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, Aug 30. 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 community GMRS help session; Station
19’s station, picnic/POTA plans, a C4FM net? repeater and pico balloon
updates, DX 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 21 voice check-ins for the Pamlico
Emergency/Communications Net last Wednesday, August 20th. Two of the 21
voice check-ins were via EchoLink (K2ONN Bermuda Run NC and KO4MHM from
Brevard). After check-ins were complete we asked those that indicated
they could, to switch to the new Baird Creek FM/C4FM dual mode repeater
on FM and respond to a call with signal report. Eleven stations
responded, two didn’t. One had an antenna problem the other had a
programming issue. Five responders were on HT’s. Between the NCS and
responders, all were at least Q4,”perfectly readable”; most were full
quieting both ways. Repeater coverage was good, extending well beyond
Pamlico County.
For this Wednesday, August 27, please use the normal WinLink Net
Check-in form. For those that can, we ask them to change over to the
Arapahoe NC4ES DMR Repeater LOCAL TALK GROUP and await a call. Our DMR
users have increased therefore the likelihood of an available entry
point into the NC4ES/EHPC network during emergencies has improved. (Of
course, the network is available for regular amateur use most of the
time.) After check-ins are complete we will return to the Oriental
repeater to close out the net.
SO WHERE IS SHE NOW? THE GREAT EASTERN BALLOON ‘ROUND-ABOUT CONTINUES
The Greenville Express, NC4ES, has gone quiet over India. Her last
transmission was at 1028 UTC Thursday the 21st above the city of Armori
at an altitude of 13.72km (45K feet) while traveling about 59kmh SSW.
Matt McMahon, WU2V, our Chief Balloonist, won’t call her lost just yet.
He will give her a week of no communications. Sometimes “they report
back after days of nothing”.
If she is truly lost, the little balloon had a great run. It was the
longest of any of the Greenville group’s balloons. A true wanderer, she
may not have found the fastest wind but while taking her time to go
around the earth, made some interesting side trips. She twice took short
cuts over the North Pole and she did do-loops several times, the most
recent over coastal Western Africa. She ended her trans-equatorial lap
10 being turned back from a “normal” easterly course across the Pacific
to “go backwards” over China, then Myanmar, then Bangladesh, to India.
Since being launched on Friday, February 7th, the little balloon with
her tiny payload and trailing a 36 foot long antenna tail has crossed
over too many countries to count. She gave us a wonderful course in
geography. Let’s hope she will wake up and surprise us over some place
new again.
You too can see the recent path of the Greenville express, NC4ES, at:
https://wsprtv.com [for “Ch” use “300”-ed]. It’s much like Traquito and
adds a Google Earth view from the balloon. Check out the “big” city of
Armori. In 2011, the population was 97,097. It’s rural but “well
connected” to major industrial and commercial places by road according
to Wikipedia.
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 chance (45%)
for M-class flares.
There are 8 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth this
morning. There were 4 last Monday, 11 the Monday before.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 152,
last Sunday’s was 117. The index is predicted to measure 152 today, 152
Tuesday and 155 on Wednesday. The more important SFI 90 day trailing
average was 136 yesterday. It was 136 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field was quiet yesterday. The SWPC expects the field to
be quiet to active today and Tuesday, quiet to unsettled Wednesday. The
planetary K-index at 5 a.m. this morning was 1.33 indicating quiet
conditions.
Look for poor conditions during the day on 80 to 40, good at night; good
day and night on 30 to 15; good day and poor at night on 12 and 10M. Go
to https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
Conditions do change.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD034 DX news and DXWorld.net:
–NIUE, E6. Gavin, ZL3GAV, is QRV as E6SP until August 31. QSL to home call.
–FRENCH POLYNESIA, FO. A group of operators are QRV as TX14TOM from
Taiarapu, IOTA OC-046, until August 31. Activity is on the HF bands
using SSB. QSL via LoTW.
–LAOS, XW. Simon, G6JFY, is QRV as XW0LP from Luang Prabang. Activity
is currently on 12 and 10 meters. He may soon be active on 40 meters as
well. QSL via M0OXO.
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.
No listings. Send me one.
PARS CALENDAR:
* 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
GMRS Repeater (Ch 21, Rptr 7 or 462.700MHz+) — Down for repair/replacement
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 smplx) — Operational
KO4OJC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X Baird Creek (146.310MHz- CTCSS 131.8) — Operational.
LOCAL AL 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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