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G4TNU > NEWS 10.11.24 02:30l 286 Lines 13565 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 10 Nov 2024
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 10th of November
The news headlines:
* The RSGB launches its 2025 Construction Competition
* The RSGB Contest Club needs volunteers for the second World
Wide Award event
* Watch more great content from the RSGB 2024 Convention
The RSGB has launched its Construction Competition for 2025. Entries
to this annual competition will again be judged online to allow RSGB
members from the UK and across the world to participate and
demonstrate their creativity. In line with the Society's strategic
priority of growth, there will be a new Outreach category this year
in which members are encouraged to submit a project that can be
reproduced in a school or public environment. The other five
categories are beginners, construction excellence, innovation,
software and antennas. 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 recipient of the Pat Hawker G3VA Award. The winner of
the beginner category will also receive the Gavin Nesbitt, MM1BXF
trophy. The results of the competition will be announced during the
2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting in April. For full details of the
competition and how to enter, visit the RSGB website at
rsgb.org/construction-competition
The RSGB Contest Club is excited to announce that the second World
Wide Award event will be taking place in January 2025 and it is
looking for volunteers to take part. Last year's event included 28
RSGB members who made in excess of 109,000 contacts. The Society's
Contest Club has confirmed there are currently special activator
stations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However,
if volunteers from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man would like to
participate then further callsigns can be added. QSOs can be made
using SSB, CW, and digital modes. To be involved you will need to be
an RSGB member and hold a Full Licence. To find out more about the
event search ‘RSGB Contest Club' on the RSGB website and scroll
down to the section titled World Wide Award 2025. Then email
contestclub<at>rsgbcc.org to register your interest.
The Society has released some more great content from its recent
Annual Convention. In its ‘Discussion with the Board' session, the
RSGB Board outlined progress with the strategic priorities and
answered questions from Convention attendees about the strategy and a
range of other topics. The session wasn't on the livestream, but you
can see it now on the RSGB YouTube channel. On the Friday night of
the Convention, the RSGB Comms Manager asked people in the bar if
they had tried anything new in amateur radio during the last year.
You can hear their answers in the latest Convention Chat video. What
would your answer be? You can watch both videos in the RSGB 2024
Convention playlist at youtube.com/theRSGB
The 19th International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 Conference was
hosted by the Thailand national society in Bangkok and concluded on
Friday the 7th of November. The hybrid event saw the RSGB attending
online, which included accounting for a seven-hour time zone
difference. The Conference was opened on Monday the 4th of November
by national and international dignitaries. Numerous papers and
reports were considered including the latest proposals for a global
40m band plan, emergency communications reports, as well as
modernisation of its own organisation. The region which covers
Asia-Pacific countries has also started its work for the next World
Radio Conference in 2027. You can view papers from the event by
visiting tinyurl.com/IARUR3
Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146/147MHz NoV for
a further year. It is available on a non-interference basis and the
NoV is subject to a 30-day notice period of change or withdrawal.
Full licence holders can apply for the 146/147MHz NoV on the RSGB
website at rsgb.org/nov
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, also known as
ARISS, will be conducting Slow Scan TV operations from the
International Space Station between the 11th and 18th of November.
There will be 12 images to catch during the week-long experiment,
which will be on the theme of the 40th anniversary of amateur radio
in human spaceflight. Find out more by visiting the ARISS social
media pages or via ariss.org
Please send details of all your news and events to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on
Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.
And now for details of rallies and events
The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Winter Rally is taking place
on Saturday the 23rd of November at St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden
in Rochdale. The usual traders and caterers will be attending. Doors
open at 10am and entry is GBP 3. Plenty of parking will be available.
For more information contact the Treasurer and Rally Organiser,
Martin Shore, via rally.radars<at>hotmail.com or call 07587 709006.
The Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur's Club Annual Rally is taking place
on Sunday the 24th of November at Spennymoor Leisure Centre in County
Durham. The usual traders will be attending. Catering, ample parking
and disabled facilities will be available. For more information,
please visit barac.org.uk
The Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally is on Sunday the 1st of December at
Kington Langley Village Hall in Kington Langley, located just off
Junction 17 of the M4. Doors open at 9am and close at 1pm. Admission
is GBP 3. Indoor tables are GBP 10. Car boot pitches are GBP 10 for a
car-size pitch and GBP 15 for a van-size pitch. Hot and cold
refreshments will be available on site. For more information email
Chairman<at>Chippenhamradio.club
Now the Special Event news
George, MM0JNL is active as GB0GTS until the 18th of November to
raise awareness of homeless military veterans in association with The
Great Tommy Sleepout organised by The Royal British Legion
Industries. The station will be operating on the 80 to 10m bands
using SSB. There may also be some activity on the 2m band. George
will operate at least one full night outside as part of the Great
Tommy Sleepout. More details are available at QRZ.com
Special callsign GB200LB will be active from the 4th to the 31st of
January 2025 to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the
Braille code. More information to follow.
Now the DX news
Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until the 11th of
November while doing volunteer work at a local school. In his spare
time, he will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m
bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL or direct
via IK2GZU.
A team of operators is active as XT2MD from Burkina Faso until the
11th of November. They will operate on HF bands and EME. QSL via
IK2VUC, bureau or direct.
VK9CV is active from Cocos in the Keeling Islands until the 15th of
November. The group will operate using CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY and QO-100
on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via OK6DJ and Logbook of the World.
HC5CW and HC2AP will be active as HC5CW/8 and HD8CW from San
Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Islands between the 19th and 28th
of November. The IOTA reference is SA 004. They will operate on the
HF bands, CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via M0OXO or OQRS.
Now the contest news
The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday
the 9th of November, and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 10th of
November. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 12th of November the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest
runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 12th of November is the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity
Contest which runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm
band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 13th of November the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity
four-hour contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm
band, the exchange is report and four-character locator.
Also, on Wednesday the 13th is the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour
contest which runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band,
the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering
the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.
The RSGB 80m Autumn Series SSB Contest runs on Wednesday the 13th of
November from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band only, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Thursday the 14th of November, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest
runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The RSGB Second 1.8MHz Contest runs from 2000UTC to 2300UTC on
Saturday the 16th of November. Using CW on the 1.8MHz band only, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and a district code. A list
of the district codes is available on the RSGB Contest Committee
website via rsgbcc.org.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 7th of November.
We had another week of high solar flux and good conditions on HF.
Solar activity remained at high levels thanks to an impulsive X2.3
solar flare around active region 3883 at 13:40 UTC on the 6th of
November, but the event was not responsible for a coronal mass
ejection (CME).
The Kp index remained below 4.5 all week, with a solar flux index in
the range 240-260. That was more than enough to keep the ionosphere
very active.
A recent report on spaceweather.com suggested that the solar cycle
may have peaked in the Sun's southern hemisphere but may still have a
way to go in its northern hemisphere.
It's usual for there to be two peaks in a solar cycle as the two
hemispheres are seldom synchronised. We will have to wait and see,
but it could mean another three to six months of high SFI numbers as
the northern hemisphere catches up.
A solar filament located in the southwest quadrant erupted on the 7th
of November. A coronal mass ejection, or CME as it is also known,
occurred but appeared to be off the Sun-Earth line, so no major
impacts are expected.
A sunspot group turning into view from off the southeastern limb has
been assigned active region 3889 and is producing M-class solar
flares. The probability of further M-class flares stands at 80%.
Meanwhile, the risk of an X-class flare currently stands at 35%.
A coronal hole is currently Earth-facing and could cause some
disruption sometime around Saturday 9th. The solar proton flux
has decreased to normal levels, so polar paths should now be
unaffected.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI could decline into the range
165-185. Geomagnetic disturbances are forecast for the 11th and 12th,
and again on the 15th, with the Kp index predicted to reach four.
Meanwhile, we do urge you to get on 10 metres, which is currently
experiencing some fine DX openings. This month and next will probably
give the best chance of good 10-metre propagation for a while.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
Another week has just passed with daily F2-layer propagation on 50MHz
providing morning openings to Southeast Asia, and the Americas in the
afternoon. Expect more in the coming week.
The current spell of high pressure has had a good run with some
excellent Tropo conditions, with the best DX along the side of the
high pressure.
This weekend will see the high finally giving way as weak Atlantic
fronts move in from the west. This will soon be replaced by a new
high building in the colder air behind the weekend fronts. It may
look like Tropo should come back, but this high may be less
productive.
The major change of weather pattern comes before mid-week, when it
may turn more unsettled as low pressure moves closer to eastern areas
from the North Sea. This general move towards more unsettled
conditions will continue through the end of the week.
In terms of propagation, good Tropo will be replaced by some patchy
rain scatter opportunities for the GHz bands from about the middle of
next week.
Staying with scatter modes, meteor scatter looks promising with the
Taurids peaking on Tuesday the 12th and the Leonids due to peak on
the following weekend on Sunday the 17th.
The solar conditions continue to offer chance occurrences of aurora
due to solar flares or CMEs so, as usual, keep a watch on the Kp
index going above Kp=4.
An occasional reminder of the possibility of out-of-season Es for the
digital modes is timely. Recently the critical frequency of the Es
layer has reached 7MHz on the Dourbes ionosonde plotted on
www.propquest.co.uk and in theory this would be good enough for a 6m
band path.
For EME operators, Moon declination is negative but rising, going
positive again on Tuesday the 12th. Path losses are falling as we
approach perigee next Thursday the 14th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate
to low this 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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