HURRICANE COMMUNITY FORUM ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 22ND
This year is expected to be a very active Hurricane season. With that in
mind, the Pamlico Amateur Radio Society (PARS) in conjunction with the
Town of Oriental is sponsoring the 2024 Hurricane Community Forum. This
presentation by Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the
National Weather Service in Newport, will be held at Oriental Town Hall
on Wednesday, May 22nd from 6:30 to 7:30pm.
I encourage you to attend this forum and get your questions answered
regarding this upcoming Hurricane season and what YOU can do to protect
yourself, family and property. As an amateur radio operator, you may be
called upon to provide vital information to the local authorities
regarding the specific conditions in your immediate area via our Pamlico
Communications Net.
I also encourage you to inform your neighbors of this forum and ask them
to attend. If they are not aware that you are an amateur radio operator,
make them aware of your capabilities during a time of disaster.
Communications is key! You can pretty much count on the fact that power
and landline phones may not be available during and immediately after a
hurricane. Cellphone service is not always a guarantee in the short
term. Get prepared for the season and make sure that you are ready to
communicate!
Any questions regarding this valuable informational forum, please
contact me at K4ONC@aol.com or my cell 252-626-2730.
73 and Stay Safe,
Bruce Perkins – K4ONC
President – PARS
Pamlico County AuxComm Coordinator
WHERE IS SHE NOW? DAY 52 (or so)
…Likely nearing the very north of the Canadian Provence of Quebec. On
Sunday afternoon the Eastern Express reported her position to be over
the middle of Hudson Bay. She was moving eastward toward Quebec at
around 20 mph. She had made quite a trip. It was only last Monday, May
13th, that the little balloon was thousands of miles to the west just
off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. From there, the wind took her south
reaching the middle of the Northern Pacific by Wednesday night then
changed her course by 90 degrees. That put her back on the northern
refrigerator route over the Yukon. She made it well into the Northern
Territories by noon Friday, May 10th. Her tracker was heard only once
that day, at around 1 pm and she was moving northeast. About the same
time the strong geomagnetic storms began. Her signal was not heard on
Saturday. She reappeared yesterday, nearly 48 hours later, heading east
across Hudson Bay toward Quebec. Once she crosses -77.4 degrees
longitude, quite possibly today, she will begin lap number 4!
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reports that solar activity was high during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local. The largest solar event of the period
was a X1 event observed at 12/1626Z. The Space Weather Prediction Center
expects solar activity to be high again today and Tuesday with a 75%
chance for X-class flares. Radio blackouts to the R3 level are expected.
It is expected to be low on Wednesday with only a slight chance for an
M-class flare. There are 12 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing
Earth this morning. There were 9 last Monday, 8 the Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 222,
last Sunday’s was 177. The index is predicted to measure 220 today, 215
Tuesday and 200 on Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average was 165
yesterday. It was 163 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field reached severe storm levels yesterday. The SWPC
expects the field to be at unsettled to strong storm (G3)levels today,
at quiet to minor storm levels Tuesday, at quiet to active levels on
Wednesday. The planetary K-index at 5 a.m. this morning was 4.0
indicating unsettled conditions.
For today, propagation is expected to be poor during the day, fair to
good at night on 80 to 20; good on 17 and 15, and good day, poor night
on 12 and 10M.
For an explanation of the numbers used in our PARSgram, see the
excellent article written by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA at
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.
DX TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARLD019 DX news:
–NORTHERN IRELAND, GI. Members of the North West Group ARC are QRV
with special event station GB0AEL until May 31 to commemorate the
anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s transatlantic flight in May 1932.
QSL via MI0HOZ.
–LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS, VU7. Lal, VU7LAL is QRV from Agatti and
Kavarathi until May 31. Activity is on 40, 20, and 10 meters. QSL
direct.
–CAMBODIA, XU. Jarrad, VK3BL is QRV as XU7AGA from Kampot. Activity
is in his spare time on 20, 17, 15, and 10 meters using mostly FT8.
QSL via Club Log.
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
Send me your amateur radio related items that are for sale, trade, or
wanted and your contact information. PLEASE let me know when you have
have sold your item or your listing is no longer needed. Listings will
EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise. Thanks, Jim.
–FOR SALE: Hy-Gain AV-640 Patriot 25.5ft HF 8-Band Antenna. This
antenna uses quarter wave stubs on 6, 10, 12, and 17 meters and loading
coil and capacity hats on 15, 20, 30 and 40 meters. No ground radials
are needed. Check full description online. Antenna is currently ground
mounted and I will assist in removing. $300 Bruce Perkins @252-626-2730
or K4ONC@aol.com. (20240429)
–FOR SALE:
- Kenwood TM-V71A Dual Band 2meters 440 $350
- Kenwood TM-281A $70
- TH 9000 Pi-Ps TYT Mobile with TYT Mike $70
Selling for a friend. All in good shape. Charlie Overcash, WA4GSI,
919-210-5168. (20240401)
PARS CALENDAR:
* May 22, HURRICANE COMMUNITY FORUM, Wednesday, May 22nd, 6:30 – 7:30
pm., Oriental Town Hall. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* May 25, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* Jun 1, PAMLICO COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MEETING, Saturday, 9-10:30am,
Oriental VFD Station 19 on Straight Rd vic. NC-55. All are welcome. For
more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
REPEATER/NODE STATUS
(See www.n4prs.org/frequencies/ for set-up)
N4ONC VHF FM Oriental — Operational
N4ONC (old KR4LO) UHF FM Oriental — Operational
NC4ES VHF FM/DMR Arapahoe — Operational/test. PL: Dec 100Hz/Enc 88.5Hz
NC4ES UHF DMR (NC4ES Network) Florence — Operational.
WM3X-ONC VHF C4FM/WIRES-X NODE Oriental (145.530 simplex)– Operational
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, “Pamlico 10 Meter Net, 7:30 pm local, on or near 28.464 MHz,
USB. A non-directed net for technicians and above. Radio
topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Wednesdays,”Pamlico Communications Net”, 7:30 pm local, N4ONC
(Oriental) VHF Repeater, 147.210+ (CTSCC Tone Squelch 88.5). A directed
net open to all. Net activates on call during emergencies.
* Thursdays, “DownEast/Pamlico Six Meter Net”, 8 pm local, 50.200 MHz,
USB. A non-directed open net to promote operation on the ‘Magic Band’.
(For more nets see www.arrl.org/arrl-net-directory-search )
PARS WEB SITE: https://www.n4prs.org/
Our Web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, 561-308-3456, PARSwebman@gmail.com
73, Jim AI4WL Editor
——–
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