PARS WEBSITE CONTINUES TO GROW
One of the most recent pages on the site lists all the nearby Hamfests with
dates, location, and pointer for more information. Photos of the recent
General Class Licensing Course Graduates, Pete AG7C and his Raspberry Pi,
Scout Jamboree On The Air Video, past Field Days, and more are on the site
too. Dave, N4ENE, often posts the latest on DXpeditions in the forum. Check
it out at www.n4prs.org
PARS BIT BUCKET: Tower Light Change at 1500 Feet
From Dave, N4ENE with the comment, “Not for Me….”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=f1BgzIZRfT8%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embedded
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity has been moderate during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a
M1 event observed this morning at 16/1058Z. There are 3 numbered sunspot
region on the disk facing Earth, one fairly active, the other less so. The
sunspot count this morning is 54, up from the low 23 reported by NOAA last
week. The Solar Flux Index is 116, a bit down from the 124 in our last
PARSgram. The forecast shows the SFI dropping to 110 by late Wednesday.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar activity is expected
to be moderate with a slight chance (20%) for an X-class flare and a 70%
chance for M-class flares each day through Wednesday. Minor disruption to
HF communications on the Earth side directly facing the sun are likely if
flares do occur.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled yesterday. The
geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to unsettled levels today,
reach active levels on Tuesday, and range from unsettled to minor storm
levels on Wednesday. The K-index was reported by NOAA to be a quiet 3 at
0500 local this morning.
Yesterday, region AR2297, erupted with a C9-class flare. The eruption
propelled a CME in the Earth’s direction. NOAA forecasters estimate there
is a 40% chance for geomagnetic storms on Tuesday increasing to 60% on
Wednesday. The impact for us is likely to be limited but disruptive for
radio operators in the polar region. S1 level storms are predicted for
today.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGES
MALAWI, 7Q. Members of the Black Mamba Contest and DXpedition Team
are QRV as 7QAA until April 1. Activity is on the HF bands using
CW, SSB and RTTY with two teams active at different dates and times.
They also plan to be active in the upcoming CQ WPX SSB contest. QSL
via N7RO.
QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
Dick K4JJW this morning passed along the latest report from the Eritrea
DXpedition team:
As we are about to start our last day, our goal of 60,000 contacts is
within reach. The team worked very hard last night to satisfy the need for
30, 40 and 160 meter contacts. We will continue to do so tonight.
On Tuesday at 0900 UTC, we will make our last contact and QRT for our
tear down of antennas and stations.
All logs will be uploaded to ClubLog before we depart from Asmara
tomorrow night. Our QSL Manager, Tim-M0URX will investigate all requests for
missing contacts.
OQRS is live at www.M0URX.com
Thank you!
The E30FB Team
Mike Hurm K4HPS reported in last Tuesday with an interesting contact:
“This morning made a QRP contact SSB on 14.250 MHz with KC2TEN,
operating from a USAF KC-10 Refueler 40K up while over NE Canada. New one
on me!” [Very fitting call sign…]
And Dave, N4ENE passed along the news that Dom 3Z9DX has written permission
to operate from Amateur Radio’s Most Wanted Country, North Korea (P5).
Apparently, this will be a very limited operation from Pyongyang and not
until early 2016. There will be lots of hurdles to clear to make this
happen. More to come….
OTHER ACTIVITY ON THE RADIO:
This info is extracted from the 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 :
* Mar 21, 0200Z to Mar 22, 0200Z, BARTG HF RTTY Contest
* Mar 21, 1200Z to Mar 22, 1159Z, Russian DX Contest
* Mar 21, 1300Z – See website, Oklahoma QSO Party
* Mar 21, 1400Z – See website, Virginia QSO Party
See the ARRL Contest Branch page
ARRL Contest Update http://www.arrl.org/The-ARRL-Contest-Update/ and the
WA7BNM Contest Calendar
for more info. Looking for a Special Event station? Be sure to check out the
ARRL Special Event Station Web page
a LIST OF STATE QSO PARTIES, see
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/stateparties.html. (State QSO parties
and the W1AW Centennial Stations are a great way to get those last states on
your Worked All States (WAS) Award list.)
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
——————–
* FOR SALE — Lightly used Ameritron AL-811H in good working order.
Output power is 800 Watts PEP, 600 Watts CW. It uses four rugged, fully
neutralized low cost 811A PA tubes. A backup set of four tubes is included
with the amplifier. The dimensions are 8 ¼” x 13 ¾” x 15 ½”. The operating
weight is 32 lbs. I am the second purchaser/owner of this amplifier. The
first owner is an active PARS member. This Amplifier has the factory
modification for operation on 10 meters. A copy of the manual is included.
Asking $550. Contact Bill Cresswell, K2ONN at 252-249-0148. (20150126)
* FOR SALE — Yaesu FT 450 Transceiver, MD 100 desk mike and a Pyramid
35 amp power supply. All for $650 and can be seen in action at my QTH to
check it out. All you will need is an antenna to be on the air. Charlie
Overcash, WA4GSI, charlie@dockline.net or 252-249-1257. (20150126).
——————–
(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).
UPCOMING HAMFESTS:
* March 28, 2015, DownEast Hamfest, Lenoir Community College Gym, Kinston,
8 am until 2 pm, http://www.downeasthamtest.org
* April 4, 2015: 43rd Annual RARSfest/North Carolina State Convention,
Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, State Fairgrounds,
Raleigh, NC, http://www.rars.org/rarsfest
PARS CALENDAR:
* Mar 28, PARS Monthly Meeting, Saturday, 9 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. Bill Olah, KR4LO, 249-0287 or w_olah@yahoo.com.
* Apr 25, 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. Since this is an informal forum originally
established to assist our new Hams, this frequency 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).
PARS WEB SITE:
https://www.n4prs.org/
Web Master is Larry Wall, KK4SEO, wallmailbox@yahoo.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.