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G4APL > NEWS 01.07.18 03:43l 251 Lines 11719 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 1 July 2018
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Sent: 180701/0231Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:27239 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@GBR
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 1st July 2018
The news headlines:
* Receive SSTV from the ISS
* SAQ transmits today
* IARU welcomes St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Amateur Radio Society
This weekend ARISS Russia is running a special slow-scan television
event from the International Space Station. Unfortunately we learned
the details too late to include in last week's bulletin. The
transmissions started around 0900UTC on Friday and continue until
around 1830UTC today, Sunday the 1st. The cosmonauts will be sending
images commemorating the various satellites that were deployed by
hand from the ISS. Transmissions will be on 145.800MHz using the
PD-120 SSTV mode. You can check when the ISS is within range of your
location via a number of websites, for example heavens-above.com. A
simple 2m handheld and rubber duck aerial is sufficient to pick up
signals strong enough to be decoded, albeit with some noise.
Today is Alexanderson Day, the day when Grimeton Radio Station in
Sweden fires up its Alexanderson alternator to transmit as SAQ on
17.2kHz VLF. For those who don't know the story, this is the last
surviving high frequency alternator CW transmitter from the
pre-electronic transmitter era. Built in the early 1920s, it was used
as an early long-wave transatlantic wireless telegraphy station,
staying in operation until the 1940s. During World War 2 it was
Sweden's only telecommunications link with the rest of the world. Now
preserved as an historical site, the transmitter is operated once a
year with brief test transmissions that can be heard all over Europe
and beyond. This year's transmissions start with tuning up at 0815UTC
and transmission of a message at 0845UTC, with similar activations
beginning at 1015UTC and 1215UTC. The transmissions will be broadcast
live on YouTube. At the same time, amateur radio station SK6SAQ will
be operating on one of 7.035MHz CW, 14.035MHz CW or 3.755MHz SSB.
More information can be found at http://alexander.n.se/
[Note for Newsreaders: the URL for the YouTube broadcast is
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-83S-l9JKD1iuhsXx3XQ3g]
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has welcomed the St
Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Amateur Radio Society as its newest
member-society, to represent St Kitts & Nevis. The Society does not
claim to represent Anguilla, which is already represented in the IARU
by the Anguilla Amateur Radio Society; the inclusion of Anguilla in
their name dates back to an earlier time.
On Tuesday evening RSGB Membership Services will be offline from 5pm
to about midnight. This is so that essential maintenance can take
place. During this time all RSGB online services that require a
Membership login will be unavailable. If you need a Members' voucher
to visit Bletchley Park or any other time-sensitive material, please
make sure you do it before the system goes offline. The maintenance
work is being done by a third party service provider. Announcements
will be made on the RSGB website and via social media if there is any
variation to the planned schedule. Please accept our apologies for
any inconvenience caused.
A report on the Newbury Today website describes how nearly a thousand
amateurs attended the Newbury rally last weekend. Alongside a very
positive write-up there are some nice photos of the goings-on,
ranging from microwave activities to a classic police command and
control truck.
[Note for Newsreaders: the URL for the Newbury Today report is
https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/24736/amateur-enthusiasts-tun
e-in-to-newbury-radio-rally.html]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 1st of July, sees the Barford Norfolk Radio Rally at
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB. Doors open at
9am, an hour earlier for traders, and there is talk-in on S22. Car
parking is free. There will be trade stands, car boot sales, Bring &
Buy, a raffle and representatives of repeater groups. Catering is
available on site. Entry is GBP 2 per person, with under 16s free.
Pitches are GBP 8, indoor tables are GBP 10. Contact
radio<at>dcpmicro.com for more information.
Next Saturday, the 7th, the Bangor & District Amateur Radio Society
annual rally takes place at Donaghadee Community Centre, Parade,
Donaghadee BT21 0HB. It's just 100m from the harbour. There is free
car parking, doors open at 11.30am and admission is GBP 3. There are
disabled facilities, Harry's RSGB bookstall, traders, Bring & Buy, a
raffle and refreshments. Contact Harry, GI4JTF, on 02890 422 762 or
see www.bdars.com.
The Stockport Radio Society Rally takes place next Sunday, the 8th,
at Walthew House, 112 Shaw Heath, Stockport SK2 6SQ. Car parking is
available around the venue and a talk-in station will be on the air.
Doors open at 10am, with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30am.
Entry is GBP 2. There will be trade stands, special interest groups
and an RSGB book stall. Contact Nigel Roscoe, G0RXA on 0750 690 4422
or email info<at>g8srs.co.uk.
To get your event into RadCom and GB2RS, send details as early as
possible to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources
The big DX news is that the much-anticipated Baker Island DXpedition
is now on the air. KH1/KH7Z is a major effort by the Dateline DX
Association with multiple stations simultaneously on the air until
next Sunday. Baker Island is IOTA reference OC-089. QSL via K4TSJ
direct, ClubLog OQRS or LotW.
VE3IKV and W4TAA/VE3MMQ will be active as VQ5Z from Turks and Caicos
Islands, NA-002, from the 1st to the 11th. They will operate on HF
and 6m CW, SSB, FT8, MSK 144 and JT65a, and beacon on 50.107MHz. QSL
via VE3IKV direct.
Roly, ZL1BQD will be active from Papua New Guinea, OC-034, as P29RR,
from the 1st to the 26th. He will operate on HF, concentrating on
FT8. QSL direct via his home call.
Eric, KV1J will be active as FP/KV1J from Miquelon Island, IOTA
NA-032, from the 3rd to the 17th. He will operate on 160–10m SSB,
RTTY, CW and FT8. QSL via home call or LotW.
Bo, OZ1DJJ will be active as OX3LX from Greenland from 1st to the
14th. It's possible he might take a side trip for few days to NA-243.
QSL via OZ0J.
Now the special event news
Lincoln Short Wave Club has GB2CWP on the air today from 10am for the
East Kirkby Squadron Reunion.
As mentioned last week, Durham and District Amateur Radio Society is
operating its special event station GB13COL all week as part of the
13 Colonies event.
Loughton & Epping Forest Amateur Radio Society is operating GB2NWA
today for the Air Britain Fly-In at North Weald Airfield.
Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society continues its series of
month-long special event station activations to mark the end of the
First World War. Starting from today, they will be operating as
GB5GW.
If you're planning a special event station, please remember to send
advance publicity to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk – we are very happy to
help publicise your event, for free, but can't help you unless you
tell us about it!
Now the contest news
Today is the Canada Day Contest, sponsored by Radio Amateurs of
Canada. Running from 0000UTC to 2359UTC today, the 1st of July, all
modes can be used on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 metre
bands. Stations in Canada send a signal report and province or
territory. VE0s and stations outside Canada send a signal report and
serial number.
On Monday the RSGB 80m Club Championships take place from 1900UTC to
2000UTC, CW only, on the 3.5MHz band. The exchange is the usual
signal report and serial number. July is the final month of this
year's series so it may pay to eke out a few more contacts to top up
your score.
On Tuesday it's the 144MHz FMAC from 1800UTC to 1900UTC, followed
immediately after by the all-mode 144MHz UKAC from 1900UTC to
2130UTC. The exchange for both is the same, signal report, serial
number and locator.
Next weekend is a summer biggie: the RSGB VHF and UHF National Field
Day. Running from 1400UTC on Saturday to 1400UTC on Sunday, all modes
can be used on all bands between 60MHz and 1.3GHz. The exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Finally for next weekend, Sunday sees the 3rd 2m Backpackers contest,
running from 1100UTC to 1500UTC, overlapping the last few hours of
VHF NFD. The Backpackers contest uses all modes on the 2m band and
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 29th of June.
As predicted, the geomagnetic K index hit five last week, although it
wasn't until early morning on the 26th. Conditions then settled as
the week progressed. The US Space Weather Prediction Center has the K
index remaining low for the week commencing Sunday 1st July, so make
the most of the settled geomagnetic conditions. Due to a lack of
sunspots, the solar flux index may struggle to break 70 this week and
may even be in the high 60s.
On a brighter note, the KH1/KH7Z Baker Island DXpedition in the
Pacific is underway. While it is not an easy path from the UK,
especially in summer, there are opportunities for a contact this
week. Forget about the low bands as we have no periods of mutual
darkness. It looks like 20m, 17m and 15m are the favourite bands.
There is a slight possibility of a brief long-path opening on 12m or
even 10m on long path in the early evening. Best times, in terms of
maximum probability, are 1000UTC short path on 20m, 1900UTC long path
on 17m, and 2000UTC long path on 15m. As both the short and long
paths pass through the poles, look for quiet days geomagnetically
with a low K index. Needless to say, this is going to be tricky, but
may be doable with higher power and a decent antenna. And don't
forget to try FT8, as they are trialling the new DXpedition mode.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It's another week with roughly the same set of weather charts, so
expect Tropo to be the mode of choice. Any sea path will perform
well. Remember, the land paths are only usable under night-time
conditions and early in the morning before the daytime heating
destroys the temperature inversion.
Very often the UHF and microwave bands will perform best, so give
them a try as well. Let's hope that the recent excellent conditions
stay around until next weekend's VHF Field Day.
It's another no-show for rain scatter, except for the extreme south
where there is a risk, no more than that, of isolated thundery
showers. That again leaves our high-summer mode, Sporadic-E, to play
with. Like the past week, there will potentially be DX openings that
make use of the meandering jet stream across northern latitudes to
support paths to the Far East and North America. The more typical
single hop paths within Europe are always a possibility and will
depend upon the positioning of the ‘weather triggers', which can be
checked daily on propquest.co.uk
The moon's declination is negative until Friday and losses are still
high. EME windows are for insomniacs this week, with the Moon up in
the small hours and getting later as the week progresses.
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 radcom<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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