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G4FVG > NEWS 25.06.17 22:24l 287 Lines 14289 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
BID : 690692G4FVG
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 25 Jun 2017
Path: IW8PGT<IR2UBX<IW2OHX<IQ2LB<GB7COW
Sent: 170625/2015Z @:GB7COW.#44.GBR.EURO #:4922 [332603] FBB7.01.35 alpha
From: G4FVG@GB7COW.#44.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
Hello,
As GB7CIP seems to be offline at the moment, I have put my old hat back on to
forward the GB2RS news from my hotel room that has kindly been prepared and
sent to me by Andy G4TNU. Thanks Andy....
So here is the GB2RS Main News for Sunday 25th of June 2017
The news headlines:
* Maintenance takes SAQ off the air
* Asteroid named after radio amateur
* What would you ask an astronaut?
There will be no Alexanderson Day over-the-air VLF transmission on the 2nd of
July from SAQ, the Alexanderson alternator station in Sweden. SAQ periodically
schedules transmissions with the nearly century-old behemoth that operates on
17.2kHz from the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station. SAQ said the event was
cancelled due to ongoing maintenance work at the site. The station will still
observe Alexanderson Day with activities that include two startups of the
Alexanderson alternator and a 'local' transmission. These events will be
streamed via YouTube. The site will be open to visitors.
The International Astronomical Union has named a celestial body after a radio
amateur. Space physicist and radio amateur Asta Pellinen Wannberg, SM3UHV, is
a professor at the Department of Physics at Umea University. She has made a
ground-breaking effort to use scattering radar when studying meteors that are
activated when small particles penetrate the atmosphere. The name given is
Asteroid 11807 Wannberg.
There's just six weeks to go before the RSGB host the IARU Region 1 Youngsters
on the Air activity week. Activities during the week will include Summits on
the Air, ARDF, construction, and operating a special event station - amongst
many other topics. We are still looking for volunteers from RSGB affiliated
clubs to help with various aspects of the event, particularly mini-bus drivers
on some days. If you can help, please send an email to yota<at>rsgb.org.uk -
whether you can offer just a day or maybe more.
YOTA teams across the world have been invited to submit questions for the
planned contact with the International Space Station during YOTA 2017. Linking
with the theme of the amateur radio event, questions should focus on
communications, which can include amateur radio, mobile phones, data links,
satellites, etc. YOTA team members have been asked to try and think of
questions no-one else has asked before. What would you ask? We won't know when
the ISS contact will take place until one week before the event, but the plan
is to have it streamed live over the internet so people everywhere will be
able to watch the buildup and the contact itself. Please email any suggested
questions to yota<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Anthony Kent,
G8PBH, as Chair of the RSGB Examinations Standards Committee. Tony obtained
his callsign, G8PBH, in 1978 and has been active on the bands continuously
since. His interests in that time have included home construction, mobile and
portable operation and, most recently, DX chasing. His favourite band is 6m
and, in particular, the Sporadic-E mode of propagation on that band. He uses
mostly SSB and ata modes. Tony is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
For those attending the HAM Radio show in Friedrichshafen, Germany between the
14th and 16th of July, Saturday is Summits on the Air - or SOTA - day.
Starting at 12 noon there will be a get-together, lecture, activation and the
annual dinner, so check reflector.sota.org.uk for details.
A paper by IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie, G3BJ, for the Landshut
Conference in September, that the longer term financial outlook for Region 1
is poor. It says that the general fund will be entirely depleted by 2021, and
total reserves exhausted by 2023, rendering IARU Region 1 insolvent. The paper
suggests a number of changes to address the problem, including refocussing the
YOTA programme and devolving some activity or increasing participant
contributions. You can download the paper from tinyurl.com/GB2RS-2506B [Note
for Newsreaders: the full, original URL is www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/downloads/
Documents/Conferences/2017---Landshut-General-Conference/Addidtional-C3-Papers/
]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The West Of England Radio Rally takes place today, the 25th of June, at the
Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE. Doors
open from 10am to 2pm, with admission priced at GBP 3 for adults and children
under 14 free. There will be inside & outside traders, free car parking, a
cafe, RSGB bookstall and disability facilities. Details from Shaun, G8VPG on
01225 873 098.
Bangor & District Amateur Radio Society's 50th Annual Rally will be held on
Saturday the 1st of July in Donaghadee Community Centre, The Parade,
Donaghadee, County Down BT21 0HB. The venue is signposted, easily found, and
has free parking. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, bookstall and
RSGB stand. Refreshment will be available. Doors will open at 11.30am and
admission is free in celebration of the 50th anniversary. RSGB president, Nick
Henwood, G3RWF, will be attending. Further details from Harry Squance, GI4JTF,
on 0777 594 2174.
The 1st Houghton Le Spring ARC Rally will be at the Dubmire Royal British
Legion Club, Britannia Terrace, Fencehouses DH4 6LJ on the 1st of July. Doors
open from 10.30am until 3pm. Entry is free. There will be traders, club and
private stands. Tea & coffee will be available, and a licensed bar will open
from 11am. Details from Ken, on 0795 146 0290.
The Barford Norfolk Radio Rally is on the 2nd of July at Barford Village Hall
& Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB. Talk-in is on S22 and car parking is free.
Doors open at 8am for traders and 9am for visitors. There will be trade
stands, a car boot sale, a Bring & Buy, raffle, repeater group representatives
and catering. Entry costs GBP 2 per person, with under 16s free. Contact
radio<at>dcpmicro.com for details.
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 full
details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Members of the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club are taking part in a DXpedition to
Yongxing Island in the Xisha Archipelago from the 26th of June to the 2nd of
July. The callsign will be B7CRA and they will operate on the 80m to 6m bands
using CW, SSB and digital. The IOTA reference is AS-143 and the QSL Manager is
BA4TB.
Sookun, HL1AHS will operate as VK9AA on Christmas Island, OC-002 until the 1st
of July. He will be on all bands 80m to 10m CW, SSB and digital. The QSL
Manager is HL2UVH.
Eddy, DM5JBN will be active as 9A/DM5JBN from the islands of Hvar, EU-016,
from the 28th of June to the 2nd of July, and Brac, EU-016, between the 4th
and the 9th. He operates mainly CW and RTTY. QSL via his home call, direct or
bureau, plus Logbook of The World and eQSL.
John, GW4SKA will be active as GD4SKA from the Isle of Man, EU-116, from the
29th of June to the 9th of July. He will operate only RTTY and JT65 on the HF
bands. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS at www.m0oxo.com or direct only to M0OXO.
Keith, G3TTC plans to operate holiday style as GM3TTC/P from several islands
in IOTA groups EU-123 and EU-008 until the 1st of August. He says no paper
QSLs please as IOTA credit will be given through Club Log matching.
Peter, LA7QIA will be active as JW7QIA from Spitsbergen, EU-026, Svalbard
until the1st of July. He will operate CW, SSB and digital modes, with a focus
on 6m. QSL via his home call.
Now the special event news
Dennis, G7AGZ will operate GB6BEN on the 50, 145 and 433MHz bands as he climbs
Ben Nevis in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care around the 8th of July onwards. See
QRZ.com for full details. QSL via the bureau and eQSL, with SWL reports
welcome.
Burnham Beeches Radio Club celebrates its 80th birthday this year. As part of
the celebrations GB8OBB will be active today, the 25th of June, from the
historic Burnham Beeches woodland, located approximately 25 miles west of
Central London The nearest postcode is SL2 3LB. The event is timed to coincide
with the ARRL Field Day contest, so visitors should see and hear plenty of
activity on the HF bands. Planned interactive activities for the public
involve direction finding and Morse decoding.
GB2CM will be on the air from Crossness Engines Trust at Crossness Museum, The
Old Works, Thames Water STW, Bazalgette Way, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ today,
the 25th, from 10.30am to 4pm. The museum admittance is GBP 7.
Leicester Radio Society will be running GB0APS from the Museums Leicester
Vintage Festival for International Museums on the Air today, the 25th.
Activity will be from 1pm to 5pm. Admittance to the museum is GBP 3.50 and it
is at Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5PX.
GB2NWA is being activated at North Weald Airfield for International Museums
Weekend. There will be multiple stations running a mixture of HF & VHF/UHF
frequencies on the 25th.
Llanelli ARS will be running GB1BAF, for British Armed Forces Day. The event
will run until the 27th of June. Activity will be on HF and 2m. QSL is via the
bureau, see QRZ.com for details.
Grey Point Fort Amateur Radio Society will be taking part in Armed Forces Day
today, the 25th, from 10am to 5pm at Grey Point Fort, Fort Road, Helen's Bay,
Crawfordsburn, Co Down BT19 1PU. All Museums will be open and the club station
on the air using MN0GPF, GB0GPF and GN0URN. The Restored 6 inch coastal guns
dated 1899 will be fired at 1 pm.
Durham & District ARS is participating as one of the bonus stations in the 13
Colonies special event. GB13COL will run 24 hours a day from 1300UTC on the
1st of July to 0400UTC on the 7th. The primary focus of the event will be the
HF bands, as well as VHF and UHF using SSB, CW and digital modes for contacts.
More info at www.13colonies.info and QRZ.com.
Now the contest news
Today, the 25th, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC.
Using all modes on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
Also today, the 25th, from 0900 to 1200UTC it's the 50MHz CW contest. The
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Finally for today, the 70MHz Cumulative contest runs from 1400 to 1600UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using all
bands between 2.3 and 10GHz the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Next weekend, from 1400UTC on the 1st to 1400UTC on the 2nd, the RSGB VHF
National Field Day will take place on the 50 to 1296MHz bands. Using all
modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On the 2nd of July the 3rd 2m Backpackers contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday
the 23rd of June.
Last week the solar flux index remained steadfastly in the mid 70s.
There was only one very minor S class solar flare, on Sunday the 18th of June.
As predicted, geomagnetic conditions were unsettled on the Sunday, but
improved as the week went on.
During a week when we had the solar solstice, HF conditions were subdued. This
is pretty much par for the course this time of year. A change in the
ionospheric chemistry with more diatomic molecules and fewer monatomic species
means it is harder to ionise. So, paradoxically, despite having more sunlight,
maximum useable frequencies are lower during summer days. But, as we keep
saying, you may find that 20m remains open much later in the evening. If we
had some sunspots it might have even remained open all night.
Next week NOAA predicts more of the same with the solar flux index in the
range 70-74. Monday may be a little unsettled geomagnetically, but then the
rest of the week should be better with a K index of around two.
At the moment, maximum useable frequencies over a 3,000km path are around
14MHz, with occasional openings up to 18MHz. After dark, 30m and 40m will
remain the best bands for DX, with 20m probably closing in the late evening
and usually before midnight. Sporadic-E openings on the higher bands should
also remain prevalent as we head towards the end of June.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
Sporadic-E is still the main DX mode through to August, and on the 16th of
June we had one of the best events for a long time. Thousands of 144MHz QSOs
were reported to the Make more miles on VHF website, including contacts from
South Wales into the Balkans.
The best policy to catch Sporadic-E is to maximise your chances by checking
the bands late morning and late afternoon or early evening to capture the
traditional two peaks of activity. Also look for late-evening openings towards
Iceland, Greenland and beyond. Check the beacons and clusters for signs of
activity, remembering that an opening will build up in frequency as it
develops – first 10m, then through 6m and 4m, to perhaps 2m.
Despite the heatwave, Tropo conditions didn't seem to materialise last week,
with no cluster reports of 144MHz or above Tropo QSOs over 600km from the UK.
Over the next week or so, it looks as if the changeover to low pressure will
be completed and for much of the time there will be low ressure over Britain
or nearby. This means that rain scatter will be the best GHz bands DX option.
Tropo will not feature strongly again this week, but some short-lived
overnight and dawn lifts are possible before the heat of the day breaks down
any surface temperature inversion.
Today shows high and falling Moon declination, with low and increasing losses,
so get your EME QSOs in the early part of the 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 gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by 10:00 on the Thursday before
transmission.
- - -
With my apologies if you end up with two copies.
However, two copies are better than none!
--------- 73 Mike G4FVG
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