FOR THE 29 Jan 2025 WEDNESDAY NIGHT NET (PCN):
How doing a follow-up/close-out to your last severe weather report.
Select the Severe Weather Report form. Go to the templates manager,
then scroll down to Mapping-GIS forms. Select the Severe WX Report and
submit updating data from last week or something new about some previous
severe wx event you experienced. It could be hurricane Florence or a
freak ice storm that occurred January 23… Again, the idea is to be
creative and gain the experience of using a new form. Questions? Contact
Wayne, K04OJC, at hwaynebeasley@gmail.com.
Wayne reported that there were 17 net check-ins and 12 Winlink check-ins
for last Wednesday’s (Jan 22) Pamlico Communications Net.
WINLINK BASICS, QUESTIONS ANSWERED, HELP PROVIDED AT THE PAMLICO
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM (PCT) MEETING, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st
The PCT, a sub-group of the Pamlico Amateur Radio Society interested in,
but not limited to, emergency communications, meets on the first
Saturday monthly at the Oriental Station 19 Fire Station, 182 Straight
Road. Topics are wide ranging, some technical, others not. Meetings
start at 9am. The February meeting will focus on Winlink set-up and
basic operation. Bring your Windows laptop for hands-on help. All are
welcome.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) January 25, 2025 MEETING NOTES
* Twenty-two members, visitors and guests attended the 9 am Saturday
breakfast meeting at Brantley’s Village Restaurant chaired by President
Bruce Perkins, K4ONC.
* There were no upgrades, awards or new licensees reported for the
month. (Dick, K4JJW couldn’t make it due to icy roads.) On behalf the
club, Bruce congratulated Ray Lewis, KR4ABZ, and Brian and Jeannie
Tourville, KQ4UVY and KQ4UTN respectively on passing their exams earning
their upgrade to General.
* Bruce confirmed that name tags with the PARS logo can still be
obtained from The SignMan of Baton Rouge,
https://thesignman.com/clubs/pamlicomain.html. New PARS baseball caps
are available from Bruce.
* Bruce delivered the Treasurer’s report on behalf of Wally.
Expenditures included annual renewals of club liability/D&O insurance
and also repeater internet service. The club roster was sent to current
members last week. Another will be distributed when our member renewal
cycle is over.
* AI4WL’s Propagation Report: For the past few days, solar activity
has been low, 90 day average solar flux 201, and quiet. 10-12 meter
bands now closing early evening, 15 & 17 meter bands have been most
consistent. All said, HF propagation should stay good for 2-3 years as
solar activity slowly declines toward bottom of the cycle. DX next week
includes Nigeria, Marquesas, Antarctica, Svalbard and more.
* Remaining club “minutes”-notes-have been posted at
https://www.n4prs.org/club-minutes/. Founding President, John Knauth’s
“recollections” and Jamie King’s end-of-year notes for 2006 and 2007 are
also now there. Paul, W4MMB, reported 196 hits so far this month. He
figures 30% of those hits legit.
* Bruce thanked vacationing Wayne, KO4OJC, working remote, for calling
the Pamlico Communications Net (PCN) during the month. Wayne reported 17
check-ins and 12 Winlink checkins last Wednesday, the day of the 6″
snow. Winlinkers submitted severe weather reports and will be asked to
do the same next week. Mike, K4NLC, will take the net for February.
* The next meeting of the “Pamlico Communications Team” is at 9am on
Saturday, Feb 1st, at the Station 19 fire house. Lor Kutchins, W3QA,
will guide the group through Winlink application set-up, messaging,
forms and more. Members were encouraged to put the app on a laptop and
bring it to the meeting. [See announcement nearby–ed].
* The storm brought down the Kershaw repeater briefly on Wednesday
morning [Jan 22]. Bruce slid down Kershaw road to find snow covering the
solar panels. He brushed off the panels and the repeater was restored
but charging slow. Experienced ex-upstate NY winter road warrior, Bill
KR4LO, drove to the site and connected his big charger to speed up the
charge rate.
* Bruce reported that a week ago, he and Lor connected the NC4ES
Arapahoe DMR repeater to the NC4ES network via AT&T LTE cellular
internet service. A temporary cell antenna was used. It worked but
signal levels are at the margins, reliability questionable. The
Arapahoe repeater stayed up through the storm but the internet
connection did not. After the roads cleared on Friday, Bruce reoriented
the little cell antenna sitting on the station roof and it’s back up. He
said that an Oriental Repeater Group meeting was being called for later
this morning to discuss both repeater issues. A more robust solution for
internet at Arapahoe likely needed for signal quality and survivabilty.
[In short, at the ORG meeting, various options were presented. One was
selected. It should be in place within the next two weeks.-ed]
* Balloons are back! There will be two identical balloons. For
logistical reasons, both will be launched in or near Greenville. They
will be launched at the same time. It will be a ’round the world race
between NC4ES-X and N4PRS-X — the PARS balloon! And… a PARS member
gets to launch the PARS balloon. First to make it all the way around
wins. Lor showed a photo of the new and improved 12 gram payloads. Both
transponders are under test with their antennas barely above ground.
They are being heard using WSJT-Wisper Mode on the default 20 meter
frequency. Use APRS http://wspr.rocks/ to see your report.
* There will be a Spring COMMEX. Hams are urged to participate and gain
experience with emergency communications. Hold the date, June 17th, a
Tuesday.
* After a briefing by Bruce that was helped by favorable H. Helene
reports, the Oriental Fire Department directors blessed an offer to
install both a UHF/VHF and a HF station at Station 19. Some coax runs
are already in place. The unused dual band antenna from the PCC Delamar
building will be taken down and put up on the VFD tower. Later, a NVIS
HF antenna will be placed above the station roof. They will connect to
radios in the station office. Bruce hopes they will be available for the
June COMMEX.
* With the interest in POTA exploding, Bill Schrader, K2TNO, put on
show-n’tell with some of the latest POTA antennas and accessories (like
antenna clamps, connectors, home made cheap temporary radials etc.) Lots
of good ideas.
* There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 10:21 am.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reports that solar activity was low during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 4 p.m. local. The Space Weather Prediction Center
expects solar activity to be low with a chance M-class flares today
through Wednesday.
There are 9 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this
morning. There were 8 last Monday, 7 the Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 171,
last Sunday’s was 234. The index is predicted to measure 165 today, 160
Tuesday and 155 on Wednesday. The much more important SFI 90 day
trailing average was 199 yesterday. It was 200 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. The SWPC expects the field to
be quiet and Tuesday, and then quiet to unsettled on Wednesday. The
planetary K-index at 7 a.m. this morning was 2.33 indicating quiet
conditions.
Expect mostly good conditions to continue: poor conditions during the
day on 80 to 40, fair to good at night; good day and night on 30 to 15;
and good day, poor at night on 12 and 10M. Best on 15 and 17. Go to
https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD004 DX news and DXWorld.net:
–NIGERIA, 5N. A group of operators will be QRV as 5N9DTG from Abuja
beginning around January 30 and will be here for about two weeks.
Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using mostly FT8 and FT4. QSL via
Club Log.
–ANTARCTICA. David, F4FKT is QRV as FT4YM from Concordia Base, IOTA
AN-017, until the end of January. Activity is in his spare time on 20,
17, and 15 meters. Visits to the Zuccheli, Cassey or Dumont d’Urville
bases are also possible. QSL via F5PFP.
–MINAMI TORISHIMA, JD1. Take, JG8NQJ is QRV as JG8NQJ/JD1 until early
March. Activity is on various HF bands using CW and some FT8. QSL via
JA8CJY.
–SVALBARD, JW. Kristoffer, LB0VG and Stian, LB5SH are QRV as JW2T and
JW/LB5SH, respectively, from Longyearbyen, IOTA EU-026, until January
26. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW and SSB, and FT8 and FT4,
respectively. QSL via LoTW.
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
Send me your amateur radio related items that are for sale, trade, or
wanted and your contact information. PLEASE let me know when you have
have sold your item or if your listing is no longer needed. Listings
will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise. Thanks, Jim.
–FOR SALE: Kenwood TS-50 hf transceiver 80 thru 10, 100 watt with
external kenwood tuner $400. Also a 6Meter 3 element beam $50. Contact
Bob, WA2FIS, at 732-533-8387. (20250113)
PARS CALENDAR:
* FEB 1, PAMLICO COMMUNICATIONS TEAM (PCT) MEETING, Saturday, 9-10:30am,
Oriental VFD Station 19 on Straight Rd vic. NC-55. Bring your laptop for
Winlink basics. All are welcome. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins,
K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* FEB 22, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
REPEATER/NODE STATUS
(See www.n4prs.org/frequencies/ for set-up)
N4ONC VHF FM Oriental — Operational
N4ONC (old KR4LO) UHF FM Oriental — Operational
NC4ES VHF DMR Arapahoe (NC4ES Network) (147.285MHz+ CC1) — Operational
NC4ES VHF FM Arapahoe (147.285MHz+CTCSS ENC 88.5Hz/DEC 100Hz)–Standby
NC4ES UHF DMR (NC4ES Network) Florence — Operational.
WM3X-ONC VHF C4FM/WIRES-X NODE Oriental (145.530 simplex)– Operational
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, “Pamlico 10 Meter Net, 7:30 pm local, on or near 28.464 MHz,
USB. A non-directed net for technicians and above. Radio
topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Wednesdays,”Pamlico Communications Net”, 7:30 pm local, N4ONC
(Oriental) VHF Repeater, 147.210+ (CTSCC Tone Squelch 88.5). A directed
net open to all. Net activates on call during emergencies.
* 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 WEBSITE: https://www.n4prs.org/
Our Web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, PARSwebman@gmail.com
73, Jim AI4WL Editor
——–
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