PAMLICO EMERGENCY NET (ARES) PRACTICE
The Pamlico Emergency Net meets Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm local time on
the Oriental repeater (147.210 MHz, CTCSS/PL tone 151.4, standard
offset). Subject to the availability of the Pamlico County Emergency
Manager, Mike Hurm K4HPS, our Pamlico County ARES EC, is planning
an operational test of the new dual band antenna at the EOC this Wednesday,
November 11. For this test, the Oriental 440 Repeater will also be used.
If you have not already done so, please PROGRAM YOUR RADIO to use this
repeater on the frequency of 444.350 MHz, standard offset, PL tone 85.4. In
addition, net members should make sure that they still have the backup
simplex frequency of 146.55 MHz in their radio’s memory. The simplex
frequency would be used in an emergency situation only if the repeaters
fail.
PARS BIT BUCKET
What’s this about Ground Hog Day? From Dave, N4ENE:
“Walked outside; saw my shadow.
SIX MORE WEEKS OF SUNSPOTS!”
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity has been low during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 4 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a
C3 event observed at 09/0607Z. There are currently 4 numbered sunspot
regions on the disk facing Earth The sunspot count this morning is 94 well
below the 135 reported by NOAA last week. However, the Solar Flux Index is
153, a few up from the 142 in our last PARSgram. The forecast shows
the SFI dropping slightly to 150 for today through Wednesday. According to
the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity is expected to be low
through Wednesday with a chance (30%) for M-class flares.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled during the past 24
hours. The geomagnetic field is expected to be about the same through
Wednesday. The K-index was reported by NOAA to be an quiet 1 at 0700 local
this morning..
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE–LAST CHANCE!
NAVASSA ISLAND, KP1, A large group of operators are QRV as K1N through
about February 16. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters with up to eight stations
active using CW, SSB and RTTY. At least one station is on 20 meters, 24
hours/day. 160M and 12M will be CW only and 10M will be SSB only. A 6M
beacon is operational to give an indication of propagation. Details are at
www.navassadx.com
K1N NAVASSA DXPEDITION NEWS.
(Sunday, Feb 8 from the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1201 courtesy of Ted
Mirgliotta KB8NW)
The K1N DXpedition is now in full DXpedition
mode after the team had to endure hot temperatures (116 F) and rain.
There have been a few logging problems, but N2OO states that they will be
corrected. Looks like you have about 5-6 days left to work them. The team
worked over 70k QSOs on Sunday. As this was being written on Sunday, the
log states as of February 8th at 0323z, they have made 68808 QSOs with
21689 Unique callsign (37440/CW, 26350/SSB and 5018/RTTY). Breakdown by
Continents: 496/AF, 1/AN, 2884/AS, 17955/EU, 45248/NA, 603/OC and 1621/SA.
QSL via N2OO, direct (Navassa 2015 DXpedition, c/o Bob N2OO, PO Box 345,
Tuckerton, NJ 08087) or by the Bureau (via N2OO c/o the W2 QSL Bureau).
An OQRS is available via ClubLog for both direct and Bureau QSLs. Also,
QSL via LoTW (Sooner rather than later). It was announced during the week-
end that a 6 meter beacon is now up and running on 50.103 CW. For updated
news, watch <http://www.navassadx.com>
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
OK, so who’s worked K1N during the current DXpedition? Those we know of
include Dick, K4JJW; Mike, K4HPS, Glen, N4LV; Jim, AI4WL. There are
probably other PARS folks who have made it through the monster pile ups.
Bill, WM3X was last heard trying to get through QRP! Let me know if you are
in the K1N log so I can add you to the list. Unless the US Fish and
Wildlife Service relents, your next chance to work Navassa Island will not
come before the year 2025!
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 :
* Feb 9, 1300Z – Feb 13, 2359Z, School Club Roundup
* Feb 11, 0130Z – Feb 11, 0330Z, NAQCC Monthly QRP Sprint
* Feb 14, 8 PM – Feb 15, 2 AM, PODXS 070 Club Valentine Sprint
* Feb 14, 0000Z – Feb 15, 2400Z, CQ WW RTTY WPX
* Feb 14, 1100Z – Feb 14, 1300Z, Asia-Pacific Sprint
* Feb 14, 1500Z – Feb 15, 1500Z, OMISS QSO Party
* Feb 14, 1600Z – Feb 15, 0400Z, New Hampshire 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
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 — Lightly used Ameritron AL-811H in good working order.
Output power is 800 Watts PEP, 600 Watts CW. It uses four rugged, fully
neutralized low cost 811A PA tubes. A backup set of four tubes is included
with the amplifier. The dimensions are 8 ¼” x 13 ¾” x 15 ½”. The operating
weight is 32 lbs. I am the second purchaser/owner of this amplifier. The
first owner is an active PARS member. This Amplifier has the factory
modification for operation on 10 meters. A copy of the manual is included.
Asking $550. Contact Bill Cresswell, K2ONN at 252-249-0148. (20150126)
* FOR SALE — Yaesu FT 450 Transceiver, MD 100 desk mike and a Pyramid
35 amp power supply. All for $650 and can be seen in action at my QTH to
check it out. All you will need is an antenna to be on the air. Charlie
Overcash, WA4GSI, charlie@dockline.net or 252-249-1257. (20150126).
* FREE — Coax. Belden 8281 video cable (blue jacket), 78 ft piece; RG-59U
two pieces (yellow jacket). Pick up in Morehead City or New Bern, contact
Stephen Freeman, KK4JOP, 252-725-3845. (20141215)
——————–
(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 HAMFESTS:
* March 28, 2015, DownEast Hamfest, Lenoir Community College Gym, Kinston,
8 am until 2 pm, http://www.downeasthamtest.org
* April 4, 2015: 43rd Annual RARSfest/North Carolina State Convention,
Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, State Fairgrounds,
Raleigh, NC, http://www.rars.org/rarsfest
PARS CALENDAR:
* Thru Mar 2, PARS General Class License Preparation Course, Monday
evenings,6:30-8:30 PM, Room 412 in the Brinson Building,Pamlico Community
College, 5049 Highway 306 South, Grantsboro. Contact Bill Michne, WM3X, at
252-249-1175 or by email at billmichne@embarqmail.com.
* Feb 28, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Mar 2, 2015, Amateur Radio License Exam Session, Technician, General, and
Extra, Monday evening, 6:30 PM. Room 412 in the Brinson Building, Pamlico
Community College, 5049 Highway 306 South, Grantsboro. For more information,
and TO REGISTER FOR THE EXAM, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, at 252-249-1175 or
by email at billmichne@embarqmail.com.
* Mar 28, 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. Since this is an informal forum originally
established to assist our new Hams, this frequency 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.
OOPS–
Obviously, the meeting notes in last week’s PARSgram were from our January
meeting a week ago, not November 2014. Sorry….
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.
Jim AI4WL