PARS BREAKFAST MEETING THIS COMING SATURDAY
Our next meeting will be in the back room of Brantley’s Village
Restaurant on Broad Street in Oriental at 0900 Saturday, February 28th.
Please park along the side or out back. We hope to see you all there.
Come early for breakfast with your fellow hams. For more information
contact Pamlico Amateur Radio Society President Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
On the agenda: the PCT ‘field trip” to visit the EHPC Regional Ops
Center, the Spring Fox Hunt and Picnic, new and old local repeaters,
DXpeditions in March, next Sunday’s NC QSO Party and more. Always lots
to talk about plus another chance for a Brantleys’ Gift Certificate.
MARCH PCT MEETING – TOUR OF THE EHPC REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC)
From Bruce, K4ONC– For the March PCT Meeting we will have a tour of
the ROC and a short briefing on how amateur radio supports regional
EMCOMM. It is set for Saturday, March 7th, 10am to 12pm. It’s a perfect
opportunity to learn what is available in ENC for disasters and have a
hands on tour of the equipment. Of primary interest will be the Field
Communications Truck, FC1. Matt will have FC1 setup and operating in the
back lot and explain the capabilities. Perfect time to see some of the
equipment that will be set-up for this Spring’s Air Show at MCAS Cherry
Branch in May. Both Lor and I will attend to assist in the tour. The
approx. travel time from Oriental to the ROC (2100 Stantonsburg Rd) is
1.5 hrs. Please contact me via email at k4onc@aol.com if you wish to
attend. Thanks, Bruce
NET NEWS
Last Wednesday, February 18th, Pamlico Emergency/Communications Net
Control was located at our Pamlico Emergency Net station at the Oriental
Volunteer Fire Department. From there we recorded 15 WinLink check-ins
and counted 18 voice check-ins. Of the voice check-ins, four were
in/out, three by EchoLink. The remaining eleven operators switched to
our contingency simplex frequency when directed. Only two responded with
a less than Q5 report. If you kept a list of those simplex stations you
heard please bring it to the next PARS meeting or send it via WinLink to
N4PRS with copy to K4ONC.
For this Wednesday, February 25th, please use the normal WinLink Net
Check-in form. After check-in on the Oriental Repeater, we will ask all
to change over to the KO4OJC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X Baird Creek (146.310MHz,
neg offset, CTCSS 131.8) repeater and await a call ON FM. The Baird
Creek Repeater–also known as “Wayne’s World”–is the primary back-up
for the Oriental Repeater. We will conduct any remaining net business
and close the net from there.
Monday night C4FM Net. On the 16th, seven folks participated in the
weekly roundtable hosted by KO4OJC. KO4OJC and KM4PA participated
remotely. For local users via RF it’s on 146.310MHz and remote users via
Wires-X room “KO4OJC-Room 3” (ID 64163).
NORTH CAROLINA QSO PARTY (NCQP) SUNDAY MAR 1,2026
Think about spending some time with your friends at the NC QSO Party.
It’s good fun. Based on the past, be prepared to work a pile-up. Pamlico
County is on the “rarest counties” list. Party-goers want to put Pamlico
County in their logs, however log submissions are optional.
The party starts at 10 am and ends at 8 pm. The exchange is simple, call
sign and county (PAM). Sending signal report (i.e., 59) is optional.
Bands are 80 through 2 meters, no 160, no WARC. Modes include phone, CW,
and digital (FT8 and FT4 in a separate “Weak Signal Showcase”).
For more info and the complete rules go to the NC QSO Party Web site at
https://ncqsoparty.org/rules/. For local info from those who’ve played,
contact Jim, AI4WL at 675-3590; Dick, K4JJW at rdgig1964@gmail.com; or
Bill, WM3X, at 249-1175.
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 very low Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
There is a 10% for an M-class flare each day.
There were NO numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth yesterday
at noon. If the situation persists, Feb 22, 2026, will be recorded as
the first “spotless day” since 2022. There were 5 last Monday, 8 the
Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 110,
last Sunday’s was 118. The index is predicted to measure 112 today, 115
Tuesday and 118 on Wednesday. The more important SFI 90 day trailing
average was 150 yesterday. It was 150 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field was reached minor storm levels yesterday. The SWPC
expects the field be unsettled to minor storm levels today, quiet to
active Tuesday and then quiet to unsettled Wednesday. The planetary
K-index at 7 a.m. this morning was 3.00 indicating quiet conditions.
Current conditions: Poor during the day on 80 and 40 Meters, fair at
night; good day and night on 30 & 20; fair day and night 17 & 15; poor
day, poor at night on 12 and 10. Please go to
https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD007 DX NEWS and DXWorld.net:
–DESECHEO ISLAND, KP5. A group of operators are QRV using remote
control as KP5/NP3VI until March 3rd. Activity is on 160 through 10
meters using CW, SSB, and FT8. Take advantage of this opportunity!
–THE GAMBIA, C5. Przemo, SP3PS, and Magda are QRV as C5SP and C5MB,
respectively, from Sanyang until March 2026. Activity is on 40, 20, 15,
and 10 meters using SSB, FT8, and FT4.
–ETHIOPIA, ET. Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society station ET3AA has been
active on 30 meters FT8 between 0400 and 0530z. QSL via N2OO.
–ST. HELENA ISLAND, ZD7. Hot on the heels of his FR/G3JUN (Reunion)
activity, Jun JL8AQH is now on air from St Helena Island as ZD7AQH. QRV
on 30m CW so far. 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 60 DAYS unless I hear otherwise. Thanks, Jim.
SOLD: K4JJW tensioner systems.
FOR SALE: SWR/wattmeters: MFJ-868 Giant SWR/Wattmeter, 20/200/2,000
watt ranges, 1.8 – 30 MHz, $150. Mirage MP2 VHF SWR/wattmeter,
50/500/1500 watt ranges, 50 – 200 MHz, $125. Bill Michne, WM3X,
252-671-6703, drmichne73@gmail.com. (20251208)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Feb 28, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* Mar 7, PCT-EHPC ROC TOUR Saturday, 10am-12pm, 2100 Stantonsburg Rd.,
Greenville. All are welcome. For more info/RSVP, contact Bruce Perkins,
K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* May 30, SPRING FOX HUNT and Picnic, Oriental VFD Station 19/Oriental
Dog Park. Straight Road, Oriental. Alternate date, June 6.
REPEATER/NODE/BEACON STATUS
(See www.n4prs.org/frequencies/ for set-up)
N4ONC FM Oriental (147.210MHz+ CTCSS 88.5Hz) — Operational
GMRS Repeater Oriental (Ch 21, Rptr 7 or 462.700MHz+) — Operational
NC4ES DMR Arapahoe (NC4ES Network)(147.285MHz+ CC1) — Operational
NC4ES FM Arapahoe (147.285MHz+ CTCSS ENC 88.5Hz/DEC 100Hz) — Standby
NC4ES DMR Florence (NC4ES Network)(445.6625MHZ- CC1) — Operational
WM3X-ONC C4FM/WIRES-X NODE Oriental (145.530MHz smplx) — Operational
KO40JC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X Baird Creek (146.310MHz- CTCSS 131.8) — Operational.
Cedar Isl Mark’s Beacons: K4FWS/b FM14ux 144.282 CW; K1MAP/b FM14ux
222.055 CW; K1MAP/b FM14ux 432.305 CW (Very low power for rcvr,
propagation tests)
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, “Wayne’s World C4FM Net”, 7:30 pm local, using the C4FM
digital mode on the KO40JC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X repeater, Baird Creek
(146.310MHz). Those outside RF range may join via Wires-X room
“KO4OJC-Room 3″ (DTMF ID 64163). This is a round-table open to all.
Discussions vary with member interest. 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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