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G4APL > NEWS 24.12.17 00:07l 309 Lines 15032 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 24 Dec 2017
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 24th of December 2017
The news headlines:
* Last GB2RS of 2017
* GB2RS Newsreader celebrates 25 years
* RSGB office Christmas closing times
This is the final GB2RS news reading for 2017 and we start with
seasonal greetings to all newsreaders and listeners, both over the
air and via the internet recordings, and not forgetting viewers of
the ATV broadcast, which is available via several repeaters and
kindly streamed via the BATC.TV website, as well as those that view
this news via TX Factor. There will be no news reading on the 31st of
December as the RSGB HQ is closed. We would like to take this
opportunity to once again thank all those that read the news, in
whatever format, for their tireless dedication to their fellow
amateurs. Normal broadcasts will resume on Sunday the 7th of January.
On the 1st of January, newsreader William Marshall, G4IOD will have
completed 25 years of reading GB2RS for the North of England. Our
thanks to him for his years of long service.
The RSGB's offices will be closed from twelve noon on Friday the 22nd
of December until eight-thirty AM on Tuesday, the 2nd of January.
Please remember that the Exam Department will not be processing any
exam results during the festive period. Ensure you allow the full 10
working days after the exam date before contacting the department if
you have not received your results in the post.
Newton le Willows ARC will be hosting a Train The Trainers event on
Saturday the 3rd of March at Derbyshire Hill Family & Community
Centre, Derbyshire Hill Rd, Parr, St Helens WA9 2LU. Places are
strictly limited, so early booking is advised. Tea and coffee will be
provided, though you will need to provide your own lunch. The event
is free to RSGB Members, although the club would appreciate any
donation, no matter how small, to go towards the refreshments and
venue hire etc. For more information please contact Lee, M0LGL on
0741 483 6945, after 3.30pm please.
There have been some recent updates to the RSGB's Award Scheme
including the acceptance of Log Book of the World confirmations as
well as traditional QSL cards. Two new awards for Foundation and
Intermediate licensees encourage greater activity on the bands within
the first year of gaining those licence levels. Two other awards, the
IARU R1 Award and the Commonwealth Century Award, encourage contacts
with countries around the world. If you're inspired to aim for an
award in 2018 you'll find more information on the RSGB website at
www.rsgb.org/awards
The Radio Amateur Old Timers' Association is celebrating its Diamond
Jubilee in 2018. To commemorate this, they will be running a tiered
Diamond Jubilee award throughout the year. Details will be on the
Association website at www.RAOTA.org
The RSGB was proud to host Youngsters on the Air 2017 and is
celebrating both that international event and YOTA month by releasing
its final YOTA video. It is an overview of the fabulous range of
amateur radio activities, achievements and events enjoyed by the 80
youngsters from 27 different countries who came to Gilwell Park in
August. Find it at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1224A
[Note to Newsreaders: the full, original URL is
http://rsgb.org/main/publications-archives/video/young-amateurs/]
ARI, the Italian Amateur Radio Association, has organised an award to
commemorate great scientists. It recognises those who made a
contribution to the advancement of knowledge in physics and similar
disciplines that led to the development of radio. Throughout the year
twelve different stations will be on the air. In January it is
II4MXW, to commemorate the work of James Clerk Maxwell.
The annual KW Days take place on the 6th and 7th of January. The KW
Company was founded on 5 January 1953 by the late Roly Shears, G8KW.
Last year there were 50+ KW stations on the air. The KW Yahoo group
would love to hear from clubs planning similar activities in other
regions of the UK and from those overseas. Details are at
tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1224B. Daytime SSB activity centres will be on
7.177MHz or 3.777MHz and 14.277MHz as conditions permit. Operators
are encouraged to use KW gear on other bands, so if you hear some AM
on 1.977MHz or MCW operating on 160 or 80 metres at night, don't be
surprised. AM and CW activity will be on the VMARS net channels, see
www.vmars.org.uk
[Note to Newsreaders: the full, original URL for the KW Yahoo Group
is https://groups.yahoo.com/group/KW_Radios]
The ARRL has announced that Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will start
scheduled transmissions on 6m beginning on the 2nd of January.
Transmissions on 50.350MHz will become a part of W1AW's regular CW
practice, and CW, digital and phone bulletin transmission schedule,
starting with the 1400UTC fast code practice on the 2nd.
AMSAT-UK is holding a second annual CW Activity Day. It will be held
from 0001 to 2359UTC on the 1st of January. This year's event is
dedicated to the memory of Pat Gowen, G3IOR. The rules are very
simple: there aren't any. Just operate CW through any amateur radio
satellite. Straight keys and bugs are encouraged, but not required.
The important thing is to get on the air and have fun.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
We have no rallies in the diary before Christmas. But, on the 29th of
December, the Yeovil Amateur Radio Club Table Top Rally will take
place at Sparkford Village Hall, Church Road, Sparkford, Somerset
BA22 7JN.
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 remains quite sparse so please, if you are a rally
organiser – or know one – let us know the details as soon as
possible. If the rally or event is not listed in the January 2018
RadCom then we do NOT know about it.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Earl, WA3DX will be touring Senegal between the 25th of December and
the 12th of January and will be active holiday style as 6W1/WA3DX
from Dakar, as 6W7/WA3DX from Mbao, as 6W6/WA3DX from Kaolack and the
Saloum Islands. He will operate SSB, PSK and SSTV on the 10 to 40m
bands. QSL direct to WA3DX.
A team from the Qatar Amateur Radio Society will be active as A70X
from Al-Safliyah Island, IOTA reference AS-088, from the 1st to the
6th of January. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.
Thomas, DL7UZO and his wife will be active as 5P9Z/p from IOTA group
EU-171 from the 28th of December to the 4th of January. They will
operate CW, RTTY and SSB on the 10 to 160m bands. For more
information see http://5p9z.com/home/
Vadym, UT6UD will be active as PJ7/UT6UD from Sint Maarten, NA-105,
from the 30th of December to the 13th of January. He will be on the
17 to 160m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via Logbook of The World, or
direct to his home callsign.
JH0IXE will be active again as T8CW from Koror, OC-009, in Palau from
the 27th of December to the 5th of January. QSL via JA2KCT using the
bureau or JH0IXE direct, Logbook of The World and eQSL; logsearch on
http://t8cw.idou.net
Now the special event news
The main Special Event Station news is GB17YOTA, for Youngsters on
the Air month. This callsign will be aired by clubs up and down the
country during the month of December. Today, the 24th, will see
Mid-Ulster ARC finish their two-day session, the 28th sees Leicester
RS takes over, followed by Telford & District ARS on the 29th.
Finally, on the 30th and 31st, the callsign will be in operation at
the RSGB's National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park. The GB17YOTA team
particularly invites young people, licenced or not, to come and get
their first taste of operating a top-notch station. If you are an
RSGB Member, you can also print a voucher for free entry to Bletchley
Park. Details for this are at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1224C All enthusiasts
are welcome to the event, both young and old, licensed or not. For
more information, email yota.month<at>rsgb.org.uk.
[Note to Newsreaders: the full, original URL is
https://thersgb.org/members/portal/bpvouchers/]
Celebrating the valve equipment produced by KW Electronics Ltd of
Dartford Kent, GB2KW will be active between 1 and 28 January. Run by
members of the Sutherland & ARS, they will be operating from near
Invergordon, Scotland. All QSOs with GB2KW will be confirmed
electronically only on Club Log and the ARRL's Logbook of The World.
GB8KW will be operated by Cray Valley ARS.
MX0PHX & MX0YHA will be on air for the 3rd Robin Hood Special
Yuletide VHF Award activity on December the 24th and 31st. Activity
will be on 2m FM between 10am and 4pm. More details at
www.robinhoodradio.uk.
Welland Valley ARS will host a series of special event stations in
2018 to mark the end of World War I, in remembrance of the millions
who were killed or wounded. A total of twelve special call signs have
been applied for and will be put on air during the year: GB1GW is the
callsign to look for during January. See www.qrz.com/db/GB1GW for
QSLing options and details about the certificates available.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 26th of December the DARC Christmas Contest runs from
0830 to 1100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 and 7MHz bands the
exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations send DOK
or NM too.
The Christmas Cumulatives run from 1400UTC on the 26th to 1600UTC on
the 29th of December. Using all modes on the 50 to 432MHz bands the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The Worked All Britain Christmas Party takes place from the 26th of
December to the 6th of January. It's all modes on all bands and the
exchange is the WAB book number.
The Stew Perry Top Band Challenge runs from 1500UTC on the 30th to
1500UTC on the 31st of December. Using CW only, the exchange is your
4-character locator square.
The UK 6m Group Winter marathon runs throughout January. Using all
modes in the 50MHz band, the exchange is signal report and locator.
On the 1st of January the IRTS 80m Counties Contest runs from 1500 to
1700UTC. Using SSB and CW, the exchange is signal report and serial
number with EI and GI stations sending their County too.
On the 2nd of January the 144MHz UK FM contest runs from 1900 to
2000UTC. It is followed from 2000 to 2230UTC by the 144MHz UK
Activity Contest. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial
number and locator.
On the 3rd the UK EI Counties Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC.
Using SSB, the exchange on the 80m band is your 4-character locator.
Starting at 1800UTC on the 6th and running until 2359UTC on the 7th,
the ARRL RTTY Roundup takes place on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands. The
exchange is signal report and serial number, with US stations giving
their State and Canadian stations their Province.
On the 6th from 2000 to 2300UTC then again on the 7th from 0400 to
0700UTC, the European 160m CW Party takes place. Go to
www.eucw.org/eu160.html to learn more about the exchange and who to
work.
Finally in this marathon session, the CW AFS contest takes place on
the 7th of January from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands
the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 22nd of December.
This week we have a slightly different approach to the HF propagation
news. We want to help you and your family contact Santa's elves in
Lapland. The station Oscar Juliet Nine X-ray is on the air this
Christmas from Santa Claus land. Up to 30 elves are operating OJ9X
from Finland for the entire month of December to help celebrate the
centennial of the country's foundation. To work OJ9X, the best
starting point is the DX Cluster or Reverse Beacon Network to see
where they are operating. They have been spotted on many bands and
modes over the past two weeks.
The HF predictions suggest twenty metres, 14MHz, gives a good
possibility of a contact, with a probability of greater than 80%
during the hours of daylight. There is also a 15-20% possibility of
some daylight openings on seventeen metres, that's 18MHz, especially
around late morning. Thirty metres, or 10MHz, should also give a high
probability of a contact during daylight, while 40 metres, or 7MHz,
may be open for the whole 24 hours, with late afternoon being the
best time. Eighty metres, 3.5MHz, may also open to Finland from late
afternoon and through the night, while Top Band, or 1.8MHz, may also
be open to OJ9X during the hours of darkness in the UK.
NOAA is predicting unsettled geomagnetic conditions at times over the
next two weeks due to coronal hole activity. This could bring noisy
bands and depressed maximum usable frequencies, so if you hear OJ9X
try to work it while the band is open.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The lead up to Christmas Day will be mild, with high-pressure weather
and some enhanced VHF Tropo conditions. But from Boxing Day it's all
change to a colder more unsettled weather type. This will be
dominated by low pressure and periods of rain, or snow in some
northern areas. The only show in town from this weather is usually
rain scatter on the gigahertz bands. There is a possible return of
high pressure later next week, with possibly some Tropo back in play
for next weekend and the lead-in to 2018.
These low pressure developments are usually symptomatic of strong
winter jet streams and these can produce some mid-winter Sporadic E,
so don't rule out a look at 28MHz or 50MHz for some strong short-skip
propagation, particularly using the digital modes.
Why not make trying a new propagation mode your New Year's
Resolution? You could seek out rain scatter, Sporadic-E, meteor
scatter, Tropo, or try CW and SSB on the VHF/UHF bands. You'll find
plenty of support from these bulletins through the year.
The Quadrantids meteor shower is usually active from the end of
December so look for better meteor scatter. It has a short peak
around the 3rd and 4th of January, so be ready for that.
EME path losses are still high, but falling as the week progresses.
Declination goes positive on Tuesday and conditions will improve as
the year turns.
And that's all from the propagation team this week, and indeed for
the year. We wish you a Happy Christmas and a New Year full of DX.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. With the holiday season in full
swing, the next bulletin will be broadcast on 7 January 2018.
Items for inclusion in the that news bulletin can be emailed to
gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by 10:00 on the Thursday before
transmission. In the meantime may we wish you all seasons'
greetings and a Happy New Year.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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