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G4APL > NEWS 10.12.17 09:23l 223 Lines 10360 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 10 Dec 2017
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From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 10th of December 2017
The news headlines:
* Croatians get 5MHz plus Top Band extensions
* RSGB Raspberry Pi lecture online
* MSF maintenance shutdown
On the 24th of November, the Croatian Regulatory Authority published
changes to the rules on amateur radio communications in the Republic
of Croatia. According to these changes, Croatian radio amateurs now
have access to the WRC-15 60m amateur secondary allocation of 5351.5
to 5366.5kHz with 15W EIRP. They now also have access to the 160m
band from 1810 to 2000kHz, with 1.5kW maximum power from 1810 to
1850kHz and 1kW between 1850 and 2000kHz.
The RSGB has released the video of the RSGB Convention 2017 Raspberry
Pi lecture by Mike Richards, G4WNC. Members can view it via the RSGB
video portal. Mike's presentation includes a range of practical Pi
projects to encourage people to get their Raspberry Pi out of the
drawer and into use. These uses include a data modes terminal using
FLDIGI and WSJT-X, a DVB-T dongle receiver and using the Pi to
control things around the shack. Also released this week were Latest
Developments in IOTA by the IOTA management team and 51LYC Brings
Pukapuka Atoll OC-098 in North Cook Islands on the air by Cezar
Trifu, VE3LYC. All three can be found via the RSGB video portal,
www.rsgb.org/videos
The MSF 60kHz time and frequency signal broadcast from Anthorn Radio
Station will be shut down on the 14th of December from 1000 to
1400UTC. The interruption to the transmission is required to allow
maintenance work to be carried out safely. The MSF radio signal is a
dedicated time broadcast that provides an accurate and reliable
source of UK civil time, based on the NPL time scale UTC.
The Codebreakers' Wall is a specially reserved area in the grounds of
Bletchley Park for veterans, their families and supporters of
Bletchley Park to have their names engraved into a brick to share
with loved ones for many years to come. A digital version of the wall
is now available soon so you can search for names, locate bricks in
the Codebreakers' Wall and discover the stories behind the bricks. Go
to www.bletchleypark.org.uk/codebreakers-wall to learn more.
A meeting was held on the 2nd of December between the President of
IARU Region 1 and the President of the European Radio Amateurs'
Organisation. Also present were the Chair of IARU Region 1's Spectrum
and Regulatory Liaison Committee and the Secretary-General of EURAO.
The meeting was held against a background of both IARU Region 1 and
EURAO having Letters of Understanding with CEPT, enabling
participation in the work of CEPT. Both organisations accepted that
they had shared objectives, identified some specific areas for
interworking and will continue a constructive dialogue into the
future.
Due to a change in work circumstances and a significantly increased
workload, Sara McGarvey, 2I0SSW has reluctantly decided that she
needs to step down from her RSGB Board responsibilities and thus has
tendered her resignation as an Elected Board member of the RSGB. The
Chairman and Board would like to thank Sara for her contribution to
the Society especially associated with YOTA 2017. Sara will be
continuing with her Deputy Regional Manager role in Northern Ireland.
Details of all the Board and Regional vacancies are in the January
2018 RadCom, along with information about the nomination process.
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 quite 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
Lester, W8YCM is on the air until January 2018 as 6Y6Y from
Westmoreland Parish at Negril, Jamaica, IOTA reference NA-097.
Activity is holiday style on various HF bands. QSL direct to home
call.
Elvira, IV3FSG is on the air as E44YL from Bethlehem until the 18th
of December. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and
various digital modes. QSL via IK3GES.
Rich, PA0RRS is operating as 9M2MRS from Penang Island, AS 015, until
the 31st of January 2018. Activity is on 40 to 10 metres using CW,
SSB and PSK. QSL to home call.
Ulmar, DK1CE is on the air as V5/DK1CE near Omaruru in Namibia until
the 15th of December. Activity is on 80 to 10 metres using CW and
some SSB. QSL to home call.
Now the special event news
The main Special Event Station news is GB17YOTA, for Youngsters on
the Air month. This callsign will be aired by clubs up and down the
country during the month of December. Today, the 10th, sees Mid
Ulster ARC operating it. The King's School Radio Club in Ottery St
Mary, Devon takes up the mantle on Monday. Worcester Radio Amateurs
Association are on the air on the 12th, followed by Aberystwyth &
District ARS on the 13th and Swansea Radio Society on the 14th.
Silcoates School radio club will bring it to life on the 15th and
Durham and District ARS take to the airwaves on the 16th and 17th. A
list of activations can be found on page 8 of the December edition of
RadCom.
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's reunification, Hong
Kong licensed radio amateurs are being allowed to use the special
prefix VR20 on a voluntary basis until the 30th of June 2018.
DT23WOP from the Republic of Korea is on the air until February 2018
for the 23rd Olympic Winter Games. Activity is on the HF bands. QSL
via HL1IWD.
The traditional Santa Claus Land station OH9SCL is operating during
December from Finnish Lapland. Activity is mainly on 160 to 10 metres
using all modes, including FT8. QSL via OH9AB.
Now the contest news
This weekend's ARRL 10m contest ends its run at 2359UTC today, 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.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC.
It is immediately followed by the 432MHz UK Activity Contest, using
all modes, from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange is the same, signal
report, serial number and locator.
The UK Six Metre Group's Winter Marathon continues. There are no set
operating times, just work as many Locator squares as you can. You
can upload your log as many times as you like, while you build your
score.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 8th of December.
Last week, the effects of the high-speed solar wind from another
coronal hole saw the K index climb to five on Tuesday and remain
relatively high throughout Wednesday and Thursday. The ionosphere
took a hit and daytime maximum usable frequencies struggled to exceed
18MHz at times. By Thursday, conditions were starting to improve a
little, but the HF bands were still noisy with a distinct lack of
signals.
The solar disk also remained fairly unblemished by sunspots, other
than one very tiny group of three that saw the solar flux index
climb, if that is the right word, to 68. This will most likely be the
trend for the next 18 months or so as we experience the end of solar
cycle 24.
Daytime critical frequencies have been around 5-6 megahertz, which
means 60 and 80 metres remain the best bands for UK-wide short skip
in daylight. Night-time critical frequencies of around three
megahertz mean 80m is largely closed to short skip, although both it
and 40 metres are potentially open to longer distances.
This weekend, another coronal hole is rotating into an earth-facing
position and NOAA predicts we may have disturbed geomagnetic
conditions from Monday the 11th through to Wednesday the 13th.
Conditions should then be more settled through to next weekend.
The solar flux index is predicted to continue to hover around the
68-70 mark and, with such a poor prognosis for HF propagation, it
might be worth concentrating on night-time DX, or looking at using
more efficient data modes, such as PSK or FT8 on the 20 and 30 metre
bands during daylight.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This week, the nights of the 13th and 14th see the peak of the
Geminids, one of the largest meteor showers of the year. The Zenithal
Hourly Rate, or ZHR, is an idealised number for the visually-observed
meteors seen under a moonless sky with the radiant at the zenith.
There will be many more radio meteor reflections observed than this
number. The Geminids has a ZHR rate of 120, so look for plenty of
good, strong meteor bursts on the lower VHF bands.
As well as the usual digimodes, SSB and CW QSOs can often be made in
this shower, if you get your operating technique nice and slick.
There is no moonlight on Wednesday night, so, if the skies are clear,
go outside and take a look for bright meteors.
We are in a cold northerly weather pattern for this week and with
minor troughs running south and small lows developing; this type of
weather is very poor for Tropo. That leaves us just a hope for some
rain/snow scatter on the gigahertz bands from some of the heavy
wintry showers, which will be fairly commonplace near the coasts.
More organised areas of rain and snow may affect some areas during
the week. As usual, use the various radar visualisation tools online
to track the precipitation.
Moon declination goes negative on Monday night and losses are rising
as the Moon moves away. Due to this, EME opportunities will be
shorter and signals lower.
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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