VOICE OF AMERICA ANTENNA FARM LEVELED
(Courtesy of and extracted from the ARRL News of 04/06/2016. Thanks to Pete,
AG7C, for the pointer)
A field of 48 antenna towers that the Voice of America once used to
broadcast around the world, was dropped by explosives on April 4. The VOA
had not used the towers, located in Beaufort County, North Carolina, for 10
years, although it still broadcasts news and information to Latin America,
Cuba, the Caribbean and Africa from towers in a nearby county. According to
news reports, it took less than 1 minute to fell the towers, which were
hauled away as scrap. They had been in place for 50 years.
Television station WITN said the VOA site has been sold to the North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for conservation
See the towers go down in this WITN TV news report:
http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Radio-towers-being-demolished-in-Washington-373785161.html
Several years ago about 10 PARS members toured Site B in Pitt County.
Photos of that visit are on the PARS Web Site, www.n4prs.org For more about
the VOA’s broadcast facilities read “Radio World” Magazine’s article at
http://www.radioworld.com/article/48-years-old-and-still-a-flamethrower/23286
VHF/UHF SPRING SPRINTS START TONIGHT
We are reminded that the annual series starts tonight at 7-11 pm local
time. This is the first of several Spring Sprints for VHF/UHF “weak signal”
fans.These sprints run for only four hours one night during the next several
weeks on the various VHF and UHF bands. April 11 is the night for the 2
Meter band and most folks will be using USB or CW on or near the calling
frequency of 144.200 Mhz. You can also use FM on the simplex frequencies;
repeater use is not allowed. If conditions are good, it is possible to work
stations all up and down the east coast. If not, New Bern may be as far as
we can go. The object is to work as many amateur stations in as many 2
degree by 1 degree grid squares as possible so you need to look up your grid
square. If you gave your “plus four” zip code when you applied for your
license, the grid square assigned in QRZ.com (details) is probably accurate.
You should give your complete 6 digit grid square, e.g., FM15qc, as
part of the exchange. Complete details can be found at
https://sites.google.com/site/springvhfupsprints/2016-information. The 6
Meter Sprint will be Saturday evening, May 14th.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a C1 flare
observed at 0204Z this morning. There is only one numbered sunspot region on
the disk facing Earth but it is a large and active one. The sunspot count
this morning is 26, down from the 38 reported by NOAA last week. The Solar
Flux Index (SFI) was 111 yesterday at noon, well up from the 82 reported a
week ago. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity
is expected to continue to be low for the next three days with a slight
(10%) chance for M-class flares. The NOAA forecast has the SFI staying about
the same through Wednesday. The 90 day trailing average is now down to 98.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field activity was quiet to unsettled yesterday. The
field is forecast to be quiet to unsettled today and tomorrow and reach
minor storm levels on Wednesday. The Kp-index was reported to be a quiet 1
at 8 a.m. local this morning. No space weather storms are predicted for the
next 24 hours.
No real change in band conditions. Continue to expect fair conditions on 30
and 20 Meters and fair to poor on the higher bands. Good conditions should
continue for 40M at night. DXmaps showed activity on 6M over the weekend
but it was a mixed bag of TEP, meteor shower, and tropo propagation with
only a couple of E-skip contacts reported yesterday.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
SOUTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Mike, ZL1MRC plans to be QRV as E51MRC from
Rarotonga, IOTA OC-013, from April 13 to 22. Activity will be on
the HF bands. QSL to home call.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Again, all quiet. Guess hearing Heard Island was tough for most of us.
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 :
* 11/1900-11/2300L Apr 144 MHz Spring Sprint, CW Ph Dig 144 MHz
* 16/1400-17/2300Z Apr Nebraska QSO Party, CW Ph Dig 1.8-UHF
* 16/1600-17/0400Z Apr Michigan QSO Party, CW Ph 3.5-28
* 16/1800-17/1800Z Apr Ontario QSO Party, CW Ph 1.8-144
* 16/1800-17/1800Z Apr North Dakota QSO Party, 1.8-144
* 17/1800-17/2359Z Apr ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB 3.5-50
* 18/0100-18/0300Z Apr Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, 1.-28 MHz
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
——————————————————————–
* NE’W ITEM FOR SALE — BX Free Standing Tower, rotor/controller and Mosley
Yagi Antenna
A) Tower-Mod.- BX 40Ft – 5-8Ft sections – with tilt mounting base plate and
wall mounting bracket.
B) Antenna – Mosley 3 element MOD. TA-33 JR (20-10-15)
C) Hi-gain CD-45-11 Rotor & Controller with 140+Ft control cable.
D) Mast – 7’6″ X 2″ .
E) Needs–New Thrust Bearing, suggest a Glen Martin Eng. model TB-25 (Has 6
lock down mast bolts) Grad 5 or higher – Nuts, Bolts, Washers for tower
assembly. Documentation included. Asking–$650.00 ( estimated new —
1800+ ) Contact — Dan Baker (N6XWF) @ (252) – 249-2922
* FOR SALE — Yaesu FT-450 Transceiver, MD 100 desk mike and a Pyramid
35 amp power supply. All for $550 and the FT-450 alone for $450. All you
will need is an antenna to be on the air. Charlie Overcash, WA4GSI,
charlie@dockline.net or 252-249-1257. (20160118).
(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
* 26th Annual Down East Hamfest , Saturday, April 23, Kinston, NC
Details at http://www.w4amc.com/pictures/2016downeasthf.pdf
PARS CALENDAR:
* Apr 30, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* May 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. 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.
73,
Jim AI4WL