ORIENTAL REPEATER GROUP (ORG) ACQUIRES LUPTON KERSAW REPEATER ASSETS
Bruce Perkins, K4ONC, announced Saturday that the ORG has purchased the
LUPTON Electronics paging/repeater assets at the Kershaw tower site. The
equipment and antenna, essentially unused for sometime, will be
repurposed for amateur use. Plans include relocating the Baird Creek YSF
repeater to Kershaw and reinstalling the KR4LO UHF repeater now under
test at Baird Creek. The group, at their brief meeting Saturday, also
agreed to contract out the needed roof replacement on the Kershaw
operations building that the ORG equipment shares with the Lupton
repeater. Upon roof completion, the current solar power system will be
upgraded to handle the additional load.
The Oriental Repeater Group owns and operates the amateur radio
repeaters and associated equipment at leased commercial Kershaw Road
(Oriental) and Araphoe tower sites for the benefit of the amateur radio
community. Five board members/shareholders are also members of the
Pamlico Amateur Radio Society.
NET NEWS
Hank, KW1ZRD, reported that there were 14 WinLink and 21 voice check-ins
to the Pamlico Communications/Emergency Net last Wednesday, April 1st.
KM4PA (Brevard), N2PZG (Whortonsville) and K2TNO (Greensboro) used
EchoLink for their voice check-in. Hank advises members to be prepared
to switch to the simplex frequency (146.55Mhz), a specified NC4ES DMR
talk group, or to the Baird Creek (Wayne’s World) repeater on call.
Simplex is planned for this Wednesday. Hank and future controllers may
be asked to act upon injects (tasks) during their sessions.
Monday night C4FM Net. On March 23th, seven folks participated in the
weekly roundtable hosted by KO4OJC. The new firmware upgrade 2.0 was the
hot topic. For local users via RF it’s on 146.310MHz and remote users
via Wires-X room “KO4OJC-Room 3” (ID 64163).
NEW HAM
Congratulations go to PARS member John Clay who passed his technician
class exam at the April 4th VE session. He’s all set to get on the air
when the FCC assigns his call, hopefully this week.
SOLAR NUMBERS TODAY
NOAA reported 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 moderate today, Tuesday, and Wednesday with
a slight chance for X-class flares through Wednesday.
There were 7 numbered sunspot regions on the Sun facing Earth yesterday
at noon. There were 9 last Sunday.
Sunday’s noon Solar Flux Index (SFI) observation at Penticton was 118,
last Sunday’s was 158. The index is predicted to measure 118 today, 115
Tuesday and 113 on Wednesday. The more important SFI 90 day trailing
average was 137 yesterday. It was 139 last Sunday.
The geomagnetic field reached active levels yesterday. The SWPC expects
the field to be quiet to unsettled today and Tuesday, then quiet on
Wednesday. The planetary K-index at 5 a.m. this morning was 2.33
indicating quiet conditions.
Current conditions (1117Z/06 Apr): Fair day on 80 and 40 Meters, good at
night; good day and night on 30 & 20; fair day and night 17 & 15; poor
day, poor at night on 12 and 10. Please go to
https://www.n4prs.org/looking-up/ for the latest observations.
DX THIS WEEK–
Extracted from ARRL’s ARLD013 DX NEWS and DXWorld.net:
–ANTARCTICA. Ramon, LU1DMZ, is QRV as LU1DMZ/Z from the Orcadas base on
Laurie Island, IOTA AN-008, until the end of 2026. Tom, VK2TBC, is also
QRV as VK0TBC from the Casey base on the Bailey peninsula, IOTA AN-016.
–SOUTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Frank, DJ5NQ, is QRV as E51ANQ from Rarotonga
Island, IOTA OC-013. Length of stay is unknown. Activity is
holiday-style on 80 through 10 meters using CW and SSB.
–CENTRAL KIRIBATI, T3. Group of operators are QRV as T31TTT on Kanton
Island, IOTA OC-043, until April 8. Activity on is 160 through 6 meters
using CW, SSB, FT8, FT4.
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 60 DAYS unless I hear otherwise. Thanks, Jim.
NEW FOR SALE: Yaesu FT5DR, 5W C4FM/FM VHF/UHF Dual Band Digital
handheld. Never opened, new in the box. I can charge, program and
deliver if needed. $380 and I’ll include a 32Gb Micro SD card and
adapter used to program. Wayne – KO4OJC – (252)241-1962 (20260406)
FOR SALE: Yaesu SP-2000 external speaker with protective cover. Perfect
condition. $100.00. Sam/Dave Bacon at davebacon1943@gmail.com. (20260302)
PARS CALENDAR:
* Apr 25, PARS MONTHLY MEETING, Saturday, 9am, Brantley’s Village
Restaurant, Oriental. For more info, contact Bruce Perkins, K4ONC,
252-626-2730 or K4ONC@aol.com
* May 2, 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
* May 30, SPRING FOX HUNT and Picnic, Oriental VFD Station 19/Oriental
Dog Park. Straight Road, Oriental. Alternate date, June 6.
SELECTED LOCAL REPEATER/NODE/BEACON STATUS
(See www.n4prs.org/frequencies/ for set-up)
N4ONC FM Oriental (147.210MHz+ CTCSS 88.5Hz) — Operational
GMRS Repeater Oriental (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 smplx) — Operational
KO40JC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X Baird Creek (146.310MHz- FM CTCSS 131.8) —
Operational.
KR4LO FM Baird Creek (444.350MHz+ ENC 88.4Hz) — Test
KE4TZN/Aurora FM/C4FM/WIRES-X (145.270MHz- FM CTCSS 131.8) —
Operational.
KE4TZN/Aurora DMR (PRN Network) (440.550MHz+ CC1) — Operational
Cedar Isl Mark’s Beacons: K4FWS/b FM14ux 144.282 CW; K1MAP/b FM14ux
222.055 CW; K1MAP/b FM14ux 432.305 CW (Very low power for rcvr,
propagation tests)
LOCAL NETS OF INTEREST TO PARS MEMBERS:
* Mondays, “Wayne’s World C4FM Net”, 7:30 pm local, using the C4FM
digital mode on the KO40JC FM/C4FM/WIRES-X repeater, Baird Creek
(146.310MHz). Those outside RF range may join via Wires-X room
“KO4OJC-Room 3″ (DTMF ID 64163). This is a round-table open to all.
Discussions vary with member interest. 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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