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G4TNU > NEWS 25.12.22 03:28l 257 Lines 12464 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 25 Dec 2022
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RSGB Main News for Sunday 25 December 2022
Newsreaders should consider using phonetics for parts of web and
email addresses if spellings are questionable.
The news headlines:
* Coronation of King Charles III
* RSGB Elections
* New edition of RadCom Plus released
Season's greetings to all our listeners! Today's GB2RS news script
will the final one of 2022. Today's news reading is optional, as the
RSGB appreciates that not all newsreaders will be available as
normal, but the script will be on the RGSB website so all can see it.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the newsreaders, who
read the news on a variety of platforms, for their service to their
fellow amateurs throughout the year. We'd also like to remind
amateurs that there is a long-standing convention to listen for news
broadcasts on Sundays before transmitting to allow news reading to go
ahead without interference. Thank you to all those who listen on
Sunday mornings, and the other times that the news is read, to those
who call in afterwards to speak to the newsreaders, and to everyone
who listens via various platforms. Please note, there will be no
script prepared for broadcast on Sunday the 1st of January 2023 due
to RSGB HQ being closed from 12.30pm on Friday the 23rd of December
until 8.30am on Tuesday the 3rd of January 2023. Newsreaders may, of
course, choose to run a net at their normal transmission time, but
under their own callsign only.
The RSGB is making plans to celebrate the coronation of King Charles
III and the Queen Consort in May 2023. The Coronation theme is
looking towards the future while being rooted in our traditions,
which the Society would like to incorporate in its celebrations. The
UK has an ancient chain of fire-based beacons and the RSGB is
considering ways that these might be used in the plans. As well as
organising events for radio amateurs, this is a great opportunity to
demonstrate amateur radio to the public and to gain publicity in the
media. If you have any thoughts about how to use the fire beacon
chain, or if you have ideas for activities on the Coronation theme
that could be used as outreach to the public, please contact the RSGB
Coronation Lead, Alan Messenger, G0TLK on
special.projects<at>rsgb.org.uk
Are you keen to see amateur radio thrive? Do you have the time and
enthusiasm to support other radio amateurs and to help shape the RSGB
of the future? If so, you still have the opportunity to be nominated
in the RSGB elections. This year there are nine roles to be filled
and the results will be announced at the Society's AGM in April 2023.
An explanation of how to apply for the Nominated Board Director
process, as well as the candidate packs and forms for President,
Elected Board Director and Regional Representative, are all on the
Society's website. The deadline for the Nominated Board Director role
is the 3rd of January 2023 whilst the closing date for other roles is
the 31st of January 2023. Find out more at rsgb.org/election
The RSGB is pleased to announce that a new edition of RadCom Plus,
Volume 7, Issue 1, is out now. RadCom Plus is the RSGB's digital
technical supplement and RSGB Members can read it in HTML5 flipbook,
PDF and Epub formats. This issue contains almost forty pages,
including an article on an active dipole antenna and another on the
construction of a portable dish for operating on the 23 and 13cm
bands. RadCom Plus can be accessed via www.rsgb.org/radcom-plus
The RSGB is releasing three more 2022 Convention videos between
Christmas and New Year to give radio amateurs some great content to
watch during the festive season. Dr Colin Forsyth from UCL's Mullard
Space Science Laboratory gives a fascinating presentation about Space
Weather, whilst Prof Norman Billingham, M0EBI talks about plastics
for the radio amateur. Jim Bacon, G3YLA reviews what the 2020s have
told us about Sporadic-E. The presentations will be published on
three separate days so if you subscribe to the RSGB YouTube channel
you will know when they're available. Go to youtube.com/theRSGB
And now for details of rallies and events
The Yeovil Amateur Radio Club Rally will be held on Thursday the 29th
of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, Yeovil, Somerset,
BA22 7QX. Doors will be open from 9.30am to 1pm and admission is
GBP 3. Free parking is available. The event will include bring and
buy as well as 20 tables for traders. For more information contact
Bob on 01963 440 167.
The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally will be held on Sunday
the 29th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen,
LN8 3HT. Doors open at 9.30am and entry is GBP 2. Refreshments are
available on site and talk-in is available on 145.375MHz. For more
information email Graham via contact<at>m1dhv.co.uk
The Canvey Rally will be held on the 5th of February at Cornelius
Vermuyden [VER-MOW-DEN] School, Dinant Avenue, Canvey, Essex,
SS8 9QS. The Rally is expected to be the usual hive of activity with
plenty of traders and an indoor boot sale. Hot food and drinks will
be available. Contact sears.enquiries<at>gmail.com for further
information.
Now the Special Event News
To celebrate the festive season, the Market Reef DX Association in
Finland will be using special callsign OG1XMAS. The team will be
active on all bands and modes until Monday the 26th of December. QSL
via Logbook of the World, Club Log or directly to OH1NOA.
Special callsign PD22SANTA will be active from The Netherlands until
the 31st of December in celebration of the holiday season. QSL cards
will not be issued but a certificate will be available for download.
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Summits On The Air France,
special callsign TM15SOTA will be active until the 30th of December.
QSL via eQSL.
Throughout 2022, the BBC Amateur Radio Group has been celebrating the
centenary of British broadcasting using the callsign GB100BBC. There
is still time to catch the station on air, with the final day of
operation being New Year's Eve. Between Christmas and the new year,
operation will take place from the club headquarters shack located on
the top floor of BBC Broadcasting House in central London. The team
hope to work as many stations as possible to wrap up the year of
special activity.
Throughout the month of January 2023, Weston super Mare Radio Society
will be operating GB4WSM in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of
the Society's formation on the 3rd of January 1923.
Now the DX news
Lester, W8YCM will be active as W8YCM/6Y from Jamaica, NA-097, until
January 2023. QSL directly via his home callsign.
Andre, ON7YK will be active in Bijilo [BIDGE-ELO], Gambia until the
24th of February 2023. He is available as C5YK on the 20, 17, 15, 12
and 10m bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via eQSL, Logbook
of the World or directly to his home callsign.
Gerard, F2JD will be active as HR5/F2JD from Copan [COP-ANNE],
Honduras until the 13th of March 2023. He will be operating using CW,
SSB and digital modes on the HF bands. QSL via F6AJA, directly or via
the Bureau.
Now the contest news
The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon began on Thursday the 1st of
December. The contest will run until the 31st of January 2023. Using
all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator.
On Monday the 26th of December, the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club
Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the
80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
German stations also send their district or non-member code.
Also on Monday the 26th of December, the 50MHz Christmas Contest runs
from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
It's not a contest but the Worked All Britain Christmas Party runs
from Monday the 26th of December to Friday the 6th of January. Using
all bands and modes, the exchange is your Worked All Britain Book
number.
On Tuesday the 27th of December, the 70MHz Christmas Contest runs
from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 28th of December, the 144MHz Christmas Contest runs
from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 29th of December, the 432MHz Christmas Contest runs
from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 22nd of December 2022
The solar flux index stayed around 150 over the last week, bringing
some choice DX to the higher HF bands. However, solar flares continue
to plague us, bringing short-lived band fade-outs at times. These
have all been moderate C- and M-class flares. It is uncertain as to
whether or not there will be an X-class flare soon.
Meanwhile, try and work some Arctic Circle DX. Santa's broadcasting
arm, Santa Radio, OF9X, will be active again, on all amateur radio
bands, using CW, SSB and digital modes until the end of the year.
On any band, from 10MHz and up, it should be fine to make contact
with OF9X during the day, with 80m and 40m being ideal for night-time
contact. The DX cluster is probably the best way to find where they
are operating.
NOAA predicts that the solar flux may decline slightly over the next
week, perhaps going down to 125. But then it should rebound, maybe
making it to 160 by the first week of January.
Unfortunately solarham.com is currently offline. Kevin, VE3EN, who
produces the site, says that hopefully this downtime will be
short-lived. Keep an eye on the URL as it remains one of the most
useful sites for radio amateurs.
And now the VHF and up propagation news
There will be a very unsettled flavour to the Christmas propagation
weather with many lows tracking across the country into the New Year.
There will be spells of strong winds to provide a few nail-biting
moments for antennas, but the main theme is for bands of rain and
heavy showers. These will be capable of producing some rain scatter
on the GHz bands on most days in one part of the country or another.
Cold air will be present at times to give some snow scatter in
places, although primarily over northern Britain.
The chances of traditional high-pressure systems bringing some
festive tropo are very low indeed with the nearest high displaced
well away over southeast Europe. The solar conditions will doubtless
be worth considering as a possible indicator of auroral propagation
if the Kp index rises above about five or six.
Mid-winter Sporadic-E, can surprise us over the period from now to
roughly mid-January. A good example was shown on the Dourbes
ionosonde on Monday the 19th of December when the Sporadic-E critical
frequency reached 5.45MHz at 2300UTC and coincided with a jet stream
nearby.
There will be plenty of jet stream activity, so it is well worth
checking the clusters. Don't be too fixed upon the usual times for
Sporadic-E since these events tend to be driven by the timing of
significant weather features.
For meteor scatter enthusiasts, the Leonis Minorids are still active
but past their maximum, so we await the Quadrantids to peak with a
zenithal hourly rate of around 120 between the 3rd and 4th of
January.
Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about
two days, the peak period of the Quadrantids lasts only a few hours.
Moon declination is rising, so Moon windows will continue to
lengthen, and zenith angles increase, while EME path losses increase
after Christmas Eve's perigee. 144MHz sky noise is low all 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. With the holiday season in full
swing, the next main bulletin will be broadcast on 8 January 2023.
Items for inclusion in the next 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.
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