OPEN VE/FCC TEST SESSION TONIGHT
By Bill Michne, WM3X, extracted from an earlier PARSgram:
We will be conducting an open test session for Technician, General, and
Extra Classes of ham licenses tonight, Monday, November 16, 2015 at Pamlico
Community College. The test will be held in room 412 in the Brinson
Building – the middle building on campus. THE TESTING SESSION WILL COMMENCE
PROMPTLY AT 6 P.M.
Although walk-ins will be accommodated, if possible you should provide your
intention to attend, including the class(es) of license for which you will
be testing, by notifying Bill Michne, WM3X, at 252-249-1175, or by email at
billmichne@embarqmail.com, to assure that you receive any late information
about the session.
Each candidate must present a legal photo ID. This requirement is usually
met with a driver’s license, but it can be a passport or other legal
identification card with the candidate’s photo on it. When no photo ID is
available, the candidate must present any two of the following: a non-photo
ID/driver’s license; a social security card; a birth certificate (must have
the appropriate seal); a minor’s work permit, school report card, school ID
card or library card; a utility bill, bank statement or other business
correspondence that specifically names the person; or a postmarked envelope
addressed to the person at his or her current mailing address as it appears
on the Form 605.
There is an administration fee for the tests of $15.00. This allows you to
take all of the exams in sequence if you wish, but you must pass one exam in
order to take the next one. If you fail an exam you must pay a new fee to
retake that level of exam. Repeat tests are different, but all are from the
same question pool. There is no limit as to how many repeat tests you can
take, but experience has shown that two consecutive failures is a strong
indication that you are not prepared for that level of test, and should
spend more time preparing and less money trying.
If you are coming to a session, to take your first Technician test, bring
yourself, your ID’s, your favorite pencil or ball point pen, and your
calculator. Leave your nervousness at home because we want you to get your
license.
If you are coming to upgrade your license, bring your ID’s and both the
originals and photocopies of your current amateur license or any
Certificates proving credit from previous exams that you have taken. These
will be needed to show completion of prior exams for your upgrade.
Calculators are allowed, but you must be able to show the examiner team that
the memories of any programmable calculators have been cleared before the
exam starts.
All needed forms will be supplied by the exam teams – it will not be
necessary to bring an FCC form 610. Pencils and scratch paper are provided
at most of the sessions, but you should probably have one ball point pen or
pencil of your own.
You should arrive promptly at the exam site to start paperwork processing.
Please keep in mind that the exam team members are all volunteers and are
donating their time to help you obtain your license. They make every effort
to be professional and efficient in the exam process, but they ARE
volunteers.
ARRL DUES GOING UP
In case you missed it, we want you to know that your ARRL dues (1 year
membership) are going up $10 starting 1 January 2016. Longer term
memberships are also increasing. If you are renewing your membership through
the club–and even if you do it separately–you might want to do it soon.
Wally sent PARS renewal applications to all current members last week. You
should have yours by now. Get it back to her by mid-December so you can
insure getting the lower membership rate. Remember, if you renew through
PARS, we are able to retain two dollars of your ARRL renewal for your club’s
activities. Here’s the old and new dues schedule:
http://www.arrl.org/membership-levels
If you did not receive your PARS renewal materials or have questions you can
contact Wally KK4ASP at wallyandwill@gmail.com or 410-804-1750.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 4 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a B7 flare
observed at 0008Z this morning. There are 4 numbered sunspot regions on the
disk facing Earth. The sunspot count this morning is 63, down from the 70
reported by NOAA last week. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) is 106, just down
from the 108 in last week’s report and just above the 90 day trailing
average of 105. The NOAA forecast has the SFI dropping slowly to100 on
Wednesday. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity
is expected to continue to be very low for the next three days with only a
chance for C-class flares and a less than one percent chance for anything
greater.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field varied from quiet to unsettled over
the weekend. Expect quiet to unsettled conditions today and Tuesday and
quiet to active condtitions Wednesday. The Kp-index was
reported to be a quiet 3 at 0700 local this morning.
You will find your best chances for DX on the 30 and 20 Meter bands.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
ITU HQ, 4UxITU. The 4U1ITU station in Geneva is QRV as 4U1WRC
during the WRC-15 conference until November 27. QSL via 4U1ITU.
Also, listen for–
WILLIS ISLAND, VK9W. A large group of operators will be QRV as
VK9WA from November 14 to 23. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters,
and possibly 6 meters, using CW, SSB and RTTY with up to four
stations active. QSL via N7SMI.
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 this week.
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 :
* 21/2100-23/0300Z Nov ARRL Sweepstakes, SSB,
* 21/2100-22/0100Z Nov RSGB 2nd 1.8 MHz Contest, CW
* 21/2100-23/0300Z Nov NA Collegiate ARC Championship, SSB
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.)
DX EXPERIENCE
We’re trying something new courtesy of Jamie, KJ4JK. Every few weeks we’ll
put up a new “experience”. You might learn something new and then have fun
if and when you make the contact. Here’s the second one:
The world’s most populated city . Shanghai …
At a whopping 24,150,000 permanent inhabitants,
Shanghai is the only city that is home to over 24 million people in one city
If you make a successful contact, notify Jamie King KJ4JK and he’ll put you
on the eligible list for the prize.
mailto:KJ4JK@ARRL.NET (20151109)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* FOR SALE– 100 ft. 600 ohm low loss ladder line manufactured by True
Ladder Line LLC. #16 AWG 23 strand insulated wire, 3-1/2″ spacers.
Perfect for feeding balanced wire antennas. Brand new in original carton.
Cost $70 w/shipping, sell for $45. See www.trueladderline.com for details.
Dick Goodwin K4JJW 633-7873, rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net
* FOR SALE –SGC SG-2000 transceiver with tuner, asking $800. Gill
Grabowski KB1GHA, 339-832-4257 or grabg1@aol.com. (20150907)
——————–
(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:
* Nov 16, VE Testing Session, Pamlico Community College Room 412, Monday,
6:00 pm.For more info contact Mike Marsh K4NLC, 252-636-1257 or
mike@marshconsulting.com or Bill Michne, WM3X, 249-1175 or
billmichne@embarqmail.com.
* Nov 28, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287
or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Dec 5, SKYWARN Appreciation Day, Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm, National Weather
Service Forecast Office, Newport, NC. John Hopkins KJ4EJH
hopkinszoo1@msn.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/
* Chief Editor and Administrator is Greg Wadsworth KM4DZM, 252-322-1033 or
gwadsworth1@ yahoo.com
* 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