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G4APL > NEWS 11.12.16 11:48l 228 Lines 10541 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 11 Dec 2016
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Sent: 161211/0941Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:27593 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 11th December 2016
[Note for Newsreaders: Although we will prepare a short script for 25
December (Christmas Day) there is no obligation for you to read it
out – it's entirely up to you. That script should go onto the RSGB
website on the afternoon of Friday 23 December. There will be no
GB2RS script for Sunday 1 January 2017. Normal broadcasts will resume
on Sunday 8 January. Next week we will include a news story that
summarises the above information for listeners.]
The news headlines:
* GB16YOTA operating news
* Celebrating first amateur transatlantic signals
* Hams provide Indonesian earthquake comms
The special callsign GB16YOTA is on the air to introduce and promote
amateur radio to young people. It will be operated from a variety of
clubs and organisations throughout December. Today, Sunday the 10th,
the CDXC will be putting the callsign on the air, on the 13th it's
with Otley ARS, from the 14th to the 16th Castle Rushden School will
be operating, then the callsign moves to Northern Ireland with Mid
Ulster ARC on the 18th. Finally for this week it's off to Scotland
next Sunday, the 18th, with Stirling and District ARS. If you hear
GB16YOTA on the air please give them a call, as you might well be
giving a young person their first-ever taste of amateur radio.
Today, the 11th of December, a special event will commemorate the
95th anniversary of the first transatlantic contact between
Greenwich, Connecticut, and Ardrossen, Scotland. On that day in 1921,
a radio signal from a Radio Club of America test station 1BCG in
Greenwich was received in Ardrossen as part of a series of ARRL
transatlantic tests. The special event will begin at 1200UTC today,
the 11th, and end at 0300UTC on the 12th. It will include an attempt
at a two-way contact between N1BCG in Greenwich and GB2ZE, operated
by Jason, GM7VSB, in Ardrossen. It is hoped the contact will take
place during the afternoon of 11 December on 20m, if conditions
allow. N1BCG operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 metres; CW and SSB
on 40 metres, CW on 30 metres, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 metres.
[Note for Newsreaders: this does not require reading out but if
you're asked, the expected approximate frequencies and modes are
3.880MHz AM, 7.290MHz AM, 7.235MHz SSB, 7.040MHz CW, 10.112MHz CW,
14.280MHz SSB, 14.040MHz CW, 18.125MHz SSB and 18.088MHz CW.]
The earthquake in Indonesia on Wednesday struck at 5am local time. It
has been reported that it took two hours for the Ham Radio Group to
reach the earthquake damage zone with emergency communications.
7.110MHz is being used for emergency traffic, and amateurs are asked
to avoid interference during this emergency.
Research from the University of Surrey and Augmented Optics Ltd, in
collaboration with the University of Bristol, has developed
technology that could revolutionise the capabilities of appliances
that have previously relied on battery power to work. The research
has discovered new supercapacitor electrolytes that exhibit
capacitance values that are between one and ten thousand times higher
than conventional supercapacitor materials. This could translate into
very high energy density supercapacitors, making it possible to
recharge devices in just a few seconds.
The International Amateur Radio Union has issued an update on
preparations for the World Radio Conference in 2019. The IARU's prime
roles are to work in the areas of spectrum privileges gaining or
retaining spectrum for the amateur radio services and making sure
that our spectrum remains available for use and free from serious
human-made interference. For full information on the work in
progress, go to www.iaru-r1.org
Vintage radio enthusiasts are invited to participate in an on-air
Vintage Radio Weekend on the 17th and 18th of December. This activity
is open to everyone who has a classic transmitter or receiver, or who
is interested in owning one. Activities can be on any band and mode,
and at any time. All participants may download a free self-service
VRW Award Certificate from www.phoenixarc.org.uk, where there is also
additional information.
Santa Radio, OF9X, will be active until the 31st of December to
promote the Christmas spirit on the radio spectrum. There are twelve
‘elves' operating OF9X and they will identify themselves with a
3-letter identity. Work OF9X on as many bands and modes as possible
to earn QSO points and work as many elves as possible to get
multipliers. Your efforts will be rewarded by Santa Awards, see
www.QRZ.com for details. QSL via OH2BH and Club Log OQRS.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
We know of no more rallies for 2016. If you have any rally or event
information for 2017 that you'd like to appear in future editions of
GB2RS News, in RadCom and on the RSGB website, please email full
details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk as early as possible.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Eric, KH6EB works on an uninhabited Hawaiian island, OC-019, for ten
days every month. He is located at the base camp that supports the
state's efforts to restore the island. He is there between the 12th
and 21st of December. During his free time in the evenings and
mornings, around 1600 to 1700UTC, 0300 to 0500UTC and 0600 to
0900UTC, he is on 20 metres. QSL direct to KH6EB, via Logbook of the
World and eQSL.
Chris, VK3FY will be active holiday style as 3D3FY from the Fijian
Islands, OC-016 until the 14th of December. He will operate SSB and
CW on the 10 to 80m bands. QSL via M0OXO.
Akira, JH0CKF will be on the air as T88MZ on Koror Island, OC-009,
from the 13th to the 16th of December. He will be on the HF bands.
QSL via JH0CKF either direct or via the bureau, Logbook of the World
or Club Log OQRS.
Mikhail, VE7ACN will operate as VP5/VE7ACN from Grand Turk Island,
NA-003, until the 19th of December. Activity will be on the HF bands
using CW and SSB. QSL via VE7ACN or logbook of the World.
The Radio Society of Sri Lanka's annual DXpedition to Hiyare Galle as
4S7RS will take place until the 13th of December using 160 to 10
metres on CW, SSB and digital modes.
Now the special event news
Dutch radio amateur Sascha, PD9Z will be operating PC16XMAS from the
6th to the 31st of December. The station is intended to maintain the
spirit of friendship between amateur radio operators in the Christmas
period – and to provide a nice QSL card! Operation will be on 160
to 10m, SSB and CW.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the independence of Kazakhstan on
the 16th of December 1991, a large number of UP25 callsigns will be
active during the whole of December. See
http://kazakhstan25.hamlog.ru/ for logsearch and information on the
award available.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC.
Using all modes on the band the exchange is signal reports, serial
number and locator.
Next Saturday and Sunday, the 17th and 18th, the Stew Perry Top Band
Challenge runs from 1500UTC to 1500UTC. Using CW only on the 180m
band the exchange is your 4 character locator.
Finally, a reminder that the UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon
continues on 6m until the end of January. Details are on the
UKSMG.org website.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 9th of December.
This past week had been reasonably settled, geomagnetically, with the
K index generally being between zero and three at the beginning of
the week. The noon-time critical frequency as measured by the Chilton
ionosonde near Harwell on Tuesday was just over 6MHz, which meant 40m
often struggled for contacts close in around the UK, but 15 metres
was potentially open to DX at times. The critical frequency climbed
higher during Tuesday afternoon, which meant that 12 metres may have
been open. This also confirms that noon doesn't always bring the
highest critical frequencies.
We then had a succession of B-class solar flares on Wednesday. A
large recurrent coronal hole moved across the Earth-facing side of
the sun and became geo-effective from December 7th.
Enhanced geomagnetic activity, including minor (G1) storm conditions
then occurred on Thursday when a high-speed solar wind stream passed
Earth. Don't forget you can get a short pre-event enhancement just as
the plasma hits and the K index rises, but the prognosis for HF is
then not good if we get prolonged storming.
NOAA predicts that the coronal hole effects will diminish after the
weekend, leaving a more settled ionosphere for the rest of the week.
Conditions may become more unsettled again from around December the
19th.
So Monday to Saturday next week may be the best times for working DX
on the HF bands, but don't forget to check the low bands for DX
during late afternoon and through the hours of darkness as we are at
an optimum time as we near the Winter solstice.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This week sees one of the biggest meteor showers of the year. The
peak of the Geminids is expected on Wednesday morning at around
0020UTC, with a zenithal hourly rate of around 120. All the low VHF
bands will be affected, with EME-capable stations on 70cm also able
to make meteor scatter QSOs.
There seems to be a common theme in the weather models for the coming
week, which is that there is likely to be high pressure nearby to the
south and east of Britain, over the continent. A series of low
pressure systems will continue to pass by the northwest of the
country with cloud, rain and periods of stronger winds. This means
that any Tropo conditions are likely to be confined to the southern
and eastern half of Britain, closer to the high pressure over the
continent, which is the direction to look for any Tropo DX during the
next week.
The latter part of the week will probably see a stronger development
of high pressure over the south of Britain, maintaining the Tropo
options into the following weekend.
Low losses and high declination this week make it a good one for EME
contacts. E44QX should be QRV on the GHz bands from Jericho until
Wednesday.
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.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
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