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G4APL > NEWS 27.12.20 10:47l 252 Lines 11815 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 27 Dec 2020
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Sent: 201227/0843Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:17396 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 27th of December 2020
[Season's greetings from the GB2RS Editorial Team: Elaine Richards,
G4LFM (who compiles the Main News) and Giles Read, G1MFG (who puts
together the Local News section). Our thanks to all who read the
news, whether weekly or on a rota system.
PLEASE READ THIS (not aloud!): This is the script for the last
reading of 2020, which is optional. Later in this document is
another, slightly abbreviated script, for the 3rd of January. Again,
that script is optional. The full news service will return on the
10th of January.]
The news headlines:
* Thanks and seasonal greetings
* Charity auction raises over GBP 1000
* New GB2RS News Manager appointed
This is the final GB2RS news reading for 2020 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 get
this news via TX Factor or podcasts. 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. There will be an abbreviated news reading available for the
3rd of January, although it's voluntary as the RSGB realises not all
newsreaders will be available. A full GB2RS service will resume on
the 10th of January.
The RSGB is delighted that its charity auction for Get on the air for
Christmas had a fantastic winning bid of GBP 1,025.99. Ellie Orton,
Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together said, "Thank you so much
Roy Bailey for choosing to raise funds for NHS Charities Together in
such a unique way. In addition, I'd like to say a huge thank you to
the RSGB for kindly match-funding the winning bid. These funds mean
we can continue to help NHS charities to support NHS staff,
volunteers and patients at the centre of this crisis." Get on the air
for Christmas continues until the 9th of January and there are still
many activities you can take part in. Go to the Society's website at
www.rsgb.org/gota4c.
The RSGB Board has appointed Steve Richards, G4HPE as the new GB2RS
Manager. A long-time GB2RS newsreader himself, Steve has had a
lifelong career in broadcasting. He will start his new role in the
New Year and can be contacted via email at gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk.
RAYNET groups in several coastal areas have been on active standby in
the last few days. In the South East in particular, groups have been
ready to act alongside Local Resilience Forums to help with the lorry
chaos caused by the temporary closure of the French border. In areas
where there are large ports, groups have been preparing to offer
assistance with difficulties envisaged with Brexit. These include
working with other voluntary agencies conducting welfare checks on
lorry drivers who may be in long queues, plus helping to ensure the
distribution of vital supplies including Covid-19 vaccines. Several
groups have activated wide-area communications systems, including one
where the local authority has installed a new PMR system that some
feel may not be adequate to cope with extreme call volumes.
On the 2nd of January, the RSGB National Radio Centre plans to host
the special event station GB2DAY, to help promote the
well-established KW activity weekend. The NRC hopes to operate on
both the 80 and 40m bands using its KW2000D – an incredibly rare
prototype model that never made it into mainstream production at the
KW Factory. The event will be held within appropriate Covid
restrictions.
An ARISS Slow Scan TV event is scheduled from the International Space
Station for late December. This will be a special SSTV event to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amateur Radio on ISS. The event is
scheduled to begin on the 24th of December and continue through until
the 31st of December. Dates are subject to change due to ISS
operational adjustments.
Listen out for Youngsters On The Air stations around the world.
GB20YOTA will be operating until the end of December. The full
calendar is shown on the GB20YOTA page on QRZ.com.
The latest ICQ Podcast contains an update on the RSGB's Get on the
air for Christmas campaign as well as a wider look at amateur radio
construction. The chat with Board Director Stewart Bryant, G3YSX;
Construction Competition Lockdown Category winner Roy Bailey, G0VFS;
and RSGB Communications Manager Heather Parsons starts at 1:18:15 in
the ICQ Podcast episode. See https://tinyurl.com/icq-gota4c-update.
RSGB HQ is closed for the Christmas and New Year until at 8.30am on
the 4th of January. During that time, if you need information about
amateur radio, exams or RadCom you'll find lots of information on the
RSGB website, www.rsgb.org. The RSGB's National Radio Centre at
Bletchley Park is currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now the special event news
From the 1st to the 28th of January, GB4BLC will be operational from
the QTH of G8GMU. Operation will take place on most bands and will
include digital modes. This station is promoting the work of Lions
Clubs International and amateur radio.
Members and supporters of Denby Dale ARS are running special event
stations to welcome the New Year from the end of December. They will
be using callsigns GB – number – HNY. For more details see the
QRZ.com entry for GB9HNY.
Thurrock Acorns ARC members will be on the air as GB4XMS from the
20th of December to the 3rd of January.
During the month of December, Welland Valley ARS members will be
running GB1XMS, GB2XMS, GB5XMS and GB9XMS from their home shacks. QSL
via eQSL and Logbook of The World.
Now the DX news
Kenji, JA4GXS will be active as JA4GXS/4 from Otsu Island, IOTA
reference AS-117, on the 25th and 26th of December. He will operate
CW, SSB and FT8 on 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via home call.
Now the contest news
Please remember to check before the contest for any new rules due to
lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world.
The RSGB strongly advises obeying your national and local
government's advice.
As per tradition, December is a quiet month for traditional contests,
with no RSGB HF contests, but do look out for the RSGB Hope QSO
Parties. There are two series, which run from 21 December to 14
January, with a short break over Christmas. You can find out details
at https://tinyurl.com/RSGB-Christmas-Hope-QSO.
On Tuesday, the 29th, the 50MHz Machine Generated Modes Contest and
the 144MHz Machine generated Modes contest both run from 2000 to
2130UTC. The exchange for both is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On the 1st of January the IRTS 80m Daytime Counties contest runs from
1700 to 1800UTC. Using SSB and CW, the exchange is signal report and
serial number, with EI and GI stations also sending their County.
On Saturday the 2nd, the CW AFS contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC.
Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
The first session of the EUCW 160m CW Party is also on the 2nd from
2000 to 2300UTC, with the second session on the 3rd at 0400 to
0700UTC.
The ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800UTC on the 2nd of January to
2359UTC on the 3rd. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the
exchange is signal report and serial number, with US stations sending
their State and Canadians their Province too.
The Worked All Britain Christmas party runs until the 6th of January.
Using all modes on the amateur contest bands, the exchange is the WAB
book number.
The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon runs until the end of January
2021. Just exchange a signal report and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on
Wednesday the 23rd of December.
HF conditions were not terribly good over the last week with maximum
usable frequencies down in general. The best DX has been on 40m,
especially around greyline times, although there has been a little
winter Sporadic-E activity on 10 metres as well that has seen Italy
and Spain appearing on FT8, as well as Brazil on 10m via the F2
layer. The lack of sunspots has seen the solar flux index move back
down to the low 80s again.
Solar matter from a coronal hole pushed the Kp index up to four late
on Monday evening as predicted and on Tuesday the Kp index was still
pegged at three for most of the morning. NOAA predicts that the solar
flux index will remain in the 80s for the Christmas period, with
active region 2794 helping to push it towards 86 over Christmas Day
and Boxing Day.
Unfortunately, NOAA also predicts that a high-speed solar wind stream
from a coronal hole may impact Earth over the Christmas period, so we
may expect the Kp index to rise again to four or even five just
before Christmas with detrimental effects on maximum usable
frequencies. Look out for possible pre-auroral enhancements, although
these are hard to predict.
This should start to settle by the 27th, with the Kp index predicted
to go back down to two. So DX conditions may improve after that time.
There is little other festive cheer, with the SFI remaining in the
low 80s for the rest of the month and into the New Year. Let's hope
2021 sees the return of the upward trend of Solar Cycle 25 with an
increase in sunspots and HF DX.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It's looking like a predominantly unsettled period of weather over
the Christmas holidays, with a ridge of high pressure to the west of
Britain soon declining to allow low pressure to move in and reside
over the UK for the bulk of next week. This has a chance of providing
some good rain scatter conditions on the GHz bands.
Sporadic-E has a habit of appearing at this time of year. There is
some work that relates the chances of Sporadic-E to disturbances in
the stratosphere when the winter polar vortex breaks down in a
feature called a sudden stratospheric warming, where temperatures can
increase by tens of degrees Celsius over 24 hours.
This disturbance in the stratosphere can produce conditions where
Sporadic-E is more likely because of the changed flow pattern. Check
the usual Sporadic-E bands like 10m and 6m for signs of activity,
especially during the first two weeks of January, but it is probably
better to focus on the period 9am to 3pm rather than the summer
pattern of mid-morning and late afternoon.
The Quadrantids meteor shower peaks between late-night on the 2nd of
January until dawn on the 3rd with, a huge ZHR of 110. It is known
for bright fireball meteors causing big over-dense radio meteor
bursts. You have to be ready at the right time though, as the peak is
very short, lasting just a few hours. This is because the shower is a
thin stream of particles and the Earth crosses the stream at a
perpendicular angle.
The Moon reaches maximum declination this Tuesday so visibility
windows are long. Today we are at apogee so losses are high but
144MHz sky noise is low, not reaching 500 kelvin until Tuesday.
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. With the holiday season in full
swing, the next bulletin will be broadcast on 10 January 2021.
Items for inclusion in the that news bulletin can be emailed to
radcom<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.
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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