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G4APL > NEWS 01.04.18 04:03l 265 Lines 12219 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 1 Apr 2018
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From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 1 April 2018
The news headlines:
* Apply for a place at Youngsters on the Air
* World Amateur Radio Day coming soon
* RSGB clarifies AGM issues
Youngsters on the Air 2018 takes place from the 8th to the 15th of
August this year in South Africa, hosted by the South African Radio
League. Applications are now invited from anyone aged between 15 and
25 to join Team UK and go on this amazing amateur radio adventure.
RSGB is also looking for a team leader, aged between 18 and 30. The
application deadline is 30 April. More information as well as the
application form is available at www.rsgb.org/yota2018
Every 18th of April, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in
celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on that day in 1925
that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris. World
Amateur Radio Day is the day when IARU Member-Societies can show
their capabilities to the public and enjoy global friendship with
other Amateurs worldwide. It is a great opportunity to put on a local
event, so do share details with us if you're planning something. You
can find out more about World Amateur Radio Day on the IARU website,
www.iaru.org/world-amateur-radio-day.html
The RSGB has been asked to clarify three issues relating to its AGM,
which is to be held on 21 April 2018 in Birmingham. These relate to
Special Resolutions, voting by proxy and the President's role.
Further details can be found on the AGM 2018 Calling Notice page of
the Society's website, www.rsgb.org/agm The clarifications are not
changes and do not affect any votes that have been cast already. If
you haven't yet voted please make your voice heard . details of how
to vote electronically or to request a paper form are on the same AGM
web page. Deadline for receipt of votes is 23:59 on Thursday the 19th
of April 2018.
CQScotland.com will be providing free electronic kits for accompanied
school-age children attending the Scottish Electronics and Radio
Convention. It takes place at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow, on the
20th of May. A dedicated construction area will be set up, and help
will be on hand so children should leave with a fully working
project. Alternatively, it may be built at home with a parent.
Pre-register your interest now at www.CQScotland.com to receive your
free entry tickets and further information. Parents unable to attend
may enter a free draw for kits at the event website.
The RSGB Board has appointed Steve Nichols, G0KYA, as a member of the
Nominations Committee. Steve is Chair of the Propagation Studies
Committee. The Nominations Committee considers candidates for
Nominated Board Director and makes recommendations to the Board.
Steve replaces John McCullagh, GI4BWM who has stepped down as a
Committee Chair and so is no longer eligible to be a member of the
Nominations Committee. The RSGB would like to thank John for his work
for the Society.
The RSGB assists HF DXpeditions to the rarer countries through a fund
supported each year from the proceeds of the RSGB Convention raffle,
as well as income from legacies and donations. The Society is looking
to appoint a fifth trustee for the HF DXpedition Fund who, given the
increasing number of applications, will also act as Secretary to the
group. Applicants should be enthusiastic HF DXers with an interest in
DXCC and IOTA. RSGB Members who wish to be considered for appointment
should contact RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB via email to
gm.dept<at>rsgb.org.uk, with details of their amateur radio and other
relevant experience.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
We have no rallies listed for this weekend.
Next Sunday the Ripon & District ARS rally and surplus equipment sale
takes place at Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 2PT.
Doors open at 10am. Contact David Cutter, G3UNA, via email to
rally<at>ripon.org.uk.
To get your rally or event information into GB2RS News, RadCom and on
the RSGB website, email details as early as possible to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Mike VE7ACN will be operating portable VE2 from Havre Aubert Island
in the Madeleine Islands group for one week from April 2nd. This is
NA-038 for IOTA.
A large French DXpedition to St Brandon Island in the Indian Ocean
should get on the air towards the end of the week on most HF bands
and modes. Team members depart Mauritius on the 3rd and 5th of April
and will be active as soon as possible. They plan to go QRT by the
17th.
The Brazilian group callsign PR2CI will be active from Ilha das
Couves . just west of Rio de Janeiro and SA-071 for IOTA - on 6-8
April. They will be on 80-10 metres SSB, CW and digital modes.
Tony, 3D2AG, should be starting up from the Pacific island nation of
Tuvalu around April 8th as T2AR for about 1 week. This is OC-015 for
IOTA.
The Irish DX team in Malawi QRV as 7Q7EI is expected to close down
around April 3rd.
Now the special event news
Special Event Station news for April did not arrive in time to be
included in the printed edition of RadCom, but the information can be
found on the RSGB website via tinyurl.com/SES-0418
Today, the first of April, marks the 100th anniversary of the
formation of the Royal Air force. Members of the RAFARS will be
active today from RAF Cosford as GB100RAF to mark this historic
occasion. The call will be used at many events during 2018, so there
will be lots of chance to work them. For more information look at
RAFARS.org
Many other special event stations are on the air today, and in some
cases all week or all month, to mark the centenary of the RAF's
founding. One example is GB0RAF, which will be on the air from RAFARS
HQ at Barnard Castle, Wolverhampton. GB0WY is a RAFARS special event
station, on the air today and next Sunday from Royal Air Force Wyton,
Huntingdon.
Starting on the 2nd and running throughout April, .special special'
callsign GB106TBC will be on the air to mark the 106th anniversary of
the launch of the Titanic. Operating from Grey Point Fort, the QSL
manager is MI0MOD.
II4MAR will be on the air throughout April to commemorate the Italian
scientist Guglielmo Marconi, whose work was so crucial to the hobby
we enjoy today. Further details and award regulations are at
www.arifidenza.it
Now the contest news
The UKEICC DX CW contest concludes its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today,
Sunday. Using all the contest bands from 3.5 to 28MHz, on CW only,
the exchange is signal report, serial number and District Code.
Also ending at the same time is the Russian WW MultiMode contest.
Using all modes on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal
report and serial number, with Russian stations also sending their
Oblast code.
Running from 0900UTC to 1200UTC today, Sunday the 1st, the RSGB First
70MHz Contest takes place. Using all modes on the 4m band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The RSGB RoLo 1 contest takes place today from 1900UTC to 2030UTC.
Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and the
locator received.
Monday sees the RSGB 80m Club Championships from 0900UTC to 1200UTC.
Using CW on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and serial
number.
Also on Monday the IRTS 70cm Counties contest is on the air from
1200UTC to 1300UTC. Using FM or SSB on the 432MHz band, the exchange
is signal report plus serial number, with EI and GI stations also
sending their county.
Immediately after that, the IRTS 2m Counties contest runs from
1300UTC to 1500UTC. Using FM or SSB on the 144MHz band, the exchange
again is signal report plus serial number, with EI and GI stations
also sending their county.
Tuesday is busy, too, with the 144MHz FMAC taking place from 1800UTC
to 1900UTC, FM only, followed by the 144MHz UKAC from 1900UTC to
2130UTC. This one is all modes on the 2m band. The report for both is
the same: signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday it's the UKEICC 80m contest, which runs from 1900UTC to
2000UTC. Using SSB only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is your
four-character locator.
Running from 1500UTC next Saturday to 1500UTC on Sunday, the SP DX
contest uses CW and SSB on all the contest bands from 1.8 to 28MHz.
Signal report and serial number forms the exchange, with SP stations
also sending their Province code.
Finally, next Sunday sees the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest 2,
which runs from 1000UTC to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3GHz to
3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Monday 26th March.
As we move into April it is time to think about updating the latest
smoothed sunspot number if you are using a VOACAP-based propagation
prediction program.
There are a number of different methods used to smooth or average
sunspot numbers, but VOACAP recommends the adjusted SSN from the
Solar Influences Data Centre in Belgium. So we'll settle for an SSN
of eight. This tells us that solar activity is very low and the
predicted solar flux index of 68-70 for this week basically says we
are likely to continue to have no sunspots at all. But that doesn't
mean we will have no HF propagation. We can expect to see daytime
openings up to 18MHz, with occasional openings on 21MHz as well. It
is a little too early for the main Sporadic-E season, so openings on
12 metres and 10 metres will be few and far between, but not
impossible. This time of year does favour North-South paths for F2
layer openings on the higher bands so do check 12 and 10 metres.
The good news is that the NOAA longer-term forecast for next week is
for quieter geomagnetic conditions. This often involves crystal-ball
gazing as the Solar Dynamics Observatory cannot see around the edge
of the sun, but quieter geomagnetic conditions, shown by lower K
indices, could spell better conditions on the HF bands.
Eighty metres remains a mainly night-time band and 40 metres may
provide 24-hour contacts, with longer paths opening up after dark. It
might also be a good time to try a new mode such as FT8, which is
getting rave reviews for its ability to secure DX contacts with low
power and compromise antennas.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This week is a rather long-range Tropo forecast due to the Easter
break and this week's GB2RS deadline having been brought forward.
In the run up to Easter, it's been very unsettled again, so there is
little chance of enhanced Tropo. There will be periods of wet and
windy weather and some risk of snow in the north. This Easter weekend
there is a hint of a weak high developing over Scotland, which will
transfer east over the North Sea. The end result is that the UK is
still under low pressure with rain or April showers and early signs
that there may be more significant low developing towards the
following weekend with a chance of severe gales. It's a long way off,
but it is a flag to check the forecasts carefully as we get closer.
In the odd quieter days beforehand, it may be worth checking those
mast guys before the end of the second week.
So what modes are options? You can try rain scatter on the microwave
bands from April showers, Sporadic-E on 10m and 6m, especially on
weak signal digital modes at the end of next week as strong jet
streams arrive, but sadly no strong signal for Tropo.
Moon declination is negative again and at minimum next Saturday.
Apogee is only seven days away so losses are high and increasing and
moon windows are shortening.
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.
Our thanks to Andy G4TNU 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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