PARSgram 2019-03-04 M
James Hartmeyer <jth350@embarqmail.com>
Mon, Mar 4, 2019 at 9:20 AM
To: PARS Members <ai4wl@arrl.net>
FOR YAHOO AND AOL SUBSCRIBERS
For some reason, last week’s PARSgram (2019-02-25) was rejected by your server on Friday with the error code: 554 5.4.7 [internal] exceeded max retries without delivery. Not to worry… Thanks to Paul, K4MMB, our PARSgrams are again being posted on the PARS Website. They are now available without requiring a member login. You can find last week’s issue at https://www.n4prs.org/parsgram-2019-02-25/ You might notice that there is a considerable gap in the archive. It soon will be filled. –Jim
PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
Bill’s “Soapbox” will return next week.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending yesterday at 5 pm local. There are no numbered sunspot regions on the sun facing earth this morning. We are now up to 32 days in this spotless stretch, 47 (75%) for the year so far. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center activity is expected to be very low today through Wednesday. On Sunday, the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 70. The index is predicted to be 70 today through Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is 71.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled yesterday. It is expected to be quiet to unsettled today, and the quiet on Tuesday and Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 2 at 7 a.m. local this morning indicates quiet conditions.
We can expect fair day and good night operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters, poor conditions will continue on the higher bands. Conditions seemed surprisingly good for the ARRL International DX Contest this past weekend. There was even some Es on 6M when the contest ended Sunday. The annual event always brings some wanted DX stations and a great opportunity to work an ATNO or two.
For an explanation of numbers used in our PARSgram, see the excellent article written by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA at http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE — A do-over!
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, HD8. A group of operators will be QRV as HD8M from Santa Cruz Island, IOTA SA-004, until March 6. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters, including 60 meters, using CW, SSB, and FT8 in DXpedition mode. QSL via WB2REM. (see http://www.hd8m.com)
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the weekly 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.
* 09/1500-10/1500Z Mar 1.8 Stew Perry Topband Challenge, CW (www.kkn.net/stew)
* 09/1500-10/2100Z Mar 3.5-50 Oklahoma QSO Party, CW Ph Dig (k5cm.com/okqp.htm)
* 09/1900-19/1900Z Mar 1.8-28 Idaho QSO Party, CW Ph Dig (idahoarrl.info/qsoparty)
* 09/2200-09/2300Z Mar 1.8-28 QRP ARCI SSB Shootout, Ph (www.qrparci.org/contests)
* 10/0000-10/0400Z Mar 3.5-14 North American Sprint, RTTY Dig (ncjweb.org)
* 10/1800-11/0100Z Mar All Wisconsin QSO Party, CW Ph Dig (warac.org/wqp/wgp.htm)
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 are a great way to get those last states for your Worked All States (WAS) Award.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
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. Listings will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise.–Jim.
FOR SALE– I have a Yaesu FT-897d I’d like to sell. I will lower the price for the local hams because I don’t have to go through the hassle of shipping it. I’d like $600 for it. Please post the link and note this is pick-up only. No shipping. More info at https://swap.qth.com/view_ad.php?counter=1409643
Contact Tom Akin, KB1MIQ, 801 Midyette St., Oriental. 207-432-5399 (20181224)
UPCOMING REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
***The 28th Annual Down East Hamfest in Kinston will be on Saturday April 6, 2019, from 8 am until 2 pm in the Lenoir Community College Gymnasium. For more info call Bill Highland at 252-347-1498 or go to www.downeasthamfest.org. ***
PARS CALENDAR:
* Mar 30, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* April 6, FCC License Examination/VE Session, Saturday 9am, Oriental Town Hall, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Apr 27, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Pamlico Swamp Roundtable” (“Swamp Net” for some), around 8 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 10 Meter Band voice segment open to technician licensees and above. Radio related topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Tuesdays, Newport Weather Service SKYWARN Practice Net, 9:00 pm local, Oriental (147.210+ (PL151.4)) and all other local repeaters. Open net for severe weather warning and reporting continously monitored upon activation.
* Wednesdays, Pamlico Emergency Net Practice and Rag Chew/ARES, 7:30 pm, Oriental Repeater, 147.210 + (PL151.4).
* Thursdays, “DownEast/Pamlico Six Meter Net”, 8 pm local, 50.200 MHz, USB. A non-directed open net to promote operation on the ‘Magic Band’.
(For more nets see www.arrl.org/arrl-net-directory-search )
PARS WEB SITE: https://www.n4prs.org/
Web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, 561-308-3456, PARSwebman@gmail.com
Note from Paul: “If anyone has any website suggestions, submissions, questions or issues please contact me at PARSwebman@gmail.com
And, if any of you have any photos we can use of events or our club members, send them along as well. Please include any info as to who, what and where. Thanking you in advance. Paul, K4MMB”
YOUR PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY OFFICERS
President–Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175. drmichne73@gmail.com
Vice President–Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, 252-249-6015, k4onc@aol.com
Treasurer–Gail (Wally) Wallace, KK4ASP, 410-804-1750, wallyandwill@gmail.com
Secretary/Newsletter Editor–Jim Hartmeyer, AI4WL, 252-249-1984, jth350@embarqmail.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 and 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 offers a means to advertise radio equipment and other related items for sale or trade. Since PARS members may have limited internet access, the PARSgram has no attachments and kept relatively short. Go 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. (20190303)
73, Jim AI4WL