July 2008 Newsletter

Published 07/05/2008 | By WD4NYL

ALERT NEWSLETTER — July 2008 Vol. 2 No. 1 Hi everyone & welcome to your ALERT Newsletter. With this newsletter I begin my second term as ALERT President. The first thing I want to say is “thank you” for your support and your work, which made the first term a success. It’s YOUR work and efforts that have made possible the things we have done. Among the achievements of the last year were the revision and ratification of our Constitution and Bylaws, the revival of Board or Directors meetings, and our obtaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. 2007 — 2008 was a year that focused on restructuring & strengthening the ALERT organization. During 2008 — 2009 we will, while continuing work in this area, begin a push in training. Our operators need to know how to use the tools and technology — both old and new — which we have at our disposal. </strong> This is perhaps the biggest need we have right now. What do we have & how do we use it? For we can have the best of the “cutting edge technology” & the best of the old “tried & true” tools & methods, but, they do us little good if we can’t figure out which knob or keystroke turns the junk on. <span style=”color: #0000ff;”> But that’s a problem that over the next few months that we will cure. And, we need to be knowledgeable in both the old & new technologies to be effective. Some hams that we interact with are savvy with new technology such as IRLP/Echolink gateways, D-Star & such, but a large percentage of the hams that we, the Skywarn Community, interact with are not. And, we have to meet them where they are, with what they have, which may not necessarily be our pet mode of operation. And while I like the new tools we have & look forward to using them. I am also reminded that the more complex a system, the more prone to failure a system will be. And, that the reason the “tried & true” methods have hung around so long isn’t because of Neanderthal Thinking, but because THEY STILL WORK when other good methods fail. So, we will learn the best of both worlds & use that knowledge to save lives. Which is why we do what we do. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 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 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. This is the time to test the “Brown Grass Theory”. According to the 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 have used for years. 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’s Full Moon is “Buck Moon” in Native American folklore. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Remember that this newsletter is YOUR newsletter. Articles are more than welcome. Just email them to me. I would appreciate it. Check in to our local nets: BARC Sunday Night Net Sunday at 7PM 146.880 The 440 Frontier Net Monday at 7PM 444.425 plus or minus input & PL 131.8 Shelby County SCARES Net Tuesday at 8PM 146.980 Jefferson County Emergency Net Tuesday at 9PM 146.880 This month’s meeting will be on July 8 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport. I hope to see you there. Mark / WD4NYL President ALERT www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/
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Posted in ALERT Newsletter, Amateur Radio