New Years Eve: SKN or the Usual?

As you can see above, I already had tickets to my usual New Years Eve event, but the more I think about it, I might actually participate in Straight Key Night, an annual event where ham radio operators annually celebrate our Morse Code heritage by making contacts using a traditional morse code straight key.  This 24 hour event is not actually a contest, but rather a day dedicated to celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW contacts. The use of straight keys or bugs (rather than electronic keyers) to send CW is preferred. No points are scored but all who participate are winners.

Dan Henderson, N1ND of the ARRL summed it up nicely:

FCC to Delete Obsolete Part 97 Rules on February 10, 2026

This one's admittedly a sleeper for non-hams.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in October 2025 adopted a Report and Order to delete almost 400 obsolete rules pertaining to its wireless services. As previously reported by ARRL, among the deletions were four in Part 97 that govern the Amateur Radio Service.

ARRL reports that the notice of the Report and Order has now been published in the Federal Register. Unless an objection is raised by January 2 that the Commission finds to deserve its consideration, the following four Part 97 provisions will be deleted as of February 10, 2026:

1. § 97.27. This provision is duplicative of a statutory provision related to the FCC’s right to modify station licenses.
2. § 97.29. This provision specified an obsolete procedure to replace paper licenses. ARRL proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year.
3. § 97.315 (b)(2). This obsolete provision grandfathered HF amplifiers purchased before April 28, 1978 by an amateur radio operator for use at that operator's station, and grandfathered those manufactured before April 28, 1978, for which a marketing waiver was issued.

4. § 97.521(b) and Appendix 2. This rule and appendix relate to obsolete VEC regions.

"To the Moon, Alice!"

President Donald Trump wants Americans back on the moon before he leaves office.

The president issued an executive order on December 18, calling for a crewed mission to the moon by 2028 and the beginnings of a “permanent lunar outpost” by 2030. He also ordered the deployment of nuclear reactors to space and the moon’s surface and laid out plans for developing a “commercial pathway” to replace the International Space Station by 2030.

NASA’s Artemis program, launched in 2017 during Trump’s first term, is already working to restart lunar missions. Artemis III, which would send astronauts to the moon’s south polar region, is currently scheduled for mid-2027, though that timeline could change.

Several more crewed missions to the moon are expected to take place over the following years.

The space agency’s long-term goal is to eventually use the moon as a bridge to Mars.

Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other aerospace and technology companies are developing components and vehicles for the Artemis project.

The White House said a return to the moon is needed to help capitalize on economic opportunities and to maintain U.S. hegemony in space. It listed more accurate weather forecasts, improved navigation technology, better timing services for precision agriculture, and global satellite-enabled internet access as likely benefits of continued investment in space-related technologies.

The administration also cited the need to develop space-based warfighting capabilities and protect “critical space assets.”

No human has set foot on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The U.S. is still the only country to have successfully landed astronauts on the lunar surface.

Key elements of the Artemis Executive Order are:

The Gift of the Shillelagh

This Christmas, my grandson Carter gifted me with one of my most prized possessions, a new shillelagh, the traditional Irish walking stick (and much more).  The shillelagh is an Irish symbol of strength, heritage, and cultural identity. 

When I was a kid, we had a small shillelagh hanging around the house, but we kids were never supposed to play with it or otherwise "mess with it".  When asked why, the old man would just grin knowingly, leading me to suspect that he had, in the past, used it for "other purposes".

The Secret Morse Code Pill (You've Been Warned)

Reprinted from KE9V.Net 

"I was licensed in 1959 having been bitten by the radio bug when I was a just a wisp of a boy. I spent every possible spare moment building gear, antennas, and learning the ways of radio. At some point fairly early in my journey, I fell in with a bunch of 4’s who met on 75 meter phone almost every night for long-winded late night bull sessions. We all lived within a five-hundred mile circle except for one fellow who told us his name was “LG” – just letters, no name – and when asked, he would swear on his mother’s grave that they weren’t his initials, it was just his ‘name’.

That caused a few of us to privately wonder about the character of a man without a real name but LG was a nice enough fellow except that on most nights he would ask everyone in the roundtable to open their refrigerator and look carefully at our bottles of milk.

He wanted us to report back on the color of the caps and the type of milk. I couldn’t see much sense in it though LG was insistent. He was working on a theory that enemy spies were signaling each other about big events by changing certain colors. For instance, if 2-percent milk usually had a green cap, but was suddenly switched to blue, then that meant that something bad was soon to happen.

A Ham's Night Before Christmas

 

'Twas the night before Christmas,  and all through two-meters,  

Not a signal was keying up any repeaters.

The antennas reached up from the tower, quite high,  

To catch the weak signals that bounced from the sky.

The children, Technicians, took their HT's to bed,  

And dreamed of the day they'd be Extras, instead.

Mom put on her headphones, I plugged in the key,  

And we tuned 40 meters for that rare ZK3.

When the meter was pegged by a signal with power.  

It smoked a small diode, and I swear, shook the tower.

Mom yanked off her phones, and with all she could muster  

Logged a spot of the signal on the DX PacketCluster,

While I ran to the window and peered up at the sky,  

To see what could generate RF that high.

A Pilot's Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,

Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.

The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care,

In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.

The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,

With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.

I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,

And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.

When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,

I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.

A voice clearly heard over static and snow,

Called for clearance to land at the airport below.

He barked his transmission so lively and quick,

I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick".

The Forecast Calls for Christmas Lights

Spaceweather reports that a hole in the sun's atmosphere is directly facing Earth, and it is spewing a stream of high-speed solar wind in our direction. G1-class geomagnetic storms and Arctic auroras are possible on Dec. 23-24 when the gaseous material arrives. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

Space Force Trainees First to Graduate in New Dress Uniform

Last week I was privileged to attend my grandson Karl’s graduation from U.S. Space Force basic training at Lackland JBSA in San Antonio, Texas. This was a special graduation for the young U.S. Space Force which was formed in 2019. The current class of graduates are the first to graduate wearing the new USSF uniforms which dramatically differentiate them from the Air Force. Imagine my surprise then, when an article in Stars and Stripes profiled my grandson Karl being fitted for his new dress uniform!

One thing never disappoints.  The display put on by the Armed Forces of the United States is a thing to behold.  May God continue to bless my grandson Karl and the the men and women he serves with throughout all branches.  And may God always bless the United States of America.

Semper Supra, Karl.

Triumph of the Heart

 A new movie, Triumph of the Heart, has been released.  The movie depicts the last weeks of St. Maximilian Kolbe's life in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942.  The movie chronicles the sacrifice and struggle that led St. Max to turn that awful place into holy ground which ultimately resulted in his canonization in 1982.

Notably the movie does not concentrate on St. Max's life, but focuses on his last days.  Readers are encouraged to learn more about St. Max.  References to St. Max are found elsewhere in this blog.

“He stayed in thrur 

Following is a trailer for the movie:

How Joe Walsh Used a Signature Guitar to Pay Homage to the Ham Who Saved Him

Guitarists have been personalizing their instruments since time immemorial, whether with an embossed leather guitar strap, pearly fretboard inlay that spells out the performer’s name, or a guitar with plenty of body and electronic modifications that make the ax completely distinct. But far fewer musicians can boast a personalized guitar that spells out their name in Morse code. Eagles guitarist and prolific solo artist Joe Walsh is one of them, though. In addition to being one of the most well-known guitarists of 20th-century rock ‘n’ roll, Walsh is also a lifelong ham radio operator. Even today, Walsh’s ham license is active through 2031 under the call sign WB6ACU. The “Rocky Mountain Way” singer’s signature Alliance series with Duesenberg guitars pays tribute to his decades-long passion by spelling out Walsh’s name in Morse code along the fretboard.

And although it’s Walsh’s name that appears on his signature guitar, it’s also inadvertently paying homage to a different man named Jim.

When Joe was around 11 years old, he experienced something no kid ever wants to experience: his family moved him from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to the bustling metropolis of New York City, hundreds of miles away from his friends and all that was familiar to him, at the start of summer break. While this might seem like the logical move from an adult perspective, it’s practically torturous for a kid who, without school being in session, has far fewer opportunities to make friends. Unsurprisingly, Walsh spent most of the summer alone.

But all that alone time gave him plenty of time to observe his apartment building, which he noticed had a massive antenna on the roof. “Every time I looked up at it, it was pointing a different direction,” Walsh said in a 2014 interview on the This Week in Tech podcast. “So, after a while, I followed the wires down to a window, traced that to a door, and knocked on the door. It was K2IEY. His name was Jim, and he was a ham. He invited me in and sat me down in his little shack, and he had a KWM1 transceiver, and he talked to the world on it. I was amazed. That was my first real friend in New York.”

FlexRadio Aurora: A New Day Dawns for Amateur Radio

SOB readers, particularly those who are hams, may recall my November 26 post on Polar Modulation for Amateur Radio, where I talk about the developing technology of polar modulation and its impact on amateur Radio.  

The November post includes commentary on the major commercial implementation of that technology in the new Aurora transceiver which has been brought to fruition by FlexRadio in conjunction with Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP and his Polar Explorer project.  More details about the Aurora can be seen in the video below:

Failed 3D Printed Part Brings Down Small Plane in the UK

 Back in March, a small aircraft in the UK lost engine power while coming in for a landing and crashed. The aircraft was a total loss, but thankfully, the pilot suffered only minor injuries. According to the recently released report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, we now know a failed 3D printed part is to blame.

The part in question is a plastic air induction elbow — a curved duct that forms part of the engine’s air intake system. The collapsed part you see in the image above had an air filter attached to its front (towards the left in the image), which had detached and fallen off. Heat from the engine caused the part to soften and collapse, which in turn greatly reduced intake airflow, and therefore available power.

SAQ Grimeton to Transmit CW Message on Christmas Eve

On December 1, 1924, the 200kW Alexanderson alternator with the call sign “SAQ” was put into commercial operation with telegram traffic from Sweden to the United States. 101 years later, the transmitter is the only remaining electro-mechanical transmitter from this era and is still in running condition. 

On Christmas Eve morning (very early Christmas Eve morning in the eastern USA), Wednesday December 24th 2025, the transmitter is scheduled to spread the traditional Christmas message to the whole World, on 17.2 kHz CW. 

• 07:20 UTC (2:20 AM EST): Live stream on YouTube begins.
• 07:30 UTC (2:30 AM EST): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ. 
• 08:00 UTC (3:00 AM EST): Transmission of a Christmas message from SAQ. 

E-QSL reports may be submitted online. 

SAQ Grimeton is a historic radio station located in Grimeton, Sweden. It is renowned for being the only remaining operational transmitter that uses the Alexanderson alternator technology, which was developed in the early 20th century. 

The station utilizes a 200 kW Alexanderson alternator, a type of high-frequency alternator used for radio transmission.  Built between 1922 and 1924, it was primarily used for longwave telegraphy to North America. It is the last surviving example of pre-vacuum tube radio technology.  

SAQ Grimeton was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.   The station operates under the callsign SAQ and operates on 17.2 kHz using Continuous Wave (CW) modulation. 

Special broadcasts are also scheduled for significant occasions, such as messages promoting peace. The station serves as a vital link to the history of radio communication and continues to operate, showcasing early 20th-century technology.

Radio Shack Space Control!

A friend of mine, Phil KB5EBB, passed this one on to me.  Ham Radio Duo on YouTube recently featured the classic Radio Shack Space Control Walkie Talkie.  Talk about a blast from the past!  The video provides some history as well as entertainment about this classic from many of our childhoods.  Well done guys!

Rejoice, Christmas is Coming!

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.  A day of joy in the Christian calendar, it is celebrated on the third Sunday before Christmas. It marks a shift from the penitential tone of Advent to a focus on rejoicing in the anticipation of Christ's coming, symbolized by the lighting of a rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath.  

Gaudete means "Rejoice" in Latin. It is celebrated by various Western Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutheran churches. 

My Great Granddaughter Meets Santa

First HamTV Transmission from ISS Since 2018

The installation of new equipment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to re-enable HamTV appears to have been successful. Ground stations over Europe had successfully received the HamTV carrier signal on July 29th. Carrier transmissions are expected to continue over the next few days. Additional reports are expected from North American hams.

Documentation on receiving HamTV from the ISS is available from The British Amateur Television Club (BATV).  ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) provides a live feed of video when the ISS is in range of HamTV receiver stations. -  Amateur Radio Daily

U. S. Hams Get a New Ham Band (Sorta)

The FCC just handed American hams an early Christmas present.

American hams will have more frequency space on the 60 meter band, taking it from a limited channelized space into a frequency agile allocation.  See the FCC ruling here.  These changes will go into effect on January 8, 2026 (30 days after their December 9 publication in the Federal Register ). 

U.S. hams will have access to a brand-new chunk of the 60-meter band: 5351.5-5366.5 kHz. That’s on top of the discrete 60m channels we’ve been using up to this point.

Here are the only caveats (and they’re pretty minor): you’ll need at least a General Class US license to use the new allocation. And if you’re working the new band, you’re limited to 9.15 watts ERP.

Phone, CW, RTTY, digital – it’s all fair game. We just need to keep our bandwidth no wider than 2.8 kHz.

The ruling also notes power restrictions in the 70-centimeter band for operators in military coordination areas, but that’s outside the scope of the operations of most hams.

Superbolt

UPPER ATMOSPHERIC LIGHTNING OVER ITALY

There’s a famous scene in the movie Independence Day where the alien mothership deploys its lightning weapon over the White House. It looked something like the above pic.

This is not a scene from a movie. It’s a real photo of upper atmospheric lightning taken on Nov. 28th by Valter Binotto of Possagno, Italy. "This is a rare double formation of sprites and ELVEs," he says.

The sprites are the red, tentacled objects in the middle. The red 'flying saucer' surrounding them is the ELVE.

"Both were sparked by a single powerful lightning bolt over the Adriatic Sea," adds Binotto. "The positive lightning strike had a peak current of 387 kA, about ten times greater than a normal lightning bolt."

The Toys of Sumner

I'm not much of a Morse Code guy, although from time to time I try to be, even though I'm continually challenged by it.

Morse Code is actually a language of dits and dah sounds that had its origins in the 19th century thanks to Samuel F.B. Morse and his partner Alfred Vail who together invented the system.  The Morse code that hams use (and until a few years ago, the maritime service, etc.) has a different "vocabulary" of dit and dah sounds than the old American Morse system which was used by the railroads in the early days.  

These days, many hams still use Morse (or as we call it, "CW", which stands for "continuous wave").  Why do hams use it?  (I'm sometimes guilty of asking that question myself, as I enjoy talking in plain vocal English) .  The answer has both practical and historical reasons though, even in today's digital age.  (Ironically, cw is a type of digital mode, in that it really utilizes a binary on/off state....which of course, is digital!)

Some advantages of using code:

Emergency Communication: Morse code can be transmitted using simple tools like flashlights or sound signals, making it effective when modern communication fails.

Universal Distress Signal: The SOS signal is widely recognized, allowing for quick communication in emergencies.

Cognitive Benefits:  Enhances Mental Skills: Learning Morse code improves concentration, memory, and listening abilities.

Fun and Challenging: It offers a unique skill that can be enjoyable to learn and master.

Historical and Cultural Significance: Understanding Morse code provides insight into the evolution of communication technologies and their impact on society.

Maritime Heritage: It played a crucial role in maritime safety and military operations, with ongoing relevance in some areas.

Multiple Transmission Methods: Morse code can be sent through sound, light, or touch, making it adaptable to various environments.

Efficiency: It allows for long-distance communication with minimal power, making it especially popular among hams..

Supports Communication for Disabled Individuals: Morse code can be used as an alternative communication method for those with limited motor skills, enabling them to convey messages effectively.

Effective in Noisy Environments: Morse code can cut through interference, making it a reliable option for communication in challenging conditions.

Ring Of Fire

This one is a short one, but I think it's very cool (despite the obvious temperatures involved).  

My friend Ken spotted this in a group called The Brain Maze on Facebook.  

In zero gravity, a candle flame forms a small blue sphere instead of the familiar teardrop shape.

Without gravity, hot air doesn’t rise, so the flame no longer stretches upward.

Instead, gases spread evenly in all directions, creating a smooth, round flame.

This environment allows the fuel to burn more completely, which is why the flame appears blue and produces no soot.

The result is a calm, gentle orb of fire that behaves very differently from a candle flame on Earth.  

Just amazing.

Old School

My son Erik sent me a 1989 Falmouth Enterprise clipping  the other day which shows him and three other guys in their high school radio club.  What's really interesting is that almost 37 years later, Erik just happened to run into one of the guys, Larry Palmer, while Erik was on a layover in Denver last week.  

Amazingly, both Erik and Larry now fly for competing airlines!

In the photo, Larry is circled in red and Erik is on the far right seated at what appears to be a Kenwood TS-520 or one of its variants.  (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

It's a small world, but flying and radio make it even smaller.

Eighty four years ago, Imperial Japan launched an unprovoked attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,400 American service members and civilians and the destruction of much of America's Pacific Fleet.

This attack prompted President Roosevelt to call on Congress to declare war the following day, stating that December 7, 1941, would be a: "date which will live in infamy."

And so it has.

We honor those who defended Pearl Harbor and all the brave individuals who enlisted to serve our country in battlefields around the world (and continue to do so).

We recall the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of the Greatest Generation who faced the horrors of Pearl Harbor with unwavering resolve, and despite the darkness of that moment, their commitment to defending freedom against the forces of fascism became a guiding light for America.

We will never, ever, forget.

Captain My Captain

I've been trying to find historical information about my late grandfather, John Hanrahan, who died in 1948, about a year before I was born. Family legend has it that he captained the first tugboat to pass through the new Cape Cod Canal in the early 1900s — and that somewhere in the bowels ("bowels" is an apt term here) of the Massachusetts State House there's a plaque attesting to this. I've never been able to substantiate either rumor, but a trip to the Massachusetts Historical Society or the state archives is probably in order. One of these days.

Anyway, what I do know is that my grandfather was a master mariner who originated from Harbour Grace, a small town on Conception Bay in Newfoundland.  In his early years, John worked tugboats in the waters of Newfoundland and other areas, including Maine (where my father Bernie was born in Calais on the Canadian border), Boston Harbor, and presumably, the Cape Cod Canal. My father's older brother, also named John, also became a captain and worked the tugs and freighters. Bernie himself did a stint onboard one of the tugs as a hardhat diver and deckhand before the war.

Reportedly, my grandfather was something of a character, who was known to be able to hear for miles on the high seas, but suffered from significant hearing loss when around my grandmother. (While my wife Jane swears this trait must be genetic, it's interesting to note that the love of being in a boat on the sea most definitely did NOT filter down to me.)

Crisis Averted

U.S. Airlines Avoid Major Impact From Airbus ELAC Issue

Since my son is an Airbus captain and as a private pilot myself, I was happy to see that U.S. airlines appear to have avoided major disruptions after the FAA required emergency modifications to about 545 Airbus A319, A320, and A321 models.

Airbus recently announced stated that after an A320 altitude-loss event in October, a preliminary analysis had found that “intense solar radiation” may have caused a malfunction of the aircraft’s elevator aileron computer (ELAC) system, which uses pilot commands to control elevators and ailerons. That prompted the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and FAA to issue emergency airworthiness directives (EADs) grounding certain A319, A320, and A321 models until carriers completed ELAC modifications.

On December 1, Airbus said that out of about 6,000 potentially affected aircraft, less than 100 are still awaiting modifications before returning to service. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines told FLYING they have met all requirements in the FAA’s EAD.

“Airbus apologizes for any challenges and delays caused to passengers and airlines by this event,” the manufacturer said Monday.

A few hours later, however, Reuters reported that Airbus identified a separate issue related to the quality of A320-family metal panels. The company blamed the problem on an unnamed partner. A320 components and parts are sourced from thousands of internal and external suppliers.

“Airbus confirms it has identified a quality issue affecting a limited number of A320 metal panels,” the manufacturer told Reuters. “The source of the issue has been identified, contained and all newly produced panels conform to all requirements.”

During the cruise portion of a trip from Cancún, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, the Airbus A320 operating JetBlue Flight 1230 on October 30 suddenly pitched downward without pilot input.

Though the investigation is ongoing, Airbus identified the ELAC as a possible factor. Regulators determined the issue could impact other aircraft.

In response to the company’s alert operators transmission (AOT), EASA on Friday issued an EAD covering the A319, A320, and A321 families, requiring operators to install “serviceable” ELACs and prohibiting future installations of the affected system on new aircraft.

According to EASA, continuing operations with the faulty ELAC “could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft’s structural capability.”

The FAA in response issued its own EAD requiring U.S. operators of the affected models to comply with EASA’s directive by Sunday at 12:01 a.m. before further flight.

The EAD follows an FAA directive for major airlines to reduce operations during the federal government shutdown—which ended earlier this month—due to air traffic control (ATC) staffing issues. Limitations were swiftly lifted, though the FAA will reportedly probe airlines that did not comply with the order.

A320 and A321 aircraft comprise the bulk of JetBlue’s narrowbody fleet. It appears to have been hit harder than its competitors. Per an internal memo from chief operating officer Warren Christie, the airline as of Sunday afternoon still required modifications for 50 out of 150 affected aircraft, keeping them grounded.

Drone On

The U.S. State Department could commit up to $150 million in taxpayer money toward an American drone delivery provider’s ambitions to expand globally.

Zipline delivers blood, vaccines, and other medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Rwanda, where it made its first delivery in 2016. According to the company, its drones fly four to five times as many daily flights as Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest commercial airline.

Under the full scope of its agreement with the State Department, Zipline said it could reach as many as 130 million people and triple the number of facilities it serves, from 5,000 to 15,000. Jeremy Lewin, undersecretary of state for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, said the deal is intended to “catalyze private capital, incentivize local buy-in, and champion American businesses.”

“With modest U.S. capital investment support, these five countries will become responsible for maintaining and continuing to invest in a transformative American-built health commodities supply chain network,” Lewin said in a statement.

The State Department money will fund the expansion of Zipline’s artificial intelligence and robotics infrastructure but only after the company secures long-term commitments from African nations. Countries will pay Zipline up to $400 million in utilization fees. Rwanda is expected to be the first.

According to Zipline, the pay-for-performance structure is “designed to be easily replicated,” implying this won’t be the only such deal the State Department pursues.

Zipline owns the world’s largest autonomous drone delivery network. Its drones have completed more than 1.8 million on-demand deliveries since debuting in 2016.

The drones are designed to cut down delivery times, particularly in rural areas. Per Zipline, in some locations it serves in Africa, health facilities receive deliveries on average 13 days after ordering. With drones, it said, that can fall to just 30 minutes.

Zipline’s Platform 1 (P1) system is optimized for long-range deliveries, with Zips—the company’s term for its drones—capable of flying 120 miles roundtrip. P1 Zips can carry up to 4 pounds and cruise at about 60 mph. Deliveries are floated to the ground from about 60-80 feet up using a parachute mechanism, with accuracy down to about two parking spaces.

Research has shown that the drones can help lower maternal death rates, increase stocks of medicine and vaccines, and raise immunization rates.

The State Department may envision Zipline’s services as a partial substitute for programs previously administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was dismantled in July.

Ghost Tower

This gem was posted recently by Reality Rewind on Facebook.  You be the judge.

In the desert outside Tonopah, Nevada, ham-radio operators spent years reporting one of the strangest signals in U.S. radio history —a transmission that repeated the same five-word phrase over and over again.

The first report came in 1960, when a ham picked up a faint voice on a shortwave band normally used for military testing.

The message was always the same:

“Is anyone out there? Over.”

No call sign.

No identification.

No follow-up message.

Just the same phrase, spoken in a flat, emotionless tone.

At first, operators assumed it was a lost hiker or stranded pilot.

But the signal never changed frequency.

Never drifted.

Never weakened.

And it continued long after anyone in real danger would’ve given up.

Then things got stranger.

The voice never aged.

Over the years, more operators recorded it.

The voice never changed tone, pitch, or timing — as if the message were being sent by a machine or by someone who never grew older.

The transmission ignored weather, interference, and solar storms.

In 1967, a severe geomagnetic storm wiped out most radio communication across North America.

But the Nevada Signal kept going — perfectly clear, perfectly steady.

It responded to nothing.

Hundreds of operators tried replying.

Calling back.

Asking questions.

Sending emergency codes.

No response.

Not once.

In seventeen years.

In 1971, the Air Force investigated.

They traced the signal to an area of desert north of Tonopah but found nothing there.

No tower.

No equipment.

No buried wires.

Just rock, sand, and silence.

Some believed the signal was bouncing off the ionosphere from another part of the world.

Others thought it was a Cold War experiment gone wrong.

A few speculated it was a distress signal from a downed aircraft that was never found.

But locals had a different explanation:

Meshtastic: A Tale of Two Cities

             Originally published by Tom Nardi on Hackaday 

"If I’m honest with myself, I don’t really need access to an off-grid, fault-tolerant, mesh network like Meshtastic. The weather here in New Jersey isn’t quite so dynamic that there’s any great chance the local infrastructure will be knocked offline, and while I do value my privacy as much as any other self-respecting hacker, there’s nothing in my chats that’s sensitive enough that it needs to be done off the Internet.

But damn it, do I want it. The idea that everyday citizens of all walks of life are organizing and building out their own communications network with DIY hardware and open source software is incredibly exciting to me. It’s like the best parts of a cyberpunk novel, without all the cybernetic implants, pollution, and over-reaching megacorps. Well, we’ve got those last two, but you know what I mean.

Even though I found the Meshtastic concept appealing, my seemingly infinite backlog of projects kept me from getting involved until relatively recently. It wasn’t until I got my hands on the Hacker Pager that my passing interest turned into a full blown obsession. But it’s perhaps not for the reason you might think. Traveling around to different East Coast events with the device in my bag, it would happily chirp away when within range of Philadelphia or New York, but then fall silent again once I got home. While I’d get the occasional notification of a nearby node, my area had nothing like the robust and active mesh networks found in those cities.

Well, they say you should be the change you want to see in the world, so I decided to do something about it. Obviously I wouldn’t be able to build up an entire network by myself, but I figured that if I started standing up some nodes, others might notice and follow suit. It was around this time that Seeed Studio introduced the SenseCAP Solar node, which looked like a good way to get started. So I bought two of them with the idea of putting one on my house and the other on my parent’s place down the shore.

The results weren’t quite what I expected, but it’s certainly been an interesting experience so far, and today I’m even more eager to build up the mesh than I was in the beginning.

Tough Irish Kid

My namesake, Brooklyn middleweight fighter "Wild Bill" Hanrahan, had a 26 bout career from 1899-1902, resulting in a record of 10 wins, 13 losses and 3 draws.  All of the fights ended in KOs.

Guys were tough back then.  

No disrespect to Bill, but I think Bernie would have stood a fair chance against him back in the day.

Buckle Up Buttercup

We may be in for a December surprise.

The Sun just rotated four giant sunspot regions into Earth-facing view: AR4287, AR4288, AR4289, and AR4290.  All rotated into earth-view at the same time.

Here’s why this matters:

Multiple sunspots facing Earth increases the chance of flares.

Chain reactions become more likely when the surface is this active

Any strong flare from these regions would send energy right at us

Solar wind is already elevated

And geomagnetic conditions have been unstable the past 48 hours

When several Earth-facing regions line up like this, the Sun tends to get noisy — fast.  

Among other tings, this could mean:

HF radio blackouts and disruptions from M-class flares.

Potential X-class activity.

GPS irregularities.

Auroras showing up in unusual places.

Impact on the electrical grid.

The Sun is waking back up… again.  Buckle up.