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G4TNU > NEWS 04.09.22 00:35l 273 Lines 12658 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 04 Sep 2022
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 4th of September 2022
The news headlines:
* Syllabus 1.5 checks finished
* Tonight <at>8 restarts for a new season
* Regional hub for makers to meet
The Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has just completed an
editing and checking exercise for all the v1.5 syllabus content on
the RSGB website. The single-tier and three-tier versions should have
exactly the same content and, by majority request, Oxford commas have
been removed. The old syllabuses can still be found at on the RSGB
website, while the new syllabuses can be found at
rsgb.org/syllabus2019. The Group has also been working on the sample
examination papers and sample questions on the RSGB website in order
to bring them into line with version 1.5. As the majority of
candidates will now be taking examinations online, as opposed to
paper-based exams, the front sheets of the sample papers have been
adapted to reflect this transition. The sample questions are now
shown using an Excel spreadsheet rather than being a pdf. The updated
sample examination papers can be found at rsgb.org/mock-exams.
The first Tonight<at>8 talk of the new season will be on Monday the
5th of September. Mike Richards, G4WNC will talk about going Back to
the keyboard! He says that now we have filled our logbooks with FT-8
contacts, maybe it's time to move on and start communicating again.
In an illustrated talk, he will introduce you to the best data modes
for keyboard QSOs with a special focus on VarAC. In addition to
explaining their operation, Mike will run through some operating
techniques to take the strain out of keyboard QSOs. It will be
streamed live on the RSGB's YouTube channel and via the BATC allowing
you to watch the presentation and ask questions online. To watch the
Tonight <at>8 talk, go to youtu.be/SC0UxNG2itE.
A regional hub for makers and home brewers of radio related projects
is proposed by Eric, M0REQ and Graham, G4NMD. The idea is for a club
that co-operates with knowledge, experience and test gear to support
those who are already building or wishing to build radio related
projects. The inaugural meeting is set for Wednesday the 7th of
September at 7.30pm at Grafham Rooms, Grafham, Surrey GU5 0LJ. More
details by e-mail to HamRadioBuilders<at>gmail.com.
The CQ Contest policy has been updated. It will be effective with the
upcoming CQ WW RTTY DX contest on the 24th and 25th of September, and
all CQ contests going forward. CQ will resume accepting Russian or
Belorussian log entries as regular logs and publish their scores.
However, plaques will not be awarded to otherwise-eligible Russian or
Belorussian stations but to the top-scoring non-Russian or
non-Belorussian entry in that category. Online certificates will not
be awarded to any Russian or Belorussian entry, either as a
participant award or based on ranking. You can read more about the
policy at cq-amateur-radio.com.
Churches and Chapels On The Air will take place next Saturday the
10th of September between 10am and 4pm. Stations will be operating
mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would
like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF
at jhwresdell<at>gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part
can be found at wacral.org.
SN0ZG will be on the air until 2359UTC on the 15th of September using
the 3.5MHz, 7MHz and 144MHz bands with a variety of modes. An award
certificate will be issued in electronic PDF form for making at least
two QSOs on any band and in any mode on different days. All QSOs will
be uploaded to the qrz.com log once a week.
And now for details of rallies and events
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on
GB2RS, and online.
Today, the 4th of September, the Telford HamFest takes place at the
Harper Adams University, TF10 8NB. Three excellent speakers will give
presentations in a reserved room. For other details see the website
telfordhamfest.org.uk.
Also today, the 4th, the Andover Radio Club Spring Boot Sale will be
held at Wildhern Village Hall, SP11 0JE. It will open for sellers at
9am and buyers at 10am. More at arac.org.uk.
Next Sunday, the 11th, Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally will take place
at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. Entrance is
via the carpark on Beach Road and is free for the public. Doors open
9am to 2pm.
Also next Sunday, the 11th, the Ripon Radio Rally will be held at
Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, HG4 2PT. Doors open for traders from 7am and
to the public at 10am. Admission is GBP 3 per person. The Bring & Buy
is upstairs, please take note. The cost for Bring & Buy is GBP 1 per
item to local charity, sold or not.
Please note the Angel of the North Rally due to be held on the 17th
of September is cancelled.
Now the Special Event news
The final day of the 3-day GB1SAK operation takes place today, the
4th, from the International Kite Festival at Lytham St Annes. Using
SSB and CW, mostly on the 40 and 20m bands, the station will use a
variety of wire antennas, supported by kites. Further details are on
QRZ.com
A special event station to draw attention to Dementia Awareness Week,
GB2DAM, will be on the air next weekend, the 10th and 11th of
September. It will be operated by Windmill Amateur Radio DX Group,
from Nr Ramsbury, Wiltshire. Talk-in will be available on GB3TD.
Now the DX news
Jeff, K5WE will be active as ZL7/K5WE from Chatham Island, OC-038,
between the 9th and the 21st of September. He will operate CW, SSB
and digital modes on the 10 to 160m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS,
Logbook of The World or via his home call.
Tina, HB0/DL5YL and Fred, HB0/DL5YM will be active from Liechtenstein
between the 7th and the 27th of September. They will operate CW, some
RTTY and some SSB on the 6 to 160m bands. QSL via their home calls,
direct or via the bureau. They do not use logbook of The World.
Rene, DL2JRM will be active as Z68XX from Kosovo between the 9th and
the 12th of September, including an entry in the WAE DX SSB Contest.
QSL via DL2JRM, direct or via the bureau.
Now the contest news
The RSGB HF SSB Field Day ends its 24-hour run at 1300UTC today, the
4th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
The IARU Region 1 Field Day runs for the same 24-hour period as the
RSGB HF Field Day. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where
contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial
number.
The 144MHz Trophy Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC today, the
4th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
The All Asian DX contest ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC today, the
4th of September. It is SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where
contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and your age,
but ladies may opt for 00.
Today, the 4th of September, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers contest runs
from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO contest takes place today, the 4th
of September, from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is report, serial
number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see
the WAB website. Entries to the contest manager by the 14th of
September.
On Monday the Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC.
Using the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and serial
number.
Tuesday sees the 144MHz FM Activity Contest run from 1800 to 1855UTC.
It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900
to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial number
and locator.
On Wednesday it is the 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest. It runs from 1900
to 2100UTC. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator.
The UK EI Contest Club 80m contest takes place on Wednesday from 2000
to 2100UTC. Using SSB only the exchange is your 6-character locator.
The all-mode 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC on
Thursday. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend the WAE DX SSB Contest runs for 48 hours from 0000UTC on
the 10th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted,
EU stations should only work non-EU stations. The exchange is signal
report and serial number.
On Sunday the 11th of September, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz
Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Friday the 2nd of September 2022.
Many amateurs thought Christmas had arrived early when a solar flux
index of 252 was posted on the 28th of August. This would have been
representative of a very good solar maximum. Unfortunately, it wasn't
to be as the previous day's SFI had been 128 and the following day it
was 131.
Solarham.com reported that the figure had been ‘contaminated' by
solar flaring just before the measurement was taken and the lack of
excellent DX reports on the higher bands seems to support this. Sorry
if you got your hopes up, but meanwhile it is back to sunspot
normality, at least for a few years yet!
If we exclude the anomaly, the solar flux varied from a low of 113 on
the 31st to a high of 131 on the 29th. Region 3089 has probably
contributed most to this, but will be rotating out of view this
weekend. It does look as though there are some active regions lurking
just over the Sun's eastern limb, which could push the SFI up over
the next week.
There were multiple R1/R2 radio blackouts on Monday the 29th due to
M-class solar flares. Unfortunately, a large coronal hole on the
Sun's equator will become Earth-facing on Friday, which could result
in the Kp index rising as the plasma hits the Earth, perhaps late on
Sunday. This could bring a short-lived ionospheric enhancement,
followed by a decline in the MUF as any geomagnetic storm progresses.
Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the
range 108-124, so expect similar conditions to last. This may be
better later in the week once the geomagnetic conditions settle.
As we head into Autumn, we can expect a general improvement in HF
conditions and hopefully the return of trans-Atlantic DX on the
higher bands.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The weather this week could become very unsettled. Most models agree
on the overall trend towards wetter weather, but the details are
going to prove difficult except on a day-by-day basis.
The reason is that the mechanism of change brings a large slow-moving
low over the country at the weekend where it remains for much of next
week. For many areas, particularly the east, the rain will be in the
form of showers, some heavy, thundery and localised rather than
widespread.
For propagation, this means that rain scatter is a good mode to look
at for the GHz bands and the various online radars will tell you
where the big storms are, and their movement.
It does suggest that VHF/UHF Tropo will not be a big player, which
presents challenges for those on the 144MHz contests this weekend and
the UKAC next week. It is possible that we may find a return of high
pressure and perhaps some Tropo from the northwest during the
following weekend.
The Sporadic-E season has all but faded away, but keep a watch on
50MHz especially as we approach the UK Activity Contest on Thursday
evening since Es have been known to crop up in the first week of
September.
Despite there being no big meteor showers in September, random meteor
rates are at their maximum, providing relatively good propagation,
especially around dawn. That said, the Aurigids shower reached its
peak last week, and the Epsilon-Perseids peaks this coming Friday
night. This shower has a history of surprising outbursts.
The Moon is at minimum declination today and at perigee on Wednesday,
so expect lowest path losses, but short Moon windows. 144 MHz sky
noise is high until Tuesday but low after that.
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.
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