The Day in Radio - 24 November 2008

Today was slow for my military aviation, my favorite monitoring target. I guess they're starting the Thanksgiving Holiday early. There was some F-16 activity in W-161/177 and Bulldog MOA along with some F-15 and F/A-18 activity in W-157, but not nearly as much as usual. The highpoint was activity from DRAGNET, an E-3 AWACS; they controlled a fight in W-157 and another in the Bulldog MOA in the afternoon. At night, the UH-60s and AH-64s at Hunter AAF are usually up in good numbers, but there were only a few in the afternoon and evening today.

On amateur radio, I didn't hear any DX this morning. I usually hear some European stations on 20-meters and 17-meters around 0800-1000 local, but not today. 40-meters didn't want to cooperate either, as I had poor to almost no copy on all of today's South CARS net control stations. We did have a good 6-Meter net tonight, including two new check-ins: Bob, W4WTO and Mark, KA4CID. After the net, some of us hung around and ragchewed on 50.130 USB until just after 2200 local. After we cleared from 50.130, I tuned around on 40 meters, working AG5Z in Mississippi and NF20 in Vermont. Ron, NF2O was my first contact to Vermont on a band other than 6-Meters!

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net