Dear fellow PVARC members,
 
Our new K6PV repeater is working just fine, although it might not seem so when the antenna tower is lowered due to wind or other factors.  If you had difficulty checking in last week please try tonight at 7:30 pm on 447.120 MHz, Tone Squelch, PL 100.0, with the usual 144.910 MHz simplex cross-band, Tone Squelch, PL 156.7, for those on the Palos Verdes Peninsula west side.  A separate DMR net will follow during 8:00-8:30 pm using the PVARC Talk Group 31060 on Time Slot 2, Color Code 1.
 
We've long-known that four nearby geographic areas have difficulty reaching K6PV or its cross-band link.  These are on the north side of Palos Verdes Estates in and around Malaga Cove, Torrance's lower Hollywood Riviera neighborhood, many portion's of RPV's Miraleste section, and much of San Pedro.  Last Tuesday I was at my mother's home in Hollywood Riviera where our repeater and cross-link were barely heard on an HT radio due to shielding by the Palos Verdes hills.  But if you are in an affected area there are some solutions discussed in our May QRO newsletter coming your way on or about April 29.
 
Our next monthly meeting in Hesse Park's McTaggart Hall on Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 pm features PAPA repeater system technical guru and Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) expert Michael Rickey, AF6FB.  From 6:30-7:25 pm before the meeting our What's Next? group will have its usual gathering for any ham radio questions or help...and we'll have a separate session about general aspects of DMR for anyone interested (code plug programming will start at our June meeting.)
 
Finally, Walt Ordway K1DFO advises he needs one additional radio operator at a water station during our public service coverage of the Ridgecrest Intermediate School 5K on Sunday morning, May 5, in the Promenade Shopping Center area.  All you need is an HT radio that covers the 440 ham band.  If available contact Walt at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
 
Have a great week and 73 to all,
Diana, AI6DF
 
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Here's the latest DX bulletin, courtesy of the ARRL (completed operations are omitted but otherwise a slim list reflecting Easter Week):
 
 
This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by
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.
 
UGANDA, 5X.  Anders, SM0HPL is QRV as 5X7W from Kampala until April
27.  Activity is in his spare time on 20 to 10 meters, and possibly
30 meters, using CW, JT65 and FT8.  QSL to home call.
 
GHANA, 9G.  Matteo, IZ4YGS is QRV as 9G5GS from Sanzule, West
Takoradi until May 7.  Activity is in his spare time on 160, 80, 60,
40, 30 and 20 meters using mostly SSB and FT8.  QSL direct to home
call.
 
FRANCE, F.  Members of the Radio Club du Val d'Issole are QRV with
special event call TM500LDV until July 20 to mark the 500th
anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.  Activity is on the
HF bands using CW, SSB, PSK and FT8.  QSL via F4GPB.
 
FRENCH POLYNESIA, FO.  Rich, KE1B and Anna, W6NN will be QRV as
FO/KE1B from Bora-Bora from April 22 to 27, and then from Mo'orea
from April 27 to May 3.  Activity is mostly on 20 meters using FT8
with 10 watts.  QSL direct to KE1B.
 
CRETE, SV9.  Sepp, OH1VR will be QRV as SV9/OH1VR from April 25 to
May 1.  Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using mostly CW with
some SSB.  QSL to home call.
 
EAST KIRIBATI, T32.  Ken, KH6QJ is QRV as T32AZ from Kiritimati
Island, IOTA OC-024, until April 23.  Activity is on 80, 40, 20 and
15 meters, with a focus on 40 meters, using CW and SSB.  QSL to home
call.
 
UKRAINE, UR.  Special event station EN185UNIV is QRV until the end
of 2019 to celebrate the 185th anniversary of the Taras Shevchenko
National University of Kyiv.  QSL via UT8UF.