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G4APL > NEWS 18.02.18 08:44l 239 Lines 11182 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 18 Feb 2018
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From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 18th February 2018
The news headlines:
* International DMR Talkgroup for Universities
* Amateur becomes Harvard President
* QSL Bureau volunteers wanted
Paul Thieme, President of the Purdue University Amateur Radio Club,
W9YB in the United States wants to hear from UK university amateur
radio clubs that have linked DMR repeaters. Recently, his club has
been working with Brandmeister worldwide officials to create a DMR
talkgroup specifically for university amateur radio operators. In the
States they have about half-a-dozen universities so far on this system
and they would like to encourage universities from other countries that
have DMR repeaters to join as well. Please contact Paul if you’d like
to link up with this group, via email to thiemep<at>purdue.edu
A radio amateur, Lawrence Bacow, KA1FZQ has been selected to
become the 29th president of Harvard University. He was selected
from among a field of some 700 candidates and will take office on the
1st of July.
The RSGB QSL Bureau is seeking to appoint a new volunteer for the
MW and 2W sub group, due to the retirement of the current sub
manager. This is an active and growing QSL group, involving around
15-20,000 QSL cards, delivered in 3 to 4 batches for sorting and
distribution each year. Prospective volunteers will need to have some
time, a little space for storage and basic spreadsheet skills. As part of
re-organisation, some M0 groups are being consolidated. All calls in
the M0A to M0F will shortly become one QSL sub group under a new
sub manager, yet to be appointed. If you are interested in taking on
the new M0A-F sub group, or the MW-2W group please register your
interest by emailing qsl<at>rsgb.org.uk
As the 3Y0Z Bouvet DXpedition was sadly cancelled due to bad
weather and engine trouble on the transport vessel, another
DXpedition has re-started their plans to visit the island. According to
the web page, operators Dominik, 3Z9DX, Stanislaw, SQ8X, Leszek,
SP3DOI, Branko, YU4DX and Frans, J69DS have a landing permit
issued by the Norwegian Polar Institute. No dates of activity are
mentioned, but the permit is valid until February 2019. See
https://bouvetoya.org/ for more details as the plans progress.
The DXCC Most Wanted entities list has been updated on ClubLog.
The list contains 340 entities and the top 10 entities seem to have
changed with the addition of Kosovo. The top spot still goes to North
Korea, followed by Bouvet Island, Crozet Island and the Republic of
Kosovo. The complete DXCC Most Wanted entities list is available at
https://secure.clublog.org/mostwanted.php Club Log author Michael
Wells, G7VJR, says that he has completed the Great Hardware
Shuffle for the online service. The free, web-based tool can produce
DXCC league tables, expedition tools, log-search services, and most-
wanted lists, see www.clublog.org
The IARU Region 1 Monitoring System newsletter reports a North
West African military Thales-3000 system on 13,998.4kHz was
causing interference in the amateur radio 20m band and that in the
amateur radio 40m band Radio Myanmar has been heard on 7200kHz
and Radio Hargeisa from the Republic of Somaliland on 7120kHz.
You can read more at www.iarums-
r1.org/iarums/news2018/news1801.pdf
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Radioactive Rally will take place today, the 18th of February, at
Nantwich Civic Hall, Cheshire CW5 5DG. There is free car parking
and the doors open at 10.30am. There will be a Bring & Buy, as well
as traders and an RSGB book stall. A raffle ticket is included with the
entrance programme, and additional tickets can be purchased.
Catering is available on site. Contact Stuart Jackson on 07880 732
534.
Next Sunday, the 25th, the BRATS Medway Radio Rally takes place
at The Victory Academy, Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 5JB.
Doors open at 10am, with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30.
Admittance is £2.50. There is free parking and talk in on 145.550MHz
using the callsign GB4RRR. There will be trade stands and an RSGB
bookstall. Catering is available on site. Details from Hugh, G0BRC, on
0782 583 8877.
Also next Sunday, the 25th, the Pencoed ARC Table Top Sale will be
held at Pencoed Rugby Football Club, The Verlands, Felindre Road,
Pencoed CF35 5PB. Doors open at 8am for sellers and 10am for
buyers, entry is £2. Tables are £10 each on a first come first served
basis. Refreshments are available on site. To book contact Madeline
Roberts on 0773 837 5775.
Make sure your rally or event information gets into future editions of
GB2RS News, into RadCom and on the RSGB website by emailing
details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other
sources
Members of Sandringham School Amateur Radio Club, led by
Headmaster Alan, G4DJX are in The Gambia operating as C5DX,
with the visit ending on the 18th. Students have run a couple of pile
ups at the time of writing and are doing well. QSLs go to G4DJX and
logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.
Scott, NE9U will be on the air as PJ4/NE9U from the island of
Bonaire, IOTA reference SA-006, until the 24th of February. QSLs go
to his home callsign.
Arnaud, JG1XMV plans to operate holiday-style from various islands
as FK/JG1XMV. From the 17th of February to the 3rd of March he will
spend three or four days each on Grande Terre, IOTA OC-032, plus
Lifou and Mare, both IOTA OC-033. Check his QRZ.com entry for
schedule updates. Arnaud will be accompanied by Yves, FK4RD.
QSL via JK1XMV either direct or via the bureau, Logbook of The
World and eQSL.
George, K5KG will operate as VP2MKG from Montserrat, NA-103,
until the 27th of February. QSL via his home callsign.
Michael, DF8AN will be on the air on Easter Island, SA-001, as
CE0Y/DF8AN from the 21st to the 28th of February. Activity will be on
the HF bands, concentrating mainly on RTTY, PSK, JT-modes and
FT8. QSL to his home callsign.
Now the special event news
The 5th Paddock Wood Guides will taking part in GirlGuiding London
& South East England’s Impact Big Sleepover on the 24th and 25th of
February near Sittingbourne, Kent. A special event station will operate
on the 25th, GB5PWG for Paddock Wood Guides.
GB4UKG, representing UK Guiding, will be on the air from Abermule
School, Montgomery, Wales on the 25th of February. The station will
be on HF bands 40m and up, conditions allowing, and 2m VHF. The
operator is Jon, M5AEO.
Special event station 9K57NLD is on the air until the 28th of February
to mark Kuwait's 57th National and Liberation Day. QSL via ClubLog.
Now the contest news
The ARRL International DX Contest ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC
today, the 18th. It’s CW only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands. The
exchange is signal report and Tx power. US stations will also send
their State, and Canadian stations their Province.
On Tuesday, the IRTS 80m Counties Contest takes place from 2000
to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB, the exchange is signal report and
serial number with ET and GI stations ending their County too. There
are SSB-Only and Mixed-Mode SSB/CW sections, with double points
for CW QSOs in the mixed-mode section. See www.irts.ie/contests for
permitted frequencies, the power limit and other rules.
Also 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 it’s the turn of the 80m Club Championships from 2000
to 2130UTC. It’s CW only and the exchange is signal report and serial
number.
The CQ WorldWide 160m DX contest runs from 2200UTC on the 23rd
until 2200UTC on the 25th. It’s SSB only; the exchange is signal
report and CQ Zone, with US stations also sending their State and
Canadian stations their Province.
The REF Contest runs from 0600UTC on the 24th to 1800UTC on the
25th. Using SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz band, the exchange is signal
report and serial number, with French stations sending their
Department number or overseas prefix.
Next Sunday, the 25th, the first 70MHz Cumulative Contest takes
place from 1000 to 1200UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA
and G4BAO on Friday the 16th of February.
Sunspot group 2699 threw a surprise last week when it unleashed a
C-class solar flare and a coronal mass ejection. While we have got
used to having coronal hole activity, CMEs have been less prevalent
over the last few months. The CME and a coronal hole solar wind
stream were predicted to reach Earth by Thursday the 15th of
February. NOAA said the combined effects could generate minor, G1
class storming at higher latitudes, with a chance for isolated G2
storming as well, and issued an aurora alert for high latitudes.
The ACE spacecraft showed an increase in both solar wind density
and speed from about 8am on Thursday, but ionospheric effects
appeared minimal. But the full effects were seen later on Thursday
evening when the K index rose to four.
NOAA predicts that next week the solar flux index will fall back to
around 70, due to a lack of new sunspots. Geomagnetic conditions
may be unsettled at the beginning of the week due to the ongoing
effects of the CME, but should be more settled later in the week. The
maximum usable band over a 3,000km path still tends to be 17
metres, with occasional openings on 15 metres and higher.
Daytime critical frequencies are still around 5MHz, so 40 metres is still
mostly closed to the UK during the day. Night-time critical frequencies
are mostly in the range 2-3MHz, so again 80 metres closes to UK
contacts after dark.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The return of high pressure means that Tropo will play a part this
week. Conditions should be good across the southern half of Britain
and well into the continent at times. Models show some hint that more
disturbed weather could bring it to a close later next week.
There is some talk of a sudden stratospheric warming, which changes
the stratospheric flow to look more like a summer pattern. There is a
thought that this can lead to out of season Sporadic-E, and therefore
well worth checking the clusters for activity on 28 and 50MHz.
You can keep an eye on digimodes activity on 50 and 144MHz by
monitoring the operational frequencies for the different digital modes.
Just use Google or look at posts on dxmaps.com to find these
frequencies. This can act as a good real time guide for propagation,
but remember to call CQ on the bands even if it seems quiet. If you
don’t transmit, you won’t work the DX!
Moon declination goes positive this Monday and path losses will fall
all week, as the Moon comes closer. This will give steadily improving
EME conditions as the week progresses.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Our thanks to Mike G4FVG for providing this RSGB feed.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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