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G4APL > NEWS 02.07.17 06:23l 283 Lines 13335 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 2 Jul 2017
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Sent: 170701/0723Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:48095 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 2nd of July 2017
The news headlines:
* New places at YOTA 2017
* Hongkongers celebrate with VR20 prefix
* Youngsters to launch eclipse balloon
Two countries are no longer able to send representatives to the RSGB
IARU Youth On The Air 2017 event. There are six places to fill, and
all countries involved are being invited to nominate additional team
members. If you're a young radio amateur in the UK aged 15-25, are
free from 5-12 August 2017, and might like to attend this fun-filled
week, contact yota<at>rsgb.org.uk to find out more.
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's reunification with
China, Hong Kong licensed radio amateurs are being allowed to use the
special prefix VR20 on a voluntary basis from the 1st of July 2017 to
the 30th of June 2018.
The two daughters of Winston, KI7CSK, Rebecca and Kimberley, are
planning to launch a new high-altitude Balloon mission with APRS
tracking for the North American solar eclipse on the 21st of August.
The sisters will be working alongside other citizen scientists in a
campaign called the Eclipse Ballooning Project, which will be
gathering high-altitude data during the total phase of August's
eclipse. Video and photos from the flights will be shared with NASA
and the world. The full story can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0702a
[Note to Newsreaders: the full, original URL is
https://www.geekwire.com/2017/sisters-plan-stratospheric-eclipse-ballo
on-mission-lego-lady-fly/]
Hundreds of radio amateurs have attended RSGB Conventions and had a
great time. If you've never been, take a look at our new video at
www.rsgb.org/convention and find out why some people come back year
after year. The dates for the 2017 event are the 13th to 15th of
October and it takes place at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton
Keynes. Bookings are now open. For details go to
www.rsgb.org/convention
The RSGB's latest vlog introduces the second member of the UK YOTA
2017 team – Jonathan Sawyer, 2E0UAR. He is 23 and belongs to the
Reading and District Amateur Radio Club. You can view this and the
previous vlog at www.rsgb.org/yota-vlogs The event doesn't only
include those young people attending the event at Gilwell Park: many
clubs around the UK are putting on evens for young amateurs in their
area.
The consultation on VHF-UHF UK Activity Contest future scoring
schemes is now available. Online voting on this consultation will be
available between 29 July and 20 August. RSGB Members who are active
VHF/UHF contesters are encouraged to read the consultation document
at www.rsgb.org/ukac-consult and vote.
The IARU HF Championship takes place on the 8th and 9th of July. As
well as being a contest for individuals around the world there is a
team element, with teams representing national societies. For the
past few years the callsign used by the RSGB HQ team has been GR2HQ
and it will be on the air again this year. GR2HQ stations will be
spread across the country, at some of the best equipped contesters'
QTHs. Those people open up their shacks to other top contesters, each
forming a sub team. Each GR2HQ station concentrates on one band and
mode, for example 80m SSB, but some of the bigger stations will be
active on more than one band and mode. They are all linked live via
the internet, so if you want to know what frequency any of them is on
you can ask any of the others. So why might you want to do this? To
make as many band and mode QSOs as you can, to qualify for one of the
free awards. There are several available. See http://gr2hq.webs.com/
for details.
The latest RSGB Convention 2016 lecture to be released on video is by
RSGB President, Nick Henwood, G3RWF. Entitled ‘DX fun without
spending loads of money', he talks about some of his solo overseas
trips as an economy class DXer. It is in the RSGB video portal and is
only available to RSGB Members. Go to www.rsgb.org/video to find out
more.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Barford Norfolk Radio Rally is on today, the 2nd of July, at
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB. Talk-in is on
S22 and car parking is free. Doors open at 8am for traders and 9am
for visitors. There will be trade stands, a car boot sale, a Bring &
Buy, raffle, repeater group representatives and catering. Entry costs
GBP 2 per person, with under 16s free. Contact radio<at>dcpmicro.com
for details.
LAMFEST takes place on the 8th of July at Elsecar Heritage Centre,
Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley S74 8HJ. Doors open from 10am to 4.30pm
and admission is GBP 2. Tables are free. The event is entirely in aid
of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Contact Clair Marsh on 01226 361 700.
On the 8th of July, Stockport Radio Society Rally will be held at
Walthew House, 112 Shaw Heath, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6QS. Doors
open from 10am to 3pm. Admission is GBP 2 and there will be catering
on site. There will be trade stands, special interest groups and an
RSGB bookstall. There will be a raffle held on the day. Contact
Heather Stanley, M6HNS on 07506 904 422.
On the 8th and 9th of July the 2017 Microwave Round Table will be
held at Finningley ARS, The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road,
Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX. The two-day event will have
presentations, demos, test lab, and Buildathon of a nanowave optical
transceiver. Updates are on www.g0ghk.com and www.facebook.com/g0ghk
On the 9th, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally takes place at
Penair School, Truro, Cornwall TR1 1TN. Car parking is available on
site. Doors open 10.30am and admission GBP 2. There will be traders,
Bring & Buy and club stalls. Catering is available. Contact Ken,
G0FIC 01209 821 073 for more information.
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
Gil, 4F2KWT will be active as 4G1L from Palawan Island, IOTA
reference OC-128, between the 7th and 9th of July. He will operate CW
and RTTY on the 30 and 20m bands. QSL via his home callsign.
John, G4IRN will be operating holiday-style from the Maldive Islands
until the 6th of July. He plans to use 100 watts to wire antennas and
his callsign will be 8Q7RN. QSL via Club Log OQRS. Logs will also be
uploaded to Logbook of The World.
Chris, W3CMP and Dale, N3BNA will be visiting Haiti until the 6th of
July. In their spare time they will be operating as 4V1G, with a
major focus on 6 and 4 metres. QSL via W3HNK.
Eric, KV1J will be on the air as FP/KV1J from Miquelon Island, IOTA
NA-032, from the 4th to the 18th of July. Activity will be on the 160
to 6m bands using primarily SSB and RTTY with some CW and other
digital modes. He plans to be active on the linear satellites as well
as the upcoming IARU, NAQP RTTY, and CQ VHF contests. QSL to home
call.
Gary, K9AW is on the air as J68GD from St Lucia until the 16th of
July while on holiday. Activity is on the 10 to 80m bands. This
includes being an entry in the upcoming IARU HF World Championship
contest. QSL to his home callsign.
Now the special event news
Dennis, G7AGZ will operate GB6BEN on the 50, 145 and 433MHz bands as
he climbs Ben Nevis in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care around the 8th of
July onwards. See QRZ.com for full details. QSL via the bureau and
eQSL, with SWL reports welcome.
Durham & District ARS is participating as one of the bonus stations
in the 13 Colonies special event. GB13COL will run 24 hours a day
from 1300UTC on the 1st of July to 0400UTC on the 7th. The primary
focus of the event will be the HF bands, as well as VHF and UHF using
SSB, CW and digital modes for contacts. More info at
www.13colonies.info and QRZ.com.
II2FIST will be active until the end of the year, CW only, to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the FIST Club, the International
Morse Preservation Society. QSL direct or via the bureau via IZ2FME.
Chertsey Radio Club will be running special call sign GB8SSD until
the 2nd of July at 1159UTC to celebrate 33 years since Space Shuttle
Discovery's initial flight.
GB0IS will be on the air as part of a meet and greet at the
traditional fun day, the Theydon Bois Donkey Derby on the 9th of
July. Operations will be VHF/UHF only.
Mid Ulster ARC will operate a special event station at Coney Island
from the 8th to the 30th of July. Operation will be from 9am to 5pm
and the address is Maghery Country Park, Co Armagh BT71 6NS.
The commemorative callsign OF100HQ will be on the air during the IARU
HF World Championship event July 8-9 to mark Finland's 100th
anniversary.
Now the contest news
The RSGB VHF National Field Day ends its 24 hour run at 1400UTC
today, the 2nd, using the 50 to 1296MHz bands. Using all modes, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Today, the 2nd of July, the 3rd 2m Backpackers contest runs from 1100
to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Monday the 80m Club Championships will run from 1900 to 2030UTC.
Using CW only the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 144MHZ FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1900UTC.
It is followed immediately from 1900 to 2130UTC by the 144MHz UK
Activity Contest, when all modes are available. The exchange for both
is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend is the IARU HF Championships running from 1200 to
1200UTC. It's SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands. The exchange is
signal report and ITU zone, which for the UK is 27.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 30th of June.
This week NASA confirmed that we are heading for solar minimum, with
the low point expected in 2019-2020. It also said that this may bring
more long-lived coronal hole activity. This should come as no
surprise to radio amateurs as we have been reporting near-minimum
solar flux index levels and the ongoing effects of coronal holes for
many months. Last week, the solar flux index hovered around the low
70s, but geomagnetic conditions were relatively settled with a K
index in the range zero to two.
Nevertheless, as we are in the summer HF doldrums, F2 layer maximum
usable frequencies for amateurs often struggled to get above 18MHz
during daytime.
A quick listen on the 14.100MHz International Beacon Network
frequency on Thursday afternoon showed RR90 coming in from Russia and
OH2B from Finland, and that was about it. OH2B was also audible on
18.110MHz. However, some better-equipped stations reported they had
worked the B7CRA IOTA DXpedition in China on 20m, so there is always
DX to be had if you know where to look.
Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the mid
70s and geomagnetic conditions should be settled. A view of the Sun
in extreme ultraviolet showed no earth-facing coronal holes, so make
the most of the quieter conditions and continuing Sporadic E openings.
It might also be an opportunity to head for the hills and try some
portable HF DXing, with the added benefit of lower noise levels.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The coming week starts with low pressure nearby over Scandinavia and
another low moving towards northwestern Britain. In the south of the
country a weak high may give some Tropo conditions at the end of the
weekend and for part of next week, although there is a chance it will
collapse before mid-week. The principal Tropo directions are to the
south into France and northern Spain.
We had some good rain scatter on 10GHz last week with paths open
across southern England and over to Northern France, but sadly little
UK activity to take advantage of it. The tendency for low pressure in
the north, and perhaps later in the south, will mean that more rain
scatter should be possible in any summer thundery showers.
The Sporadic-E season still offers opportunities for the bands from
28 to 144MHz to suddenly spring into action. Prime times to check are
late morning and again late afternoon and early evening. A 144MHz
opening is likely to be a rare event, but 28, 50, and 70MHz openings
are commonplace at this time of the year.
An encouraging number of UK stations turned out for the UK Microwave
Group's 10GHz contest and a few took part in the Dubus moonbounce
contest on the band. There are a growing number of UK stations
active on moonbounce above 1GHz, where there is good activity and
plenty of DX to work.
The upcoming week has negative Moon declination and high losses due
to its apogee, or furthest point from Earth, on Thursday, so activity
will be lower, making it a good week to further optimise those EME
systems using solar noise.
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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