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G4TNU > NEWS 26.03.23 04:31l 260 Lines 12148 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 26 Mar 2023
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 26th of March 2023
The news headlines:
* RSGB Elections
* RSGB Membership and communications
* Coronation regional secondary locator
If you are an RSGB Member, don't forget to vote for the two
candidates that you would like to see as Board Directors for the next
two years. You can find out more about each of them on the RSGB
website at rsgb.org/candidates and then there is a link at the top
and the bottom of the page to cast your vote. Read their personal
statements, watch the videos and see if their background, skills and
aspirations match your view of what the Society needs. The decision
about who to vote for is entirely yours, but please do vote – it
only takes a few minutes and will help to ensure that the RSGB Board
reflects your views.
As the RSGB continues to expand the use of its new Membership and
management systems, it will make greater use of electronic
communications to advise Members of important changes to their fees,
benefits and offers as well as to send notifications for important
publications and events. If you are an RSGB Member, please remember
to keep your preferences and personal information up to date,
including your callsign and email address, by logging into the
Society's Membership portal via rsgb.org/members or by contacting
membership<at>rsgb.org.uk
As part of our Coronation celebration activities, Ofcom has
approved "R" as the optional Coronation regional secondary locator
prefix for all UK radio amateurs to use during May and June 2023. You
will need to apply for a Notice of Variation – or NoV – and the
form is now available on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nov
A group of radio amateurs in Jersey will be using special event
callsign GB3KCJ as part of the Coronation celebrations. An
opportunity exists for groups in each of the UK Nations who have a
regional secondary locator, and the Crown Dependencies, to apply for
similar special event callsigns. Applications for special event
callsigns can be made through the Ofcom web portal, as usual. Using
the same format as the Jersey special event station callsign,
applicants might consider the following if they are available:
Scotland: GB3KCM; Wales: GB3KCW; Northern Ireland: GB3KCI; Guernsey:
GB3KCU; and the Isle of Man: GB3KCD.
The RSGB's Tonight<at>8 summer programme begins on Monday the 15th of
May when Jack Purdum, W8TEE and Al Peter, AC8GY will talk about "The
T41-EP ALPS: A High-Performance CW Decoder". Jack and Al collaborated
to build the T41-EP, a seven-band, 20W, CW/SSB SDR transceiver but
this presentation is chiefly about how they developed the
high-performance CW decoder. The two were awarded the RSGB's Bennett
Prize in 2021 for their article on their "Double-Double Magnetic
Loop" antenna article in the February 2020 issue of RadCom. Full
details of all the webinars in the summer programme are on our
website – there are some great topics, so take a look and put the
dates in your diary! Go to rsgb.org/webinars to find out more.
If you are an RSGB Member who is interested in online webinars and
events, don't miss out! Log into the RSGB Members' portal, choose the
preferences tab and click the online events option. The RSGB will be
using this mailing list in future to send out details of forthcoming
online events, for example the packed programme of Tonight<at>8 live
webinars that are booked until July. Go to rsgb.org/members
And now for details of rallies and events
The Hack Green Military Surplus and Military Radio Hanger Sale will
take place on Sunday the 2nd of April. The venue will be Hack Green
Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 8AL. The sale will
include electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military
radio items and vehicle spares. For more information email
coldwar<at>hackgreen.co.uk or visit www.hackgreen.co.uk
Yeovil Amateur Radio Club's 37th QRP Convention will take place on
Saturday the 15th of April at The Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset
DT9 3AA. Doors open from 9.30am to 1.30pm and admission is GBP 3. The
Convention will feature talks, traders, bring and buy, club stalls
and a café. For more information visit yeovil-arc.com or contact
qrp<at>yeovil-arc.com
The Cambridgeshire Repeater Group Rally will take place on Sunday the
16th of April. The venue will be Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road,
Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Doors open at 7.30am for traders and
9.30am for visitors. Admission is GBP 3. The rally will feature
talk-in, trade stands, bring and buy, an RSGB Bookstall and free car
parking. For more information contact Lawrence, M0LCM on
07941 972 724, email rally2023<at>cambridgerepeaters.net and see the
cambridgerepeaters.net website.
The Holsworthy Spring Rally and Boot Sale will also take place on
Sunday the 16th of April. The venue will be Holsworthy Livestock
Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. There will be plenty of parking,
wheelchair access and full catering available. The doors open to the
public from 10am. For more details contact the club secretary Ken,
G7VJA via email on m0omc<at>m0omc.co.uk and visit the m0omc.co.uk
website.
Now the Special Event News
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of
China on the 1st of July 1997, Hong Kong licensed amateurs are
granted the use of the special prefix VR25 until the 30th of June
2023. The VR2 Contest Club, and the Hong Kong Amateur Radio
Transmitting Society will be using VR25CC and VR25HK, respectively.
YR1400VT is the special callsign that members of Radio Club YO6KGS
will be using until the 30th of June 2023 to popularise the newly
inaugurated Via Transilvanica [VEE-A-TRANS-ILL-VAIN-ICA], a
long-distance trail used for hiking, cycling and horse riding that
crosses Romania. More information can be found on QRZ.com QSL via
eQSL.
9A66AA is the special callsign that Tom, 9A2AA will be using
throughout 2023 to mark his 66th year in amateur radio. QSL via Tom's
home call.
Now the DX news
Neville, G3RFS will be active as 6Y5FS from Jamaica, NA-097, until
the 29th of March. He will operate mainly using CW and some SSB. QSL
via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS, or via G4BWP.
Rich, PA0RRS will be active as 9M2MRS from Penang [PUH-NANG] Island,
AS-015, West Malaysia until the 29th of March. He will operate using
CW most of the time but will also use RTTY, FT8 and FT4 on the 40 to
10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred, but also via Logbook
of the World, or via PA0RRS.
Willy, ON4AVT will be active as 6W7/ON4AVT from Warang [WERE-ANG],
Senegal until the 31st of March. He usually operates using FT8, with
some SSB and CW, on the 80 to 10m bands. He will also be available on
the QO-100 satellite. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred, or via
his home call.
Lars, SM6NT will be active as HS0ZME from Hua Hin [WHO-A-HIN],
Thailand until the 2nd of April 2023. He will operate mainly CW on
the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via SM6NT.
Now the contest news
The CQ Worldwide WPX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the
25th of March and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 26th of March.
Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Monday the 27th of March, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to
2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is your
report.
On Tuesday the 28th of March, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from
1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3GHz band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 29th of March, the UK and Ireland Contest Club
Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the
exchange is your six-character locator.
On Saturday the 1st of April, the FT4 International Activity Day runs
from 0800 to 2000UTC. Using FT4 on the 160 to 10m bands, where
contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.
The SP DX Contest starts at 1500UTC on Saturday the 1st of April and
runs until 1500UTC on Sunday the 2nd of April. Using CW and SSB on
the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report and serial number. Polish stations send their province
code.
On Sunday the 2nd of April, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest
runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using All modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz
bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday 23rd of March 2023
The solar flux index dipped a little last week, down to 148, but it
didn't last long and was back up to 159 by Thursday the 23rd. We were
free of major solar flares with only one M-class flare occurring on
the 20th.
Geomagnetic conditions were mainly settled as well, but that could
change this weekend thanks to a large coronal hole.
The massive coronal hole on the Sun became Earth-facing on Thursday.
A coronal hole is an area on the Sun's surface with open magnetic
field lines, which allows plasma to flow out. They appear dark when
photographed in extreme UV light.
Although the bulk of the hole is south of the Sun's equator, a long
finger reaches out to the equator, which makes it a potential threat
to Earth.
All eyes will be on the Kp index over the weekend as we expect it to
increase, possibly dramatically as the solar wind impacts us. Solar
wind speeds are likely to be in excess of 600km/s and continue into
the weekend, resulting in isolated G1 storm levels. Keep an eye on
solarham.net for updates.
We are now at the spring equinox, so it is a prime time for auroral
activity. The spring equinox traditionally brings greater solar
activity which results in an increased frequency of auroral displays.
It is also a prime time for north-south HF paths, such as the UK to
South Africa, and the UK to South America.
Next week, the US Air Force predicts that the solar flux index will
decline slightly to bring it into the range of 130 to 140. Once the
weekend's solar storm declines, we may expect a few days of
relatively calm geomagnetic conditions before another period of
unsettled space weather is predicted for Thursday the 30th and Friday
the 31st. This could see the Kp index rise to five once again.
And now the VHF and up propagation news
The overall unsettled nature of the current weather pattern is likely
to continue for much of the period through to the end of next week,
except for a brief ridge of high pressure crossing the country after
the weekend.
This might offer the only tropo potential for VHF operators. The rest
of the time will probably be beset by bands of rain, showers and, at
times, strong winds and introduce the prospect of some rain scatter
on the GHz bands.
It's a week to focus on fleeting tropo, rain scatter and aurora as
modes of choice. As we said earlier, aurora is worth looking out for
since the solar conditions are still very disturbed. As usual, good
indicators are the Kp index values, which ideally should be five or
greater to get our attention.
The meteor shower calendar is still in its quiet period, and with no
major showers to look for, it would be best to try your luck with
random meteors, which tend to peak just before dawn.
The Sporadic-E season has not started yet but is getting closer, say
from mid-April on 10m, perhaps.
For EME operators, Moon declination reaches maximum next Tuesday
meaning long Moon availability windows. Path losses increase
throughout the week and 144MHz sky noise starts out moderate, falling
to low next weekend.
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.
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