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G4APL > NEWS 08.04.17 23:28l 231 Lines 10661 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 9 Apr 2017
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<HG8LXL<GB7YEW<GB7CIP
Sent: 170408/2048Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:40041 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 9th April 2017
The news headlines:
* April 22nd is Marconi Day
* New PSK31 software for blind amateurs
* Club Log gets Trusted Partner status
Dozens of official award stations have registered to take part in the
2017 International Marconi Day event, this year being held on the
22nd of April. All contacts counting toward the Marconi Award must be
made on HF with registered stations, but other participating stations
do not need to be registered to claim awards. The event is not a
contest, but an opportunity for amateurs around the world to make
point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites, using HF
communication techniques descended from those used by Marconi, and to
earn an attractive award certificate for working or hearing a number
of Marconi stations. All you need is a log extract . you don't need
QSL cards. International Marconi Day special event station GB4IMD
will be on the air from Cornwall. Go to www.QRZ.com/db/GB4IMD for
details. To help you work the requisite number, Steve, G0KYA has
prepared some propagation predictions for IMD operators in the UK.
You can find these at g0kya.blogspot.co.uk
A free, new Windows program called Accessible Digipan has been
released. It allows blind hams to operate PSK31. The download
includes the application, audio tutorials, detailed written guides,
and additional helpful resources, plus DigiPan PSK31 and PSK63
software. ARRL member Richard, KK6MRH, and Jim, WA0PSS, both blind,
developed the program. The app will work with many different kinds of
rigs, interfaces, and Windows versions. Full details are at
http://accessibledigipan.org/ which is especially designed to be kind
to electronic screen readers.
Club Log, run by G7VJR, has become the first logging service to
achieve Trusted Partner. status for Logbook of the World. Radio
amateurs holding Logbook of the World callsign certificates who have
uploaded logs to Club Log now can readily cross-post them to Logbook
of the World. More information on technical specifications and on
current Trusted Partner program members is available on the ARRL
website.
At the QSL Bureau, the G4 callsign series is in process of being
consolidated. There are now just four G4 sub groups for the
distribution of QSL cards to members. G4 call holders are advised to
check the sub managers list on the RSGB website before sending more
collection envelopes, as their volunteers details may have changed.
Due to retirements and other commitments, we now have a vacancy for a
new volunteer sub-manager to handle the G4T-Z sub group. The group
receives around ten to fifteen thousand cards, spread across the
year. If you are interested, please email the RSGB QSL bureau via
qsl<at>rsgb.org.uk
The second YOTA 2017 vlog, or video blog, features RSGB Youth
Committee member Rebecca Hughes, M6BUB. She introduces one of the
activities she's looking forward to helping with at the international
YOTA 2017 week that the RSGB is hosting in August. You can watch
this, and other vlogs, on our dedicated YOTA 2017 web pages
www.rsgb.org/yota
The video of the 2016 RSGB Convention talk by John Rogers entitled
Diagnosing and Reporting RFI has been added to the videos available
to RSGB Members on the RSGB website video page. Non members can view
the 2015 lectures on the RSGB's YouTube channel.
The 90th RSGB AGM will be held at the Angel Hotel, Castle St, Cardiff
CF10 1SZ on Saturday the 22nd of April, commencing at 12 noon.
Details appear in the April RadCom. Members attending the AGM will be
able to try out the RSGB's pilot project for the online Advanced exam
and test their knowledge on a specially shortened 13-question mini
Advanced exam. The first session will run for an hour before the
formal AGM, which commences at 12 o'clock, with another session run
during the lunch break.
The RSGB has made available drafts of papers which will be submitted
to the IARU Region 1 General Conference in Germany in September. The
Society welcomes feedback on the draft papers. They can be seen in
the IARU Matters 2017 Forum at http://tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0904
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Exhibition,
otherwise known as the Blackpool Rally, takes place today, the 9th of
April, in the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA.
There is car parking at the venue and a talk in station will be in
operation. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, special
interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. Doors open 10.30am, with
disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. More information
from Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608.
There are no rallies in the diary for the Easter weekend, the 14th to
the 17th of April. The next rallies are on the 23rd. These will be
the Yeovil QRP Convention, the Ripon Radio Rally, and the Andover RAC
Spring Car Boot Sale. We will give full details of these next week.
Meanwhile you can find details of all known forthcoming rallies in
RadCom, which should arrive with RSGB Members from Wednesday this
week.
If you have any rally or event information 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
GW4DVB will be operating as J88PI on a holiday-style DXpedition on
Palm Island, IOTA reference NA-025, in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Operation will take place between the 14th and the 23rd of April
using a Yaesu FT-991A with 100 watts into a 10m vertical. Operation
will be on the 40 to 10m bands using SSB. QSL direct only, see
www.g4dvb.co.uk/ for details.
Chung, VA7YM is on holiday in Vanuatu, OC-035, until the 17th of
April. Using callsign YJ0YM, his QSL Manager is EA5GL.
Jan, PA4JJ will be active holiday style as 9A/PA4JJ from Croatia
until the 30th of May. Operation will be mainly on digital modes. QSL
via his home call either direct or bureau and Logbook of The World.
Paul, W7NZJ will be active as FS/W7NZJ from St Martin, NA-105, until
the 16th of April. He will operate digital modes and CW on the 40 to
10m bands. QSL via eQSL.
Ken, KH6QJ will be active as T32AZ from Kiritimati or Christmas
Island, OC-024, in East Kiribati on until the 18th of April. He will
be using the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via KH6QJ.
Now the special event news
A Canadian-led DXpedition-style event will activate the 100 hectare
WWI battle site, Vimy Ridge, marking the centenary of the April 1917
Battle of Vimy Ridge. A commemorative amateur radio station will
continue until dusk today, the 9th. More information is at
www.v100vimy.ca
R25SRR will be in use throughout April to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of Russia's IARU society. Several RO25xx callsigns will
join the celebrations, where xx is the 2-letter abbreviation for the
various regions. See http://srr25.hamlog.ru for the award programme.
Now the contest news
Today, the 9th, it's the First 50MHz contest, running from 0900 to
1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number, locator and post code.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest will take place from 1800
to 1900UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Following on is the 432MHZ UK Activity Contest, from 1900 to 2130UTC.
This time it's using all modes. The exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Wednesday it's the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships, running
from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Thursday sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest. Using all modes, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The Worked All Britain Data Contests takes place next Sunday, the
16th of April, on the 3.5, 7.0 and 14MHz bands. There are two
separate contests one for RTTY and one for PSK. Each contest is split
into two parts to get optimum conditions on all three bands. The RTTY
contest is from 1200 to 1400 and 1800 to 2000UTC. The PSK contest is
from 1400 to 1600 and 2000 to 2200UTC. Note that club and
multi-operator stations can only score points in the first of the two
sessions. The exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB
square. Full details are at www.worked-all-britain.org.uk
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 7th of April.
A large sunspot group pushed the solar flux index to 112 this week,
which was largely unpredicted. However, unsettled geomagnetic
conditions reigned again with the K index hitting five on the fourth.
The activity from sunspot region 2644 also brought a number of solar
flares, and it will be interesting to see if they reoccur when the
spot rotates back into view in around nine days or so. These flares
did bring widespread radio blackouts on the solar-facing side of the
Earth.
Next week, the solar flux index is predicted be in the mid to high
70s. Geomagnetically, we may have a respite from the recent coronal
activity, the more settled conditions hopefully giving us some good
HF DX at times.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The promised high pressure duly arrived and brought some good Tropo
at times last week. The good news is that it should hang around for
most of next week, although a few Atlantic lows will bring less
favourable conditions to Scotland and north-east England now and
again.
So, moments of Tropo are likely to make the VHF, UHF and gigahertz
bands worth a visit for a second week, with paths to the south across
Biscay being the more profitable direction.
We are close to the start of the 2017 Sporadic-E season, and it can't
be long now. So, in preparation, keep a watch on 10 metres for signs
of short skip during late morning and late afternoon, and check the
six metre beacons if you experience it.
After last weekend, when 1296MHz was crackling with CW contest
activity, Moon declination goes negative tomorrow, so windows of Moon
visibility will shorten. The Moon reaches apogee this coming
Saturday, so losses will be high and increasing over the week.
And that's all from the propagation team this week.
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
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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