NO PARSGRAM MONDAY AUG 24, 2020
The next regular PARSgram should be in your email, Monday August 31st.
PARS MEETING REMINDER
Our next PARS meeting will be on Saturday, August 29th, 9 am, via radio
on the Oriental Repeater. Hope to hear you then.
PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
This past weekend was the North American SSB QSO party. It’s a nice
casual event, limited to 12 hours and a maximum of 100 watts. It seemed
a perfect opportunity for evaluating my new multiband vertical on 40 and
80, and my OCF dipole on 20. My first (and last) QSO on 20 was in the
form of a nastygram from my wife giving me an S9 report on the living
room TV. QSY to 40, where I was greeted by an S7-9 noise level. I was
able to work a few really loud stations, but was reluctant to call CQ
since I probably wouldn’t hear anyone calling me. After a while I quit
for dinner with the idea that I’d come back after dark and try my luck
on 75. But the evening dragged on with a series of rolling thunder
storms. QRT until conditions improve. _…_ Notwithstanding my
disappointment with the NAQP, contests remain a great way to evaluate
station setups, antennas, propagation, etc. QST’s monthly Contest
Corral column is a good source of information on the biggest contests of
the current month. A much more comprehensive source of contest
information is contestcalendar.com. While the site is way too
information rich to be detailed here, I suggest just going to the home
page. You will most likely find it nicely organized and easy to
navigate. Thanks to Tom, KI4NSP, for bringing it to my attention.
…_._ de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
IEEE SPECTRUM: UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF HAM RADIO
An interesting article by Julianne Pepitone was in the 10 Jul 20 issue.
I missed it earlier, you may have seen it. Even our own Lor Kutchins,
W3QA, is quoted:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/the-uncertain-future-of-ham-radio?utm=
TRIBUTE TO JOHN AND JANICE HOPKINS
In the August 15 ARRL North Carolina Section Newsletter, you will find a
thoughtful tribute to John and Janice by Bill Morine, N2COP. Look for it
in your inbox or at www.ncarrl.org
If you do not subscribe to the biweekly newsletter put together by
Section Manager Marv Hoffman, WA4NC, we recommend you do so. You can
sign up by logging into your ARRL account at www.arrl.org and editing
your profile.
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. On Sunday the reported Solar Flux Index (SFI)
at Penticton was 73. The index is predicted to register 70 today,
Tuesday and Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is 70.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. It is expected to be
quiet today and Tuesday and then quiet to unsettled Wednesday. The
estimated Kp-index of 1 reported at 5 a.m. local this morning indicates
we are currently experiencing quiet conditions.
We can expect fair daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80
and 40 meters and fair conditions day and night on 30 and 20. Expect
poor conditions on the higher HF bands. The VHF bands are quiet in North
America this morning but very busy in Europe.
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
For listing in the PARSgram send me your amateur radio related items
that you have for sale, trade, or wanted. PLEASE let me know when you
have have sold your item or your listing is no longer needed. Listings
will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise.–Jim.
** FOR SALE**
Cushcraft R-6000 vertical antenna for 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters.
Rated for 1500 watts, and no redials required. This is a pre-MFJ
version. Current HRO retail is $439.95 plus tax and shipping. My price
$150.00. Local pickup only. A portion of the proceeds will go to PARS.
Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175. (20200810)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Aug 29, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Virtual Meeting via
Radio on the Oriental Repeater (147.21 MHz, std offset, 151.4 Hz tone).
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.
“COVID 19: AFTER THE COUGH IS GONE”
More than you probably want to know about the possible effects of the
disease after the the initial symptoms have gone is in this Community
Task Force email. As of Friday, we were up to a total of 81 cases in the
county, one death. Not good.
https://mailchi.mp/967294649b35/covid-19-after-the-cough-is-gone?e=adb5dfd6c4
73 and stay safe, Jim AI4WL
——
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