PRACTICE FOX HUNT
From Dick, K4JJW: Bill Olah, KR4LO, has loaned me his fox hunt
transmitter and I will have it hidden in the Oriental area for a
practice fox hunt on Saturday the 31st, immediately after adjournment of
the PARS meeting. The “fox” (146.590 Mhz) will be activated for just one
hour. This will be a low key practice event for anyone who would like to
focus on using their attenuator to locate a fairly strong local signal.
I’ll have the fox hidden within a 2 mile radius of Brantley’s. It will
be concealed but easily accessible from the public roads around
Oriental. No prizes, its just for fun and practice. More details will
be announced at the meeting. Bring your fox hunting gear to the meeting
and have an hour of fun winding down from the Christmas Holiday. 73
Dick Goodwin, K4JJW
WM3X-ONC WIRES-X NODE AVAILABLE
Bill, WM3X, has his WIRES-X node up and available to all those with a
C4FM capable transceiver. The node operates 7/24 on 145.530 MHz,
simplex, C4FM Wires-X mode.
Located at his home just outside of Oriental, the major components are a
Yaesu FT-200DR VHF/UHF dual band transceiver and a WIRES-X HRI-200.
These two components provide Internet to RF C4FM digital communications
for local C4FM capable users. It is not a local repeater. For a
description of Wires-X go to
https://www.yaesu.com/jp/en/wires-x/index.php The web page also lists
active nodes and meeting rooms.
Bill would appreciate user reports. Please include connection quality
and user location. To prevent overheating, the transceiver operates at
very low power, 5 watts. He cautions that the node is still under test
and may be off the air from time to time for adjustments and
re-configuration. For more information contact Bill Michne, WM3X,
252-671-6703, drmichne73@gmail.com.
REMINDER–PARS HOLIDAY BREAKFAST MEETING AND “GIFT” EXCHANGE THIS MONTH
For our final gathering of the year the business agenda will be short.
The “program” that follows will be our annual exchange of small gifts.
These presents should be related to ham radio in some way. Put your
imagination to work. Check out your junk box, look around your shack for
stuff that works but you no longer need. See what you can find, then
wrap it and bring it to the meeting. If you buy something, please don’t
spend much more than ten bucks or so. Exchange your gift for a number.
After your number is called, go through the pile of gifts and pick one .
Open it to oohs and aahs as others await their turn. If you already
have a widget like the one you unwrapped, swap it for something else.
It’s fun! See you at the meeting on Saturday, December 31st, –yes,
it’s New Years Eve morning–at 9 am, in the back room of Brantley’s
Village Restaurant in Oriental. This a family affair. Spouses and kids
are invited to join us for breakfast and the fun. Of course, there is no
need for them to bring a gift to exchange. And if you forget a “gift”,
not to worry, come anyway, eat and enjoy the show. Then there’s the
Practice Fox Hunt right after. Find the fox together.
EASTERN HEALTHCARE PREPAREDNESS COALITION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Extracted from the December 18 Newsletter from ARRL NC Section Manager,
Marv Hoffman, WA4NC:
Matt McMahon, WU2V, from Greenville NC and the Disaster Communications
Specialist for the Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition offered a
very interesting RATPAC presentation last Thursday about the EmComm
capabilities used in the EHPC that links hospitals and medical care
providers in Eastern NC.
There are eight such coalitions in North Carolina
(https://nchealthcarecoalitions.org/) and each NC County is served by
one of the Coalitions. Each coalition supplements their VIPER and
satellite communications to meet local needs.
Properly trained amateur radio operators can become EmComm participants
with the Healthcare Preparedness Coalitions. However, a standard
practice throughout the Emergency Management community involves
completion of Incident Management System training and hams having an
on-going relationship with and endorsement by EM. [Several of our PARS
members volunteer in support of the ENHC, helping to improve emergency
preparedness and the health and safety of our communities–ed].
Watch the RATPAC presentation at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mySnLa37uTs .
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was low during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 4 p.m. local. There are 8 numbered sunspot regions
on the Sun facing Earth this morning. There were 9 last Monday. Even
with 8 sunspot regions facing Earth, the Prediction Center expects solar
activity to be low today through Wednesday. There is a 30% chance for
M-class flares and a slight chance for an X-class flare during the period.
At the noon reading yesterday, the observed Solar Flux Index (SFI) at
Penticton was 156. Last Sunday it was 148. The index is predicted to
measure 150 today, 145 tomorrow and 130 on Wednesday. The SFI 90 day
trailing average was 133 yesterday, up one from last Monday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be
quiet to active today and tomorrow and then reach minor storm levels on
Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1.67 reported at 7 a.m. local this
morning indicated quiet geomagnetic conditions.
For today, we can expect fair to good operating conditions on the HF
bands 80 through 15 meters, fair day but poor night on 12 and 10.
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 ARLD050 DX news:
-MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. Take, JG8NQJ/JD1 has been active using FT8
on 160 meters between 1000 and 1100z, and then on 17 meters using CW
around 0900z, and afterwards on 15 meters using CW. QSL via JA8CJY.
-WILLIS ISLAND, VK9W. Sands, VK4WXW is QRV as VK9WX until April 2023
while working as part of a meteorological team. Activity is in his
spare time on 20 meters using SSB. QSL via operator’s instructions.
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.
– New For Sale: I have three SignaLink interfaces for digital sound card
modes given to me by a friend to sell for him. Each comes complete with
a USB cable and radio interface cable. Two have six-pin mini-DIN cables
for any radio with that standardized data port. One has a cable to
interface to a Baufeng UV-5R or equivalent radio (I believe it’s the
Kenwood standard mic plug). They sell new MSRP for $140 these days. He’s
wanting $60 for one. Great for Winlink, FM Packet radio, WSJTx and so
much more. The manual link:
https://www.qsl.net/kb7tbt/manuals/Tigertronics/SignaLinkUSB.pdf Lor
Kutchins, W3QA, kutchins@w3qa.net or 252-349-0466. (20221219)
– For Sale: Ameritron AL-811 3 tube has new 572b tunes. It works but
needs some work, possibly just some cleaning. I have extra 811 tubes
some might be good that can go with it. $ 400 obo. Cody Vanhook, KN4RFG,
can call or text (252) 229-4542 (20221212)
PARS CALENDAR:
* 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
* Dec 31, PRACTICE FOX HUNT, Saturday, Brantley’s Village Restaurant,
Oriental. Follows PARS meeting. For more info, contact Dick Goodwin,
K4JJW, rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net
* Jan 28, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, 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
We wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope to see you at our holiday
meeting on Saturday, New Years Eve, and the Fox Hunt after. Will be fun.
73, Jim AI4WL
——–
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