PARS BREAKFAST MEETING THIS COMING SATURDAY
Our next meeting will be at 0900 this Saturday, Apr 25, at Brantley’s
Village Restaurant on Broad Street in Oriental. Please park on the side or
out back. Our meetings are held the last Saturday of each month except June
when the club participates in the annual ARRL Field Day or when in conflict
with a major holiday. We hope to see you all there. For more information
contact Pamlico Amateur Radio Society President Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287
or w_olah@yahoo.com.
Items on the agenda include auctioning of the club generator, the club Fox
Hunt, Field Day plans, and more.
U.S. POSTAL RATE INCREASE (Postponed)
Last week we reported that on April 26th, there will be some new postal
rates. Apparently, the USPS announced they will delay the implementation of
the 2015 rate increase and classification changes scheduled to start on
Sunday, April 26th, 2015. USPS rates WILL NOT be changing on April 26, 2015.
Here is a quick “corrected” summary of the proposed changes:
Forever Stamps — Will remain the same at 49 cents
Global Forever Stamps — Going Up! $1.15 to $1.20
Postcards — Going Up! 34 cents to 35 cents
Additional Ounces — Going Up! 21 cents to 22 cents
(Thanks to the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin, Apr 19, 2015)
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was moderate during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a C1
event observed at 20/0053Z. There are 7 numbered sunspot regions on the disk
facing Earth. The sunspot count this morning is 142, a giant leap up from
the 64 reported by NOAA last week. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) is 152, also
up from the 134 in our last PARSgram. The forecast shows the SFI staying
about the same until Wednesday when it should drop slightly to 145.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity is expected
to be low with a slight chance for M-class flares each day through
Wednesday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached unsettled levels yesterday. The
geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active today and Tuesday and be
unsettled and possibly reach minor storm levels on Wednesday. The stormy
conditions are predicted due to a minor Coronal Mass Ejection from a C-class
flare Saturday heading toward Earth. Producing Auroras at the poles, it
should cause little impact for us. The K-index was reported by NOAA to be a
quiet 2 at 0800 local this morning.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
ARMENIA, EK. Operators Bernd, DL7UCX and Frank, DK7AO will be QRV
as EK/DL7UCX and EK/DK7AO, respectively, from April 23 to May 4.
Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL to
home calls.
QSO 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 advised us that there will be a DXpedition to Palmyra Atoll in
early 2016:
“Craig (K9CT) and Lou (N2TU) are proud to announce a DXpedition to
Palmyra Atoll. Palmyra (KH5) ranks in the top ten on the Most Wanted
List and #2 in Europe.
After many months of negotiations with US Fish and Wildlife and The
Nature Conservancy, the Palmyra Island DXpedition Group has been awarded
permission to activate Cooper Island in the Palmyra Atoll during January
2016.
A team of 12 highly experienced operators and veterans of many
DXpeditions has been formed.
They plan to operate five stations over a 14 day period, 160 to 6 meters
on all modes, using a callsign to be announced at a later date.”
Just so you know, from Wikipedia, “PALMYRA ATOLL is an unoccupied
equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized
incorporated territory by the United States federal government. The variable
temporary population of 4-20 “non-occupants” are staff and scientists
employed by various departments of the US government and The Nature
Conservancy, as well as a rotating mix of Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium
scholars pursuing research.
Palmyra is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef
and north of Kiribati Line Islands), located almost due south of the
Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way between Hawaii and American
Samoa. The nearest continent is almost 3350mi to the northeast. The atoll is
4.6 sq mi, and it is located in the equatorial Northern Pacific Ocean.”
It has an interesting history. Named after a ship that wrecked there
and acquired under the US Guano Act, it is the only incorporated territory
of the US. It is also an “unorganized territory” of the US so there is no
Act of Congress specifying how Palmyra Atoll is to be governed–rather moot
as there are no permanent residents. The US Navy administered the island
from 1934 to 1959. Evidence of the Navy’s presence is still visible. It is
now a National Wildlife Refuge. In 1974, Palmyra was the site of the double
murder of a wealthy San Diego couple, Malcolm “Mac” Graham and his wife,
Eleanor “Muff” Graham. The “Sea Wind” murders made big headlines.
Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmyra_Atoll
Dave also advises that Juan de Nova will be activated in March 2016.
Info: http://www.juandenovadx.com
Thanks Dave….
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 :
* Apr 25, 0001Z – Apr 26, 2359Z, Ten-Ten Spring Digital Contest
* Apr 25, 1600Z – See www.floridaqsoparty.org Florida QSO Party
* Apr 26, 1700Z – Apr 26, 2100Z, BARTG 75 Sprint
* Apr 29, 7 PM – Apr 29, 11 PM, VHF Spring Sprints (220MHz)
See the ARRL Contest Branch page
ARRL Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update/ and the
WA7BNM Contest Calendar
for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Event Station Web page
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
——————–
* NEW FOR SALE– MFJ-1796 1/2 wave vertical, 2-40 meters, except the 2 and
6 meter radiators have been misplaced. No guarantee they will be found. Does
come with manual and spare radiators. Has 2 QSOs to its credit. Includes a
couple 10 foot pipes for mounting. Assembled, and elements already trimmed.
SWR depends on location and height. $130, which is half the new price. The
price will come down until someone buys it.
Jim Scheer, W4NLD, Jim.scheer@gtri.gatech.edu, or cell or text at
253-876-3733 (20150420)
* FOR SALE — Shakespeare 5309-R VHF Antenna.Used.23 Feet.Two
piece.West Marine $599.00.Best reasonable offer.Ralph AC2GR 252-649-1212
(20150330)
* FOR SALE– UPDATED LISTING
[ Remaining major items from estate of Jim Reynolds,W4YLO.
Proceeds go directly to his widow, Peggy.]
ICOM PS-125 25 amp pwr supply. Orig. price $399
Price is $175.
ICOM PW1 High Frequency Linear Amplifier – HF/50 MHz All Band 1+kW
out. Automatic antenna tuner built-in. This was bought on Jan. 7,
2012,and has had little use. Has orig. box, manual, remote head and
cables. Original price $4,649.95 (cc invoice available).
Will sell for $3000 firm, – pickup in New Bern, can ship but buyer pays.
FOR INFO OR PIX contact Al, W8UT, email anchor@ec.rr.com
(20150330,20150413, 20150420)
* 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).
——————–
(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 REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
A complete list can be found on your PARS Website, www.n4prs.org
PARS CALENDAR:
* Apr 25, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* May 30, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Jun 27-28, ARRL Field Day, Saturday, 2 pm – Sunday, 2 pm. Neuse Drive,
Oriental. Mike Marsh, 636-1257 or mike@marshconsulting.org
PARS NETS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Swamp Talk” roundtable, around 8:15 pm local,
28.463 MHz plus or minus, USB. This is an informal forum originally
established to assist our new Hams. The frequency is in the 10M voice
segment open to technician licensees and above. Radio related
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
believe would interest our folks, please send it to me. Thanks.
Jim AI4WL