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G4TNU > NEWS 12.07.15 02:03l 278 Lines 13386 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 12 Jul 2015
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 12th July 2015
The news headlines:
* Welsh Youth DXpedition soon
* Enter your club for Club of the Year
* Revalidate your licence to avoid revocation
The RSGB's Youth Committee is running a Kenwood-sponsored Youth
DXpedition, DX-15, and will be active as MC0RYC from the Brecon
Beacons in Wales from the 23rd to the 30th of July. They'll be on all
HF bands and VHF including satellite operations. Throughout the
course of the week, they will be taking part in a range of activities
including operating SOTA summits. You can support them by following
their progress on Twitter <at>theRSGByouth, working the Youth
DXpedition, or listening for the callsign MC0RYC during the IOTA
Contest over the weekend of the 25th and 26th of July. Please work
the young team if you can, so they can experience the full flow of a
big contest.
The theme of this year's RSGB Club of the Year competition is
Promoting Amateur Radio. There are two categories, based on the size
of your club. Groups with greater or fewer than 25 members vie for
separate prizes sponsored by Waters & Stanton. Details of the
competition are at www.rsgb.org/coty and there is plenty of time left
to organise events to showcase amateur radio to the public.
Ofcom has advised the Society that plans will be drawn up to revoke
licences that have not been revalidated as required by the licence
conditions. The quickest way to revalidate is to do so online via the
Ofcom website, or by e-mail to amateur.validations<at>ofcom.org.uk
This can be done at any time. If you need assistance in the process,
Ofcom staff are available to help, but please be patient during times
of heavy workload.
Burundi has joined the International Amateur Radio Union, IARU, after
a recent vote. Their national society, ABART, was approved following
a 67 vote acceptance.
ARISS, or Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, wishes to
shorten the waiting time for a school conversation with an astronaut
or a cosmonaut on board the International Space Station. Schools in
Europe, Africa and the Middle East are invited to submit an
application in February, March and April 2016 for contacts in 2017.
The application form is available at
www.ariss-eu.org/schoolcontacts.htm
The beacon OK0EB at Klet, which is in locator square JN78DU and at
1084m above sea level, has had its frequencies extended to the
microwave bands. The new frequencies and powers are 1296.970MHz,
2320.970MHz and 3400.970MHz, all at 10W. It also now has 5760.970MHz
at 5W and 10368.970MHz at 2W. Omnidirectional antennas are installed
with a moderate advantage to the north-east direction. Signal reports
to Petr, OK2ULG, via email to ok2ulq<at>seznam.cz please.
The annual update of the European Common Allocation Table is out at
tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1207 and includes an upgrade of the status of the
70MHz band for some European countries. There will be no change in
the UK allocation.
The RSGB Convention takes place over the 9th to the 11th of October
at Kent's Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Two more lectures
have been confirmed that will interest beginners and the more
experienced operators alike. Roger Cooke, G3LDI will show the novice
to datamodes why they should not be so verbose in their macros and
thus increase their contact rate in a contest. Well-known DXer Nigel
Cawthorne, G3TXF will talk about the RSGB Commonwealth Contest, one
of the world's longest running contests. He has participated in the
Contest from several countries and will describe some recent
operations. Details can be found at www.rsgb.org/convention
The Leicestershire Repeater Group will be testing the aerials for the
new UHF beacon, GB3LEU, on Tuesday the 14th of July during the 70cm
UK Activity Contest. They will be using the callsign G0LRG. As a
result the GB3LE repeater on 433.100MHz may be switched off during
this time as they investigate possible breakthrough issues. Further
information is available from Geoff, G4AFJ, by e-mail to
geoffrey<at>geoffg4afj.plus.com
The British inland Waterways on the Air event will be held over the
August bank holiday weekend, the 29th to the 31st of August. The
event is open to all amateurs who are boaters, cyclists, walkers and
other users of canals, rivers, towpaths or riverbanks for work or
recreation. Many operate special event stations, with the main band
of activity being 40m. For full details, go to the RSGB website
www.rsgb.org and search for biwota.
This year's RSGB Convention in October will include a Buildathon, or
kit building workshop, on Saturday the 10thy. Those taking part will
build a 40m Software Defined Receiver that can be modified to cover
other bands using an external signal source. The kit uses
through-hole components so there will be no need for special
soldering techniques or magnifying goggles etc. However, there will
be experienced builders on hand to assist with building and testing
the kits. Those wishing to take part in the Buildathon will need to
buy a ticket for the Convention and pay for the kit via the RSGB
Shop. The kit is being supplied by Kanga UK and the Convention price
is expected to be about GBP 25. Further details can be had from RSGB
Board member Steve Hartley, by e-mail to g0fuw<at>rsgb.org.uk
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 52nd Cornish RAC Mobile Rally will be held at Penair
School, St Clements, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. There is talk-in, car
parking, trade stands, a Bring and Buy and catering. Admission is
GBP 2 and doors open at 10.30. Contact Steve, on 01209 844 939, or
email g7voh<at>btinternet.com.
Next Sunday, the 19th, sees the McMichael Radio Rally and Car Boot
Sale at Reading Rugby Football Club, Holme Park Farm Lane, Sonning
Lane, Sonning on Thames, Reading RG4 6ST. There will be a talk in
station, free car parking and the gates open at 9.30am. Admittance is
GBP 2 and there will be special interest groups, trade stands and a
car boot area. Details from Pete on G8FRC, 01189 695 697.
The Finningley ARS Summer Rally is not taking place on the 19th of
July, having been moved to the 16th of August in plans widely
announced earlier in the year. Please make sure your diary is up to
date to avoid a wasted journey. A list of all known rallies is
maintained on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/
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 details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
Now the special event news
Thorpe Camp Museum ARG is holding a Military Radio Week until the
19th of July. They will be using GB4TCMÂ and MX0TCM for the event.
Clubs and individuals are invited to use military radios to make
contact with the stations if possible. For information contact
Anthony, M0HAZ on 07956 654 481.
GX4RSE, will be on the air from the Island Yacht Club, Point Road,
Canvey Island, Essex SS8 7TX on the 18th of July from 10am to 4pm for
the yearly fun day. Details from Dave, G4UVJ on 01268 697 978.
On Saturday the 18th of July The Vintage & Military ARS will be
holding its AGM at the Neatishead Radar Museum, Neatishead in
Norfolk. Members of VMARS will be able to see the fascinating history
behind the RAF's radar and defence systems employed in former years
including the Cold War period. The following day, Sunday 19th,
several VMARS members will be operating and displaying vintage &
military radio equipment at the Norfolk & Suffolk Air Museum at
Flixton near Bungay in Suffolk. There will be a family fun day. There
is also a NAAFI in the main hangar for tea and coffee and very nice
home-made cakes. Admission is free. Details are at www.vmars.org or
from Stuart J Mckinnon on 01384 872 157.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
EA1IQC is now active as a fixed and permanent station in Arosa
Island, EU-080. See QRZ.com for details.
S79HN will operate from Praslin Insland, in the Seychelles, AF-024,
from the 16th to the 20th of July. They will operate CW, RTTY and SSB
on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via JJ2VLY, direct or via the bureau, and
Logbook of The World.
Stan, EI6DX will operate from the Seychelles as S79OWZ from the 16th
to the 30th of July. He will be on the northern side of Mahe Island
with a clear take-off to Europe and Asia. The QSL Manager is RX3RC.
G8OFQ will be active stroke HC8 from the Galapagos Islands, SA-004,
until the 30th of September. Operations will be on 160 to 6 metres.
QSL via HA3JB
Jean-Paul, HB9ARY will be active as 3B8HC until the 25th from
Mauritius, AF-049, using the 6 to 30m bands. QSL via NI5DX.
G3ZAY, M0BLF, M0HSW, M0TJH, M0VFC and M1BXF will be active from
Spitsbergen, EU-026, until the 17th of July. Using the 10 to 40m
bands and maybe 6m, they will be using SSB and CW. QSL via home
callsign direct or bureau, with ClubLog OQRS being preferred.
Davide, IZ2ZOT is on Elba, EU-028, as IA5/IZ2ZOT until the 18th.
Operating on HF using SSB and digital modes the QSL route is via
IZ2ZOT either direct or Bureau, Logbook of the World or eQSL.
Now the contest news
Next Saturday and Sunday the IARU HF Championship takes place from
1200 to 1200UTC. SSB and CW can be used on all the contest bands from
1.8 to 28MHz. The exchange is RS or RST plus your ITU zone, which is
27 for the United Kingdom.
The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon continues throughout July.
With no particular operating times, just try to work every Locator
square you can, whenever you can. The exchange is your 4 character
locator.
On Tuesday the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is the usual signal report, serial
number and locator.
Wednesday is the turn of the 80m Club Championships, the SSB leg,
from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend, on the 19th, is host to several contests. Running from
0900 to 1600UTC, the RSGB Low Power Contest is on the 3.5 and 7MHz
bands using CW only. The exchange is signal report, serial number and
power level.
The UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC next Sunday
on the 24 to 248GHz bands. The exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
Finally for the 19th the 70MHz trophy that 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 10th of July.
The sun was remarkably well behaved during the first half of the week
with few solar flares of note. The Kp index remained around one or
two, apart from two excursions to three on the 7th and 9th. The solar
flux index was, as predicted, around 125-135 all week.
Conditions will remain very similar next week with the solar flux
index predicted to be about 115-130. Geomagnetic conditions are
predicted to be quiet. However, there is an active sunspot just
around the limb that was probably the cause of a coronal mass
ejection observed on Monday the 6th that may cause problems later in
the week.
The critical frequency as measured by the Chilton Ionosonde at
mid-day has been around 6.3MHz, giving a predicted maximum useable
frequency over a 3,000km path of about 17.9MHz.
Many people have commented on the poor HF conditions recently, but
this is mainly seasonal. Good long-range HF propagation will return
in the autumn. Meanwhile, keep an eye on 20m at night as the band is
often open to DX at this time of year.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
There was plenty of Sporadic-E and tropo about last week and these
two main propagation modes are going to remain in full swing. The
weather charts indicate a ridge of high pressure over southern
Britain for much of the week, which will favour tropo style openings.
As in the past couple of weeks, propagation can be particularly good
over sea paths.
The required temperature inversions are almost a permanent feature
across water in high summer as warm, dry continental air drifts out
across a cool sea surface. It is worth remembering that there is
nearly always a shallow nocturnal surface inversion, which forms by
dawn to give some lengthy, but temporary, tropo paths inland, but
these soon disappear when the sun comes up and the heating destroys
the inversion.
Sporadic-E has been active on several occasions last week and with a
fairly strong jet stream over northern Europe, there is every chance
that the magic of Sporadic-E will recur, particularly across to
Eastern Europe and the Baltic. Try checking for Sporadic-E
mid-morning and late afternoon on 6m. The potential for paths across
the Atlantic is also quite high and worth checking each evening,
since the jet stream remains strong across to the States through this
week.
And that's all from the propagation team for 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.
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