PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Tom KI4NSP passed along his notes of last Saturday’s PARS meeting for those
of us who missed it. Thanks Tom:
* Thirty Five (35) people attended the PARSfest and Meeting. There was a lot
of used gear on display both inside and out. A “PARSfest” will be held again
at the October 26th Meeting. It is not to soon to check your shelves to see
what you can bring.
* Mike Hurm KK4HPS now has the new YAESU radio that PARS purchased. Mike is
our Pamlico County ARES Emergency Coordinator. The new radio was used on
last Wednesday’s ARES net. This radio will be used at the County Emergency
Operations Center when ARES is activated. The Club is accepting donations to
cover the cost of the new unit. Please mail your donation to PARS, Box 272,
Oriental, NC, 28571
* Larry Wall kk4seo is working hard on the new PARS Website, www.n4prs.org
The early stages are now up and running. Check back often to watch it grow!
* Jamie King’s kj4jk Tech Class is off to a solid start with eight (8) very
focused students. Jamie is assisted by Bill Olah KR4LO, Tom Finta K8TF and
Jim Hartmeyer AI4WL. For the October 24th exam, additional VE’S are
welcome–please advise Jaime.
* Andy Denmark donated a generator to PARS which will be perfect for Field
Day. THANK YOU Andy!!!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PARS OFFICER IN 2014?
DO YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE THAT WOULD?
If you are interested in running for the office of President, Vice
President, or Treasurer, or wish to RECOMMEND A MEMBER for one of
those offices, please reply to this PARSgram or to Tom Corwin KI4NSP at
249-1950 or wincord41@earthlink.net. Officers are to be elected at the
October meeting. Willing incumbents are Bill Olah for President and Wally
Wallace KK4ASP (as bookkeeper/treasurer). VP Tom Corwin KI4NSP does not
wish to run for re-election. To remain viable, PARS needs folks willing to
serve as officers. You will have plenty of help. Please consider serving.
MAYSVILLE HAMFEST OCT 13TH
One of our closest Hamfests, this year’s Maysville Hamfest will be on
Sunday, October 13th at the Rotary Park Community Center, 704 8th Street. If
coming from New Bern on US17 turn right on 8th Street. It is sponsored by
the Maysville Hamfest Association. Talk in will be on 144.710 (PL 82.5).
Hours are 8 am to 3 pm. For more information contact Byron Highland, K4BMH
3753 Thorne Drive Farmville, NC 27828 Phone: 252-347-1498.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported this morning several Class C events on Sunday the 29th that
broke up the period of very low solar activity that has prevailed for weeks.
Spaceweather.com reported a magnetic filament erupted from the sun’s
northern hemisphere during the late hours of Sept. 29th. They say the
explosion hurled a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) into space and it might have
an Earth-directed component. There are currently 3 numbered sunspot regions
on the disk. The Sunspot count is 39 this morn, well down from the 98 we
had last Monday. The Solar Flux was 114 this morning, about the same as the
111 reported last week. It can be assumed that solar activity will be mostly
low through Wednesday with unsettled periods. A number of the Solar Pundits
believe that the magnetic flux at the poles has reversed indicating the
start of a slow downward slide in our current solar cycle.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet over the weekend. The estimated
planetary K-index at 0800 EST this Monday morning was zero. Geomagnetic
conditions are expected to be at quiet to active levels today and quiet on
Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a possibility of polar geomagnetic storms if
the CME from the eruption yesterday delivers a glancing blow to Earth’s
magnetic field.
Propagation should be good on the 20 and 30 Meter bands. It also has been
surprisingly good on 10M mid to late in the day.
DX CHALLENGES FOR THE WEEK
* ROTUMA ISLAND, 3D2. Operators 3D2RA, 3D2GC/p and 3D2DD/p are QRV
until October 11. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB,
RTTY, SSTV and PSK31. QSL 3D2RA via LZ2HM, 3D2GC/p via LZ1GC and
3D2DD/p direct to home call.
* SABLE ISLAND, CY0. Operators VE1RGB, AI5P and WA4DAN will be QRV as
CY0P from October 1 to 11. QSL direct via VE1RGB.
Just so you know from Wikipedia: Sable Island is a 26 mile long very narrow
curving island in the Atlantic Ocean situated 190 miles southeast of
Halifax, Canada, and about 109 mi southeast of the closest point of mainland
Nova Scotia. It is a year-round home to approximately five people doing
atmospheric and meteorological studies. Summer numbers are higher, swelled
by tourists, scientists, and others. Notable for its Sable Island Ponies,
the island is protected under the Canada Shipping Act, requiring permission
from the Canadian Coast Guard to visit. On the main shipping route and at
the convergence of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream, the sandy low
island is graveyard for 100’s of sunken ships. The distress beacon of the
ill-fated “Andrea Gail” fishing boat was found washed ashore there 9 days
after the “perfect storm”.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Dave N4ENE reported in late last week with this commentary:
Since it seems PARS budding DXers are a little shy, I will give my
observations of DX from N4ENE’s station for last week. First, It seems we
have bin over the so called peak for this propagation cycle for some time.
We are definitely sliding down the back side of the cycle. This being said,
there is still some very gud rare and semi-rare DX to be snagged with some
patience and persistence. Patience equals listening and persistence equals
being “ON” the HF Bands. These two qualities are in EVERY successful DXer.
Another “MOST” valuable tool is knowledge of the various DX stations that
are on. This can be obtained from various locations and lots of them are
FREE!!! Find out which NEW treasures for U are going to be on. Then plot
propagation from UR station to theirs and U have enhanced UR odds greatly.
Hint: I always try to be on earlier and stay longer than the ‘Prop Tables’
say…. The predictions are very close but they can’t predict human nature
or Op decision making. Below are some stations I worked last week and I am
including the “WHY” I worked them to help show other awards besides just
plain DXCC.:
Sept 22: T47RG Cuba 30mtrs. for Prefix (WPX)
SV8/OK1MBZ/p Greece 17mtrs. for IOTA (Islands on the Air)
CO8LY Cuba 12mtrs. for 12mtr. RTTY
XP3A Greenland 12mtrs. for 12mtrs. & Prefix(WPX)
CA3KHZ Chile 10mtrs. for Prefix(WPX)
Sept 23: SU9AF Egypt 15 mtrs. RTTY for his LoTW (LogBook of the World)
Sept 24: JY4CI Jordan 12mtrs. RTTY for RTTY on 12mtrs.
9M6XRO East Malaysia 15mtrs for DXCC 15 mtrs.
Sept 25: 3D3GC Fiji 40mtrs. for DXCC 40mtrs.
SD7W/3 Sweden for IOTA
9M6XRO East Malaysia 12mtrs. for DXCC 12mtrs.
Sept 26:3B8/G0ISM 17mtrs. for 17mtrs. RTTY
DS5USH South Korea 15 mtrs. for 15mtrs. DXCC
Sept 27:G100RSGB 20&30mtrs. for Special Event (Royal Amateur Society of
Great Britain) Centennial Celebration
Quote: “They are only ‘RARE’ if U don’t have them”.
A closing note. I am NOT running a “BIG GUN” station, just wire antennas and
100 watts.
N4ENE
Dave
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the ARRL Letter, from the WA7BNM Contest
Calendar or the ARRL Contest Corral. You can receive the Letter weekly via
email as a member of ARRL :
* Oct 3 — NRAU 10 Meter Activity Contest
* Oct 3 — SARL 80 Meter QSO Party
* Oct 5 — TARA PSK Rumble Contest
* Oct 5 –EU Autumn Sprint, SSB
* Oct 5-6 — 15 Meter SSTV Dash Contest
* Oct 5-6 — Oceania DX Contest, Phone
* Oct 5-6 — California QSO Party
* Oct 6 — UBA ON Contest, SSB
* Oct 8 — ARS Spartan Sprint
All dates & times, unless otherwise stated, are UTC.
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 on your Worked All States (WAS)
Award list.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* WTB Dave is looking for a linear amplifier in good condition, an
Ameritron AL-80B or similar preferred. If you have one to sell or know of
someone that does, please contact Dave Bacon
KD2T, 252-617-0359 cell, 252-249-0864 home (20130826)
——————–
* FS Dave KD2T needed only the rotator that Jamie was selling so
he wants to sell that full-wavelength 3-element aluminum 6m Yagi antenna
that was part of the original deal. Dave has priced it at $25. Dave Bacon
KD2T, 252-617-0359 cell, 252-249-0864 home (20130819)
——————–
* FS Beckman Industrial 60 MHz Oscilloscope model 9106
asking $100 but make an offer, Jamie King KJ4JK, 252-514-7497,
kj4jk@arrl.net (20130722)
——————–
* FREE From D & Don Wogaman KB1NDV & KC8MID a bit of nostalgia: A copy of
The Radio Amateur’s License Manual (64th edition) published in 1970 in
decent condition considering it’s age. Don’t let this gem go to the recycle
bin. email: dndonwogs@gmail.com or call 252-249-1930 located in Oriental
We can send a photo if needed. (20130701/20130819)
——————–
(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. ITEMS listed will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear
otherwise.–Jim).
PARS CALENDAR:
* Oct 26, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com
* Nov 30, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com
PARS NETS:
* Mondays, Pete’s “Swamp Talk” roundtable, around 8:15 pm local, 28.463
MHz plus or minus, USB. An informal forum originally established to assist
our new Hams, this freq. is in the 10M voice segment open to technician
licensees and above. Radio topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Wednesdays, Pamlico Emergency Net Practice and Rag Chew, 7:30 pm,
Oriental Repeater, 147.210 + (PL151.4).
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 think
would interest our folks, please send it to me. Thanks.
Jim, AI4WL