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G4APL > NEWS 04.02.18 01:50l 272 Lines 13262 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 4 Feb 2018
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 4th February 2018
The news headlines:
* ARISS APRS packet not working
* Nominate for the Golden Antenna Award
* RSGBCC log upload practice site opened
An unidentified anomaly involving the radio serving the ARISS APRS
Packet System on board the International Space Station has led to the
system not functioning. A similar problem has occurred on other
occasions and solutions that resolved the problem proved to be only
temporary fixes. The system may return to service as it has in the
past or it may have finally failed completely. ARISS sees the
delivery of the interoperable radio system as the true solution to
securing ARISS packet operation. Current target period for delivery
and installation of the replacement system is autumn 2018. In the
meantime, ARISS continues to investigate the problem and seek
opportunities to resolve the issue. The ARISS team knows many amateur
radio operators really enjoy using the ARISS APRS packet system, and
thanks everyone for understanding the issues involved with not having
it available.
For almost 50 years, the German town of Bad Bentheim has organised
the Dutch-German Ham Convention. During this event the Golden Antenna
is awarded for outstanding humanitarian performance, recognising the
importance of the hobby during or after disasters. Nominations for
this year's Golden Antenna award should be submitted by 1 June, by
email to juerriens<at>stadt-badbentheim.de and for more information
on the Dutch-German Ham Convention see www.dnat.de
The RSGB Contest Support Committee has produced a facility to enable
entrants to practice uploading logs for HF and VHF contests to the
RSGB Contesting Committees website. This facility accepts logs
formatted for the 80m Club Championship Contest and UK Activity
Contest. The practice facility uses the same robot that is used for
all RSGB HF and VHF contests and provides a very realistic
experience, including giving feedback on any errors found in the
‘dummy' log. This facility is accessed via the Information link on
the RSGBCC website, www.rsgbcc.org where you can then scroll down and
click on Log Test Facility. The HF Log Upload Test and VHF Log Upload
Test links go to separate pages.
Have you seen the RSGB's new web page about the National Radio
Centre? It gives a brief overview of the centre, introduces some of
the great volunteers who help to explain amateur radio to visitors at
the Bletchley Park site and also links through to the full NRC
website. The centre needs more volunteers so take a look and see if
you could help. The website is www.rsgb.org/nrc
The VDSL interference survey set up by the RSGB EMC Committee has now
closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted their results. Following
the survey, Ofcom is now investigating levels at six locations close
to Baldock. We'll keep you posted of further outcomes.
In 2018 the Youth Contesting Program of Region 1 of the IARU is
offering young amateurs the opportunity to take part in a contest
from so-called Top Gun stations. There is still time to apply for a
place with these contest stations. ES5TV is offering a place in the
ARI International DX contest in May and 9A1A in the CQ M
International DX contest also in May. The application deadline is the
1st of March. EC2DX has a place in His Majesty King of Spain contest
in June with an application deadline of 1st of April. Finally, 4O3A
is offering a place in the CQWW RTTY contest in September, with an
application deadline of 1st of June. Go to tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0204A
and click on the Apply Here link.
[Note to Newsreaders: the full page URL is
www.ham-yota.com/youth-contesting-program/ ]
There is still time for RSGB Affiliated clubs to enter the Club of
the Year competition, kindly sponsored by Waters and Stanton. As last
year, the RSGB will be judging entries in two categories: clubs with
fewer than 25 members and clubs with 25 or more members during 2017,
and there will be separate prizes for each category. Please use the
entry form on the RSGB website Club of the Year pages, which must be
sent to your Regional Manager by the 28th of February 2018. Regional
winners will be announced at the RSGB AGM on the 21st of April in
Birmingham. The RSGB Board will judge the national winners, which
will be announced at the National Hamfest in September.
[Note to Newsreaders: the entry page URL is
http://rsgb.org/main/clubs/national-club-of-the-year/ ]
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Canvey Radio Rally takes place today, the 4th of February, at
Paddocks Community Centre, Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS80JA.
Doors open at 10.30am and admittance is GBP 3. There will be trade
stands, RSGB bookstall and special interest groups. Catering is
available on site. For more details contact Vic Rogers, G6BHE, on
0795 746 1694.
The Ballymena ARC Rally takes place on the 10th of February at
Ahoghill Community Centre, 80 Cullybackey Road, Ahoghill BT42 1LA.
Doors open 10.30am. There will be traders and a Bring & Buy.
Refreshments will be available on site and a raffle will take place.
Details from Hugh Kernohan, GI0JEV on 028 2587 1481.
On the 11th of February the Harwell Radio & Electronics Rally will be
held at Didcot Leisure Centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8AY,
which is 3 miles from the Milton Interchange on the A34. Doors open
from 10am to 3pm and admittance is GBP 3, with under 12s free. There
is free car parking, with disabled parking and facilities. There will
be traders, special interest groups and an RSGB book stand.
Refreshments will be available all day. Talk in is on 145.550MHz
using G3PIA. Details from Ann, G8NVI by email to
ann.stevens<at>btinternet.com
The 2018 Scottish Braehead Radio & Electronic rally, run by ASRA,
will be taking place on the 20th of May. The website booking system
is now open and they would like to invite any trader or club
interested in having a table this year to visit the website
www.asrarally.com/book For more details email info<at>asrarally.com
Please do not just assume we know about events. Make sure your rally
or event information gets into future editions of GB2RS News, into
RadCom and on the RSGB website by emailing details to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
At the time of writing this week's script, the 3Y0Z Bouvet Island
DXpedition team is now at anchor off Bouvet Island, but weather and
sea conditions have not reached the point where the team can begin
transporting equipment and personnel ashore. Apparently, winds are 35
to 40 knots, the ship is pitching and rolling up to 30 degrees and it
is around 0 degrees Celsius. Once they get ashore, the team of
operators will be operating as 3Y0Z until the 28th of February.
Activity will be on the 160 to 2m bands with multiple stations using
CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8, with EME on 6 and 2 metres. QSL via N2OO.
Chuck, W0DLE is operating as 3W9DLE from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam
until the 30th of April. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB
and FT8. QSL direct to his home callsign.
Dick, AD7AF will be on the air as 5W0LR until the 22nd of February in
Samoa. Activity will be on the 40 to 15m bands, and possibly 80m,
using primarily CW and FT8 with some SSB, depending on band
conditions. QSL direct to his home callsign.
Tim, N4UM, Bob, N4BP and Mike, K4RUM will be on the air as C6ARU,
C6AKQ, and C6AUM, respectively, from Great Abaco Island, in the
Bahamas, IOTA reference NA-080 from the 6th to the 20th of February.
Activity will be on the 160 to 6m bands, with a focus on CW. QSL
direct to his home callsigns.
Giovanni, IK5BCM, Giuseppe, IK5CBE and Giovanni, IK5CRH are operating
as D68I until the 10th of February. Activity is on the 80 to 10m
bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via IK5CRH.
Chris, F4EBK is on the air as DU3/F4EBK from Baliuag on Luzonin the
Philippines, IOTA OC-042, during the month of February. Activity is
on 20, 15 and 10 metres using SSB. QSL direct to his home callsign.
Now the special event news
Thinking Day on the Air 2018 will take place over the weekend of the
17th and 18th of February. A list of known stations is displayed on
the Station List page of the website www.guides-on-the-air.co.uk
Currently, as well as UK stations, Guides and Scouts are taking part
from Canada, USA, and the Netherlands. Please send in station details
via the website or to lizowl<at>gmail.com
Gloucester Amateur Radio & Electronics Society is helping the
Quedgeley Brownies for Thinking Day on the Air. Listen out for
GB4QBP.
Now the contest news
Today, the 4th of February, the 432MHz AFS contest takes place from
0900UTC to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 432MHz band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC.
It is followed by the 144MHz UK Activity Contest that uses all modes
from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for both is signal report, serial
number and locator.
There's a similar evening on Thursday with the 50MHz FM Activity
Contest from 1900 to 2000UTC and the 50MHz UK Activity Contest using
all modes from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Saturday the first 1.8MHz contest runs from 1900 to 2300UTC. Using
CW only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and District.
Next weekend, the 10th and 11th, the CQ World Wide WPX RTTY contest
runs for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 10th. Using RTTY only on the
3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Also next weekend, from 1200UTC on the 10th to 1200UTC on the 11th is
the PACC contest. Using CW and SSB on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands the
exchange is signal report and serial number, with PA stations
exchanging their Province details too.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 2nd of February.
Solar activity remained at very low levels last week, with one
barely-visible sunspot group pushing the sunspot number to a maximum
of 13 and the solar flux index to 69. Geomagnetic conditions were
largely settled, with some coronal hole activity pushing the K index
to three at times.
Despite the low SFI, there was band activity up to at least 21MHz.
Z60A in Kosovo came up to a 59 on 15 metres CW on Wednesday and the
FT8 frequency, 21.074MHz, revealed varying amounts of activity. So
the message is that despite a low solar flux index it does pay to
check the upper bands regularly. The FT8 frequencies are a good
starting point, as are the International Beacon Project frequencies.
Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain around the
70 mark. Geomagnetic conditions should be slightly unsettled, with a
maximum K index of three throughout the week, rising to four on
Saturday 10th due to ongoing coronal hole activity.
All eyes and ears will be on Bouvet Island this week as the 3Y0Z
DXpedition gets underway. Described as the most remote island on
Earth, Bouvet is 1000 miles north of Antarctica and a near
north-south 7400km path from the UK. But it won't be an easy one as
signals are likely to be fairly weak unless you have a beam. Checking
with the VOACAP online software shows 17m or 15m might offer the best
chance of a daytime contact, with 17m peaking around 1600-1800UTC.
40m and 30m offer the best chance of an evening or night time path.
By next week we should have a better idea of how strong they are.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This week we are in a cold northerly with heavy wintry showers around
the coasts, sometimes driven a fair way inland at times. We therefore
have the prospects of rain scatter on the microwave bands, and you
can track the showers on one of the many weather radars out there on
the web.
The pressure has remained low through this weekend, but high pressure
returns early next week. It's unlikely that this will produce good
enough inversions to produce much Tropo. In any event, this is soon
replaced by more unsettled weather after mid-week. This will mean wet
and windy weather at times and unlikely to do much for VHF/UHF
conditions.
Random meteor rates are still low and there are no showers due until
the Lyrids shower at the end of April. EME conditions will decline
this week as Moon declination goes negative today, meaning shorter
Moon windows in the Northern hemisphere. Path losses will increase
all week as we approach apogee a week today. So, it's looking like a
good week to do some VHF DXing on the various artificial satellites.
Look on the AMSAT-UK website for details.
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.
Our thanks to Andy G4TNU for providing this RSGB feed.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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