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G4APL > NEWS 16.04.23 08:31l 265 Lines 11962 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 16 Apr 2023
Path: IW8PGT<I3XTY<I0OJJ<GB7CIP
Sent: 230416/0623Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:45170 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To : NEWS@EU
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 16th of April 2023
The news headlines:
* Nominated Board Director vacancy
* Regional Forum Facebook pages
* SOS Radio Week
If you are an RSGB Member you still have time to apply for the RSGB
Nominated Board Director vacancy. The RSGB needs a strong and
effective Board and this could be your opportunity to be part of
that. The deadline for applications is Monday the 17th of April. To
find out more, go to the volunteer vacancies section of the RSGB
website at rsgb.org/volunteers or, for an informal discussion, please
email Nominations Committee Chair Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at
nominations.chair<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB Regional Forum has created Facebook pages for each of the 13
regions. These pages have a focus on regional amateur radio
communities and are moderated by members of the RSGB Regional Team.
Whilst the pages share a similar style, they are very different in
content. Selected posts are created by the RSGB moderators to
maintain some news content from the RSGB, but the main content comes
from clubs, individual licensees and also event organisers in those
regions. The pages also provide a forum where anyone can ask for help
with any part of the hobby. Clubs are positively encouraged to post
news and events on the pages. You can find them on Facebook by
searching for ‘RSGB Region' and the number of your local region,
for example ‘RSGB region 1'.
SOS Radio Week 2023 starts at midnight on the 1st of May and
concludes at midnight on the 31st of May. It is an opportunity to
support the many voluntary organisations in the British Isles whose
members volunteer to save the lives of others at risk around the many
miles of its coastline, and out at sea. These organisations include
the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the National Coastwatch
Association and the numerous independent lifeboat and coastal rescue
groups. Individual amateur radio operators and clubs are invited to
register to become an official SOS Radio Week station and operate
under their own callsign, their club's or a special event callsign to
raise awareness of the great work these volunteers perform. Awards
are available for registered stations that make the most contacts on
each of the 160m to 70cm bands and using various modes. Registration
is now open and further details can be found at sosradioweek.org.uk
The outgoing RSGB President Stewart Bryant, G3YSX and the incoming
RGSB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM will be at the NARSA rally in
Blackpool on Sunday the 23rd of April. This is a great opportunity to
meet John, have a chat and welcome him to his role. There will also
be an official handover of the presidential chain on the stage area
at the Norbreck Hotel. Find out more about the rally via the event
website at narsa.org.uk
Tuesday the 18th of April is World Amateur Radio Day. The IARU is
excited to mark the occasion, and the 98th anniversary of its
founding, with an event to promote the United Nations Human Security
for All initiative, also known as ‘HS4A'. Special event stations
have been operating since the 11th of April and will be available to
work until the last week of April. For more information visit
iaru.org and choose ‘On the Air' from the menu options.
And now for details of rallies and events
The Cambridgeshire Repeater Group Rally is taking place today, Sunday
the 16th of April. The venue is Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road,
Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Doors opened at 7.30am for traders and
9.30am for visitors. Admission is GBP 3. The rally features 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 is taking place today,
Sunday the 16th of April. The venue is Holsworthy Livestock
Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. There is plenty of parking,
wheelchair access and full catering available. The doors opened 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.
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Rally, also known as
both the ‘NARSA Rally' and the ‘Blackpool Rally', will take place
on Sunday the 23rd of April. The venue will be Norbreck Castle
Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. For more details contact Dave,
M0OBW on 01270 761 608, email dwilson<at>btinternet.com or visit
narsa.org.uk
Ripon Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 30th of April. The
venue will be Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2PT.
Traders can gain access from 7am and tables are GBP 12 each. Doors
open to the public from 10am and entrance is GBP 3 per person. For
more information and directions visit: g4sjm.co.uk
Now the Special Event News
With the kind permission of the National Trust, Weston-super-Mare
Radio Society will be operating special callsign GB0IMD from the Old
Fort on Brean Down on Saturday the 22nd of April, as part of the
International Marconi Day celebrations.
Special callsign DR0LIMES will be active until the 30th of June for
this year's German World Heritage Day. The 'limes' was the border
line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent. In 2005, the
remnants of the Upper German-Raetian [REE-SHAN] Limes were inscribed
on the UNESCO World Heritage list as 'Frontiers of the Roman Empire'.
Celebrating World Amateur Radio Day, DARC special event callsign
DA23WARD will be active until Tuesday the 18th of April. All QSOs
will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. Direct cards will be
managed via DL2VFR.
Also celebrating World Amateur Radio Day, special event station
OT23WARD will be active from various locations in Belgium until the
30th of April. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World and
eQSL. A certificate will be available. For information visit QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Bernhard, DL2GAC will be active on the Solomon Islands until the end
of May. He plans to be QRV as H44MS from Malaita [MAL-ITE-AH],
OC-047, daily until the end of April, with activity on the 80 to 6m
bands using SSB and some FT8. QSL via his home call, direct or via
the bureau. He will upload his log to Club Log and Logbook of the
World when he returns home.
James, KI7MGY will be in Djibouti until June and plans to operate as
J28HJ on the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL
via Logbook of the World.
HH75RCH is the special callsign for the Haiti [HAY-TEE] Radio Club,
established on the 29th of March 1948 to celebrate its 75th
anniversary. The station will be active until the 1st of May. QSL via
Club Log's OQRS, or via N2OO.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 18th of April, the 1.3GHz UK Activity contest runs
from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3GHz band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 19th of April, the 80m Club Championship runs from
1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal
report and serial number.
On Thursday the 20th of April, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs
from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The Machine Generated Mode Contest starts its 24-hour run at 1400UTC
next Saturday, the 22nd of April. Using machine generated modes on
the 6m and 2m bands, the exchange is report and your four-character
locator.
The SP DX RTTY Contest starts its 24-hour run at 1200UTC on Saturday
the 22nd of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests
are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Polish stations send their province code.
The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from
1700 to 2100UTC on Sunday the 23rd of April. Using 75 Baud RTTY on
the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 13th of April 2023
A news item this week suggested that the peak of solar cycle 25 could
be coming earlier than expected. According to a paper in Frontiers in
Astronomy and Space Sciences, by solar scientist Dr Scott Macintosh,
solar maximum may now be coming between late 2023 and mid-2024. So,
make the most of the higher Solar Flux Index now!
Solar activity picked up nicely over the past week. The solar flux
index rose to 154 and there were eight active regions on the Sun's
visible face by Thursday the 13th. Nevertheless, daytime maximum
usable frequencies, or MUFs, remain down a little, which has probably
more to do with seasonal ionospheric changes than reduced sunspot
activity.
As we head towards Summer we will see the daytime F2-layer MUF
decline further before it picks up again in the Autumn.
We also saw some M- and C-class solar flare action this week, but
this was not really enough to cause serious problems to the
ionosphere.
Next week NOAA predicts the Solar Flux Index will continue to
increase, perhaps peaking at 160 around the 16th to 18th of April.
Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 18th, perhaps
with the Kp index rising to four.
The forecast for International Marconi Day on the 22nd of April is
for a Solar Flux Index of 155 and a declining Kp index of three,
which bodes quite well for the event.
In all, the Solar Flux Index is expected to be in the range of 140 to
160 for the rest of the month.
And now the VHF and up propagation news
A big contrast is coming next week, so it's time to dust off the VHF
gear again!
The unsettled weather of this last week will make a complete swap
over to more settled high-pressure systems next week.
Initially, on Sunday this will appear as a ridge over the North Sea
from a large high over Scandinavia. This will then gradually extend
across the country and will eventually be joined by a second high
west of Britain.
The end result will be enhanced Tropo prospects in the coming week
and potentially good conditions for the 23cm UK Activity Contest on
Tuesday the 18th and the 4m UK Activity on Thursday the 20th.
Those who enjoy rain scatter propagation in this current showery
weather will have to look for other modes by Sunday, once the high
pressure builds.
As we are coming out of the Winter lull in meteor shower activity,
with the medium-rate Lyrids peaking on the 23rd of April at 0100UTC
with a Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR, in the 20s, it's well worth a
look for meteor scatter contacts.
The end of April normally prompts a return of isolated Sporadic-E
reports on the 10m band and perhaps even with data modes on 6m. The
upper troposphere jet stream charts suggest it's got some potential,
especially between Mediterranean countries although not quite so
positive for paths nearer to home.
The solar conditions may continue to offer a random chance of some
aurora, so remember to keep an eye on the Kp index if it goes above
five.
For EME operators, Moon perigee is on Sunday so path losses are at
their lowest. Moon declination is rising, going positive on Tuesday
meaning increasing Moon time and increasing peak elevation passes.
144MHz sky noise is low, but the Moon is close to the Sun on
Wednesday and Thursday meaning high Sun noise for those days.
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
https://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org
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