NO PARSGRAM FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
Your in-box gets a break because your editor is taking one. The next
PARSgram will be sent September 22nd.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) AUGUST 2014 MEETING NOTES
* Thirty-two PARS members and guests attended the breakfast meeting at
Brantley’s in Oriental.
* President Bill Olah KR4LO presented the treasurer’s report on behalf of
Wally.
* There were 4 Pamlico Emergency Net practices for 16 man hours during the
month according to Make Hurm, K4HPS, our ARES Coordinator. Nine hams
contributed 36 public service man-hours during the Oriental Dragon Boat
Festival. Coordination is ongoing with the Craven County ARES EC concerning
use of the Grantsboro Repeater during emergencies. Grantsboro is Pamlico’s
back-up to the Oriental Repeater. The New Bern area no longer has a
repeater.
* Jim AI4WL, updated the members on VHF activity (non-existent) and current
Solar Activity (weak). Big news on the VHF Reflector is the soon to be
available Yaesu FT-991 all mode, HF, VHF and UHF desktop transceiver.
* Larry Wall, KK4SEO reported only 9 members logged in during the month.
Just one, David N4ENE, has been active on the Forums.
* The Dragon Boat Festival on August 9th was very successful according to
Tom Finta K8TF. Nine hams used 2 Meter Simplex for rapid communications
between officials from around the race site.
* The Constitution and By-Laws change to add the “Honorary Life Membership”
class of membership was voted upon and approved.
* Bill solicited topics for future presentations at the club meetings.
There are no presentations currently scheduled.
* Dave Bacon KD2T is awaiting confirmation on DXCC Awards for the 40, 20,
15 and 12 Meter bands.
* Dave reported on his dream of a lifetime: a voyage by tour ship around
Cape Horn. He was able to take advantage of an unscheduled stop at the
Falkland Islands to visit Bob Mcleod, VP8LP. Bob is the amateur radio voice
of the Falklands for most of us. A most accommodating host, he gave Dave and
XYL Linda a tour around the Islands.
* Dick Goodwin solicited member comment on an item he might add to his
“product line” He received encouragement for his Wire Antenna Tension
Release Linking System. Designed for wire antennas supported by tall trees,
the link connects to the end of one of the antenna guys and is designed to
release before the antenna breaks during strong winds or icing conditions.
Upon releaving the tension, hidden line from the device is played out to
maintain guy line connectivity. This allows the antenna to be re-raised
easily and quickly.
* Support for the Bike MS Ride (see below for details) was requested by
Jamie King KJ4JK. He reported that the communications coordinator, Bill
Sanford K4VHO is still short hams to assist at the rest stops and as SAGS.
The race is next weekend. Call Bill Sanford if you can help.
* Bill Michne, WM3X, announced the dates for the long anticipated Amateur
General Class preparation course, Monday Jan 5, 2015 through Mar 2, 2015.
The 8 weekly 3 hour or less evening class sessions will be followed by the
FCC Exam on March 2nd. Class times to be determined. The examination
session will be open to all.
* The meeting was followed by an auction of equipment donated to PARS by
Gerda Lampe, the widow of Richard (Dick) A. Lampe, KG4QHU. Dick was a
longtime resident of Oriental and early member of the Pamlico Amateur Radio
Society. Dick passed away in November, 2013. The auction, conducted by Bill
Michne, raised $230 for the PARS treasury. Our thanks go to Gerda for her
thoughtful contribution.
* After the auction, a number of those present then followed Bill Olah to
the W4SLH (Oriental) Repeater Site on Kershaw Road for a short tour.
BIKE MS NEW BERN RIDE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
HAM volunteers are needed for the 2014 event, September 6-7. 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. Help is needed as SAGs and also at rest stops. Time
is running short so if you can assist, please contact Bill Sanford, K4VHO at
k4vho.nc@gmail.com or call him at 252-671-7446. He will send you a complete
information package. Check out the Bike MS web page, www.bikemsnewbern.org.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hours ending
Sunday night at 5 pm local. The largest solar event of the period was a C7
event observed at 31/1211Z. There are currently 5 numbered sunspot regions
on the disk. The sunspot count this morning is 90, down 38 from the 128
reported last Monday. The Solar Flux is 123, down from the 141 in last
Monday’s report. The Solar Flux Index is expected to stay about the same
for the next three days. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center,
solar activity should be low with a slight chance (20 %) for an M-class
flare through Wednesday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field activity was quiet to active during the
24 hour period ending yesterday afternoon. The geomagnetic field is expected
to be quiet today and quiet to unsettled on Tuesday and Wednesday. The
K-index was 3 at 0500 local this morning.
DX CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK
NEW CALEDONIA, FK. Cezar, VE3LYC and Bob, KD1CT will be QRV as TX4A
from Matthew Island, IOTA OC-218, from September 4 to 7. Activity
will be on 40 to 10 meters using CW and SSB with one station manned
around the clock. QSL via VE3LYC.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Dave, N4ENE, forwarded an email announcing that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has agreed to allow an amateur radio operation from Navassa
National Wildlife Refuge (KP1). The operation will occur within the next 18
months. Navassa Island is ranked #2 most-needed DXCC entity by The DX
Magazine and #1 by ClubLog. You can visit the following website for up to
date information. http://kp1-5.com/. Thanks for the heads-up Dave.
BTW, Navassa became a US possession under the Guano Islands Act in 1857. It
is located 35 miles west of Haiti and 90 miles south of Guantanamo, Cuba.
Since closing of its lighthouse that protected ships transiting the Windward
Passage, the 1300 acre island has long been unoccupied. It is now a very
protected wildlife preserve.
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 :
* September 6 — CWops CW Open
* September 6-7 — All-Asian DX Contest (SSB)
* September 6 — Russian Radio RTTY WW
* September 6 — DARC 10 Meter Digital “Corona”
* September 6 — Straight Key Party
* September 6 — Indiana Parks on the Air
* September 6 — Ohio State Parks On the Air
* September 6-7 — 070 Club KA3X Memorial Sprint (Digital)
* September 6-7 — IARU Region I Field Day (SSB)
* September 7 — North American Sprint (CW)
* September 7 — QRP ARCI Two Sidebands Sprint
* September 7-8 — Tennessee QSO Party
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/1 in Maine
and W1AW/7 in Arizona are QRV until 2359z on September 2. In
addition, W1AW Centennial Stations W1AW/4 in Tennessee and W1AW/7 in
Oregon will be QRV starting at 0000z on September 3. They will be
active until 2359z on September 9.
(Courtesy of the ARRL DX Bulletin)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* New For Sale – ICOM-756 PRO III by original owner, includes box and
manual. Fred writes, “This radio has lived a quiet life in an air condtioned
smoke free home since new, has never been in a contest and has never had a
repair.” Scratch and dent free, late S/N. Will demo if required. Currently
selling on QRZ for $1750-$1850 plus shipping. Will take $1600. Fred Elsner
W4FAE, 252-637-3742, or rjelsner@embarqmail.com. (20140901)
* FREE-Free to anyone local who will read them and learn.
I have 22 yrs of QST magazines, from 1994 thru 2013. All complete yrs
except for 1994, which has one issue missing. Each year has been
individually wrapped; take any yr or all you want. 1998 thru 2013 have been
kept in the house, are clean and un-molested. 1994-1997 are in ARRL QST
binders, and have been kept in my shop which is “semi-” climate controlled.
Always above freezing, but not always air conditioned, so may be a bit musty
smelling. The binders were pricey, so I would like $5 each for those yrs,
or for the binders separately. Also have some QEX’s and Communications
Quarterly’s, also free. Pickup only at W8UT’s QTH. email hor@ec.rr.com or
fone Al at 252-636-0837 between 9AM & 7PM. Leave a message if you get the
machine. (20140818).
* Old Junk Wanted – Our Morse Code class will accept your old telegraph
keys, code practice units, keyers, paddles, bugs, small speakers, etc.,
basically anything that the students can use directly, or refurbish, or use
to build new units. So far, we have built one CPO/keyer, with another on
the way, along with a QRP transmitter. We have refurbed a MFJ keyer/paddle
combination, also. The stuff will be used only for educational purposes,
and will not be sold. Contact Bill Michne, WM3X, at 252-249-1175 or
billmichne@embarqmail.com. (20140602)
* For Sale — Recently purchased by a New Bern ham forced to
give up the hobby, a Radio Works Carolina Windom Antenna 160 model with
Dacron line (Heavy) and winches (2) to raise it high in the pines (See at
Radio Works,www.radioworks.com/). Make a reasonable offer for the whole
thing with coax and matching Balun, Ed Valentine W2YPM at 252 637-3161 or
w2ypm@earthlink.net is handling the sale. (20140602/20140804)
——————–
(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 27, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Oct 25, 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).
PARS WEB SITE:
https://www.n4prs.org/
Web Master is Larry Wall, KK4SEO, wallmailbox@yahoo.com.
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)
Have a great Labor Day!
73, Jim AI4WL