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G4APL > NEWS 27.11.16 20:56l 228 Lines 10329 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 20 Nov 2016
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Sent: 161120/0005Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:25418 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 20th November 2016
The news headlines:
* FUNcube-3 goes live
* 472kHz QSO parties soon
* Russian intruder leaves 20m
The EO-79/FUNcube-3 satellite has transitioned to amateur radio
service, now that its primary mission has been completed. AMSAT-UK
and AMSAT-NL have announced that the FUNcube U/V transponder has been
activated with a regular schedule. Due to power budget constraints,
the transponder cannot operate 24/7, so an orbit-specific schedule
has been developed. The transponder will commence operation 27
minutes after the spacecraft enters sunlight and remain active for 25
minutes. This schedule may be modified in the weeks ahead, as
experience dictates. The transponder uplink is 435.047 to 435.077MHz
LSB; the downlink is 145.935 to 145.965MHz USB. The output power of
the amateur radio payload is about 400mW.
If you're interested in 472kHz, there are two QSO Parties on the
horizon. On the 26th and 27th of November it's QRSS, and on the
weekend of the 3rd and 4th of December it's the turn of CW. Starting
with the sunset about 1700UTC, the organiser says that "we'll keep on
QSOing until your eyes keep on closing"!
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring System
reports that the Russian military apparently responded positively to
a complaint from German telecommunications authorities to eliminate
an intruding signal on 20 metres. The Russian Navy RDL signal from
Crimea had been transmitting on 14.180MHz, using F1B at 50 baud and
200Hz shift for several days. IARUMS said the transmissions were
heard for the last time on the 31st of October.
The deep seated major earthquake of magnitude 7.5 that struck the
South Island of New Zealand last Monday still has people cut off from
road transport due to massive slips and damage. Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications National Director Jeff Sayer, ZL4JS advises
us that AREC offered its services, but were not needed as the civil
infrastructure was coping well. AREC served well during the
Christchurch earthquake of 2011, and the latest tremor brought back
memories to many of that disaster.
The official rules for World Radiosport Team Championship 2018 to be
held in Germany are now available. Noteworthy among the WRTC 2018
rules is permitting the use of spectrum or waterfall displays, and a
prohibition on the use of second or sub-receivers. It will continue
the two-operator, two-transmitter format of the earlier WRTCs so both
stations will be permitted to transmit at any time to maximise their
scoring. Also, only one computer is permitted to be attached to each
radio, and PCs used in the effort must connect via wired Ethernet.
See wrtc2018.de for full details of this event.
On the 13th of November, a new Greenlandic beacon, OX4M, went on the
air from HQ90AL. The frequency is 70.047MHz, running 25W into a
dipole radiating north/south. The beacon transmits PI4 + CW + carrier
and also has a sister beacon OX6M on 50.047MHz.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 20th, the 39th CATS Radio & Electronics Bazaar will be
held in the Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon
CR5 1ES. This is a new venue. Doors will open from 10am to 2pm.
Admission is GBP 1.50 and includes a tea or coffee. There will be
traders, a Bring & Buy and a flea market. For more information email
enquiries<at>catsradio.org
Also on the 20th, the Plymouth Radio Rally is taking place at
Harewood House, Plympton, Devon PL7 2AS. Doors open from 10am to 2pm
and admittance is GBP 2. There will be a Bring & Buy, an RSGB
bookstall, Special Interest Groups and trade stands. Catering will be
available on site. More information from Sheila Hart, 2E0YSH on
01752 668 907.
The final rallies of the year are the South Lancs Winter Rally on the
3rd of December at the Bickershaw Labour Club, Bickershaw Lane,
Bickershaw, Wigan WN2 5TE. Then on the 4th it's the Bishop Auckland
RAC Rally at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, 32 High St, Spennymoor,
Durham DL16 6DB.
If you have any rally or event information for 2017 that you'd like
to appear in future editions of GB2RS News, in RadCom and on the RSGB
website, please email full details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Tom, PA3TG, is operating as 5N/PA3TG from Nigeria until the 25th of
November. He plans to be on 20m SSB and CW and on 30m CW in the
evenings. QSL to his home callsign.
Felix, DL5XL will be returning to the German Antarctic Research Base
Neumayer 3 this month and will be there until next February. His
callsign will be DP1POL and he will mainly operate CW and digital
modes. This activity will count as AN-016 for the IOTA programme. QSL
Manager is DL1ZBO and logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.
A group of operators will be on the air as 8Q7SP from Dhiffushi
Island, IOTA reference AS-013, in the Maldives from the 20th of
November to the 3rd of December. Activity will be on the 160 to 10m
bands using CW, SSB and RTTY, with several stations active. This
includes an entry in the CQ World Wide DX CW contest next weekend.
QSL via SP6FXY.
Yutaka, JA6GWX will be on the air as 9N7NZ from Kathmandu in Nepal
from the 20th to the 27th of November. Activity will be on the HF
bands using CW and SSB. QSL direct to home callsign.
Christian, IS0BWM will be on the air as 9Q0HQ/3 from Kenge in the
Democratic Republic of Congo from the 20th of November to the 25th of
December. Activity will be on the HF bands using SSB. QSL direct to
home callsign.
Tim, NL8F will be on the air as VK9NF from Norfolk Island from the
22nd of November to the 3rd of December. QSL direct to N7RO.
Now the special event news
As part of the church's annual festival remembering St Hilda, the
Special Event Station GB5SH will operate from St Hilda's Church,
Hartlepool TS24 0DA, today, the 20th of November. Operation is
expected to be on the 40 and 80m bands and, to a lesser extent, on
2m.
Omani amateur radio operators can sign their A4 calls with /46 until
the 30th of November in celebration of the 46th anniversary of the
independence of Oman.
Now the contest news
The Essex CW Club Annual Activity Week ends today, the 20th of
November. This is a friendly non-contest style event to encourage CW
operators old and new. The minimum exchange is non-members give RST
and name with members adding their membership number. Full details of
preferred frequencies and awards can be found on the Essex CW Club
website, just use your favourite search engine.
On Tuesday the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC.
Using all modes on the band the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contests runs from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, all modes, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Thursday sees the 80m Club Sprint take place from 2000 to 2100UTC.
Using CW only, the exchange is serial number and name.
The CQWW DX CW Contest takes place for the entire 48 hours of the
weekend the 26th and 27th. It will undoubtedly keep the HF bands
busy, although declining solar activity will probably mean patchy and
short-lived propagation on 10m. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands the
exchange is signal report and CQ Zone, which for the UK is 14.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, G3NYK and
G4BAO on Friday the 18th November.
Last week, the solar flux index hovered around the 80 mark, with
average sunspot counts reaching their lowest level in five years.
With sunspot minimum predicted to be some time in 2018 or 2019, this
is a taste of what we can expect for the time being.
But it wasn't all bad news, as geomagnetic conditions were quite
settled midweek with the planetary K index at one or two. As a result
the HF bands were alive. Malcolm, G3PDH reports hearing as far as
Arizona on 20 metres and the Chilton Digisonde suggested openings on
21MHz were possible over a 3,000km path.
Unfortunately, coronal hole activity on the Sun may, once again,
result in unsettled conditions this weekend, the 19th and 20th.
Expect the K index to rise and maximum usable frequencies to decline,
although we can sometimes get a pre-auroral enhancement as the solar
plasma first hits.
NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will continue in the range
75-80, but the K index will likely be in the range four to seven at
times. So long-range DX may be impacted adversely, especially on
routes over the North Pole.
Geomagnetic conditions for the following week's CQ Worldwide contest
are also predicted to be unsettled, although perhaps not as bad as
this weekend. Trying to be positive, early December is looking better.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
There would seem to be another week of low pressure in store for us
and sadly, that means a limited chance of Tropo developing. For the
latter part of the week, there is an indication from one of the
models for high pressure to move in over the southern half of
Britain. This represents a limited chance for Tropo later in the
week, but another weather model refuses to select high pressure to
end the week, so is not to be trusted this far in advance.
There will be some heavy rain and showers at times, so always a
chance of some rain scatter on the gigahertz bands, especially around
the coastal fringes where the showers will be heavier.
Last Monday's so-called Supermoon, the closest perigee since the
1940s, produced improved EME signals, especially on the GHz bands,
due to the low path losses. In the coming week losses are moderate,
but increasing. Moon declination goes negative on Thursday and
windows shorten, but there are still plenty of EME opportunities to
be had.
For meteor scatter enthusiasts, the Leonids are all but over but we
now have the major Geminids shower to look forward to in a few weeks
time.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
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