Dear fellow PVARC members,
Our club's new K6PV dual-mode DMR/analog repeater was installed last Friday and is now on the air. As with anything new involving technology (whether a new car, new DSLR camera, new computer software, new smartphone, etc.) there are always a few speed bumps and learning curves along the roads to mastering that technology. Our club will be assisting any interested member with Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)...please watch for our upcoming QRO newsletter early next week about our approaches to help everyone.
In the meantime, we noticed in the national DMR radio ID database the PVARC as of last Friday already had 29 members with DMR radios. That's a great start but we need to ask our DMR-equipped members to kindly refrain from DMR use during two periods each week when K6PV must be in analog-only mode. First, on Monday evenings from 6:45-7:30 pm K6PV must be in analog mode for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes' PVAN radio group weekly net. Second, on Tuesday evenings from 7:15-8:00 pm K6PV needs to be in analog mode for our weekly club net. Additionally, if there is a disaster situation and the RPV Emergency Communications Center is activated then K6PV needs to be have analog FM traffic be the priority.
A few members have commented about a loud "buzzing" noise they hear on K6PV. That buzzing means the repeater is in DMR mode. To avoid hearing buzzing on an analog-only HT or mobile transceiver please enable "Tone Squelch" (or in Yaesu-speak, "Encode-Decode") in your K6PV settings...you will then only hear FM analog transmissions. Everyone, whether using DMR or analog FM, should look at their radio's display before initially transmitting to see if someone is using K6PV in the other mode. It's first-come, first-served between analog and DMR use...both will work and both can co-exist.
This week's club net is tonight on the K6PV repeater (447.120 MHz) at 7:30 pm in analog mode, also cross-banded onto 144.910 MHz, Tone Squelch, PL 156.7 for those on the Peninsula's west side. Please check in and say hello.
Lastly, this coming Saturday is the monthly W6TRW Swap Meet at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach alongside Aviation Blvd. Perhaps we'll see you there.
Have a great week and watch for our April QRO newsletter which will also have information about our April 4th monthly meeting at Hesse Park.
73,
Diana, AI6DF
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Here's the latest DX bulletin, courtesy of the ARRL (some completed operations are omitted):
This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
AC8W, KK9A, W2TT, WB0TEV, The Daily DX, The OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX
News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar
and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.
GEORGIA, 4L. Luc, F5RAV will be QRV as 4L/F5RAV from March 26 to
April 2. Activity will be on the HF bands. This includes being an
entry in the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest. QSL direct to
home call.
SENEGAL, 6W. Elvira, IV3FSG is QRV as 6W/IV3FSG from Thies, near
Dakar, until April 16 while working for the Informatici Senza
Frontiere organization. Activity is in her spare time on 80 to 10
meters using SSB and possible digital modes. QSL via IK3GES.
JUAN FERNANDES ISLAND, CE0. A group of operators are QRV as XR0ZRC
from Robinson Crusoe Island, IOTA SA-005, until April 3. Activity
is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL direct to R7AL.
NIEU, E6. Janusz, SP9FIH is QRV as E6AF until April 25. Activity
is on 160 to 15 meters using SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL to home call.
FRENCH GUIANA, FY. Hartwig, DL7BC is QRV as TO2BC near Cayenne
until April 2. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using SSB, with some
RTTY and PSK, and with CW on request, depending on operating
conditions. This includes being an entry in the upcoming CQ World
Wide DX SSB contest. QSL to home call.
BONAIRE, PJ4. John, KK9A will be QRV as PJ4/KK9A from March 24 to
- Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. He will
be active as PJ4R in the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest.
QSL both calls via WD9DZV.
BELIZE, V3. Victor, WB0TEV will be QRV as V31VP from the Maya Hill
Lodge from March 28 to April 2. Activity will be on the HF bands,
with an emphasis on 160 and 80 meters using slow CW, SSB, RTTY and
FT8. This includes being a Single Op/All Band entry in the upcoming
CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest. QSL to home call.
TURKS AND CAICOS, VP5. John, AF3K and Ross, W2TT will be QRV as
VP5/AF3K and VP5/W2TT, respectively, from Providenciales, IOTA
NA-002, from March 26 to April 2. They will be QRV as VP5P in the
upcoming CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest. QSL via operators'
instructions.
BERMUDA, VP9. Operators KG8CO, W8KA, KB8TXZ, N8LI and AC8W will be
QRV as home calls/VP9 from March 28 to April 2. Activity will be on
the HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. This includes being QRV as VP9I
as a Multi/2 entry in the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest,
QSL via operators' instructions, and VP9I via LoTW.
MYANMAR, XZ. Yuki, JH1NBN is QRV as XZ2C until March 28. Activity
is on 15, 12, 10, and 6 meters using 25 watts. QSL direct to home
call.
VANUATU, YJ. Chris, VK2YUS will be QRV as YJ0CA from Efate Island,
IOTA OC-035, from March 26 to April 2. Activity will be holiday
style on 40 to 15 meters. This includes being an entry in the
upcoming CQ World Wide WPX DX SSB contest. QSL direct to home call.