ALERT NEWSLETTER – July 2026

Hi everyone & an early Happy 4th of July!

Guess what? It’s time for ALERT dues! Yay!!!

To maintain roster records, according to ALERT’s constitution and bylaws, members who have not paid their 2026/2027 dues (which are due on July 2026’s meeting date, per Article IV), will be removed from the roster. After this point, these members may re-apply.

Members who are not currently in good standing may be ineligible for Callouts, NWSchat access, officer positions and the right to vote in the monthly meetings.

In special cases/hardship, members may submit a confidential request to be considered by the board. Such a request will be kept ultra-hush-hush, and can be brought to any board member.

More on dues, including payment address, can be found in the ALERT Bylaws, on the ALERT-Alabama.org website under Join/Documents.

Join ALERT/Documents

The direct link to the application can be found at https://alert-alabama.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/Documents/alertapp.pdf

Existing members who are renewing can also use PayPal option:
https://paypal.me/WilliamRodgers1973

If anyone would rather use Venmo, route it via @William-Rodgers-73

Or mail a check to:

ALERT
2101 Pope Ave
Steele, AL 35987

Also, for Operational Members (NWS responders), President Kaila is working on new ALERT badges.

If you have a headshot or can get one taken, (with teeth in and hair ((if applicable)) combed), please send it to Kaila kszmajdaham@gmail.com or Russell kv4s@alert-alabama.org

ALERT ID badges or valid photo IDs such as a driver licenses, non-driver ID, military ID, etc., are require to gain access to the NWS Forecast Office, as it is a government facility.

Until next month, everyone stay safe and cool!

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Alabama Seismic Stations

Last month I covered earthquakes reported in Alabama.

The data from Seismic stations are recorded by helicorders, and is presented in the form of a continuous paper or a digital chart showing ground motion over time.

You may be curious to see what Seismic stations located in Alabama have recorded today and in recent days.

The links below lead to the helicorder or compiled record of vibrations recorded by the stations in various sites in the Eastern US. The websites will list several stations, none of them being in alphabetical order, so you will have search the page for the station you wish to see. Nestled among these listings the Alabama stations will be found.

Some locations have multiple listings as they may provide “Broadband” or BB, “Strong Motion” or SM or “Short Period” or SP displays.

Blount Mountain BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Brewton BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_nsn/
Carrolton BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Fort Payne BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_bb_ceri/
Fort Payne SM https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_sm_ceri/
Grady BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Hartselle BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_n4_east/
Lakeview BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_nsn/
Pickwick Lake SP https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_bb_ceri/
Pickwick Lake SM https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli/heli_sm_ceri/
Pickwick Lake BB https://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_bb_slu/

For more information see Recent Helicorder Images for Mid-America – CERI courtesy of the University Of Memphis.

These stations record in 12 hour intervals and normally display just fuzzy straight lines, occasionally more fuzzy due to wind, human caused vibrations or electronic interference. But if an earthquake is detected it will suddenly look like a bad EKG (or my handwriting). I find it interesting seeing the main quake and how long it takes for the motion to settle down, or “coda”.

When a major earthquake occurs, it takes time for the Primary Wave or Pressure Wave to travel from the epicenter to the Seismographs location. In the case of the June 24th 7.1 magnitude Venezuelan earthquake, the quake hit at 5:05 PM CDT. The P Wave reached the Blount Mountain Seismograph, 2053 miles away, 5 minutes 30 seconds later. Before the first reading faded a second wave arrived from the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that followed.

With a major earthquake the Seismograph may record two waves. The Primary or P Wave, or compression wave followed by a Secondary or S Wave or shear wave, which travels more slowly.

Seismologists can use the time difference between the two waves multiplied by 8.4 to get the general distance from the epicenter in kilometers. And by triangulating with at least two other stations they can find the location of the epicenter.

Check these site out, and see if, as the old song says there’s “a whole lot of shaking going on.

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National Water Dashboard

We begin with a legend…

It was said that both the Chickasaws and white traders in the Mississippi Territory considered a nearby area particularly perilous, with dense foliage and dangerous wild animals making travel treacherous. With tales swapped of travelers becoming lost or attacked by animals within this area, the stream and perhaps the valley it runs through was called “Shades of Death Creek”.

In 1820 John Coffee, the Surveyor-general of northern Alabama territory, drew the first map of the area and used the name “Shades of Death Cr.”

In the late 1850’s following a population boom in the nearby areas, the name “Shades of Death Creek” was shortened to “Shades Creek”.

Another, more modern theory is that the forested area under the bluffs was simply known for its evocative shadows, and so was named Shades Creek.

But, that’s no fun, is it?

As time passed a dam was erected in 1915 near Green Springs Highway creating Edgewood Lake, which stretched from just west of Green Springs Highway and where the soccer fields and Homewood High School are today. Edgewood Lake was intended to be five times larger than Birmingham’s East Lake, which at time was a resort and was at first a private-members only lake owned by the Birmingham Motor and Country Club, and was stocked with bream and bass for fishing.

The Birmingham Motor and Country Club dissolved in 1923 and the 117 acre lake was opened to the public and attracted crowds of bathers, boaters and picnickers and was the site of large gatherings and celebrations.

Residents would take an electric trolley up Red Mountain near Vulcan into Homewood by Central Park to where Green Springs Highway is today.

Problems began when torrential rains broke the dam in 1923, 1935 and 1946 causing the lake to go dry. The property changed hands several times and though plans were discussed and a few attempts were made to repair the dam and preserve the lake, eventually they gave up and the area was opened for redevelopment in the 1940’s.

And that is why you have a road called Lakeshore Drive, though there is no lake to be found.

One little know resource which you can access online is the stream monitoring station located on Shades Creek.

During times, such as when we were recently deluged with tropical rainfalls, I find it interesting to see what the nearby creek and river levels are.

By accessing the site USGS | National Water Dashboard you can see the river water levels and discharge rates in near real-time.

When you go to this site you will find a map of North America, which lists every monitoring station in the Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

By using the zoom controls in the upper left portion of the map, you can zoom to a particular location. As you zoom in you will notice a radar overlay, and you can zoom to a street level map of the area of interest.

There are over 30 such stations in the Jefferson & Shelby County area, along the Cahaba River and various creeks.

Using Homewood as an example, the map will show a circle by Shades Creek between I-65 and Columbiana Road. By clicking the circle, you can choose the Monitoring Location Page https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-02423586/#parameterCode=00060&timeSeriesId=228684&period=P7D where you can graph the water level, discharge, temperature and other data.

Or you can choose the NWPS River Forecast or https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/02423586, which gives the water level and describes the various flood stages for this particular location.

Currently, at 3:25 PM June 12, the stream level is 3.78 feet, which is normal.

On June 7 the creek rose from a 3.62-foot lazy stream at 8:30 PM to a 12.25-foot rushing torrent in just 45 minutes. (Which is why, no matter how picturesque it may seem, you never camp right by a creek or river bed. Even if the weather is nice where you are, it may not be so nice 25 miles upstream and all that water will be heading towards your cozy camp.)

The flood record for this location is 19.88 feet on September 4, 2004, followed by 18.79 feet and 17.09 feet floods in 2021.

The Flood Stages for this location are given as follows:

Minor flooding – 14 feet – Water rises above bank full and begins to flood some of the surrounding property including the nature walk (the Shades Creek Greenway).

Moderate flooding – 17.5 feet – Water approaches the right upstream apartment complex with water covering much of the yard and nature walk.

Major flooding – 19.5 feet – Water reaches the edge of the left downstream apartment complex.

About 3000 feet upstream of this monitoring station a small creek, named Griffin Creek, feeds into Shades Creek. On June 7 about 4000 feet upstream on Griffin Creek, the creek spilled over its banks and flooded, blocking Broadway Street and Saulter Road, which is 2500 feet Northeast from my house.

Meanwhile 4000 feet Southwest from my house I-65 was blocked by flood waters and 1 mile north of my house Valley Avenue had standing water.

Being on a small hill, I will probably never need a dinghy or an Ark, but by knowing which areas are prone to flooding and monitoring the current conditions, I might know to divert to point C & D if I was trying to get from point A to B, instead of using the direct route. Which could be crucial in an emergency, especially if I were trying to reach home or a hospital.

This is why, though I love my GPS and mapping apps, I say you should study a map, either online or the old school paper kind, learn and memorize the layout of your various locations and routes – work, home and in between, as trying to find detours in a blinding rain may not be an easy task.

With all the modern technology available, the best navigation too is still that thing between your ears, assuming you “program it” with information beforehand and are not just filling it with Internet dandruff and other useless things.

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NWS Birmingham County Emergency Alert & Weather Radio Directory

The NWS has added a new webpage, the NWS Birmingham County Emergency Alert & Weather Radio Directory, which details every county’s notification methods, how the public can sign up, how to get alerts/updates, weather radio information for each county, links for the different transmitters covering each county, and links river gauge info, and dam info.

This idea was born after the 2016 Gatlinburg fire, where many of the fatalities were people visiting from other areas. Following the 2025 flooding in Texas, the effort was renewed. If someone is traveling to Alabama, evacuating from a different state, or anyone has friends/family in this state, they can go to this page to get what they need.

This page: National Weather Service Birmingham, AL County Notification Information will be updated over time, and frequently, with changes or updates as they become available.

Feel free to use this site and spread the word about its availability. The NWS welcomes any feedback, suggestions, or ideas!

The site is currently very basic, another more colorful site with the same information may be found at National Weather Service Birmingham, AL County River and Dam Information

As time progresses these sites, which are still under construction, will grow and maps and interactive pages will become available.

Check them out!

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Mark’s Almanac

Originally called “Quintilis”, the fifth Roman month, Quintilis was renamed “July” in 44 BC in honor of Julius Caesar.
July is miserably hot, as land temperatures reach their peaks in late July through early August – the Dog Days of Summer.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11.

The Romans on the other hand said that the Dog Days ran from July 24 through August 24, or, alternatively, from July 23 through August 23, coinciding with the Sun and the Dog Star Sirius rising at the same time & their combined heat supposedly adding to the summer misery.

As you endure this heat, remember to drink lots of fluids, hug the shade & avoid the afternoon sun.

Also please resist the temptation to take Fido for a walk during the heat of the day. Remember that the “official” temperature readings are taken 6 feet above ground level. It’s much, much hotter on the ground where Fido & Puss must walk with bare paws, where it could easily be 150 degrees.

Before taking Muttley for a walk, place your hand on the pavement and see how hot it is. If it’s miserable to you, it will be miserable to him also. Just walk him in the morning or wait until the sun is setting and it cools off to a tolerable level and try to stick to grassy areas. Then go have a good time together.

The last week of July is usually the hottest week of the year. Tropical conditions are dominant, with conditions similar to that of the Amazon Valley.

July and August is the time to test the “Brown Grass Theory”. According to this theory, if the grass remains green the temperature will probably not reach 100, but, if the grass turns brown, get set for triple digits. This is a local Birmingham rule, which the Old Timers at the Birmingham NWS, such as Frank Makosky and J.B Elliott used for years.

In July, the least rainfall falls in the Northern Hemisphere and tornado activity drops sharply, with a 47% decrease nationwide. July has an average of 103 tornadoes.

Hurricane activity increases, but major hurricanes are not yet frequent. By months end, one hurricane will have occurred. Seven percent of a year’s hurricane total occurs in July.

Long track hurricanes are possible, forming off the African coast and crossing the Atlantic, either to threaten the US East Coast, then eventually veering off towards Bermuda. Or in the case of “Low Latitude” storms, cross the Atlantic, strike the Leeward Islands; enter the Caribbean and then striking the Yucatan, or the Western or Northern Gulf coast.

July Tropical Cyclone Breeding Grounds

From 1851 to 2025 there have been 131 Tropical Storms and 62 Hurricanes, 29 of which made landfall in the United States.

Among notable storms are 2005’s Hurricane Emily, the only Category 5 storm to form in July, reaching 160 MPH and striking Mexico.

Hurricane Bertha, a 125 MPH storm holds the record for the longest lifespan for a July hurricane, churning for 17 days.

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon decreases from 78.0 degrees at the beginning of the month to 74.7 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases from 14 hours 20 minutes on July 1 to 13 hours 49 minutes on July 31, or 31 minutes shorter.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

July 1 Sunrise 5:40 AM Sunset 8:02 PM
July 15 Sunrise 5:47 AM Sunset 7:59 PM
July 31 Sunrise 5:58 AM Sunset 7:49 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Gemini, The Twins.

Mercury, magnitude +0.5 in Gemini, The Twins, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

Mercury will reach his furthest point from the Sun, or “Aphelion” on July 1 and will pass between the Sun and the Earth or be in “Inferior Conjunction” on July 12 which will also be his closest approach to Earth, or “Perigee”.

Venus, magnitude -4.2 in Leo, The Lion, is early evening object.

At the first of the month, she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible around 8:18 PM CDT, 25° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 27 minutes after the Sun at 10:27 PM CDT.

At midmonth she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible around 8:14 PM CDT, 24° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 18 minutes after the Sun at 8:15 PM CDT.

The Moon will pass near Venus on July 17.

By months end she is visible in the evening sky, becoming visible at around 8:04 PM CDT, 21° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 6 minutes after the Sun at 7:53 PM CDT.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, is in the constellation Sagittarius, The Archer.

Earth will reach her farthest distance from the Sun or Aphelion on July 6 at 12:30 PM CDT or 05:30
UTC, when the distance from the Sun’s center to Earth’s center will be 94,502,962 miles from our home star, as she and the Moon wobble through space, the Moon tugging on the Earth like an unruly pup on a leash.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.3, in Taurus, The Bull, is emerging from behind the Sun.

At the first of the month, he will rise at 3:06 AM CDT – 2 hours and 32 minutes before the Sun – reaching an altitude of 20° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:54 AM CDT.
At midmonth he will rise at 2:46 AM CDT – 2 hours and 59 minutes before the Sun – reaching an altitude of 25° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:02 AM CDT.

By months end he will rise at 2:26 AM CDT – 3 hours and 30 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 32° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:14 AM CDT.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +8.9 is in Taurus, The Bull.
Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring magnitude –1.8, in Cancer, The Crab, is low in the in the Western sky at the first of the Month.

At the first of the month, he will become visible around 8:18 PM CDT, 10° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hour and 16 minutes after the Sun at 9:16 PM CDT.

He will become lost in the glow of the Sun on July 6 and will be invisible until mid-August.

Jupiter will pass behind the Sun or be in Conjunction on July 29 and reach his furthest point from the Earth or Apogee on July 30.

Saturn, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +0.7, in Pisces, The Fish, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he rises at 12:52 AM CDT, he will reach an altitude of 48° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:02 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 11:58 PM CDT, and will reach an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:11 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 11:50 PM CDT, at an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 5:07 AM CDT, 59° above the southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 05:24 AM CDT.

Uranus, and his 28 moons and ring, magnitude +5.8 in Taurus, The Bull, is hidden in the glow of the Sun at the start of the month.

He emerges into the morning sky on July 10.

By midmonth he rises at 2:20 AM CDT – 3 hours and 25 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 29° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:36 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 1:19 AM CDT and reaches an altitude of 41° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:49 AM CDT.

Neptune, and his 16 moons and ring, magnitude 7.7 in Pisces, The Fish, has emerged into the predawn sky.

At the first of the month, he rises at 12:22 AM CDT and reaches an altitude of 46° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:27 AM CDT.

Neptune enters retrograde motion, or will appear to be backing across the background stars on July 7.

By midmonth he rises at 11:27 PM CDT and reaches an altitude of 54° above the southern-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:36 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 12:13 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:49 AM CDT.

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 17.2 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 +17.1 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 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 near Perseus, the Greek hero who beheaded Medusa.

50000 Quaoar, his two rings and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Cancer, The Crab.

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 Hydra, The Sea Serpent. 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 12,380,486,086 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 27 minutes and 41 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 48 years, 9 months and 7 days is 15,816,381,434 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 58 minutes from Earth as of 2:49 PM CDT, June 16, 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 +21.7, in Cancer, The Crab, is 162,873,125 miles or 1032 days from the Earth as of 2:36 PM CDT, June 16, 2026.

There are 1,548,782 known asteroids and 4,068 comets as of June 16, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

6,298 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of June 4, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur July 7 at 2:30 PM CDT or 7:30 UTC on July 17.

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

Though it won’t peak until the night and morning of August 12 & 13, the Perseid Meteor Shower begins July 17, and lasts until August 24. This shower, associated with comet Swift-Tuttle will peak at 60 meteors per hour in August.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on July 13 when she will be 223,141 miles from Earth.

New Moon will occur at 3:45 AM CDT or 09:45 UTC on July 14. 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.

Since the Moon is near her closest approach to the Earth, this will be a Super New Moon, even though we can’t see it.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur July 21 at 6:05 AM or 11:05 UTC.

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

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on July 25, when she will be 251,996 miles from Earth.

The Southern Delta-Aquariid Meteor shower peaks on the night of July 28th into the morning of the 29th. This shower annually occurs from July 12 through August 23 is made up of debris from Comet Marsden Kracht and produces a ZHR or Zenith Hourly Rate of 20 meteors per hour.

Unfortunately, the Full Moon will obscure most of the meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few of the brighter ones.

Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

July’s Full Moon occurs July 29 at 9:37 AM CDT or 14:37 UTC, when the Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated.

July’s Full Moon is called “Buck Moon” in Native American folklore. This moon gets its name because the male buck deer begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. It has also been called “Full Thunder Moon” & “Hay Moon”.

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

Nighttime arrives late in July, as the days are still long, but if one is able, around midnight and the early morning if you step outside the Summer constellations of Scorpius the Scorpion, the red star Antares, and the Teapot of Sagittarius, the Archer will greet you.

If you are away from the dismal glow of city lights that wash out the night sky, and especially during a New Moon, you can explore the Milky Way, as the Earth is tipped toward the Galactic Core in Sagittarius and we can see it stretching across the sky from the horizon straight up to Cygnus, The Swan, flying overhead, onward though W shaped Cassiopea to the North and to Perseus near the Northern horizon.

A pair of binoculars will reveal rich star fields, nebulae and star clusters as you drift along the length of the galaxy, lost among the stars.

I find 7×35 binoculars, which are low power, but have a wide field of view is close to being a “Rich Field Telescope”. A Rich Field Telescope is a telescope designed to show the maximum number of stars in a given field of view, especially in star‑dense areas like the Milky Way. “Rich Field” is not to be confused with “wide field”, which refers to the widest possible view. “Rich Field” emphasizes star density rather than field of view size.

Other size binoculars may magnify too little or too much, or don’t have lenses wide enough to provide the enough light gathering power, or have lenses so large you could use them for weight lifting.

7×35 binoculars have just the right balance of magnification, light gathering power and weight to give you great views and not wear you out in the process. And, being binoculars, you have twice the light data available for your eyes and brain to process.

Try it, you’ll like it!

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Ham News

HF band conditions continue weak, though 6 Meters has seen several Sporadic E openings.

To me, these openings can produce conditions like bubbles. Bubbles of signals rise to the top, you answer the strong signal and the signal just fades in two seconds never to be heard again. Or they may last minutes or longer. I’ve seen some do both, with stations on top of each another, one a steady strong signal, and other signals bubbling up and rapidly fading away.

The ARRL June VHF Contest came and went. I went to six meters, and the band was alive with signals. I worked a strong station, but had to leave for about 30 minutes. With high expectations, I came back and there was total silence. The band had collapsed that quickly.

Not to be perturbed, I called on the 70 Centimeter SSB & FM calling frequencies, 432.100 & 446.000 MHz, the 1½ Meter FM calling frequency, 223.500 MHz and the 2 meter SSB calling frequency 144.200 MHz and heard nothing. I did work two stations on 146.520 MHz.

Having worked three glorious stations, I called it “success” and moved on to other things.

July contests and events of note are:

July 1 RAC Canada Day 00:00z – 23:59z, July 1
7:00 PM June 30 – 7:00 PM July 1 CDT

July 4 CQ Worldwide VHF SSB/CW 12:00z, July 5 to 12:00z, July 6
7:00 AM July 5 to 7:00 AM July 6 CDT

July 11 IARU HF Worldwide SSB/CW 12:00z, July 11 to 12:00z, July 12
7:00 AM July 11 to 7:00 AM July 12 CDT

July 18 POTA Support Your Parks Saturday & Sunday UTC July 18 & 19

July 25 Alabama QSO Party 15:00z, July 25 to 03:00z, July 26
10:00 AM July 25 to 10:00 PM July 25 CDT

    RSGB IOTA Contest CW & SSB            12:00z, July 25 to 12:00z, July 26
                         7:00 AM July 25 to 7:00 AM July 26 CDT   

Two contests which especially pique my interest are the Alabama QSO Party, where folk are hunting for YOU and the IARU HF Worldwide Contest, where conditions permitting, you can work DX stations by the handfuls.

This includes stations rarely heard outside of contests, such as LP1H in Argentina, 8P5A in Barbados, D4Z in the Cape Verde Islands, FY5FY in French Guiana and CN3A in Morrocco.

For more details go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home & for the Alabama QSO Party: alabamacontestgroup.org/aqp/

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This month’s meeting will be online July 14 at 7PM. Watch for Russell’s email announcement for details.

Hope to see you there!

Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter