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G4TNU > NEWS 15.08.14 00:00l 227 Lines 11227 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 10 Aug 2014
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 10th August 2014
The news headlines:
* First 6m transatlantic Opera decode achieved
* FUNcube-2 beacon goes live
* G14YOTA granted for Youngsters on the Air in December
At 1427 on 21 July, WD4KPD decoded the first 6m band transatlantic
Opera beacon transmission from Graham, G0NBD, at a range of 3664
miles. The transmitting station used Opera mode OP1 with the 60
second transmit time pre-set for the 6m band. The aerial was a
home-made 2 element Quad located in the roof space of the house.
The FUNcube-2 telemetry beacon aboard the UKube-1 satellite has been
switched on. Transmissions are on 145.915MHz, plus or minus Doppler
shift. If you have a station that will receive the FUNcube-1
telemetry transmissions then it should also be able to hear
FUNcube-2. The FUNcube-1 Dashboard application for home computers
does not yet properly display data from FUNcube-2 but it does
correctly upload information to the corresponding Data Warehouse. A
revised version of the Dashboard software is being prepared by the
team and the latest information can be found at www.amsat-uk.org
December is IARU Region 1 Youngsters on the Air Month. This year
Ofcom has granted RSGB permission to use special callsign G14YOTA in
a similar way to the successful G100RSGB call. We are therefore
looking for 31 clubs and groups to host the YOTA callsign for one
day each during December. The only stipulation is that it must put
youngsters on the air, either Club members operating the Club
station, or local youth groups passing greeting messages and learning
about radio. Booking details are still being ironed out, but start
thinking now about how your club can get involved. Bookings are
likely to be taken from around the end of September. More information
will be published later on GB2RS, in RadCom and on the RSGB website,
and you can follow YOTA on Twitter via <at>yota_uk
The Wireless Institute of Australia has been facing a series of
spectrum losses in the 70cm, 2.3GHz and most recently 3.4GHz bands.
Their most recent submission to their regulator is now online at
www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2014/20140731-1/index.php
The annual UK High Altitude Society meeting will take place on 16
August at the University of Greenwich. Some of the topics in the
programme are WebSDR, Advanced superpressure balloon technology and
Predictor. The conference attracts those interested in learning about
building and flying High Altitude Balloons or in tracking their
434MHz signals. For full details see http://ukhas.org.uk
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO is to take up the position of
Chair of Surrey Space Centre. The Centre has been steadily expanding
its staff and activities and the new role as Chair will enable him to
better help with the strategic research planning and external
relations, as well as mentoring staff and students. It was also
announced that Professor Aglietti will take on the role of Director
of the Centre.
Following the advertisement in RadCom for someone to lead the Club
Relay event next year, Dan Trudgian, M0TGN, has been appointed. Dan
is a great enthusiast for amateur radio and has relevant experience
of getting events off the ground and getting people enthused. The
Club Relay builds on the success of the RSGB Centenary Station,
G100RSGB, and will be touring the country throughout the year, hosted
by local clubs. The RSGB plans to go live with bookings for the
callsign around October.
The RSGB Convention takes place between 10 and 12 October and will be
held at the Kent's Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The RSGB
has extended the Early Bird discount until 1 September so there's
still time to get a bargain. Go to www.rsgbevents.org to book your
place. The programme is almost finished and will be on the RSGB
website soon. One of the highlights will be the talk by Bob Allphin,
K4UEE who was a member of the successful 2014 FT5ZM Amsterdam Island
DXpedition, the sixth most-wanted DXCC. Their story is a very
interesting one and many UK station got a 'new one' from their
DXpedition. The cost of this DXpedition was almost half a million
dollars, the sea trip across the South Atlantic was dire and
participants put in a lot of their own money. Also confirmed is Mike
Richards, G4WNC who asks is your Raspberry Pi collecting dust? Mike
will show you how to get it doing something useful in the shack and
starting working datamodes amongst other things. Free fact sheets
will be available at the end of the talk.
Thanks to the volunteers from the British Amateur Television Club,
videos of the presentations given to the AMSAT-UK International Space
Colloquium held in Guildford on 26 and 27 July are now available to
view online or download. Links to the presentation videos, slides and
the schedule are at tinyurl.com/2014-coloq-video
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, Sunday the 10th, the Flight Refuelling ARS Hamfest takes place
at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne,
Dorset BH21 3DA. Gates open at 10am and talk-in will be on S22. There
will be trade stands, a car boot area and refreshments. Details from
Tony, G3PFM on 07773 157356 after 6pm.
The Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Annual Radio Rally will take
place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PX on 17
August. More details from Stephen, G8LYB on 01788 578 940.
Also on 17 August, the 2nd South Manchester Radio Club Summer Radio
Car Boot Sale will be held at Trafford Metrovicks Rugby and Cricket
Club, Finnybank Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 6LR. Tables are GBP 10 and
admission is GBP 1, with the gates opening at 9.30am. More
information from John, M6JII on 07892 890 902.
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 e-mail details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
Now for the news of special events
The Brede Steam Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB4STG in the
CHOTA event from St.Georges Church Brede. HF bands depending on
conditions. Operation will commence at 8am, taking a half hour break
at 9am whilst the morning worship takes place. Activity will then
resume until 5:30pm.
A special callsign, CF3NAVY, will be on the air for the month of
August to celebrate 100 years of the submarine service of the Royal
Canadian Navy. QSL Manager is VE3RCN.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
KB5FLA will be on the air stroke PJ7 from Sint Maarten, NA-105, until
12 August. Activity is holiday style on 40 and 20 metres using CW and
SSB. QSL via his home callsign direct or electronically via Logbook
to the World or eQSL.
DJ8NK, signing as GJ0VNK, and F6EXV, signing as MJ0EXV will be
operational from Jersey, EU-013, until 12 August. Activity will be on
all bands from 160 to 6m using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31. There is the
possibility that the duo could turn up on 60 meters as well. Logs
will be uploaded to Club Log and Logbook to the World. QSL via their
home callsigns, direct or via the bureau.
ON4BR will be active as D44TLO from the Windward Islands, OC-046,
between16 and 23 August. Operations will be on 40 to 10 metres using
CW only. QSL via his home callsign
Ian, MM0IMC is planning to activate the Ardrossan Lighthouse, ILLW
ref UK0089, on 16 and 17 August for a few hours each day as part of
the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. This will be a
QRP station on 40m, weather and band conditions permitting.
F5OZF and F5RXL will operate as TK50O (Tango Kilo fifty Oscar) from
Corsica, EU-014, until 15 August. QSLs go via F5RXL and logs will
also be uploaded to Logbook of The World.
Now the contest news
For the whole 48 hours of the weekend of 9-10 August the first of
this year's Worked All Europe DX Contests, the CW leg, will be
filling the HF bands with signals. Europeans work non-Europeans only.
Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
The 5th 70MHz Cumulative Contest takes place on Sunday the 10th from
1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
The 432MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 12 August from 1900 to
2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is the usual signal report,
serial number and locator.
The following day, the 13th, it's the CW leg of the 80m Club Sprint
from 1900 to 2000UTC. The exchange is both callsigns, serial number
and name.
Now the solar report for the 1st to the 7th of August, compiled on
August 8th by Martin Harrison, G3USF
Solar activity was slightly higher this week. C-Class flares were
reported daily and a couple of M-class flares occurred on the 1st.
However, there were no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections. The
solar flux started the week at 168 and ended at 137, averaging 144,
compared with134 the previous week. The 90-day average was stable at
130. The X-ray flux increased from B4.3 to B6.3, with little daily
variation. Geomagnetic activity was also higher, with unsettled
periods on several days. The high point was the 4th, when the Ap
index rose to 12. The daily average was 7.6, compared with 6.3 the
previous week. Solar wind speeds recorded by the ACE spacecraft were
above average for much of the week, thanks to a high-speed coronal
stream. They were initially 285km/sec but climbed to 463km/sec on the
4th, remaining above average for the remainder of the period. The
increase in geomagnetic levels had little impact on HF propagation
but led to periods of radio aurora at VHF at high latitudes on
several days. Bz varied between plus and minus 5 nanoTeslas during
quiet periods and plus or minus 9 nanoTeslas at more unsettled times.
Particle densities were low.
Now the solar forecast. There are currently no signs of change in the
broad pattern of recent weeks, though, as ever, an Earth-directed
coronal mass ejection could just surprise us. No great variation is
expected in solar flux levels. Flare activity will mainly be low, but
isolated M-class flares are possible. Geomagnetic levels should stay
low, with the Ap index mainly in single figures. MUFs at equal
latitudes are expected to reach about 24MHz. Darkness lows will be in
the vicinity of 14MHz. Paths to southern Africa should have a maximum
usable frequency, with a 50% chance of success, of 32MHz. The optimum
working frequency, with a 90 per cent prospect of a contact, will be
about 24MHz. The path should be in good shape between 0800 and
1800UTC.
Finally, a reminder that one of the year's major meteor showers, the
Perseids, which have been with us since 26 July, are scheduled to
peak between now and 13 August.
And that's all from the propagation team for another 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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