ARRL FIELD DAY 2015 JUST 12 DAYS AWAY–
FINAL PLANNING MEETING THIS COMING SATURDAY
As in recent years, the PARS site will be along the river on Neuse Drive in
Oriental, just down the street from the town beach. The event offers the
opportunity to demonstrate our capability for emergency communications
through practicing off-the-grid operations. The primary objectives will be
to inform the public about the capabilities of amateur radio and to
introduce the younger generation to the hobby. Come by to operate one of
the three “contest” stations–two HF, one VHF–at a time convenient to you
and then stay for dinner. If you have not been active on HF or are a new
ham, start with the Get-On-The-Air (GOTA) station.
The annual PARS social will be on Saturday, June 27 across the street from
the site at the Overcash residence around 5:30 pm; $12 per person for the
dinner of fried chicken with all the fixins. Reservations are needed for
ordering purposes; bring your family, bring your friends. For more
information, reserve an operator slot time, or to reserve your dinner(s),
contact Mike Marsh at 252-636-1257, or mike@marshconsulting..org.
Tentative Schedule– Local Time
0900 Friday 26 June — Antenna/Tent Set-up
0900 Saturday 27 June — Equipment Set-up and Test
1400 Saturday 27 June — Operations Begin
1730 Saturday 27 June — Social and Annual Dinner
1400 Sunday 28 June — Operations Close & Site tear-down.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was moderate during the 24 hours ending
yesterday at 5 pm local. The largest recent solar event was a C2 flare
observed at 15/1032Z. There are 7 numbered sunspot regions on the disk
facing Earth. The sunspot count this morning is 119, down from the 136
reported by NOAA last week at this time. The Solar Flux Index (SFI) is 132,
just a little down from the 137 in our last PARSgram. The forecast shows the
SFI dropping each day until Wednesday when it should be around 115
Wednesday. This is not surprising. Five of the 7 sunspot regions are about
to rotate off the face of the Sun. According to the Space Weather
Prediction Center, solar activity is expected to stay low through Wednesday
with a decreasing chance for M-class flares each day.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached minor storm levels yesterday. The
geomagnetic field is expected to vary between quiet and active today,
unsettled Tuesday, and become quiet on Wednesday. The Earth is inside a
stream of solar wind that is disturbing the geomagnetic polar regions. The
K-index was reported by NOAA to be a quiet 3 at 0800 local this morning.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
CAPE VERDE, D4. Operators Massimo, IZ4DPV, Luca, IK2NCJ and Andrea,
HB9DUR will be QRV as D4C from Sao Vicente Island, IOTA AF-086, from
June 15 to 22. QSL via IZ4DPV.
QSO QSO CORNER
This is the place to post contacts with DXpeditions, Special Event
Stations, or special QSO’s you would like to share.
It looked like the long awaited June VHF contest this past weekend–after
some solid propagation and skip conditions earlier in the Spring–was going
to be a bust. Only quiet was heard on six meters at the start Saturday
afternoon except for a few strong signals from Caribbean stations in the DX
portion of the band. Most of Sunday was just more of the same, lots of
hissing from the speaker. Then around 8 pm, about three hours before the
contest was to end, the Magic Band started hopping. An opening began with
a few weak signals heard from the Northeast–Maine, Mass., New
Hampshire–quickly followed by strong signals filling in from 50.125 to
50.180 or so. Before propagation disappeared around 9:30, 69 stations were
logged from Whortonsville, mostly in Canada and our northern states. The
opening for us was sweet, exciting, but all too short. –Jim
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 :
* 20/0000-21/2359Z All Asian DX Contest, CW
* 20/1200-21/1159Z Ukrainian DX Classic RTTY Contest
* 20/1500-21/1500Z Stew Perry Topband Challenge, CW
* 20/1600-21/0200Z West Virginia QSO Party, CW Ph Dig
* 21/1800-21/2359Z Kids Day Contest, Ph
* 22/0100-22/0300Z Run for the Bacon QRP Contest, CW
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 — 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. (20150601).
* FOR SALE–Hank Aaron WB4ROA, long time PARS member is moving. He is
selling much of his equipment. Brian Shepard K4LTE is handling the sale.
For a Yaesu FT-2000 and other Yaesu transceivers, DMU-2000 for $500, / RF
Mu-tuning kit 80/40m band for $300.00, and RF Mu-tuning kit 30/20m band for
$300.00.
Command Technologies Commander Amplifier 2KW for $1500.00.
Yaesu-7800R 2M/70cm Transceiver for $150.00.
Heil Headset Pro Set Quiet Phone with HC-5 mic for $80.00, retailed for
$155.00.
MXL Studio Condenser Microphone MXL-2003 for $100.00, retailed for $163.00.
Heil Hand Switch for $25.00.
Foot Switch for $20.00.
Array Solutions Six Pack ( remote antenna switch) 2 radios-6 antenna ports
per radio for $300.00, retailed for $450.00.
Array Solutions Rat Pack (remote antenna switch) 6 antenna positions for
$100.00, retailed for $250.00.
Astron SL-11 pwr supply for $50.00, retailed for $89.00.
Bencher Keyer for $150.00.
Plus lots of coax and cables-most coax uses N-connectors and were
professionally made by Cable X.
PL259 adapters for .50 cent ea. (28-total)
UHF Male Crimp (type PL259) connectors $2.00 ea. (37-total)
Type N Male crimp for RG8 $2.00 ea. (15-total)
PL259 Connectors $1.00 ea. (16-total)
PL259 UHF Male to female tee adapter connectors, $4.00 ea. (total-9)
BNC Male to UHF female connectors, $2.00 ea. (total-2)
Added items–
Palstar zm30 digital antenna analyzer, $200.00
ICOM M1V VHF Handheld radio with HM-125 speaker microphone and a new BC-119N
desk top charger, $175.00
Aceco FC-6002 RF Tracer, $150.00
Contact Brian at k4lte2@centurylink.net or at his cell 252-670-5531.
(20150511, 20150518)
* FOR SALE– MFJ-1796 1/2 wave vertical, 2-40 meters, except the 2 and
6 meter radiators have been misplaced. No guarantee they will be found. Does
come with manual and spare radiators. Has 2 QSOs to its credit. Includes a
couple 10 foot pipes for mounting. Assembled, and elements already trimmed.
SWR depends on location and height. $130, which is half the new price. The
price will come down until someone buys it.
Jim Scheer, W4NLD, Jim.scheer@gtri.gatech.edu, or cell or text at
253-876-3733 (20150420)
* FOR SALE — Shakespeare 5309-R VHF Antenna.Used.23 Feet.Two
piece.West Marine $599.00.Best reasonable offer.Ralph AC2GR 252-649-1212
(20150330)
* FOR SALE–[ Remaining major items from estate of Jim Reynolds,W4YLO.
Proceeds go directly to his widow, Peggy.]
ICOM PS-125 25 amp pwr supply. Orig. price $399
Price is $175.
ICOM PW1 High Frequency Linear Amplifier – HF/50 MHz All Band 1+kW
out. Automatic antenna tuner built-in. This was bought on Jan. 7,
2012,and has had little use. Has orig. box, manual, remote head and
cables. Original price $4,649.95 (cc invoice available).
Will sell for $3000 firm, – pickup in New Bern, can ship but buyer pays.
FOR INFO OR PIX contact Al, W8UT, email anchor@ec.rr.com
(20150330,20150413, 20150420)
——————–
(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 REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
A complete list can be found on your PARS Website, www.n4prs.org
PARS CALENDAR:
* Jun 20, Field Day Planning Meeting, Saturday,9:30 am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental, Mike Marsh, K4NLC, (252) 636-1257
* Jun 27-28, ARRL Field Day, Saturday, 2 pm – Sunday, 2 pm. Neuse Drive,
Oriental. Mike Marsh, 636-1257 or mike@marshconsulting.org
* Jul 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. This is an informal forum originally
established to assist our new Hams. The frequency is in the 10M voice
segment open to technician licensees and above. Radio related
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.
Jim AI4WL