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G4APL > NEWS 07.01.18 12:46l 268 Lines 11588 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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GB2RS NEWS
Sunday 7th January 2018
The news headlines:
* Happy New Year to all
*
* Jeff Smith, MI0AEX awarded MBE
*
* Volunteer now for RSGB positions
*
The news team and all the staff at RSGB HQ would like to wish
our newsreaders, listeners and online readers a very Happy
New Year. We would like to remind everyone that the deadline
for news items is 10am on Thursday mornings and we
welcome your news every week by email to
radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The GB2RS script is uploaded to the
RSGB website on Friday afternoons by 4.30pm.
Congratulations to RSGB Past President Jeff Smith, MI0AEX,
who was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for
services to health, for founding Ards First Responders. The
Ards Peninsula First Responders is a volunteer group who
responds to life threatening emergency calls, in partnership
with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, serving the BT22
area.
This is the time of year when we call for volunteers to step
forward for election at the AGM that will take place at Jurys Inn
in Birmingham on the 21st of April. In 2018 the RSGB will be
looking to appoint a President, two elected Board Directors,
two nominated Board Directors and two Regional Managers.
Regions 1 and 11 are open for volunteers whether the current
RM is seeking re-election or not. Nominations for elected
Board Directors and Regional Managers require the supporting
signatures of 10 RSGB Corporate Members. Nominations for
the Regional Manager vacancies must come from Members
who reside in the relevant region. Further information about the
election vacancies can be found on page 9 of the January
2018 RadCom. Completed papers with their supporting
signatures, or electronic nominations, must be received at HQ
by 2359UTC on 31 January 2018.
In 2017, a team led by Noel, G8GTZ and Brian, G4NNS made
several visits to Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall to use the
32m GHY6 dish for 3.4GHz and 5.6GHz EME operation.
During one of the visits, Michael Portillo and the Great British
Railway Journeys team visited and filmed a sequence
including EME operation. The program schedule has now been
confirmed and it will be shown on Friday the 12th of January at
6.30pm on BBC2. Described as “Going to the moon by way of
the Cornish Rivieraö, the sequence will show Michael talking to
Brian, G4NNS and operating his station under supervision to
“talk to the moonö and hear his echoes coming back.
During the Winter Olympic Games, until the 28th of February,
all South Korean licensed stations and operators may change
the number in their callsigns to 23.
History was made on Friday the 29th of December when what
is believed to be the first ever Wainwrights on the Air activation
and chase were made using Yaesu’s C4FM mode. Mark,
M0NOM, activated Orrest Head using the more normal FM
mode and also C4FM (commonly known as Fusion) simplex.
Contact was made at around 1.30pm with Sue, G1OHH, who
was at her home in Lancaster using DN/C4FM mode. Mark,
M0NOM was using a Yaesu FT1 handset and Sue, G1OHH
was using her FTM400XDE. Both Mark and Sue are members
of the North West Fusion Group who aim to promote the use of
the mode throughout the North West of England. The contact
wasn’t specifically pre-arranged but made in the same way that
operators would on FM. The group uses 144.6875 DN simplex
as a frequency of choice and welcome any contacts on that
frequency and mode. North West Fusion Group can also be
found on Facebook.
The Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society is inviting two
youngsters from IARU Region 1 to join the A44A contest team.
These two young radio amateurs will have the opportunity to
join the CQ World Wide 160-Meter contest in SSB or CW in the
beginning of 2018. The Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society
will cover flight and accommodation costs for both youngsters.
Apply online at www.iaru-r1.org as soon as possible if you are
interested in taking part. A participant must be under the age of
26 years.
The RSGB assists HF DXpeditions to the rarer countries
through a fund that is supported each year from proceeds of
the raffle, which is held at the annual RSGB Convention, as
well as income from legacies and donations. The Society is
looking to appoint a 5th Trustee for the HF DXpedition Fund
who, given the increasing number of applications, will also act
as Secretary to the group. Details of duties can be found on
the RSGB website under ‘volunteer vacancies’. Applicants
should be enthusiastic HF DXers with an interest in DXCC and
IOTA. RSGB Members who wish to be considered for
appointment to this important role should contact Steve
Thomas, M1ACB, RSGB General Manager, via email to
gm.dept@rsgb.org.uk providing details of their amateur radio
and other relevant experience.
During January, Ofcom is holding public meetings in Belfast,
Cardiff, London and Edinburgh to gain feedback on its
proposed Annual Plan, which outlines Ofcom’s planned areas
of work for the next financial year. Those with an interest in
Ofcom’s work are encouraged to attend one of the meetings,
which offer an opportunity to comment on Ofcom's approach to
TV, radio, telecoms, postal and wireless communications
services. Details are at tinyurl.comGB2RS-0107A
[Note to Newsreaders: the original, full URL is
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-
1/proposed-annual-plan-2018-
19?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=annual-plan-
events]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the
coming week
Next Sunday, the 14th, The Red Rose Winter Rally will be held
at The George H Carnall Leisure Centre, Kingsway Park M41
7FJ. The venue is opposite the Trafford Centre and is easily
accessible from junction 9 of the M60. The hall is all on one
level with a large free car park. There is a café on site. Doors
open at 11am. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy,
special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. Further details
from John on 0787 016 1953 or see www.wmrc.co.uk
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@rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and
other sources
Pat, N2IEN will be on the air as A52PD from Bhutan until the
14th of January. QSLs go via NR6M.
Jim, WB2TJO is operating as 3D2JS from Taveuni Island,
IOTA reference OC-016, until the 13th of March. Activity is on
the 80 to 6m bands using CW, SSB and some digital modes.
QSL to his home callsign.
Trung, W6TN is on the air as 3W9T from Vietnam until the 11th
of January. Activity is on the 20 and 40m bands using CW.
QSL via Logbook of The World.
Pat, N2IEN is operating as A52PD from Bhutan until the 14th
of January. Activity is on the 80 to 10m bands using mostly CW
and various digital modes. QSL via NR6M.
Take, JA8DKJ is on the air as 8J8SSF from Hokkaido, IOTA
AS-078, until the 12th of February during the Sapporo Snow
Festival. QSL via the bureau.
Now the special event news
On the 7th of January, MX0YHA & MX0PHX will celebrate
Russian Christmas from high ground in North Yorkshire and in
the East Midlands. They will use the 2m FM band, as well as
40m and 20m if conditions allow. A special downloadable self-
service QSL card is available: follow the links on
www.phoenixarc.org.uk
Alex, UA1OJL is stationed at the Bellingshausen Base on King
George Island in the South Shetland Islands. Until the 31st of
March he will be using the special callsign RI50ANO to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bellingshausen Base. QSL
Manager is RN1ON, via Club Log OQRS.
Now the contest news
The ARRL RTTY Roundup ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC
today, the 7th of January. Using the 2.5 to 28MHz bands the
exchange is signal report and serial number. US stations send
their State; Canadian stations send their Province.
The CW AFS contest takes place today, the 7th of January,
from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900
to 2000UTC. It is followed by the 432MHz UK Activity Contest
using all modes. The exchange is the same for both: signal
report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 50MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to
2000UTC. It is followed by the 50MHz UK Activity Contest
using all modes. The exchange is the same for both: signal
report, serial number and locator.
On Saturday the 13th, the SSB AFS contest runs 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 5th January.
Last week the solar flux index, or SFI, hovered around the 70
mark, reflecting the lack of sunspots. Given that the SFI
doesn’t really fall below about 65-66 at sunspot minimum, this
shows the distinct lack of solar activity at this time. This meant
that the lower bands were the ones to see the most activity,
with 80 and 40 metres showing just how well they can work
during the winter. There were reports of the US being worked
on 80 metres at sunrise and on 40 metres during late
afternoon. Japan was also worked on 40 metres. This month
will offer very similar propagation to December on the low
bands so make sure you don't miss it.
There were also reports of Sporadic-E openings into Europe
on the HF bands. Winter Sporadic-E can often bring strong
short-skip openings from 40 up to 10 metres, as well as on the
6m band, as you will hear later.
The SFI is predicted to remain around 70 next week, so expect
more of the same, propagation-wise.
Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for around the
seventh and eighth, due to a high-speed solar wind stream
from a recurrent coronal hole. The 23th and 14th may also be
unsettled, with a possible maximum K index of five, so look for
auroral-type noisy conditions, and depressed maximum usable
frequencies after a potential short-lived upswing after the
enhanced solar wind hits.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The New Year starts with a hint of tropo promise as high
pressure drifts across the north of the country this weekend.
Conditions in such winter highs may not always deliver good
results and this one could be a bringer of shallow surface
inversions with only limited tropo lift potential. This high will
soon be replaced by the return of low pressure and more
unsettled conditions during next week, so look for rain scatter
on the microwave bands.
Last week saw some good 50MHz Sporadic-E into Europe,
mainly from western Britain and one reported path within
Europe on 70MHz. This is a timely reminder that, although
rare, Sporadic-E is possible outside of the traditional high
summer season, so keep looking!
After last week’s short Quadrantids meteor shower we are
entering the annual ‘low’ in sporadic meteor activity that lasts
until the Lyrids shower at the end of April, so you’ll need to
work hard for meteor scatter contacts for a while.
Moon declination goes negative on Monday and we are just a
week away from its apogee, the point at which the moon is
furthest from the Earth, so EME opportunities will be short and
path losses will increase as the week progresses.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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