Wichita Falls Pundit
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ROAMING the town, jotting it down, doing Hobby Radio along the way. TRIGGER WARNING: This is a text-based site. The scarcity of photos and non-existence of videos may cause depression, anxiety, or even anger in those who don't like to read. Ask your health care professional if text-based sites are safe for you.
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COMING: Saturday - 11-01-2025 - 11:00 AM - Veteran's Day Parade in downtown Wichita Falls. Area Amateur (ham) Radio Operators will provide communications support. Likely (not yet confirmed) frequencies are 147.140 and 444.000 MHz.
COMING: 11-02-2025 - November 2nd is Texas State Parks Day and entry to all 89 Texas State Parks is free on that day.
10-27-2025 - 6:05 AM - Good Morning! It’s Monday, and the first thing that popped into my head as I sat up in bed was Arby's employees wearing those big, white "chef" hats in 1967. Are you old enough to have seen that? As far as I can remember, I didn't dine at our local Arby's until around 1986. If you’re in line at Starbucks at Kemp & Kell, leave now and drive across the street to Frank & Joe’s Coffee in Parker Square. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
10-27-2025 - 6:10 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. East wind 6 to 9 mph.
10-27-2025 - 6:15 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
10-27-2025 - 6:20 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 87.4% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 88.9%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 93.1% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (88.15%) to determine drought stage.
10-27-2025 - 6:25 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 9,983 Megawatts.
10-27-2025 - 6:40 AM - According to news reports, the U.S. Navy has lost five aircraft (one due to "friendly fire") in the last twelve months. That number seems above average, but I could be wrong.
10-27-2025 - 7:20 AM - I sometimes hear Hobby Radio people whistling into their microphone while observing modulation, or power output, or whatever. This is a great test for people who communicate by whistling. I'd like to know how my radio performs when I'm actually talking. I'm kind of different, I guess.
10-27-2025 - 7:30 AM - As I mentioned elsewhere on this site, there was a small eatery - Matlock's Grill on Indiana Ave. - where the owner allowed a couple of local Amateur (ham) Radio Operators to install a small VHF-UHF antenna on the roof, with the coax cable terminating at their favorite table. Now we have hams assembling at Pioneer #3 on Saturdays. Maybe they can install an antenna on the old, towering, busted P3 sign next to the building, with it terminating at the official Ham Radio table. Do they have an official Ham Radio table? Speaking of that sign, it would be great if it could be restored to its original condition!
10-27-2025 - 7:45 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring – October 26-27, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Elevated Fire Weather – Central Rockies
• Tropical Activity:
Atlantic:
• Hurricane Melissa (CAT-5)
Eastern Pacific:
• Tropical Storm Sonia
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• No new significant events
10-27-2025 - 8:37 AM - I contacted a station at Malabar Farm State Park (US-1974) in Ohio on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
10-27-2025 - A news item says sleeping with a night light on can raise heart attack risk by 42%. In addition to no lights, blackout curtains are recommended. I don't have to worry about those items. I sleep in the dark, and I have blackout curtains. When I worked nights, I had the interior of the windows completely covered. No, not with aluminum foil! But if I did, it might not be too evident with the black sun-blocking screens. I'm covered. My cheeseburger is ready!
10-26-2025 - 5:45 AM - Good Morning! It’s Sunday, and the Wichita Amateur Radio Society will conduct its weekly informal net tonight at 8:00 PM on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. Tune in or check in! My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
10-26-2025 - 5:50 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Northeast wind around 6 mph.
10-26-2025 - 5:55 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
10-26-2025 - 6:00 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 87.6% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 89.0%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 93.2% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (88.3%) to determine drought stage.
10-26-2025 - 6:05 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 10,756 Megawatts.
10-26-2025 - 7:25 AM - I heard a very brief signal on 145.800 MHz, the Amateur (ham) Radio VHF downlink frequency for the International Space Station. I heard a partial call sign and the word "mobile." I wonder if someone was trying to reach the ISS on the downlink frequency instead of the proper uplink frequency. I'm sure it happens now and then.
10-26-2025 - 7:40 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing - National Current Ops / Monitoring for October 25-26, 2025
New Significant Incidents / Ongoing Ops:
• No new significant incidents / operations
Hazard Monitoring:
• Excessive Rainfall / Flash Flooding - Lower Mississippi Valley to the Central Gulf Coast
• Tropical Activity
Atlantic:
• Hurricane Melissa (CAT-4)
Eastern and Central Pacific:
• Tropical Storm Sonia
Disaster Declaration Activity:
• No new declaration activity
Event Monitoring:
• Marine Corps Marathon - Arlington, VA and Washington D.C.
10-26-2025 - 7:50 AM - I have never been above the first floor of the Chase Bank building, or whatever they call it, on Kemp Blvd. I'm not comfortable being in places where I have no legitimate business. For those of you who have no such qualms, the upper floors of the Chase building can be a great place to soak in scanner radio activity from the surrounding area. It's also a great location to whip out your handheld Amateur (ham) Radio, CB radio, MURS radio, GMRS radio, or FRS radio and make a few local contacts.
10-26-2025 - 7:55 AM - Being a weekend, there is a small increase in radio traffic from the James V. Allred Unit (153.815 MHz for General Population and 155.725 MHz for the Expansion Cellblock) due to visitation. Tune in with your scanner.
10-26-2025 - 8:20 AM - I saw a story about a furloughed IRS lawyer running a hot dog stand in DC called “Shyster’s Dogs.” I’d buy a couple if I saw him.
10-26-2025 - 9:20 AM - The CB Radio is alive and well this morning with signals scattered across the band. CB Radio is dead! Long live CB Radio!
10-26-2025 - 10:28 AM - I contacted a station at Conrad Savanna State Nature Preserve (US-10282) in Indiana on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
10-26-2025 - 4:00 PM - There's a lot of radio traffic on the BNSF Railroad (160.920 MHz) and the North Texas State Hospital (154.800 MHz) frequencies. Tired of the political talking heads on the broadcast band? Get a scanner radio and tune in to life in the real world, in real time.
10-26-2025 - 8:00 PM - The Wichita Amateur Radio Society net kicked off on time on the 147.140 MHz repeater. I'm hearing some call signs I haven't heard before. Maybe they've been around and I just missed them. Or, maybe they're new. Tune in with your scanner radio.
10-26-2025 - 8:35 PM - I need to get some serious Hobby Radio "wardriving" in to see if I can locate frequencies that might not be listed in the usual databases. Or, if they're listed, but I can't hear them from my location with my current antenna. I plan to use the tiny Uniden BC355N scanner with the "close call" feature. I'll report anything I find.
10-25-2025 - 6:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Saturday, and the Montague County Simplex Net begins at 9:00 AM on 147.500 MHz. You’ll need a high outside antenna to listen in. At 8:00 AM, some of the area Amateur (ham) Radio Operators meet at Pioneer #3 at 8:00 AM for breakfast. I read the book "News of the World" a few years ago. Last year, I watched the movie on Peacock. I thought the book was great, and I had doubts about the movie keeping up the pace. My doubts were put to rest as the movie was as good as the book. That's my opinion, anyway. How can a movie that begins in Wichita Falls be bad? My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
10-25-2025 - 6:05 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 10pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
10-25-2025 - 6:10 AM - AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
10-25-2025 - 6:15 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 87.5% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 89.0%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 93.2% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (88.25%) to determine drought stage.
10-25-2025 - 6:20 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 9,645 Megawatts.
10-25-2025 - 7:00 AM - Do we have "organic scammers" in Wichita Falls? A few days ago, on Wednesday, the city trash trucks were making the rounds emptying those green residential trash cans. I don't have such a can, but on that day, the truck stopped in front of my house while the driver checked what could have been a list of addresses authorized a green can. I'm guessing some people are putting a regular can out on Wednesday, hoping the truck will just pick it up, and that this driver won't get scammed. Years ago, sanitation workers could go home when they finished their route. Upon checking, I found out that that's still the policy. I checked because one day a driver was slinging those cans up and back down so fast that trash was flying everywhere! Also, years ago, you could monitor the Sanitation Department on a standard scanner radio. Now, they've gone dark (digital) like most other City departments.
10-25-2025 - 7:20 AM - I no longer participate in discussion forums, but I do scan them for "newsy" items. At one forum, I saw yet another person talking about the "demise" of CB Radio. Instead of demise, I see someone who hasn't listened to CB radio lately. My radio, beginning in mid-morning, is loaded with signals from one end of the band to the other. Being at the peak of Solar Cycle 25 helps.
10-25-2025 - 8:30 AM - The Amateur (ham) Radio 20-meter band is slow to open, so I've got the headphones on with "Summer Madness" on a loop. I used to do the same at lunchtime in 1974 when it first came out. Very relaxing.
10-25-2025 - 6:00 PM - The Local Group is active on CB Radio Channel 23 (27.255 MHz) this evening. Tune in with your scanner radio, or join in if you have a CB Radio! Most scanner radios will cover 27 MHz.
10-25-2025 - 8:00 PM - Preferring simplex (direct communications) over repeater-assisted communications, I was pleased to discover a group in Utah County, Utah, calling themselves the Sultans of Simplex. Long ago, I had imagined that name for our local simplex group. Was it I or they who thought of it first? Do they accept honorary members from Texas?
10-25-2025 - 8:10 PM - Last year, I heard a detailed discussion and testing of Winlink on the Montague County Amateur Radio Club repeater - 147.320 MHz. Winlink is an email (and more) messaging system using Amateur (ham) Radio frequencies. Winlink will be useful if we lose the Internet. I heard the signal on the 40-meter band where they were testing, but I have no means to decode it. I guess I’m not interested in everything that’s interesting.