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G4TNU > NEWS 24.08.14 14:53l 232 Lines 11787 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 24 Aug 2014
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 24th August 2014
The news headlines:
* Electromagnetic Field Camp 2014 next weekend
* New 5MHz allocation chart issued
* Chasqui-1 amateur radio satellite deployed
The Electromagnetic Field or EMF 2014 event is taking place from the
29th to 31st August at Bletchley near Milton Keynes in
Buckinghamshire. It is described as a camping festival for anyone
interested in radio, electronics, space, homebrewing, robotics, 3D
printing, the internet culture and pretty much anything else you can
think of. Attendees are invited to set up their own village or camps
within the camp. That's where like-minded people can gather and put
on their own activities. The EMF team of volunteers will supply power
and internet to each tent. GB2EMF will be on the air from the Amateur
Radio Village. More details, and ticket information, are at www.emfcamp.org
A new and updated 5MHz allocation chart has been issued and it has
been several months since the last update. Due to the increasing
number of 5MHz allocations it has been reconfigured as a Microsoft
Excel file instead. The current updated Worldwide Amateur 5MHz
Allocations Chart can be found at http://tinyurl.com/oofmemh
The Chasqui-1 amateur radio satellite has been successfully deployed
from the International Space Station during a spacewalk by two
Russian Cosmonauts. It is a research satellite designed to standard
CubeSat dimension by the Peruvian National University of Engineering
in collaboration with the Southwestern State University in Kursk.
Experiments onboard include cameras that work by visible and infrared
light. It carries a beacon on 437.025MHz that can transmit either
1200 bit per second audio frequency shift keying using AX.25 protocol
or 9600 bits per second Gaussian minimum shift keying, better known
as GMSK.
The RSGB Convention takes place between 10th and 12th October and
will be held at the Kent's Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes.
The provisional lecture schedule is available on the RSGB website.
Select the 'About Us' drop down menu on the www.rsgb.org main site
for Convention details. Ofcom staff will be among those giving
presentations, with other highlights such as James Coxon, M6JCX
speaking about high altitude balloons and a software developers'
workshop run by Michael Wells, G7VJR. The RSGB has extended the Early
Bird discount until the 1st September so there's still time to get a
bargain. Go to www.rsgbevents.org to book your place.
December is IARU Region 1 Youngsters On The Air month and the RSGB
has arranged for Clubs/Groups to use the special callsign G14YOTA,
with regional variations, on a rota basis. An application form is
available on the RSGB website. The main requirement is to use the
callsign to put youngsters on the air, and, for this purpose, anyone
under the age of 26 is considered to be a youngster. Applicants are
encouraged to think about making the most out of the activation by
including other activities, such as Morse demonstrations, ARDF hunts,
WSPR beacon displays, listening to remote SDRs, use of
Arduino/Raspberry Pi, and so on. Applications must be received by 22
September.
The 4th annual World Digital ATV QSO Party will be held on 29 and 30
August. The event will have anchors in England, the United States and
Australia. This will be a show and tell format that uses a
combination of direct inputs for those within range of interconnected
ATV repeaters and other contributions via Skype. The entire session
will be streamed by the British Amateur Television Club.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, the 24th, Milton Keynes ARS Rally will be held at Longueville
Hall, Hammond Park, Whaddon Road, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes
MK17 0AT. Visitors can combine a visit to the rally with one to
Bletchley Park and visit the National Radio Centre as well. There is
a car park and doors open at 10am with entry costing GBP 3. More
details from Steve, G6KJU on 07866 673 192.
August Bank Holiday Monday, the 25th, sees the Huntingdonshire ARS
Rally take place at St Neots Community College, Barford Road, St
Neots PE19 2SH. Doors open at 10am and admission is GBP 2. There is
talk in on S22 with a Bring & Buy and car boot area as well as trade
stands. More from Clive, G3NKQ on 01480 810 473.
The Telford Hamfest takes place on 31 August at the Enginuity
Technology Centre, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DU. For more details
contact Martyn, G3UKV on 01952 255 416.
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
Coventry Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB4PIA at the Party
in the park on 25th August at the Miners Welfare Park, Coventry Road,
Bedworth.
Wakefield & District Radio Society will be operating portable for the
entire weekend from the Calder Drift Scout Camp, just south of
Wakefield. They hope to be active on all bands from 80 metres to 2
metres using the callsigns GX3WRS, GX1WRS and/or GX3ESP. More
information from the events and publicity manager, Stu M0TNG by
e-mail to m0tng<at>wdrs.org.uk.
Wearside Electronics & Amateur Radio Society will be on the air on
Monday 25th from 7 to 9.30pm operating HF, VHF and UHF. If you are
interested in amateur radio and want to know more about the exam
system pop along for a chat, cuppa and some pie and cake. All
welcome. The address is on QRZ.com under G0BNK or use the Find a Club
function on the RSGB website.
On Sunday 31st August from 10.30am to 4pm, Cray Valley RS will be at
Crossness Museum, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ with the
GB2CM exhibition about amateur radio. Cray Valley members and
registered trainers will be on hand to explain more about the
training courses on offer and sign up those interested in the next
Foundation or Intermediate course. As the open day theme is local
history, the stand will also feature some local history connections
with radio by including a small display of memorabilia.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
PA0FAW will activate special event station PA44AH between the 1st and
28th September to commemorate the World War 2 Battle of Arnhem. The
operation will primarily use CW and digital modes but there is the
possibly some SSB. QSL via PA0AW and SWL reports are also very
welcome.
WB6OJB and K5LBU will be on the air as C81AK and C81CF, respectively,
from Tenda Tora Lodge in Bilene between the 25th August and 2nd of
September. WB6JOB will be operating on SSB and CW, while K5LBU will
be on PSK and possibly RTTY. QSLs go to each operator's home address
or via Logbook to the World.
AC8W, KC8CO, KN8R and N8LJ, will be in Fiji, OC-016, from the 26th
August to the 2nd of September operating as 3D2 followed by AC, 3CO,
LJ and TR. They will be taking three K2s and one TS-590 along with
two KPA-500s and one ALS-500. Antennas will be verticals on the
beach. Activity is expected to be on 1.8 to 28MHz on CW, SSB and
RTTY. QSL via K8AQM.
Murray Adams, WA4DAN, has received permission from Parks Canada for a
one-day DXpedition to Sable Island, now planned for the 8th
September. A second operator will be Randy Rowe, N0TG. The two-man
team will be using the Sable Island Amateur Radio Station that WA4DAN
and the CY0P team left behind after their venture to Sable in October
2013. If things go as anticipated, WA4DAN will operate the SSB
station while N0TG will be on CW. Antennas are expected to be 17 and
20m Yagis with at least one of the two stations will operating high
power.
Now the contest news
The IRTS 2m Counties Contest takes place today, the 24th, between
1300 to 1500UTC, with awards for the leading non-EI station in each
of the six sections of this 2-hour event. These awards often go to
stations in GI, but if you have a good takeoff across the sea to
Ireland it's definitely worth a try. Also worth remembering is that
if you're a VHF 'square basher' and have missing squares in Ireland,
this could be a good afternoon to work some of them. The 32 Irish
counties are used as multipliers and you can find a list of them on
EI8IC's website. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday, two contests take place, both running from 1900 to
2130UTC. The first is the 50MHz UK Activity contest where the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator using all modes.
The second is the SHF UK Activity Contest for the 2.3 to 10GHz bands,
again using all modes. The exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
Thursday sees the SSB leg of the 80m Club Contest, running from 1900
to 2000UTC. The exchange is the usual one of both callsigns, serial
number and name.
On the 31st August the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to
1800 on the 5.7 to 24GHz bands. Using all modes the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 15th to
Thursday the 21st of August, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday
the 22nd of August.
Several small sunspot regions were visible every day, however, on the
21st a new active sunspot region rotated into view. Until then solar
activity was low with only a small number of C class solar flares
taking place each day, but on the 21st an impulsive M3 solar flare
took place increasing activity to moderate levels. Solar flux levels
took a small dip to 111 units on the 18th and the 19th but started to
increase with the approaching new sunspot region and ended the period
at 128 units. The average was 115 units. The 90 day solar flux
average on the 21st was 126 units, that's one unit down on last week.
X-ray flux levels increased from B2.6 units to B5.8 by the 21st and
the average was B3.6 units. Geomagnetic activity was at quiet levels
except for the 19th which increased to Ap 15 units and 12 on the
21st. The average was Ap 7 units. Solar wind data from the ACE
spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 380 to 260 kilometres
per second by the 16th but then increased to 450 kilometres per
second on the 19th. Particle densities were low but increased to 30
particles per cubic centimetre on the 19th. Bz varied between minus 5
and plus 2 nanoTeslas on the quietest day and between minus 18 and
plus 12 on the 19th that was the most disturbed day.
Now the solar forecast for the coming week. This week the more active
side of the Sun will rotate into view, solar flare activity is
expected to increase to moderate levels, on some days. There will be
a slight chance of a major solar flare taking place. Solar flux
levels should increase and be around the 150s later in the week.
Geomagnetic activity should be quiet at first but around midweek a
small recurring disturbance is expected. Activity should then decline
but increase again later at the weekend. MUFs during daylight hours
at equal latitudes should be around 23MHz. Darkness hour lows should
be about 13MHz. Paths this week to South America should have a
maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around
30MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate
will be about 23MHz. The best time to try this path will be between
1400 and 1800 hours UTC.
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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