ALERT NEWSLETTER – April 2024

Hi everyone,

 

On November 23, 1965 an eclipse of the sun began blotting out the sunlight over Southeast Asia. This was during the Vietnam War. As the ancient custom of the villagers in that area was to shoot flaming arrows towards the Sun to reignite the Sun’s fading embers, a dilemma was encountered. 

 

At a certain South Vietnamese Army base, they didn’t any arrows available to shoot, but then it occurred to them that they did have some heavy artillery pieces, and so they began shooting them towards the Sun.  They did indeed successfully reignite the Sun…but, also in the process managed to blow to smithereens a friendly village some miles down the road.

 

The moral of this true story is this:  When our eclipse occurs on the 8th, don’t go and do likewise.

 

Also, don’t pay attention to Internet Prophets Of Doom.

 

In August 2017 millions of Sungazers converged on a narrow path from coast to coast for the “Great American Eclipse of 2017”.  Towns with a normal population of 10,000 suddenly had 500,000 visitors.  In that strip, cell phone networks were overloaded and jammed, stores were emptied of goods, gas stations bled dry, and the entire infrastructure stressed beyond the breaking point.  The locals were not prepared for the arrival of a few million intimate friends.

 

Fast forward to 2024.  FEMA is recommending that people within the eclipse zone keep their phones and electronic devices charged, buy necessities ahead of time, have food, medicine and gas and basically prepare for an exact repeat of 2017. 

 

The conspiracy theorists are having a ball – “the government thinks something is going to happen, umm hmmm”.

 

And, it is true, they do. They think millions of Sungazers will converge on a narrow path for the latest “Great American Eclipse” overloading phone lines, stores, gas stations and kicking the infrastructure in the butt – again.

 

But, some people are truly upset.

 

On one forum a gentleman asked if he should disconnect and ground all his antennas to protect them “from the effects” of the eclipse.  One person replied, “If you recall your third grade science class, it’s the moon casting a shadow on the Earth.” Sort of harmless.

 

I suggested “get on the air”.  If I wasn’t stuck at work that is exactly what I would do.  I would like to see how the eclipse affected radio propagation. Better? Worse? Not at all? Or as one ham told me after a previous eclipse “that’s the craziest propagation I’ve seen in 50 years of ham radio”.

 

Whether you try to get on the air or safely observe the eclipse, I hope you enjoy this rare event.

 

Just keep your eye peeled for those green eyed goomers from Neptune that the government isn’t telling you about.  

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

Alabama POTA Event

 

One activity that I like to participate in is POTA or Parks On The Air. 

 

With POTA Amateurs set up stations in parks, State Parks, National Forests and National Wildlife Reserves and basically operate like a mini Field Day.

 

Activators set up and operate the stations and Hunters seek them out.  It is not a contest, though it resembles one.  It almost has a domestic DXpedition feel.  Hunters give their signal report and state and the Activator gives a signal report and park number.

 

On April 6 Alabama POTA operators will be heading for the woods for the first annual Alabama Parks Of The Air event.

 

If you have HF capability listen for “CQ POTA” and give it a try.  I think you will find this a fun aspect of ham radio.

 

This event will start at 12:00 UTC April 6 and ends at 23:59 UTC on April 7.

 

For more information go to:

 

Parks on the Air | POTA | Parks program for amateur radio.

 

Alabama Parks on the Air – Alabama Parks on the Air (alparks.org)

 

 

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

 

Where Do I Go? – Part 2

 

In the January Newsletter we discussed HF ham radio frequencies that one can listen to with a decent general coverage receiver. This month we will cover VHF & UHF frequencies.

 

The following list is primary VHF ham radio frequencies within a 75 mile radius of K4NWS at the National Weather Service in Calera.

 

There are 39 counties in the Birmingham County Warning Area or CWA, but many are well beyond VHF radio range using standard analog 2 meter FM.  For this reason, I have limited this list to a roughly 75 mile radius of the Shelby County Airport.

 

These should be, and at times have been within range of K4NWS, realizing that K4NWS uses an omnidirectional antenna, not a beam, and that we, as all ham stations, are at the mercy of terrain, weather, “atmospherics” and Murphy’s Law.

 

A good example of our limitations is Chambers, Cleburne & Randolph county.  They lie within this 75 mile limit, but are blocked by the Appalachian Mountains, so hearing them directly is very problematic, if not impossible, though they could very probably hit Mt. Cheaha on 147.090 MHz. 

 

The problem here is that we can’t guarantee we will be listening to Mt. Cheaha at just the right time, or stay there hoping someone will pop up.  We may be talking to Blount or Tuscaloosa County instead.

 

This is when D-Star, Spotter Chat and Slack Chat becomes invaluable, as they have better range and have the capability to fill in the gaps.

 

 

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

 

 

County VHF Ham Frequencies Within 75 Mile Radius Of K4NWS

 

Autauga County, AL

             Central Alabama Skywarn                 146.840   123.0 Hz 

             Alabama Emergency Net Golf           146.840   123.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM

Bibb County, AL

             Bibb County ARC                               145.390    103.5 Hz

 

Blount County, AL

Blount Co ARC Net                             146.700     91.5 Hz   Sunday 8:00 PM

Public Safety Amateur Radio Group 147.375     77.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM

Calhoun County, AL

Calhoun County ARES/Races           146.780    100.0 Hz  Monday 7:00 PM

             Alabama Emergency Net Whiskey    147.090    131.8 Hz  Monday 8:00 PM

 

Cherokee County, AL

             Cherokee County Skywarn                147.320    100.0 Hz  Tuesday 7:00 PM *

                                                                                            Currently Off The Air

Chilton County, AL

                                                                           147.105    123.0 Hz

Clay County, AL

                                                                           147.255    131.8 Hz

Coosa County, AL

                                                                           145.330    179.9 Hz

Cullman County, AL (Huntsville CWA)

              Cullman ARES Net                              145.310   100.0 Hz Sunday 6:30 PM

 

Dallas County, AL

           145.720   100.0 Hz

                                                                            147.040   146.2 Hz  

Elmore County, AL

              Central Alabama Skywarn                  146.840   123.0 Hz 

              Alabama Emergency Net Golf            146.840   123.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM

 

Etowah County, AL

              Alabama Emergency Net Yankee       147.160   100.0 Hz    Tuesday 8:30 PM   

 

Fayette County, AL

             Fayette County ARC                             147.200   110.9 Hz Thursday 8:30 PM

 

Greene

             West Alabama Emergency Net            146.820    118.8 Hz Sunday 8:30 PM

 

Hale

                                                                            147.220    77.0 HZ   

                                                                     

Jefferson County, AL

             Jefferson County ARES Net                146.880    88.5 Hz Tuesday 9:00 PM

             Central Alabama Simplex Net             146.580      –         Sunday 8:00 PM

             Healthcare Community ARC               146.760    88.5 Hz Birmingham Monday 8:00 PM

                                                                                             94.8 Hz Southwest

                                                                                           114.8 Hz East

                                                                                           131.8 Hz West

             

Lee County, AL

             East Alabama ARES Net                       147.150   123.0 HZ Sunday 4:00 PM

 

Lowndes County, AL

             Central Alabama Skywarn                    146.840   123.0 Hz 

             Alabama Emergency Net Golf              146.840   123.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM

 

Macon County, AL

             Central Alabama Skywarn                    146.840   123.0 Hz 

             Alabama Emergency Net Golf              146.840   123.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM 

 

Montgomery County, AL

Central Alabama Skywarn                    146.840   123.0 Hz 

             Alabama Emergency Net Golf              146.840   123.0 Hz   Thursday 7:00 PM

 

Perry County, AL 

                                                                             147.375    123.0 Hz

Pickens, AL

           West Alabama Amateur Radio Club      145.430    110.9 Hz Wednesday 8:30 PM

 

Randolph County, AL

                                                                             145.430    141.3 Hz

                                                                             147.270    141.3 Hz

 

St Clair County, AL

            Alabama Emergency Net Alpha            145.190   156.7 Hz Tuesday 7:00 PM

            St Clair ARES                                         145.130   103.5 Hz Tuesday 8:00 PM

 

Shelby County, AL

            Shelby County ARES Net                      146.980     88 .5 Hz Tuesday 8;0PM

 

Talladega County, AL

            Talladega Net                          147.740   131.8 Hz Thursday 8:00 PM

 

Tallapoosa County, AL

            Lake Matin Skywarn                               146.060   179.9 Hz

 

Tuscaloosa County, AL

           West Alabama Emergency Net               146.820    118.8 Hz Sunday 8:30 PM

 

Walker County, AL

Walker County ARES             147.390    110.9 Hz Thursday 8:00 PM

 

Winston County, AL

           West Alabama Emergency Net               146.820    118.8 Hz Sunday 8:30 PM

 

Statewide                                                             146.520    Simplex

 

Alabama EMA in Clanton                                    220.500    100.0 Hz

 

 

Notes:

 

When activated, K4NWS continuously monitors 220.500 MHz.  Once, during Skywarn Appreciation Day, the NWS office in Peach Tree City (Atlanta), WX4PTC, called Birmingham K4NWS via 220 MHz after linking through two 440 MHz repeaters in Georgia and Alabama.  They had to initiate this link, but it proved it could be done.

 

I have included Cullman County, even though they are in Huntsville’s CWA, as it is within my 75 mile limit.

 

Now for the disclaimers.  I know I have missed some nets and repeaters.  If I missed your net or repeater, I apologize. Let me know (kindly) and I will include it.

 

Likewise, if I have included a net or repeater that you hate because you think it is occupied by a bunch of snaggle toothed, flop eared, mule faced, high smelling, low down polecats, I apologize.  I don’t know your local situation, and even if I did, ALERT can’t take sides or favor one group over the other. Even if they are a bunch of snaggle toothed, flop eared, mule faced, high smelling, low down polecats

 

We are the Switzerland of Amateur Radio. We are just looking for storm reports for the NWS, to help assist in their job of protecting lives and property. We are a safe haven. 

 

 

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

 

Mark’s Almanac

 

The Romans called April “Aprilis”, probably from the word “aperire”, which means, “to open”.  This time of year being when buds open.  It was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before Roman King Numa Pompilius added January & February in 700 BC.

 

Freezing weather comes to an end as Birmingham’s average last freeze is April 1, while Tuscaloosa’s is March 26.  The record for the latest freeze date is April 21, 1953 for Tuscaloosa and April 23, 1986 for Birmingham.

 

Snowfall is still possible though, as April 3, 1987’s 5 inches proves.  The latest trace of snow was April 25, 1910.

 

April is less wet than March & rain becomes more localized and less widespread in nature. The sun heats the lower atmosphere near the ground and since the upper atmosphere is still cold, the warm air rises, reaches the dew point line, forms clouds & then it may rain.  April is the first time in the spring season that favors local convective activity, which is why you have “April Showers”.

 

North Atlantic Tropical activity remains at a minimum.  From 1851 to 2023 there has never been a Hurricane and only two Tropical Storms – Ana in 2003 and Arlene in 2017 which affected only shipping.

 

April is peak tornado month, with wide scale outbreaks possible.  There are 2 ½ times the number of tornadoes as in March.  25% of the year’s tornadoes will have occurred by April 28.

 

From April 1950 to 2023, 2994 tornadoes were reported in Alabama.  From 1950 – 2023 there were 688 direct and indirect deaths, and as of 2013, 8,402 direct and indirect injuries.  

 

Days continue to grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon rapidly increases from 61.1 degrees at the beginning of the month to 71.3 degrees at the end.  Daylight increases from 12 hours 32 minutes on April 1 to 13 hours 29 minutes on April 30.

 

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

 

April 1  Sunrise  6:35 AM  Sunset 7:08 PM  

April 15 Sunrise  6:17 AM  Sunset 7:18 PM  

April 30 Sunrise  6:00 AM  Sunset 7:29 PM  

 

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Pisces, The Fish.  

 

Mercury, magnitude +1.0, is in Pisces, The Fish, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

 

He will pass between the Sun and the Earth or be in “Inferior Conjunction” on April 11.

 

Mercury will reach his furthest point from the Sun, or “Aphelion” on April 30.

 

Venus, magnitude –3.9 in Aquarius The Water Bearer, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

 

Earth, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in the constellation Virgo, The Virgin.

 

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.2, in Aquarius The Water Bearer, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

 

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude 8.8 is in Sagittarius The Archer.

 

Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude –2.1 is in Aries, The Ram.

 

At the beginning of the month. he becomes visible low, 25° over the Western Horizon as dusk fades into darkness.  He sets 3 hours and 16 minutes after the Sun.

 

By midmonth he is very low on the horizon, 15°, as duck into darkness. He sets 2 hours 14 minutes after the Sun.

 

He becomes lost in the glow of the Sun on the 26th.

 

Saturn, and his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system,  magnitude +1.1, in Aquarius, The Water Bearer, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

 

Uranus, and his 28 moons and ring, magnitude +5.8, in Aries, The Ram, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

 

Neptune, and his 16 moons and ring, magnitude +7.8 in Pisces, The Fish, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

 

Dwarf Planet Pluto, with his five moons shines at a dim +14.5 in Capricorn, 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 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 six 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 between Hydra and Sextans, The Sextant.

 

50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Scutum, The Shield.

 

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.9 in Taurus, The Bull.

 

225088 Gonggong, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 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 Andromeda, The Chained Woman. 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.

 

This dark world lies beyond the orbit of Neptune, orbiting 4,164,420,166 miles from the Sun. 

 

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, Asteroid 2018 AG37, nicknamed “FarFarOut”, which is 12,281,965,797 miles or 18 hours, 18 minutes and 49 seconds from Earth, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx. 

 

The most distant man-made object, and the most distant known object in the Solar System Voyager 1, still operating after 46 years,6 months and 25 days is 15,128,894,186 miles, or in Light Time, 22 hours, 33 minutes and 34 Seconds from Earth as of 621 PM, April 30, 2024, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

 

There are 1,351,400 known asteroids as of April 30, 2024, per NASA.  

 

5602 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of April 26, 2024 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/

 

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur April 1 at 10:15 PM CDT or 08:15 UTC.

 

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

 

The Moon will be at Perigee or her closest approach to Earth on April 7, when she will be 222,919 miles from Earth. 

 

New Moon will occur on April 8 at 11:22 PM CDT or 18:22 UTC. 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.

 

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

 

On April 8th there will be a Total Solar Eclipse. This is a rare event for observers in the United States. The last total solar eclipse visible in the continental United States occurred in 2017 and the next one will take place in 2045. 

 

The path of totality will begin in the Pacific Ocean in Eastern Mexico and travel Northeastward through the United States and exit over Newfoundland & Labrador.

 

The total eclipse will be visible in parts of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio & New York.

 

A partial eclipse will be visible in most of North America. Alabama will have a deep 85.85% eclipse.

 

NASA Map and Eclipse Information 

Where & When (nasa.gov)

 

Live stream:

LIVE Stream: Total Solar Eclipse April 2024 (timeanddate.com)

 

Event times are as follows (note that Alabama will get only a partial eclipse, do not directly look at the Sun):

 

Beginning      Max eclipse  Ending Coverage

Birmingham    12:40 PM   2:00 PM           3:17 PM     85.85%

 

 

How do you safely view a solar eclipse?

 

The way NOT to view an eclipse is by staring at the sun, or even worse looking at the sun with unfiltered binoculars or a telescope.  To do so is to invite a lifetime of blindness.

 

It is NEVER safe to directly view the partial phases of any solar eclipse, or the maximum phases of an annular solar using the unprotected or naked eye. Even when 99% of the Sun’s surface is blocked during the partial phases of a solar eclipse, the remaining crescent is intensely bright and cannot be safely viewed without eye protection. 

 

NOT recommended is viewing through smoked glass, old photo negatives, exposed x-ray film or stacked sunglasses, as they may very well block the visible light, but, will still allow infrared and ultraviolet light to pass unimpeded to cook what’s left of your retinas.

 

Some of the safe methods are as follows:

 

Pinhole Projection

 

The simplest and most inexpensive method for safely viewing a solar eclipse is called “pinhole projection”. A pinhole or small opening in a piece of cardboard is used to project an image of the eclipsed Sun onto a screen (white piece of cardboard) placed a couple feet behind the pinhole. The white cardboard is moved back and forth until a good focus and size is obtained.  Making a pinhole projection box to safely watch a solar eclipse is a fun project for kids. 

 

As mentioned in the preceding article, projected images of the eclipsed Sun can be seen on the ground as sunlight passes through leaves or even seen on the ground by loosely interlacing your fingers and allowing sunlight to pass through small openings between your fingers. Another amusing projection method is to use a kitchen straining spoon or a pasta colander. Anything with tiny holes can be used to project the partially eclipsed Sun’s image: a straw hat, a cheese grater, a lawn chair having a loose weave fabric, etc.

 

Binocular Projection

 

Any pair of binoculars can be used to project a pair of images of the eclipsed Sun onto a piece of white cardboard. After focusing the binoculars on a distant object, just point the binoculars up at the Sun, but not aiming them with your eyes, and project their images onto a piece of stiff white cardboard placed 1-2 feet behind them. The farther away the screen is from the binoculars, the larger the projected image of the Sun. This takes a bit of practice to get the pointing just right so try it out on a sunny day before the eclipse.  

 

The same can be done with a tripod mounted telescope.

 

WARNING: Never look directly through the binoculars at either the Sun or the partially eclipsed Sun. 

 

Welder’s Glass

 

Though they give the Sun an unnatural green color, a widely available filter for safe solar eclipse viewing, and endorsed by NASA, is a number 14 welder’s glass. These filters normally protect a welder’s eyes from the intensely bright glare of a welding arc. They come in a variety of shades with number 14 being the darkest – be sure to get a number 14 for eclipse viewing. 

 

Welder’s glass filters are available through welding supply outlets and through retailers on the Internet. 

 

Again, only number 14 welder’s glass filters are safe to use for looking directly at the Sun. Stacking two number 7 filters will not duplicate a number 14 filter, get a number 14.  

 

Also, there is a welder’s filter that has a variable density. It changes darkness depending on the brightness of the welding arc (or light source) that it’s pointed towards. These variable density filters are NOT SAFE for looking at the Sun. 

 

Eclipse Glasses

 

Though it may already be too late to obtain, in recent years inexpensive eclipse glasses have become increasingly popular for safely viewing of solar eclipses. They usually consist of specially manufactured filters mounted in a simple cardboard frame. Eclipse glasses allow you to look directly at the eclipsed Sun since the filters safely protect your eyes from any harmful rays.

 

However, this method I would approach with the greatest of caution, as many sources are selling counterfeit “eclipse glasses”.  

 

NASA has issue a warning about these fake glasses, and named a few companies that are trustworthy providers of lenses or glasses. 

 

Here’s what you need to look for:

 

• The glasses should have certification information, with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard.

• The actual manufacturer’s name and address should be printed somewhere on the glasses.

• Don’t use glasses that are wrinkled, scratched, or more than three years old.

• Don’t use regular sunglasses, no matter how dark they are.

 

The following are some tips to safely use eclipse glasses and filters. 

 

Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or filter before looking up at the bright Sun. After glancing at the Sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the Sun. 

 

If you travel to an area where you can view the total eclipse, within the path of totality, remove your solar filter only when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark, to experience totality. But as soon as the bright Sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.

 

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur April 15 at 1:23 PM or 06:23 UTC.

 

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

 

The Lyrid Meteor Shower which, runs annually from April 16 – 25, peaks on the evening of April 22 and morning of April 23.   This is a minor shower, with only 12 to 24 meteors per hour. These meteors sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds.

 

This shower is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861.

 

Unfortunately, the glare of the full moon will block out all but the brightest meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may 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 Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on April 19, when she will be 252,044 miles from Earth.

 

April’s Full Moon will occur on April 23 at 6:51 PM CST or 23:51 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

 

This moon has also been known as the Full Crow Moon, the Full Crust Moon, the Full Sap Moon, and the Lenten Moon.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

This month’s meeting will be on April 9 at 7PM. 

 

The meeting will held at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Calera.

 

Mark Wells

WD4NYL