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G4APL > NEWS 09.07.17 06:25l 280 Lines 13379 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 9 Jul 2017
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Sent: 170708/2021Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:48907 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 9th of July 2017
The news headlines:
* Newsreader G4NZQ retires after nearly 23 years
* No GB2RS from Germany next week
* YOTA handover at Friedrichshafen
Phillip Brooks, G4NZQ has been looking after the GB2RS News Service
in Norwich since the 20th of November 1994, which makes it almost 23
years of newsreading. Together with support from the local stand-in
news readers, he has provided an unbroken service over that period.
Phillip has decided it is time to retire, although the others in the
team, David, G7URP, Roger, G3LDI and Mike, G4DYC are going to keep
the service going, probably on a rota basis, so all will be well! The
RSGB would like to thank Phillip for his many years of service to
GB2RS and has recognised this commitment with a Certificate of
Appreciation.
On Sunday the 16th of July there will be no News broadcast on 40m
from Germany because both newsreaders are attending Ham Radio show at
Friedrichshafen, Germany. They will resume reading the following
Sunday, the 23rd.
Some members of the UK YOTA Team will be at the Friedrichshafen Ham
Radio Exhibition, which takes place on the 14th to 17th of July. They
will be there to receive the YOTA key and official YOTA flag from
last year's hosts. If you are attending, please make your way to the
RSGB Stand on Saturday at 3.30pm local time. Everyone is welcome to
visit the RSGB stand at any time. The President and General Manager
will be there, along with some HQ staff members and several RSGB
volunteers, all looking forward to meeting Members and non-Members
alike.
The G5RP Trophy is an annual award to encourage newcomers to HF
DXing. The award is not limited to youngsters or the newly-licensed;
it is open to anyone who has recently discovered and made significant
progress in HF DXing. If you are an established HF DXer and want to
recommend someone to be awarded the G5RP Trophy for 2017, now is the
time to send in your nomination. This prestigious award will be
presented this year at the RSGB Convention on the 13th to 15th
October. Please send your nominations to Ian Greenshields, G4FSU, by
e-mail to ian.greenshields<at>gmail.com to arrive no later than
Friday the15th of September.
To commemorate its 20th anniversary of Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station, ARISS is planning to transmit a set of
12 slow-scan television images that capture the accomplishments of
ARISS over the years. The SSTV transmissions from the International
Space Station will take place on 145.800MHz FM around the 15th and
16th of July.
To celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary, three Canadians are flying a
helicopter all round the world, visiting major historical sites.
Today, the 9th of July, the helicopter is visiting Poldhu in
Cornwall, which follows its visit to Signal Hill, Newfoundland where
Marconi received the first transatlantic signal sent from Poldhu. It
is hoped that two-way contact will be made between the radio amateurs
at both sites during the helicopter's visit.
Several countries' amateurs have recently gained a 60m allocation.
The new Belize Amateur Radio Club website carries information that
the new WRC-15 Amateur Secondary 60m allocation of 5351.5 –
5366.5kHz has become available, with a maximum power limit of 25W
EIRP. The Cyprus telecom regulator issued a Gazette notice updating
the national frequency table to include the new WRC-15 Amateur
Secondary 60m allocation of 5351.5 – 5366.5kHz with a maximum power
limit of 15W EIRP. There was also a note on the Amateur Secondary MF
allocation of 472 – 479kHz, with a maximum power limit of 1W EIRP.
Finally, for now, the Philippines Telecom Regulator has permitted
access to the new WRC-15 Amateur Secondary 60m allocation of 5351.5
– 5366.5kHz under ITU footnote 5.133B, with a maximum power limit
of 15W EIRP.
Radio Amateurs of Canada has announced an award for radio amateurs
and short wave listeners that involves using HF radio to track the
150-day Canada C3 voyage of the Polar Prince from Toronto, Ontario,
to Victoria, British Columbia, via the Northwest Passage. Part of
Canada's 150th anniversary celebration, Canada C3 is aimed at raising
awareness of Canada's coastline and inspiring a deeper understanding
of Canada's land and peoples. The voyage of the Polar Prince will
continue until around the 28th of October. The vessel is transmitting
a WSPR signal on 40, 30, and 20 meters, using the callsign CG3EXP.
Full details of the award are at http://tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0907A
[Note to Newsreaders: the full, original URL is
http://wp.rac.ca/operating/rac-awards/canada-c3-expedition-award/]
Bletchley Park holds collections of around 500,000 items, from
diaries and photographs to codebreakers' working papers and Enigma
machines. You can see some of these in the exhibitions, but most are
stored behind the scenes. They want to make the collections more
accessible by making photographs and descriptions available online,
but want to know which parts of the collection the public would be
interested in exploring. You can take part in the survey at
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/T2HJGFR
The amateur radio 70cm repeater GB3LV, located in Enfield, is off the
air for the rest of the week at least, and maybe longer. This also
means IRLP node 5600 and Echolink node 155403, which operate via
GB3LV on 70cm, are also unavailable. There is currently no published
timescale for a return to full operation.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
This weekend, 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.
Between the 14th and 16th of July, the Ham Radio show will take place
at Friedrichshafen in Germany. There will be trade stands, special
interest groups and IARU Member Societies with stands in the main
hall. The show is known for its large flea market. Lectures take
place each day, some in English. There will be a large RSGB book
stall. Details are at www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/ham-en/
On Sunday the 16th, the McMichael Rally takes place at Reading Rugby
Football Club, Holme Park Farm Lane, Sonning Lane, Sonning on Thames,
Reading RG4 6ST. Talk in will be on S22. Parking is free. Doors open
at 9.30am and entry is GBP 3. Tables and car boot spaces are GBP 10.
There will be trade stands and special interest groups. Catering and
a licensed bar will be available on site. Due to venue rules, no dogs
are allowed other than assistance dogs. Details from Andy on
0777 594 0016.
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
Geoff, ZL3GA will visit Vanuatu in the Pacific, IOTA reference
OC-035, until the 13th of July. He will be using YJ0GA and operating
holiday style. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World and also
to Club Log.
Weather permitting, Gert and Jan will be active MM/ON4GS and MM/OS5A
respectively from Hirta, the largest island in the St Kilda
Archipelago, EU-059, from the 10th to 14th of July. The Outer
Hebrides, EU-010, might be activated as well as an alternative, or
during travel to and from the archipelago. They will operate SSB and
CW on the HF bands. QSL via home calls with the bureau preferred and
Logbook of The World.
Tony, PY2DY will be active as SY8APQ from Lesvos Island, EU-049,
until the 2nd of August. QSL via PY2DY direct and Logbook of The
World.
Pierre, VE3KTB hopes to be active again as VY0ERC until the 22nd of
July. This is the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station located in the
environs of the weather station on Ellesmere Island, NA-008. QSL via
M0OXO's OQRS.
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.
GB0IS will be on the air as part of a meet and greet at the Theydon
Bois Donkey Derby traditional fun day, on the 9th of July. Operations
will be VHF/UHF only.
Mid Ulster ARC will operate a special event station at Coney Island
until the 30th of July. Operation will be from 9am to 5pm and the
address is Maghery Country Park, Co Armagh BT71 6NS.
Plymouth Radio Club will operate GB0ST for the Shark Trust to
celebrate shark awareness day on the 14th of July between 8am and
8pm. The radio caravan will be located at the National Marine
Aquarium, Rope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth PL4 0LF.
Now the contest news
The IARU HF Championships ends its 24 hour run at 1200UTC today, the
9th. 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.
On Tuesday there are two contests on 432MHz. The first is the FM
Activity Contest at 1800 to 1900UTC and the second is the UK Activity
Contest using all modes from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the
same for both contests, signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday it's the 50MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2103UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Sunday the 16th, the 70MHz trophy contest runs from 1000 to
1600UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial
number, locator and postcode.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 7th of July.
Earlier last week the sun's surface looked clear. There were no
sunspots at all and the solar flux index remained in the low 70s.
However, settled geomagnetic conditions helped make up for this with
the K index often at zero.
Daytime D-layer absorption didn't really help with the summer HF
doldrums, but there were highlights in the evening with 40m and 20m
becoming more lively as the sun started to set. For example, Doug,
ZP6CW in Paraguay was workable with 5 watts CW on 20m on Wednesday
evening and 40m was alive with signals from around Europe. The
Reverse Beacon Network is often a guide to DX stations calling CQ,
many of which go unanswered.
However, this weekend, the 8th and 9th, may see unsettled geomagnetic
conditions again as a large coronal hole became geocentric on
Thursday. This may allow solar material to escape from the Sun and
head towards Earth. If so, the subsequent geomagnetic storming may
see the K index rise this weekend, with the possibility of an initial
ionospheric enhancement and then subdued maximum useable frequencies,
auroral conditions and noisy bands thereafter.
Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the low
70s, although a new sunspot was just appearing over the south-east
limb of the sun on Thursday. NOAA predicts geomagnetic conditions may
be very unsettled again from Thursday the 13th.
The 20, 30 and 40m bands remain the best for F2-layer DX fun, with
the HF bands also benefitting from occasional Sporadic-E openings.
However, these may become slightly less prevalent as we move into mid
and late July.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
Humid weather with a weak ridge of high pressure can often bring some
summer Tropo conditions and this week will continue to offer
occasional lifts, especially overnight.
There is a sign in the models for some slow-moving areas of low
pressure during the week and these may bring a risk of thundery
downpours, but equally the opportunity of some good rain scatter on
the GHz bands. There are always plenty of aircraft over Europe, so
look for aircraft reflection contacts on 1.3 and 2.3GHz up to 800km
to work some new squares and make the bands more interesting.
With no major meteor showers peaking in the upcoming week, we'll be
relying on Sporadic-E on the low VHF bands. The season is still
giving some occasional good days from the UK, although the present
period of rather weak jet streams, which are often a good indicator
of where Sporadic-E may develop, means that the Sporadic-E events may
be limited both in scope and the highest band available.
We are past this Moon cycle's apogee again but with minimum
declination occurring only yesterday it is still negative for the
upcoming week. Losses will continue to be high, so EME opportunities
will be short.
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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