PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
At this point you don’t need me to remind you that Field Day is this weekend, or that we need operators, or that the PARS annual social dinner is Saturday night at the Field Day site, or that our site has us inside in air conditioned comfort and shielded from the thunderstorms, so I won’t bother. What I will tell you is that we will have a new wrinkle on our event, namely, a used gear for sale table. Bring in what you want to sell and label it so that someone can contact you if they are interested in what you are selling. Of course, if you want to donate all or part to the proceeds of your sale to the club, that’s OK ; otherwise you keep all of what you get. All items for sale must be related to ham radio. That means no general hand tools, garden equipment, car stuff, and the like. Also, if your stuff doesn’t sell, you have to take it back. Any unsold equipment not removed by the end of the event will become the property of PARS. But we are not in the junk disposal business, so any such equipment will be packaged up and given away at future meetings under our “Jamies Junk” program. I hope to see all of you at Field Day. de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
FIELD DAY 2019 JUST 5 DAYS AWAY–
Our biggest event of the year, Field Day weekend is… THIS COMING WEEKEND! We will be operating from inside the air conditioned Pamlico Shrine Building on NC-306 just 2.4 miles south of NC-55 in Grantsboro. “Talk-in” on the Oriental Repeater (147.210 MHz +).
This is when we demonstrate our capability for emergency communications while practicing off-the-grid operations. 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–and then stay for dinner.
Bring your neighbors, bring your friends. Even non-licensed folks, young and old, can talk over the GOTA radio under the supervision of a licensed coach. They might find it a hoot to talk to some GOTA dude in soggy Bismark.
CW operators, feel free to bring your earphones and favorite key.
Bring your new weather radio Saturday and get it programed for just Pamlico County alerts.
Have HAM stuff for sale? Label/tag it with your name and price and bring it for the sales table.
Don’t miss our ANNUAL PARS SOCIAL on Saturday June 22 around 5:30 pm. If you didn’t make a reservation plead your case with Mike Marsh at 252-636-1257, or mike@marshconsulting..org. He might find you a seat or two at the dinner table.
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.
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 29th day in a row without a sunspot. Activity will continue to be very low through Wednesday according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. On Sunday, the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 66. The index is predicted to nudge up to 67 for today through Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is still holding at 72.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be quiet to active today through Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1 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. Poor conditions will continue on the higher bands. The six meter band has been “open” for at least a few hours–sometimes more–every day for the past week. DXmaps was reporting Es contacts coast to coast last evening. We are crossing our fingers for good conditions next weekend during Field Day!
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.
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**
– 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 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.