PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) JAN 20, 2016 MEETING NOTES
(Thanks to Randy K4WRD, Mike K4HPS, and others who took notes at the meeting
for this PARSgram.)
* Twenty-five PARS members and guests attended the breakfast meeting
chaired by President Bill Olah, KR4LO.
* Wally Wallace, KK4ASP, presented the treasurer’s report.
* Mike Hurm, K4HPS, our Pamlico County ARES EC, reported 4 ARES sessions in
November for 14.5 volunteer man-hours. Mike also provided a summary of
National ARES activities. Nets, events and volunteer man-hours were all
significantly up in 2015. With only 33 of 71 ARES Sections reporting,
volunteer man-hours totaled 232,093, a big donation of time and effort.
Given a dollar value of $19 per hour, that number–“Volunteer Value”–equals
$4,409,767. He also noted that a new satellite will be placed in
geosynchronous orbit in 2016. It will be available for emergency
communications.
* There was no VHF report or Solar Summary this month.
* Greg, KM4DZM, advised that on Saturday, March 19, there will be a
“Color Run” in Aurora, a potential health safety service for the club.
* Bill Michne is coordinating club participation in the NC QSO Party– Sunday the 28th from 10am to 8pm. The intent is to have those without HF
capability participating at “host” ham shacks open for group participation.
Should make for great fun! Bill reported that In 2015 there were 325 logs
entered and Pamlico stood 13th out of 100 counties, so let’s make Pamlico
one of the top ones again! [See details below.]
* Next Fox hunt is being planned for the end of March. A directional
antenna with attenuator is required and members can get help with both.
Email Randy, K4WRD, for info on the attenuators (randyd@centurylink.net)
We will have a build day at Bill Olah’s for those needing to build the
“measuring tape antenna”. Let Randy know if you need materials for your
antenna. You should procure your own attenuator first if possible.
* Dave Bacon’s suggestions for meeting presentations were offered for
discussion:
1, Everyone’s most cherished QSL cards (bring them to the meeting) and
maybe a story to go with it.
2, Talks on RTTY, JT65, PSK31 etc from club members who are into
different modes.
3, Talk on logging programs and why member chose the program they did.
4, Talk about the HF rig that members chose and what they like about it.
5, After the business meeting a field trip to different hams shack to
have a show and tell.
* Regarding ongoing business, President Olah again advised that the Bi-Laws
are under revision to add the information needed for Federal Tax Exemption
as a non-profit organization. Changing annual election to the November
meeting is also being considered. Those elected would begin their term in
January.
* There was no new business raised by members at the meeting.
* FOR THE FEBRUARY MEETING, Bill suggested that we go with Dave’s first
program suggestion. Members should BRING IN A FAVORITE QSO CARD and say a
few words about that QSO or the card itself.
PARS AND THE NC QSO PARTY–THE LAST SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY
From Bill Michne, WM3X–
Want to get on the air with little time and effort and NO MONEY? Want to
try some different radios, bands, and modes? PARS will make it easy.
Several PARS members who have working stations are willing to host guest
operators to work the NC QSO party on Sunday, February 28, during the hours
from 10 AM to 8 PM. This is an opportunity for our members, and even ham
radio wannabes, to operate a working amateur station for an hour or two,
more or less, with the assistance of an experienced operator at their side.
The NC QSO party is a relaxed fun event during which hams try to contact as
many NC stations as they can. As a guest operator you may even, if you
wish, use your own call sign (within the limits of your license), keeping
and submitting your own log. You can visit more than one host station to
try different radios, antennas, and modes. Single sideband? Plenty of
that. FM? Sure. Digital? Lots of PSK31 and maybe even some RTTY. Morse
code? There will be some slow speed operators and all will slow down for
you if you ask. And your host can help you with the copy. You can even try
making QRP contacts. Even experienced operators can be guest operators to
try out new stuff, or even visit the guest QTH to help the guest get on the
air with their own stuff (I call this the traveling host). Complete
information on the event can be found at www.rars.org/ncqsoparty. Guests
and hosts can make their own meeting arrangements, or I can put them in
touch with each other. I can be contacted by email at
billmichne@embarqmail.com, or by phone at 252-249-1175. Let’s put Pamlico
county on the air!
[Ed note: Just read in the January issue of the NC Section Newsletter of
the Voice of America Bonus. W1VOA will be on the air from one of the actual
NC sites (Receiving Site “C”) in Pitt County and will be making use of one
or more of the Rhombics and LPDAs. Stations working W1VOA will receive 50
pts added to their score. They will be QRV on phone, CW, and digital. Check
out the photos of our PARS visit several years ago to the VOA transmitter
site on the N4PRS Web Site, www.n4prs.org ]
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 4 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a C1 flare
observed at 0529Z this morning. There are 5 numbered sunspot regions on the
disk facing Earth. The sunspot count this morning is 84, well up from the 47
reported by NOAA last week. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 117 yesterday at
noon, up from the 104 in our last report. According to the Space Weather
Prediction Center, solar activity is expected to continue to be low for the
next three days with a 15% chance for M-class flares.. The NOAA forecast
has the SFI staying about the same through Wednesday. The 90 day trailing
average is 108.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to active yesterday. Expect
unsettled to active conditions today. The field is forecast to vary between
quiet and active tomorrow and then drop to unsettled on Wednesday. The
Kp-index was reported to be a quiet 2 at 8 a.m. local this morning after
stormy conditions yesterday.
Expect good conditions on 30 and 20 Meters and 40 at night, fair to poor on
the higher bands. That said, propagation was good on 10 Meters into South
America and even South Africa yesterday afternoon. DXmaps showed no weak
signal VHF activity this morning and little over the weekend.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
LESOTHO, 7S. Members of the radio club F6KOP will be QRV as 7P8C
from February 8 to 17. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY with five stations active. QSL via F5GSJ.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
South Georgia Island. VP8SGI went QRT early due to dangerous weather.
Before it closed, the DXpedition was too weak to work from Whortonsville.
We wonder if any PARS members were able to get VP8SGI in their logs.
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the ARRL Letter, from the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar, the ARRL Contest Update or the ARRL Contest Corral. You can
receive the Letter weekly via email as a member of ARRL :
The ARRL School Club Roundup runs from February 8 to 12.
* 13/0000-14/2359Z Feb CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest
* 13/1200-14/1200Z Feb KCJ Topband Contest, CW
* 13/1200-14/2359Z Feb SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, CW
* 13/1500-14/1500Z Feb OMISS QSO Party, Ph
* 13/1600-14/2200Z Feb New Hampshire QSO Party, CW Ph Dig
* 13/1700-13/2100Z Feb FISTS Winter Unlimited Sprint, CW
* 14/1400-17/0800Z Feb Classic Exchange, Phone
See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the
ARRL Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update/ and the
WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>
for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Event Station Web page<http://www.arrl.org/special-events>. For
a LIST OF STATE QSO PARTIES, see
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/stateparties.html. (State QSO parties
and the W1AW Centennial Stations are a great way to get those last states on
your Worked All States (WAS) Award list.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* FOR SALE — Yaesu FT-450 Transceiver, MD 100 desk mike and a Pyramid
35 amp power supply. All for $550 and the FT-450 alone for $450. All you
will need is an antenna to be on the air. Charlie Overcash, WA4GSI,
charlie@dockline.net or 252-249-1257. (20160118).
(Send me your amateur radio related items for sale, trade, or wanted for
listing in the PARSgram. PLEASE let me know if your listing is no longer
needed. ITEMS listed will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear
otherwise.–Jim).
UPCOMING REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
A complete list can be found on your PARS Website, www.n4prs.org
* RARSfest 2016 and North Carolina Section Convention, Saturday April 2, NC
State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. See www.rars.org/rarsfest for more info.
* 26th Annual Down East Hamfest , Saturday, April 23, Kinston, NC
Details will be on http://www.downeasthamfest.org later.
PARS CALENDAR:
* Feb 27, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* NC QSO Party, Sunday Feb 28, 1000-2000 local, various host stations.
* Mar 26, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
PARS NETS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Swamp Talk” roundtable, around 8:15 pm local,
28.463 MHz plus or minus, USB. This is an informal forum originally
established to assist our new Hams. The frequency is in the 10M voice
segment open to technician licensees and above. Radio related
topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Wednesdays, Pamlico Emergency Net Practice and Rag Chew, 7:30 pm,
Oriental Repeater, 147.210 + (PL151.4).
PARS WEB SITE:
https://www.n4prs.org/
* Chief Editor and Administrator is Greg Wadsworth KM4DZM, 252-322-1033 or
gwadsworth1@ yahoo.com
* Web Master is Larry Wall, KK4SEO, wallmailbox@yahoo.com.
PARSgram ITEMS
We are always looking for items of interest to PARS members to put in
the PARSgram. If you run across a timely item or think of something you
believe would interest our folks, please send it to me. Thanks.
Jim AI4WL