PARS BREAKFAST MEETING THIS COMING SATURDAY
Our next meeting will be in the back room of Brantleys Village
Restaurant on Broad Street in Oriental at 0900 Saturday, May 31st.
Please park along the side or out back. We hope to see you all there.
Come early for breakfast with your fellow hams. For more information
contact Pamlico Amateur Radio Society President Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
Expect a report out on the recent Eastern Branch NCEM Amateur Radio Open
House, more on the forthcoming June COMMEX, repeater and pico balloon
updates, a reminder on reporting your Field Day score and more. Always
lots to talk about plus a chance for a Brantleys Gift Certificate.
PAMLICO EMERGENCY/COMMUNICATIONS NET
We counted 15 WinLink check-ins and 15 net check-ins for the Pamlico
Emergency/Communications Net last Wednesday, May 21st. There were also
eight who switched over to the Arapahoe DMR repeater (OJC, LO, NLC, ONC,
ABZ, MHM, S, WL). We might try the “DMR post-net net” again this
Wednesday. If so, it will be a directed net. Please listen for guidance
from the controller.
SO WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THE GREAT EASTERN BALLOON ‘ROUND-ABOUT CONTINUES
Both of the little balloons are still slowly making their way east
around our globe. One is way way way north, the other on her fairly
consistent southerly track. Hard to believe, we’ve been following them
for 109 days.
For the past week, the Greenville pico balloon, NC4ES, has stayed north
along and above the Arctic Circle. After being stuck for two days near
Russia’s desolate Bolshevik Island, by Tuesday she decided enough was
enough and took a short cut across the North Pole. By Saturday noon, she
was back on the Traquito map drifting in a circle over the Arctic Ocean
about 250 miles north of Ellesmere Island, Canada. This morning she was
still there.
The Pamlico N4PRS balloon took a more direct path since last Monday.
From Africa she traveled mostly due east. By Sunday morning she was
over the Western Pacific, north of Japan’s Ogasawara Island. At 2:28am
this morning she was heading toward Midway Atoll. On her 9th lap, the
little balloon has traveled 203,838 miles since February 7th.
We’ll keep watching for their reports on Traquito and listening on 20
meters for their WSPR signals when they are near enough. You can get the
links for tracking the balloons at:
https://easternhpc.com/nc4es-pico-balloon-information-page/ Scroll to
the bottom for some photos. Even more background is at
https://www.n4prs.org/eastern-express/
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reports that solar activity was high during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local. The Space Weather Prediction Center
expects solar activity to be moderate today through Wednesday with a 25%
chance for M-class flares each day, 65% for M-class flares. Radio
blackouts reaching the R2 level are likely.
There are 7 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this
morning. There were 4 last Monday, 6 the Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 133,
last Sunday’s was 118. The index is predicted to measure 135 today, 130
Tuesday and 125 on Wednesday. The much more important SFI 90 day
trailing average was 155 yesterday. It was 161 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. The SWPC expects the field to
be quiet to unsettled today and Tuesday, then quiet to active on
Wednesday. The planetary K-index at 5 a.m. this morning was 2.00
indicating quiet conditions then.
Look for fair conditions during the day on 80 to 40, good at night; good
day and night on 30 to 15; and fair day, poor at night on 12 and 10M. Go
to https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD021 DX news and DXWorld.net:
–FALKLAND ISLANDS, VP8. Gerry, G3WIP is QRV as VP8DPD from Port
Stanley, IOTA SA-002, until July 12. Activity is mostly on 20 to 10 meters.
–AMERICAN SAMOA, KH8. Bob, K0NR and Joyce, K0JJW will be QRV as
KH8/K0NR and KH8/K0JJW, respectively, from May 27 to June 9. Activity is
primarily on 20 to 10 meters using SSB, FT8, and FT4 while activating
various SOTA and POTA locations. QSL via LoTW.
–PALAU, T8. Operators Kaz, JR2JGR, Tetsu, JF1GHX and Yoshi, JK1SZX are
QRV as T88DZ, T88HF, and T88SG, respectively, from Koror, IOTA OC-009,
until June 1. Activity is on various bands using SSB and FT8.
HAM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE, TRADE, OR WANTED
Send me your amateur radio related items that are for sale, trade, or
wanted and your contact information. PLEASE let me know when you have
have sold your item or if your listing is no longer needed. Listings
will EXPIRE AFTER 90 DAYS unless I hear otherwise. Thanks, Jim.
–FOR SALE: POTA/Field Day package, $550.00. Includes all the accessory
gear that you need for a high quality POTA/Field Day packaged station.
It’s a plug and play set-up. Just plug in your transceiver (IC-7300 or
similar) and you will be on the air in minutes with 100w, all day long.
Multi-band, 80-10m. New cost of components was $1200+, package price is
$550. Package includes:
1. Marine/RV deep cycle 27dc 180A battery in a portable battery box that
includes a digital amp meter and volt meter, and 4 Anderson Power Pole
outputs.
2. Battery Booster, MFJ-4416-C mounted on battery box. The booster is
electronically quiet and rated at 25 amps cont. It works great and will
keep the system output at a constant 13.8V even when the battery voltage
drops to 10.8v. Lots of capacity for full power, all day long.
3. Max Gain Systems, MK-4-HD heavy duty 25′ fiber glass push up mast,
4′ locking sections.
4. Drive on mount for the 25′ Max Gain mast.
5. ICOM AH-4 auto-tuner, 200w, 160-10m (on base of mast)
6. 50′ of pre-wired connecting power cable and RG-59 coax…all cables
needed to get on the air.
7. Inverted L antenna (on storage reel) reconfigurable, 54’/83′, #18
“silky” wire, 100′ 1/8″ Dacron rope.
Contact: Dick Goodwin, K4JJW, rdgjg1964@gmail.com 252-633-7873
Fairfield Harbour (20250519)
–FOR SALE: FOR SALE: Astron VS-50M 50-amp power supply. Like new
condition with original box and paperwork. LED upgrade installed for
both meters. This item currently sells for over $500. First $375 takes.
Mike, AB1OU, 203-981-0215.(20250428)
–FOR SALE: SB 200 Amplifier by Heathkit. In very good working order
with two extra brand new tubes. Reliable 500-600 watts and can be pushed
for more. $400. Charlie WA4GSI, 919 210-5168. (20250310)
–FREE: ICOM IC 700. Marine SSB, old, free, probably good for parts
only. Does not tx on 8. Glenn Sikes, KG4RYZ, New Bern, 305-744-8000
(20250519)
PARS CALENDAR:
* May 31, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* June 7, PAMLICO COMMUNICATIONS TEAM (PCT) MEETING, Saturday,
9-10:30am, Oriental VFD Station 19 on Straight Rd vic. NC-55. All are
welcome. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or
K4ONC@aol.com
REPEATER/NODE STATUS
(See www.n4prs.org/frequencies/ for set-up)
N4ONC VHF FM Oriental (147.210MHz+ CTCSS 88.5Hz) — Operational
N4ONC (old KR4LO) UHF FM Oriental — Down for repair/replacement.
NC4ES VHF DMR Arapahoe (NC4ES Network) (147.285MHz+ CC1) — Operational
NC4ES VHF FM Arapahoe (147.285MHz+CTCSS ENC 88.5Hz/DEC 100Hz)–Standby
NC4ES UHF DMR (NC4ES Network) Florence — Operational.
WM3X-ONC VHF C4FM/WIRES-X NODE Oriental (145.530 simplex)– Operational.
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, “Pamlico 10 Meter Net, 7:30 pm local, on or near 28.464 MHz,
USB. A non-directed net for technicians and above. Radio
topics/questions/issues welcomed.
* Wednesdays,”Pamlico Communications Net”, 7:30 pm local, N4ONC
(Oriental) VHF Repeater, 147.210+ (CTSCC Tone Squelch 88.5). A directed
net open to all. Net activates on call during emergencies.
* 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 WEBSITE: https://www.n4prs.org/
Our Web Master is Paul Jodoin, K4MMB, PARSwebman@gmail.com
On this Memorial Day, let us again remember all those who sacrificed
everything to protect our freedom.
73, Jim AI4WL Editor
——–
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