PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
The first virtual meeting of Club Presidents and Program Chairs was
held this past week. K4ONC, Bruce, attended on behalf of PARS. About a
dozen clubs participated. Ideas about keeping clubs active and vital
were exchanged and a number of common problems were identified. A
summary of the meeting will be available soon. If you want a copy or
if you desire to be advised of the next meeting in February, please
contact Tim at n4ib@arrl.org. _.._ The low band DX community is
mourning the passing of John Devoldere, ON4UN. John specialized in all
aspects of DXing on 160, 80, and 40 meters. His book, “Low Band DXing”
is a masterful contribution to activity on those bands, including
commentary on equipment, propagation, general operation and contesting,
and an extensive treatment of antennas, both transmitting and receiving,
large and small. He is one of the few amateurs to have a full size
quarter wave vertical for 160 meters, and by 2018 had confirmed 325 DX
entities on that band. He will be greatly missed. _…_ The
University of Western Australia (UWA) is set to install an optical
communications station capable of receiving high-speed data
transmissions from space. The communications station will be able to
receive data from spacecraft from anywhere between low-Earth orbit
(between 100 miles and 620 miles above Earth’s surface) to as far away
as the surface of the moon — some 240,000 miles away. Optical
communications are an emerging alternative to radio waves and are
expected to drastically improve data transfer capabilities from space.
Could this be a new frontier for amateur radio? …_._ de WM3X, Bill
Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 5 pm local. There are no sunspot regions on the Sun
facing Earth this morning. Even though we have no sunspots visible now
there still is a slight chance of a C-class flare today. Activity is
expected be very low on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Sunday the observed
Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 79. The index is predicted to
register 75 today, 72 Tuesday and Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing
average is 75, up one from last week.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be
quiet through Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1 reported at 4 a.m.
local this morning indicates we are currently experiencing quiet
geomagnetic conditions.
For the next several days, we can expect good daytime and good nighttime
operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters, fair on 30 and 20. Poor
conditions are expected on the higher bands. The VHF bands remain mostly
quiet except for those using meteor scatter propagation. The Earth is in
the midst of the annual Leonid metor shower. It should peak tomorrow
morning, Nov 17th.
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.
VOACAP ONLINE MAJOR UPGRADE
I used to think that the Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program
(VOACAP) was a balky unfriendly propagation tool. No longer. As reported
in this week’s Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin (#1490) and elsewhere, VOACAP
Online has undergone a major server upgrade. It’s easier to use and
fast. If you want to get a point-to-point forecast giving you the best
time and band to work Tokyo or anywhere else in the world, check out
VOACAP Online for Ham Radio (https://www.voacap.com/hf/). If you want to
find when and and what band to use for the upcoming DXpedition to
greater Slabovia check out VOACAP DX Charts
(https://www.voacap.com/dx/). This subprogram even lists ongoing and
upcoming DXpeditions for you.
VOACAP Online for Ham Radio is a free HF propagation prediction service
for the global ham community. It’s been integrated with DX Summit and
the Club Log sites and you might have used it there. “No registration
required, no tracking on the site by Google Analytics, no ads on the
pages, and no subscription fee for the service.” To keep up with all the
developments you can follow and subscribe to the latest VOACAP
developments on Twitter, (https://twitter.com/VOACAP/).
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**
Heil Foot Switch, push to transmit. $15.00. Contact Ed Valentine, W2YPM,
at 252-637-3161 or w2ypm@earthlink.net. (20201019)
**Estate Ham Equipment For Sale**
Eddie Lyon, K4NGR, provided a long list of equipment he is wishing to
sell on behalf of the wife of a fellow ham who passed several weeks ago.
Major items now remaining on the list with prices originally paid
include a Yaesu FT2000/HF Transceiver $2,115 with Yaesu MD-100 Mic $179
and Yaesu external speaker with phone patch and an Ammeritron AL-811H
Amp $999. “These prices are what he had paid for them brand new so
whatever we can get for them to help his wife Pat out will be most
appreciated.” For a complete list of the remianing items or more
information please contact Eddie at ELyon47@aol.com or 540-905-5839.
(20201019, 20201102)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Nov 28, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Virtual Meeting via
“Zoom” or at Brantleys Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill
Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Dec 26, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Virtual Meeting via
“Zoom” or at Brantleys Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill
Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* 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
SO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL, SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Our Pamlico County COVID-19 Community Task Force has produced some good
advice to help travelers stay safe and have an enjoyable trip. Even if
you are staying home, you might want to read the article at the URL below:
https://mailchi.mp/04f13666b766/advice-for-pamlico-residents-traveling-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic?e=adb5dfd6c4
As of yesterday, Nov 15th, towndock.net reports our County had tallied
357 COVID-19 cases. This includes 13 new cases added Saturday and three
yesterday.
- Please mask up in public and stay safe. Jim AI4WL
——
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