PARS FIELD DAY STATS
The full tabulation of points will be available later, but here’s how we did
radio wise according to Glen, N4LV:
Total QSO’s – 293
Total Points – 452
Total CW – 145
Total Phone – 134
Total Digital – 14
Furthest contact – Portugal (AI4WL)
Total Operators – 6 (K4JJW WM3X AI4WL K4LTE NC4Z N4LV)
The top 3 operators in QSO numbers were: Dick K4JJW with 108 (all CW),
Brian K4LTE with 94 (Our Triathlon Operator – a mix of CW, Phone, and
RTTY), Gary NC4Z finished third nipping at Brian’s heels. (All Phone)
PARS “contest” stations including VHF reached a total of 44 States – not
bad at all. CW was the top QSO mode (145) followed closely by Phone
(134) – a Field Day first.
Separately reported are the GOTA contacts of which there were 36. Our PR
Officer Greg Wadsworth KM4DZM made 22; Bridget Kelly, our young visitor, 4;
Carol Glorioso KK4UTG 4; Joy McCracken 3, and Eric Lind, KG4ISY made 3.
There will be some bonus points added earned by the GOTA operators.
This numbers thing is tricky. More to come…..
PARS BIT BUCKET
We received a nice 4th of July card and note from Marijane, NP2AZ, and Vince
Sipple, N6JIB, down in Jacksonville, FL. We still send them the PARSgram and
they check on their old friends here in the County through our weekly email,
the N4PRS.org website, and probably towndock. Nice to know we are
appreciated. They enjoyed seeing Greg’s photos of Field Day that reminded
them of old times, their old friends… and the heat!
Kudos to our Public Relations guy, Greg KM4DZM, for putting together our
PARS entry in the Croakerfest Parade. It was neat to see Greg and Joy
rolling down Broad Street celebrating Ham Radio on the 4th. By the way, Joy
made her first radio contacts on our PARS Field Day GOTA station last week.
Wonder if it was that one with a ham in Oregon…
And don’t forget Greg’s Field Day photos are on the PARS web site,
www.n4prs.org There was a bit of a glitch when the photos were first
posted; you don’t need to log in to see them now. Just go to the photos
tab and click on “Field Day 2015”.
Here for the holiday, it was great to see Dennis “QRP” Had, W4USR, at the
parade. Suspect he was making sure his Zero-Five wasn’t broken after we
gave it a workout last weekend for Field Day. Thanks again, Dennis.
According to Glen, our Field Day most distant contact was made not with the
Zero-Five in Dennis’ backyard, but with the little 6 Meter Moxon On A Stick
in his front yard. We’re talking about that contact with CT1HZE Saturday
with less than five watts on the Magic Band.
DRAGONBOAT RACE SUPPORT
This is a request for volunteers from PARS to assist in providing control
and safety communications support. Help will be needed on Saturday, August
15, 2015. Tom K8TF advises:
The Dragonboat Races will be Aug 14 and 15, 2015. Organizers are requesting
PARS help with communication again this year. Last year we had 9 volunteers
working. We usually use simplex,146.55 because of the short range
There will be a practice on Friday, Aug 14, but we don’t think anyone will
needed. I will go by on Friday to see if they need anything.
The Dragonboat races will be held at River Dunes, Grace Harbor. We will need
people at the Starting Line, Scoreboard area, Finish Line, and someone to
float between the Team to Marshalling area. that means a minimum of 4
people at any one time.
If we can get 8-10 volunteers for Saturday, we can have half of the
volunteers working in morning and the other half can work the balance of the
day. Operators are welcome to stay all day.
The Races will start about 10 AM and finish by 3:30 to 4:00 PM with a lunch
break at 12:30 PM.The first group should arrive by 9:30 AM. The
second group could begin relieving by about 12:30 to 1:00 PM.
There will be bottled water available for us. There will be some tents for
shade. Food vendors will be there. Also I believe Flora Moorman will be
giving each of a us a staff T-shirt with the Dragonboat logo.
If you can help, please call or email Tom Finta, K8TF at 240-9838 or email:
fintatom@aol.com Advise when you want to work: AM or PM.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 5 pm local but then the Sun went active this morning. The
largest recent solar event was a M1 flare observed at 06/0844Z. There are 9
numbered sunspot regions on the disk facing Earth. The sunspot count this
morning is 131, almost a 100 more than the 39 reported by NOAA a week ago at
this time. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) is 117, up from the 97 in our
last PARSgram. The forecast shows the SFI rising to 125 today through
Wednesday. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity
is expected to be low through Wednesday with a slight chance (15%) for
M-class flares.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached major storm levels yesterday. During
the late hours of July 4th, a solar wind stream hit Earth’s magnetic field,
sparking a moderately-strong (G2-class) geomagnetic storm. It continued into
the early hours Sunday. The geomagnetic field is expected be quiet to active
today and then quiet through Wednesday. The Kp-index was reported by NOAA to
be a quiet 2 at 0800 local this morning.
Tropospheric E-layer propagation (skip) has appeared almost daily for the
past week on 6 Meters; several days on 2 Meters. Last Sunday morning,
during Field Day we saw the 6 Meter band “open” about two hours, this
past Sunday (the 5th) even longer. Over 36 stations were worked from
Whortonsville yesterday in just over an hour, some multi-hop. The Summer
months of June and July offer us the best chance for E-skip propagation.
Yesterday, stations in California, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois,
Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas and more were
workable from Pamlico County. There is no known way to predict when these
openings will occur. Most fans of weak signal VHF monitor their favorite
cluster, the DXMaps website, or keep their radio on and tuned to 50,125 MHz
USB, the 6 Meter band calling frequency and listen for activity. When the
band is open, a modest station will do as will many HF antennas. If it will
load, it will work.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, HC8. Jeff, G8OFQ is QRV as HC8/G8OFQ from the
Galapagos National Park on Isabela Island, IOTA SA-004, until
September 30 while working as a volunteer. Activity will be in his
spare time on 160 to 6 meters. QSL via HA3JB.
QSO 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 anyone…. too hot?
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 :
* 11/0000-11/0400Z Jul FISTS Summer Sprint CW
* 11/1200-12/1200Z Jul IARU HF World Championship CW Ph
* 11/1200-12/2359Z Jul SKCC Weekend Sprintatho CW
* 12/2000-12/2159Z Jul CQC Great Colorado Gold Rush CW
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
——————–
* 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. (20150601).
* FOR SALE–Hank Aaron WB4ROA, long time PARS member is moving. He is
selling much of his equipment. Brian Shepard K4LTE is handling the sale.
For a Yaesu FT-2000 and other Yaesu transceivers:
RF Mu-tuning kit 80/40m band for $300.00, and RF Mu-tuning kit 30/20m band
for $300.00.
Command Technologies Commander Amplifier 2KW for $1500.00.
Yaesu-7800R 2M/70cm Transceiver for $150.00.
Heil Headset Pro Set Quiet Phone with HC-5 mic for $80.00, retailed for
$155.00.
MXL Studio Condenser Microphone MXL-2003 for $100.00, retailed for $163.00.
Heil Hand Switch for $25.00.
Foot Switch for $20.00.
Array Solutions Six Pack ( remote antenna switch) 2 radios-6 antenna ports
per radio for $300.00, retailed for $450.00.
Array Solutions Rat Pack (remote antenna switch) 6 antenna positions for
$100.00, retailed for $250.00.
Astron SL-11 pwr supply for $50.00, retailed for $89.00.
Bencher Keyer for $150.00.
Plus lots of coax and cables-most coax uses N-connectors and were
professionally made by Cable X.
PL259 adapters for .50 cent ea. (28-total)
UHF Male Crimp (type PL259) connectors $2.00 ea. (37-total)
Type N Male crimp for RG8 $2.00 ea. (15-total)
PL259 Connectors $1.00 ea. (16-total)
PL259 UHF Male to female tee adapter connectors, $4.00 ea. (total-9)
BNC Male to UHF female connectors, $2.00 ea. (total-2)
Added items–
Palstar ZM30 digital antenna analyzer, $200.00
ICOM M1V VHF Handheld radio with HM-125 speaker microphone and a new BC-119N
desk top charger, $175.00
Aceco FC-6002 RF Tracer, $150.00
Contact Brian at k4lte2@centurylink.net or at his cell 252-670-5531.
(20150511, 20150518, 20150622)
* 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–[ 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)
——————–
(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:
* Jul 25, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Aug 29, 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. 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.
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. Log on to the PARS Website at https://www.n4prs.org/ for
longer news articles, photos, archived PARSgrams and more. 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 (20150406)
Jim, AI4WL