PRESIDENT’S SOAPBOX
Here’s a little PARS Field Day recent history. I went back a few years to see how our scores changed according to the site used, number of participants, etc., to see if any wisdom emerged that could be used going forward. The results were eye opening, to say the least. I started my retrospective with the year 2016. I think that was the year we didn’t participate in the event. I could be wrong about that, but I didn’t find a listing for N4PRS in the scores for that year. The next year, 2017, we sort of operated from the Oriental Town Hall. A great venue and a prime location for public exposure. I couldn’t find any scoring data, but my recollection was that the score was pretty low. We were plagued by noise at the site, and making contacts was nearly impossible. Public visitors numbered 3. In 2018 we moved to the Shrine club. We had 29 participants and a score of 1818 points. We had a few visitors from the general public, but not many. Our “points per participant” (ppp) was a measley 62. The following year, 2019, we were at the Shrine club again. Participation dropped to 17, and with a score of 1772, essentially the same as the previous year, the the ppp rose to 104. Enter 2020, and the pandemic. All operations from home stations, and pooling of individual scores for an aggregate club score. Our participation dropped to just 5, but our score rose to 3848 for a ppp of 770! There’s a message in those numbers, and I’ll try to get it out for next week’s soapbox. Meanwhile, give it some thought. 73 for now, de WM3X, Bill Michne, 252-249-1175, drmichne73@gmail.com.
THE SENATOR WAS A HAM (Barry Goldwater and Amateur Radio).
(Courtesy of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1515, Tedd Mirgliotta KB8NW editor and BARF80.ORG)
Marilyn Murphy, Communication Manager for the Arizona Historical Society, announces that the Arizona Historical Society is hosting a virtual program looking at Arizona’s most famous amateur radio operator, Barry Goldwater. The virtual event will take place on May 19th, between 6:00-7:00 AZ/PT. The Registration Link is: https://bit.ly/3mRPwTz
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported solar activity was low during the 24 hour period ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local but we did have a C-class event at 1358Z Sunday. There is one numbered sunspot region on the Sun facing Earth this morning and it is fairly active. Still, solar activity is expected to continue to be low through Wednesday with a slight chance for an M-class flare during the period. On Sunday the observed Solar Flux Index (SFI) at Penticton was 76. (Last Sunday it was 72.) The index is predicted to register 77 today and on Tuesday and then rising to 79 Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average remains 76.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. NOAA expects conditions to be quiet to unsettled today and Wednesday, quiet on Tuesday. The estimated Kp-index of 2 reported at 5 a.m. local this morning reflects our current quiet geomagnetic conditions.
For the next several days expect good daytime and good nighttime operating conditions on 80 and 40 meters, fair on 30 and 20, poor on the higher bands. Conditions did seem to improve slightly over the past week. Even the the Magic Band delivered a bit of excitement Saturday evening during the 50 MHz Spring Sprint, a short four hour event that started at 7 pm. EDT. Dick, K4JJW, was seen logging FT8 contacts as distant as Scottsdale AZ. Es propagation should continue to get better through the month of June.
For an explanation of the 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 are 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.
* FREE TO A GOOD HOME. Vintage Weston Selective Analyzer (Multimeter), Model 665, Type3. Contact Charlie, WA4GSI, at charlie@dockline.net (20210503)
PARS CALENDAR:
* May 29, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Jun 26-27, ARRL Field Day, Pamlico County Shrine Club, NC-306, Grantsboro. For more info, contact Bill Michne, WM3X, 252-249-1175 or drmichne73@gmail.com.
* Jul 31, 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:
* 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
PARS YOUTUBE CHANNEL–N4PRS RADIO
Videos of recorded PARS Meetings, presentations, and club activities can be viewed on on the N4PRS Radio YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpEMfxc7PQixT0rr5xEKtyQ
COVID-19 INFO
For the latest information from the COVID-19 Community Task Force, “Talking with Unvaccinated Family and Friends”, click on this link: https://mailchi.mp/5deb0ff1d123/talking-with-unvaccinated-family-and-friends?e=adb5dfd6c4
NOTE: The COVID-19 Community Task Force (CCTF) is a volunteer organization established to engage the community in responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and to support and augment the County’s efforts. The information shared by the CCTF is not an official communication from Pamlico County, its Health Department or the Pamlico County COVID19 Task Force.
73 and please stay safe, Jim AI4WL
——
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.