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G4TNU > NEWS 03.04.16 01:56l 226 Lines 10383 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 03 Apr 2016
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 3rd April 2016
The news headlines:
* YOTA 2017 UK Summer Camp
* Ofcom pausing revalidations
* KH5K off DXCC List
The RSGB is pleased to announce that the Youngsters on the Air 2017
summer camp will be held in the UK. The Society looks forward to
welcoming teams of young amateurs from some 15 countries in IARU
Region 1 to the UK in August 2017. The RSGB Youth Committee and RSGB
HQ will be working hard over the coming weeks and months to deliver a
great YOTA event.
Representatives of the Society met with Ofcom last month. Further
details are on the Notices section of the RSGB website. Subjects
discussed included how the Society and Ofcom could work more
effectively to tackle reports of EMC, implementation of the WRC-15
agreement to harmonise the spectrum allocation at 5MHz and progress
with licence re-validation. Ofcom reported that, due to the
commissioning of a new IT system, there would be a pause in the
revalidation process until later in the Spring.
The ARRL Awards Committee has voted to delete Kingman Reef, KH5K,
from the DXCC List, effective from the 29th of March 2016. Honor Roll
status will now be attainable after confirming 330 entities on the
DXCC List and the total number of entities on the List will drop from
340 to 339.
The findings of the Amateur Radio Survey that was undertaken at the
end of last year have now been analysed. An initial summary will
appear in the June edition of RadCom and a presentation of the key
findings will be made available to affiliated clubs later in the year.
Sad news now. Northern newsreader Hugh Morgan Jones, M1NTO has become
a silent key after a long illness. Hugh was a very capable news
reader and always reliable. Our sympathy goes out to his family and
friends. His funeral will be held at Tyldesley Methodist Church on
Monday the 11th of April at 10am.
The Leicestershire UHF Beacon, GB3LEU, was switched off on the 24th
of February to investigate spurious emissions that were being
produced by the transmitter's synthesiser stage. The design is based
on the LMX2541 IC. It is not known how long it will be out of
service. If anyone has experience of this particular chip, the
repeater group would appreciate a call. Please contact Geoff Dover,
G4AFJ on 01455 823 344.
RSGB Members are reminded that voting is still open for the
resolutions at the forthcoming AGM. Full information, and details of
how to vote, were contained in the April edition of RadCom.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Hack Green Bunker Rally takes place today, the 3rd of April, at the
Hack Green Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich in Cheshire CW5 8AL. On sale will
be electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio
sets and vehicle spares. Doors open at 10am and catering is available
on site. Further details from Lucy on 01270 623 353.
On the 10th of April, the NARSA exhibition will take place at
Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. The venue has
car parking as well as disabled facilities. There will be a talk-in
station and Morse proficiency tests are also available. Highlights
include trade stands, a Bring & Buy, special interest groups, and an
RSGB bookstand. There is a licensed bar and catering facilities. More
information from Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608.
Also on the 10th is the 32nd Yeovil QRP Convention held at Digby
Hall, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA. Doors open at 9.30am and admission
is GBP 3. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and club stalls, plus
a programme of talks. Contact Bob Harris, by email to
wjh069<at>gmail.com.
If you have any rally or event information you'd like to appear in
future editions of GB2RS News, in RadCom and on the RSGB website,
please email details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Four German operators are active as 5V7D from Kpeme in Togo until the
11th of April. They are working all bands 10m to 80m using SSB, CW
and RTTY. QSL manager is DL9MBI.
Dick, G3RWL returns to Barbados, NA-021, until the 22nd of April
where he will reactivate his 8P9DR callsign. He will operate on CW
and RTTY. QSLs go via ClubLog OQRS.
In addition to the ongoing Heard Island DXpedition, VK0EK, there will
be another rare DXCC entity on the air this week. Until the 11th of
April, look out for FT4JA from Juan de Nova Island, AF-012. The
island is located in the Mozambique Channel and has a small garrison
of French troops and a weather station. QSLs will be available via
ClubLog OQRS.
In April, Svein, LA9JKA returns to Jan Mayen, EU-022, for another 6
months on the island. On the air during his spare time as JX9JKA on
HF using SSB and digital modes, he will focus on 160, 80, 40 and 30m.
QSL direct via LA9JKA.
Akira, JH0CKF will be operating as T88MZ from Koror Island, OC-009,
between the 5th and 8th of April. QSL via JH0CKF either direct or via
the bureau, LoTW or eQSL.
Now the special event news
Today, the 3rd, GB1HPT will be on the air celebrating RAF Hooton
Park, Cheshire. See the entry on QRZ.com for more information.
Now the contest news
The CW/SSB leg of the SPDX Contest ends its 24 hour run at 1500UTC
today, the 3rd. Work Polish stations only, giving them a signal
report and serial number. Expect a signal report and one of sixteen
single-letter Province codes in return. There are a large number of
categories, and certificates are on offer for the category winners in
each DXCC entity.
The SSB leg of new contest, RoLo 1, which replaces RoPoCo, runs for
90 minutes this evening, the 3rd, starting at 1900UTC. The power
limit for all entrants is 100W. Send a signal report plus, for your
first QSO, your own full Locator. In subsequent QSOs you send the
Locator you received in each of your previous QSOs. Even if you
receive a Locator that is obviously corrupted, pass it on exactly as
received. This contest is a qualifying event for the HF Championship.
It is all about logging accuracy, and as long as you aren't the
person who introduces an error, you won't lose points.
Also today, the First 70MHz contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using
all modes in the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Monday, the CW leg of the 80m Club Championships takes place from
1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is the usual signal report and serial
number.
On Tuesday, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Wednesday sees the UK EI 80m CC, which runs from 2000 to 2100UTC.
Using SSB only the exchange is your 4 character locator.
On Saturday the 9th, the International Sprint CW contest runs from
1700 to 2100UTC. Using the 3.5 to 14MHz bands the exchange is both
callsigns, serial number and name.
On Sunday the 10th, the First 50MHz contest takes place from 0900 to
1200UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial
number, locator and postcode.
Also on the 10th, the UK Microwave Group 2nd Low Band contest takes
place from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4DDK
on Friday 1st April.
This past week saw continued low to medium geomagnetic disturbances
thanks to ongoing solar coronal holes. A geomagnetic storm watch has
been issued for the 2nd of April due to a disturbed interplanetary
magnetic field, coupled with elevated solar wind speeds from a
coronal hole high speed stream. This could see the K index climb
again to five or six. Periods of further, but less potent,
geomagnetic storming are forecast for the rest of next week.
At the time of writing there was just one solitary sunspot, which is
stable and non-threatening. The overall trend of declining sunspot
and flare activity will gradually continue as we slowly make our way
towards the next solar minimum around the end of the decade.
Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the mid 80s.
As we are now in April you should be using a smoothed sunspot number
of 39 for VOACAP-based prediction programs.
April remains a good month for north-south paths, such as UK to South
Africa. We also have the continuing DXpeditions of VK0EK on Heard
Island and FT4JA on Juan de Nova Island near Madagascar. The optimum
bands to work FT4JA are likely to be 17 or 15m, with occasional
openings up to 10m if the K index remains low.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It seems that we are stuck in this slightly unsettled April showers
story for another week, with any high pressure displaced to the east
and well away to the south-west of the British Isles.
So what does that leave for VHF/UHF operators? From a Tropo
perspective, not a lot really, but we could again see some rain
scatter options on the microwave bands from the large April shower
cumulonimbus clouds. Lastly, it is worth another ‘heads up' for the
2016 Sporadic-E season, which should be showing its hand on 10m
during late April. Dust down those frequency lists, check the beacon
portion of the band and give it a try. The 28MHz beacons are listed
from page 135 to 140 of the 2016 RSGB Yearbook and, with more than
100 beacons per page, you'll be spoilt for choice. There is also the
prospect of some trans-equatorial propagation activity at this time
of the year, making 10m a band well worth keeping an eye on during
April.
There are no major meteor showers this week. In the run up to the
Lyrids, from the 16th to the 22nd of April, there may be a small
increase in random meteors towards the end of the week.
The moon will be close to the sun in the sky on the 7th, so EME
degradation will be high due to sun noise. Additional path losses due
to the moon's perigee will be low for a few days either side of this.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
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 gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
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