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G4FVG > NEWS 30.10.22 08:14l 234 Lines 10931 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 30 Oct 2022
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Sent: 221030/0659Z 21044@G4FVG.#44.GBR.EURO LinBPQ6.0.22
Andy is taking a well deserved break from the RSGB news this weekend,
so Mike/G4FVG has prepared the packet edition of the...
..... GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 30th of October 2022
The news headlines:
- RSGB Construction Contest
- RSGB ICQ Podcast Interviews
- Next RSGB Tonight@8 Webinar
The RSGB has launched this year's construction competition. To enable
members across the country, and even the world, to take part, entries
will be judged over the internet rather than in person. There are
four categories - Beginners, Construction Excellence, Innovation, and
Software - and the deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2023.
Special recognition will be given to entries submitted by radio
amateurs under the age of 24, and to those who have just gained their
Foundation licence. A cash prize will be awarded for the winner of
each section, with a bonus for the overall winner who will also be
declared the winner of the Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy. To find out more,
including how to enter, see the full details on the RSGB website at
rsgb.org/construction-competition
The RSGB President Stewart Bryant, G3YSX and General Manager Steve
Thomas, M1ACB were interviewed by ICQ Podcast at the National
Hamfest. Steve talked about this year's first hybrid RSGB
Convention which brought hundreds of people together again. The two
days of livestream content is still attracting thousands of views
from radio amateurs across the world. The President discussed the
RSGB's international and standards work with the IARU, as well as the
need to use and protect the spectrum. You can find Episode 388 at
icqpodcast.com and the RSGB interview starts at one hour, thirty
minutes and fifty-two seconds.
The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar will be livestreamed on Monday the
7th of November at 8pm. Terry, G4POP, will present 'Log4OM: The first
decade' - a look at the popular free logging software Log4OM.
Suitable for all levels of expertise, Terry's talk will consider the
software's history, its developers and its in-built features. There
will be a live demonstration and a chance to ask questions.
Tonight@8 webinars are live-streamed on BATC and on the RSGB
YouTube channel. For more information about all RSGB webinars go to
rsgb.org/webinars
The RSGB VHF Contest Committee is currently planning the rules for
next year's VHF contests. Following some discussion at the RSGB
Convention, they have some questions on which they would appreciate
feedback from contestants. You can find the survey online at
thersgb.org/go/vhf2023. The survey will close on Sunday the 13th of
November.
The RSGB is sad to learn of the passing of Richard Brunton, G4TUT.
For countless years, Richard was editor of the popular Southgate
Amateur Radio News website. Every single day, he searched the world's
amateur radio and technology resources for stories of interest and
published them. Richard offered his platform inclusively,
commissioning non-commercial podcasts and blogs to promote opinion
alongside the conventional news items. He also compiled the 'CQ
Serenade' weekly programme which was broadcast throughout Europe on
Shortwaveradio.de and other public-facing media. Richard was an
intensely private man who had no close family, but he reached
thousands of friends daily through his website. Amateur radio has
lost a true communicator.
And now for details of rallies and events
Scotland's biggest Rally for this year is being held in Galashiels
today the 30th of October. The Rally takes place at the Volunteer
Hall, St John Street, Galashiels. Admission is £2.50 per person, with
free entry for under 16s. Doors open for general admission at 11am
with disabled and accessible entry and early book-in of bring-and-buy
items at 10.45am. There will be an RSGB bookstall and catering is
available on the site.
The Hack Green Radio Surplus Hangar Sale takes place today, the 30th,
at Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 8AL. The
event will include the sale of electronic equipment, amateur gear,
components, military radio items and vehicle spares. Doors open at
11am. For more details visit www.hackgreen.co.uk
The British Vintage Wireless Society's Golborne Swapmeet will take
place today the 30th of October. The venue is Golborne Parkside
Sports and Community Club, Rivington Avenue, Golborne, Warrington,
Cheshire WA3 3HG. Doors open at 10am with stallholder entry from
9.30am. Contact Mark Ryding via markryding100<at>hotmail.co.uk for
additional information.
Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place next Sunday, the 6th of
November, at Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road,
Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a bring-and-buy
sale and catering. The venue has disabled access. Doors open for
traders at 8am and to the public at 10am. For more information email
m0omc<at>m0omc.co.uk
Now the Special Event News
The Norfolk Tank Museum Radio Group near Long Stratton has been
granted the permanent special callsign of GB2NTM and will be on the
air for the last day of the Museum's 2022 season from 11am until 5pm
today, the 30th of October. Operation is planned on 80, 40 and 20m
plus 70.450MHz FM using radios from the museum's collection. More
details via the QRZ.com page for GB2NTM.
Now the DX news
Bill, K9HZ will be active as J68HZ on Saint Lucia, NA-108, until the
5th of November. He will be available for contact during the CQ
Worldwide DX SSB Contest. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, Club
Log or directly to K9HZ.
Take, JI3DST will be active from Shodo Island, AS-200, until the 4th
of November. He will be using SSB and CW. He will operate as
JI3DST/5, JJ5RBH and JS6RRR/5 as well as JS6RRR/P on FT8. QSL via
Logbook of the World and Club Log.
Tjeerd [CHEERED], PE1OJR will be active as PJ4TB from Bonaire,
SA-006, until Monday the 31st of October. He will be operating on the
40 to 6m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World and
Club Log.
HB175RAIL will be active until the 31st of October to celebrate the
175th anniversary of the Swiss Railways. Multiple bands and modes
will be in operation and a number of certificates will be available.
QSL via Logbook of the World.
OR1050HERZ will be active until the 31st of October to mark the
1,050th anniversary of the foundation of the town of Herzele
[HAIR-ZILL] in the Belgian province of Flanders. Activity will be on
all bands and modes. QSL via the bureau.
Now the contest news
Today, the 30th, the CQ Worldwide DX Contest ends its 24-hour run at
2359UTC. Using SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone.
On Tuesday the 1st of November, the Silent Key Memorial Contest runs
from 0600 to 0900UTC. Using CW only on the 80 and 40m bands, the
exchange is signal report and a Silent Key callsign.
On Wednesday the 2nd of November, the UKEICC 80m Contest runs from
2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is a
six-character locator.
Next weekend, the 144MHz CW Marconi Contest runs for 24 hours from
1400UTC on Saturday. Using CW only, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Friday the 28th of October 2022
Good conditions on HF have continued with only a short geomagnetic
disturbance to dull things a little. The planetary Kp index got up to
five on the 25th, due to plasma from a geo-effective coronal hole,
but luckily it recovered quite quickly. Two days later it was back to
one and the upper HF bands came alive again.
The ionosphere was disturbed on the 23rd and 24th, with the MUF over
a 3,000km path dipping in and out of the 10m band. But by the 25th
things were pretty much back to normal.
The solar flux index dropped down to 105 on the 22nd but recovered a
little to end at 122 on Thursday.
It has once again been a good week for 10m with openings to the US
being commonplace. This is a good opportunity to up your Worked All
States score with the 14, 18 and 21MHz bands remaining open long
after sunset. 28MHz is also shining during daylight hours.
Other notable contacts were AH7C Hawaii on 10m FT8 long path by
Darren, G0TSM. Darren also worked P29RO, the German DXpedition to
Papua New Guinea, on all bands from 18 to 28MHz.
Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the
100-118 range. Unfortunately, the Kp index is expected to rise to
five on Saturday the 29th due to an enhanced solar wind stream from a
trio of coronal holes on the Sun's equator. This may no doubt impact
conditions for the CQ Worldwide Phone Contest this weekend.
NOAA thinks the unsettled conditions could linger until Thursday,
November the 3rd when the Kp index may return to two.
And finally, please note that the data feed from the Chilton
Digisonde has not been reliable this week. To circumvent this, on
Propquest.co.uk we recommend selecting FF051 Fairford to maintain the
graphs.
And now the VHF and up propagation news
The autumnal weather remains in control and the basic pattern changes
very little over the coming week.
This places low pressure to the southwest of the British Isles and a
mild south-westerly wind bringing periods of rain as fronts cross the
country with intervening spells of showery weather in between.
The result of all this for VHF and UHF propagation is that rain
scatter continues to have a look-in on the GHz bands. But this is
very little comfort for tropo operators since high pressure does not
really feature at all in the coming week, other than occasional weak
transient events alongside weather fronts.
The ever-present chances of aurora are always a possibility, so keep
up to date with VHF cluster reports of current activity levels to
ensure you don't miss out on any openings.
The Propquest.co.uk graphs have shown isolated occasions with
Sporadic-E recorded on the foEs plots, so always worth a check on 10m
and 6m for strong short skip European signals, especially on digital
modes.
Random meteor scatter in the hours around dawn is always a banker for
propagation and we are still in the tail end of the Orionid and
Leonis Minoris showers to add to the mix. Next Sunday, the 6th, marks
the onset of the big Leonids shower, peaking around the 16th.
With the Moon at minimum declination this weekend, Moon windows will
be short but lengthening as the week progresses. Perigee was
yesterday, Saturday, so path losses are at their lowest. 144MHz sky
noise is low in the coming week.
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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