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G4TNU > NEWS 24.11.24 02:43l 264 Lines 13047 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 24 Nov 2024
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 24th of November
The news headlines:
* The past and the future – the RSGB releases more Convention
presentations
* RSGB Tonight<at>8 on HF antennas – join the last live event
of 2024
* Encourage youngsters on the air during YOTA Month
The RSGB continues to share some great presentations from its recent
annual Convention. The two this week look back to the important
history of amateur radio and contrast that with how amateur radio
might be influenced by modern technology. Don Beattie, G3BJ discussed
the very different amateur radio environment of 1924, and the history
and events of October that year when the first two-way trans-global
radio communication between the UK and New Zealand took place. This
centenary celebration is just one of a range of activities that have
included RadCom articles and a re-enactment of the contact at Mill
Hill School. In his presentation on using AI to write simple amateur
radio applications, RSGB Board Chair Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX
considers how using AI software can improve productivity and bring
the ability to write effective software within the reach of more
people. This presentation is being released separately as part of the
RSGB's focus on encouraging coding and programming activities amongst
the amateur radio community. You can find a range of coding resources
on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/coding To watch both presentations,
go to the RSGB YouTube channel and choose the ‘RSGB 2024
Convention' playlist.
The final RSGB Tonight<at>8 webinar of 2024 is on Monday the 2nd of
December. The presentation by Tim Hier, G5TM will focus on the
various HF antennas available for portable operating. He will also
look at how to use very basic modelling software to ascertain the
choices you have at your disposal. Tim's ethos when working portable
is a simple, "Five minutes from arrival to operating and no more".
Tim is also the editor of RadCom Basics and will refer to content in
that RSGB publication that will help radio amateurs who want to try
portable operating. Watch the webinar live on the RSGB YouTube
channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.
To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars
Youngsters on the Air Month begins one week today. Callsign GB24YOTA
will be active for the duration of the month, hosted by a range of
groups, clubs and individuals. Marlborough Scout Group will be the
first team of youngsters to operate. They will be on the air before
midday on Sunday the 1st of December, and then again after 6pm on the
same day. Also operating the special callsign next Sunday will be the
Cambridge University Wireless Society. They will be hosting the
callsign between 12pm and 6pm. Remember to listen out and have a QSO
with a young radio amateur on the air. If you'd like to get involved,
you've still got time. Go to QRZ.com and search for GB24YOTA to
check availability and then email Jamie, M0SDV at
yota.month<at>rsgb.org.uk to register your interest.
The RSGB VHF Contest Committee is currently planning the rules for
the 2025 VHF contests. Following some discussion at the RSGB
Convention, the committee members have some questions on which they
would appreciate feedback from contestants, with particular topics
focused around VHF Field Day and the Back Packers events. You can
find the survey online at tinyurl.com/VHFCC2025 and it will close on
Friday the 6th of December.
Members of Wokingham u3a Amateur Radio Group have secured a new club
callsign, G5UTA. The group operated the callsign for the first time
during the national u3a week in September. G5UTA can be used by any
u3a member with a Full licence, in support of a u3a event or
demonstration. You can read more about the new callsign, including
how to apply for authorisation to use it, in the January 2025 edition
of RadCom. To find out more about amateur radio as a subject area
within u3a, you can contact its new subject adviser Paul, G0NDN via
the u3a website at tinyurl.com/u3asubjects
The historic VLF transmitter at Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden is
celebrating one hundred years since it was put into commercial
operation. The unique Alexanderson alternator operates using callsign
SAQ. To mark the centenary a special transmission will take place at
1000UTC on Sunday the 1st of December using CW on 17.2kHz. The event
will be livestreamed on the organisation's YouTube Channel using the
handle <at>AlexanderSAQ. You can find out more about the event via
alexander.n.se
And now for details of rallies and events
The Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society Dinner is at the Creg-ny-Baa
[Creg Na Bar] on Friday the 29th of November. Tickets are GBP 25. For
more information, including details of the menu and how to book,
visit iomars.im
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
The Mid-Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair is on Sunday the 8th
of December at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. Doors are open
from 9am to 1pm. Entry is GBP 3 per person and there is no charge for
partners and under 16s. Free parking and Wi-Fi is available, as well
as hot food and refreshments. The cost for traders is GBP 5 per 6ft
frontage with tables supplied. Booking in advance is recommended.
Mains electricity is also available on request. Traders please
pre-book as soon as possible. Please contact Phil, G6DLJ via
07990 563147 or email wrg2024<at>hotmail.com
Now the Special Event news
Special event callsign 9Y20TATT is active until the 29th of November
2024 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Telecommunications
Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the Trinidad
and Tobago Amateur Radio Society. All amateurs are invited to make
contact. Limited edition QSL cards will be available, and
certificates can be requested by amateurs making at least five unique
contacts. Find out more on the event website via 9y20ta.tt
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of Radio Beograd
in 1924, members of the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club, YU1ANO in Serbia
are active as YT100RB and YU1924RB until the 30th of November. For
details of a certificate that is available for contacting these
stations see yu1ano.org
OR100LGE is the special callsign in use by members of the Liege Radio
Club, ON5VL to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The station is
active until the end of the year on the 160 to 6m bands using CW,
SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via ON6YH.
QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log.
The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club will once again be running
the special callsign GB0MC between the 1st and 26th of December. The
‘MC' in the callsign stands for Merry Christmas. The Club would
like to invite everyone to call in and give them a hearty "HoHoHo"
and tell them what radio equipment you would like from Santa this
year. The Club will also be livestreaming on its YouTube Channel.
Now the DX news
HC5CW and HC2AP are active as HC5CW/8 and HD8CW from San Cristobal
Island in the Galapagos Islands until the 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.
The FW7AA Team is active from Wallis Island until the 29th of
November 2024. The IOTA reference is OC 054. They will operate on the
HF Bands. QSL via W7YAQ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.
The 9L5A Team, who are members of the F6KOP Club, will be active from
Sierra Leone between the 27th of November and the 8th of December.
They will operate on the 160 to 6m bands and QO-100. QSL via F5GSJ,
Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.
Now the contest news
The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the
23rd of November and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 24th of
November. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in
Zone 14.
On Tuesday, the 26th of November, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest
runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm, 9cm, 6cm and
3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday, the 27th of November, the UK and Ireland Contest Club
80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the
exchange is your six-character locator.
On Thursday, the 28th of November, the RSGB 80m Autumn Series CW
Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band only, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 21st of November.
We've had yet another week of relatively calm geomagnetic conditions.
The solar flux index has been in the 160s and despite having 14
M-class solar flares over seven days, we haven't had any coronal mass
ejections to contend with.
As a result, the daytime maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a
3,000km path has been high, reaching more than 35MHz at times.
The MUF declines after sunset, as expected, settling at about
12-13MHz, meaning the only HF band open to DX has been the 10MHz or
30 metre band.
DX this week has included 3D2Y in Rotuma. This Pacific DXpedition has
been spotted in Europe, on 20m, 15m and 17m CW, so plenty of choice
as to which band you try.
E51SGC in Rarotonga on the Cook Islands has also been spotted across
many of the HF bands, but they will be leaving on the 24th of
November. The good news is that the team of Stan LZ1GC and Ted LZ5QZ
are moving on to Tonga as A35GC from the 25th of November until the
7th of December 2024.
Gerben (PG5M) is active on the Falkland Islands as VP8G and has been
spotted on 20m, 15m and 10m CW. He is there until the 25th of
November so get in quickly!
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI may rise to the mid-250s again.
Geomagnetic conditions are largely predicted to be good, although do
keep an eye on solarham.com for updates.
And don't forget the CQ Worldwide CW contest this weekend which
should bring a lot of DX to the HF bands.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO.
The weather is now in an unsettled phase with areas of low pressure
bringing alternating spells of mild wet and windy weather
interspersed with colder brighter and breezy showery weather.
This raises a couple of radio-related points; one is that we will see
some very strong and potentially damaging winds in some areas, so
check daily forecasts and make sure your mast guys are secure; and
secondly an absence of any marked high-pressure Tropo weather.
Rain and snow scatter may be worth checking on the GHz bands in such
unsettled weather. Meanwhile, meteor scatter is worthy of greater
attention as next week's list of showers includes the small Alpha
Monocerotids shower and the tail end of the big Leonids shower.
This introduces another potential nugget of interest in that since it
is widely accepted that meteors form the source material for
Sporadic-E. Despite being out of season in the traditional sense, the
prevalence of stronger jet streams in unsettled weather makes the
next week a possible ‘watch period' for Es.
If you are curious about what these might look like, check out the
propquest.co.uk website and look for the near vertical incidence
skywave or NVIS tab for Wednesday the 20th of November 2024.
During the two events in the middle of the day and evening, the
critical frequency of the Es layer reached values of nearly 10MHz,
which could equate to four-metre propagation on a good day. You will
see the Es blog tab upper air charts also show a jet stream of
greater than 100 knots.
For EME operators, the Moon has passed peak declination so Moon
availability and peak elevation will be falling. Path losses are high
and rising towards apogee on Tuesday the 26th. 144MHz sky noise is
low all 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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