AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE EXAM SESSION MARCH 10, 2022 – Reminder
PARS will hold a license exam session on March 10 beginning at 6:30 PM
at Broad Creek Christian Church, 45 Olympia Rd, Olympia, NC. If you
have not already done so, please register your intention to take an exam
by emailing or calling Bill Michne at drmichne73@ gmail.com or 252-671-6703.
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) Feb 26, 2022 MEETING NOTES
* Eighteen PARS members, visitors and guests attended the 9 am
breakfast meeting chaired by President Mike Marsh, K4NLC, at Brantley’s
Village Restaurant.
* No awards or upgrades were reported but we should see some new hams
by our next meeting. Bill’s (WM3X) license class students will take
their exams on March 10th. Bill is expecting 6 to take their Tech, 3 for
General, and one going for Extra.
* Mike presented Wally’s treasurer’s report. Dues are slowly coming
in; the club is solvent.
* Bill Olah, KR4LO, has monitored the new batteries powering the
Kershaw repeaters and all is well.
* Activity on the N4PRS Website has been about average according to
Webman Paul, K4MMB: 135 visitors with each seeing 3 pages. He sees more
locals using the site. The repeater page remains the most visited.
* Propagation Report: Solar activity was reported by NOAA to be very
low. The solar flux was 96 Friday, well below the current 90 day average
of 105. The geomagnetic field was reported to be quiet. Conditions on
the bands 40M and above are reportedly good except for 10 meters. Even
so, reports by our active Dx’ers indicate good activity on 12 and 10
during the past week.
* Mike, our PCN controller, reported 4 training sessions during the
month amounting to 25.2 manhours. Some PCT members installed the VARA FM
application and are trying it on 6 Meters. As part of this effort, Gary,
NC3Z, has obtained approval to operate his station as a WinLink RMS.
* Bruce, K4ONC, our county AUXcomm lead, announced a second major
exercise, this one state-wide for AUXcomm and emergency services will be
conducted on May 11 & 12. The later May 24 exercise will offer
opportunity for both AUXcomm and stay-at-home ARES play. Both will be
addressed at the next PCT Meeting on Saturday, Mar 5, at the Florence
Station 25 Fire Dept.
* The “replacement” K4ONC repeater that has DMR capability is under
test. It has different access (CTCSS) codes than the current analog only
repeater currently installed at Kershaw. Look for a short test period
within the month. Obtaining necessary internet connectivity may slow
full implementation.
* Mike asked the group to consider club swap meets at future meetings.
Expect a presentation on remote station operation at the March meeting.
* With interest in solar-battery-emergency power growing, Jack, KO4RSD,
generated lots of discussion with a “show & tell” of his Jackery Solar
Generator 1500 combined with 4 SolarSaga 100W solar panels. This
portable system can provide 1800 watts (3600W surge) indefinitely.
* There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:03 am.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was at low levels during the 24 hour
period ending yesterday at 4 p.m. local. There are 4 reported numbered
sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this morning. The Prediction
Center expects solar activity to be very low today through Wednesday.
There is a chance for C-class flares. On Sunday the observed Solar Flux
Index (SFI) at Penticton was 97. (Last Sunday it was 93.) The index is
predicted to measure 99 at noon today and then 102 tomorrow and 105
Wednesday. The SFI 90 day trailing average is 105.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field reached active levels yesterday. NOAA
expects conditions to be quiet to active today and Tuesday and then
quiet to unsettled Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 2 reported at 7
a.m. local this morning indicates quiet geomagnetic conditions.
We can expect fair day and good nighttime operating conditions today on
80 and 40 meters and good day and night on 30 and 20. Conditions will be
fair on 17 and poor on 10.
Conditions were very good on Sunday for the NC QSO Party. Forty meters
was chock-a-block full. It will be interesting to see the scores. One
would expect them to be much higher than last year. Dick, K4JJW, was
kept busy answering calls as bonus station “N4E”. Pamlico County
contacts seemed to be in high demand. Perhaps our party-goers will send
us their observations and let us know how they did…
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.
*WANTED* 6 Meter mobile whip antenna and or a multi band mobile antenna.
In anticipation of finishing the Lil Shaky radio Jeep. Clergyman’s
discount should be considered as I am but a lowly, humble website
attendant. Paul K4MMB, 561-308-3456, PARSwebman@gmail.com (20220103)
*FOR SALE* Astron RS-70M in pretty nice shape. $250 Gary Mitchelson,
NC3Z/4, nc3z.gary@gmail.com, 252-745-0655 (20211101)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Mar 5, PAMLICO COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MEETING, Saturday, 9am,
Florence-Whortonsville VFD. AUXCOMM & ARES–All are welcome. For more
info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* Mar 10, PARS license exam session, Thursday, 6:30 PM at Broad Creek
Christian Church, 45 Olympia Rd, Olympia, NC. Please register your
intention to take an exam by emailing or calling Bill Michne at
drmichne73@ gmail.com or 252-671-6703.
* Mar 26, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Mike Marsh, K4NLC,
252-636-1257 or mike@MarshConsulting.org
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Wednesdays,”Pamlico Communications Net”, 7:30 pm local, 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
73, Jim AI4WL
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