ALERT NEWSLETTER – August 2019

Hi everyone,
I hope all is 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 back
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.
Our next ALERT meeting will be on August 13. Dues are still due, so if you missed the July
meeting, as I did, grab the piggy bank and come to the meeting.
I hope to see you there!
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The Strangers Among Us Revisited

In the February 2018 and March 2019 Newsletters I wrote two articles titled “The Strangers Among
Us” and “Non-Amateur Radio Options For Emergency Preparedness” covering the increasingly
frequent practice of Preppers and others of purchasing ham equipment, most notably $20
Baofeng UV-5R handie talkies to “put in my Bug Out Bag” or for buddies to use covertly in the
woods for hunting, and other activities, all without bothering to obtain an Amateur Radio License.
The problem addressed has not gone away, and in fact is much worse as thousands are
purchasing these radios for their Bug Out Bags, keeping track with buddies on the road and to
keep track of the kids. All of which would really be better suited by MURS, FRS or CB radios.
As mentioned in these articles, if you look at advertisements on Amazon, EBay, Wish and other
online retail sites, unless you read the comments section, if they have one, there is not a single
reference to any licensing requirement. Nor does the operation manual mention one. So, it’s
entirely possible that many, if not most people simply do not realize that an FCC license is
required.
Others simply don’t care. “Just another buck in the governments wallet”, “they just want to be
able to track you”, “my beeswax, not yours” etc, etc.
The most favored justification is “in an emergency, who cares?” quoting the oft used or perhaps
misused excuse “it is perfectly legal to use any radio transmitter on any frequency to seek
emergency lifesaving help.”
But, “Fran, its Mom, you about through in there, the others need to use it too?”, “Hey Joe, when
you pick up the beer, can you get me some tater chips too?” and “Change lanes up ahead Bob, or
you’re gonna end up in Memphis” are not “lifesaving” situations.
Though random operators thinking these are just advanced walkie-talkies might randomly show
up on any ham frequency, there are other groups that take this to another level.

In addition to HF frequencies, the following frequencies are listed or promoted on various sites as
“Prepper”, “Patriot” and “Redoubter” frequencies.
146.420 MHz x
146.520 MHz x
146.530 MHz
146.550 MHz x
146.680 MHz
445.975 MHz
446.000 MHz
446.025 MHz
446.030 MHz x
x most frequently referenced frequencies.
Now if private individuals, family groups or participants in an organization have a ham licenses
and follow the FCC rules and don’t use it for questionable or illegal purposes, there’s no problem.
It’s the influx of people lacking a license and the consequently lacking any knowledge of radio
protocols and procedures or even what Amateur Radio is about, or wanting to use it, for example
for purposes ranging from off-roading to paramilitary operations, that is the problem.
Curious as to whether any such activity is occurring locally, I dug out an old scanner and began
monitoring these frequencies. On July 18 I heard two men navigating through traffic on I-65,
trying to find the correct lane to turn onto I-59/20 heading for Tuscaloosa. “Dad, will you please
just follow me?”
For a couple of weeks, off and on, I have repeatedly heard a faint dead carrier on 146.880, possibly
the same person who likes blowing into the microphone, as heard last week.
I am told that there is a fellow using foul language and threatening people on several area
repeaters.
So, if nothing else, shenanigans are afoot.
So how do we address this problem?
1. Be aware that the problem exists. You can’t address something, if you blissfully ignore it.
2. If you become aware of someone planning on getting a radio minus a license, educate them.
Tell them how to become a ham and invite them. One of three things will happen, they may give
up the idea, they may brush you off and do it anyway or they may study and get their license and
become a valuable member of the ham community.
Tell those getting these radios for preparedness purposes that obtaining a license allows them to
use and become knowledgeable about their equipment and radio properties in general, allowing
them to become proficient in operating procedures before disaster strikes, giving them an edge in
preparing. This seems to be effective, while promising them that the FCC paddy wagon will be
showing up for them does not.
3. If you find a person bootlegging on the air, don’t talk to them. If you are already talking to them
and figure out that they are bootlegging simply say “I’m sorry, but you have to have a valid FCC
Amateur Radio license to be on this frequency. This is K#4### clear.”

Call the repeater trustee or a club officer, and let them know what is going on. Talking to them will
only encourage them to continue and the “I’m gonna open a can of whoop butt on you” approach
can backfire and inspire them to interfere with every net and QSO in central Alabama.
As to deliberate interference and which is basically “RF trolling”, simply ignore the person. Do
not acknowledge them or even hint that you know they exist. They will figure they their efforts are
ineffective and eventually get bored and leave. If you engage with them and argue with them, you
have satisfied their need for attention, and as the say “you ain’t seen nothing yet”.
I’ll throw this in. Over the years I have been a ham, hams that have been caught deliberately
interfering, in more cases than not, turn out being someone who has been licensed for years, and
sometimes even decades, not turn new hams or CBers as it assumed and loudly proclaimed.
Why they became soured with the hobby and perhaps life in general, we never know. To put years
into a hobby and then only to throw it all away is sad, to say the least.
4. Clubs and groups, if you are not active in “foxhunting” and direction finding, you may want to
get involved in this activity. Those already involved in these need to hone their skills so you can
locate these individuals so you can turn them and the evidence you gather over to the FCC.
Remembering that though tarring and feathering may be tempting please let the FCC be the one
that does it.
We really don’t want to see you on the evening news.
The frequencies 27.025 and 7.200 MHz, though in different radio services, have something in
common.
27.025, CB Channel 6, is known by CBers as the “Superbowl”. Though CB has much improved
over the wild and wooly days of the 1970’s, Channel 6 is still a radio free-for-all of people using
echo mics, roger beeps, excessive power levels, audio splattering over half the CB band,
repetitive nonsensical blathering, and radio procedures that would make the Three Stooges
proud.
7.200 MHz, ham radio’s version of CB Channel 6, is not much better with foul language, deliberate
interference, and every type of radio garbage you could think of being transmitted.
Given these shining examples of how bad things can be, let’s work to see that two meters doesn’t
become a radio wasteland that these two other shining beacons have become.
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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 of 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 2018 there have been 391 Tropical Storms and 246 Hurricanes, 81 of which made landfall in the
United States, the most notable storms being Hurricanes Camille and Katrina in 1969 and 2005,
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
from 13 hours 48 minutes on August 1 to 12 hours 54 minutes on August 31.
Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:
August 1 Sunrise 6:00 AM Sunset 7:47 PM
August 15 Sunrise 6:09 AM Sunset 7:34 PM
August 31 Sunrise 6:20 AM Sunset 7:14 PM
Looking skyward, at the beginning of the month, Mercury is hidden behind the glow of the Sun.
Mercury then emerges into dawn and by on August 9 He will reach his highest point above the
Eastern horizon or “Greatest Western Elongation” when he will be 19.0 degrees from the Sun.
This is the best time to view Mercury since he will be at his highest point above the horizon in the
morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

Mercury will be at his closest approach to the Sun or Perihelion on August 20.
Venus, is hidden behind the Sun. Venus will be at her closest approach to the Sun on August 8.
She will pass directly behind the Sun or be at Superior Conjunction on August 14.
Mars is also hidden behind the Sun.
Mars will be at his farthest distance from the Sun or Aphelion on August 25.
Jupiter, magnitude –2.4, between the legs of Ophiuchus, is the white point glaring in the south
during and after dusk.
Saturn, magnitude +0.1, in Sagittarius, is the steady, pale yellowish "star" in the south-southeast
during and after dusk, 31° left of Jupiter. Look lower right of Saturn for the Sagittarius Teapot.
In a telescope Saturn's rings are tilted a wide 24.7° to our line of sight.
Saturn will pass directly behind the moon at 5:07 AM on August 12.
Uranus, magnitude 5.8, in Aries, is high in the southeast before the first beginnings of dawn.
Neptune, magnitude 7.8, in Aquarius, is high in the south as dawn breaks.
The moon will be at Perigee or her closest approach to Earth on August 2, when she will be
223,319 miles from Earth.
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.
This year the shower coincides with a nearly Full Moon, which will wash out all but the brightest
meteors. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August’s Full Moon will occur August 15 at 12:30 UTC or 7:30 AM CDT. 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.
The moon will be at Apogee or her farthest distance from Earth on August 17, when she will be
252,428 miles from Earth.
On August 30 the Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be
visible in the night sky, which is known as New Moon. This phase occurs at 10:37 UTC or 5:37 AM
CDT. 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.
Though July’s New Moon was on July 31 at 10:12 CDT, it was also at 3:12 UTC, August 1.
Therefore by UTC time August will have two New Moons.
You may remember that a second of Full Moon in a single month is popularly called a “Blue
Moon”, but what about two New Moons in a single month?

A second New Moon in a month is a “Black Moon”.
Now a more persnickety definition, is the third Full Moon in a season which has four Full Moons is
a Blue Moon and the third New Moon in a season which has four New Moons is a Black Moon.
A third definition says a Black Moon is a month with no Full Moon
A fourth definition states that it is a month with no New Moon, which last happened in 2014, and
will next occur on February 2033.
No one writes songs about Black Moons. “Black Moon, you saw me standing alone….”
It just doesn’t “sing”,
The Black Moon will be at her second Perigee or closest approach to Earth on August 30, when
she will be 221,939 miles from Earth.
4025 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of July 25, per NASA’s
Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/
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I’m looking for articles and suggestions and ideas for articles for our newsletter. What would you
like to see? Send suggestions to wd4nyl@bellsouth.net
Thanks for your help!
This month’s meeting will be on August 13 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