Sit. Rep. #68: Dr. Parker and Camping tips

1- Maybe you have heard of the Parker Solar Probe.  It is a spacecraft launched by NASA on 12 August 2018.  Earlier this week it approached the Sun on it’s 5th close encounter.  The perihelion of this approach put the craft at 11.6 million miles (18,668,390 km) from Sol’s surface.  It was traveling about 244,225 miles per hour ( 393,042 km/hr ).  And the craft survived!
    The craft’s mission plan is to have 24 Solar approaches to study the sun.  The 24th pass will happen in 2025. Not only is the sun an interesting star; it is also the closest and the easiest to study.  And that’s not all.  Because humanity depends so much on satellites (esp: geostationary satellites); we are trying to understand space weather better.

2- Eugene Parker is the person whom the spacecraft is named after.  He is alive and this is a historic naming.  Because this is the first spacecraft that NASA has named after a living person.  Dr. Parker proposed in 1958 the concept of Solar Wind.

The University of Chicago News put it this way:
“He suggested, and later NASA missions confirmed, that the sun radiates an intense stream of charged particles that travel throughout the solar system at supersonic speeds. This is visible as the halo around the sun during an eclipse, and it can affect missions in space as well as satellite communication systems on Earth.

The discovery reshaped our view of space, stars, and their surroundings. It also established a new field of astrophysics, leading NASA last year to name its newest and most ambitious mission to the sun after Parker as a tribute to his work…

“All I can say is wow, here we go,” said Parker, who is the S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Physics at the University of Chicago. “[Now I] really have to turn from biting my nails … to thinking about all the interesting things which I don’t know yet. We’re in for some learning the next several years.”
NASA has a website dedicated to this probe.  Link: Parker Solar Probe

K- If an athlete gets athlete’s foot.  What does an astronaut get?
L- Missle-toe.

3- Ham Radio:
What type of wave carries radio signals between transmitting and receiving stations?   Electromagnetic
     A radio wave is made up of what type of energy?   Electromagnetic
    What are the two components of a radio wave?   Electric and magnetic fields

4- Between layers of the atmosphere there is a transition zone.  The zone between each layer ends with “pause”.  So the zone between the first 2 layers is between the troposphere and the stratosphere.  It is called tropopause.  This is where the jet streams happen – in the tropopause.

M- Why did the cow go “Ba Ba”?
N- She was learning a new language.

5- Camping tips:  Always have (at least) 3 different ways to start a fire.  Replace the factory tent guy lines with reflective (see in the dark) 550 cord.  Carry extra 550 cord.  (I buy it by the 1,000-foot spools and share)  1 knife and 1 multi-tool.  One on your person at all times when you are outside of the tent.
     Good skills.  Good manners.  Good attitude.  Space blanket – heavy duty. Rescue blanket – fits in your pocket.  Firestarters (homemade are better and cheaper).  Sleep under the stars at least once a year.  Watch the sunrise.  See the stars at midnight.  Learn the constellations. Duct tape.  2 water bottles/canteens. Water purification tablets.
    Bug spray.  Sunscreen.  Baking soda.  (at least) 2 bandanas.  First Aid skills.  Clean your campsite that no one can tell you were even there.  Soap (any kind) can act as lube on a stubborn zipper.   Plan & practice meal preparation (ie: cooking) before the trip.  Broken in boots and good socks.  Microfiber towels.

   Patrols, Patrol Method, Patrols, Patrol Method.  Buddy system.  Duty roster.

     Knots – the more you can tie, the better off you are. (how to tie & how / when to use).  Field test any new gear & tools before the trip.  Maintain all your gear, clothes, tools,….!  Plan, prepare, have fun, listen, watch, take notes,  be mentally prepared for any change, challenge, or emergency.
     Two lightweight flashlights/headlamps (or one of each).  Topo Map!  Know before you go (what are the rules & regulations).  Cutting board could make life easier in the outdoor kitchen?  Can opener,  Leather gloves.  Mittens in the winter w/ liners.  Fresh batteries and a backup set.  (try to get all your devices into ONE type of battery)
     If you have to pack your poop out: bring grocery store bags, 4-6 a day per person.  Drop your drawers, one bag handle in the front – one in the rear – spread the opening open.  Do your business in the bag.  Wipe with the insides of the bag, or TP into the bag.  Tie the handles shut.  Place the bag into a larger bag for transport to the nearest garbage can.  (a short piece of 6″ PVC  pipe with screw-on caps can curtail the stink.)
     Dry bags &/or backpack cover.  File or whetstone.  Backup plan.  A store-bought basketball net can make a boat anchor with local rocks or a bear bag.  Can you tie a fishing net out of 550 cord?

O- Why did one atom cross the road?
P- Because he wanted to split.

6- A couple that I have learned since Sit. Rep. # 48:  Put a guy line and another tent pen on the primary tent peg as a backup to help hold your tent in place during heavy wind.  Use your plastic garbage bag as a sandbag on the guy lines.

7- Wrap duct tape around your hand with the sticky side out.  Dab the bugs in your tent with duct tape.  Avoid smashing them into your tent fabric.

Wondering what science will discover,
Gaither

Campfire Tales by Thomas Mercaldo

Dan Romanchik KB6NU, (Ham Radio)  Technician Study Guide

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