PAMLICO EMERGENCY/COMMUNICATIONS NET
Bruce, K4ONC, counted 15 WinLink check-ins and 17 net check-ins for the
Pamlico Emergency/Communications Net last Wednesday, July 30th. Of the
WinLink check-ins, 11 did so by sending in a current Situation Report as
requested. Three of the 17 net check-ins were done via EchoLink (KO4MHM
from Brevard NC, K2ONN Bermuda Run NC, AC2GR Fairfield Harbor). I
(AI4WL) raised my hand and will be doing the NCS thing for the month of
August.
So, now that we’re well into the Hurricane Season and since we could be
the “eyes on the ground”, let’s practice preparing and sending a WinLink
FIELD SITUATION REPORT (FSR) AGAIN THIS WEEK. Please include in your
Additional Comments section whether you have station backup power
capability, what kind, and estimate how many hours you could operate
with your fuel on hand. (Find the FSR form by opening RMS Express, click
“New Message” then “Select Template”. Click on “General Forms” then
“Field Situation Report”.)
BTW, as we’ve gained some experience with EchoLink, it is being
recognized as an important tool in our communications bag. If you
haven’t considered it, please give it a try. All you need to know is to
be found at https://www.echolink.org/ And it’s free!
Reminder: the Oriental community meeting on GMRS is scheduled for 6:30pm
on Thursday, Aug 21st.
BIKE MS VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
Extracted from Brandon Porter, KQ4EAS, email dated Jul 20,2025:
“The 2025 Bike MS ride is coming up in September. They need volunteers
for SAG drivers and rest stop communication stations. I received the
below information from Bill Sanford (K4VHO) regarding some changes to
volunteer registration… Message from Bill is as follows:
We have consolidated the sign up process on (HPSNC.org) ran by Jeremy
Lindsley, who is primary contact for coordinating the Hams (SAGs and
Rest Stops). The MS Bike sign-up process was way too complicated. but
between Jeremy (HPSNC.org) and Bill Sanford (New Bern), you’ll be in
good hands.
The HPSNC.org is easy to navigate.
For all the Ham-related events Ham Public Service NC supports
(HPSNC.org), Sign-Up Genius is where the Hams are sent to sign-up….”
[For more information contact Brandon Porter, New Bern Amateur Radio
Club VP, Emergency Communications Coordinator, KQ4EAS@gmail.com,
301-481-7669-ed.]
SO WHERE IS SHE NOW? THE GREAT EASTERN BALLOON ‘ROUND-ABOUT CONTINUES
Our little Greenville wanderer, the NC4ES pico balloon is again playing
loop-de-loop. She apparently likes following the coast line. When we
left you last Monday, she was over Nigeria headed east. Then the next
day she was going west over coastal Ghana. She then turned northwest and
traveled overnight to northern Guinea where she spent most of Wednesday.
Thursday, was spent just offshore of Senegal. Overnight she floated back
over the Atlantic to the north of the Cape Verde Islands where she spent
Friday. On Saturday she was over the Atlantic headed northeast and by
Sunday wake-up she was grazing the Canaries. By days’ end she ended up
well into Morocco pointed southeast and almost to Mauritania. This
morning she was drifting west-southwest. Following her on the new
tracking site with the Google Earth view from the balloon looking down
is giving us quite the geography lesson. Will she bother to complete lap
10 or just wander around? Only the wind god Knows….
Here’s that new tracking site that Lor, W3QA, told us about:
https://wsprtv.com [for “Ch” use “300”-ed]. It’s like Traquito and adds
that Google Earth view from the balloon.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reports that solar activity was moderate during the 24 hour period
ending yesterday at 5 p.m. local. The Space Weather Prediction Center
expects solar activity to be low through Wednesday with a 40% chance for
M-class flares, 10% chance of X-class.
There are 7 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this
morning. There were 10 last Monday, 10 the Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 146,
last Sunday’s was 145. The index is predicted to measure 145 today, 140
Tuesday and 140 on Wednesday. The more important SFI 90 day trailing
average was 134 yesterday. It was 135 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field was quiet to active yesterday. The SWPC expects
the field to be quiet to active today and Tuesday, quiet to unsettled on
Wednesday. The planetary K-index at 5 a.m. this morning was 2.67
indicating quiet conditions.
Look for poor conditions during the day on 80 to 40, fair at night; good
day and night on 30 to 15; and fair day, poor at night on 12 and 10M.
DXmaps.com shows lots of Es activity in Europe this morning–check for
DX. Go to https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD031 DX news and DXWorld.net:
–EAST MALAYSIA, 9M6. A large group of operators are QRV as 9M8A from
Satang Besar Island, IOTA OC-165, until August 13. Activity is on 80 to
6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. QSL via LoTW.
–MAYOTTE, FH. A group of operators are QRV as TO3K until Aug 10.
Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. QSL via LoTW.
–OGASAWARA, JD1. Fumi, JH7CSU is QRV as JD1BRC from Chichijima Island,
IOTA AS-031, to Aug 8. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and
FT8. QSL via JH7CSU.
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)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Aug 21, Community GMRS Forum, Thursday, 6:30pm, Oriental Town Hall.
All are welcome. Bring your GMRS HT. For more info, contact Bruce
Perkins, K4ONC, 252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* Aug 30, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* Sep 6, 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 FM Oriental (147.210MHz+ CTCSS 88.5Hz) — Operational
N4ONC (old KR4LO) UHF FM Oriental — Down for repair/replacement
GMRS Repeater (Ch 21, Rptr 7 or 462.700MHz+) — Operational
NC4ES DMR Arapahoe (NC4ES Network)(147.285MHz+ CC1) — Operational
NC4ES FM Arapahoe (147.285MHz+ CTCSS ENC 88.5Hz/DEC 100Hz) — Standby
NC4ES DMR Florence (NC4ES Network)(445.6625MHZ- CC1) — Operational
WM3X-ONC C4FM/WIRES-X NODE Oriental (145.530MHz splx) — Down for
computer replacement
KO4OJC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X Baird Creek (146.31MHz- CTCSS 131.8) — Test.
Signal/issue reports requested.
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
73, Jim AI4WL Editor
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