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G4APL > NEWS 17.06.18 03:43l 276 Lines 12921 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 17 June 2018
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Sent: 180617/0231Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:25553 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday 17th June 2018
The news headlines:
* Three balloons go up on Thursday
* 70MHz experimental NoVs now easier
* RBN adds FT8 spots
Three high altitude balloon launches will take place from a site in
Welshpool on Thursday 21st of June, conditions permitting. Starting
between 10.30 and 11.30am, the balloons will have a number of
experiments on to look at various aspects of space flight. Involving
a number of schools in the north west, the launches are by a team
from Hi-Impact Consultancy, based on the Wirral, as part of their
SpaceCamp event, and take place in association with AirProducts UK.
The organisers ask as many amateurs and SWLs to get involved and
track the flight using FL-DIGI. The balloons will transmit on
434.650MHz USB with callsign SPACECAMP. They use 50 baud RTTY, 450Hz
shift, 7N2. Details about the flights will be posted via Twitter
<at>hiimpactconsult and on www.facebook.com/hiimpactconsultancy
Following agreement with Ofcom, the RSGB is pleased to announce that
a new much faster online process is now available for all Full
Licensees to access the 70.5-71.5MHz experimental band. Applications
can now be made online for a new, annually-renewable Notice of
Variation. It works in a similar way to the 146-147MHz NoV. This
replaces the previous Special Research Permit process and is
expected to spur digital innovation at VHF. Prospective applicants
should ensure they read the supplementary information and must
observe the NoV power and geographic restrictions. See
www.rsgb.org/nov for details.
The Reverse Beacon Network is beta-testing a separate Telnet feed for
FT8 spots. You can find it at telnet.reversebeacon.net port 7001.
This is in addition to the existing feed on port 7000, which has been
re-purposed as CW-only. Also, Aggregator version 5 has been developed
as a beta that can handle FT8 spots received from WSJT-X. This will
be available, with instructions, from the Reverse Beacon Network
website.
Preparations for the next World Conference in 2019 have continued
over the past few weeks with meetings at ITU in Geneva and CEPT
Project Team D in Estonia. Volunteers from IARU and Member Societies
have been engaged on two key agenda items of interest to amateur
radio; regarding a potential 50MHz allocation for Region 1, and
Wireless Power Transfer for charging electric vehicles. For the
latter topic, the RSGB has provided further information on Wireless
Power Transfer, including IARU briefing slides and links to Ofcom
measurements, on our WRC-19 focus page at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0617A
[Note for Newsreaders: the original, full URL is
http://rsgb.org/main/news/special-focus/wrc-19/wrc-19-papers/]
The Chinese amateur satellite organisation, CAMSAT, has released more
details about their satellites planned for launch later this year.
CAS-5A will carry two HF and two VHF-UHF transponders. CAS-6 will
include a CW telemetry beacon on VHF, a 20kHz wide UHF-VHF linear
transponder and AX.25 4.8k baud GMSK telemetry. Meanwhile, two
Russian CubeSats will be deployed during a spacewalk from the
International Space Station. SiriusSat-1, callsign RS13S, will beacon
on 435.570MHz and SiriusSat-2, callsign RS14S, will beacon on
435.670MHz.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The West of England Radio Rally takes place today at the Cheese &
Grain, Market Yard, Bridge St, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE. This, the
fifteenth occurrence of the event will see inside & outside traders,
free car parking, disabled access, a caféplus an RSGB bookstall.
Doors open from 10am to 2pm and admission is GBP 3, with accompanied
under 14s free. Details from Shaun, G8VPG, on 01225 873 098.
On Thursday Quantum Amateur Radio & Technology Society is holding a
sell and swap night. It takes place from 8pm at Cottage Lane Mission,
Cottage Lane, Ormskirk L39 3NE. Everyone is welcome to bring
electronic, computer, amateur radio and Maker items to sell, give
away or swap. There is free parking but see their website for
details. Public admission is GBP 3 and there are refreshments and
pizza available. The organisers ask those planning to attend to say
so in advance via www.quantumtech.club
Next Sunday the Newbury Radio Rally runs for the thirty-first time.
It takes place at Newbury Showground next to junction 13 of the M4,
where it crosses the A34 in Berkshire. There will be a display area
of an amateur radio station, exhibits, special interest groups, clubs
and societies. The grounds open to sellers at 8am and to visitors at
9am. There is free parking. Entry is GBP 2.50 for visitors, GBP 12.50
for a car boot sellers pitch. There is on-site catering and disabled
facilities. Discounted advance pitch bookings can be made via
www.nadars.org.uk/rally.asp and for other details, email
NewburyRally<at>nadars.org.uk
To get your rally or event information into GB2RS News, RadCom and on
the RSGB website, email details as early as possible to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk.
And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources
John, W5JON will be operating as V47JA from St Kitts, IOTA reference
NA-104, from the 22nd of June. Active on 160 to 6m, including 5MHz,
he will be using SSB. QSL to home call or Logbook of the World.
The Cayman Islands, NA-016 play host to Lawrence, K8HTC operating as
ZF2LT on HF from the 18th to the 24th of June. QSL to his home call.
Haru, JA1XGI will be active from Honiara, Solomon Islands from the
21st to the 27th. Operating as H44XG on 40m to 10m he will mostly be
on CW, with some FT8 DXpedition mode. QSL to his home call.
Tatsuko, JJ1BDT will be active as T88YL from Koror Island, OC-009,
from the 22nd to the 27th of June. She will operate on 40, 17 and 14m
SSB. QSL via JR1FKR.
Now the special event news
Many stations are active around the world this weekend, and next
weekend, for Museums on the Air. Some UK examples include GB4CTM from
Coventry Transport Museum, GB1MSM from Manston Spitfire Museum and
GB2RRM at Ramsey Rural Museum. Well over fifty stations have
registered to take part. A comprehensive list is at
www.radio-amateur-events.org/IMW/stations.htm
Next Sunday, Shoreham Coast Watch Special Event Station GB1SCW will
be operating from the National Coast Watch Lookout on Shoreham Beach,
BN43 5HY. This will be to mark the work of coastal watch communities.
Activity will be centred on HF and VHF bands.
A large number of special event stations remain on the air worldwide
celebrating FIFA World Cup 2018. Many awards are available for
working various numbers and types of station. Details are at
www.rsgb.org/fwc
Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the first American woman to fly
in space, NN4ASA will be on the air from NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center Amateur Radio Club in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. Operating from
0000UTC on the 18th until 2359UTC on the 24th, activity is expected
on 7.195, 14.235 and 21.295MHz. A special QSL card is available.
Lincoln Short Wave Club is running GB6CGC next Saturday and Sunday
from The Gliding Centre, Husbands Bosworth Airfield LE17 6JJ,
commemorating the 65th anniversary of Coventry Gliding Club.
If you're planning a special event station, please remember to send
advance publicity to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk . we are very happy to
help publicise your event, for free, but unless you tell us about it
we can't help.
Now the contest news
The All Asian DX contest finishes its 48-hour run at 2359UTC today,
Sunday. This CW-only event uses all the HF contest bands from 1.8 to
30MHz and the exchange is serial number plus the operator's age.
Today is busy on 6m, with the WAB 6m Phone contest running from
0800UTC to 1400UTC. Using phone on the 50MHz band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and WAB square.
Commencing at 0900UTC today and running to 1200UTC, the 50MHz CW
contest has an exchange of signal report, serial number and locator.
Finally for today, the 70MHz Cumulative #4 runs from 1400UTC to
1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Tuesday sees the 1.3GHz UKAC from 1900UTC to 2130UTC. Using all modes
on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Thursday it's the 70MHz FMAC from 1800UTC to 1900UTC, followed
immediately after by the all-mode 70MHz UKAC from 1900UTC to 2130UTC.
The exchange for both is the same, signal report, serial number and
locator.
Next Sunday the UKuG High Band contest takes place from 0600UTC to
1800UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Also next Sunday the 50MHz CW contest runs from 0900UTC to 1200UTC.
Using CW only on the 6m band, signal report, serial number and
locator forms the exchange.
Running from 1400UTC to 1600UTC, the 70MHz Cumulative #4 is also next
Sunday. All modes are valid on the 4m band, and the exchange is the
usual signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday 15th June.
It was more of the same last week with virtually zero sunspots, but
some Sporadic-E to keep us amused on HF. We say virtually zero
sunspots as a group had just appeared over the sun's limb, pushing
the sunspot number to 16 as the time of writing. This represents 10
for the single group and six for the number of visible spots in that
group.
On Thursday afternoon the solar flux index was just 74 as the
sunspots have not yet moved into an earth-facing position to have any
real effect. NOAA doesn't think they will not do too much for HF
propagation, estimating the maximum solar flux index as 75 on
Thursday 21st. The good news is geomagnetic conditions are predicted
to remain fairly settled this week with a maximum K index of two.
As we head towards the summer solstice the upper HF bands are
remaining open later, which is the norm. The Chilton ionosonde
suggests that 20 metres may be remaining open on 3,000km paths until
around 11pm. But with the current low solar flux you may find 30
metres more reliable after dark on distant paths.
Meanwhile, Sporadic-E continues to impress, but may decline slightly
as we head into July. So make the most of it. For those not familiar
with Sporadic-E, it can generate very strong, localised, but often
fleeting openings on HF up to 2,200km on all bands up to 10 metres.
Also look out for rarer multi-hop Sporadic-E that can take your
signals even further afield, as we'll discuss in the VHF section.
Don't miss the Sporadic-E openings, as it may be some time before we
see reliable 10m band propagation again once the season has ended.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It looks as though there will be plenty of opportunity to talk about
tropospheric openings during the next week, but northern Britain will
have to cope with occasional periods of low pressure and stronger
winds. On the positive side this may offer some rain scatter on the
microwave bands. It is worth checking for this over this first
weekend, even in the south where we may have some heavy showers
around.
Back to the Tropo now, and as a new ridge of high pressure builds in
across southern Britain during next week, it will be a good option
for longer VHF/UHF paths across Biscay and across the southern North
Sea.
Stations in the far south-west should be alert for those rare but
exciting openings down to EA8 and D4 if this tropo couples in to the
Azores duct system.
Sporadic-E is still in full season, and last week saw many QSOs from
the UK into the Caribbean on six metres on both digital and CW. With
the Atlantic jet stream over the country and a strong upper ridge
over the near continent, there are good reasons to hope for some
Sporadic-E into Europe and at times across the Atlantic. It may well
be the turn for paths to Scandinavia as the jet stream over the UK
moves over the Norwegian mountains by mid-week. If time is limited,
check on 10m and 6m late morning and early evening.
June is one of the best periods of the year for meteor activity, so
keep looking for meteor scatter in between the Sporadic-E openings.
The moon's declination goes negative on Thursday, and the Moon is
heading away from us again, but EME conditions will continue to be
good throughout the 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 radcom<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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