PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
We held the first of our quarterly exam sessions on Saturday at the town hall. It was lightly attended (we had only one candidate). Brandy North of Oriental is our newest Technician class licensee. Congratulations, Brandy! _…_ Field Day is coming, June 22 and 23. In the past several of us have purchased Field Day T-shirts from ARRL for the event. You are certainly free to do that, but VP Bruce, K4ONC, and I would like to promote the club T and polo shirts as well. How about one of each? Wear one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Let Bruce know which one or both you’d like to buy. You can contact him by email at K4ONC@arrl.net. _…_ Bruce has been busy. He is proposing that we set up a portable special event station at Croakerfest this year. We would run a SSB station and let visitors make contacts, like the GOTA station at Field Day. To make it work, though, we need operator’s. If you can operate an hour or so, let Bruce know by email (see above). _…_ Our next PARS meeting will be on April 27. Our guest will be Bill Morine, N2COP, Vice-Director of the Roanoke Division. He will be speaking primarily about the recent changes in the ARES program, but will also answer questions on any other topics related to the Division, the ARRL, or even the FCC. Let’s have a big turn out for this special guest! …_._ 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 is a big new sunspot region on the sun facing earth this morning. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, even with the new sunspot, activity is expected to be very low today through Wednesday . On Sunday, the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 77. The index is predicted to hold at 77 through Tuesday and drop to 74 on Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average remains 71.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be quiet today through Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 3 at 5 a.m. local this morning indicates quiet conditions.
We can expect fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters for the next few days. Fair conditions are expected for 20 and 30 meters, both night and day. Poor conditions will continue on the higher bands. As we get deeper into Spring E-layer skip contacts on 6 meters are increasing. Most activity continues to be digital although some sideband and CW contacts were reported over the weekend on DXmaps.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGES
NORFOLK ISLAND, VK9N. Operators VK3QB, VK3HJ, VK2PN and VK3BDX will be QRV as VI9NI from April 1 to 14. Activity will be on 160 to 17 meters using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via VK4FW.
THE GAMBIA, C5. A group of operators will be QRV as C5DL from April 1 to 15. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes, with three stations active. QSL via DL7DF.
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.
* 08/2300-09/0300Z Apr 144 MHz 144 MHz Spring Sprint, CW Ph Dig (www.sites.google.com/site/springvhfupsprints)
** FOR SALE**
– MFJ-259B HF/VHF SWR ANALYZER. Unit has some slight cosmetic paint scratches but is completely functional. Covers 1.8 to 170 MHz. $160.00.
– MFJ-949E VERSA TUNER II. Like new condition. Features cross needle SWR/POWER meter that reads peak or average power, has two coax outputs, and built-in dummy load. Maximum 300 watts. Includes manual. $100.00.
UPCOMING REGIONAL HAMFESTS:
***RARSFEST 2019, Saturday, April 20, 8 am-3 pm, Jim Graham Building, State Fairgrounds 1025 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh (www.rarsfest.org)***
PARS CALENDAR:
* May 2, Emergency Communications Training for ARES, Thursday, 7-9 pm, Brinson Building Room 412, Pamlico Comunity College, Mike Marsh, K4NLC, 252-636-1257 ormike@marshconsulting.org
* Jun 6, Emergency Communications Training for ARES, Thursday, 7-9 pm, Brinson Building Room 412, Pamlico Comunity College, Mike Marsh, K4NLC, 252-636-1257 ormike@marshconsulting.org
* Jun 21, Field Day setup, Friday, time TBD, Pamlico County Shrine Club, NC306, Grantsboro, 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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