THE FOX HUNT COMING IN DECEMBER
The PARS 2 meter Fox Hunt is scheduled for Saturday December 3rd at
10:30 am through 2:15 pm in Oriental. It will be a two hour timed
event. The meeting place will be at the Oriental Volunteer Fire Station
19 on Straight Road near the intersection with NC 55. Those who are
participating might want to think about teaming up with a friend.
Our Fox Hunt antenna building session will be at 9:00 am, Saturday
November 19th at Bill Olah’s (KR4LO) shop building, 455 Bennett Neck
Road, Grantsboro. We will be building complete 2m 3 element tape
measure yagi antennas including a built-in 4 Mhz off-set attenuator. At
the end of the session you will have a complete and tested fox hunt
antenna ready to go on December 3rd. If you already have a fox hunt
antenna but would like to build a 4 Mhz off-set attenuator to use with
it, you can do so at the build session.
If you didn’t sign up at the last PARS meeting, there’s still time and
we’re hoping to add more participants. They promise to be a fun events,
with lots of laughs and comradery. If you would like to participate in
the antenna building session on the 19th and/or the fox hunt on December
3rd, send a email to Dick Goodwin K4JJW at rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net and
request a copy of the fox hunt email information. He’ll email it to you
without delay. Please act soon since time is running out on obtaining
parts for build session on November 19th.
If you’d like to know more about amateur radio fox hunting just Google
“amateur radio fox hunting” and you will find lots of helpful
information. The antenna plans and information can be found at
https://www.theleggios.net/wb2nol/projects/rdf/tape_bm.htm and the 4 Mhz
off-set attenuator information is at https://www.3rdPlanetSolar.com .
–73, Dick K4JJW
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) Oct 29, 2022 MEETING NOTES
* Twenty-one PARS members, visitors and guests attended the 9 am
Saturday breakfast meeting chaired by President Mike Marsh, K4NLC, at
Brantley’s Village Restaurant.
* Marjorie Dufeck stopped by to thank the club for volunteering to help
with crowd management at the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival. She asked
that we consider volunteering again next year. Due to TS IAN, the events
were moved inside and our volunteers were not required.
* No awards or upgrades were reported. It was noted that Charlie,
WA4GSI, was one of the few to work the special event station deep in the
Shenandoah Caverns. Dick, K4JJW, found helpful hints for his new IC-7610
in a “Radio Today” manual. There are manuals for other transceivers.
* Mike delivered the Treasurer’s report on behalf of Wally.
* Propagation Report: “Sunspot activity seems listless” according to
Tad Cook, ARRL’s propagation reporter. That said, VK6AS was worked this
week on 20M FT8 using the QDX SDR, a simple wire antenna and at 3.9
watts–that’s 3,012 miles per watt so propagation can’t be that
“listless”. With 6 sunspot regions (72 sunspots) the solar flux 90 day
average is holding at 128. Near term forecast is for good conditions on
15-40 Meters, fair on 12 and 10.
* Reminder-The annual JARSFEST is coming up on Sunday, November 20th,
at the American Legion Building in Benson, NC. Think car pool…
* ARES/Pamlico Communications Net: Mike reported 4 nets in October for
14/9 manhours. Only 5 to 6 folks are regularly checking-in via WinLink.
* Bruce, announced the next Pamlico Communications Team meeting will be
on November 5th at the Oriental VFD Station 19 on Straight Road. Wayne,
KO4OJC will continue the training on the new NANO-VNA. Look at the
April, 2022 QST for a review of the small inexpensive and impressive device.
* ARRL has made available a new Technician Manual and question pool.
* Bill Michne has started another small General level license class.
Recognizing that many new technicians never get active, this course is
geared to keeping interest up with a hands-on operational focus. He has
two very interested students for the course.
* Work on the new Arapahoe/Arlington Place repeater moved along quickly
this month. Lor, W3QA and other Oriental Repeater Group members will be
connecting and testing the relocated Motorola dual mode DMR/FM repeater
this afternoon. The coverage should be good with the antenna at 330 ft.
The biggest challenge is filtering out the 50Kw and 10Kw Commercial FM
stations that have antennas just above on the tower.
* Bill Michne, WM3X is putting together the components needed for his
C4FM Wires-X node. Available to all within range of his low power Yaesu
transceiver, his node will offer connectivity via the internet to
meeting rooms worldwide, some providing multi-protocol
interconnectivity. It should be operational for testing and limited use
within days.
* Lor continued the discussion on digital protocols. He has a
mini-node/hotspot running at his home on Fork Point. It too is open to
all within range of his 250 Mw UHF signal. It offers access to users of
various protocols, not only DMR. With more than a few protocols–C4FM,
DStar, DMR, P25 and more–competing for users, it’s become the digital
“wild west”.
* With a considerable interest in the “sport”, Dick Goodwin, K4JJW, has
taken the lead as Fox Hunt Coordinator. Wishing to do a PARS Fox Hunt
this fall, an antenna building session will be soon scheduled at Bill
KR4LO Olah’s shop and at least 6 members want to assemble them. Other
Fox Hunters already have antennas. Attenuators (needed to avoid receiver
overload when nearing the fox) were discussed. Apparently hard to find
at reasonable cost, they might also be built at the antenna build.
* Ed Caraballo, KC4JCW, entertained us with his lively “I Love Lucy”
show-and-tell on GMRS, the General Mobile Radio Service. This personal
two-way radio service offers repeater connectable communications with no
knowledge test required. A $35 FCC license is required however and a
call sign is issued. This fee and license covers the licensee and
his/her immediate family. It is a power limited channelized system. Ed
sees GMRS as an economical way to keep in touch with friends and family.
He demonstrated its effectiveness with a quick call through the Newport
GMRS repeater to his wife at home on Dawson Creek. In discussion, Lor
offered that PARS might promote GMRS as a Community Emergency Service
for Oriental and the surrounding area.
* Jim, AI4WL won the monthly drawing. He received a Brantley’s
Restaurant $20 gift certificate. Bill, WM3X, won a PARS License Plate.
* There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 am.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local. That said, spaceweather.com reports
that at just after 7 pm local yesterday (Sunday) Sunspot AR3141 exploded
with an M5-class flare. It caused a HF blackout over the South Pacific
affecting Australia and New Zealand.
There are 6 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this
morning. There were 4 last Monday. The Prediction Center expects solar
activity to be very low today through Wednesday. C-class flares are
possible.
At noon yesterday, the observed Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was
- Last Sunday it was also 131. The index is predicted to measure 130
at noon today, tomorrow and 125 Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing
average was 131 yesterday, up two from last Sunday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be
quiet to unsettled today, quiet to active tomorrow and on Wednesday. The
estimated Kp-index of 2 reported at 5 a.m. local this morning indicated
quiet geomagnetic conditions.
We can expect fair to good operating conditions on the HF bands 80
through 15, fair day and poor night on 12 and 10 meters.
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.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARLD044 DX news:
TONGA, A3. Stan, LZ1GC and Ivan, LZ1PM are QRV as A35GC from
Tongatapu, IOTA OC-049, until November 20. Activity is on 160 to 6
meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8 with two stations.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, P2. A large group of operators are QRV as P29RO
from Loloata Island, IOTA OC-240, until November 10. Activity is on
all bands and modes.
BANABA ISLAND, T3. Members of the Rebel DX Group are QRV as T33T
until November 15. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using FT8 in
DXpedition mode.
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.
For Sale:
* MFJ-815B SWR/WATT Meter. $50 Contact Charlie Overcash, WA4GSI, at
919-210-5168. (20220801)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Nov 19, FOX HUNT ANTENNA & ATTENUATOR BUILD SESSION, Saturday, 9am,
Bill Olah’s shop. Sign-up required. For more info contact Dick Goodwin,
K4JJW, 252-633-7873 or rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net.
* Nov 26, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Mike Marsh, K4NLC,
252-636-1257 or mike@MarshConsulting.org
* Dec 3, PAMLICO COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MEETING, Saturday, 9-10:30am,
Oriental VFD Station 19 on Straight Rd vic. NC-55. AUXCOMM & ARES–All
are welcome. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, 252-626-2730
or K4ONC@aol.com
* Dec 3, PARS 2M FOX HUNT, Saturday, 10:30am-2:15pm, Oriental VFD
Station 19 on Straight Rd. For more info and to sign up contact Dick
Goodwin, K4JJW, 252-633-7873 or rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net.
* Dec 31, PARS MONTHLY MEETING and Annual Christmas Gift Exchange,
Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. For more info,
contact Mike Marsh, K4NLC, 252-636-1257 or mike@MarshConsulting.org
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Wednesdays,”Pamlico Communications Net”, 7:30 pm local, N4ONC
(Oriental) Repeater, 147.210 + (CTSCC Tone Squelch 88.5).
* 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
73, Jim AI4WL
——–
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