REMINDER, PAMLICO FOX HUNT THIS COMING SATURDAY
Meet at Brantley’s Village Restaurant in Oriental at 0930, Saturday, March
19. For more info contact Randy Davis, K4WRD, at 249-1680 or
randyd@centurylink.net or Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a B2 flare
observed at 0818Z this morning. There are 3 numbered sunspot regions on the
disk facing Earth. The sunspot count this morning is 43, down 25 from the 68
reported by NOAA last week. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 93 yesterday at
noon, little changed from the 96 in the last report from Penticton.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity is expected
to continue to be very low for the next three days with just a chance for
C-class flares. The NOAA forecast has the SFI sliding down to 90 on
Wednesday. The 90 day trailing average has dropped by 2 to 105.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday, solar wind speed is low.
The field is forecast to be quiet to unsettled today and then reach minor
storm levels on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Kp-index was reported to be a
quiet 2 at 8 a.m. local this morning.
In sum, as with last week, expect good conditions on 30 and 20 Meters and 40
at night, fair to poor on the higher bands. But do listen around, we can be
surprised. And then, the Spring Equinox is on Sunday, Mar 20. Often at
this time, we see enhanced propagation 6 Meters and up. The Spring E-layer
skip season is coming.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
While getting ready for VK0EK try for…
COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS, VK9C. A group of operators will be QRV as
VK9CK from March 15 to 26. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters
using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via LA6OP
VK0EK HEARD ISLAND DXPEDITION
The team is underway from Cape Town March 10th enroute to Heard Island. The
group is onboard the MV “Braveheart” which was recently used by the
VP8STI/VP8SGI team. The operators are currently active as ZL/ZS9HI/MM from
Braveheart. Activity has been mainly on CW on 30/15/10 meters. Heard Island
operation is scheduled for March 20th-April 10th. You can see the current
status of the effort on the main website <www.heardisland.org>, and on the
blogsite <www.vk0ek.org>. Check out VK0EK.ORG for recent press releases and
photos.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Everyone working on taxes? No reports this week.
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 :
* 19/1200-20/1200Z Mar Russian DX Contest, CW Ph, 1.8-28 MHz
* 19/1400-20/0200Z Mar Louisiana QSO Party, CW Ph Dig, 1.8-144
* 19/1400-19/1800Z Mar AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, CW, 144, 432
* 19/1400-20-2359Z Mar Virginia QSO Party, CW Ph Dig, all bands
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:
* Mar 19, Pamlico Fox Hunt, Saturday, 9:30 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Mar 26, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Mar 26, SKYWARN Training, 10 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Greg, KM4DZM, 252-322-1033 or gwadsworth1@yahoo.com
* Apr 30, 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.
Happy Pi Day! 3.1416….
73,
Jim AI4WL