Jim Hartmeyer<pamlicoham@pamlico.net>
PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
The following quotes are taken from ARRL Bulletin 10 (ARLB010). “The FCC has invited public comments on ARRL’s 2018 Petition for Rule Making, now designated as RM-11828, which asks the FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters…This action… will attract more newcomers to Amateur Radio, it will result in increased retention of licensees who hold Technician Class licenses, and it will provide an improved incentive for entry-level licensees to increase technical self-training and pursue higher license class achievement and development of communications skills.” The goals of more, and more active, amateurs are laudable, to be sure. But will the increased operating privileges be enough to compete against the myriad other things that lure the technically oriented away from amateur radio? Will the technician exam be reworked to reflect the new information that will be required for proper exercise of the enhanced privileges? I encourage the PARS members to give this matter some thought and perhaps submit their opinions to the FCC. …_._ de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending yesterday at 5 pm local. There are no sunspot regions on the sun facing earth this morning. There have been none for the past five days. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center activity is expected to be very low today through Wednesday. On Sunday, the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 69. The index is predicted to be 70 today through Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is 71.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached minor storm levels yesterday. It is expected to be quiet to unsettled today, quiet on Tuesday, and then quiet to unsettled again on Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1 at 8 a.m. local this morning indicates quiet conditions.
We can expect poor operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters during the day, fair at night. Poor conditions will continue on the higher bands. The 6 Meter band was very quiet over the weekend with most reported contacts being digital via meteor scatter.
For an explanation of numbers used in our PARSgram, see the excellent article written by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA at http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGES
From ARLD010 DX News:
TOGO, 5V. Members of the EI DX Group are QRV as 5V7EI until March 26. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes with five stations active. QSL via M0OXO.
UGANDA, 5X. Members of the Italian DXpedition Team are QRV as 5X3C until March 25. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and RTTY. They are active as 5X3E using FT8. QSL direct to I2YSB.
GHANA, 9G. A group of operators are QRV as 9G2DX until March 20. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. They plan to be active from three different WWFF locations. QSL via M0OXO.
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the weekly ARRL Letter, from the WA7BNM Contest Calendar, the ARRL Contest Update or the ARRL Contest Corral. You can receive the Letter weekly via email as a member of ARRL.
* 24/0000-24/0400Z Mar 3.5-14 North American SSB Sprint Contest, Ph (ssbsprint.com/rules)
See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>, the ARRL Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update/ and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the ARRL Special Event Station Web page<http://www.arrl.org/special-events>. For a LIST OF STATE QSO PARTIES, see http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/stateparties.html. (State QSO parties are a great way to get those last states for your Worked All States (WAS) Award.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
Send me your amateur radio related items for sale, trade, or wanted for listing in the PARSgram. PLEASE let me know if your listing is no longer needed. Listings will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise.–Jim.
FOR SALE– I have a Yaesu FT-897d I’d like to sell. I will lower the price for the local hams because I don’t have to go through the hassle of shipping it. I’d like $600 for it. Please post the link and note this is pick-up only. No shipping. More info at https://swap.qth.com/view_ad.php?counter=1409643
Contact Tom Akin, KB1MIQ, 801 Midyette St., Oriental. 207-432-5399 (20181224)
UPCOMING REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
***The 28th Annual Down East Hamfest in Kinston will be on Saturday April 6, 2019, from 8 am until 2 pm in the Lenoir Community College Gymnasium. For more info call Bill Highland at 252-347-1498 or go to www.downeasthamfest.org. ***
PARS CALENDAR:
* Mar 30, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* April 6, FCC License Examination/VE Session, Saturday 9am, Oriental Town Hall, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Apr 27, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Pamlico Swamp Roundtable” (“Swamp Net” for some), around 8 pm local, 28.463 MHz plus or minus, USB. This is an informal forum originally established to assist our new Hams. The frequency is in the 10 Meter Band voice segment open to technician licensees and above. Radio related topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Tuesdays, Newport Weather Service SKYWARN Practice Net, 9:00 pm local, Oriental (147.210+ (PL151.4)) and all other local repeaters. Open net for severe weather warning and reporting continously monitored upon activation.
* 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/
Web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, 561-308-3456, PARSwebman@gmail.com
PARSgram ITEMS
We are always looking for items of interest to PARS members to put in the PARSgram. If you run across a timely item or think of something you believe would interest our folks, please send it to me. Thanks.
Jim AI4WL
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