylaws and keeps a record of all changes to the bylaws.
In the event of the President and VP becoming unable to fulfill the office of President, the Secretary would hold the office for the remainder of the term or until a special election can be held to fill the vacancy.
• Treasurer/Membership
Bill Rodgers, K4FSO
Roles in Bylaws:
Receives all monies, and maintains accurate record of all receipts and expenditures.
Reports activities and treasury status at each monthly meeting, including regular/emergency expenditures.
Maintains member roster and collects dues, notifies members of dues becoming due.
• NWS Liaison
Russell Thomas, KV4S
Roles in Bylaws:
Serve as the official contact person between ALERT and the NWS for issues/changes in radio operations that need to be addressed by ALERT/NWS.
Keeps and updates the official callout lists and schedule.
Upon NWS request, issues call-outs to the NWS, coordinates the response/shifts.
If needed, contact responders and remind them of scheduling.
Provides NWS with a ‘callout tree’ of personnel who may initiate callouts, in the even the liaison officer is unavailable.
• Vice President
Johnnie Knobloch, KJ4OPX
Roles in Bylaws:
Assists President in duties.
In event that the President is unable to perform duties of office, the VP steps in to perform the duties in absence, and if necessary becomes President and holds office for the remainder of the term.
• President
Casey Benefield, NZ2O
Roles in Bylaws:
Appoints the nominating committee of 2 members in March for next election.
Presides/conducts all meetings.
Votes only in case of tie at regular meetings.
Secures meeting space for meetings.
Appoints committees for specific tasks, be a member of committees.
Appoints non-elected officers

Next steps:
• President names appointed officer positions (coming soon):
o Operations (Off-site events)
Roles: Resolves any communications problems outside the NWS (repeater, link trouble).
This officer has charge over ALERT-owned computer and communication equipment, with leeway to modify, repair, augment or enhance ALERT’s capabilities as he sees fit.
The Operations and NWS Liaison Officers shall work to keep the training officer informed of any new procedures and equipment, to keep members updated.
o Public Information (Social Media Engagement)
Roles: Be a liaison between ALERT and news organizations.
Currently, this includes web/social media engagements, as our involvement with the news is somewhat limited.
o Training
Roles: Maintain and update the procedures manual for operations at the National Weather Service.
Provide workshops at the NWS to all Operational Members of ALERT, intended to provide hands-on training in the operations of the K4NWS station Amateur Radio and computer equipment.
As new equipment and technology is adopted, the training officer shall provide update briefings or trainings to members to keep them aware of the changes.
• President names new board of directors (coming soon):
Casey Benefield (President)
Dale Chambers (Immediate Past President)
A two year member.
A one year member.
The board of directors reviews challenges to membership approval, member standing, discipline, constitutional amendments submitted to the board (to present to membership), hardship review for dues, and conducts any other ALERT business not delegated otherwise in the bylaws.
Meetings are held every June, September, December, March, or any time the President calls a special session.
*Board meetings, except for executive session, are open to ALERT’s voting membership.
• There has been no motion to update ALERT’s formal written budget at this time.
If such a motion is made by a member of ALERT, the budget is to be reviewed by old and new officers of ALERT along with expenditures from previous year, agree on a new budget, and vote in August.
• The board of directors appoints or continues the trustee of the K4NWS callsign.

It’s an honor to work with you all, and an even higher honor to continue that work.

73,

Casey Benefield, NZ2O

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Tales Of Old School CW
By
Mark, WD4NYL

I’m on many Facebook Groups. Many are outdoor survival and emergency preparedness related, though, I do not consider myself a “survivalist” or a “prepper”, as society loves to label folk. I just like having knowledge that will “stack the deck” in my favor if life or nature throws a curveball my way and though I don’t get out there much, I dearly love the outdoors.

I am on several radio groups also, both shortwave, ham and don’t tell anyone….on a CB radio group.

Recently on one of the ham radio groups a gentleman from China who was using a computer program to copy CW, was mystified by much of what he received. The transcript revealed that much was unrecognizable gibberish, but two items kept reappearing which prompted his question “what is the meant of ‘5NN’ and ‘TU’?”

I explained that “5NN” is the signal report “Five Nine Nine” & “TU” is “Thank You”, and noted that CW readers or CW deciphering programs can sometimes have trouble decoding manually send CW signals, because everyone’s sending pattern or “fist” on CW, whether using a keyer or a straight key is different, as it varies depending ones hand strength, flexibility and or the weight they use to “pound the brass”. Also the character spacing and length is slightly different for each person and that on CW nets, operators hearing the same stations over and over can tell who is sending just by the rhythm and quirks of the signal.

This took me back in time to the mid 1980’s when my quest for my Worked All States Award was detoured by me getting involved and absorbed into CW traffic nets. The Worked All States quest I have yet to accomplish, even after 40 years of hamming, due to too many nets, too much VHF and too little HF.

I was Net Manager of the old Alabama Emergency Net Delta, the statewide slow speed CW traffic net, which met on 3.725 MHz. There were about 15 operators and usually we would have 7 or 8 check-ins, which was normal.

As the 5:30 PM net time approached, out of the static came the letters “ARF”. Then someone would bark back “ARF, ARF”. Other nights a chicken would appear “dit dit dit……..dit dah”, “dit dit dit……..dit dah”. Then someone might “meow” back. Then the net would start.

We all knew who was doing what. Harris, WA4JDH in Elba was the initial “barker”. His signal was distinct as it was so very perfect and precise. Being a radio operator for 40 years in the US Navy helped him perfect the art.

The guy barking back was Jake, WA4UCT. His signal was distinct in that he sent with a “heavy fist”. The dashes were slightly longer than the normal “three times longer than a dot” rule. This I liked as, as I could copy it better. In the beginning I had trouble telling an S “dit dit dit” from a U “dit dit dah”, as the ARRL tapes, to me anyway, sent the dashes too short, barely longer than the dot.

The clucking chicken was a gentleman named Red, W4DEU, whose signal had a slight chirp, and the cat was rumored to be me. But, I’ll never tell, as the cat’s got my tongue.

Every station had a slightly different sounding signal. Some were recognizable by the rhythm, some by them being just slightly off frequency, but, always at that same frequency or tone. For we tuned signals to where it suited our ears and not to a “zero beat”, as they would say.

This worked fine on CW nets, but not as well on phone nets.

On the Alabama Traffic Net Mike one Net Control, Bert W4IBU had a very deep base voice and people not knowing this would tune to where his voice would have a normal midrange sound. This of course put them way too high on Bert’s receiver making them sound like Donald Duck. Bert would get aggravated and shout “ZERO BEAT THIS FREQUENCY”. This was of course impossible to do on sideband, as sideband signals don’t have a steady tone to match or “zero beat” against. Only an AM or CW signal do. Today they just say “please tune to this frequency.”

One of our members, Elmo, K4VLL, I saw copy by ear 55 Words Per Minute in a CW contest at the 1982 Birminghamfest. He didn’t win the contest, however, as he couldn’t write the words fast enough at 40 Words Per Minute, and a guy who could write faster won at 45 Words Per Minute. Elmo, who always wore a Styrofoam Chinese Coolie hat covered with QSL cards, said “let’s keep going and see what I top out at.” 55 Words Per Minute sounds like teletype, yet Elmo, at 83 years old just closed his eyes and read it back word for word.

It was a fun time. That crazy group of nuts, most of whom are now silent key, proved that you can have just as much personality, distinctiveness, personal expression and fun on CW, as you ever could on voice.

With that I bide you 73 and a hearty, ARF, ARF, ARF.

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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 have to 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.

This 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.

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.

From 1851 to 2017 there have been 120 Tropical Storms and 55 Hurricanes, 25 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.

July Tropical Cyclone Breeding Grounds

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon decreases from 79.4 degrees at the beginning of the month to 74.6 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases from 14 hours 20 minutes on July 1 to 13 hours 49 minutes on July 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

July 1 Sunrise 5:41 AM Sunset 8:01 PM
July 15 Sunrise 5:48 AM Sunset 7:57 PM
July 31 Sunrise 5:59 AM Sunset 7:47 PM

Looking skyward, Mercury (about magnitude –0.4) is visible in bright twilight about 20° lower right of Venus. Catch it in the narrow time window between when the sky is still too bright and when Mercury sinks too low and sets.

Mercury will reach his highest point above the horizon or Greatest Eastern Longation on July 12 when he will be 26.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

Mercury will reach his farthest distance from the Sun or Aphelion on July 20.

Venus (magnitude –4.0, in Cancer heading toward Leo) shines brightly in the west-northwest during twilight and just after. In a telescope Venus is a 72% sunlit gibbous disk.

Earth will reach her farthest distance from the Sun or Aphelion on July 6, when she will be 9.4508 million miles from our home star.

Mars (magnitude –1.9 in Capricornus) rises only about an hour after dark. Mars is highest in the south, in best view for telescopes, just before the first light of dawn.

On July 27 Mars will be at Opposition, or its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. Closing to within 35,994 million miles from Earth, this will be the closest distance since the record closest approach of 34,646 million miles in 2003.

This is the best time to view and photograph Mars, especially the summer hemisphere which is in mid spring.

A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet’s orange surface.

Or perhaps I should say you would be able if the planet wasn’t in the middle of a widespread dust storm.

In May, just as Autumnal Equinox greeted the southern hemisphere of Mars and just as the Red Planet began to inch into the evening sky, a swath of bright, yellow dust clouds lit up over the dark feature called Mare Acidalium. Within days, the gale had moved south and expanded, covering an area greater than the continent of North America, including the length and breadth of the sprawling Martian canyon system Valles Marineris.

There are signs that the storm is losing strength, but poor visibility of much of the surface should persist for a long time.

These dust storms, the cause of which is not certain, are not rare, moderate size ones occurring every year and global storms having occurred in 2007, 2005 & 2001.

Jupiter (magnitude –2.4, in Libra) shines in the south in twilight and starts to decline in the southwest later in the evening.

Saturn (magnitude 0.0, just above the Sagittarius Teapot) glows low in the southeast in twilight. It stands highest in the south around 1 AM.

Uranus (magnitude 5.9, at the Aries-Pisces border) is in the east just before the beginning of dawn.

Neptune (magnitude 7.9, in Aquarius) is in the southeast just before the beginning of dawn.

New Moon will occur 9:58 PM CDT July 12 or 2:48 UTC July 13. 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.

There will be a Partial Solar Eclipse, which is an eclipse which covers only part of the Sun, sometimes resembling a bite taken out of a cookie on July 13. However this eclipse will only be visible in extreme southern Australia and Antarctica.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on July 12, when she will be 222,098 miles from Earth.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on July 26, when she will be 252,415 miles from Earth,

July’s Full Moon occurs July 27 at 3:22 PM CDT or 20:22 UTC and 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”.

There will be a Total Lunar Eclipse on July 27 visible throughout most of Europe, Africa, western and central Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Western Australia, but, not a speck of North America.

The Delta-Aquariad 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 Comets Marsden Kracht and produces a ZHR or Zenith Hourly Rate of 20 meteors per hour.

The nearly full moon will be a problem this year, blocking out all but the brightest meteors. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Also, 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.

3735 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of May 31, per NASA’s
Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/

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This month’s meeting will be on July 10 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

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

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter
wd4nyl@bellsouth.net

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database
www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/