NO PARSGRAM FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
The PARSgram will not see your inbox on 9 or 16 September. Your editor is
going to rest his fingers.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) AUGUST MEETING NOTES–
* 31 Members and guests attended the August 31st Meeting at Brantley’s
Restaurant.
* Treasurer Wally KK4ASP reported $1171 in the bank.
* ARES/EOC FM Radio Update: President Bill KR4LO reported none of the 5
club owned radios work and all appeared uneconomically repairable. They
will be available for parts at the forthcoming October flea market. Purchase
of a QUADBAND 29/50/144/430 VHF/UHF full duplex FM transceiver was
recommended at a price of less than $400 after rebate. Purchase was
approved by the members present. (The club DOES HAVE a working radio that
is deployed for use at Pamlico Community College–the county
evacuation center,)
* After discussion, pursuit of a trailer for use as an operations center
for public service events was tabled. Liability insurance is a major issue.
* Larry KK4SEO outlined PARS Web Site options and maintenance/security
issues. Based on members’ guidance, he will start work on the site, free of
cost, with updating to be done by club officers. Enhancement to include a
club specific domain name would incur an ongoing registration fee.
[Ed note–Larry, already at work on the site, is looking for photos of PARS
activities, especially of people having fun doing Ham radio. Email them to
Larry at barefootlogic.com]
* Dragon Boat Race communications support went well according to Tom Finta
K8TF. It resulted in good PR for the club.
* At least 2, perhaps 5 or more folks, are interested in a Technician
Course. Schedules of students and prospective instructors need to be worked
out with a goal of having the course start as soon as possible.
* President Bill Olah asked for a volunteer to head the nomination
committee for officers. He/she would solicit/ receive names of those
interested in running. Officers are to be elected at the October meeting.
Willing incumbents are Bill and Wally (as bookkeeper/treasurer). VP Tom
Corwin KI4NSP does not wish to run for re-election.
* PARS will support the local scouts in the Jamboree on the Air. President
Bill and Dave N4ENE will take the lead.
* Bill reminded those present that a flea market for amateur radio and
related items will be held at the September and October meetings.
* At the conclusion of the business meeting, Dick Goodwin, K4JJW, led a
most instructive discussion on RF noise finding and abatement.
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE COURSES
A Technician level course is being planned. If you know of someone
interested in becoming a radio amateur at the technician level, or are
interested taking a course to help you upgrade to either General or Extra,
please contact PARS President Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or at
w_olah@yahoo.com.
BIKE MS NEW BERN RIDE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
John Radke, KB2NNC advises that HAM volunteers are needed for the 2013
event, September 7-8. Bike MS is a 2-day cycling event that raises funds to
support people living with multiple sclerosis in North and South Carolina
and throughout the United States. Money raised through this event funds MS
research, programs, services, and advocacy. Bike MS cyclists enjoy two full
days of riding through rural eastern North Carolina. Each day, cyclists can
choose to ride 30, 75, 50 or 100 miles on fully-supported routes. The ride
starts and finishes at Union Point Park in New Bern. If you can assist,
please contact Diane Hartley at 1-800 FIGHT MS or 919-792-1014, or sign up
via the Bike MS web page,
http://bikenct.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_NCT_Volunteers&s_AffiliateSecCatId=1&pw_id=10781&fr_id=20780.
For more info you can contact John at jradtke@centurylink.net or 745-2097.
He has volunteered his time for several years and will be doing so again
this year.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low for the 24 hour period ending
yesterday at 1800 local. The largest solar event was a C1 event observed at
01/1420Z. There are currently 3 numbered sunspot regions on the disk. The
Sunspot count is 71 this morn up from the 46 what we had last Monday even
with one less sunspot region showing. The Solar Flux was 104 this morning.
This is down a few from last Monday. The Prediction Center forecasts that
solar activity is likely to be low through Wednesday the 4th so the solar
flux should remain about the same through then.
The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled over the weekend. Solar winds
were up making for the first auroras of the fall in Alaska and contributing
to noisy radio conditions. The estimated planetary K-index at 0800 EST this
Monday morning was 2. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to be at quiet to
active levels today, quiet on Tuesday, and unsettled on Wednesday.
For those that are still connected and operating, static crashes from a
thunderstorm centered over the County are causing the most noise on the
bands this morning.
DX CHALLENGES FOR THE WEEK
MICRONESIA, V6. Operators Hiroo, JA2VWG and Seihachi, JA7LU will be
QRV as V63DDD and V63LU, respectively, from Pohnpei Island, IOTA
OC-010, from September 4 to 16. Activity will be on 40 to 6 meters
using SSB and RTTY. QSL direct to home calls. (ARRL DX Bulletin)
XW, LAOS. Just a reminder that operators Steve/9M6DXX and James/9V1YC
will operate as XW8XZ and XW1YC, respectively, from Vientiane between
September 5-10th. They plan to have two stations on the air. XW8XZ
activity will be on SSB and XW1YC will mainly be CW with some SSB. QSL
XW8XZ via M0URX and XW1YC via W5UE. ADDED NOTE: It has been reported
that operators George/EA2TA, Christian/EA3NT, Raul/EA5KA, Vincent/F4BKV,
Don/G3XTT and Col/MM0NDX are joining Steve and James and now plan to
operate five stations on 160-6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. OPDX has
not verified this yet. (Courtesy of The OPDX Bulletin by KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80).
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
All quiet this week, maybe it was too noisy!
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 :
* Sep 7– Russian Radio RTTY WW, DARC 10 Meter Digital “Corona”, Straight
Key Party
* Sep 7-8 All-Asian DX Contest, IARU Region 1 Field Day, OCWA Fall QSO
Party
* Sep 8 North American Sprint (CW)
* Sep 8-9 QRP ARCI Two Sidebands Sprint, OK1WC Memorial Contest
All dates & times, unless otherwise stated, are UTC.
See the ARRL Contest Branch page
Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update/ and the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar
info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL
Special Event Station Web page
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.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* WTB Dave is looking for a linear amplifier in good condition, an
Ameritron AL-80B or similar preferred. If you have one to sell or know of
someone that does, please contact Dave Bacon
KD2T, 252-617-0359 cell, 252-249-0864 home (20130826)
——————–
* FS Dave KD2T needed only the rotator that Jamie was selling so
he wants to sell that full-wavelength 3-element aluminum 6m Yagi antenna
that was part of the original deal. Dave has priced it at $25. Dave Bacon
KD2T, 252-617-0359 cell, 252-249-0864 home (20130819)
——————–
* FS Beckman Industrial 60 MHz Oscilloscope model 9106
asking $100 but make an offer, Jamie King KJ4JK, 252-514-7497,
kj4jk@arrl.net (20130722)
——————–
* FREE From D & Don Wogaman KB1NDV & KC8MID a bit of nostalgia: A copy of
The Radio Amateur’s License Manual (64th edition) published in 1970 in
decent condition considering it’s age. Don’t let this gem go to the recycle
bin. email: dndonwogs@gmail.com or call 252-249-1930 located in Oriental
We can send a photo if needed. (20130701/20130819)
——————–
(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:
* Sep 28, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com
* Oct 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. 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).
ABOUT THE PARSgram
The PARSgram is a weekly email publication for members of the Pamlico
Amateur Radio Society (PARS), an association of amateur radio operators
located in, near, or from Pamlico County, North Carolina. The PARSgram
contains announcements and information about current and planned activities
of the Society and other items of specific interest to its members. Except
to summarize information related to Solar Activity or announce expeditions
of amateur radio operators to unique distant places, special event stations,
and contests, it does not generally repeat information available elsewhere.
The PARSgram does offer a means to make known to its subscribers radio
equipment and other related items for sale or trade. Since PARS members may
have limited internet access, the PARSgram is sent in text format and kept
relatively short. We are always looking for items of specific interest to
our 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
at jth350@embarqmail.com. — Jim Hartmeyer, AI4WL, Editor (20121126)
Jim, AI4WL