PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
On Saturday we held the monthly PARS meeting net on the Oriental
repeater. If my records are correct, this was the fourth such meeting.
For each meeting the number of checkins has been on the light side,
running about half the number that usually showed up at the breakfast
meetings. Of course, we have no way of knowing how many members tune in
and listen without checking in. It is likely that we will continue this
meeting format for some months to come, so if you are listening in you
may as well check in. _…_ The main topic for discussion at
Saturday’s meeting was the Field Day results. As most of you know there
was a rules change that allowed club members to operate from their home
stations and then pool their individual scores to form an aggregate club
score. The result of this change meant more log entries. For 2019
there were 3,113 log entries. The latest available data for this year
shows 9,573 log entries received, with a few more days to go to the
deadline for submissions. We’ll have to wait for the final stats to
come out, but the profile of operations has clearly changed, and I
expect that the future of the annual event will change as well. _…_
So how did PARS do? We had five operators submit logs for a point total
of 3,417. That compares with our club score last year of 1,772 points.
Dick, K4JJW, took top honors in the club with 1,010 points, followed
closely by Jim, AI4WL, 958; N4PRS (WM3X, Bill op), 710; Bruce, K4ONC,
458; and Mike, K4HPS, 281. Congratulations to All! …_._ de WM3X,
Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) JULY 25, 2020 VIRTUAL MEETING NOTES
* Twelve PARS members checked-in to the 9 am meeting net on the
Oriental Repeater. It was controlled by President Bill Michne using the
club call, N4PRS.
* There were no reports of awards, upgrades or special QSO’s.
* Bill presented the treasurer’s report on behalf of Wally. There was
no financial activity in July.
* Propagation Report: Solar activity remains very low. A sunspot
region has just appeared. It is from new Cycle 25. We are experiencing
some geomagnetic activity due solar wind mixed with remnants from a
minor coronal mass ejection. Six meters has been quiet for the past week.
* Mike, K4NLC, reported the Pamlico Emergency Net generated 12
man-hours from 4 sessions in July with one to go. He noted check-ins
have fallen off as have WinLink check-ins, not a good thing as we are a
month into Hurricane season. Mike advises members to check their
equipment and check-in to the net. No EMCOMM sessions are planned until
PCC is again available.
* Regarding Field Day, Bill reported that the scores from 5 member home
stations resulted in 3,417 a aggregate score for the club, considerably
more than the scores achieved at Field Day site the past two years.
[More details in the President’s Soapbox.] The last day to submit logs
is Tuesday, July 28th.
* John Keating, KB1KW, advised that Janice Hopkins, KJ4JPE, is in the
hospital in Morehead City due to a medical condition. She is expected to
be transferred to Crystal Plus for rehabilitation. Cards or notes would
be welcomed. Janice’s home address is listed on “QRZ” and the PARS
members roster.
* Jim, AI4WL, advised that a new broadband survey is underway by the NC
Department of Information Technology to gather information on locations
without adequate internet access or speed with a goal to “achieve
affordable broadband access for all”. [FCC defines broadband as 25 Mbps
down and 3 Mbps up. The NIT database shows over 84 percent of the
County’s population having access to that level of service yet the same
database shows only 3 percent have access to fiber. This rosy picture of
broadband access is obviously incorrect. Selection of counties to
receive significant funding is coming soon. A realistic picture of our
residents’ needs is vital.] To access the onine survey visit
ncbroadband.gov/survey.
* There being no further business the meeting was adjourned/net closed
at 0924.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 5 pm local. There is one sunspot region on the Sun
facing Earth this morning. It belongs to Cycle 25. We soon may have two
as a second sunspot region is about to come into view. According to the
Space Weather Prediction Center activity will continue to be very low
through Wednesday. On Sunday the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at
Penticton was 71. The index is predicted to register 70 today, Tuesday
and Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is 69.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to active yesterday. It is
expected to be quiet today and quiet to unsettled on Tuesday and
Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1 reported at 5 a.m. local this
morning indicates we are currently experiencing quiet conditions.
We can expect fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80
and 40 meters and fair conditions night and day on 30 and 20. Expect
poor conditions on the higher HF bands. Six meters was quiet for most of
the week but operators found life there on Sunday, primarily single hop
E layer skip across the eastern half of the US. Most activity continues
to be either CW or FT8. Stations in the Northeast are working multi-hop
into Europe this Monday morning.
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.
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
For listing in the PARSgram send me your amateur radio related items
that you have for sale, trade, or wanted. PLEASE let me know when you
have have sold your item or your listing is no longer needed. Listings
will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise.–Jim.
** FOR SALE**
HyGain 18 AVQ 10 thru 80 ground mounted vertical. Base section ruined by
Florence, replaced with new section from HyGain, antenna not
reinstalled. Antenna in 3 sections for transport – base, middle and top
with counterpoises, longest about 8 feet. $100 and you transport. Call
Art KB1TX at 252-571-1752. (20200511)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Aug 29, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Virtual Meeting via
Radio. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or
drmichne73@gmail.com.
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Tuesdays, Newport Weather Service SKYWARN Practice Net, 9:00 pm
local, Oriental (147.210+ (PL151.4)) and all other local repeaters. This
net for severe weather warning and reporting is 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/
Our web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, 561-308-3456, PARSwebman@gmail.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.
AND WHAT’S “HERD IMMUNITY”
And how many folks who are immune to COVID-19 does it take to protect
the rest of us in the herd? Go to the URL below to find out-
https://mcusercontent.com/87916e588364d43fd5a2d013b/files/af88bd5a-0e6d-4007-8682-e08d95a93f2c/HerdImmunity.pdf
73, stay safe, Jim AI4WL
——
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