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G4APL > NEWS 12.11.17 01:41l 252 Lines 12120 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 12 Nov 2017
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From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 12th of November 2017
The news headlines:
* Extra frequencies for Argentinian amateurs
* Confine contesting to the band plans
* Second G2BVN Memorial Trophy awarded
Amateur radio operators in Argentina are to gain access to the 60m
and 630m bands, and some of their other bands are being extended. The
new allocations will be effective in 90 days. The new allocations are
472 to 479kHz for the 630m band and 5351.5 to 5366.5kHz for the 60m
band. Top Band has been extended to 1800 to 2000kHz, 80m is now 3500
to 4000kHz and, finally, the 30m band allocation is now 10.100 to
10.150MHz.
The RSGB VHF Contest Committee would like to remind contesters to
follow the relevant band plans. The high level of activity in the
144MHz UK Activity Contests means that finding a frequency to operate
on within the normally used frequency segment for SSB of 144.150 to
144.399MHz can be very difficult. Entrants are reminded that the
rules explicitly require adherence to the RSGB Band Plan. Stations
using SSB below 144.150MHz or between 144.400MHz and 144.500MHz
during the 144MHz UKAC are liable to be penalised. The VHFCC reserves
the right to penalise both parties in a QSO made outside of the band
plan. However, the 144.500MHz to 144.794MHz segment of the 2m All
Mode section can also be used during the UKAC. The VHFCC recognises
that this is not normally in use during SSB contests, but if people
would like to try calling CQ in a quieter part of the band, why not
try it taking care to avoid the designated calling frequencies and
centres of activity for other modes such as SSTV, ATV talk back,
digital voice and data. Up to date versions of the band plans are
online at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1112B
[Note to Newsreaders: the full URL is
http://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/]
IARU Region 1 awards two G2BVN Memorial Trophies. One, to Colin
Thomas, G3PSM, has already been announced. The second has been
awarded to Professor Wolf Harranth, OE1WHC. Many know Wolf from the
work he does managing the DokuFunk archive that collects and archives
historic pieces, including QSL cards.
The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced five Excellence
Awards that are presented to individuals and groups who have made a
significant contribution to amateur radio. Receiving Yasme Foundation
Excellence Award are the Dayton Amateur Radio Association for the new
Dayton Hamvention; Paul, KD4STH, and Bill, WB8ELK for their work in
amateur radio high-altitude ballooning; Nathaniel, W2NAF, and Magda,
KM4EGE for creating and leading the organisation that sponsored the
Solar Eclipse QSO Party; the WSJT Development Team and Dale, VK1DSH
for in the ITU-R Working Party 5A. To read more about the
contributions that warranted the award, go to tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1112A
[Note to Newsreaders: the full URL is
www.arrl.org/news/yasme-foundation-announces-excellence-awards-and-sup
porting-grant]
The permanent special event station GB2RAF, based at the RAF
Neatishead Air Defence Radar Museum in Norfolk, will be off the air
until the 14th of April 2018. This is due to the Museum closure until
March 2018 for its winter break.
Spain's amateur satellite group AMSAT-EA has released an English
language edition of their November newsletter. It covers the recently
activated linear transponder SSB/CW satellites CAS-4A and CAS-4B,
upcoming DXpeditions and an article on the QBITO satellite. The
translation was made by Fernando, EC1AME. Download the newsletter
from tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1112C
[Note to Newsreaders: the full URL is
www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/9653739/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_02-2017.pdf]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
As we announced some time ago the Great Northern Hamfest, originally
planned for today, the 12th of November, has been cancelled.
On the 18th, the Rochdale & District ARS Traditional Radio Rally will
take place at St Vincent de Paul's, Caldershaw Rd, off the A680
Edenfield Road, Norden, Rochdale OL12 7QR. Doors open at 10.30am,
with disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. Admission
is GBP 2.50, with those under 12 years free. There will be a Bring &
Buy as well as commercial traders, a junk stall and amateur radio
sellers. Traders can set up from 8am. There will be refreshments
available including bacon and sausage butties. Contact Dave, G3RIK by
email to rally<at>radars.me.uk.
On the 19th the Plymouth Radio Club Radio Rally will be held at
Harewood House, Ridgeway, Plympton, Plymouth PL7 2AS. There is car
parking available and the venue has disabled facilities. Doors open
from 10am to 2.30pm, with disabled visitors gaining access from
9.50am. Admittance is GBP 2. There will be trade stands, special
interest groups, a Bring & Buy and RSGB bookstand. A raffle will take
place on the day. Catering is available on site. Information from
David Beck, 2E0DTC on 0777 766 4822.
Also on the 19th, the 40th Coulsdon ATS Electronics Radio Bazaar will
be held at the Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon
CR5 1ES. Doors open 10am to 1pm and admittance is GBP 1.50. Car
parking and disabled facilities are available. There will be a Bring
& Buy and a flea market. Catering will be available on site. Details
from Andy Briers, G0KZT on 0772 986 6600.
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. Our list of
rallies for 2018 is looking very empty so please, if you are a rally
organiser, let us know the details as soon as possible.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Tom, KC0W will be active as 3W9CW from Vietnam between the 17th and
30th of November. He will operate CW and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands.
QSL via his home callsign, direct only, and logsearch on Club Log. He
does not use Logbook of The World.
Harald, DF2WO will be active again as 9X2AW from Kigali, Rwanda
between the 15th and the 30th of November. He will operate CW, SSB,
RTTY and FT8. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and Logbook of The World.
Jacek, SP5APW will be active as DU1/SP5APW from Busuanga Island, IOTA
reference OC-090, from the 16th to the 23rd of November. He will
operate SSB, some PSK31 and RTTY on the 40, 17 and 20m bands. QSL via
his home call either direct, via the bureau or Logbook of the World;
logsearch and OQRS on Club Log.
A large team from Slovenia will be active as TK/ homecall from
Corsica, EU-014, between the 20th and 29th of November. QSL via
Logbook of The World, eQSL or via S50C.
Now the special event news
As part of the church's annual festival remembering St Hilda, the
Special Event Station GB5SH will again be run from St Hilda's Church,
Hartlepool TS24 0DA on Saturday the 18th of November and Sunday the
19th of November. Operation is expected to be on 80 and 40m bands,
with some operation on 2m.
GB1BSW will now take place on the 18th of November between 10am and
5pm, after being postponed due to bad weather. Members of Wrexham
Amateur Radio Society will operate the station from the Brymbo
Heritage Project, which is on part of the old Brymbo Steel Works.
Now the contest news
The WAE DX RTTY contest ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC today, the
12th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
On Monday the Autumn Series data leg will take place between 1900 and
2030UTC. Using the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial
number.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC.
It is immediately followed by the 432MHz UKAC, which uses all modes
between 2000 and 2230UTC. The exchange is the same for both: signal
report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday, the IRTS Evening Counties Contest runs from 2000 to
2100UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is signal report and serial
number, with EI and GI stations sending their county.
On Thursday, the 70MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000.
This is also followed by the UKAC, running from 2000 to 2230UTC,
using all modes. The exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Saturday, the second 1.8MHz contest runs between 1900 and 2300UTC.
Using CW only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
District code.
On Sunday the 19th, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 1000 to
1400UTC. Using all modes on 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 G4BAO
on Friday the 10th of November.
As forecast, last week saw auroral conditions and the Kp index rise
to six as the result of incoming solar material from yet another
coronal hole. The Aurora Borealis was even visible from Northern
England and Scotland. Coronal holes are lower-energy areas on the Sun
with open magnetic field lines that allow tonnes of material to
escape and form a high-speed solar wind. Very prevalent at this point
in the solar cycle, every indication is that this phenomenon will
continue at least until 2019.
The unsettled geomagnetic conditions were a double-edged sword.
Maximum useable frequencies over a 3,000km path climbed to more than
28MHz as the solar material first hit on Tuesday. But by Wednesday,
at times the ionosphere was struggling to support signals much above
14MHz over the same distance. This continued well into Thursday.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the total absence of sunspots may
continue, with the solar flux index around the 70 to 75 mark.
Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be better than last week, but
still unsettled at times, with a maximum Kp index of three. This
means MUFs may reach 28MHz at times, although 18 and 21MHz may be
more reliable. However, there is evidence of more coronal holes on
the SDO spacecraft's extreme ultra-violet imagery, which suggests we
have more of a bumpy ride than the NOAA figures predict.
For newcomers, this month continues to be a good one for long-haul DX
on the higher bands so do keep a look out on 14MHz and above.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This Friday night and Saturday morning, the 17th and 18th of
November, sees the peak of the annual Leonid meteor shower. The
shower is active throughout November and, with a peak zenith hourly
rate of 15, it is one of the larger showers of the year. The shower
radiant, the point in the sky from where the meteors seem to emerge,
lies in the constellation Leo. It occurs when the Earth passes
through the debris left by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Use your
favourite search engine to find the DL1DBC Virgo realtime meteor
prediction page to find the best time and beam directions to work
meteor scatter on VHF using this shower.
It's hard to get too excited about the prospects for Tropo over the
next week or so, apart from a chance of some weak high pressure over
the southern half of the country. This may not amount to much of a
lift for VHF operators, so that just leaves us with some options for
rain scatter on the GHz bands. This will, like previous weeks, be due
to heavy showers that form over the seas around the British Isles at
this time of year. They are worth seeking out both day and night –
just follow the bright echoes on the weather radars.
Moon declination goes negative at Moonset on Tuesday and losses are
climbing this week. There is still plenty of time for EME contacts
this lunar cycle before the Moon gets to apogee, its furthest point
away, and its maximum southerly declination on Tuesday 21st.
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.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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