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G4TNU > NEWS 14.12.23 13:11l 270 Lines 13150 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 10 Dec 2023
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 10th of December 2023
The news headlines:
* 23cm recommendation approved at WRC-23
* RSGB Examinations Standards Committee report published
* RSGB Elections process begins
The third week of the WRC-23 World Radiocommunication Conference has
seen the approval of a new footnote to the 23cm amateur band at 1240
to 1300MHz under Agenda Item 9.1-b. This draws attention to the
recently released ITU-R Recommendation 2164 that provides guidance to
avoid interference to radio navigation satellite services, or RNSS,
such as Galileo. This is a major landmark after four years of hard
work which started after WRC-19 and now lays out the basis for
guidance and next steps. IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH said that
the addition of a footnote that provides guidance to administrations
in the event of interference to the RNSS is a good regulatory outcome
for amateurs and the primary users of this band. You can read more
on this story at tinyurl.com/RecRNSS The IARU team continues its
work on other WRC issues including the development of agendas for
future conferences. The RSGB special focus page provides regular
updates and additional detail. You can find the page at
rsgb.org/wrc-23
The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual
report, covering the operation of the amateur radio exams during the
calendar year of 2022. You can read the report on the RSGB website.
Go to rsgb.org/esc and click on Minutes, Papers and Reports in the
righthand list.
If you are keen to see amateur radio, and the RSGB, continue to
thrive over the coming years, this is the time to volunteer for an
RSGB Board or Regional Team role. This year the Society is looking
for one elected Board Director, two Nominated Board Directors and
eight Regional Representatives. You can find candidate packs, forms
and further details on the Society's website at rsgb.org/election
If you're interested but unsure, please read the information set out
on the elections web page first and then have an informal chat with
the RSGB Company Secretary. Email Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at
company.secretary<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB Board is delighted to announce that Bob Beebe, GU4YOX has
been appointed as the new Nominations Committee Chair. The Board
would like to thank Stephen Purser, GW4SHF for his work in this role
over a number of years, and it is pleased that he will continue in
his other role as Company Secretary. You can find out more about the
Nominations Committee on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nomcom and you
can email Bob via nominations.chair<at>rsgb.org.uk
Don't forget that the last of the RSGB's Tonight<at>8 webinars for
2023 is at 8pm tomorrow, Monday the 11th of December. It focuses on
amateur radio construction and the RSGB Construction Competition.
Jenny Curtis M7JNY, Colin Murray GM4EAU, and David Law G0LBK will
talk about the projects they worked on and why they decided to submit
them to the RSGB Construction Competition in recent years. Watch live
on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions
via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at
rsgb.org/webinars
EIRSAT-1 launched on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg
Air Force Base in California, USA at 1819UTC on Friday the 1st of
December 2023. 'EIRSAT-1' stands for 'Educational Irish Research
Satellite'. A team of students at University College Dublin, with
support from academic and professional staff, has designed, built,
tested, and will operate, Ireland's first satellite, a 2U CubeSat. It
has a downlink on the IARU coordinated frequency of 437.100MHz. For
more information about the project visit eirsat1.ie
The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon is underway. The objective is
to work as many four-digit grid squares as possible, between 0000UTC
on the 1st of December 2023 and 2359UTC on the 31st January 2024, on
the 6m band. Logs can be submitted until 12 February 2024. For more
information visit uksmg.org
It is now the second week of Youngsters on the Air month. Special
callsign GB23YOTA has already been operated by a range of schools,
universities and radio societies. The RSGB National Radio Centre is
active today Sunday the 10th of December using GB23YOTA between 9am
and 5pm. On Monday the 11th of December Hilderstone Radio Society
will be on the air with St Peter-in-Thanet School in Kent between
12pm and 6pm. Mallaig High School will be hosting the special
callsign for the second time this month between 12pm and 3pm on
Thursday the 14th of December. Tommy M7OMY, who was involved with
Youngsters on the Air month in 2022, is back again this year and will
be operating GB23YOTA supervised by M0BOY for the whole of Saturday
the 16th of December. Remember to listen out for all these young
operators on the air and help make them feel welcome to the world of
amateur radio. If you'd like to get involved and operate GB23YOTA,
there is still time. Email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month<at>rsgb.org.uk
to register your interest or ask for further information.
And now for details of rallies and events
The Sparkford Wireless Group Tabletop Rally, in aid of the RAIBC,
will take place on Thursday the 28th of December from 9.30am to 1pm.
The event will be held at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel near
Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Entry is GBP 3 and free parking and
refreshments will be available. For more information, email Bob via
wjh069<at>gmail.com
The Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will take place on
Thursday the 28th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road,
Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors will be open from 9am and admission
is GBP 2. Ample free car parking and hot refreshments will be
available. Tables cost GBP 10 each. At 2pm, after the Rally, there
will be a used equipment auction. Items for the auction will be
booked in from 1pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for bookings and information
via m5zzz<at>outlook.com or 07777 699 069.
Now the Special Event News
On Thursday the 14th of December, from 1700UTC, lots of special event
stations from The Netherlands will be on the air. The callsigns in
use will follow the format PA01MIL with each station having a unique
combination of numbers in the callsign. The operators will be
arranged into teams – each team containing two military personnel
and one amateur. The stations will work on the HF bands using SSB.
The objective of the event is to promote amateur radio so please do
give them a call.
Special callsign SX25GTC is in use until the 15th of December to
celebrate the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Greek
Telegraphy Club. Listen for CW activity on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL
via Logbook of the World. See QRZ.com for information about
certificates that are available.
Now the DX news
Burkhard, DL3KZA is active as YB9/DL3KZA from Lombok Island, OC-150,
until the 18th of December. QSL via home call, direct or bureau.
The V6EU team is active from Chuuk [CHUCK] Island, OC-011, in
Micronesia until the 16th of December. The team will operate on the
160 to 10m bands using SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8. QSL via DL2AWG.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 12th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to
1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 12th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from
2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The ARRL 10m Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, Saturday the 9th
and ends at 2359UTC today, the 10th. Using CW and Phone on the 10m
band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American,
Canadian and Mexican stations also send their state or province code.
On Wednesday the 13th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs
from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is
report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 13th, the
432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using
FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character
locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the
two-hour contest.
On Thursday the 14th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
The Stew Perry Top Band Challenge runs from 1500UTC on Saturday the
16th to 1500UTC on Sunday the 17th of December. Using CW on the 160m
band, the exchange is your four-character locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 7th of December 2023
We dodged a bullet last week as a high-speed solar wind stream from a
coronal hole sped past the Earth. Although the wind speed was often
in excess of 600 kilometres per second, its Bz, or magnetic field,
was pointing north. The net result was that most of this passed
harmlessly away from Earth and the Kp index remained around three.
Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 130 by Thursday, which is
quite a difference from the 194 we had on the 23rd of November.
Solar activity last week reached moderate levels thanks to multiple
low-level M-class solar flares detected around active region 3513 in
the northeast quadrant. This region also produced frequent C-class
flares.
Daytime MUFs over a 3,000km path mostly remained over 28MHz, while
nighttime MUFs over a similar path length remained around 10MHz.
As we head towards mid-winter, we may expect these nighttime MUFs to
drop, with the result that the 80m band closes down for short-skip
early on in the evening – the curse of the inter-UK 80m Club
Championship contests!
However, the 80m band may still be open over long distances and we
are now entering the best time of year for low-band DXing. Keep an
eye on the top end of the 80m band, around sunrise, for transatlantic
signals.
Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may recover a
little and be in the range of 130 to 150. Geomagnetic conditions will
depend upon coronal mass ejections, but are predicted to be good,
with a peak of Kp4 on the 12th of November. There is a slender
coronal hole on the Sun that could cause the Kp index to rise this
weekend, ending the 10th, due to its associated solar wind stream.
However, it shouldn't be too bad and any poor HF conditions are
likely to be short-lived.
Finally, NOAA has updated its progression forecast for Solar Cycle
25. It now predicts that this cycle will peak somewhere between
January and September 2024 with a solar flux index of around 167 to
201.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The present spell of unsettled weather at the end of the first week
of December will run into the first half of next week.
This brings a limited chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands, but
there is a strong signal in the models for a major change of weather
patterns for the middle of next week.
This will be the arrival of high pressure around Wednesday the 13th
that will probably last into the following weekend, although there is
some model variation in how quickly it will move away.
The main result is that, although it begins as a cold air high
pressure with frosts, it will probably develop surface temperature
inversions, which will be useful for Tropo. Towards the end of next
week, as the centre of the high drifts east, it will allow more moist
air at the surface and produce stronger ducting potential as well as
develop an upper-level inversion for longer DX paths into the
continent.
The evening of the 14th of December sees the peak of the biggest and
most reliable meteor shower of the year. The Geminids has the
potential for a zenithal hourly rate of 150. The higher 50MHz and
144MHz activity usually provides the best chances, and a reasonably
quiet QTH with 100W and a beam will bring you plenty of digimode
QSOs.
QSOs are even made by EME-class stations on the 70cm band and strong,
long reflections on the lower bands can allow SSB QSOs if you're
persistent enough.
That said, MSK144 and FSK441 digimodes will be the most reliable.
Aurora remains a possibility, but the isolated out-of-season
sporadic-E blips on the Propquest NVIS plots last month have
quietened down for now.
For EME operators, Moon declination is negative, falling further and
reaching minimum on Thursday the 14th. Path losses are falling
towards a minimum at perigee on Saturday the 16th. 144MHz sky noise
is moderate until the 12th and 13th when the Moon and Sun are close
in the sky.
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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