PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) APR 30, 2016 MEETING NOTES
* Twenty-six PARS members and guests attended the breakfast meeting
chaired by President Bill Olay, KR4LO.
* Bill presented the treasurer’s report on behalf of Wally Wallace, KK4ASP.
* Mike Hurm, K4HPS, our Pamlico County ARES EC, reported 3 Pamlico
Emergency Nets in March for 15.2 man-hours; 4 in April for 6.94 MH. He noted
that the ARRL has negotiated a new MOU with the American Red Cross. No
background checks will be required for licensed qualified amateurs who
serve with the ARC during emergencies.
* According to AI4WL, with E Skip openings occurring, VHF activity has
increased on 6 Meters over the last few days, mostly in the afternoons and
evenings.
* Tom Corwin, KI4NSP, advised that a new package has been produced by the
Pamlico Rescue Squad, an updated version of the “Card of Life’ distributed
several years ago by Carl Baxley, KJ4CFG. Stuck on front of the
refrigerator, the user provided medical data provides vital information for
first responders.
* Although there was interest expressed in participating in the 2016 Field
Day, no one stepped up to organize the effort. Bill invited interested
members to attend the May PARS planning meeting 0900 on Saturday, May 21 at
Brantley’s.
* Sam/Dave KD2T reported receiving his certificate for working 1000
“countries” in the ARRL Challenge award program.
* Following the business meeting, Ed Wafford, WD4EDW gave an overview of
the HF Digital Modes to an interested audience. It was well received.
NEW WASHINGTON NC REPEATER
Lee Hemink, WD4JFR, the Newsletter editor-publisher for the Pamlico Amateur
Radio Club in Beaufort County advises that PARC has just established a new
repeater in Chocowinity. He writes:
“Note of possible interest to your club members: in addition to the Bath
repeater (146.955 pl 82.5 loaned to us by the County, the equipment and
tower space) our club now has its own repeater, 147.255+ pl 82.5 or 131.8,
either one works. It was installed in midApril and is located on the
“Bridge” Christian Radio tower at about 245 feet here a mile east of the
Cypress Landing residential community, outside Chocowinity. Coverage extends
25+ miles in all directions, generally with regularity, often times farther.
It currently has only a 12 watt power output, but this will be jumped to
upwards of 100 watts, maybe as early as this week of 4/25, after the new amp
is installed.”
“Our PARC Club members are pleased with its success so far. It allows
Washington NC hams to get in with a handheld, whereas previously this was
not usually possible. Please pass this along to your members, maybe via the
PARSgram, for their use as desired. ”
Thanks Lee…
[I am sure Lee would appreciate reports from our County on the
repeater’s signal. You can send them to me – Jim]
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 5 pm local. The most recent activity was a C3 flare at
0842Z this morning. There are 5 numbered sunspot regions on
the disk facing Earth. The sunspot count is 76, up 30 from the 46 reported
by NOAA last week. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) was 92 yesterday at noon, up
10 from that reported a week ago. 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. The NOAA forecast has the
SFI rising to reach 105 on Wednesday. The 90 day trailing average is 96,
down one from last week.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field activity reached minor storm levels (G2)
yesterday due to solar winds. The field is forecast to be quiet to active
today then quiet on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Kp-index was reported
to be a quiet 3 at 8 a.m. local this morning. No space weather storms are
predicted for the next 24 hours.
Expect good conditions on 30 and 20 Meters and fair to poor on the higher
bands. Poor day and fair night conditions expected on 80 and 40. DXmaps
reported Sporadic-E contacts on 6 Meters yesterday afternoon and early
evening.
Dodge, KJ4CFE, passes along a pointer to a FOX News report on an
“awe-inspiring video of a solar flare that erupted on the sun on April 17”:
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/04/28/watch-this-breathtaking-video-solar-flare.html
Thanks Dodge.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGES
BURKINA FASO, XT. Operators Jusei, JA3IVU and Junichi, JH3AEF are
QRV as XT2IVU and XT2AEF, respectively, from Ouagadougou until May
4. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB and various digital
modes. QSL to home calls.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Zip
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 :
* 07/1200-08/2359Z May SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, CW 1.8-50 MHz
* 07/1300-08/0700Z May 7th Call Area QSO Party, CW Ph Dig, 1.8-28
* 07/1500-08/0300Z May Indiana QSO Party, CW Ph, 1.8-28
* 07/1700-08/2359Z May Delaware QSO Party, CW Ph 1.8-VHF
* 07/1700-07/2100Z May FISTS Spring Slow Speed Sprint, CW 3.5-28
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 — 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
(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:
* May 28, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Jun 25-26, ARRL Field Day. PARS activity TBD.
* Jul 30, 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.
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)
73,
Jim, AI4WL