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G4TNU > NEWS 26.07.15 17:23l 278 Lines 13723 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 26 Jul 2015
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 26th July 2015
The news headlines:
* Enter the RSGB Construction Competition
* New Licence terms to enter exams
* President's Contesting Review Group reports
The RSGB annual Construction Competition is open for entries and
judging will take place at the RSGB Convention in October. The
competition can be entered by individual members or groups of members
where the build team will be treated as a single entrant. The closing
date is the end of September and projects that have been built for
local club construction competitions or as part of a club night
construction can be entered.
We are getting closer to the 1st of October when the new UK Licence
rules will be examined. The RSGB has now published updates to the
Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced training books and they are now
available on the Extras webpages under Publications on the RSGB
website. A further announcement will be made as soon as the revised
Exam Reference Data Booklets and sample exam papers are available.
These should enable anyone preparing for an exam after the 1st of
October to have the current rules clear in their mind. It is worth
noting that the old Licence Conditions will continue to be examined
until the end of September. If anyone has any questions about these
changes, please contact the chair of the RSGB Training & Education
Committee, Philip Willis, M0PHI, via email to
tec.chair<at>rsgb.org.uk.
The RSGB President's Review of Contesting, which commenced at the
beginning of May, reached its finale this Wednesday with a day-long
workshop. There were 18 participants, from different parts of the UK,
with diverse experience. The workshop produced agreement that
substantial change is needed in certain areas. Key outcomes are
available on the RSGB website at
www.rsgb.org/publications/president-review. Volunteers are now needed
to work with the contest committee, who will develop, consult on, and
implement improvements in time for the 2016 Contest Calendar. If you
would like to help, please email Ian Pawson, G0FCT, via
cc.chair<at>rsgb.org.uk.
The RSGB's Youth Committee DXpedition, DX-15, will be active as
MC0RYC from the Brecon Beacons in Wales until the 30th of July.
Throughout the course of the DXpedition, they will be taking part in
a range of activities including operating SOTA summits. Please work
the young team if you can, including during the IOTA contest that is
taking place this weekend. The RSGB would like to thank Kenwood for
their sponsorship as well as SOTA, the RCF and the RSGB Legacy fund
for their support.
Ofcom are publishing an FAQ on variations for Full licensees only. It
tidies up an anomaly whereby a few Intermediate Licence holders have
historically been granted a notice of variation to their licence to
operate an internet gateway. This practice will be phased out.
Exceptions will still remain such as where a variation is made
available to support a national celebration, for example the 2012
Olympic Games.
The RSGB Convention takes place over the 9th to the 11th of October
at Kent's Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Dr Paul
Darlington, M0XPD will be speaking about how Arduinos and DDS chips,
cooperating as programmable RF sources, have become useful and
important in and around the shack. Paul will show how these
inexpensive devices can be used on the test bench and as the building
blocks of beacons and rigs, with plenty of proven, practical examples
of hardware and software. Mike Richards, G4WNC will be looking at the
Raspberry Pi in the shack and explaining how you can make the most of
the Raspberry Pi both at home and when out and about with your radio.
Details of the other lectures as well as weekend packages and day
tickets can be found at www.rsgb.org/convention.
After a long service to the American Radio Relay League and the IARU,
Dave Sumner, K1ZZ has announced he is to retire in May next year at
the age of 67. He's been on the ARRL full-time staff for 44 years.
A group of Clacton radio amateurs have been working with Icom UK to
put on the first D-Star 2m repeater in Essex. Icom donated the
repeater modules and the Martello Tower Group supplied the server,
cavities, broadband and site. The repeater went on air on the 19th of
July and is working very well. Signal reports would be gratefully
received via the contact link on the website,
www.martellotowergroup.com.
For some years the 70cm repeater in Haywards Heath, GB3HY, has been
off the air. The Mid Sussex Repeater Group, led by Gavin, G6DGK, is
in the course of restoring it to service. A meeting, open to anyone
who is interested in the plans for the repeater, is to be held at the
Mid Sussex Amateur Radio Society club house. It is at lower back
ground floor, Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill RH15 8DX. There
is a public car park behind Cyprus Hall. The meeting will be on the
31st of July and will start at 7.45pm.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 26th of July, the Horncastle Summer Rally will be held in
the Horncastle Youth Centre, Lincolnshire LN9 6DZ. Doors open at
10.30am and admission is GBP 1.50. More details from Tony, G3ZPU on
01507 527 835.
Next weekend, on the 2nd of August, the 26th King's Lynn ARC Rally &
Car Boot will take place at Gaywood Community Centre, PE30 4DZ. Talk
in will be on 145.550MHz and car parking is free. Doors open at 9am
and entry is GBP 2. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy as well
as car boot pitches. More information from Ted, G4OZG on
01553 768 701.
On the 2nd of August the Lorn Radio Rally will be held in Crianlarich
Village Hall, Main Street, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8QN. Doors
open at 10.30am and the entry is GBP 2. There will be traders and a
Bring & Buy. Details by email from lornradioclub<at>gmail.com.
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
Farnborough and District Radio Society will be running a special
event station from a local Scout hut in Frimley as part of their 50th
year golden jubilee celebrations. Club members are mounting a public
display and demonstration using G50FRS from the 1st of August to the
7th from 11am until 9pm. The public is very welcome to attend the
display at the Scout Headquarters, Parsonage Way, Frimley, Surrey
GU16 8HZ.
Felixstowe & District ARS will be putting on a special event station,
call sign GB2BRS, to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of
Britain. The station will be located at Bawdsey Radar Station, on the
Suffolk coast, which was the home of wartime radar. The event will
take place on Sunday the 2nd of August, with activity mainly on HF.
Further details are on QRZ.com.
Riviera ARC will be attending the Torbay Steam Fair on the 1st and
2nd of August using GB6TSF. They aim to be operating 40m and 2m but
other bands may be used depending on band conditions.
Hastings Electronics & Radio Club members are supporting the 10th
Essex Living History Group annual WW1 spectacular with a special
event station, GB2WWI. It will be held at Batemans, Rudyard Kipling's
home, on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August to commemorate the
death of his only son, John, 100 years ago at Loos-en-Gohelle during
the Battle of Arras. GB2WWI will be operating from 9am to 5pm on both
days mainly on 40m CW but some SSB. Robert, F5RHD/P, has agreed to
activate the St Mary's Field Hospital Cemetery where Lt John Kipling
is buried. Details on QRZ.com
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
ET3AA from the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society club station is on the
HF bands until the 21st of August. QSLs only via US0LW.
G8OFQ will be active stroke HC8 from the Galapagos Islands, SA-004,
until the 30th of September. Operations will be on the 6 to 160m
bands. QSL via HA3JB.
Giuseppe, IK5WWA will be active as 3A/IK5WWA from Monaco until the
1st of August. He will operate holiday style on the HF bands and 6
metres.
Jan, DG8HJ will be active as DG8HJ/p from Fehmarn Island, EU-128,
until the 3rd of August, possibly also during the IOTA Contest. QSL
via home call, direct or bureau.
Flavio, IW2NEF will be active as SV8/IW2NEF from Naxos Island,
EU-067, until the 6th of August. QSL via IK2DUW, direct or via the
bureau.
Tim, VE6SH will be QRV as V29SH from Antigua Island, NA-100, from the
28th of July to the 8th of August. Activity will be mainly on 30, 17
and 12 metres using CW, SSB and some RTTY. QSL direct to home call.
Now the contest news
Today sees the final few hours of the RSGB's flagship Islands on the
Air Contest. It started at 1200UTC on the 25th and finishes at
1200UTC today, the 26th. You can use SSB and CW only on the 3.5 to
28MHz bands. Everyone who lives in the British Isles lives on an
island and so we will be in demand that weekend. Exchange a signal
report, serial number and your island reference. Mainland Britain is
EU-005, mainland Ireland is EU-115, while the smaller islands have
different reference that can be found at www.QRZ.com/i/iota.html
Also today, the 26th, the UK Microwave Group contest takes place from
0600 to 1800UTC. Using the 5.7 and 10GHz bands the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2230UTC.
Using all modes on the 2.3GHz and up bands the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator. On the same day, the 28th, the
50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for
this one is also signal report, serial number and locator.
On VHF, the first weekend of August is dedicated to low power. The
first contest to begin, at 1300UTC on the 1st, is the fourth session
of the 2m Backpacker series. It runs for four hours and the power
limit is 3 or 10 watts, depending on which section you enter. One
hour later the 2m Low Power Contest begins. It runs for six hours and
the power limit is 25 watts. The 70cm Low Power Contest runs for four
hours the following morning, Sunday the 2nd. In both Low Power
contests the multipliers are Countries, Postcodes and Locator
squares. In all three contests you can use any mode on the band and
the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and postcode.
Also on Sunday the 2nd, the second RoPoCo contest takes place from
0700 to 0830UTC. This is the CW leg and the exchange is signal report
and in your first QSO you send your full Postcode. In subsequent QSOs
you send a signal report and the Postcode you received in your
previous QSO. QSOs with non-UK stations don't count and should not
appear in your contest log.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 24th of July.
This week had seen reasonably settled conditions until the
geomagnetic Kp index hit five on Thursday 23rd, thanks to a glancing
blow from a solar coronal mass ejection. The solar flux index fell
below 100 as well. If we look at the smoothed solar flux and sunspot
data we can see we are now exiting the second peak of solar cycle 24
and may very well be in the early stages of a slow decline to the
next solar minimum. However, this does not mean that we have seen the
last of large sunspot groups and solar flares. Spikes in activity
will remain likely while the sun makes the long transition to the
solar minimum around 2019-2020.
Meanwhile there is DX to be worked – if you know where to look!
The sun is currently looking pretty bare and the USAF forecast is for
the solar flux index to remain in 100-110 range next week.
Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet with low A and K
indices.
Summer daytime ionospheric absorption continues to impact the HF
bands, but the evenings from 2100UTC and night time are proving
fruitful, especially for contacts to the Caribbean and South America
on 17 and 20m.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It looks like a disappointing week if we expect the weather to help
with VHF propagation. For much of the time there will be low pressure
close to the British Isles. This may provide heavy showers so some
upper GHz bands rain scatter propagation is likely. Early in the week
may see North Sea tropo, but only for coastal stations. Stations in
the far Southwest may still get paths down to northern Spain. Later,
there are signs of rising pressure as a small high builds towards
Britain towards the end of the week.
Sporadic-E events are likely to tail off now as we move into August,
but it can still be a useful provider of new squares and DXCCs for 4
and 6 metres. Try the late morning and late afternoon/evening periods
to capture the best chance of being there at the right time.
The countdown to the main meteor shower of the year, the Perseids,
begins now. The peak should be around the 12th of August, but the
broad peak means that meteor scatter will gradually become more
important over the next couple of weeks.
The moon reaches its lowest declination on Wednesday, but EME path
losses are falling and will reach minimum as the moon reaches perigee
next Sunday.
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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