PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
The propagation reports are sounding pretty good, and the predictions
are getting more positive. NASA has moved the predicted peak of cycle
25 up from 2025 to sometime in 2024. I’m also hearing about openings on
10 and 15 meters. I hope many of our members take advantage of the
improving conditions. I’m looking forward to putting my triband yagi in
service, maybe as early as this coming week. It’s assembled and parked
in my yard waiting for the tree guy to come and hang it on the tower.
_…_ For those of you that have not been following it, Lor’s (W3QA)
second pico balloon may have come down on its second lap around the
earth. Nevertheless, getting that far was quite an achievement. _…_
Countdown to Field Day: It’s only about two months away. I’ll have more
to say about the operation in the coming weeks, but for now, I’d like to
arrange to have one order for Field Day stuff (hats, T-shirts, mugs,
etc.) go in to ARRL, as this will save quite a bit on shipping. I’d
like to place the order no later than the first week of June. More
details to follow. …_._ de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175,
drmichne73@gmail.com.
RIDING THE EASTERN EXPRESS
For those of you not keeping up, Lor and Matt’s little PicoBalloon
circled the world and kept going. NC4ES-2 reached the Atlantic for the
second time around noon last Monday. It had lifted off on its trip from
Greenville headed east two weeks earlier and completed the circle near
Tybee Island, GA. At over 42,000 ft., with nothing to stop it, the
Express then floated south and then turned east gliding out over the
Atlantic.
It kept going. Over Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt… the
little balloon made it as far as Iran when, on Sunday morning, its
beacon was last heard. In Lor’s words yesterday, “Today, over central
Iran, radio reports show a loss of altitude and spotty reception reports
for NC4ES-2 Eastern Express. We slowed down and entered an area of low
pressure, with scattered thunderstorms below. Cloud tops were in the
9000 Meter height, and we may have been caught. Balloon fatigue? Perhaps
some atmospheric electrical activity accounts for the erratic reception
reports also. We may be down. We’ll be watching to see if we recover
tomorrow. This may be it for NC4ES-2.”
“The second lap took us over some new countries. Egypt and the great
pyramids, and Saudi Arabia are added to our list of fly-overs.”
“If we’re down, it’s happening in a historic area. Bill Brown, WB6ELK, a
bastion of balloon knowledge and the ‘Godfather of picoballooning’,
pointed out to me this morning that we may have come down next to a
historic site in Iran. Operation Eagle Claw (Desert One) aborted rescue
of Iran hostages during Jimmy Carter’s era. Interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw ”
“We’re planning #3. More on it, if you’re interested, coming soon.”
Nothing was heard this morning.
Yes, we’re interested. Quite the show! Two-thumbs-up go to Lor, W3QA and
Matt, W2UV!
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported solar activity was very low during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local. There are no numbered sunspot regions
on the Sun facing Earth this morning although a new region is expected
to rotate into view soon. Solar activity is expected to continue to be
very low through Wednesday. On Sunday the observed Solar Flux Index
(SFI) at Penticton was 72. (Last Sunday it was 79.) The index is
predicted to register 70 today and on Tuesday and then rising to 72
Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is still 76.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled yesterday. NOAA
expects conditions to be quiet to active today and Tuesday and then
quiet to unsettled Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 2 reported at 5
a.m. local this morning reflects our current quiet geomagnetic conditions.
For the next several days expect fair daytime and good nighttime
operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters, fair on 30 and 20, poor on the
higher bands. Despite the current gloomy forecast, conditions on average
are improving. With few spotless days, we are seeing 20 meters stay open
much later into the evening; 15 has shown activity every afternoon with
good DX, not only into South America but also into Europe. Ten meters, a
great learning band available to Technician licensees, has been open
almost every afternoon for at least a few hours. The Magic Band has yet
to display much magic here but it soon will. Lots of Es in Europe this
morning.
For an explanation of the 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 are 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.
* FREE TO A GOOD HOME. Vintage Weston Selective Analyzer (Multimeter),
Model 665, Type3. Contact Charlie, WA4GSI, at charlie@dockline.net
(20210503)
PARS CALENDAR:
* May 29, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X,
252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Jun 26-27, ARRL Field Day, Pamlico County Shrine Club, NC-306,
Grantsboro. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or
drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Jul 31, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
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
PARS YOUTUBE CHANNEL–N4PRS RADIO
Videos of recorded PARS Meetings, presentations, and club activities can
be viewed on on the N4PRS Radio YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpEMfxc7PQixT0rr5xEKtyQ
73 and please stay safe, Jim AI4WL
——
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