ALERT NEWSLETTER – May 2026

Hi Everyone, I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the war April days.

Our May 12 ALERT meeting will feature our annual elections.

Positions to be decided are President, Vice President, Treasurer/Membership and Secretary.

Those recommended by the Nominating Committee and any nominations from the floor (made by a current ALERT Operational Member) and any volunteers for those positions will be voted on by secret ballot, or acclamation if no other nominations exist from the floor.

If you are a paid-up Operational Member or Supporting Member, which is a member interested in Amateur Radio, Skywarn or Emergency Communications, but doesn’t have a ham license, you may vote in the 2026-2027 ALERT leadership elections.

The officers will assume their positions at the July meeting.

July is also when ALERT dues are due. Remember, if you wish to respond to ALERT callouts or serve as an officer you MUST be current with your dues.

May your May be a happy one!

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

Updated 2026 Hurricane Outlooks

Colorado State University has issued its outlook for the 2026 tropical season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Their forecast predicts a “somewhat below average” season with 13 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season. Of those, researchers expect 6 to become hurricanes and 2 to reach major hurricane strength of Category 3 or greater, with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater.

2026-04-pressrelease.pdf

There is a 32% chance for at least one major hurricane to strike the United States. The average from 1880 – 2020 is 43%.

There is a 15% chance for at least one major hurricane to strike the US East coast including the Florida Peninsula. The average from 1880 – 2020 is 21%.

There is a 20% chance for at least one major hurricane to strike the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Brownsville Texas. The average from 1880 – 2020 is 27%.

There is a 35% chance of a major hurricane striking in the Caribbean. The average from 1880–2020 is 47%.

The forecasters said expectations of a “robust” El Nino in the Pacific Ocean is a primary factor in expectations for a quieter season. El Niño conditions typically increase wind shear across the Atlantic, making it more difficult for storms to organize.

The CSU forecast is largely in line with Accuweather’s expectations for the hurricane season, which was released last month. Accuweather is calling for a near to below average season with 11 – 16 named storms. Of those storms, 4 to 7 are forecast to become hurricanes, 2 to 4 being major hurricanes and 3 to 5 hurricanes likely to hit the United States.

The UK Tropical Storm Risk,com outlook predicts a season 40% below the 1991-2020 30-year norm, with 12 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 1 “intense” hurricane.

TSRATLForecastApril2026.pdf

A “Normal” season sees about 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.

The 2026 North Atlantic Basin Tropical Cyclone names are

Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle
Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky & Wilfred

If so many storms occur that the 2026 list is depleted, the storm names will revert to the World Meteorological Organization supplemental list of names: Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn, Emery, Foster, Gemma, Heath, Isla, Jacobus, Kenzie, Lucio, Makayla, Nolan, Orlanda, Pax, Ronin, Sophie, Tayshaun, Viviana and Will.

The National Hurricane Center will issue their outlook in May.

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

PoC Radios – What Are They?

If you have been on social media sites lately you have probably seen advertisements featuring people holding handheld radios with the ads boasting of “nationwide coverage” or “global coverage”. What are these radios and are they all just “Internet smoke and mirrors”?

To be honest, when first I heard the term “PoC” radios, I immediately thought “Piece of Crap”, as the radio market is being flooded with cheap radios, which on the one hand can give a good starting point for new hams, and a source of “throw away radios” that work, but are cheap enough that you won’t go into mourning if it falls off the canoe. On the other hand, they are often touted as “walkie-talkies” in the same vein as FRS radios, with no mention of license or even what service they may be made for.

Many buy these radios not knowing, and in some cases, not caring that you need FCC licenses to use a ham or GMRS radio. One company plainly advertises that they are ham radios, but also plainly states “You can LISTEN on the radios with no FCC license. And USE THEM in an EMERGENCY! (sic)”. While they do explain you need a license to use it if it’s not an emergency, they end with “EVERY CITIZEN in America should own one of these radios – whether they have a license or not, since you can LEGALLY use it – IF and WHEN you need it the most! (sic)”.

These are aimed at the prepper community, and are bought for “doomsday”. Many preppers, (and I sort of count myself as one, specializing in natural disasters and the transmission falling out of the car, rather than alien invasions and irradiated mutants) do go ahead and get their license.

Many, if Internet bluster and chest thumping is to be believed, are of the mindset of “I don’t need a stinkin’ license to use my stinkin’ radio”. Ignoring the fact that you get the stinkin’ license so you can learn how to use the stinkin’ radio, so that when you need to use the stinkin’ radio you will have a stinkin’ clue how the stinkin’ thing works.

I used to worry about the ham bands being flooded by people bootlegging with these radios, and though I did hear some (presumably) bootleg activity, consisting of someone using DMR in the CW portion of 2 meters, I don’t worry anymore.

In most cases these radios just give a false sense of security and after being unpacked and twiddled with for a few days, they end up in a backpack in the basement, only to see the light of day again twenty years later, when someone cleaning the basement out finds a moth eaten, rat chewed backpack, containing burst cans of food, and a flashlight and radio both leaking green corroded battery goo.

PoC or “Push-to-Talk Over Cellular” devices are a totally different class of devices.

First, they are not “walkie-talkies” or handheld radios in a true sense. They are cellphones. They may look like radios, sound like radios, and having a PTT switch may act like radios, and are marketed as radios, but they are actually cellphones.

For purposes of this article, we will still call them “radios”, since that’s what the marketers are calling them.

PoC radios differ from traditional cellphones in that it’s uses a PTT switch, like a radio, where only one person can talk as a time, or “half-duplex”, but, unlike traditional radios, they tie into the cellphone infrastructure. But, unlike traditional cellphones which use only a single carrier, these use multiple paths and carriers to route the signal.

A traditional cellphone is tied to only one network. For instance, my phone is with ATT and so is tied to the ATT network. I can be standing in the shadow of a Verizon or some other carriers tower and my phone may be saying “no service”, as the phone doesn’t recognize the Verizon or other systems. For normally your phone will only work with the carrier you are signed up with.

There is one very important exception which everyone should know about, and that concerns 911 calls. If your phone says “no service” and you still dial 911, if ANY cellphone tower from ANY carrier hears your call, they are required by law to connect you with the nearest 911 center. Your phone may still say “no service”, but here you are talking with the 911 operator plain as day. The location services may not work, so you will need to give your location. But, if there is an emergency, and your phone says “no service”, CALL 911 ANYWAY! It may connect perfectly. You never know until you try.

Don’t pull the old Hollywood stunt of “I’ll just walk somewhere, I don’t know where, or what direction and find reception.” That’s just a good way to get lost in a forest and end up requiring two search and rescue missions instead of one. So, maybe try calling 911 instead, service or not.

PoC radios are not locked to a particular cell network, but use multiple networks and lock onto the network with the strongest signal. It uses 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, and many other networks and even Wi-Fi networks. This gives them a much larger signal footprint than a traditional cellphone system.

Because PoC radios can access such a large variety of networks, under normal conditions and locations, it’s hard to have a “no service” situation.

So, they can be very effective.

They allow for the creation of talk groups, can send text, voice or video messages, have GPS location sharing and other features, depending on the price.

But, as with all things in life, this technology has plusses and minuses.

Let’s look at a few.

First, unlike ham, GMRS or CB radios you can’t contact random people in a “is anyone around?” “CQ” or “mayday mayday” scenario. You can only contact those within in your group, team, or family that have the same radio setup. This can be viewed either as a limitation, or an asset. It depends of if you want the ability to access others “out of group” or if you want to keep your communications “in house’”.

Cost effectiveness should be considered. The initial cost for a minimum of two units can range from $100 to $300 or more depending on the features. For a group, team or company using these regularly this could be very affordable. If it’s intended for reaching Great Grandma in Tacoma when civilization goes up in smoke, then maybe not, as it will probably never be used, as (assuming it was ever charged) Granny may not be interested in using it or even remember how to use it, and the fluidity of the circumstances may make it the last thing on anyone’s mind.

This, incidentally, is why no matter what communications plan anyone develops for any situation, unless the plans and equipment are used regularly to learn how things work, what does and doesn’t work and how to develop solutions, it is useless. Trying to figure out how something works and wondering why it doesn’t during and after a disaster, when you are dazed, cold, possibly injured and fear has taken all your fine muscle dexterity away, is a recipe for failure.

Subscription pricing may factor in. Many if not most may advertise “no subscription needed”, but after one year many will ask for a fee to renew the SIM card it uses. This may range from $20 to $60 per unit. Again, if it is for a large group, financing may be budgeted in anticipation and it not be a major drawback. If it’s for each radio covering an extended family (that may not even care whether they work or not) then it could cost prohibitive.

Can these fail and what do you do then? These sets are largely dependent on the cellphone infrastructure. A major disaster can destroy or disable the cellphone grid, whether it’s due to the destruction of the sites, onsite generators running out of fuel, or the remaining towers being so overloaded with local calls that the system simply can’t handle the deluge of calls. Also, normal problems such as the dense foliage of a forest blocking signals, being in the bowels of a building, and the reality that there are still areas in the US with little or no cell coverage, can defeat this system.

If a Wi-Fi connection is available, they will try to connect with it, but the network that the Wi-Fi ties into may be out, or if intact already be overloaded to the point of failure.

Some providers provide an optional package giving access to the Starlink satellites. (Some regular cellphones also have a satellite option).

Some radios automatically become FRS radios, with a range of a few hundred feet to a couple of miles.

One company features a phone that includes VHF and UHF transmit/receive capability, from 136 -520 MHz, but how effective, and whether they include features such as PL tones, repeater shifts or are just simplex, they don’t say. They do say they are “NOT responsible for out of band transmissions” and “YOU are solely responsible for what YOU transmit on / ALL bands …”

And, considering how ham radios can’t legally be used on MURS or GMRS since they are not “type accepted” by the FCC, it just sounds a little fishy.

Some have no backup ability at all and just quit working – period. Or as one company gently puts it – “communications are paused.”

Keeping in mind the pros and cons, these units can be a valuable asset. As with all things, if you consider investing in these units, do your homework. Compare the features, options and especially the customer reviews before deciding.

And, ask this question in all honesty. “Will these really see any use?” Or will it be a “Joe’s wanting us to play radio again…” situation. As some have zero interest in the subject.

Oh, am I trying to get you to buy one of these? No. But, since the advertisements keep interrupting my cat videos, I decided to do a little research and thought I would pass my findings along.

They need to leave my cat videos alone…

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

Mark’s Almanac

May is the fifth month & third month of the Roman calendar. May is named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with, Bona Dea, the Goddess of Fertility, who was celebrated in May.

Since ancient times the first day of the month, “May Day” has been a time of celebration. In Rome it honored Flora, the goddess of flowers.

On May the fifth Mexican’s celebrate Cinco De Mayo, the celebration of Mexico’s 1862 victory over Napoleon III’s forces at Puebla. This is not, as many assume, Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually on September 16.

Rainfall decreases in May as the Azores-Bermuda High strengthens, expands Westward over the Southeastern US & begins rerouting storm systems northward.

The door opens to the Gulf of Mexico & Gulf moisture spreads northward over the continent.

The center of maximum tornadic activity also shifts northward over the Nation’s Heartland. May is the peak tornado month, with a 42% increase over April’s amount.

Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15, and although the North Atlantic hurricane season has not arrived, occasionally a tropical system will form in the Gulf of Mexico. From 1851 to 2025 there have been 27 Tropical Storms and 5 Hurricanes, including an 1863 Category 2 storm, the knowledge of which is based on historical reanalysis by NOAA’s Michael Chenoweth and Cary Mock in 2013 and posthumously given the name Hurricane Amanda, named after, a Union ship the storm washed ashore. It made landfall near Apalachicola Florida.

60% of off-season Hurricanes occur in May.

Days continue to grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon increases from 71.6 degrees at the beginning of the month to 78.4 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight increases from 13 hours 34 minutes on May 1 to 14 hours 16 minutes on May 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

May 1 Sunrise 5:57 AM Sunset 7:31 PM
May 15 Sunrise 5:45 AM Sunset 7:42 PM
May 30 Sunrise 5:37 AM Sunset 7:53 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Taurus, The Bull.

Mercury, magnitude +0.1 in Taurus, The Bull, will be lost in the glow of the Sun until reappearing low over the north-western horizon on May 24.

He will pass behind the Sun or be in Superior Conjunction on May 14.

Mercury will reach his closest distance from the Sun in his 88 day orbit, or Perihelion on May 18.

By months end he will become visible around 6:10 PM CDT, 10° above north-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting roughly 1 hour and 21 minutes after the Sun at 9:11 PM CDT.

Venus, magnitude -3.9 in Taurus, The Bull, is steadily rising into the evening sky and will dominate the western horizon as the bright Evening Star.

At the first of the month, she will become visible around 7:45 PM CDT, 21° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 11 minutes after the Sun at 9:40 PM CDT.

Venus will reach her closest distance from the Sun in her 225 day orbit, or Perihelion on May 14.

By midmonth she will become visible at around 7:56 PM CDT, 23° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 25 minutes after the Sun at 10:05 PM CDT.

By the end of the month, she will become visible at around 8:07 PM CDT, 25° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 34 minutes after the Sun at 10:24 PM CDT.

Earth, and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in the constellation Libra, The Scales.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos magnitude +1.2, in Pices, The Fish, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +8.9 is in Aries, The Ram.

Jupiter, and his 101 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude –2.1 is in Gemini, The Twins, dominates the early evening sky, slowly descending towards the west as the weeks progress.

At the beginning of the month, he will become visible around 7:45 PM CDT, 57° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 12:35 AM CDT.

By midmonth he becomes visible around 7:56 PM CDT, 45° above your western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 11:48 PM CDT.

By the end of the month, he will become visible around 8:07 PM CDT, 33° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 9 minutes after the Sun at 10:59 PM CDT.

Saturn, and his 285 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +0.9, in Cetus, The Sea Monster, is lost in the glow of the Sun during the first week of the month.

He will become visible low in the predawn sky May 6, rising at 4:16 AM CDT – 1 hour and 34 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 11° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:15 AM CDT.

By midmonth he becomes visible rising at 3:46 AM CDT – 1 hour and 58 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 16° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:08 AM CDT.

By the end of the month, he will become visible rising at 2:51 AM CDT – 2 hours and 45 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 25° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:00 AM CDT.

Uranus, and his 29 moons and ring, magnitude +5.8, in Taurus, The Bull, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

He will pass behind the Sun or be in Conjunction on May 22.

Neptune, and his 16 moons and ring, magnitude +7.8 in Pisces, The Fish, will be hidden in the glow of the Sun until May 28 when he emerges in the predawn sky.

At months end he will be visible in the dawn sky via telescope, rising at 2:27 AM CDT – 3 hours and 9 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 23° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:27 AM CDT.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.6 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.2 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 +17.0 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 +18.6 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least seven 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 Triangulum, the Triangle.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 between Gemini, The Twins and Canis Minor, The Little Dog.

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.

25088 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 Pegasus, The Winged Horse.

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 Crater, The Cup. 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.

“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in Triangulum, the Triangle.

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 12,301,160,418 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 20 minutes and 35 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 8 months and 15 days is 16,060,600,067 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 57 minutes 09 seconds from Earth as of 4:27 PM CDT, April 22, 2026, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

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

Apophis, magnitude +21.5, in Taurus, The Bull, is 146,996,305 miles or 1093 days from the Earth as of 3:06 PM CST, April 17, 2026.

There are 1,520,356 known asteroids and 4,061 comets as of April 17, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

6,160 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of April 16, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

May’s first Full Moon will occur May 1 at 12:24 PM CDT or 17:24 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. May’s Full Moon is “Flower Moon” in Native American folklore, because of the abundance of spring flowers. It has also been called “Corn Planting Moon” & “Milk Moon”.

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

This month’s Full Moon is a Micromoon, as it is occurring when the Moon is near her farthest distance from the Earth 249,621 miles. It will appear smaller than other Full Moons.

The Moon will be at Apogee, or her farthest point from the Earth on May 4 at 252,179 miles.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur May 9 at 4:13 PM or 21:13 UTC.

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

The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower, an above average shower, peaks May 6 & 7. It can produce up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak, but most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour, which is still a decent shower. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley, due to return in a mere 35 years in the summer of 2061. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28. It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of May 7.

The waning gibbous moon will block out many of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still should be able to catch some of the brighter 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.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur May 9 at 4:13 PM CDT or 21:13 UTC.

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

New Moon will occur on May 16 at 3:03 PM CDT or 20:03 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 near her closest approach to Earth, this will be a Super New Moon.

The Moon will be at Perigee or its closest distance from Earth on May 17, when she will be 222.497 miles from Earth.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur May 23 at 6:12 AM or 11:53 UTC.

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

May’s second Full Moon will occur May 31 at 3:46 AM CDT or 8:46 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a Blue Moon. This rare calendar event only occurs one every few years, giving rise to the term “once in a blue moon”.

Because this Full Moon will occur at her farthest distance from the Earth, this will be a Micro Full Moon, appearing smaller than normal.

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

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on May 31, when she will be 252,506 miles from Earth.

In the Northern Sky the Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, begins the month upside down, “spilling its water” on Polaris, the North Star, which is the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper or Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.

Interestingly, the Big and Little Dippers are arranged so that when one is upright, the other is upside down. In addition, their handles appear to extend in opposite directions. The Big Dipper is by far the brighter of the two, appearing as a long-handled pan, while the Little Dipper resembles a dim ladle.

The Big Dipper is called by other names across the world. In the Netherlands it’s the “Saucepan”, “The Plough” in England and “The Great Wagon” in other parts of Europe.

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

Ham News

In the world of HF radio, both ham, CB and SWL, as the calendar flipped to April, Mother Nature flipped the switch turning the ionosphere off. Band conditions have been atrocious due to the Suns misbehaving. Also, warm weather is allowing hams to leave the safety of their lairs, basements and bat infested caves to do fun and not so fun things, such as mowing the grass and battling weeds, so the pool of available operators is undergoing its normal seasonal shrinkage.

As the upper bands, 15 through 10 meters wither, the lower bands, 40 through 17 become more active. 160 through 60 meters become difficult to use at night due to the static produced by a few thousand lightning strikes from thunderstorms hundreds of miles away.

Since this also affects AM Broadcast reception, there is an old trick some outdoorsmen would use when out for a day trip. They would pack a small AM radio, tune it to the far end of the AM band and just keep it on. If static started appearing after noon, they knew thunderstorms were building. If they sounded like aluminum foil being crushed, they weren’t nearby. If it was loud and sharp then better head indoors. Consider it the “poor man’s lightning detector”.

Then we come to 80 meters, which has a little mystery.

I’m an Olde Goat ham and have been in the hobby nearly 50 years. In the 1970’s and 80’s you would always find CW stations on 80 meters in the afternoon and at night it would be crawling with CW signals. In the day you could easily work your state and the surrounding states out to 150 miles and at night 500 to 800 miles was just the normal range, using a simple 134 foot dipole, maybe a tuner and 100 watts.

Today, with the exception of some morning sideband activity, you never hear a signal during the day. At night the sideband traffic nets come faithfully blasting in, proving that one’s antenna does indeed work, but other than a few guys who seem to have known each other since wagon train days and never ever change frequency, there is not much activity. Especially on CW. 40 Meters will be active, but 80? Nothing to be heard. And as I said it was once a heavily used band.

Where did all the people go? The band hasn’t changed; it was noisy then and it’s noisy now. The technology is the same, if not better and as POTA stations prove, CW is still popular and code is still being learned.

Is it that folk just assume the band is dead and stay away in droves? Or, do they just listen for a few seconds and hearing nothing switch elsewhere? A “nobody’s there because nobody’s there” situation?

Occasionally I see people online asking “how can I contact someone just 125 miles away on HF?” Invariably someone will say “20 meters with a NVIS antenna”. And I will sit there thinking “get on 80 meters, that’s how we always did it when wooly mammoths roamed the Earth.”

How can we get operators interested again 80 meters again?? An 80 meter contest perhaps?

This Olde Goat misses them 🐐

Major upcoming ham radio contests and state QSO parties for May 2026 are:

May 2 10-10 International – Spring – CW
7th Call Area QSO Party
New England QSO Party
Indiana QSO Party
Delaware QSO Party
ARI International DX – Italy
May 9 Canadian Prairies QSO Party
CQ-M International DX – Russia
May 16 Arkansas QSO Party
His Majesty King Of Spain – CW
May 30 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest – CW

These are great chances to work DX galore (especially the CQ Worldwide WPX contest) and find those elusive stations you may need for working all states and provinces. Just be aware that not everyone in contests “confirm the QSO”, as they may be more interested in QSO numbers, rather than “confirmation” for awards. Though my main interest isn’t awards, but the wonder that someone that far away can hear on an antenna that looks like my Mom’s clothesline, I wish they would confirm.

Don’t be shy about trying CW contests either. They may send like a woodpecker on steroids, but usually they will slow down to reply to you, either out of courtesy or to get you out of their hair. Just listen until you are sure of the callsign and give them a call, or two, or three. For the CQ WPX contest the exchange will be the RST and QSO number.

The RST will always be 599 even if they ask for sixteen repeats until they get things right. It’s just the nature of the beast. The QSO number is exactly that – if they are the first station you contact, they are number 1, if they are the second station they are number 2.

CW contests used to intimidate me. My wife Teresa, KQ4JC said “you never know until you try.” I like them now, even if I do send at the speed of snail.

For more details go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home

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

This month’s ALERT meeting will be online at 7 PM, May 12.

Watch for the meeting notification email from Russell KV4S, which will include the link for the meeting.

I hope to see you there!

Mark Wells
WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

Articles and suggestions are welcome!