FOX HUNT SATURDAY – FINAL INSTRUCTIONS!
Clear your calendar and mark the date! It’s time to get those antennas
and radios ready to go. Everything is a “go” for the up-coming PARS Fox
Hunt this coming Saturday, December 3rd. So far we have about 20 people
attending and 13 registered FOX hunters, including those working in
teams. 1st prize is a Sainlogic Weather Station and Console, 2nd prize
is a Comet GP-1 Dual Band 2M base station antenna, and 3rd prize is a
MFJ-108b digital dual LCD clock. It will be a 2 hour timed event with 5
minute staggered starts of three groups. Club members who still wish to
register should contact Dick Goodwin K4JJW, rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net .
Everyone should gather at the Oriental Fire Station on Straight Rd. at
10:30 am to receive final instructions. The Fox transmitter will be
turned on and the hunt will begin at 11:00 sharp. The last group will
finish at 1:10 pm. After finishing, all hunters will return to the Fire
Station for a free picnic lunch and award of prizes at approximately
2:15 pm. Let’s all hope for nice weather and a great time.
–Dick Goodwin, K4JJW, Fox Hunt Coordinator
PAMLICO AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (PARS) Oct 29, 2022 MEETING NOTES
* Nineteen PARS members, visitors and guests attended the 9 am Saturday
breakfast meeting chaired by President Mike Marsh, K4NLC, at Brantley’s
Village Restaurant.
* No awards or upgrades were reported, however, Steve, KO4EDA, was
happy to let us know we will be seeing more of him in Pamlico County. He
is leaving the Craven School system to become the new LAN
Engineer/Manager for our Pamlico County Schools. Congratulations Steve!
* Mike delivered the Treasurer’s report on behalf of Wally. Even after
reimbursing Dick, K4JJW, for FOX Hunt prizes we are still solvent.
* Propagation Report: Quiet sun. Activity has been very low for the
past few days, mostly low for the past month. That said, our little QRP
4W FT8 signal was heard by VK7OO this morning at 0720R on 20M. He’s
10,047 miles distant so that’s about 2571 miles per watt. The solar flux
90 day average is 133 vs 128 last month. Near term forecast is for good
conditions on 15-40 Meters, fair on 12 and 10.
* ARES/Pamlico Communications Net: Mike reported 5 nets in November for
27.1 manhours. The net and our practice for emergencies will continue,
reporting manhours will not.
* Bruce, announced the next Pamlico Communications Team meeting has
been cancelled to avoid impacting the Fox Hunt gathering. Look for a
meeting in January.
* Mike reported that more effort on the new Arapahoe repeater took
place this month. Bill, KR4LO; Lor, W3QA, and other Oriental Repeater
Group members installed solar panels, batteries, and
controller/protective equipment and then moved it off the grid. [See
photos at www.n4prs.org/pamlico-communications-team/–ed.]
* Paul was away but left some stats on N4PRS Web page usage: In the
last 30 days there were 189 visitors who made 329 visits. Possibly most
were double checking their HT settings for the new Arapahoe repeater.
* Bruce, K4ONC, early recipient of the December QST, ran through the
PARS member results in the 2022 ARRL Field Day “contest’. Mike, K4HPS,
topped the list for our folks in the most popular 1D (Home commercial
power) category with 255 QSO’s, 1070 points. Jim, AI4WL, made 207
contacts for 984 points in the 1E (Home Emergency Power) category. PARS
aggregated score from our seven players was 3403 points. [For the scores
go to
https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/2022/Field-Day-2022-FinalQSTResults.pdf
].
* Mike thanked Bill Olah, KR4LO for hosting a most rewarding fox hunt
antenna building/attenuator assembling activity last Saturday [Nov 19th]
at his shop. Dick, K4JJW, had all the components ready to go and with
helpers supervised the effort. The actual fox hunt will be on Saturday,
December 3d.
* Mike reported that Bill Michne’s C4FM Wires-X node is operational.
There have been several local users. Lots to be learned. This led to a
discussion on repeater operation if connected via the internet to
“rooms/reflectors/talk groups”–they are all basically the same thing.
Expect more on multi-protocol repeater operation in the coming meetings.
* Our next meeting will be on New Years Eve morning, December 31st. It
will be brief in favor of the annual PARS Christmas ham radio related
gift exchange. [Be creative, keep it inexpensive, look for usable stuff
in your junk box.]
* Steve, KO4EDA won the monthly drawing. He received a Brantley’s
Restaurant $20 gift certificate. Bill, KR4LO, won a PARS License Plate.
* There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:46 am.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported that solar activity was very low during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 4 p.m. local. There are 4 numbered sunspot regions
on the Sun facing Earth this morning. There were 4 last Monday. The
Prediction Center expects solar activity to be low very today through
Wednesday. C-class flares are possible.
At the noon reading yesterday, the observed Solar Flux Index (SFI) at
Penticton was 107. Last Sunday it was 119. The index is predicted to
measure 105 today, 110 tomorrow and 115 on Wednesday. The SFI 90 day
trailing average was 131 yesterday, down two from last Sunday.
The Earth’s geomagnetic field was quiet to active yesterday. It is
expected to be quiet to unsettled today, unsettled to active tomorrow
and on Wednesday. The estimated Kp-index of 2.67 reported at 7 a.m.
local this morning indicated quiet geomagnetic conditions.
For today, we can expect fair to good operating conditions on the HF
bands 80 through 20, fair on 17 and 15, and poor on 12 and 10 meters.
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.
You want it, you got it. From Fred Rampey, KE0PZA, S/Y Magnolia: I am
about to recycle a large quantity of electronic gear that was partially
damaged by a lightning strike on my boat early this year. It includes
some still-current Raymarine stuff – Autopilot headend and actuator
controller/course computer, a C95 chart plotter w gps, AIS antenna mux,
2 Standard Horizon Marine VHFs (one works except for NMEA 0183
interface), an Icom 718 HF rig w AH-4 tuner (it powers up but has no rf
output power), and a 60 amp Outback solar charger. All of this is
partially damaged, most is not totally dead. Lots of good parts in there
though… Just thought I would check with the club before disposing of
all of this at the recycling center, in case there are any serious
DIY’ers in need of parts. Contact Fred at 970-481-1753 or frampey@yahoo.com.
And from Danny Lupton, Greater Stonewall: I have an old Civil Defense
low band 30-50mhz base radio, a mobile, and a handheld. It is all huge.
Also, a 150mhz base unit General Electric (crystal type of course). Etc.
etc. etc. If you know of anyone who might want to have a project piece,
to toy with. The price be be so very close to free.—OLD SCHOOL.
Contact Danny at 252-745-5655 or 514-5199, ldlupton@bizec.rr.com.
PARS CALENDAR:
* Dec 3, PARS FOX HUNT, Saturday, 10:30am-2:15pm, Oriental VFD Station
19 on Straight Rd. For more info and to sign up contact Dick Goodwin,
K4JJW, 252-633-7873 or rgoodwin41@suddenlink.net.
* Dec 31, PARS MONTHLY MEETING and Annual Christmas Gift Exchange,
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, N4ONC
(Oriental) Repeater, 147.210 + (CTSCC Tone Squelch 88.5).
* 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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