ALERT NEWSLETTER – October 2026

Hi everyone and welcome to the October ALERT Newsletter!

 

October has arrived and we welcome the cooler days.  Now we can look forward to the changing of the fall leaves, the occasional nip in the air, and the Hobgoblins that will visit us at the end of the month.

 

October is a fun time of the year, usually being not too hot and not too cold – the “Goldilocks” of seasons.

 

It is a time to enjoy Fall football, the baseball playoffs and the last outdoor adventures of the year, as the pretty weather October lets you get tanned, rested and ready for the storms of the Fall.

 

I hope you have a fun and safe October!

 

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80 Meters

 

One of the most important bands from an emergency communications standpoint is the 80 Meter band, or as some say when speaking of the phone portion, “75 Meters”.

 

Every state has at one or more frequency that is unique to that state on 80 Meters.  In Alabama that frequency is 3.965 MHz.

 

3.965 MHz is home of the Alabama’s National Traffic System net, the Alabama Traffic Net Mike, which meets daily at 6:00 PM, the Alabama Day Net, which meets daily at 7:30 AM and the statewide HF ARES Net, Alabama Emergency Net, which meets Sunday at 4:00 PM.

 

The advantage of knowing this frequency, and the 80 Meter frequencies of nearby states, such as 3.975 MHz, which is Georgia’s frequency, is that you know where to go monitor emergency communications or relay emergency traffic to that state.

 

These frequencies are not new innovations; they have existed for decades.  

 

Now as with 2 Meters, there is no guarantee someone will be on the air just when you need or want them, but it’s the best place to look.  Especially before or after nets.

 

80 Meters is a large band, both in frequency and wavelength, so the antennas will be large.

 

If your yard is large enough to accommodate the size, traditionally a half wave dipole has been a common and effective choice.  Dimensions for a half wave dipole are:

 

3.500 MHz 139.7’ or 69.8’ per leg

3.750 MHz 124.8’ or 62.4’ per leg

3.965 MHz 118.0’ or 59.0’ per leg

4.000 MHz 117.0’ or 58.5 ‘per leg

 

Usually, I would make one for midband, 3.750 MHz and let the antenna tuner do the rest.  As to the type of wire, “Internet experts” will tell you “you must use antenna wire, or you will suffer signal loss, acne and a host of RF miseries”.  In my case I’ve used true “antenna wire”, both single strand or multistrand, wire salvaged from TV transformers, speaker wire, zip cord, strands of dipsty dumpster wire soldered together, coat hangers, basically you name it, and I’ve used it. I’ve never been able to tell any performance difference among the various types of wire I have used.

 

One thing that I discovered early on is that single strand wire has less tensile strength than multistrand wire and will stretch over time, throwing the SWR off.  With a tuner, it doesn’t matter that the antenna has “grown” 3 inches after a year or two.  Multistrand wire is stronger and won’t stretch, however it is more prone to corrosion, and will break strand by strand over time, usually where the wire has been kinked at some point.   I usually feed the antenna with 450 ohm ladder line.

 

If there are space limitations, or if one is interested in short range communications, within 300 miles, a Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antenna is a good choice.  

 

A NVIS antenna for 3.965 MHz has a total length of 118.03 feet, with each leg being 59.02 feet.

 

It is mounted closer to the ground than a regular dipole, from 37.2 to 62.0 feet, which produces a higher signal takeoff angle than a dipole.

 

NVIS propagation works by directing RF energy nearly straight upward, at elevation angles between 70° and 90° from horizontal. At these steep angles, the signal penetrates the ionosphere at a point almost directly overhead, reflects, and returns to earth within a few hundred miles of the transmitter. 

 

The result is a roughly circular coverage area around the station with a radius of 50 to 600 miles depending on frequency and ionospheric conditions.

 

If one has severely limited available space, as I do, a 102 foot long G5RV antenna, and an antenna tuner can be used.  A G5RV antenna is naturally resonant on 20 meters, but with a tuner can be used on 80 Meters, though it will not perform as well as a dipole or NVIS antenna.  

 

In my case I don’t have enough room for a fully stretched G5RV, so one leg is straight, and the other leg is bent at a severe angle, resembling the number 7.  It’s certainly not the best solution, but lacking other options, it gets me on the air.

 

As to propagation, in the daylight hours, the range of the 80/75 Meter Band is roughly 250 miles, which from Birmingham, means Georgia, Mississippi, North Florida and Tennessee are in range.  

 

During the evening hours the distance stretches to 800 miles and sometimes much more, as is evident from AM Shortwave signals drifting in late at night from the Eastern Hemisphere, as elsewhere in the world 3.900 – 4.000 MHz is the 75 Meter Shortwave band.  Also, elsewhere in the world there is a civilian aircraft band from 3.900 – 4.000 MHz, which uses USB, rather than LSB for communications.

 

So, if you hear non-ham and broadcast stations late at night, don’t panic or get mad as some do, it just means that the band is open to Europe and Africa.  Go work some DX instead!

 

75 Meter voice operations, with the exception occasional AM operators, LSB is used as is the case on 160 & 40 Meters. Elsewhere on the Amateur bands, USB is used.

 

LSB’s use in the lower Amateur bands is a relic from the early days of radio when SSB rigs used a 9 MHz Intermediate Frequency system, and it was easier and cheaper to generate LSB below 9 MHz and USB above 9 MHz.  With most designs these days, USB and LSB are equally easy to use, but we keep to the old convention.

 

LSB is often preferred for shorter range communications, while USB excels for long range

DXing in higher HF bands as USB has a better Signal-to-Noise Ratio and provides a clear, efficient signal and utilizes the available bandwidth more efficiently than LSB, allowing for more efficient spectrum utilization.

 

On the other hand, LSB is less susceptible to phase noise, making it more robust in noisy environments, such as that encountered in the lower bands, which deal with static from thunderstorms. Also, LSB modulation consumes less power, resulting in improved power efficiency and requires simpler circuitry and signal processing as compared to USB modulation.

 

Personally, I have always thought LSB has a “richer” sound, which is more pleasing to the ear, as opposed to USB, but that’s just me and my rotted out ears.  

 

There is no FCC restriction that says you can’t use USB on 160, 80 or 40 meters.  But, if 99.99999% of hams are using LSB and you use USB, you may unknowingly interfere with other operators, and if nothing else, you will sound weird, which will cause folk to avoid you, since they don’t want to sound weird also.  It’s a “when in Rome do as the Romans do” situation.

 

The main drawbacks to the 80 Meter Band are noise, usage patterns and in the case of CW, lack of use.

 

80 Meters has always been a noisy band, due to static from thunderstorms and manmade noise.  The noise level has definitely increased over time. But the band is absolutely usable, but sometimes not pleasant to the ear.  But just because it’s noisy doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort.

 

As to usage, in addition to nets, 80 Meters is the home of groups of people who seemingly have known each other for decades and will talk for hours on end, as common jokes say, about health conditions, the dismal shape of things in general, the “good old days” and personal topics that, for me anyway, I would never share with strangers in normal day to day life, either on line or on the air. 

 

Newcomers, or those just wanting a casual contact are hesitant to break into such conversations, since it seems you are interrupting a family reunion and because they are really not interested in getting sucked into an hour’s long marathon.  So, they avoid the band. 

 

As to CW, in the 70’s and 80’s you could find CW operators dashing and dotting away from early afternoon and through the night. Today you hear nothing in the afternoon, and except for CW nets, precious few at night.  The band hasn’t changed that much, it was noisy then and it’s noisy now, and POTA has proved that there are still plenty of CW operators on the air, so maybe it’s a case of people taking a quick listen, and not hearing other stations, they just don’t try.  No one’s there because no one is there. Which is entirely curable, if folk would give it a try, and stick with it until it became popular again.

 

If you have room for an antenna, I highly recommend you add 80 Meter capability to your “RF toolkit”.  It’s a good valuable band, deserving of more attention.

 

The following is an in-depth list of what may be found on 80 Meters from Alabama, depending on the time of day and propagation conditions.  

 

3.500 MHz Begin Extra CW/Data Sub band

CW DX Window Begins

3.505 MHz DXpeditions using CW are frequently here

3.510 MHz CW DX Window Ends

3.525 MHz Begin Novice, Technician, General & Advanced CW / Data Sub band

3.530 MHz Straight Key Century Club – SKCC – Calling Frequency

3.535 MHz QIN Indiana CW Section Net Daily 7:00 PM CT

3.537 MHz KYN Kentucky CW Net Daily 01:00 Z

3.540 MHz Quarter Century Wireless Association – QCWA – Calling Frequency

3.547 MHz Kansas CW Traffic Net             Daily 6:00 PM & 10:00 PM

Kansas Slow Speed CW Traffic Net    Daily 7:32 PM

3.5475 MHz 3905 Century Club CW Net                          Thu 9:00 PM & Sat 12:00 PM

3.550 MHz Straight Key Century Club – SKCC – Primary Calling Frequency

3.560 MHz TLCN Iowa Tall Corn Net                           Mon – Sun 6:30 PM & 10:00 PM

3.552 MHz Oklahoma Net Daily 6:30 PM CT

Texas CW NetDaily 7:00 PM CT

Texas Slow NetDaily 7:45 PM CT

Central Area Net – Cycle 4Daily 8:30 PM CT

Texas CW NetDaily 10:00 PM CT

3.553 MHz Virginia Net Daily 6:00 PM

3.558 MHz International Morse Preservation Society – FISTS – Calling Frequency

3.560 MHz QRP CW Calling Frequency

3.562 MHzTennessee CW NetMon – Fri 7:00 PM CT

3.566 MHzNorth American QRP CW Club – NAQCC – ETN East Texas QRS NetMon  7:00 PM CT

3.567 MHz Fifth Region Net – Cycle 4 Daily 7:30 PM CT

Fourth Region Net – Cycle 4 EarlyDaily 6:45 PM CT

Fourth Region Net Daily 8:30 PM CT

Fifth Region Net – Cycle 4 Daily 9:30 PM CT

West Virgina CW Net                                          Daily 6:00 & 9:00 PM

3.570 MHz Eastern Area Net Daily 7:30 PM CT

3.571 MHz Carolinas Net Daily 6:00 PM CT Carolina Slow Net Daily 7:00 PM CT

3.574 MHz FT8 Frequency

3.581 MHz W1AW Code & Bulletins

3.590 MHz RTTY/Data DX Window

3.570 – 3.600 MHz RTTY/Data

3.600 MHz End Novice, Technician, General, Advanced & Extra CW / Data Sub band

                                       Begin Extra Phone Sub band

3.620 MHz Oceania DX Group Saturday 4:30 AM

3.650 MHz                      Fifth Region Net WinterDaily 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM CT

Central Area Net              Daily 8:30 PM CT

3.668 MHz                     Geratol Worked All States Net                           Oct 1 – Apr 30 1:00 UTC 

3.700 MHz Begin Advanced Phone Sub band

3.733 MHz Sandbox Roundtable – Ontario                         Daily 5:30 PM

3.742 MHz                     Ontario Phone Net                                               Daily 7:00 PM 

Mexican DX Net                          Daily 11:00 PM

3.755 MHz ONTARS NET – Ontario                                      Daily 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

3.756 MHz “The Pip” – Russian Military – Possible at Rostov-on-Don, Russia

3.787 MHz Professional Loafers Net – Montreal                 Daily 8:00 AM

3.790 – 3.800 MHz DX window

3.799 MHz DXpeditions using SSB are frequently here

3.800 MHz                      Begin General Phone Sub band

Begin Aeronautical Band – Civilian

3.810 MHz                      West Virgina Fone Net                                       Daily 5:00 PM

QCWA SSB Calling Frequency

3.815 MHz Arkansas DX Association                                  Sun 7:00 PM

3.816 MHz                      Kentucky Phone Net                                          Nightly 6:00 PM

3.818 MHz AmRRON Rolling Regional Net                         1st & 3rd Thur  8:00 PM Winter

3.820 MHz                      Maryland Emergency Phone Net                      Daily 5:00 PM

3.825 MHz OMISS Net                           Daily 10:00 PM

                          Sat & Sun 12:00 AM

3.838 MHz 3838 Breakfast Club                           Mon – Fri 5:30 AM

Kentucky Phone Net                                           Mon – Fri 7:30 AM

3.840 MHz Kentucky Phone Net                                           Sat & Sun 7:30 AM

3.845 MHz SSTV window

3.855 MHz Awful Awful Ugly Net                           Daily 8:00 PM

3.860 MHz                      Minnesota ARES Phone Net                              Daily 5:30 PM

3.862 MHz                      Mississippi Section Phone Net                         Daily 6:00 PM

3.8625 MHz                    Magnolia Section Net                                         Mon – Fri 6:00 AM

                                       Magnolia Section Net                                         Sat & Sun 7:00 AM

3.870 MHz Boat Anchor Net                                                 Wed 7:00 PM

3.873 MHz                     Texas Traffic Net                                                 Mon – Sat 6:30 PM

Texas ARES Net                                       Mon 7:30 PM

                                       Louisiana ARES Net                                           Sun 7:30 PM

3.880 MHz Florida AM Net                                        Sun & Thu  6:00 AM & 7:00 PM

3.885 MHz AM calling frequency

The AM Swap Meet                          Tue 6:30 PM

Gulf Coast Mullet Society – AM                         Thu 6:00 PM

3.900 MHz                      Begin 75 Meter Shortwave Broadcast Band  

Oklahoma Traffic & Weather Net                       Mon – Sat 5:00                    Indiana Section ARES HF  Net                           Sun 5:00 PM   

TFW Reykjavik, Iceland Aeronautical High Frequency Data Link / Squitter

NZART – New Zealand SWBX

PBS Hulun Buir China SWBX

3.902 MHz 3905 Century Club Net SSB Early                      Daily 8:00 PM 

3.904 MHz Old Buzzards Net                            Sat 8:00 AM       

3.905 MHz          Delaware Traffic Net                            Mon – Sat 5:30 PM Winter

                                       Illinois Sideband Net                                           Daily 6:00 PM

             DelMarVa Phone Emergency Net                       Sun 6:30 PM

Old Buzzards Net                           Mon – Fri 8:00 AM

3.980 MHz HiFivers Friendship Net                           Tue/Thu/Sun 8:00 PM       

3.909 MHz 3905 Century Club Net SSB Late                       Daily 12:00 AM

FUE French Navy, Brest France – USB & FSK

3.910 MHz                      Louisiana Traffic Net                                          Daily 6:00 PM

3.912 MHz                      Indiana Traffic Net                                              Daily 6:00 PM

Amateur Radio Sunrise Bible Study                 Daily 5:00 AM

3.915 MHz                      South Carolina SSB Net                                     Daily 6:00 PM

3.916 MHz             The Freewheelers Net                                         Daily 10:00 PM

The Rag Chew Crew                                            Daily 7:00 PM

3.918 MHz                      Western Penn Phone Traffic Net                       Daily 4:30 PM

3.919 MHz The Friendly Bunch                                        Daily 6:00 PM

3.920 MHz               Kansas Sideband Net                                        Daily 6:30 PM

                                        Kansas Evening Weather Net                           Daily 6:00 PM

OMIK Net                                                             Sun 12:00 PM               

                                        Pennsylvania Fone Net                                     Mon, Wed & Fri 7:00 PM 

KCBS Pyongyang, North Korea SWBX

3.923 MHz                      Tarheel Emergency Net                                     Daily 6:30 PM

                                        North Carolina Evening Net                              Daily 5:30 PM 

3.925 MHz                       Gulf Coast Sideband Net                           Daily 7:30 PM

 New York State Phone & EM Net                      Daily 5:00 PM

Radio Nikkei, Japan SWBX

3.927 MHz               North Carolina Morning Net                              Daily 6:45 AM

3.9275 MHz                     Kentucky Emergency Net                                 Mon 6:30 PM

3.930 MHz Christian Amateur Radio Fellowship Net        Mon – Sat 6:00 AM

3.935 MHz                       Wolverine Single Sideband Net                       Daily 4:00 PM 

              Central Gulf Coast Hurricane Net                     Daily 6:30 PM

3.940 MHz          Early Bird Transcontinental Net                       Daily 8:15 AM

Florida Phone Traffic Net                                  Daily 12:00 PM

 South Florida Traffic Net                                   Daily 9:30 PM 

 South Florida ARES Net                                    Sat 7:00 AM

 Music Wave Radio, Kaliningrad, Russia SWBX

3.942 MHz                      Tropical Florida Amateur SSB Net                   Daily 6:00 PM

OMISS Net                                                          Tue 8:00 PM

Radio Vanuatu SWBX

 FUO French Navy, Toulon France USB / FSK

3.947 MHz                      Virgina Fone Net                                                Daily 3:00 & 6:30 PM

3.950 MHz                      End Aeronautical Band – Civilian

New Jersey Phone Net                                      Daily 5:00 PM

       Northern Florida Phone Net                              Daily 6:30 PM

Northern Florida ARES Net                               Mon – Sat 2:00 PM

PBS Xinjiang China SWBX

3.955 MHz “Channel 292” Rohrbach, Germany SWBX

AM Radio Dessau, Rohrbach, Germany SWBX

KBS World Service Wooferton, England SWBX

3.959 MHz KCBS Pyongyang, North Korea SWBX

3.963 MHz                      Missouri Traffic Net                                           Daily 5:45 PM

                                       Missouri Emergency Services Net                   Sun 6:30 PM

3.965 MHz                      Alabama Traffic Net Mike                          Daily 6:00 PM

                                       Alabama Day Net                                       Daily 10:00 AM

             Alabama Emergency Net                         Sun 4:00 PM

World Music Radio, Copenhagen, Denmark

Radio Delta International, Elburg Netherland

3.967 MHz Graveyard Net                                                    Daily 5:00 – 7:00 AM

3.970 MHz                      Iowa 75 Meter Net                                              Mon – Sat 12:30 PM

             Iowa 75 Meter Net                                              Mon – Sat 6:00 PM

                                       Iowa Traffic And Emergency Net                     Sun 6:00 PM

Southern Country Cousins                               Daily 8:00 PM

3.9725 MHz                    Ohio Single Sideband Net                                Daily 5:30 PM

Midwest Country Cousins                         Daily 8:00 PM

3.973 MHz Before Breakfast Club Net                          Daily 2:00- 5:00 AM

3.975 MHz                      Georgia Single Sideband Net                           Daily 6:00 PM

Georgia Traffic Net                                             Mon – Sat 12:00 PM

                                       Georgia ARES Net                                             Sun 5:00 PM

             Shortwave Radio Gold Winsen, Denmark SWBX

3.978 MHz                      Mass/Rhode Island Phone Net                         Daily 4:00 PM

3.980 MHz                      Tennessee Phone Net                                       Mon – Fri 5:40 AM

Tennessee Phone Net                                       Mon – Fri 6:45 AM

                                       Tennessee Phone Net                                       Mon – Sat 6:30 PM

                                       Tennessee Phone Net                                       Sat & Sun 7:00 AM

3.982 MHz                      Cornhusker Net                                                 Daily 5:30 PM

                                       Nebraska Storm Net                                          Daily 6:30 PM

3.9825                            Wisconsin Sideband Net                                  Daily 5:15 PM

3.983 MHz                      Western Penn ARES Voice Net                       Sat 8:00 PM

3.985 MHz                      SSB QRP Calling Frequency 

Badger Emergency Net                                     Daily 12:00 PM

75 Meter Interstate Sideband Net                     Daily 8:00 PM

                                       Wisconsin Sideband Net                                  Daily 5:15 PM

Bible Net                                                             Daily 9:00 PM

Radio Delta International, Elburg Netherlands SWBX

CNR 2 China Business Radio SWBX

3.9875 MHz                   Arkansas Razorback Net                             Daily 5:25 PM

                                       Arkansas Section Net                                       1st Mon 6:00 PM

             Arkansas Weather Net                                      As Needed

3.990 MHz The Rooster Net                                                 Daily 5:00 AM

Sun Belt Service Net                                         Mon – Fri 7:00 PM

PBS Hezuo & Urumqi-Changji (Xinjiang) China SWBX

3.995 MHz                     South Carolina ARES/RACES Net                   1st & 3rd Mon 5:00 PM

Georgia Cracker Net                                         Mon – Sat 6:00 AM

                                       Georgia Cracker Net                                         Sun 7:00 AM

HCJB Voice Of The Andes, Weenermoor, Denmark SWBX

4.000 MHz                      End 80 Meter Amateur Band

                                       End 75 Meter Shortwave Broadcast Band

 

Notes:

 

All listings were considered “current” at the time I researched them 9/26/2026. Net times and net frequencies can and do occasionally change depending on the seasons, persistent QRM and other factors. Occasionally nets will become defunct, such as Alabama’s CW nets, the Alabama Emergency Net Delta formerly on 3.715 MHz, The Alabama Emergency Net Bravo or Alabama Section Net on 3.575 MHz, the 440 Frontier Net on 444 MHz and others. If you listen for a net and hear nothing, after first checking and making sure that a squirrel hasn’t gnawed through your feedline (it happens), then do an internet search for that net and see if there are any updates.  Also, in these listings, “SWBX” means “shortwave broadcast” and in the case of TFW Reykjavik, Iceland Aeronautical High Frequency Data Link / Squitter on 3.900 MHz, a “Squitter” is defined as “random pulses, pulse-pairs and other non-solicited messages used in various aviation radio systems’ signal maintenance…used in the DME (distance measuring equipment) /TACAN (tactical air navigation) systems”.  In other words, weird sounds that make you wonder “what in the world?”.

 

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Mark’s Almanac

 

The tenth Month, October is so named because it is the eighth month on the Roman calendar.  To the Slavs of Eastern Europe it is called “yellow month,” from the fading of the leaves, while to the Anglo-Saxons it was known as Winterfylleth, because at this full moon (fylleth) winter was supposed to begin.

 

By whichever name you call it, October is a mild and dry month, the driest of the year, in fact.  And it is a sunny month with the amount of possible sunshine reaching the ground in the 60% or greater range.

 

Weather shifts from autumn pattern to revisiting the summer pattern and back again. The Azores-Bermuda High shifts eastward into the Atlantic, but leaves weakened high pressure centers over the Virginias, which still try to block out approaching fronts.

 

October is usually a quite month for tornadoes, with a 40% decrease in activity.  Nationwide an average of 28 tornadoes occur in October, and those tornadoes are usually weak.

 

Our hurricane threat continues, with hurricane activity increasing during the first half of the month, concentrating in the Caribbean, both from formation in the Caribbean and from the long track Cape Verde hurricanes, which enter the Caribbean.  And, we still have the little “gifts” that the Gulf of Mexico occasionally will provide.  

 

Florida, due to its low latitude, and the way it projects into the ocean separating the Atlantic and The Gulf makes it especially vulnerable to hurricanes.  From 1851 – 2025, has had 35 October hurricane landfalls, nearly triple the next highest state – Louisiana, which has had 12. About 60 percent of all U.S. hurricanes that made landfall after September 26 have done so in Florida.  One factor being the cold fronts of Fall penetrating the Gulf and then deflecting storms towards the west coast of Florida.

 

Luckily after the second half of the month activity will begin a steady decrease.  

 

28% of the year’s hurricanes occur in October.

 

From 1851 – 2025 there have been 1 Subtropical Storm, 369 Tropical Storms and 221 hurricanes, 60 of which made landfall in the United States.    

 

Some notable October hurricanes are: 

 

The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as Huracán San Calixto, the Great Hurricane of the Antilles, and the 1780 Disaster, the deadliest Atlantic hurricane, which killed between 20,000 to 22, 000 people in the Lesser Antilles as it passed through from October 10 – 16, 1780.  It is possible that it had winds in excess of 200 MPH when it reached Barbados.  

 

Hurricane Hazel struck the Carolinas in 1954.  Weather satellites did not yet exist, and the Hurricane Hunters were unable to observe the core of the storm until it neared land on October 15.  Hazel made landfall just west of the North Carolina/South Carolina border slightly northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with a Category 4 intensity of 130 mph.

 

Hurricane Wilma still holds the record as the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin.  In 24 hours, Wilma went from a Category 1 storm on October 18 to a Category 5 storm with 185 MPH Maximum Sustained Winds and a Minimum Pressure of 882 millibars or 26.05 inches. She weakened to Category 4 and struck the Yucatan, then restrengthened and struck Cape Romano Florida as a Category 3 storm on October 24, 2005.

 

Hurricane Mitch became a Category 1 hurricane on October 24, 1998, and within 48 hours grew to Category 5 intensity, and though he weakened to Category 1 before making landfall, he became the second deadliest hurricane on record killing over 11,000, with nearly that number missing in Central America due to intense rainfall and mudslides.  He would eventually reach the United States making landfall near Naples Florida on November 5.

 

Hurricane Michael formed near the Yucatan Peninsula on October 7, 2018, and in 72 hours grew from a Tropical Depression to a Category 5 hurricane striking Mexico Beach Florida.

 

Hurricane Milton became a Category 1 Hurricane on October 6, 2024, and explosively strengthened to  a 180 MPH Category 5 the next day.  He weakened to a 115 MPH Category 3 storm as he struck Fiesta Key, near Sarasota Florida on October 10.

 

Beware of October hurricanes, for as Wilma, Mitch, Michael and Milton have demonstrated, they can experience explosive growth.

 

 

 

 

October Tropical Cyclone Breeding Grounds

 

This is the month for Alabama’s version of “Indian Summer’s” arrival.  

 

Technically speaking Indian Summer doesn’t occur until “Squaw Winter” or the first frost arrives, but exact date when Indian Summer arrives varies with latitude.  

 

We live in Alabama, and while the earliest frosts have been known to occur by October 17, they usually wait until November. So, we, in our milder climate call the first warm up after the first cool down “Indian Summer”.

 

The Yellow Giant Sulphur Butterflies are very noticeable as they continue to drift South-Southeast on their migration towards Florida.  They prefer red things & if you have red flowers, they will zero in on them. 

 

The Monarchs also will be seen gliding by in their migration towards Central America.

 

Fall colors will become prominent and by late October though early November the leaves will be reaching their peak fall colors.

 

Days rapidly grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 53.0 degrees at the beginning of the month to 42.0 degrees at the months end.  Daylight decreases 58 minutes from 11 hours 52 minutes on October 1 to 10 hours 54 minutes on October 31.

 

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

 

October 1 Sunrise 6:42 AM   Sunset 6:31 PM

October 15 Sunrise 6:52 AM   Sunset 6:13 PM

October 31 Sunrise 7:05 AM   Sunset 5:56 PM

 

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Virgo, The Virgin.  

 

I am interested in astronomy, not astrology, but, If one checks the astrological zodiacal positions of the Sun in October it will say the sign of Libra from about September 23 to October 23, and then Scorpio from October 23 to November 21.  Yet, here I am saying it’s in Virgo.

 

Why the discrepancy?

 

When the zodiac was introduced by the Persians around 2400 years ago, the Sun was located in the zodiacal constellations that astrologers use today.  But over the millennia the Earth’s axis has slowly changed position in a motion known as “precession of the equinoxes”, shifting the Sun’s apparent position against the background stars westward.  

 

So, 2400 years ago, the Sun was in Libra and Scorpio. Today in it is in Virgo and 2400 years from now, it will be in Leo.

 

By the same circumstance, Polaris the Northern Star will eventually no longer be the Pole Star, as the pole will drift to a space equidistant between Polaris and Gamma Cephei also known as “Errai” by 3000 AD, with Errai reaching its closest alignment with the northern celestial pole around 4200 AD.

 

As the axis nears completing it’s 25,772 year circuit, Polaris will again become the North Star around 27,800 AD.

 

Now if you are an old fossil like I am, you may remember a song from 1969 from the Fifth Dimension which said:

 

“When the moon is in the Seventh House

And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Then peace will guide the planets

And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius”

 

On March 22, 2027 the Full Moon will be in Libra, the Seventh House, which will occur during an alignment of Jupiter and Mars.

 

So, peace out brothers and sisters, peace out…

 

Mercury, magnitude -0.1 in Libra, The Scales, is lost in the glow of the Sun.

 

He will reach his greatest separation from the Sun, or Greatest Elongation East on October 12, but will not emerge from the slow of the Sun.

 

Venus, magnitude -4.2 in Virgo, The Virgin, is hidden in the glow of the Sun.

 

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, and her Moon, is in Piscis, The Fish.

 

Mars, magnitude +1.0, with his Moons Phobos and Deimos in Cancer, The Crab, is an early morning object.

 

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 1:20 AM CDT and reaching an altitude of 56° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:03 AM CDT.

 

The Moon will pass 1.2° degrees from Mars on October 4.

 

At midmonth he becomes visible rising at 1:03 AM CDT reaching an altitude of 62° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:14 AM CDT.

 

At month’s end he becomes visible rising at 12:41 AM CDT and reaching an altitude of 68° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:28 AM CDT.

 

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.0, is in Gemini, The Twins.

 

Jupiter, magnitude -1.9, and his 97 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, in Leo, The Lion, 

is a early morning object.

 

At the first of the month, he will become visible rising around 2:47 AM CDT, 3 hours and 51 minutes before the Sun when he reaches an altitude of 43° above the eastern horizon before fading into the dawn at 6:23 AM CDT.

 

The Moon will pass 0.2° from Jupiter on October 6.

Midmonth he rises at 2:04 AM CDT, reaching an altitude of 54° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:33 AM CDT.

 

At months end he rises at 1:22 AM CDT, reaching an altitude of 65° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:46 AM CDT.

 

Saturn, magnitude +0.4, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, in Cetus, The Sea Serpent, is an evening and early morning object.

 

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible around 7:38 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 12:52 AM CDT, 58° above the southern horizon. He will disappear from view around 6:06 AM CDT when he sinks below 10° above your western horizon.

 

Saturn will be on the opposite side from the Sun, or Opposition on October 4.  This will also be his closest approach to the Earth. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn’s rings and a few of its brightest moons.

 

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 6:41 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 11° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 11:49 PM CDT, 57° above the southern horizon. He will disappear from view around 5:02 AM CDT when he sinks below 10° above your western horizon.

 

At month’s end he becomes accessible around 6:25 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 10° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness.  He will reach his highest point in the sky at 10:42 AM CDT, 57° above the southern horizon. He will disappear from view around 4:02 AM CDT when he sinks below 10° above your western horizon.

 

Uranus, magnitude +5.6, and his 29 moons and ring, in Taurus, The Bull, is an early morning object.  Uranus only reaches extreme naked eye visibility in perfectly dark locations, otherwise he is only visible using binoculars and telescopes.

 

At the first of the month, he becomes visible rising at 11:08 PM CDT and reaching an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon, and will reach its highest point in the sky at 4:19 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon before being lost to dawn twilight around 5:40 AM CDT, 68° above the south-western horizon.

 

By midmonth becomes accessible around 10:12 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 3:23 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:50 AM CDT, 55° above the western horizon.

 

At months end he becomes accessible around 9:07 PM CDT, when he reaches an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon. He will then reach his highest point in the sky at 2:18 AM CDT, 77° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 6:02 AM CDT, 39° above the south-western horizon

 

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 16 moons and ring, is in Pisces, The Fish, is a late evening object.

 

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible at 8:06 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 12:18 AM CDT and will become inaccessible at around 4:30 AM CDT when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

By midmonth he becomes accessible at 7:12 PM CDT at an altitude of 22° above the eastern horizon as dusk fades into darkness, and reaches an altitude of 56° above the southern horizon at 11:23 PM CDT and will continue to be observable until around 3:30 AM CDT, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

At months end he becomes accessible at 6:55 PM CDT at an altitude of 32° above the south-eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 55° above the southern horizon at 10:14 PM CDT and will continue to be observable until around 1:25 AM CDT, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

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 17.3 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, 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 near Auriga, The Charioteer.

 

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 +21.4 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 Centaurus, The Centaur. 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 12,364,536,203 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 25 minutes and 15 seconds from Earth.

 

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 49 years and 9 days is 15,972,866,912 miles or in Light Time, 23 hours, 49 minutes, 05 seconds from Earth as of 3:28 PM CDT, September 14, 2026, sailing 37,844 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

 

On November 18, 2026 at 10:16:07 UTC or 4:16:07 AM CST, Voyager 1 will become the spacecraft to reach one light-day from Earth – 16,094,799,096 miles, the distance light covers in 24 hours.

 

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

 

Apophis, magnitude +21.2, in Virgo, The Virgin, is 153,638,177 miles or 942 days from the Earth as of 3:32 PM CDT, September 14, 2026.

 

There are 1,564,228 known asteroids and 4,076 comets as of September 14, 2026 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website.

 

6,366 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of September 11, 2026 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

 

The Moon will be at Perigee or her closest approach to Earth on October 1, when she will be 229,496 miles from Earth.

 

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur on October 3 at 8:26 AM CDT or 13:26 UTC.

 

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

 

The Draconid Meteor Shower will peak on October 7. This minor shower, which produces only 10 meteors per hour,  is produced by dust grains left behind by Comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered in 1900. This shower, which runs from October 6 – 10, is unusual in that it is best observed in the early evening, instead of the early morning hours as with most other showers.

 

The waning crescent moon will not be much of a problem this year. Skies should be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

 

New Moon will occur at 10:50 AM CDT or 15:50 UTC on October 10. 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.

 

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on October 16, when she will be 251,431 miles from Earth.

 

The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks on October 21 & 22. The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak This shower, which runs from October 2 to November 7, is produced by the broad debris trail of Halley’s Comet. 

 

The waxing gibbous moon will block some of the fainter meteors in the evening. But it will set after midnight leaving dark skies for what could be an excellent early morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

 

October’s Full Moon will occur October 26.  The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 11:13 PM CDT or 04:13 UTC October 27. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling, and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon. 

 

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

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The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on October 28, when she will be

226,434 miles from Earth.

 

As you look at the October night skies, take a peek at the rich star clouds of the Milky Way in Cygnus as she crosses the zenith.  These will appear as a ghostly band overhead in the hour after nightfall is complete. The Milky Way now rises straight up from the southwest horizon, passes overhead, and runs straight down to the northeast. 

 

Later at midnight, Orion the Hunter and the stars of winter rise over the eastern horizon, reminding us to enjoy the mild weather while it is here, for this season, as all seasons, is but a fleeting moment in the never-ending waltz of time.

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Ham News

 

The biggest ham news locally is the 100th Anniversary of The Birmingham Amateur Radio Club!

 

The BARC was founded in 1926 and is one of the oldest and largest amateur radio organizations in the United States. 

 

BARC has always had a special place in ALERT’s heart.  For when ALERT was founded in 1996 BARC donated the equipment for the ALERT’s ham station, K4NWS at the National Weather Service.

 

For all current and former members of the BARC there will be a 100th Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Trussville Civic Center, 5831 Trussville Clay Rd, Trussville, AL 35173

 

If you wish to attend, please RSVP the club.  

 

For more information on BARC and to RSVP to attend the celebration, go to Welcome to the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club, Birmingham, Alabama – W4CUE.COM

 

The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test will occur on October 3 & 4.  This nationwide exercise is the chance to test your personal emergency operating skills and the readiness of your communications equipment and procedures in a simulated emergency like activation.

 

State and local ARES Leadership have the option of conducting their local SET at a date & time other than the weekend of October 3 and 4, if local schedules and other factors conflict with that date.

 

This being the case, the Alabama Simulated Emergency Test will occur October 31, from 8:00 AM to

12:00 PM, and will simulate a hurricane response.   Listen for instructions on your local ARES repeater, which for Jefferson County is 146.880 MHz and Shelby County on 146.980 MHz and on the Alabama HF ARES frequency, 3.965 MHz LSB.

 

This is a very worthwhile event, and I would encourage everyone to participate.  

 

October contests and events of note are: 

 

October 3 California QSO Party    

Oceania DX – Phone     

 

October 7 432 MHz Fall Sprint 

 

October 10 10-10 International 10-10 Sprint

  Arizona QSO Party

South Dakota QSO Party

  Oceania DX – CW    

Pennsylvania QSO Party

Scandinavian Activity – SSB

SKCC Sprintathon 

 

October 17 New York QSO Party

Worked All Germany

POTA Support Your Parks

Stew Perry Top Band (160 Meters) – CW 

902 MHz and up

 

October 18 Asia Pacific Sprint – CW  

Illinois QSO Party

 

October 24 CQ Worldwide – SSB     

 

The CQ Worldwide contest is a major two day contest where you work as many CQ zones as possible, both domestic and DX.  Alabama is in CQ Zone 4, by the way. So, a signal report for this contest would be RS and the CQ Zone, is this case “59 4”.  In most contests everyone is “59” (RS being perfectly readable, extremely strong) even if you can barely hear them.  That’s just the way it works.

 

For more details and for a more comprehensive list go to WA7BNM Contest Calendar: WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home  

 

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This month’s meeting will be on October 13. Watch for Russell’s email announcement for details.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

Mark / WD4NYL   

 

Editor

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