Well, Central Texas got a lot of rain over the last 1-2 days. Depending on where you live, up to over 10 inches of rain has fallen...and that fell in the Kosse area of far southern Limestone County, east of where I live. Waco has received over 7 inches, and Temple has had nearly 4 inches. More is in store for today, but then the rain chances slack off and temperatures get back to normal.
It's nice to finally see some rain, but maybe we need to dry out a little bit.
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Tropical Storm Fay is still creating havoc over Florida, but now there's a chance that she might bump herself up to hurricane status once she gets out over the Atlantic Ocean just east of Jacksonville and thereabouts. In any event, Fay will eventually go back onshore and give north Florida and south Georgia a lot of much needed rain.
There have been a few tornadoes, with some causing major damage but no reports of deaths, thank goodness. But that's part of a tropical system like Fay; tornadoes do spin up very quickly and disappear just as quickly. The Weather Channel gave a good example of that last night.
More to come, including the latest work on my website...
WR1TX
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Finally...Some Rain
After a long hot dry summer, we are finally getting some much-needed rain here in Central Texas. We got a couple of strong storms yesterday, and this morning there is some light to moderate rain falling throughout the area. Along with the cooler temperatures it feels pretty good right now; I just hope that this sticks around for a couple of days at least. A friend of mine near Valley Mills finally got some good measurable rainfall himself (over an inch as of yesterday) and naturally he's hoping for more. When you're a farmer and you depend on every decent drop of water that falls on your farmland, naturally you appreciate anything you get that falls out of the sky!
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Tropical Storm Fay managed to come ashore near Naples, FL overnight, and she's dropping a lot of rain on southern FL now. That's another area that has been very dry and really needs the rainfall. Lake Okeechobee (I hope I spelled that right) was 3 feet low, but 6 inches of rain are forecast for that area. That's just what the doctor ordered, I think, to get the lake level back up there. Haven't heard of any tornadoes breaking out yet, but there's always a possibility of that with an landfalling tropical storm or hurricane. The Hurricane Watch Net was activated as a precaution due to the forecasts of possible strengthening into a minimal hurricane.
*************************************************************
I'm still continuing to work on my website and I have updated it to reflect current events in the worldwide Amateur Radio community. The Storm Spotter Central section is still a work in progress but is coming along. I don't think that the SSC section will be ready until later this year, but it will be informative. Not only will this area include the usual stuff you can find in a lot of places, there will ultimately be information about winter weather, droughts, and other useful topics. Severe weather isn't just about severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes...even though I do realize that these are the glamour subjects when it comes to weather. There's a whole lot more to learn, everyone!
Beginning around the New Year, I do plan to throw out a Skywarn class schedule for those who might be interested in going to a class. These are always free and open to the public. I'll keep these updated as often as I possibly can and get new dates added as soon as they are available.
More to come...
WR1TX
*************************************************************
Tropical Storm Fay managed to come ashore near Naples, FL overnight, and she's dropping a lot of rain on southern FL now. That's another area that has been very dry and really needs the rainfall. Lake Okeechobee (I hope I spelled that right) was 3 feet low, but 6 inches of rain are forecast for that area. That's just what the doctor ordered, I think, to get the lake level back up there. Haven't heard of any tornadoes breaking out yet, but there's always a possibility of that with an landfalling tropical storm or hurricane. The Hurricane Watch Net was activated as a precaution due to the forecasts of possible strengthening into a minimal hurricane.
*************************************************************
I'm still continuing to work on my website and I have updated it to reflect current events in the worldwide Amateur Radio community. The Storm Spotter Central section is still a work in progress but is coming along. I don't think that the SSC section will be ready until later this year, but it will be informative. Not only will this area include the usual stuff you can find in a lot of places, there will ultimately be information about winter weather, droughts, and other useful topics. Severe weather isn't just about severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes...even though I do realize that these are the glamour subjects when it comes to weather. There's a whole lot more to learn, everyone!
Beginning around the New Year, I do plan to throw out a Skywarn class schedule for those who might be interested in going to a class. These are always free and open to the public. I'll keep these updated as often as I possibly can and get new dates added as soon as they are available.
More to come...
WR1TX
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Monitoring 146.520 MHz...and My MySpace Account
For those who may be passing through the Bell County area of Texas and love to operate simplex, I have now begun monitoring 146.520 MHz regularly now. I haven't heard any trfiic there lately, even though I-35 is nearby and US190 runs through the same area and there's a lot of car/truck traffic on those highways. Get on the air and give me a call during the evening or nighttime, or let me know in advance if you are going to be in the area soon. I can watch out for you then!
Didn't get on the air otherwise this weekend, but I will be doing that soon. Yes, I know I keep saying I'm going to get on the air but things keep coming up. I'll do my best to get on the air this week.
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I haven't told hardly anyone, but I have a MySpace account. I've had it since back in February, but have hardly used it until now. I've updated it some, but my special friend Jenny had to access the account for me and change a few things. There will be some updates and such coming soon. Look for either "Warren" or "wr1tx" on MySpace and put in a request to become a friend if you want; please let me know by email FIRST if you are a ham and have every intent to request to become a friend on my personal site. I should be able to update everything around the weekend of August 22-23 and approve or deny anyone that makes a request. Ham radio operators will get high priority, so if you want to be added as a friend just let me know!
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I am about to update my website; I have really been slacking on it. But like here on the blog site I have had a lot of things happening and I just haven't been able to get some updates done. But now the updates will soon be there, so hang tight and you should see them soon.
More coming soon...
WR1TX
Didn't get on the air otherwise this weekend, but I will be doing that soon. Yes, I know I keep saying I'm going to get on the air but things keep coming up. I'll do my best to get on the air this week.
***************************************************************
I haven't told hardly anyone, but I have a MySpace account. I've had it since back in February, but have hardly used it until now. I've updated it some, but my special friend Jenny had to access the account for me and change a few things. There will be some updates and such coming soon. Look for either "Warren" or "wr1tx" on MySpace and put in a request to become a friend if you want; please let me know by email FIRST if you are a ham and have every intent to request to become a friend on my personal site. I should be able to update everything around the weekend of August 22-23 and approve or deny anyone that makes a request. Ham radio operators will get high priority, so if you want to be added as a friend just let me know!
**************************************************************
I am about to update my website; I have really been slacking on it. But like here on the blog site I have had a lot of things happening and I just haven't been able to get some updates done. But now the updates will soon be there, so hang tight and you should see them soon.
More coming soon...
WR1TX
Friday, August 8, 2008
OK, Let's Try This Again...
To those who usually read this blog site but haven't seen much lately, I do apologize. I've had a lot going on, from being separated from my wife (read the blog post concerning this) to moving to another apartment to work issues and more. Now I have a new person in my life, and she is working hard to help me get my life back in order and even make my life better. Jenny has become a very important part of my life and will continue to be there for me. Ask KB5TDZ in Valley Mills, Texas and he'll tell you a little bit about Jenny and myself.
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In the meantime, here's an update as to what has happened over the last couple of weeks:
Hurricane Dolly came ashore near Brownsville as a category 2 hurricane recently. She did do some damage, but she did bring some very beneficial rainfall to the area which was suffering through a very bad drought. Up to 15 inches of rain fell in spots and there was some flooding. But all in all the area got through the storm well.
Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore near the TX/LA border and moved right up through Central Texas. But not long after the storm came ashore, Edouard lost its potency after it moved through the Bryan/College Station area and wimped out on us here in the Waco/Temple/Killeen area. We got a little rain but not much.
Other than that, it's been very hot with temps running up to around 105 in some areas. It's finally beginning to drop off heatwise a little, but let's be honest: how much difference is 98 degrees from 103? It still feels the same; the actual number is simple psychological.
*****************************************************************************
I've finally begun to look at getting my ham station on the air. I started working on the gear this afternoon and got it together pretty much except for one thing, and that is I must go to my storage shed and get an extra run of coax so I can set it up along the walkway railing facing north. I'll do that either later tonight or very early in the morning.
In the meantime, I have begun monitoring 146.520 again. Since I am a member of the Simplex Preservation Society, I really need to monitor .52 a lot more often now since I have gotten myself settled more. So if you're passing through the Temple/Belton area, give me a shout on .52. Or if you know that you will be traveling through the area in the near future, let me know in advance and I'll try to keep a listen for you.
*****************************************************************************
My new friend Jenny has made this very clear: She understands that ham radio is a hobby that is an important part of my life and has been for 17 years. She wants me to enjoy it reasonably and I intend to do that. Of course there is family time and that is certainly more important. But she wants me to pick a day each weekend to spend enjoying the hobby I love so much.
So what am I saying here? Jenny and I have become very close and care very much about each other. She understands me and I understand her, and that is priceless! There could be a future for us, after certain other things happen, and we will then see how it all winds up. But it looks good, and this includes the possibility of moving up to the Valley Mills area next year. We'll see, but for now I'm still here in Temple.
More coming soon...
WR1TX
*******************************************************************************
In the meantime, here's an update as to what has happened over the last couple of weeks:
Hurricane Dolly came ashore near Brownsville as a category 2 hurricane recently. She did do some damage, but she did bring some very beneficial rainfall to the area which was suffering through a very bad drought. Up to 15 inches of rain fell in spots and there was some flooding. But all in all the area got through the storm well.
Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore near the TX/LA border and moved right up through Central Texas. But not long after the storm came ashore, Edouard lost its potency after it moved through the Bryan/College Station area and wimped out on us here in the Waco/Temple/Killeen area. We got a little rain but not much.
Other than that, it's been very hot with temps running up to around 105 in some areas. It's finally beginning to drop off heatwise a little, but let's be honest: how much difference is 98 degrees from 103? It still feels the same; the actual number is simple psychological.
*****************************************************************************
I've finally begun to look at getting my ham station on the air. I started working on the gear this afternoon and got it together pretty much except for one thing, and that is I must go to my storage shed and get an extra run of coax so I can set it up along the walkway railing facing north. I'll do that either later tonight or very early in the morning.
In the meantime, I have begun monitoring 146.520 again. Since I am a member of the Simplex Preservation Society, I really need to monitor .52 a lot more often now since I have gotten myself settled more. So if you're passing through the Temple/Belton area, give me a shout on .52. Or if you know that you will be traveling through the area in the near future, let me know in advance and I'll try to keep a listen for you.
*****************************************************************************
My new friend Jenny has made this very clear: She understands that ham radio is a hobby that is an important part of my life and has been for 17 years. She wants me to enjoy it reasonably and I intend to do that. Of course there is family time and that is certainly more important. But she wants me to pick a day each weekend to spend enjoying the hobby I love so much.
So what am I saying here? Jenny and I have become very close and care very much about each other. She understands me and I understand her, and that is priceless! There could be a future for us, after certain other things happen, and we will then see how it all winds up. But it looks good, and this includes the possibility of moving up to the Valley Mills area next year. We'll see, but for now I'm still here in Temple.
More coming soon...
WR1TX
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Heeeeeeeeeere's Dolly!!!
If you haven't heard for some reason, there is a hurricane in the western Gulf of Mexico. Dolly at this time has just reached Category 1 status and will make landfall near the mouth of the Rio Grande River sometime tomorrow. If you have interests in this area, make sure that everything is taken care of and relatives and family members are safe.
Even though Dolly is a minimal hurricane, she can still do a lot of damage. Heavy rains and flooding, wind damage and even isolated tornadoes are possible anywhere in deep South Texas.
For the latest official information concerning Dolly, go to http://www.weather.gov/ and click the area of the US map that shows the areas that have hurricane warnings and other related statements in the areas affected.
It's going to be a very long night in the Brownsville area as the weather deteriorates rapidly. Pray for those who are in the path of this storm.
WR1TX
Even though Dolly is a minimal hurricane, she can still do a lot of damage. Heavy rains and flooding, wind damage and even isolated tornadoes are possible anywhere in deep South Texas.
For the latest official information concerning Dolly, go to http://www.weather.gov/ and click the area of the US map that shows the areas that have hurricane warnings and other related statements in the areas affected.
It's going to be a very long night in the Brownsville area as the weather deteriorates rapidly. Pray for those who are in the path of this storm.
WR1TX
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Getting Back Into the Groove...
OK, gang. Now that I have gotten over the initial shock of suddenly having to move, I have finally settled in enough to look at trying to get set up on HF. I'm already up on VHF/UHF, albeit it will be local in scope for the most part...but I want to try HF. Even though I now live in a small efficiency apartment, I have noticed that I can still use my portable MFJ HF antenna to get on HF to some extent, and I have a plan now as to how I can do this.
I have a window that opens to the south and it looks over a lot of roof space. I can simply clamp the antenna bracket in place through the window and lay out the counterpoise wires on the roof. No one will notice the difference. Now if I want to orient the antenna facing north, I can clamp the antenna to a balcony railing that runs along the front of the apartment complex I live in. I would likely do this during the evening/night hours when everyone is probably inside, and run the counterpoise wires along the railing, which would also make a good reflector facing north I think. It worked this way at the previous apartment I lived in, although the "reflector" faced east. No wonder I could get into Florida with such ease!
When do I plan to do this? Probably this weekend, but I really need to design my own QSL card. It may wind up being that I will simply have to purchase some cards and go that way for a while. God, the prices have gone up over the last few years. What used to cost me $50 for 500 cards or more is now the same cost for half that, so I have to be cost-efficient. I will likely wait until my license shows my new address, and it shows in the FCC database and QRZ.com. Then I can get started experimenting on HF. I'm also looking at a few possibilities for 2m and 440 from the apartment, and even a little 6 meters also! That is down the road, but I know someone who wants to experiment with this and I get to be the guinea pig. I'll let you know as to how things progress.
Stay tuned...at least now I can post here again with some regularity, and thanks to everyone who reads the blog and has supported it!
WR1TX
I have a window that opens to the south and it looks over a lot of roof space. I can simply clamp the antenna bracket in place through the window and lay out the counterpoise wires on the roof. No one will notice the difference. Now if I want to orient the antenna facing north, I can clamp the antenna to a balcony railing that runs along the front of the apartment complex I live in. I would likely do this during the evening/night hours when everyone is probably inside, and run the counterpoise wires along the railing, which would also make a good reflector facing north I think. It worked this way at the previous apartment I lived in, although the "reflector" faced east. No wonder I could get into Florida with such ease!
When do I plan to do this? Probably this weekend, but I really need to design my own QSL card. It may wind up being that I will simply have to purchase some cards and go that way for a while. God, the prices have gone up over the last few years. What used to cost me $50 for 500 cards or more is now the same cost for half that, so I have to be cost-efficient. I will likely wait until my license shows my new address, and it shows in the FCC database and QRZ.com. Then I can get started experimenting on HF. I'm also looking at a few possibilities for 2m and 440 from the apartment, and even a little 6 meters also! That is down the road, but I know someone who wants to experiment with this and I get to be the guinea pig. I'll let you know as to how things progress.
Stay tuned...at least now I can post here again with some regularity, and thanks to everyone who reads the blog and has supported it!
WR1TX
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tearing It Up at the Home Run Derby
This is the type of post that I will not normally do, since this blog is for ham radio and weather and such. But the subject matter here is too important not to mention at least some.
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Last night was a great night to be a baseball fan. Even better (at least for me) it felt really good to be a Texas Rangers fan.
If you follow baseball enough, you obviously know about the Josh Hamilton story and what he has done this year. Even more, you should know about the demons he has overcome to reach the heights he has this year. If you don't, go to the Texas Rangers website or look through ESPN's archives and you'll find several articles about Josh's rise from near self-destruction.
It wasn't an accident as to how the man rose to the heights he has reached, my friends.
Josh realized what he was doing to himself and placed himself into the Lord's hands. When you put your faith in the Lord, there's no telling what can happen. Last night was simply an example.
Everyone has said this at one time or another: he could very well be dead now if he continued down the path he was on...drugs, alcohol, and more. He fell from the top of the mountain and was now in a deep dark valley. But Josh is back now, and doing what he loves and knows where his talent came from. He's using it to reach out to people, and not only through his bat; he's talking to anyone and everyone at seminars, autograph sessions, anywhere that someone could listen and learn from his experiences. And he now has respect from all levels of baseball, even the Yankee fans who love to hate anyone and everyone that doesn't wear pinstripes. Those fans CHANTED Hamilton's name! I was totally blown away by that, and even Josh said that it send a chill down his spine...in a good way, of course.
If Josh can come back from his tribulations and defeat his demons, so can we. We have no excuse, especially if we compare our troubles to what Hamilton went through. Our troubles are nothing in comparison. I have my problems; you have yours. I will get through mine, for I have inspiration. I hope you find the inspiration too.
Finally, I have only one other thing to say about Josh and the kind of person that he is:
You have my total respect and you are truly an inspiration to me and to others. I will forever root for you as you continue your fight back, because not only is such a story almost unheard of, but you had the guts to do it and you have the Lord on your side. I wish there were more like you that stood up and decided to live.
Good luck tonight and in the future, Josh. We're all in your corner.
WR1TX
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Last night was a great night to be a baseball fan. Even better (at least for me) it felt really good to be a Texas Rangers fan.
If you follow baseball enough, you obviously know about the Josh Hamilton story and what he has done this year. Even more, you should know about the demons he has overcome to reach the heights he has this year. If you don't, go to the Texas Rangers website or look through ESPN's archives and you'll find several articles about Josh's rise from near self-destruction.
It wasn't an accident as to how the man rose to the heights he has reached, my friends.
Josh realized what he was doing to himself and placed himself into the Lord's hands. When you put your faith in the Lord, there's no telling what can happen. Last night was simply an example.
Everyone has said this at one time or another: he could very well be dead now if he continued down the path he was on...drugs, alcohol, and more. He fell from the top of the mountain and was now in a deep dark valley. But Josh is back now, and doing what he loves and knows where his talent came from. He's using it to reach out to people, and not only through his bat; he's talking to anyone and everyone at seminars, autograph sessions, anywhere that someone could listen and learn from his experiences. And he now has respect from all levels of baseball, even the Yankee fans who love to hate anyone and everyone that doesn't wear pinstripes. Those fans CHANTED Hamilton's name! I was totally blown away by that, and even Josh said that it send a chill down his spine...in a good way, of course.
If Josh can come back from his tribulations and defeat his demons, so can we. We have no excuse, especially if we compare our troubles to what Hamilton went through. Our troubles are nothing in comparison. I have my problems; you have yours. I will get through mine, for I have inspiration. I hope you find the inspiration too.
Finally, I have only one other thing to say about Josh and the kind of person that he is:
You have my total respect and you are truly an inspiration to me and to others. I will forever root for you as you continue your fight back, because not only is such a story almost unheard of, but you had the guts to do it and you have the Lord on your side. I wish there were more like you that stood up and decided to live.
Good luck tonight and in the future, Josh. We're all in your corner.
WR1TX
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