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G4APL > NEWS 19.12.17 15:56l 218 Lines 10044 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 17 Dec 2017
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 17th of December 2017
The news headlines:
* Thanks to all Newsreaders and listeners
* RSGB releases Measuring Spectrum Pollution video
* SDR book is surprise best-seller
Next weekend will see the final GB2RS news broadcast for 2017. The
RSGB would like to thank the loyal band of news reading volunteers
for their service to the amateur community throughout the year. We
would also like to thank those that listen to the news each week and
call in to the news readers after the broadcast. There will be no
news reading on the 31st of December; normal service will return on
the 7th of January.
The RSGB has released the video of the RSGB Convention lecture by
Alwyn Seeds, G8DOH on Measuring Spectrum Pollution at VHF and UHF.
Members can view it via the RSGB video portal. This lecture is the
basis for the article in the January RadCom written in conjunction
with John, G4BAO on the same subject. RSGB Members can find the video
via the RSGB video portal, www.rsgb.org/videos
Last orders for UK delivery at the RSGB shop is 10am on the 20th of
December. RSGB Members should note that the RSGB Members' Book
Voucher runs out at the same time. An interesting story to come from
the RSGB shop this week involves the new RSGB Software Defined Radio
book. First detailed in the January RadCom, which has only just
started arriving on doorsteps, over a third of the book's print run
sold within the first 24 hours. So, if you are thinking about using
your voucher on this book, don't delay. You can read all about the
book on page 77 of the January RadCom.
The National Radio Centre in Bletchley Park will play host to the
GB17YOTA callsign on the 30th and 31st of December, as part of
Youngsters on the Air month. There will be an opportunity for
licenced visitors to operate the station. If you are an RSGB Member,
you can also print a voucher for free entry to Bletchley Park.
Details for this are at
https://thersgb.org/members/portal/bpvouchers/ All enthusiasts are
welcome to the event, both young and old, licensed or not. If you
need more information please email youth.chairman<at>rsgb.org.uk
Over the past few years, various members of the Contest Support
Committee have been involved in producing a definitive list of past
winners of the contest trophies. The collected information is not
necessarily complete as some trophies have been awarded for almost
100 years. It is now available on the RSGBCC website at
www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/trophies.pl. Please do take a look at that
page. If you have won a trophy in the past and the information is
missing or incorrect, please let us know. You can contact Jacqui,
G6XSY by email to trophies<at>rsgbcc.org.
The South African Radio League will host the 2018 Youngsters on the
Air – YOTA – Annual Camp. This annual event brings together young
people from Region 1 and elsewhere for a week, creating an
opportunity to learn all about different nationalities and cultures,
foster international friendships and goodwill, and learn new amateur
radio skills. Several articles on the UK 2017 event at Gilwell Park
appeared during the year in RadCom and there are several videos on
the RSGB website too.
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 remains quite sparse so please, if you are a rally
organiser – or know one – let us know the details as soon as
possible.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
John, N9MDH will be in Togo as 5V7JE until the end of May. Main
activity will be digimodes on the WARC bands.
Volker, DJ8VW will be active as 5P8VW from Romo Island, IOTA
reference EU-125, until the 23rd of December. He will operate SSB, CW
and FT8 on the 160 to 6m bands. QSLs are preferred via Club Log OQRS,
as well as eQSL, Logbook of The World or via DJ8VW, either direct or
via the bureau.
Georg, NZ1C will be active holiday style as TK/NZ1C from Corsica
until the 24th of December. He will operate CW and FT8, with some
SSB, RTTY and PSK on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via DD5ZZ.
Dirk, DF2XG is on the air as 3W9XG from Hai Phong in Vietnam while
there on work assignment. Activity is in his spare time on the 10 to
40m bands using CW. QSL via operator's instructions.
Vlad, UA4WHX will soon be on the air as 4L/UA4WHX from Georgia.
Activity will be on the 17 to 40m bands using CW, SSB and RTTY. His
length of stay is unknown. QSL to his home callsign.
Ernest, J69Z is operating as 8P9JB from Barbados, NA-021, until the
2nd of January. Activity is on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL direct to his
home callsign.
Mauri, AG1LE is on the air as E51DXX from Rarotonga, OC-013, until
the 29th of December. Activity is holiday style on the HF bands using
SSB, PSK31 and FT8. 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 17th, will see
Durham & District ARS operating the callsign. This is followed from
the 20th to the 22nd by Castle Rushen High School, then on the 23rd
and 24th by Mid-Ulster ARC. A list of activations is on page 8 of the
December RadCom.
2E0XLG will be on air for the 3rd Robin Hood Special Yuletide VHF
Award activity from Earby in North Yorkshire on the 17th of December.
Activity will be on 2m FM between 10am and 4pm. More details are
online at www.robinhoodradio.uk.
Special event station YP2018HNY will be on the air from the 15th of
December to the 15th of January to celebrate Christmas and the New
Year. Activity will be on the HF bands. QSL via YO3KPA.
Alex, 5B4ALX is on the air as special event station 5B4XMAS from
Cyprus until the 31st of December. Activity is on the 160 to 10m
bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via IZ4AMS.
Now the contest news
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.
On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Thursday the 70MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC.
It is followed at 2000 to 2230UTC by the 70MHz UK Activity Contest,
where all modes may be used. The exchange is the same for both:
signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 15th of December.
Last week, the solar flux index nudged into the low 70s, although the
sun remained spotless. The enhanced solar wind from a coronal hole
pushed the K index to four, and it remained around three for long
periods during the week. So these were far from ideal conditions for
F2 layer DX on the higher bands, but there were good openings to be
had.
Last weekend's ARRL 10 metre contest benefitted from some extended
Sporadic-E openings around Europe. The openings were possibly caused
by strong jet stream activity over central and northern Europe. This
is a reminder that it is worth checking 10 metres now and again to
see if the band is open. Others have reported good mid- to
late-afternoon openings on 40 metres, with Australasia and the
Pacific being worked at times. This is classic mid-winter propagation
and it is worth looking out for.
Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the low
to mid 70s. Another Earth-facing coronal hole on the sun's equator on
Thursday will no doubt result in a high-speed solar wind stream. NOAA
predicts this has the potential to push the K index up to five this
weekend and Monday, with the possibility of depressed maximum usable
frequencies and auroral conditions. The K index may settle again from
Tuesday onwards. So the best advice is to concentrate on the long
winter nights, with 40m possibly opening up from late afternoon and
the potential for DX on 160, 80 and 40m through the night and at
sunrise.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
After a cold end to the week, there will be a marked change as high
pressure returns across the southern half of Britain during this
weekend. Much of the country will have good conditions and the chance
of fairly widespread Tropo at times during next week. The models are
in agreement in developing a large high over Biscay, which could go
on to produce lift conditions over the southern half of the UK and
much of the continent. Windier conditions over northern areas will
limit the Tropo activity over Scotland, but even here some
enhancement of conditions is possible at times.
With the Geminids shower peak now over, we revert to more normal
meteor scatter conditions until the January Quadrantids, with early
mornings continuing to be the best time for making QSOs.
With Moon apogee and minimum declination on Tuesday, EME
opportunities will be short and path losses high, so maybe it's a
good week to make some pre-Christmas QSOs using the various
artificial satellites at our disposal.
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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