ALERT NEWSLETTER – January 2025

Hi everyone & Happy New Year!

I hope you had a safe and happy holiday season, and that Santa was good to you and that Father Time will be kind to you also.

As we unwind from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, make sure to mark January 14 on your calendar, as that is our next ALERT meeting.

Other important dates to remember and hopefully attend are:

The Blount County Freezefest 2025, Saturday January 4, from 8 to 12 Noon, at the Locust Fork High School, in Locust Fork.

For more information got to: W4BLT.org – FreezeFest 2024

Winter Field Day will be held January 25 & 26.

For more information go to Home – WFDA (winterfieldday.org)

Winter Field Day and it’s spring counterpart Field Day are to me one of the most valuable events that ham radio operators can participate in, for it helps give actual experience in a “grid down” situation, where hams have to erect their antennas and power their equipment as in an actual post-disaster scenario. Whether it’s a club or group, providing their own generator and food, or an individual setting up and using his own equipment using alternate power sources, whether that be battery power or battery and solar power, this can provide valuable hands own experience and operating experience that someday could prove vital in during an actual emergency.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s a fun event? It is.

The Birmingham Hamfest is only a few weeks away, February 28 & March 1, at the Trussville Civic Center. There will be vendors, a flea market, forums, including one by ALERT and ARES, and Amateur Radio Examinations.

For more information go to: http://birminghamfest.org/

Hope to see you there!

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Ham Radio Contests For 2025

I enjoy ham radio contests. Though my station is a chihuahua among the big dogs, contests seem to level the playing field. Stations that you may never hear otherwise, especially DX stations, want to talk to you and there are so many that they are there just for the picking.

Though some moan that contests are not looooong drawn out ragchews, to me they are perfect. Instead of talking to one guy for an hour about his sea shell collection, I can talk to 50 stations bang bang bang in that hour.

Plus, they help me evaluate my station’s effectiveness. Both equipment and antenna wise, and my operating prowess or lack thereof.

For example, many years ago I had a large yard, plenty of trees and a 130 foot dipole. It did ok on the lower HF frequencies and terribly on 20 meters. Today I have a small yard, basically no useable trees and a G5RV shaped like the figure 7. A total Junk “get by” setup.

But, because of contests, I have found that piece of junk antenna is hot on 20 meters. Especially to the Northeast and North.

Having dozens of contacts to compare, as opposed to one single once and a while contact, I get a better idea of the antenna pattern and reach.

Plus, they are fun.

So, why not give your contest muscles a try?

Who knows who you might discover?

The following list is by no means a complete list. For an in-depth list of the various contests and the homepages of the contests I will be listing, go to the WA7BNM Contest Calendar WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home and Contest Calendar (arrl.org)

Some are marked as “tentative” as the 2025 dates had not been updated on the contests websites when I wrote this article. Also, some dates which were confirmed looked a little funky.

Note that the dates are for the beginning of the contest, not the duration. Check the above websites for times, dates, and contests exchanges, which vary with each contest. Some simple, such as the standard fake signal report and location and others wanting so much goop that it might as well be a novel.

That said, give it a try! You never know what rarity will fire up on contest days and never to be heard anytime else.

Mark’s 2025 Contest Calendar

January 1 Straight Key Night
January 4 ARRL Kids Day
January 11 North American QSO Party – CW
January 18 North American QSO Party – SSB
ARRL VHF Contest
January 24 CQ 160 Meter Contest – CW
January 25 ARRL Winter Field Day
Australia Day
February 1 10-10 International – Winter – USB
European Union DX Contest
British Columbia QSO Party
Minnesota QSO Party
Vermont QSO Party
February 2 North American Sprint – CW
February 8 Asia-Pacific Sprint – CW
February 10 ARRL School Roundup
February 15 ARRL International DX – CW
February 22 CQ 160 Meter Contest – LSB
South Carolina QSO Party
February 23 North Carolina QSO Party
March 1 ARRL International DX
March 2 Nova Scotia NSARA QSO Party
March 8 Idaho QSO Party
Oklahoma QSO Party
March 9 Wisconsin QSO Party
March 15 Virgina QSO Party
Russian DX Contest
March 23 North American SSB Sprint
March 29 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest – SSB
April 5 Louisiana QSO Party
Mississippi QSO Party
Missouri QSO Party
April 12 New Mexico QSO Party
North Dakota QSO Party (tentative)
Georgia QSO Party
April 13 ARRL Rookie Roundup – SSB
April 19 Ontario QSO Party
Quebec QSO Party
Michigan QSO Party
April 26 Florida QSO Party
Nebraska QSO Party
May 3 10-10 International – Spring – CW
7th Call Area QSO Party
New England QSO Party
Indiana QSO Party
Delaware QSO Party
May 10 Canadian Prairies QSO Party
May 17 Arkansas QSO Party
May 24 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest – CW
June 7 Kentucky QSO Party
VK Shires Contest
June 14 Asia-Pacific Sprint – SSB
ARRL June VHF Contest
June 21 SMIRK Contest (6 Meters)
ALL Asia DX Contest – CW
ARRL Kids Day
West Virgina QSO Party
June 28 ARRL Field Day
July 1 RAC Canada Day
July 12 International Amateur Radio Union HF Worldwide
July 19 CQ Worldwide VHF
August 2 10-10 International – Summer – USB
European HF Contest
ARRL 220 & Up Contest
North American QSO Party – CW
August 9 Maryland-DC QSO Party
August 16 North American QSO Party – SSB
August 23 Hawaii Contest Party
Ohio QSO Party
August 30 W/VE Island QSO Party
Kansas QSO Party
Colorado QSO Party
September 6 All Asia DX Contest – SSB
September 7 Tennessee QSO Party
September 13 ARRL September VHF Contest
September 14 North American Sprint – CW
September 20 Washington State Salmon Run
New Hampshire QSO Party
New Jersey QSO Party
Texas QSO Party
Iowa QSO Party (tentative)
September 22 144 MHz Fall Sprint
September 27 Maine QSO Party
October 4 California QSO Party
October 9 10-10 International 10-10 Sprint
October 11 Oceania DX – Phone
Arizona QSO Party
South Dakota QSO Party
Nevada QSO Party
Oceania DX – CW
Pennsylvania QSO Party
October 18 10-10 International – CW
New York QSO Party
Worked All Germany
October 19 Asia Pacific Sprin
Illinois QSO Party
October 25 CQ Worldwide – SSB
November 1 ARRL Sweepstakes – CW
November 15 ARRL Sweepstakes – SSB
November 29 CQ Worldwide – CW
December 6 ARRL 160 Meter Contest
Skywarn Appreciation Day
December 13 ARRL 10 Meter Contest
December 20 ARRL Rookie Roundup – CW

2025 State & Province QSO Parties

Alabama Alabama QSO Party TBD
Alaska (None – just pray a lot) X
Alberta Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 10
Arizona 7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
Arizona QSO Party Oct 11
Arkansas Arkansas QSO Party May 17
British Columbia British Columbia QSO Party Feb 1
California California QSO Party Oct 4
Colorado Colorado QSO Party Aug 30
Connecticut New England QSO Party May 3
Delaware Delaware QSO Party May 3
Florida Florida QSO Party Apr 26
Georgia Georgia QSO Party Apr 12
Hawaii Hawaii QSO Party Aug 23
Idaho Idaho QSO Party Mar 8
7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
Illinois Illinois QSO Party Oct 19
Indiana Indiana QSO Party May 3
Iowa Iowa QSO Party Sep 20 (tentative)
Kansas Kansas QSO Party Aug 30
Kentucky Kentucky QSO Party Jun 7
Louisiana Louisiana QSO Party Apr 5
Maine New England QSO Party May 3
Maine QSO Party Sep 27
Manitoba Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 10
Maryland Maryland-DC QSO Party Aug 9
Massachusetts New England QSO Party May 3
Michigan Michigan QSO Party Apr 19
Minnesota Minnesota QSO Party Feb 1
Mississippi Mississippi QSO Party Apr 5
Missouri Missouri QSO Party Apr 5
Montana 7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
Nebraska Nebraska QSO Party Apr 26
Nevada Nevada QSO Party Oct 11
7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
New Hampshire New England QSO Party May 3
New Hampshire QSO Party Sep 20
New Jersey New Jersey QSO Party Sep 20
New Mexico New Mexico QSO Party Apr 12
Nevada Nevada QSO Party Oct 11
New York New York QSO Party Oct 18
North Carolina North Carolina QSO Party Feb 23
North Dakota North Dakota QSO Party Apr 12 (tentative)
Nova Scotia NSARA Contest Mar 2
Ohio Ohio QSO Party Aug 23
Oklahoma Oklahoma QSO Party Mar 8
Ontario Ontario QSO Party Apr 19
Oregon 7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania QSO Party Oct 11
Quebec Quebec QSO Party Apr 19
Rhode Island New England QSO Party May 3
Saskatchewan Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 11
South Carolina South Carolina QSO Party Feb 22
South Dakota South Dakota QSO Party Oct 11
Tennessee Tennessee QSO Party Sep 7
Texas Texas QSO Party Sep 20
Utah 7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
Vermont New England QSO Party May 3
Vermont QSO Party Feb 1
Virginia Virginia QSO Party Mar 15
Washington Washington State Salmon Run Sep 20
7th Call Area QSO Party May 3
West Virginia West Virginia QSO Party Jun 21
Wisconsin Wisconsin QSO Party Mar 9
Wyoming 7th Call Area QSO Party May 3

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Mark’s Almanac

January is named for the Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors, and so openings and beginnings.

January receives more sunlight than December, but the equilibrium between incoming solar heat and the heat radiated into space by the northern snowfields does not peak until late January and early February, six weeks after winter solstice. So, the weather continues to cool, with January 8 – 20 being the coldest part of the year.

Typically, in January there is a 53% chance of up to one inch of snow and a 25% chance of over one inch of snow.

There is has been less snowfall this year than normal, as usually we see except for the southern tip of Nova Scotia, all of Canada and roughly one half of the Continental US, or “CONUS”, are usually covered with snow. Canada’s Hudson’s Bay is frozen, as is the ocean water between Baffin Island and Greenland.

Current Snow Depth (usda.gov)

Barometric pressure is highest in January.

Though the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ended November 30, every now and then Mother Nature will give us a surprise as there have been 5 tropical storms and 3 Category 1 hurricanes from 1851 to 2024. This includes an unnamed hurricane in 1938 in the Eastern Atlantic & Hurricane Alex which in 2016 effected Bermuda and the Azores and a subtropical storm that briefly spun up on January 16, 2023

Birmingham January climatology per Intellicast is monthly rainfall 5.45” inches and snowfall 0.7”. Average high temperature is 53 degrees and the average low 32 degrees. Record high of 81 degrees occurred in 1941 and a record low of -6 degrees in 1985.
Barometric pressure is highest in January.

Days grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily increases from 33.5 degrees at the beginning of the month to 39.2 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight increases from 9 hours 59 minutes on January 1 to 10 hours 33 minutes on January 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

January 1 Sunrise 6:52 AM Sunset 4:50 PM
January 15 Sunrise 6:51 AM Sunset 5:02 PM
January 31 Sunrise 6:44 AM Sunset 5:17 PM

Looking skyward, at the beginning of the month, the Sun, magnitude -26.8 is in Sagittarius, the Archer

Mercury, magnitude -0.4, in Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer, is very low in the morning sky and is sinking towards the Sun.

At the first of the month, he rises at 5:16 AM CST, 1 hours and 33 minutes before the Sun, and reaches an altitude of 11° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at 6:25 CST.

He will be lost in the glow of the Sun on January 7.

Venus, magnitude –4.4, in Capricornus, The Sea Goat, is the brilliant “Evening Star” shining in the West.

This bright object hovering in the sky has some people worried, as they think the mystery drones have arrived in Alabama. This isn’t unusual, as she usually spawns UFO reports when she graces the evening skies.

At the first of the month, she becomes visible at around 5:06 PM CST, 34° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 38 minutes after the Sun at 8:27 PM CST.

On January 3 Venus will pass near the Moon during and after dusk. If you have a deep blue sky, you may be able to spot Venus in daylight. Around 3:30 PM CST, when the Moon is at her highest point in the sky, look just to the left of the Moon.

She will reach her greatest separation from the Sun of 47.2° or “Greatest Eastern Elongation” on January 10.

By the 15th she will become visible at around 5:18 PM CST, 37° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 41 minutes after the Sun at 8:42 PM CST.

She will reach her highest point in the sky in its 2024–2025 evening visit on January 30. Over the following weeks she will then start slowly descending towards the Sun.

By months end, she will become visible at around 5:33 PM CST, 38° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 32 minutes after the Sun at 8:49 PM CST.

Earth and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in Canis Minor, The Lesser Dog.

Earth will reach her closest distance to the Sun on January 4, at 7:28 AM CST, when the planet will be 91,405,993 miles from the Sun.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude -1,2, in Cancer, The Crab, is an evening object.

At the beginning of the month, he will become accessible around 6:56 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 7° above the north-eastern horizon. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 1:21 AM CST, 80° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:32 AM CST, 22° above the western horizon.

Mars orbit around the Sun will carry it to its closest point to the Earth, or perigee, passing within 59,491,717 miles of the Earth on January 12.

Mars will pass very close to the Moon, within 0.2°South of the Moon on January 13.

By midmonth he becomes accessible at around 5:34 PM CST, when he rises to an altitude of 7° above the north-eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at midnight, 81° above the southern horizon. He will become inaccessible at around 6:32 AM CST when he sinks below 7° above the north-western horizon.

Mars will reach opposition, or when he lies opposite the Sun in the sky, on January 15.

He will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet’s orange surface.

By the end of the month, he will become accessible around 5:33 PM CST, 26° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 10:31 PM CST, 82° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 5:03 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the north-western horizon.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.3, is in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Jupiter, his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude -2.8, is in Taurus, The Bull, is an evening object.

At the beginning of the month, he will become accessible around 5:06 PM CST, 28° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 9:44 PM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 4:04 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 5:18 PM CST, 43° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. he will then reach its highest point in the sky at 8:44 PM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 3:03 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

By the end of the month, he will become accessible around 5:33 PM CST, 59° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 7:38 PM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:57 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

Saturn, his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +1.1, is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer. He is an early evening object descending into twilight.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible at around 5:26 PM CST, 44° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 9:46 PM CST.

The Moon will pass near Saturn on January 4.

By midmonth he will become visible around 5:38 PM CST, 36° above your south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 55 minutes after the Sun at 8:56 PM CST.

At months end he becomes visible around 5:53 PM CST, 24° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 44 minutes after the Sun at 8:01 PM CST.

The Moon will pass near Saturn on January 31.

Uranus, his 27 moons and ring magnitude +5.7, in Taurus, The Bull, is an early evening object.

He becomes accessible around 5:53 PM CST, 53° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 8:23 PM CST, 74° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:27 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

By midmonth he will become accessible around 6:04 PM CST, 66° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 7:26 PM CST, 74° above your southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 12:31 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

At month’s end he becomes accessible around 6:18 PM CST, 74° above the southern horizon, as dusk fades into darkness. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 6:23 PM CST, 74° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 11:27 PM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

Neptune, his 14 moons and ring, magnitude 7.8, in Pisces, The Fish, is an early evening object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible via binoculars and telescopes around 5:53 PM CST, 51° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 10:47 PM CST.

At midmonth he will become accessible around 6:04 PM CST, 43° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 9:53 PM CST.

At the end of the month, he becomes accessible 6:18 PM CST, 30° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 35 minutes after the Sun at 8:52 PM CST.

Dwarf Planet 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 17.4 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 +17.2 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 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 in Scorpius, The Scorpion.
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50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Pisces, The Fish.

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.

225088 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 Pisces, The Fish.

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 Auriga, The Charioteer. 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, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,231,702,770 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 14 minutes and 22 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 47 years, 3 month and 22 days is 15,492,020,340 miles, or in Light Time, 23 hours, 06 minutes 4 Seconds from Earth as of 3:34 PM, December 27, 2024, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
Voyager – Mission Status (nasa.gov) & Voyager 1 | TheSkyLive

There are 1,428,906 known asteroids and 3,983 comets as of December 27, 2024 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website JPL Solar System Dynamics (nasa.gov).

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

Apophis, magnitude 20.6, is Sagittarius, The Archer, is 167,353,908 miles or 1567 days from the Earth as of 3:42 PM, December 27, 2024.

5,811 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of December 16, 2024, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower will occur Friday & Saturday, January 3 & 4. This is an above average shower producing between 40 to 100 meteors per hour radiating from the constellation Bootes, in the area near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the head of Draco the Dragon.

The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The crescent moon will set early in the evening, leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

This shower favors the Northern Hemisphere because its radiant point, or the point where the meteors appear to originate in the sky, is so far north on the sky’s dome.

This shower is believed to be produced by dust grains from burnt out comet 2003 EH1, which may also be the remainder of comet c/1490 Y1, which was lost to history after a prominent meteor shower was observed in 1490, possibly due to the breakup of the comet.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur January 6 at 5:57 PM CST or 23:57 UTC.

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

The Moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on January 7, when she will be 230,015 miles from Earth.

Full Moon will occur January 13, at 4:28 PM CST or 22:28 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated.

January’s Full Moon is “Wolf Moon” in Native American folklore. This was also called “Wulf-Monath” or “Wolf Month” by the Saxons, because at this full Moon, packs of wolves howled in hunger outside of the villages.

It has also been called “Old Moon” and “Moon After Yule”.

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

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on January 20, when she will be 251,220 miles from Earth.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur January 21, at 2:32 PM CST or 20:32 UTC.

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.
New Moon occurs January 29 at 6:37 AM CST or 12:37 UTC. The Moon will 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.

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This month’s meeting will be on January 14 at 7 PM at the National Weather Service Forecast Office at the Shelby County Airport.

I hope to see you there!

Mark Wells
Editor / ALERT Newsletter