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G4TNU > NEWS 21.04.24 03:01l 286 Lines 14275 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 21 Apr 2024
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 21st of April 2024
The news headlines:
* Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX to continue as RSGB Board Chair
* The RSGB has vacancies for Regional Representatives
* The Radio Communications Foundation is recruiting new Trustees
The RSGB Board has met for the first time since the Society's AGM
where three Directors were endorsed to serve as Nominated Directors
on the Board and one was confirmed as elected unopposed. The new
Board has chosen Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX to continue in the role of
RSGB Board Chair until the 2025 AGM. You can find details of all RSGB
Board Directors on the Society's website and the Board Liaison roles
will be confirmed and added to the page in the coming weeks. Go to
rsgb.org/board for more information.
At its recent AGM, the RSGB was delighted to confirm the unopposed
election of five Regional Representatives. However, there are still
vacancies for Regional Representatives in Region 11, which covers
England South-West and the Channel Islands, and also Region 12 which
is England East and East Anglia. These vacancies will be filled by
co-option until the 2025 AGM. If you live in one of these areas and
are passionate about amateur radio, keen to support local radio
amateurs and clubs, and have the skills to lead a volunteer team of
District Representatives in the region, this could be a role for you!
To find out more, please contact Tony Miles, MM0TMZ who is the Board
Liaison for the Regional Team via mm0tmz<at>rsgb.org.uk
The Radio Communications Foundation is a small charity dedicated to
encouraging people to take up radio as a hobby or, in the case of
youngsters, considering an RF-based career. The RCF is proud to
sponsor Arkwright Scholars, work with the RSGB and Bletchley Park to
deliver radio building workshops, and to make grants for various
projects around the UK. Further information is available via the RCF
website at commsfoundation.org The RCF is now looking to recruit a
couple of new Trustees to help it deliver its aims. Applicants should
have an interest in radio communications and be prepared to be
involved in decisions over grant making, delivering RCF projects and
attracting charity funding. The RCF would particularly like to hear
from anyone with links to secondary education in the UK. Expressions
of interest and applications should be sent to
rcfsecretary<at>commsfoundation.org preferably by the end of June.
Following the introduction in February of the new Ofcom amateur radio
licence conditions, the RSGB has continued to provide information and
support to radio amateurs to help them make the most of the changes.
This has included updates, club talks and a section of the AGM event
focused on those licence changes. Go to the RSGB YouTube channel and
choose the AGM recording from the ‘live' tab and then watch two
sections. Firstly, the main Board Q&A which begins just after one
hour and eighteen minutes into the event and included some licensing
questions from members. Secondly, a section from just before two
hours and thirty-three minutes which focused entirely on the new
licence conditions and included three videos and a full live Q&A with
four senior RSGB representatives. The Society has also published a
wealth of information on its website which you can find at
rsgb.org/licence-review
Nigel Limb, M7FFU, had a motorbike accident in 2015 that left him
with permanent brain damage and partially blind in both eyes, but
this didn't stop him pursuing his childhood dream of obtaining his
amateur radio licence. In December 2023 he passed the Foundation
Licence exam. In the early 1970s Sue Jacob, GW7YLS was a shortwave
listener and interested in amateur radio, but it wasn't until she
retired and discovered that the exams no longer contained Morse code,
that she decided to get more involved. Within 18 months she had
passed all three licence levels. One of the great things about
amateur radio is that it is accessible to everyone. The RSGB is
celebrating this by collecting stories of radio amateurs who have
passed their Foundation licence, or progressed through the licence
levels, and are now discovering new aspects of amateur radio to
enjoy. If you'd like to read more about Nigel, Sue and others, go to
rsgb.org/student-stories and, if you'd like to share your story with
the Society, email comms<at>rsgb.org.uk and the RSGB will use as many
as possible.
A new amateur radio Facebook group has been formed for those who like
getting out and about in motorhomes, campervans, and caravans. The
group welcomes all radio enthusiasts. To find out more, or to join
the group, search for ‘UK Motorhome and Amateur Radio Group' on
Facebook.
SOS Radio Week is an annual event that takes place throughout the
month of May to celebrate the work of the volunteers from the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution, Independent Lifeboats and National
Coastwatch Stations around the British Isles. Members of these
organisations save many people between them who are in danger along
and around the thousands of miles of coastline and further out to
sea. This year is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI
and SOS Radio Week is being co-branded SOS Radio Week 200 for those
operators that are supporting the RNLI during the event. Participants
can operate from home, a public location, or a lifeboat or coastwatch
station, with the appropriate authorisation from the station manager.
A commemorative certificate will be available to all official
stations that record their contacts on the website together with
awards for the top individual and club, or group, stations on each
band from 160m to 70cm. Registration for individual and group
operators is available via sosradioweek.org.uk
International Marconi Day will take place on Saturday the 27th of
April. Once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and
running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating
from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection
with. For more information, and to view a list of the stations that
are taking part, follow the "International Marconi Day" link on the
gx4crc.com website
And now for details of rallies and events
Andover Radio Amateur Club Boot Sale is taking place today, the 21st,
at Wildhern Village Hall, Tangley, Wildhern, Andover, SP11 0JE. The
doors open at 10am for visitors and at 9am for sellers. Entry costs
GBP 2. The fee for a field pitch is GBP 8 and the cost for a table in
the hall is GBP 10. For more information visit arac.org.uk
Cambridge Repeater Group Rally was due to take place today, the 21st,
at Foxton Village Hall, CB22 6RN. The event has been postponed until
Sunday the 14th of July. For more information contact Lawrence, M0LCM
on 07941 972 724, email rally2024<at>cambridgerepeaters.net, or visit
cambridgerepeaters.net
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Rally, also known as
both the ‘NARSA Rally' and the ‘Blackpool Rally', is taking place
today, the 21st. The venue is 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
Now the Special Event News
In celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, Martin, OK1RR and Slavek,
OK1TN are active as OL1WARD until the 30th of April. They are
operating CW only on the HF bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.
Paper QSL cards will not be available.
DARC special event callsign DA24WARD is active until the 30th of
April, also in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. All QSOs will
be confirmed automatically via the Bureau.
Now the DX news
John, AD8J is active as HR9/AD8J from Roatan [ROW-AH-TIN] Island,
NA-057, until the 28th of April. He operates CW, FT4, FT8 and
possibly SSB, on the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or
direct to John's home call.
TJ [TEA-JAY], PE1OJR is active as PJ4TB from Bonaire [BON-AIR],
SA-006, until the 28th of April. He is operating SSB, FT8 and FT4 on
the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.
Michael, GM5AUG and Kevan, 2E0WMG will be active from the Western
Isles of Scotland, with a focus on Barra and the Uists [YOU-ISTS],
from Friday the 26th of April until Saturday the 4th of May. Worked
All Britain hunters will be interested to know that the team will
also be visiting Fiaraidh [FURY or FEWER-AYE], NF61, and Eriskay
[EH-RUH-SKAY], NF80, which have never before been activated. The guys
will be active on the 2m, 70cm, and HF bands, as well as the LEO
satellites, using CW, FM, SSB, and packet radio.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 23rd, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to
2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 24th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest
runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is
your six-character locator.
On Thursday the 25th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to
2030UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
The UK and Ireland DX CW Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the
27th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using CW on the
80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal
report and serial number. UK and Ireland stations also send their
district code.
The SP DX RTTY Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th of
April and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using RTTY on
the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province
code.
The MGM Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 27th of April and
ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using machine-generated
modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your report and
four-character locator.
On Sunday the 28th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint
75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75-baud RTTY on the 80 to
10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial
number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO
on Thursday the 18th of April 2024
Last week saw a welcome return of sunspots but, unfortunately, it
also brought unsettled geomagnetic conditions.
By Thursday the 18th the solar flux index was back above 200, hitting
217. Compare that to the previous week's 131 and you can see that
there is a lot more activity. But, with 12 active regions visible, it
looks like we could be in for a bumpy ride over the next seven days.
The Kp index hit five on the evening of Tuesday the 16th of April
after the interplanetary magnetic field, or Bz, swung southwards,
sparking visible aurora in the UK as far south as Dartmoor. This
impacted the ionosphere, pushing MUFs over a 3,000km path down, with
recovery not showing itself until 0930UTC on Wednesday the 17th.
The 10m band is struggling to open at times, although you may find
FT8 still passing weak signals. SSB operators might be better advised
to look at the 12 and 15m bands which may provide richer pickings.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to be
in the range of 170 at the beginning of the week, falling to between
135 and 140 at the end of the week. The risk of an M-class flare is
currently at 75%, with an X-class event at 20%. Despite this, NOAA
predicts the Kp index will be around 2 for all of next week. However,
there is a chance that a flare and associated CME could scupper that
completely.
If we do get a coronal mass ejection, or CME for short, we can expect
the Kp index to rise roughly 48 hours after the event, perhaps
hitting 5 or more and possibly sparking visible aurora from the UK
again.
Overall then, it's good news on the sunspot front, but not so good
for geomagnetic activity, which could see MUFs fall if any solar
flares and CMEs come to fruition.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The weather is likely to remain in an unsettled state, despite
temporary high pressure moving across the country this weekend. This
may bring some Tropo, but it's a cold air high and probably not the
best for enhanced VHF conditions, except for localised overnight or
early morning temporary lifts.
The rest of the time, there will continue to be an unsettled flavour
to the weather so this leads to the possibility of rain scatter on
the GHz bands, especially if we get heavy April showers.
This first weekend coincides with the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower
which peaks tonight, the 21st and 22nd, so it's worth checking the
usual meteor scatter frequencies. If you are not familiar with meteor
rates and variations from day to day, then visit the excellent Radio
Meteor Observing Bulletin at rmob.org which gives an hourly display
from various locations around the world. You can find many other
useful links to meteor scatter resources by searching for ‘meteor
scatter' at rsgb.org
The Sun has woken up a little since last week, and a few auroral
flutter signals on the LF bands suggest we shouldn't give up yet for
this spring. As usual, keep a watch for the Kp index going above 5.
The late April period can provide some fleeting early season
Sporadic-E events, especially for the 10 and 6m bands. A couple of
weak 5MHz Sporadic-E critical frequencies were noted during late
afternoon on Wednesday the 17th on the Dourbes plot shown at
propquest.co.uk
For EME operators, Moon declination goes negative again today, the
21st, but path losses are falling as we passed apogee yesterday, the
20th. 144MHz sky noise is low but rising to moderate by the end of
next 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. 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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