SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hours ending
Sunday night at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a M1 event
observed at 10/0027 from Region 1982. There are currently 9 numbered
sunspot regions on the disk. The Sunspot count this morning is 123 well down
from the 170 we saw last Monday morning. The Solar Flux is at 146 also down
from the 161 NOAA reported last Monday. Our current Flux is just below our
90 day trailing average, calculated to be 159 yesterday. NOAA expects, solar
activity to be low with a 50 percent chance for M-class flares through
Wednesday. The Solar Flux is expected remain around 140 through Wednesday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field activity was quiet over the weekend. The
estimated planetary K-index at 8 am local today was 1. The geomagnetic field
is expected vary between quiet to active today, and quiet to unsettled on
Tuesday and Wednesday.
It appears now most pundits agree, Cycle 24 has a second peak which
seems to now be fading. The article below supports the view that this second
peak is larger than the first and that this slow cycle may have a broader
amplitude than earlier cycles, i.e., the “high”, such as it is, is being
spread out longer before sloping downward:
http://sidc.oma.be/news/240/welcome.html
DX CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK
5V, TOGO. Franco, I1FQH, is once again active as 5V7DX from Kpalime
Village in central Togo until late March. Activity will be on the top
bands, 12 and 10 meters using mostly CW with some SSB. He will use an
ICOM 7000 with a small KL500 solid state amplifier into a Spiderbeam
(20-10m), home brew vertical for 40/30m (1/4 wave long with 32 radials).
QSL via his home callsign, direct, by the Bureau or LoTW (he will upload
his log during his stay).
IF you miss Franco, next week try:
5V, TOGO. Operators Phil/F5MVB and Joel/F5AOW are planning to
be active as 5V7MP and 5V7BJ, respectively, from Avepozo between March
23-31st. Activity will be holiday style on 40-10 meters. Joël (5V7BJ)
will be on SSB only and Phil (5V7MP) will be on both SSB and CW. QSL
via their home callsigns, direct or by the Bureau.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
No reports from our readers this week. 10 Meters has been hot; time to get
with it!
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the ARRL Letter, from the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar or the ARRL Contest Corral. You can receive the Letter weekly via
email as a member of ARRL :
* Mar 15-17 — BARTG HF RTTY Contest
* Mar 15-16 — Russian DX Contest
* Mar 15 — Virginia QSO Party
* Mar 16 — North American Sprint (SSB)
All dates & times, unless otherwise stated, are UTC.
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
are a great way to get those last states on your Worked All States (WAS)
Award list.)
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS. W1AW Centennial Stations W1AW/7 in Idaho
and W1AW/4 in Kentucky are QRV until 2359z on 11 March. In
addition, W1AW Centennial Stations W1AW/7 in Arizona and W1AW/8 in
Ohio will be QRV starting at 0000z on March 12. They will be active
until 2359z on March 18.
(Courtesy of the ARRL DX Bulletin)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* AT AUCTION, MARCH PARS MEETING, Two Rohn R25G 10′ tower sections and one
baseplate, with hardware. Good condition. Donated by Stephanie Davis in
memory of Tom, N1ZY, money to go to PARS treasury. Bids start at $50 for
all. For more info contact Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com
* FOR SALE Cushcraft R 7 antenna, PRICE REDUCED NOW $50. Please contact
Charlie Overcash, WA4GSI, at 249-1257 or charlie@dockline.net.
(20131230/20140310)
——————–
(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).
PARS CALENDAR:
* Mar 29, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com
* Apr 4,5,6, 2014 Cycle NC Coastal Ride, Oriental and Pamlico County (PARS
Community Service) Contact Mike Hurm 249-1122 or Mike Marsh 636-1257 for
info.
* Apr 19, RARSfest, Saturday, 8 am – 3:30 pm, Jim Graham Bldg, State
Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC. For more info
www.rars.org/hamfest.
* Apr 26, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* May 3, DownEast Hamfest, Saturday, 8 am-3 pm, Lenoir Community College,
Kinston, NC. Gene Rybolt 252-523-0988, Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE
hopkinszoo1@msn.com.
PARS NETS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Swamp Talk” roundtable, around 8:15 pm local, 28.463
MHz plus or minus, USB. An informal forum originally established to assist
our new Hams, this freq. is in the 10M voice segment open to technician
licensees and above. Radio 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/
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 think
would interest our folks, please send it to me. Thanks
73, Jim AI4WL