| |
G4TNU > NEWS 24.03.24 10:01l 248 Lines 11951 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
BID : 20226G4TNU
Read: GUEST
Subj: RSGB Main News - 24 Mar 2024
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<DB0ERF<DK0WUE<GB7CIP<GB7CIP<GB7CIP
Sent: 240324/0126Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO $:20226G4TNU
T:From: G4TNU@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO <g4tnu@gb7ipf.ampr.org>
T:Newsgroups: ampr.news.europe
T:Message-Id: <E1_8512701_G4TNU@gb7ipf.ampr.org>
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 24th of March 2024
The news headlines:
* New RSGB ‘Join a friend' referral scheme launched
* The RSGB's Planning Advisory Committee seeks volunteers
* The RSGB's 2023 Committee reports are available
The RSGB has just launched a new opportunity to get even more out of
your RSGB membership. If you recommend a friend who hasn't been an
RSGB member during the last 12 months, you will both receive GBP 10
cashback when they become a member paying by direct debit. Whether
you're an individual RSGB member, or an affiliated club, you can sign
up as many friends as you like. Membership of the RSGB gives you a
range of fantastic benefits so why not encourage others to join!
Members have access to RadCom, exclusive online resources, RSGB award
schemes and contests, as well as advice from the Society's specialist
committees. The RSGB's representation to Ofcom, and its ability to
defend the spectrum nationally and internationally, is more powerful
through strength in numbers. Go to the special RSGB 'Join a friend'
web page at rsgb.org/join-a-friend to find all the information
you'll need to take advantage of this offer, including a link to the
online form.
The RSGB Planning Advisory Committee would like additional volunteers
to join its advisory panel. Volunteers deal with queries from members
about problems they face in getting planning permission for masts and
antennas. These enquiries can be for support in making an application
to the local council or in submitting an appeal. If you have a
relevant professional background, not necessarily as a planner, or
have some knowledge of how the planning system works, please get in
touch. The Committee Chair will be happy to give you more information
about what is involved and how you can help other radio amateurs.
Find out more about the Committee on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/pac
and then email John Mattocks, G4TEQ via pac.chairman<at>rsgb.org.uk
to arrange a chat.
The April edition of RadCom contains the annual reports of the RSGB
Committees, Honorary Officers, Teams and Groups. These reports give
an overview of activities for the many important areas of the Society
that support and develop amateur radio. You can also read them on the
RSGB website if you go to rsgb.org/vlt and choose the committee
reports section in the menu on the righthand side. The RSGB thanks
all its many volunteers who give their time to support the Society
and the amateur radio community.
Leicester Radio Society has launched an Amateur Radio Clubs on the
Air activity this weekend, the 23rd and 24th. The aim of the activity
is to encourage amateur radio clubs and societies to get on the air
and operate. You can read details about an award that is available to
both licensed amateurs and shortwave listeners by visiting the G3LRS
page at QRZ.com
For more information, contact Sandra, G0MCV on 07930 274 044.
International Marconi Day is coming up on Saturday the 27th of April
and, once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and
running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating
from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection
with. For more information, and to view a list of the stations that
are taking part, follow the ‘International Marconi day' link on the
gx4crc.com website.
This week, please send all your news and updates to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk by 10am on Wednesday the 27th of March. The
GB2RS News will be compiled a day earlier than usual, due to the
Easter bank holidays, and will be available for download on Thursday
the 28th of March.
And now for details of rallies and events
Dover Amateur Radio Club Rally is taking place today, the 24th of
March, at Saint Radigunds Community Centre, Poulton Close, Dover,
CT17 0HL. The doors are open from 10am to 2pm and the entrance fee is
GBP 3. Tables cost GBP 15 each with a maximum of two tables per
vendor. For more information visit darc.online/rally
The Ripon Rally is also taking place today, the 24th of March. The
venue is Great Ouseburn Village Hall, Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn,
York, YO26 9RL. Lots of parking is available adjacent to the venue.
Traders are welcome from 7am and tables cost GBP 10 each. The doors
open for visitors from 10am and entrance is GBP 3 per person. Visit
radars-g4sjm.club for more information.
Holsworthy Spring Rally will be held on Sunday the 7th of April at
Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworth, Devon. The doors open to
traders from 8am, and to the public from 10am. Wheelchair access,
catering and free parking will be available. For more information
email m0omc<at>m0omc.co.uk
Dunstable Downs Radio Club boot sale was due to be held in May. It
has been postponed until the 30th of June due to the site being used
by BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted
to Dunstable Downs Radio Club's Facebook page and reminder emails
will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list,
visit ddrcbootsale.org and sign up for email reminders.
Now the Special Event News
Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the first amateur radio
association in Romania's Arad County, a series of special callsigns,
including YR95AR, will be active until the 31st of May. The event
is being organised by Radioclub Admira, YO2KBQ which is the successor
of the club that was established almost a century ago. See QRZ.com
for more information.
Christian, OE5CCN is active as OE24BI until the 30th of June from the
city of Bad Ischl [BAD-ISH-ILL], one of the European Capitals of
Culture for 2024. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the
Bureau and Logbook of the World. Recently, the station was heard on
the HF bands using FT8.
Now the DX news
Gerard F5NVF, Luc F5RAV and Abdel M0NPT are active as TY5C from
Cotonou [KOW-TUH-NOO], Benin [BEH-NEEN] until the 29th of March. They
are operating CW, SSB and FT8 on various bands, including 6m, and
will also be QRV via the QO-100 satellite. QSL directly to F5RAV or
via Logbook of the World.
Peter, DC0KK is active as 4S7KKG from Sri Lanka, AS-003, until the
30th of March. He operates FT8, FT4, RTTY, and sometimes CW, on the
20 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS, or
directly to his home call.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 26th, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 27th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club Contest runs
from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your
six-character locator.
On Thursday the 28th, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from
2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal
report and serial number.
The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the
30th of March and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 31st of March. Using
SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 21st of March 2024
As we said last week – what a difference a month makes. Only in
this case, what a difference a week makes!
On Friday the 15th, the solar flux index, or SFI, was at 129 and the
Sun did not look very spotty at all. This week it's all changed. On
Thursday the 21st, the solar flux index stood at 176 with seven
active regions visible.
For HF propagation forecasts, the golden rule is to use smoothed
sunspot numbers, or SSN for short, rather than a daily figure –
that is, sunspot numbers averaged over the past 12 months.
The current SSN is 129, which equates to a solar flux index of about
144. Perhaps the daily figure of 176 has the psychological effect of
giving us confidence that the bands will be open!
A moderately strong M7.4 solar flare was observed around active
region 3615 at 0736UTC on the 20th of March. The region continues to
rotate into a better Earth-facing position and will remain a threat
for additional solar flares above the M5.0 threshold.
If a flare leads to a coronal mass ejection, or CME, we could expect
a disturbed ionosphere roughly 48 hours later, depending upon the
solar wind speed.
Also, a large coronal hole on the solar equator became Earth-facing
on Thursday the 21st. A coronal hole is a lower-energy area on the
Sun with open magnetic field lines that lets solar plasma escape.
This may lead to a geomagnetic disruption this weekend, ending today
the 24th, with increased Kp numbers and a lowering of the maximum
usable frequency.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI will be in the 155 to 165
range. Geomagnetic conditions are hard to predict, due to coronal
hole effects and CMEs, but NOAA puts the Kp figure at two to three.
If we get a CME, this could easily rise to five or more.
Finally, we are now at the equinox which means that auroras are more
likely due to the Russell-McPherron effect. The equinox is also a
good time for north-south HF paths. Also, note that the HF bands are
staying open for longer with the 4U1UN beacon in New York, the YV5B
beacon in Venezuela, and the 4X6TU beacon in Israel audible on
14.100MHz around 2230UTC last week.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
It's not good news for weather-related propagation with a total
absence of high pressure on the charts again and a resulting lack of
Tropo for the majority of the coming week.
But Tropo is not the only mode to be affected by the weather, rain
scatter is too. This has been a player quite often recently and, as
we move into the spring, the characteristic ‘April showers' can be
very useful for rain scatter. Their effectiveness is related to the
sixth power of the raindrop diameter, so the larger drops in heavier
‘April showers' can be increasingly valuable on the GHz bands. Many
good online weather radar displays are available to allow you to
track them for maximum benefit.
Other promising mentions should go to Aurora which, as we said
earlier, can be more likely around this time of the year when the
Earth's magnetic field is more favourably coupled to the solar wind.
Meteor scatter is a lesser option and rests with random chance
activity as we are still some way off from any major meteor showers.
Sporadic-E and related Trans-Equatorial Propagation, or TEP, in the
shorter term during the next month or so, will soon be a major
player. For TEP between Europe and southern Africa, check clusters
around the middle part of the day. Although usually favouring
stations in southern Europe, it can occasionally turn up for UK
operators, particularly for those located in the southern half of the
country.
As for Sporadic-E, the new season is starting to wake up, so the
usual maxim of checking clusters is the best advice, starting with
the 10m band and working up to the 6m band. The traditional morning
and late afternoon ‘windows' are less reliable in early-season
events, so just check anyway if you're in the shack.
For EME operators, Moon declination is still positive, but going
negative again this coming Monday. Path losses are at their maximum
due to apogee on Saturday the 23rd. 144MHz sky noise is low but
rising to moderate by the end of the coming week, reaching more than
1,000 Kelvin on Sunday the 31st.
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 Wednesday before transmission (due to Easter dates).
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
