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G4TNU > NEWS 04.06.23 01:36l 282 Lines 13214 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 04 Jun 2023
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 4th of June 2023
The news headlines:
* Volunteers' Week
* New edition of RadCom Basics
* RSGB Emerging Technology Co-ordinating Committee
The RSGB is in the middle of celebrating Volunteers' Week which runs
from the 1st to the 7th of June. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the
Society and the RSGB wants to thank everyone who gives their time and
expertise to support it, and amateur radio, across such a wide range
of roles. Head over to the special web page at
rsgb.org/volunteers-week to hear from just some of the RSGB's
volunteers, keep an eye on the RSGB's social media channels and look
out for the special feature in the July issue of RadCom.
The new edition of the RSGB's RadCom Basics is out now. It includes
articles about: using FT8 and the Reverse Beacons to gauge HF
propagation; repairing circuit board tracks; a compact 160m vertical;
basic fault-finding; and the doublet antenna. If you're an RSGB
member go to the website at rsgb.org/radcom-basics to read this
issue. If you'd like to receive an email as soon as the latest RadCom
Basics is available, log in to the RSGB Membership Services portal
and go to the Manage Preferences section.
The Society is looking for a volunteer to join the RSGB Emerging
Technology Co-ordinating Committee, or ETCC, to act as Regional
Representative for the Central England region. The function of the
ETCC is to assist radio amateurs seeking an NoV to operate repeaters,
gateways or beacons within the UK. The successful applicant will have
broad experience of radio system engineering, analogue and digital
modes, local topography and propagation theory. If you're interested
in this role, email ETCC Chair Andrew Barrett, G8DOR by the 9th of
July via etcc.chairman<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB National Radio Centre welcomes thousands of people through
its doors each month and needs to expand its team of volunteers. If
you are interested in becoming an NRC volunteer, you should enjoy
meeting people and be prepared to work a minimum of one –
preferably two – days per month. The team is particularly
interested in recruiting new volunteers who are able to work at the
weekend. The National Radio Centre has a fabulous set-up and full
training on using the GB3RS radio station will be given. You will be
joining a friendly and dedicated team. NRC volunteers also enjoy
numerous benefits associated with volunteering at Bletchley Park.
For more information about volunteering, please email NRC Coordinator
Martyn Baker, G0GMB via nrc.support<at>rsgb.org.uk
Don't forget to join the RSGB's live Tonight@8 webinar this
Monday, the 5th of June, when Mike Richards, G4WNC will be giving a
live presentation on Node-RED for radio amateurs. Node-RED is a
visual programming language that is very powerful but surprisingly
easy to use. The language has matured over recent years and has the
potential to be a valuable tool for radio amateurs. Watch and ask
questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel.
For more information see the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars
The Worked All Britain group will be holding its AGM on Sunday the
11th of June at 12pm. The venue will be the meeting room of Alfreton
Leisure Centre Bowls Hall, Church Street, Alfreton, DE55 7BD. For
further information contact Paul, M1AIB via:
m1aib<at>worked-all-britain.org.uk or visit the Worked All Britain
website.
And now for details of rallies and events
Spalding Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 4th of June.
The venue is Holbeach United Youth Football Club, Pennyhill Road,
Holbeach, Lincolnshire, PE12 7PR. The doors open at 10am. Disabled
access is available from 9.30am. Admittance is GBP 3. The event will
feature a car boot area, catering, a flea market and trade stands.
For more information Contact Graham, G8NWC on 07754 619 701, email
rally2023<at>sdars.org.uk or visit: sdars.org.uk/spaldingrally
The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Summer Rally will take place
on Saturday the 10th of June. The venue will be Saint Vincent de
Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open at 10am and
entry is GBP 3. Refreshments and plenty of free parking are
available. For further information, or to book a stall, contact
either Roz Worrall via rozallin<at>gmail.com, or Dave Carden via
dave<at>cardens.me.uk
The Mendips Rally will take place on Sunday the 11th of June. The
venue will be Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall, Church Lane,
Farrington Gurney, Somerset, BS39 6TY. Entrance is GBP 2. The doors
open at 7.30am for traders and 9.30am for visitors. For bookings and
enquiries please contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email
mendipsrally<at>hotmail.com
The Junction 28 Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 11th of
June. The venue will be Alfreton Leisure Centre Bowls Hall, Church
Street, Alfreton, DE55 7BD. The doors open at 10.15am and admission
is GBP 4. There is a fee of GBP 12 to book a table in advance. A bar
and refreshments will be available on site. For more information,
directions, and the booking form, visit snadarc.com Alternatively,
email secretary<at>snadarc.com
Now the Special Event News
Special callsign DR100XRAY is active until the 30th of June. The
station is operating to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
death of physicist Wilhelm C Roentgen [RUHNT-GUN]. His discovery of
X-rays in 1895 earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in
1901 and revolutionised diagnostic medicine. QSL via the bureau or
directly to DJ6SI.
Ninety-five years ago, on the 25th of May 1928, the airship 'Italia'
crashed on the ice on its way back from the North Pole. A small tent
dyed red for maximum visibility was the only shelter for the
survivors. Commemorating the role of radio, and amateur radio, in
rescuing the survivors, special callsign II1ITR will be active on the
80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB and CW until the 12th of July.
QSL via IZ1ETD. See QRZ.com for more information.
Now the DX news
John, W5JON will be active as V47JA from Saint Kitts, NA-104, until
Wednesday the 7th of June. He will operate SSB and FT8 on the HF and
6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to W5JON.
Lars, SM6CUK will be active from Ven Island, EU-137, until Sunday the
11th of June 2023 as SA6G/7. He will operate on the 40 to 10m bands
using CW. QSL via his home call, Logbook of the World and ClubLog's
OQRS.
T88PB will be active again from Koror Island, OC-009, until Monday
the 19th of June. He will operate on the HF Bands. QSL via JA0JHQ
directly.
Now the contest news
The ARRL International Digital Contest ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday
the 4th. Using Digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands, the exchange is
your four-character locator.
National Field Day ends at 1500UTC today, Sunday the 4th. Using CW on
the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
Today, the 4th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from
1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on 1.3, 2.3 and 3.4GHz frequencies,
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Today, the 4th, the UK Six Metre Group Summer Contest ends at
1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number, locator and member number.
On Monday the 5th of June, the 80m Club Championship Data Contest
runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 6th of June, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from
1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal
report serial number.
On Tuesday the 6th of June, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from
1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 7th of June, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour
Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the
exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the
7th of June, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900
to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and
four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may
also enter the two-hour contest.
On Thursday the 8th of June, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from
1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Sunday the 11th of June, the 2nd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs
from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The IARU ATV Contest starts on Saturday the 10th of June at 1200UTC
and ends on Sunday the 11th of June at 1800UTC. Using TV on 432MHz
and up frequencies, the exchange is serial number, four-digit code
and locator.
On Sunday the 11th of June, the Practical Wireless 2m QRP Contest
runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. Using phone and a maximum of 5W on the 2m
band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 1st of June 2023
We had a relatively calm period last week with the Kp index remaining
below three and plenty of sunspots. Although we started the week with
the Solar Flux Index in the low 150s, it quickly picked up to reach
161 by Thursday.
As a result, there was DX to be had, although most of the attention
was on 6m where some outstanding multi-hop DX contacts were being
made.
But back on HF and people have been chasing T31TT on the Central
Kiribati [KI-REE-BAAS] Islands. Some have made it, but it's a
difficult path.
Closer to home, Nobby Styles, G0VJG and Emil, DL8JJ have been active
on Rockall, which is IOTA EU-189, using the callsign MM0UKI.
Rockall is an uninhabitable granite islet situated in the North
Atlantic. The nearest permanently inhabited place is North Uist
[YOU-IST], an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, 200 nautical
miles to the east.
They have been worked from the UK mainland on 30m and 20m and heard
in the east of England on 15m, possibly via Sporadic-E. They may have
been a little too close to northern areas for 20m as you may have
been inside their skip zone.
One of their aims is to raise as much as possible for the Royal Navy
and Royal Marines Charity and ABF, The Soldiers' Charity, so please
support them if you can.
This weekend we may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions partly due
to an Earth-facing coronal hole with the Kp index peaking at five.
But after the weekend things may settle with a maximum Kp index of
two. The solar flux index is predicted to be around 150, declining to
130 as the week goes on, so HF conditions may be down a little on
last week.
And now the VHF and up propagation news
The weather pattern seems stuck in its typical late spring/early
summer state with cold north-easterly winds in eastern areas. There
are good prospects for western Britain to shine but leaving eastern
areas struggling.
The root cause is a large area of high pressure that is over northern
Britain, and currently trying to transfer to the east, which could
improve things. Either way, it does mean that Tropo was doing a lot
of the propagation work last week and will do so for much of next
week too.
As the high edges east, or splits into one to the west and one to the
east of the UK, it could leave room for isolated thundery showers to
encroach into southern and southwestern areas and give a chance of
rain scatter on the GHz bands.
The main mode of interest will probably be Sporadic-E and there have
been a few examples in the last week, both single-hop within Europe
and multi-hop paths to the States, the Far East and Australia.
The first week of June is typically a prime period for Sporadic-E and
although the jet stream position suggests mainly paths northeast to
Scandinavia and Baltic regions will be best, other multi-hop options
farther afield are worth exploring too.
Monitor the clusters and band maps to see where the activity is
happening. If you hear this in time, you might want to check out the
24-hour UK Six Metre Group Summer Sporadic-E contest which ends at
1300UTC today, the 4th. There should be plenty of activity.
Other modes may also pop into view, such as aurora and meteor
scatter, so we may be spoilt for choice.
Moon declination is negative all week and still falling until
Tuesday. We are past apogee so path losses will fall as the week goes
on. So we will also have short Moon windows with falling path losses
until perigee late Tuesday. 144MHz sky noise is high, reaching a peak
of 2700K on Monday and only going below 300K by Friday.
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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