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G4APL > NEWS 03.12.17 08:44l 268 Lines 13551 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 3 Dec 2017
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From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 3rd of December 2017
The news headlines:
* SSTV from ISS this week
* New AROS coordinator wanted
* Book for January Advanced Distance Learning
ARISS has announced that the MAI-75 slow-scan TV system in the
Russian Service Module of the International Space Station will be on
the air starting on the 5th of December at around 1500UTC and
continuing until the 6th of December at 0900UTC. Test images will be
transmitted on 145.800MHz FM and should be available worldwide. SSTV
activity on the 7th and 8th of December is scheduled to occur at
times when the ISS is above Moscow. In the past images have been sent
in PD180 mode, with a 3-minute off-time between each image.
The Amateur Radio Observation Service is the RSGB's confidential
advisory and reporting service. It is intended to assist radio
amateurs and others who may be affected by problems which occur
within the amateur bands or which develop on other frequencies as a
result of amateur transmissions. The AROS Coordinator runs a team of
volunteer observers and liaises with Ofcom's enforcement team. They
also oversee Intruder Watch, the RSGB's Monitoring System. The
current coordinator, Mark Jones, G0MGX is stepping down from the role
after several years' invaluable service. The RSGB is looking for a
volunteer, who must be an RSGB Member, to fill the vacancy. The role
requires patience and tact, as well as managing the coordination of
the team of AROS volunteers. Further information about AROS can be
found on the RSGB's website, www.rsgb.org/aros. To find out more
about the role or to apply, please send details of your amateur radio
experience to RSGB Board Director Philip Willis, M0PHI by email to
m0phi<at>rsgb.org.uk.
The next Advanced Distance Learning run by the Bath-based team course
is due to start on the 26th of January, aiming for an exam in early
July. The course is free but students must provide their own textbook
and calculator, and arrange their own exam when the time comes.
Guidance is provided by the course team. A GBP 30 deposit is required
to secure a place on the course and the deposit is refunded to those
who see the course through. Deposits from students who did not
complete the course, and generous donations from students who did,
have so far raised over ten thousand pounds for charities like the
RCF, Wireless for the Blind and RAIB. Places are limited in number
and the last three courses have been full well before the start date.
So, if you are interested in joining, contact Course Leader, Steve,
G0FUW via email to g0fuw<at>tiscali.co.uk.
The RSGB Youth Committee is delighted to have the callsign MX0RYC
re-allocated by Ofcom. This callsign was used during the youth
DXpedition in Wales in 2015. It will be used by the Youth Committee
for our outreach activities. You can follow what they do on twitter
<at>theRSGByouth.
Hull, the UK's City of Culture, is now in its final month. Humber
Fortress DX ARC has held the NoV GB0HCC for most of the year, with
Hull & District ARS also helping out. They have worked most
continents during the year. The next UK City of Culture will be
announced next month and they would encourage the radio clubs in the
chosen city to join forces and make it a year to remember. If anyone
would like more information about how they set the event up, please
email john.cunliffe<at>hfdxarc Those involved would like to thank
Ofcom for extending the GB0HCC NoV throughout 2018 to be operated by
Humber Fortress DX ARC on club nights.
Long-standing RSGB QSL Bureau member Lynne Constantine, G6CQG, passed
away last week after a long illness. The Bureau says the final round
of deliveries for 2017 to some sub-groups may be delayed as a result.
With the successful completion of the Canada C3 Expedition via the
Northwest Passage, which culminated with the arrival of the Polar
Prince in Victoria, British Columbia, the CG3EXP special event
callsign has been retired. The Polar Prince will continue to carry an
Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon as the ship returns to the East Coast via the
Panama Canal. The vessel's WSPR system will identify as VE0EXP. The
CG3EXP WSPR beacon transmitted on 20, 30, and 40 metres. Anyone with
an HF receiver and the free WSPR application may be able to receive
the VE0EXP signal and track the vessel's location on WSPRnet.
The RSGB's Emerging Technology Coordination Committee develops and
enhances the UK amateur radio repeater and data communications
systems and promotes the introduction and rollout of appropriate new
technologies. This committee performs a key role in the enjoyment of
amateur radio by large numbers of RSGB Members. After many years of
service to the society as the Chair of the ETCC, John McCullagh,
GI4BWM, has decided that it is now time to retire from this role. The
position of Chair of the ETCC Committee is offered for an initial
period of up to three years. RSGB Members who wish to be considered
for appointment to this important role should write to RSGB General
Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB, via email to
gm.dept<at>rsgb.org.uk providing details of their amateur radio and
other relevant experience.
The RSGB has just released three more RSGB Convention 2017 lectures
that link with the Strategy. You'll find them all on the video
portal, www.rsgb.org/strategy-videos. Board Director Steve Hartley,
G0FUW explains more about the Strategy itself, President Nick
Henwood, G3RWF gives a progress report on the "Breaking the mould –
clubs and groups for the 21st Century" project and Youth Committee
Deputy Chair Milo Noblet, M0ILO summarises the successful YOTA 2017
event and a brief look at how we will be building on it.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
We have no rallies in the diary before Christmas. But, on the 29th of
December, the Yeovil Amateur Radio Club Table Top Rally will take
place at Sparkford Village Hall, Church Road, Sparkford, Somerset
BA22 7JN.
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. Our list of
rallies for 2018 is still looking very empty so please, if you are a
rally organiser, let us know the details as soon as possible.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Hartwig, DL7BC will be operating as FY/DL7BC/p near Cayenne in French
Guiana until the 7th of December. QSL direct to home call.
John, N9MDH is on the air as 5V1JE from Lome in Togo until the end of
May 2018. Activity is on 80 to 10 metres using SSB and various
digital modes. QSL via Logbook of the World.
The Kuala Lumpur DX Team will be active as 9M4IOTA from Langkawi
Island, IOTA reference AS-058, in West Malaysia until the 4th of
December. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on 80 to 10
metres. QSL direct to 9M2OOO.
Olof, G0CKV is operating as 3B9HA until the 12th of December 12 from
Rodrigues Island, AF-017. Activity is holiday style on the HF bands
using CW and possibly FT8. He will be a Single Op/All Band entry in
the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL to M0OXO.
Andre, ON7YK is operating as C5YK from Kerr Serign, in The Gambia,
until the 30th of January 2018. Activity is on 40, 20, 17 and 15
metres using mostly digital modes, with a focus on FT8, and some CW.
QSL via operator's instructions.
Now the special event news
The main Special Event Station news is GB17YOTA on the air for
Youngster on the Air month. This callsign will be aired by clubs up
and down the country during the month of December. Today, the 3rd,
sees the Wessex Contest Group operating the call. On Tuesday,
Carrickfergus ARG take over, then Southampton University Wireless
Society on Wednesday. Chertsey Radio Club will working with 6th
Staines Scout Group on Thursday and this will ensure that anyone who
missed JOTA last week will have a chance to go on air and complete
their communicators badges. On Friday, the callsign transfers to
Hilderstone Radio Club. Over the weekend Worksop ARS will operate on
Saturday and Mid-Ulster ARC next Sunday. A list of activations can be
found on page 8 of the December edition of RadCom.
GB2ROR will be on the air from BBC Broadcasting House, London on the
7th of December on 40m HF and 2m VHF in memory of Radio 4 announcer
Rory Morrison, who died of a rare form of cancer in 2013. The radio
station will coincide with the annual BBC staff bake-off organised
each year by Radio 4's Susan Rae in aid of Rory's charity. The
operator will be Jonathan, M5AEO.
Now the contest news
The ARRL 160m contest ends its run at 1600UTC today, Sunday the 3rd.
Using CW only, the exchange is the usual signal report. US and
Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section number.
The RSGB 144MHz AFS contest takes place today, the 3rd. Running from
1000 to 1600UTC on the 2m band and using all modes, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 144MHz UK FM contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC. It is
immediately followed by the 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to
2230UTC, in which all modes may be used. The exchange is the same:
signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend the ARRL 10m contest runs from 0000UTC on the 9th to
2359UTC on the 10th. Using CW and phone only, the exchange is signal
report and serial number. American and Canadian stations will also
exchange their State or Province code.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4DDK
on Friday the 1st of December.
HF propagation for last week's CQ Worldwide CW contest was fair to
middling. There was a 10 metre opening on Saturday, but otherwise the
money bands were 20 and 15 metres during the day, with 40 and 80
metres coming into their own after sunset. The predicted poorer
geomagnetic conditions on Sunday didn't really materialise, but it
was interesting to see how quiet the bands were on Monday – after
the contest had finished. It is amazing how contest activity can
really show that the HF bands are actually open!
Otherwise, last week the solar flux index remained in the low 70s
while geomagnetic conditions were mainly settled. Tuesday and
Thursday saw the K index climb to four and five respectively, the
latter event probably caused by a glancing blow from a
relatively-weak coronal mass ejection (CME).
As we head into December you will find that 20 metres now opens later
and closes earlier, often around or before sunset. But the lower
bands really start to deliver, with 40m and 80m offering long periods
of DX after dark. Top Band, as 160 metres is often known, can also
offer DX for those equipped for 1.8MHz.
If you are using a VOACAP-based propagation prediction program, the
predicted smoothed sunspot number for December is 13 using the McNish
and Lincoln method. NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in
the low 70s, but we may be set for poor geomagnetic conditions at
times. The K index is predicted to reach a peak of six some time from
Monday to Thursday, due to a large coronal hole rotating into an
Earth-facing position. Expect the possibility of pre-auroral
enhancements, but ultimately depressed maximum usable frequencies and
auroral conditions.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The weekend starts with a cold northerly pattern with wintry showers
in eastern coastal regions giving some rain scatter. But this will
soon fade as high pressure becomes more dominant by Sunday and
through a large portion of next week. This is potentially good Tropo
news for the RSGB 144MHz AFS contest on Sunday the 3rd, especially
for stations in the west and south. As the high develops, the
subsidence inversion may provide some extended paths, especially
midweek as the high starts to decline. The favoured areas will be
over southern and southwestern UK, but many places could do well for
a time, especially if we have some overnight mist and fog, which in
December can last well into the morning. Later in the week it will
turn more unsettled again so it's unlikely the Tropo will last to the
following weekend.
Now to meteor scatter. The Geminids have a broad peak, culminating on
the 13th and 14th of December. This is usually one of the best
showers of the year, with a maximum Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR, of
120. This week, in the run-up to the maximum, we can expect many
useful reflections. Also remember that the minor shower,
Puppid/Velids, with its low ZHR, will peak around Saturday the 9th.
Early December has a number of other weak showers, so the meteor
scatter enthusiasts should see some nice reflections throughout the
week.
Sunday's full moon is known as the Cold Moon and is also a Super
Moon. It is the only visible Super Moon of 2017. The moon will be
closest to earth so it will appear large in the sky. As it is at
perigee path losses will be at their lowest, enabling smaller EME
stations an ideal opportunity to work other small stations.
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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