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G4APL > NEWS 08.10.17 08:46l 260 Lines 12264 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 8 Oct 2017
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Sent: 171008/0712Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:60020 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 8th of October 2017
The news headlines:
* Foundation and Intermediate exams going online
* Please keep emergency frequencies clear
* Two Train the Trainers courses announced
An online option for Full examinations was launched in March 2017.
Clubs, exam centres and candidates have all given very positive
feedback. A recent Exam Group meeting approved the roll-out of online
Foundation and Intermediate exams. From the 1st of November, the RSGB
HQ Exams Department will accept applications for online Intermediate
exams and, from the 2nd of January 2018, you will be able to apply
for an online Foundation exam. To bring consistency to the
application process, a notice period of ten working days will apply
to every exam from the 1st November, regardless of level or whether
it is online or paper-based. All examinations, both online and paper,
will still be held at Exam Centres and invigilated in exactly the
same way as now. When applying for an exam you must state whether
electronic, paper or a mix of examination type is required. Online
exams reduce paperwork for invigilators and provide immediate
feedback to the candidates. More online administrative tools are in
the pipeline to assist Examination Secretaries. Applications for
paper examinations will continue as before.
Tropical Storm Nate is now threatening to dump flooding rains over
portions of Central America, according to the National Hurricane
Center. An amateur radio emergency net has been activated in Costa
Rica. Amateurs not involved in the storm emergency are asked to avoid
interfering or operating near storm nets. The frequencies likely to
be used are 3.752MHz, 7.24MHz and 14.302MHz. 40m is the main HF band
for traffic. Other nets active in the region could be using 7.117MHz,
7.090MHz and 7.098MHz.
Train the Trainers is free to any RSGB Member teaching at Foundation,
Intermediate or Advanced level. It is especially designed for anyone
who does not already have a professional background in teaching.
Courses must be pre-booked. Each has a maximum of 25 places,
allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. One RSGB Train the
Trainers event is planned for the 18th of November at Worksop Amateur
Radio Club. Contact Steve Hambleton, by email to
g0eaksteve<at>gmail.com to book your place. On the 9th of December
there will be a training session at Thames Amateur Radio Group in
Southend on Sea. Email nigel.m0ich<at>gmail.com to book a place.
Courses run from 9am to 5pm, with a break for you to eat your own
packed lunch. Tea and coffee are provided.
GB17YOTA returns this December for YOTA month. Applications are
coming in from clubs across the country so apply soon if you want to
be involved. Allocations will be made by the end of October. Email
yota.month<at>rsgb.org.uk to find out more or to receive the
application form.
The VHF Contest Committee has opened a consultation to help set the
rules for the 2018 series of contests. Through its earlier
consultation, it has already agreed to change the scoring system for
the UK Activity Contests to the Nordic System, but this exercise asks
some wider questions. If you are a VHF Contest participant, please
find a few minutes to complete the survey. It is online at
tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0810A and remains open until 2359UTC on the 29th of
October. Your help will be much appreciated.
[Note to Newsreaders: the original, full URL is
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VHFCC2017]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 8th, the 44th Blackwood ARS rally will be held at
Rougemont School, Newport, Gwent NP20 6QB. There is free parking on
site, including disabled spaces. Doors open at 10am and entry is
GBP 2.50. There will be trade stands, special interest groups, an
RSGB bookstall and a Bring & Buy. A raffle will be held. There are
talks and lectures during the day, and catering is available on site.
Contact Mike Rackham, GW4JKV, on 01495 226 149.
The RSGB Convention, sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons, takes place on
Friday to Sunday of this week, the 13th to the 15th. If you haven't
already pre-booked, tickets will still be available on the door at
Kent's Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Swallow House,
Timbold Drive, Kent's Hill Park, Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ. There are
talks for all interests and a full programme is available on the
website, www.rsgb.org/convention
Next Sunday, the 15th, the Holsworthy ARS Rally takes place at
Holsworthy Community College, Victoria Hill, Holsworthy, Devon
EX22 6JD. There is free car parking on site, with disabled access.
There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy. Catering is available
on site. Contact Howard, M0MYB by email to holsworthyarc<at>gmail.com
for more details.
On Sunday the 15th, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Rally will be held at
Floral Hall, 7 The Esplanade, Hornsea HU18 1NQ. There is car parking
at the venue. Doors open at 10am and admission is GBP 2, with
under-14s free. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, special
interest groups and an RSGB bookstand. A raffle will take place.
There is catering on site. Details from Rick, M0CZR, 01964 533712 or
by email to R106221<at>aol.com
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
Jose, EA5IDQ will be active as S9CQ from Sao Tome, IOTA reference
AF-023, from the 12th to the 21st of October. He will operate SSB and
RTTY on the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via his home call, either direct, via
the bureau or Logbook of The World.
Craig, VK5CE will be active as VK5CE/8 from North Island, OC-198, on
the 12th to the 15th of October. He will operate SSB on 40, 20, 17
and 15 metres with a large array of vertical and beam antennas. QSL
via Club Log's OQRS or via VK5CE, either direct or via the bureau.
The log will be uploaded after the DXpedition, as Craig won't have
phone or internet access while on the island. See
https://oc198.wordpress.com for details.
John, MM0VEG will be active as 8Q7BI from the Maldives, AS-013, until
the 16th of October. He will operate exclusively on 20 metres, using
SSB if conditions are good, or PSK31 if they are poor. QSL via his
home call, direct or bureau, and Logbook of The World or logsearch on
Club Log.
Nicola, I0SNY will be active on the HF bands as BY1DX/I0SNY until the
18th of October. QSL via IZ3KVD direct or 9A5URI via the bureau.
Stan, LZ1GC will be active as H40GC from Temotu Province, Nendo,
OC-100, until the 20th of October. He is on CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK on
the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, his home call either
direct or via the bureau and Logbook of The World. See www.c21gc.com/
for more information.
Now the special event news
Members of the Scarborough Amateur Radio Society will again be
attending the North Yorkshire Moors Railway annual World War II
weekend at Pickering. This year the event is on the 13th, 14th and
15th of October. All are welcome to come along to the marquee in the
station yard, where period radio equipment will be on display.
Special event station GB2YMR will also run throughout the weekend on
40 and 80 metres.
Now the contest news
The Oceania DX SSB contest ends at 0800UTC today, the 8th. Using the
1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The 432MHz to 245GHz contest ends at 1400UTC today, the 8th. Using
all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The IARU 432MHz to 245GHz contest ends at 1400UTC. Using all modes,
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Ending at 1900UTC today, the 8th, is the Worked All Britain HF Phone
contest. Using the 14 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report,
serial number, WAB area and Book number.
Today, the 8th, the DX Contest runs from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using CW
and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
On Monday, the 80m Autumn Series runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW
only the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1900UTC.
It is immediately followed by the 432MHz UK Activity Contest until
2130UTC, using all modes this time. The exchange is the same for
both, signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Next weekend, from 0800UTC on the 14th to 0800UTC on the 15th, the
Oceania DX CW Contest uses the 1.8 to 28MHz bands. The exchange is
signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 6th of October.
Last week saw sunspot activity remain fairly stable, with the solar
flux index hovering in the upper 80s. There were no solar flares and
so no associated coronal mass ejections either. On the whole,
geomagnetic conditions were a little more settled than they have been
of late and other than a K index of four on Monday the dial sat
mostly between one and three.
These more settled conditions, coupled with the expected seasonal
uplift in ionospheric propagation, meant there was DX to be had.
Maximum usable frequencies climbed to more than 24 MHz at times,
although 21MHz was perhaps a little more reliable.
A quick look at the International Beacon Project frequency on
21.150MHz saw the South Africa, Israel and New York beacons audible
at times. The Russian and Madeira beacons also made a good showing on
both 14.100MHz and 18.110MHz. The five watt ED6YAJ beacon in Majorca
on 28.235MHz was even audible for hours on Thursday, with few other
signals on the band. Beacons are always useful tools to get a quick
snapshot of HF conditions.
Critical frequencies over the UK have struggled to get much above
6.2MHz at times, which means 80 and 60 metres remain the main bands
for near vertical incidence skywave or short skip contacts around the
UK.
Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will decline further
into the low 70s as the current crop of sunspots rotate off the disk.
Stormy geomagnetic conditions are predicted for Wednesday the 11th to
Sunday the 15th of October, thanks to a recurrent coronal hole. If
this comes to pass we would expect the best DX to occur in the first
half of the week.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The next week or two looks very much like an autumn sequence of
unsettled weather, with low pressure dominating the charts throughout
this week and next. There may be brief periods when a ridge puts in
an appearance in southern Britain, but this is likely to be transient
and not a strong Tropo signature. Of course, such conditions become a
test of all those summer antenna jobs, so this is a good time to
check that all the ropes and guys are secure.
The strong jet stream at times over the coming week would have been
useful for Sporadic-E in the summer season, but is of little value at
this time of the year.
There are three minor meteor showers this week. The Draconids is
today, the Southern Taurids on Tuesday and the delta-Aurigids on
Wednesday. All of them have just single-digit zenithal hourly rates,
so continue to look before dawn for the best random meteor scatter
contacts on the lower VHF bands.
The moon reaches perigee on Monday and maximum declination on
Thursday, so a good week for EME. Look out for OK1VVT, QRV from
Morocco on 144MHz as CN2R, and OK1DFC in Ceuta operating from the QTH
of EA9LZ, on 70, 23, 3 and 6cm. More details on the HB9Q logger and
moon.net.
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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