PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
I’ll call this note “Field Day as an Opportunity.” It’s more than an operating event. It’s a chance to meet new people and showcase amateur radio. It’s also an opportunity to operate some different gear, as there will be some rigs there you may not be familiar with. And check out the club’s multiband antenna system. This is a multiband antenna that operates on four different bands simultaneously without interference to the other stations. You will also be able to give 6 meters a try, as well as see WinLink in action. You might even make a contact via satellite if your timing is right. So come on out and have some fun. Weather is not a factor, and the grass can wait. de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
FIELD DAY 2019 JUST 12 DAYS AWAY–
Our biggest event of the year, Field Day is a little more than a week away! For the second year we will be operating from the Pamlico Shrine Building on NC-306 just 2.4 miles south of NC-55 in Grantsboro. After years of sweating it out on the river, swatting bugs and dodging downpours, we are now spoiled by the air conditioned comfort our new location provides.
Our primary objectives will be to inform the public about the capabilities of amateur radio and to introduce the younger generation to the hobby. This is when we demonstrate our capability for emergency communications while practicing off-the-grid operations. WinLink and the digital modes will be used too. It’s not all “show and tell”, it’s also a contest and we NEED OPERATORS! 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. Even non-licensed folks, young and old, can talk over the GOTA radio under the supervision of a licensed coach. CW operators, feel free to bring your favorite earphones and key.
Don’t miss our ANNUAL PARS SOCIAL on Saturday June 22 around 5:30 pm. Prepared by two of the Shriners, a BBQ pork or chicken DINNER with all the fixins is planned. The cost is $15 per person. Bring your family, bring your friends. You can pay Mike on Field Day but he needs dinner RESERVATIONS no later than Saturday, 15 June. Call or email Mike Marsh at 252-636-1257, or mike@marshconsulting..org.
Tentative Schedule– Local Time
0900 Friday 21 June — Antenna Set-up
1000 Saturday 22 June — Equipment Set-up and Test
1400 Saturday 22 June — Operations Begin
1730 Saturday 22 June — Social and Annual Dinner
1400 Sunday 23 June — Operations Close & Site tear-down.
HURRICANE COMMUNITY FORUM – FINAL REMINDER
PARS is sponsoring a Hurricane Community Forum at the Oriental Town Hall on Wednesday June 12 from 6 to 8 pm. Conducted by the National Weather Service office in Newport, the class is free and open to everyone. The goal is to provide forecasts for the hurricane season, information on hurricane preparedness, and to answer questions. This forum will benefit newcomers and those that have gone through hurricanes alike. For more information on this class you can go to weather.gov/mhx or call the NWS at 252-223-5122 ext 5. You can also call our PARS coordinator, Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, at 252-249-6015 or k4onc@aol.com.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours ending yesterday at 5 pm local. There are no sunspot regions on the sun facing earth this morning. Spaceweather.com reports this is our 22nd day in a row without a sunspot. Activity will be very low through Wednesday according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. On Sunday, the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 68. The index is predicted to be 68 today through Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is holding at 72.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached minor storm levels yesterday. It is expected to be at unsettled to minor storm levels today and then quiet to unsettled on Tuesday and Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 0 at 5 a.m. local this morning indicates very quiet conditions.
We can expect fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters for the next few days. Poor conditions will continue on the higher bands. The six meter band was “open” for the ARRL June VHF Contest this weekend. From here in FM15, we had a tunnel into the Northeast (Canada, ME, VT) on Saturday afternoon. Good to see lots of signals; most were FT8 but more than a few were sideband and CW.
For an explanation of numbers used in our PARSgram, see the excellent article written by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA at http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere.
THIS WEEK’S DX CHALLENGE
MARKET REEF, OJ0. A large group of operators will be QRV as OJ0AW until June 15. Activity will be mostly on the HF bands, with some VHF activity, using CW, SSB, FT8 and other digital modes. QSL via OH6AD.
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
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. Listings will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise.–Jim.
**For Sale***
– Ameritron ALS-606 600W Solid State Linear Amplifier with Power Supply. New, 2 months ago, I have 2 of them and only need one! Priced at $1,600. It can be seen and tried at my QTH in Comfort (Jones County), NC. Will deliver as far as New Bern. For more info contact Terry Brown, KE4ULF at terbrw@yahoo.com (20190520)
**For Sale**
– Kenwood TS-870SAT Transceiver. Works and looks as new. Has hand mic and power cable, no box. $650.
– Ameritron ATR-20 Antenna Tuner. Has new roller inductor, works perfectly. Condx is 9 out of 10! Asking $175.
Contact Don Smith, KJ4RB at kj4rb@embarqmail.com or 252-568-4011 (If no answer please leave message). (20190520)
**For Sale**
– CUSHCRAFT 17B2 2 METER SSB ANTENNA
Original cushcraft , not MFJ version, in the box sealed for $150.00 they list for mid $300’s now. It is 31 ft long when assembled. Contact Don Smith, KJ4RB at kj4rb@embarqmail.com. (20190409)
**For Sale**
– Pristine ICOM R-71A Receiver – Full set of filters SOLD
** 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. Contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com. (20190401)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Jun 12, Hurricane Community Forum, Wednesday, 6-8 pm, Oriental Town Hall. Class by the NWS Newport is sponsored by PARS. For more, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, at 252-249-6015 or k4onc@aol.com.
* Jun 21, Field Day setup, Friday, time TBD, Pamlico County Shrine Club, NC306, Grantsboro, Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com
* Jun 22-23, ARRL Field Day, Saturday-Sunday, Pamlico Shrine Building, NC306, Grantsboro, Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* July 6, FCC License Examination/VE Session, Saturday 9am, Oriental Town Hall, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Jul 27, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact 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.
73, Jim AI4WL
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This email is sent to members and friends of the Pamlico Amateur Radio Society. We are pleased that you asked to receive our weekly newsletter and hope that you enjoy reading it. If you no longer wish to receive the PARSgram please let us know by reply email or by email to jth350@embarqmail.com. Thanks