PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
Big Congratulations! goes out to Dick, K4JJW, on achieving the 2500 band
entities level for the ARRL’s DX Challenge Award. He has truly entered
rarified territory among the world’s DXer’s. Consider that this
achievement is the equivalent of working and confirming 250 current DXCC
entities on each of ten bands (160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15,12, 10, and 6
meters). And he did it in less than 20 years. _…_ A big Thank You!
goes out to Jim, AI4WL, Bruce, K4ONC, Bill, KR4LO, Gil, KB1GHA, and my
good non-ham friend, Frank, for their help in raising the new vertical
antenna at WM3X. Unlike the common 43-foot verticals that taper down to
3/8 of an inch at the top, this one carries thickness all the way up in
order to support the eight element horizontal capacitance hat. That hat
makes the antenna electrically higher than it actually is (44-feet), and
adds considerable weight to the top. Next is the base matching network
for 160, 80, 40, and 30 meters, and the 2,000 feet of radials that need
to be planted. That should keep me busy for awhile. …_._ de Bill
Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) FEB 29, 2020 MEETING NOTES
* Twenty-seven PARS members, visitors and guests attended the 9 am
breakfast meeting chaired by President Bill Michne, WM3X, at Brantley’s
Village Restaurant.
* Dick, K4JJW showed and talked about his recently awarded ARRL DXCC
Challenge plaque recognizing confirming “2500 countries” (250 entities X
10 bands). This is most remarkable since it has been done in less than
17 years from Fairfield Harbor using wire antennas!
* Wally presented her treasurer’s report. Bill advised he will soon
order the new projector to replace the old one, recently sold.
* Propagation Report: Solar activity continues to be very low. The Sun
has been blank, no sunspots, for almost a month. We can expect a mix of
old and new cycle sunspots as we move into the new cycle. The
geomagnetic field has been very quiet. Expect slowly improving
conditions, especially on the 80 to 20 meter bands.
* Mike Marsh, K4NLC, our ARES coordinator, reported 4 net training
sessions in February for 11.59 mh, one other training event for 9 mh.
The next ARES/AUXCOMM meeting will be 7 p.m. March 5th at PCC.
Cross-band operations will be covered by Bill Olah, KR4LO. Establishing
a Community Emergency Response Team in Oriental was discussed; Mike and
Bruce, K4ONC have just completed the CERT Train the Trainer course.
* Lor, W3QA, updated the group on the ongoing individually paced
WINLINK “COURSE”, a set of 10 tutorial exercises that explores the
features of WinLink. 54 folks are participating, statewide. Contact Lor
if you wish to take the course.
* Two Technician courses are underway, the first on Monday nights at
PCC, the second on Friday nights at the Florence-Whortonsville Fire
Department. Students will take their exam at the scheduled session in April.
* Bruce Arnold, K8SL advised the Down-East Hamfest at Lenoir CC in
Kinston will be held this year on Saturday, April 4th
* Paul, K4MMB, reported the club web site (www.n4prs.org) had 97
visitors last month. Please send in your photos of club activities.
Members were again reminded by Jim, AI4WL, that the PARSgram can be
found on the site soon after it is emailed to members.
* The meeting was adjourned at 0940.
SKYWARN TORNADO DRILL, 0930 WEDNESDAY, MAR 4
From Janice, KJ4JPE:
Newport Skywarn will be participating in the Statewide Tornado Drill
on Wednesday March 4th at 09:30 using all the Repeaters in our 15
county area. Please check in as usual with your call sign name and
Spotter number if you have one.
This is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. The Statewide Tornado drill
will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System.
For more information go to https://www.weather.gov/mhx/swpw.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hours
ending yesterday at 4 pm local. There are no sunspot regions on the Sun
facing Earth this morning. This is the 28th day in a row without. Solar
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 69. The index is predicted to register 70
today through Wednesday. The more important SFI 90 day trailing average
is holding at 71.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to active yesterday. It is
expected to be quiet to active today and quiet to unsettled on Tuesday
and Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 1 reported at 7 a.m. local this
morning indicates we are currently experiencing quiet conditions.
Just like we reported for the past several weeks weeks, we can expect
fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80 and 40
meters. Fair conditions both day and night are expected on 30 and 20.
Poor conditions will continue on the higher bands.
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.
**NEW FOR SALE**
Four used sections of Rohn 25g Tower (10 foot). One of the four has rust
on the bottom foot or foot and half, other three are all good. Would
like to see them go to a good home. Reasonable offers will be accepted
(buyer must have way to haul them off). Jim Cason AC4JC, 252-636-0407 or
jlcason@yahoo.com. (20200302)
**FOR SALE**
Yaesu FT-450D HF to 6 meter transceiver. Like new condition. $450. Bill
Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com. (20200210)
**FOR SALE**by Sam/Dave Bacon, KD2T, davebacon137@embarqmail.com or
252-617-0359 (20200120)
* MFJ-928 Automatic antenna turner will handle 200w CW or SSB. Handles
up to 2 antennas. Tunes with 2 watts. Tunes in15 seconds. Audio SWR
meter. 20,000 memories. 4 memory banks. New $199.95 available for $145.00
* Ameritron 811 HF amplifier. Conveniently plug it into your nearest
120 VAC outlet — no special wiring needed. Three tough 811A
transmitting tubes, extra heavy duty power supply, all HF band coverage,
pressurized ventilation, tuned input, adjustable ALC & more. The AL-811
covers all HF bands. You can operate the AL-811 on all modes. Depending
on band gets approximately 600 watts output PEP SSB and 500 watts output
CW. You even get 400 watts on demanding continuous modes like RTTY,
SSTV, FM and AM. 2 extra 811 tubes comes with the amp. No box. Non
smoking house. Manual included. New from Ameritron $1099.95 Asking $600.00
* Yaesu SP 2000 Speaker with dust cover. External speaker with filters.
Yaesu grey color. Has dust cover. New at Gigi Parts $184.00 available at
$135.00.
* MFJ-1260 Mic/Rig Switch. Allows you to use 2 mics with 1 rig. MFJ
price is $119.95 Yours for $75.00
* MFJ-471RC Remote Control Antenna Switch. Remote control up to 2
antenna from your shack. Control voltage travel on the feed coax. No
need for a control wire. MFJ price $89.95 Your for $50.00
* MFJ1701 6 Position Manual Antenna Switch. Manually switch between up
to 6 different antennas. Has a scratch on the face. MFJ price $99.95
yours for $50.00
PARS CALENDAR:
* Technician Class Radio Operator Course, Mondays through March 30,
6:30 pm, Pamlico Community College, Brinson Building Room 411. For more
info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Mar 5, Emergency Communications for ARES/AUXCOMM, Thursday, 7-9 pm,
Brinson Building Room 411, Pamlico Community College, Mike Marsh, K4NLC,
252-636-1257 or mike@marshconsulting.org
* Mar 28, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X,
252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Apr 4, FCC License Examination/VE Session, Saturday 9am, Oriental
Town Hall, Oriental. Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or
drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Apr 25, 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:
* Tuesdays, Newport Weather Service SKYWARN Practice Net, 9:00 pm
local, Oriental (147.210+ (PL151.4)) and all other local repeaters. This
net for severe weather warning and reporting is 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/
Our 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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