PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
The untimely passing of Janice, KJ4JPE, and John, KJ4EJH, Hopkins,
continues to grieve us. There will be two services for them, on August
26 and 27. Details appear elsewhere in this newsletter. Please
consider attending one or the other of them, or both if you are able to
do so. _…_ John and Janice left some big holes in the eastern North
Carolina ham radio community. Janice, of course, was a regular on
several traffic nets, both HF and VHF. David Mull, KM4OKC, posted the
following on Facebook. “I want to share with you my appreciation for
another operator who has done all she can to step up and fill the gap.
Her name is Beth Ballenger, KI4BYU.” She has faithfully called the net
on the Grifton repeater since Janice passed. Unfortunately the net has
dwindled to a trickle, yet she still calls them faithfully each night.
If you are in range of the repeater, please consider checking into the
net, perhaps a few times per week, to show Beth that she is not working
in vain. The net meets nightly at 8:30 PM local, 146.685 – 0.6, pl
88.5. Thanks. …_._ de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175,
drmichne73@gmail.com.
SERVICES FOR JOHN AND JANICE HOPKINS
Bill Morine, N2COP, our Vice Director–Roanoake Division, in an email of
August 6, 2021 to all the Amateur Radio Clubs in Eastern North Carolina
wrote the following:
“Dear Officers and Members of Amateur Radio Clubs in Eastern North Carolina:
All of us still feel the untimely loss of John KJ4EJH and Janice KJ4JPE
Hopkins, both of whom contributed mightily to the betterment of Amateur
Radio in eastern North Carolina. In SKYWARN, EmCOMM and traffic
handling, John and Janice were more than just reliable operators – they
were mentors to new and even well-established Hams. Their daughter,
Jennifer Wruble, reached out to me to ask that as many Hams as possible
in eastern North Carolina know about the upcoming visitation on Thursday
evening, August 26, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Jones Funeral Home in
Swansboro, followed by a double burial service on Friday, August 27, at
2:00 PM at the Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville.
Please share this email with as many Hams and friends that you know
whose lives were blessed in knowing John and Janice, and please share
this information on your club nets. More details can be found at:
http://www.jonesfh.org/obituary/JohnandJanice-Hopkins”
73 de Bill Morine, N2COP
Vice Director – Roanoke Division
Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
and West Virginia
ARRL – the national association for Amateur Radio
Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division
Website: www.arrl-roanoke.org
ORIENTAL REPEATER CHANGES HANDS
Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, updated us with this note on Saturday–
“… I am the new owner and trustee of the W4SLH Oriental repeater. And
until the time that the current twenty-one year old repeater is
replaced, the W4SLH callsign will remain the same and nothing changes.
The new Control Operators are; Lor Kutchins, W3QA; Mike Marsh, K4NLC;
Gary Mitchelson, NC3Z; and Bill Olah, KR4LO.
On a side note, while speaking with Christine Mele, W4SLH, she mentioned
that she had given someone in PARS a notebook containing photos of the
repeater site being constructed. To the best of Christine’s
recollection, this occurred about five (5) years ago. If anyone in the
club has these photos or knows who does, please contact me. Not only do
I want to preserve them but also have Paul, K4MMB, put some of them on
the PARS web page. The W4SLH repeater went on the air November 3, 2000.”
73 and Stay Safe,
Bruce Perkins – K4ONC
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 NOAA reported numbered
sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this morning. Spaceweather.com
reports a new sunspot is emerging and has already produced a C1-class
solar flare. The Prediction Center expects solar activity to be very low
through Wednesday. On Sunday the observed Solar Flux Index (SFI) at
Penticton was 74. (Last Sunday it was 75.) The index is predicted to be
74 today and tomorrow, 73 on Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average
is still holding at 79, the same as the past two Mondays.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. NOAA expects
conditions to be quiet to unsettled today and tomorrow, quiet on
Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of zero reported at 5 a.m. local this
morning reflects our current very quiet geomagnetic conditions.
We can expect fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions today
on 80 and 40 meters, fair on 30 and 20, and poor on the higher bands.
Even though the numbers don’t reflect it, conditions on the HF bands
have been good for most of last week. Both the 20 and 17 Meter bands
have been very active with opportunities for DX daily. A station in
India was seen on 17M FT8 Thursday. On the other hand, with the end of
the summer Es season, the Magic Band is slowing down. Eastern NC has
been in a “black hole” the past few days. That said, a few gems popped
up briefly last week for those working on their 6M WAS: Oregon,
California, and Utah.
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. 1930’s AM Radio in cabinet. Worthy restoration project. If
interested contact Priscilla Wormell, N4TNP, at rpwormell@embarqmail.com
(20210802)
* For Sale. SCS PTC-IIex Modem licensed with PACTOR III. This modem
functions as it should and comes with the installation guide, the USB to
RS232 cable and the CD. This modem was recently in use on my IC-7300,
until I upgraded. In very good condition and works great. The 9095 cable
available from Farallon Electronics or HRO. $550. Bruce, K4ONC@aol.com,
252-626-2730 (20210719)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Aug 28, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X,
252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Sep 25, 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, Jim AI4WL
——
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