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G4TNU > NEWS 01.09.14 13:04l 302 Lines 15688 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 31 Aug 2014
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 31st August 2014
The news headlines:
* ARDF World Championships 2014
* DXCC approves new operations
* Churches and Chapels on the Air soon
The 17th ARDF World Championships are being held in Kazakhstan next
week. The RSGB team of nine, all of whom are self-funded, flies out
next Friday next to take part. The age categories are generally 10
years in duration and the number quoted is the age that a person
enters the age group. This year our team has no ladies. We have one
runner in M21, three in M40, two in M50, one in M60 and two in M70 as
well as teams in the M40, M50 and M70 competitions. There are two
classic races, that is five transmitters spaced well apart in
forested terrain. These are followed by the fast and furious Sprint
event in which ten transmitters are deployed and the winning times
are likely to be around 20 minutes. The older age groups do not have
to find all the transmitters that are set out. The final competition
is Fox-o-Ring that uses extremely low power transmitters placed
either inside or close to a circle printed on the map. The first race
is on Monday the 8th September with the remaining three races between
the 10th and 12th. To follow the action, check out the website at
www.ardf2014.kz
The ARRL DXCC desk has approved the following operations for DX
Century Club credit: A52JR, 4W/HB9FLX, 4W/N1YC, and 4W/PE7T. If a
request for DXCC credit for any of these operations has been rejected
in a prior application, contact the ARRL DXCC Desk to be placed on
the list for an update to your record. Please note the submission
date and/or reference number of your application in order to expedite
the search for any rejected contacts.
Churches and Chapels on the Air takes place on Saturday the 13th,
between 10am and 4pm. There is still time to take part and send
details to John, G3XYF via email to g3xyf<at>btconnect.com and a list
of the participating station can be found on the CHOTA tab on the
WACRAL website, see www.wacral.org
The next stage of proposed changes to microwave spectrum in Australia
has now started with a draft direction from the Canberra government
to licence spectrum overlapping the 3.4GHz amateur band for mobile
broadband. This follows a previous consultation and other proposed
changes in the 2.3GHz band in which the Wireless Institute of
Australia been actively involved. The latest changes pose a
particularly serious threat on the harmonised use of 3400-3410 by the
Amateur Service and Amateur Satellite Service as one of the proposed
new commercial bands is 3400-3425MHz.
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 reports that Moldova
has signed the pan-European CEPT Novice and Class 1 amateur radio
licence agreement. The prefix to be used is ER.
The RSGB Convention takes place between the 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. On Saturday from 9am until 1pm, G3VKW, GM3WOJ
and G4BWP will have a number of vintage transceivers on display from
the 1960s to 1980s. These will be connected to a receive antenna, so
visitors can try listening on one of these radios. In the full
lecture programme, Nick Henwood, G3RWF, also know by his overseas
callsigns of 5X1NH and 9X0NH, has made over 120,000 QSOs using
lightweight antennas, hand-carried on each trip. He will talk about
his experiences and experiments in Uganda and Rwanda. Useful
information for travellers, but also for UK operators trying to put
out a good signal with a quite simple antenna. The RSGB has extended
the Early Bird discount until the 1st September so there's still just
time to get a bargain. Go to www.rsgbevents.org to book your place.
The annual RSGB Construction Competition is to encourage home
construction, experimentation, design and innovation. Any Member of
the RSGB is eligible to enter and, with many clubs having held their
own Construction Competitions throughout the year, it could be a
well-contested event. The closing date for entries is 30 September
and judging will take place at the RSGB Convention. This year the
competition is being sponsored Martin Lynch & Sons with prizes of
GBP 50 of vouchers for each category winner and GBP 100 for the
winner of prestigious Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy, which will be awarded
to the best overall entry. The RSGB website has full details of the
rules and conditions, which also appeared in the August edition of
RadCom.
The BBC World War One At Home Live Events reflect on the dramatic
impact the war had on families and communities, as well as helping
people to explore their own relatives' links to the war. Several
amateur radio clubs are taking part in these events with special
event stations or hands-on Morse demonstrations for visitors. The
next event is on the 6th and 7th September at Air Waves in Portrush,
Co Antrim.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Telford Hamfest takes place today, 31 August, at the Enginuity
Technology Centre, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DU. For more details
contact Martyn, G3UKV on 01952 255 416.
The Scottish branch of Waters and Stanton will be having their annual
Open Day on 6 September at Woodside Way, Glenrothes, Fife. Doors open
at 10am and there are lectures between 12 to 2.30pm. Yaesu, Kenwood
and Icom will be exhibiting and have contributed raffle prizes.
On Saturday 6 September, Friskney & East Lincolnshire Communications
Club Rally will be held at Friskney Village Hall, Church Road,
Friskney PE22 8RD. Doors open 7am for traders and 8.45am for the
public. There will be a Bring & Buy stand. Details on 07534 624 559.
The British Amateur Television Club Convention takes place on 6 and 7
September at the Everest Academy, Basingstoke. There will be
lectures, demonstrations and surplus ATV equipment for sale. The BATC
bi-Annual General Meeting is on Sunday afternoon. For more
information see www.batc.org.uk
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
Today, the 31st, 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. 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.
Throughout September, Pontefract and District ARS will be remembering
those who fought in the Battle of Britain by using the callsign
GB4BOB.
Bromsgrove & DARC will be running GB2WWT from the 29th August to the
7th September to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the start of
World War Two They plan to use the 10 to 80m bands with PSK, SSB, CW
and RTTY as well as 2m FM. Details are on their website,
www.radioclubs.net/bdarc
Orkney Wireless Museum plans to put GB2OWM on the air from its
premises at Kiln Corner, Kirkwall between the 4th and 10th September
during the 24th Orkney International Science Festival. Probable
operating periods will be weekdays and Sunday afternoons between 2
and 4.30pm and Saturday morning between 10am and 12.30pm. Operation
will be primarily on HF SSB.
1940s themed event GB0BIB, for Baston in the Blitz, will be operating
on the 6th and 7th September from Baston in Lincolnshire. It will be
operational on 80, 40 and 2 metres.
Leicester Radio Society will be running GB0APS from the Abbey Pumping
Station for their Seaside Special Steam Day on Sunday 7th September.
The Royal Engineers Association Radio Branch will be running GB1WWR
in remembrance of World War One from Fort Amherst in Chatham, Kent
from the 12th to 14th September. This is the Corps Memorial and
Veterans weekend.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Joe, OZ0J will be operating a T88 callsign between the 2nd and 9th
September. He plans to operate CW and digital modes between 3.5 and
50MHz. All QSOs will be uploaded to www.clublog.org once a day,
depending on the internet connection. QSL via OZ0J direct or via the
bureau. Please use OQRS on www.clublog.org if possible.
ZL2MF/G3ZXD will be travelling to Niue Island, OC-040 between the 2nd
and 9th September on holiday with some radio gear. Plans are to
operate on 20m and possibly some other bands. The equipment is an
IC-706MkII plus LDG tuner, 20m dipole, multiband mobile whip and 6m
loop. QSL via ZL Bureau or direct.
VE3LYC and KD1CT will attempt to operate from Matthew Island, OC-218
from the 4th to the 7th September. They will maintain one station on
the air around the clock, operating on all bands from 10 to 40m using
CW and SSB. QSL via VE3LYC, direct or by the bureau.
JH3LSS will be operational as A52LSS from different areas in Bhutan
between the 4th and 10th September. Activity will be on the HF bands
using CW, SSB and the digital modes. QSL via his home callsign or
electronically using Logbook to the World.
YO2MSB will be active stroke 3A from Monte Carlo, Monaco between the
5th and 12th September. QSL via his home callsign direct, via the
bureau or electronically using eQSL.
G0VJG, EI9FBB, G7GLW & M0OXO will be on the air from the Farne
Islands, EU-109, on the 6th and 7th September. This short operation
may also include participation in the SSB Field Day contest. The team
are aiming for Longstone Island, dependant on weather. They will be
using multi-band dipoles and vertical antennas and hope to give this
IOTA to as many chasers as possible in the short time frame. QSL will
be via M0OXO OQRS direct or via the bureau.
Murray, WA4DAN has received permission from Parks Canada for a
one-day DXpedition to Sable Island, planned for the 8th of September.
A second operator will be Randy, N0TG. 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 operating high power.
Now the contest news
Today, the 31st, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to
1800UTC on the 5.7 to 24GHz bands. Using all modes the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
The 144MHz Trophy Contest runs for 24 hours over the 6th to 7th.
There are five sections to choose between, depending on how much time
you can devote, whether you're at home or away, and single- or
multi-op. The last three hours of the 144MHz Trophy coincides with
the first three hours of the fifth and final 144MHz Backpackers'
Contest, which continues for one hour afterwards, 1100 to 1500UTC. In
the Backpackers' there are 10 watt Hilltopper and 3 watt Backpacker
sections. Those who operate from or use power from a vehicle can only
enter the Hilltopper section. For those unfamiliar with backpacker
contesting, there are antenna and height restrictions in both
sections. Both contests use all modes on the band and the exchange is
the same, signal report, serial number and locator.
Probably the biggest and most popular event in September is SSB Field
Day that runs from 1300UTC on the 6th to 1300UTC on the 7th. With
Open and Restricted sections, participants will find it useful to
have a suitable number ready to give Asian stations that are taking
part in the All Asian DX Contest, who give their age rather than a
serial number as part of the exchange. Using SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz
bands, the Field Day exchange is signal report and serial number.
As we move into the autumn there are lots of international contests,
the first being the All Asian DX SSB that takes place for the entire
48 hours of the 6th and 7th using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands. The
exchange in this event is signal report and age, although ladies can
give 00 as an answer.
Next, two more coinciding contests. The IARU 144MHz Contest takes
place at exactly the same time as the RSGB 144MHz Trophy, 1400UTC on
the 6th to 1400UTC on the 7th. The exchange in these are the same,
signal report, serial number and locator, and stations that submit a
log for the RSGB event will be automatically entered for the IARU
event, unless they specify otherwise.
Now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 22nd to
Thursday the 28th of August, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday
the 29th of August.
Solar activity increased to moderate levels on the 22nd and the 25th
when low strength M class solar flares took place and to high levels
on the 24th when a M5 class flare occurred. On the remaining days
solar activity was low, with a total of 44 C class flares taking
place. Since the 25th the sunspot groups responsible for these flares
decayed and simplified magnetically. Solar flux levels peaked at 141
units on the 24th but then declined to 119 by the 28th. The average
was 129 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 28th was 128
units, that's two units up on last week. X-ray flux levels increased
to B5.9 units on the 24th before declining to B3.5 units by the 28th.
The average was B4.8 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day
until the 27th and the 28th when a coronal mass ejection arrived that
had departed the Sun from an event that took place on the 22nd. The
Ap index for the 27th and the 28th was 21 and 25 units respectively.
The average was Ap 10 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft
saw solar wind speeds decline to a very slow 240 kilometres per
second on the 26th but then increased 390 by the 28th. Particle
densities were low except for the 27th, which increased to 20
particles per cubic centimetre. Bz varied between minus 3 and plus 4
nanoTeslas on the quietest day and between minus 15 and plus 6
nanoTeslas on the 27th, which was the most disturbed day. The
magnetic disturbance resulted in auroral propagation from around
midday on the 27th on 50, 70 and 144MHz through to the evening of
28th. However, this was a weak disturbance so only a handful of UK
operators reported contacts.
Now the solar forecast for the coming week. This week the quiet side
of the Sun is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity should
be at low levels with only C class solar flares expected. Solar flux
levels are expected to decline and be in the 110s for most of the
week. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be at unsettled to active
levels for the next couple of days due to a recurring coronal hole.
Activity should then decline to quiet levels only to increase again
next weekend. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be
around 24MHz. Darkness hour lows should be about 12MHz. Paths this
week to India should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate of around 23MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate will be about 17MHz. The best time to try
this path will be between 1100 and 1700 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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