GB2RS News

Sunday, the 30th of March 2025

The news headlines:

Do you have a question about the RSGB’s strategy? Perhaps you have a query about recent licence changes? Or maybe you’d like to understand more about membership growth? Whatever the topic, the Society is asking you to get in touch. RSGB Board members will be answering your questions during the RSGB 2025 AGM on Saturday, the 12th of April. You can submit your question in three ways; live via Zoom, send a written question in advance, or during the live chat on the day. If you’d like to ask a question about the formal part of the AGM, you’ll need to do this via Zoom or by submitting a written question in advance. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to discuss what matters to you. Your participation in the AGM is important, and the Society looks forward to hearing from you. Find out more about how to be involved and the deadlines for submitting questions by going to rsgb.org/agm

As part of its modernisation of the exam systems, the RSGB has introduced online forms for reporting possible errors found in exam questions. These forms replace the current procedure of writing to the Exam Department. RSGB Examinations Standards Chair Tony Kent, G8PBH, explained that there are two forms. The first can only be submitted by exam candidates and is to formally challenge questions in actual exams, where the outcome of a challenge may affect a candidate’s result. The second form can be submitted by anyone and is for informal queries of published exam questions, for example, in mock exams. A separate form is needed for each question that you challenge. Please check carefully that you are using the correct form, otherwise, it may delay the process. Your query will be considered by the RSGB Examinations and Syllabus Review Group, who will let you know the outcome. For more information and to find the forms, go to rsgb.org/exam-challenges

The next webinar in the RSGB’s Tonight@8 series will be with Nick Wood, M0NTV, on Monday, the 7th of April. Nick will show you how to use a regular glue stick housing in a rather novel way to form the basis of a variable tuning inductor in a homemade 40m receiver. After a brief description of a Direct Conversion Receiver and a short technical explanation of how it works, Nick will dive into four separate modules. At the end of the webinar, he will string it all together, and you’ll be able to see some video footage of how it sounds and what it can do. Visit rsgb.org/webinars  to find out more. Join the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.

The RSGB is delighted to announce that Chris Aitken, MM0WIC, who is the current RSGB Youth Champion for Schools, is taking on the new position of RSGB Youth Chair. For now, Chris will continue to fulfil his Youth Champion for Schools role but will also take on more responsibilities by leading the Youth Champion team. Chris will work closely with the Board Liaison for Youth, and IARU Youth contacts, to help attract more UK youngsters to amateur radio. Find out more about youth activities by going to rsgb.org/youth

If you live in Region 9, London and the Thames Valley, why not support fellow radio amateurs in your area? There are several volunteer vacancies within the region, including several District Representative positions, as well as the Regional Representative role. If you are passionate about amateur radio, enjoy talking with people, and want to give something back to the hobby, get in touch. Go to rsgb.org/volunteers to find out more, and then email the Regional Forum Chair Keith Bird, G4JED, via [email protected]

SOS Radio Week is an annual event that celebrates the invaluable life-saving work of the volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the National CoastWatch Institute and the independent lifeboats around the coasts of the British Isles and the Channel Islands. This year, the event starts at 0000 UTC on the 1st of May and concludes at 2359 UTC on the 31st of May. SOS Radio Week stations can be run by individuals or groups, from home or at a special location. To register, go to sosradioweek.org.uk

This year’s Mills on the Air weekend is taking place on the 10th and 11th of May. Find out more at tinyurl.com/millsontheair  or search Mills on the Air on Facebook.

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Hack Green Military Surplus and Military Radio Hangar Sale is taking place on Sunday, the 6th of April at Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AL. Items on sale will include electronic equipment, amateur radio gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. For further details, please go to hackgreen.co.uk  or email [email protected]

The Yeovil Amateur Radio Club QRP Convention is taking place on Saturday, the 12th of April at Digby Hall in Sherborne. Doors open at 9.30 am. The convention will include traders, bring and buy, club stalls and a café. For more information, please visit the club’s website at yeovil-arc.com

Now the Special Event news

The Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society, also known as RAFARS, will be holding its popular Airfields On The Air special event activity from the 1st of April. RAF Stations will be activated primarily during the 5th and 6th of April, as well as the 12th and 13th of April. More information can be found via rafars.org/rafaota

The Polish Amateur Radio Union is celebrating 95 years since its founding, as well as the centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union. To mark the occasion, ten special event stations will be active between the 11th and 25th of April. Full details of the event, as well as details of available awards, can be found via Hamaward.cloud

Now the DX news

Alex, K6VHF/HR9 will again be active from the 30th of March until the 6th of April from Roatán island, IOTA reference NA-057. He’ll be QRV on 80m to 6m using verticals, Hexbeam, Slopers and a Delta loop using FT8, FT4, SSB, RTTY and CW. QSL direct via K6VHF, OQRS Club Log, and Logbook of The World.

Aldir, PY1SAD, is active again from Georgetown in Guyana as 8R1TM until the 26th of April. Aldir will be operating on all bands using CW, SSB, digital and satellite. QSL via eQSL and Logbook of The World.

Now the contest news

The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday, the 29th of March, and ends at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 30th of March. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday, the 1st of April, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855 UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday, the 1st of April, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 2nd of April, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and a four-character locator.

Also on Wednesday, the 2nd of April, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

The UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest is on Wednesday, the 2nd of April and runs from 2000 to 2100 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

The FT4 International Activity Day starts at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 5th of April and ends at 1200 UTC on Sunday, the 6th of April. Using FT4 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.

The SP DX Contest starts at 1500 UTC on Saturday, the 5th of April and ends at 1500 UTC on Sunday, the 6th of April. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 27th of March 2025

Last week’s space weather was dominated by a large coronal hole on the Sun. This was probably one of the largest we have seen for many years.

Moderate, G2, geomagnetic storming was observed following the arrival of a solar wind stream from the hole, with the wind speed exceeding 600 km/s on Wednesday, the 26th. This pushed the Kp index to 6.33, depressing the MUF slightly.

Luckily, the daytime MUF over a 3,000km path mostly stayed above 28 MHz, but it was slow to rise on Thursday, the 27th, when it took until 0900 UTC to reach 28 MHz. At the time of writing, the solar wind speed was more than 800km/s, so we can expect more disruption until at least Saturday, the 29th.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 152 by Thursday, the 27th, with only four small sunspot regions visible.

CDXC members have been discussing working New Zealand in the morning at the ZL sunset, often on low power. Listen and look for ZL4OL and ZL2CC, usually on FT8, but if conditions allow CW and SSB. 20m or 40m seems to be the favourite, and the VarAC data mode seems popular in ZL as well.

Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will climb again, perhaps to 180 by the 4th of April. However, unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast again, beginning on the 3rd. We may expect the Kp index to reach six, which could be the start of at least ten days of disruption.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The overall picture for the weather patterns in the coming week is that of high pressure, which means that Tropo should be available as a good mode for VHF bands.

There can be quite strong temperature inversions in the region of large well-developed areas of high pressure. The best performance will usually be around the edges of the high where the height of the inversion and ducting layer is typically between 0.5km and 2km above the ground, and can cover large distances for excellent DX prospects.

Occasionally, a shallow ducting layer can form near the ground overnight but often disperses by mid-morning. If you are in a good inversion region, try SSB or CW on the VHF/UHF bands, as paths of up to 1,500km can often be achieved from a good ‘tropo lift’.

The reverse side of the high-pressure systems is that we will have low pressure nearby, mainly to the north and west of the UK. Any potential for rain scatter will mainly be over northwestern Britain, although an active front that was moving south on Friday, the 28th of March, was a good candidate for chance rain scatter on the GHz bands.

The prospects for meteor scatter are still largely dependent upon random meteors, which are usually best in the hours before dawn. Current solar activity will continue to trigger auroral alerts in the coming week.

Now onto Sporadic-E, and last week we had a few out-of-season isolated foEs ‘blips’ to between 5- 7 MHz, which was enough to produce propagation on 10m and 6m, albeit very fleetingly.

There have already been some equinox-related 6m trans-equatorial propagation or TEP workable from the Southern part of the country, so keep an eye open late morning for Africa and late afternoon for South America. 

EME path losses have continued to improve until perigee this morning, the 30th of March. Moon declination is still falling, and reached a minimum last Friday, the 28th. Moon windows will increase throughout the coming week. 144MHz sky noise is low, apart from Saturday the 29th when the Sun was close to the Moon in the sky, rising to moderate next Thursday before dropping back to low for the weekend.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 23rd of March 2025

The news headlines:

The RSGB is excited to give you a first look at its new app! The web version has just been launched and is a one-stop shop for all RadCom publications and club newsletters. You can find the web version at rsgb.org/radcom It gives RSGB members easy access to over ten years of back issues of RadCom, as well as RadCom Basics and Plus. The Society will be adding more back issues of RadCom from the archive in the coming months, making it even more valuable. All you need is your RSGB membership portal details to access the editions. If you’re not an RSGB member, you can still view a sample edition of RadCom through the web version of the app. If you like what you see, you can become an RSGB member via rsgb.org/join which will give you access to the back issues of RadCom and its sister publications. Watch this space for news of the release of the RSGB mobile app later this year.

For some roles in the RSGB elections, a single nomination was received. These include the two vacancies for Elected Board Directors. Peter Bowyer, G4MJS and Mark Savage, M0XIC will each take up the role of Board Director at the end of the RSGB AGM on the 12th of April 2025. Both were interviewed separately to enable RSGB members to hear their views on the current issues facing amateur radio and the Society. Their answers were combined into two videos: the first ‘short’ video is just two quick questions, and the second video is a more in-depth interview. You can watch them both on the RSGB website and its YouTube channel. For more information about each of these unopposed candidates, see the April 2025 issue of RadCom or go to rsgb.org/candidates

The RSGB 2025 AGM will take place at 10 am on Saturday the 12th of April. The event will be held online to ensure that as many members as possible can watch and take part. The formal business of the meeting will include the results of members’ votes on the resolutions and details about the election. The RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM will give a video review of 2024, and the Society will announce the recipients of its annual awards and trophies, as well as the winners of its construction competition. You can ask the Board questions on the day via Zoom or the YouTube live chat, or by submitting a written question in advance. After the main AGM meeting, the RSGB is delighted to have a presentation about the Society’s strategy. Led by Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX, there will also be contributions from Board Director Ben Lloyd, GW4BML; Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB; and Bob Beebe, GU4YOX who will at that point be the new RSGB President. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/agm

Maritime Radio Day 2025 starts at 1200UTC on the 14th of April and finishes at 2300UTC on the 15th of April. The annual event takes place to commemorate the almost 100 years of wireless telegraphy service for seafarers, which ended in the UK with the closure of Portishead Radio on the 30th of April 2000. This event is a great opportunity to have a QSO with former Marine Radio Officers and Coast Station professionals who will be exchanging details of their previous ships and coast stations. The mode of operation is CW with all HF bands being used, including WARC. A certificate of participation will be issued to everyone who submits results. Amateur licence holders are invited to register to take part as Friends of Maritime Radio Day. Shortwave listeners may also submit logs. For more information and to register, go to radioofficers.com/mrd-2025

Amateur Radio Clubs On The Air has launched a new activity for radio amateurs to promote their club, have some fun and collect points for an award. All bands and modes may be used including SSB, CW, FM, RTTY, FT8, FT4 and other digital modes. This is an ongoing award, and contacts may be claimed from the 23rd of March onwards. You can find full details on the Leicester Radio Society website at g3lrs.org.uk, via the G3LRS page at QRZ.com  or by emailing [email protected]

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Pencoed and District Amateur Radio Club Rally is on Sunday the 30th of March at Sarn and Bryncwils Social Club, Bryncoch Road, Sarn near Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Entrance is £2.50. Tables are available at £10 each. Refreshments will be available. Public access to the event is from 10 am, with trader access from 8 am. Please contact Ieuan Jones via 07791 709 691 for further information.

The Dunstable Downs Radio Club will be holding its Annual National Amateur Radio Car Boot Sale at the usual venue, Stockwood Park in Luton, on Sunday the 18th of May.  Excluding a break for Covid-19, this is the 40th consecutive year that the event has been run.

Now the Special Event news

There is still time to work special callsign GB1KBR. Radio amateurs in Scotland are on the air until the end of March to celebrate the start of the official handover of the Commonwealth Games Kings Baton by His Majesty King Charles at Buckingham Palace for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Activity is on HF, SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL and QRZ.com  An award program is available via the HamAward platform. For further information on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games please visit glasgow2026.com

The Polish Amateur Radio Union is celebrating 95 years since its founding, as well as the centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union. To mark the occasion, ten special event stations will be active between the 11th and 25th of April. Full details of the event, as well as details of available awards, can be found via Hamaward.cloud

Now the DX news

Heath, VK3TWO is active from Fiji as 3D2TWO until the 27th of March. The station will be active on the 40 to 10m bands using SSB and FT8. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Bud, AA3B will again be active from Antigua as V26K between the 25th of March and the 2nd of April. He’ll be participating in the CQWPX SSB contest. Outside of this, Bud will be focusing on mainly using CW. QSL via home call, Logbook of The World and OQRS.

Aldir, PY1SAD is active again from Georgetown in Guyana as 8R1TM until the 26th of April. Aldir will be operating on all bands using CW, SSB, digital and satellite. QSL via eQSL and Logbook of The World.

Now the contest news

On Tuesday, the 25th of March, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 26th 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 Thursday, the 27th of March, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 29th of March and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 30th of March. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 20th of March 2025

Last week was pretty unremarkable from an HF perspective. After the disturbed geomagnetic conditions on the 12th to the 14th when the Kp index rose to five, conditions were a little more settled.

The solar flux index hit 204 on the 17th of March but then declined back to the 180s.

Having said that things were settled, the Kp index did exceed four for three periods on the 19th, peaking at 4.67. This had the effect of reducing the MUF over a 3,000km path to 21-24MHz.

We also had two M-class solar flares on the 17th and the 19th, with the latter causing a coronal mass ejection that may give Earth a glancing blow around the 22nd of March.

As spring progresses, we may find the F2-layer MUF dropping as we move to summer ionospheric conditions, perhaps to be replaced by enhanced sporadic-E conditions on 10 metres instead.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may drop further, perhaps hitting 150 on the 28th. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 25th to the 28th, with a maximum Kp index of five.

As we said last week, this is now a peak period for auroral activity, given the angle that the Earth makes with the Sun. The 'Russell-McPherron' effect is down to the alignment of the Sun and Earth around the spring and autumn equinox and means that you are twice as likely to experience the aurora in spring and autumn than in winter and summer.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The recent fine weather has provided some useful Tropo. This has been mainly towards the east and into the near continent, which seemed like nice timing for the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest last Tuesday evening.

Despite this, many participants reported conditions as poor. The high is now moving away and by the time you hear this, it will be a predominantly low-pressure weather sequence from now on. This means limited Tropo in the coming week, and rain scatter comes to the fore as a mode of choice if you have a GHz band set up.

The solar conditions continue to provide a trickle charge of auroral alerts, but not enough for any significant operating advantage. As usual the message is to keep on top of things by monitoring the Kp index for values over 5.

Meteor scatter remains largely in the gift of random meteors, so it's an early start to catch the pre-dawn peak of random meteors if you are so persuaded.

Lastly, a mention of Sporadic-E which is still in its close season. We have a while to wait until later next month when we could expect the occasional stirrings on 10m.

EME path losses continue to improve until the Moon’s perigee (its closest point to Earth) on the morning of the 30th of March. Moon declination has been falling, reaching a minimum yesterday, the 22nd.

So again, we have short Moon windows and reduced peak Moon elevation. 144MHz sky noise started high on Friday the 21st of March but will drop back to low by the middle of next week.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 16th of March 2025

The news headlines:

Today, Sunday the 16th of March is the last day of British Science Week 2025. If you live in the Derbyshire or Leicestershire area, pop along to the open day being held by South Derbyshire and Ashby Woulds Amateur Radio Group. The group is hosting the final day of its family-friendly open weekend. Members will be showcasing all that amateur radio has to offer, from kit building to operating under supervision. Details of the event can be found on the “Events happening near you” section of rsgb.org/bsw There is also still time to get involved with the official RSGB British Science Week activity, which is featured in the British Science Week Community Activity Pack. This can be done at home on DMR or any other radio. If you’ve been involved in amateur radio activities as part of the annual celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the Society would love to hear from you. Whether you’ve run an event at your local club, set up and operated a radio station in a school, or introduced the hobby to a community group, get in touch. Please send your reports, with separate high-resolution photographs, to [email protected]  by the 18th of April. The RSGB would like to thank everyone who has contributed ideas and resources, sharing your passion and expertise with others. It is also welcoming feedback about the British Science Week campaign. Let the RSGB know what worked well, what you learnt, and how the Society could develop its activities for next year. Please email the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO at [email protected]  to share your thoughts.

Over the last few years, the RSGB has been developing how the Board can be asked questions at its online AGMs. This year, the AGM will be held on Saturday the 12th of April and you have three ways to get involved. To ask a question via video on Zoom you’ll need to register in advance and give the topic of your question. You’ll have the chance to ask your question live with one follow-up question on the same topic. If you’d prefer to submit a written question in advance, you can do so via a form on the RSGB website. The third way to ask Board members a question is via the Live Chat function on the day. Whilst the Board will take as many questions as possible during the second part of the AGM, if you would like to ask a question about the formal part of the meeting, please submit a written question in advance or register to ask a question via Zoom. Full details of how to take part in the RSGB AGM, along with closing dates to submit a question, will be available from Wednesday the 19th of March via rsgb.org/agm

Have you ever wondered what you’ll discover during a visit to the RSGB National Radio Centre? Or perhaps you’re interested in operating GB3RS during your visit? Maybe you are a group who’d like to arrange a visit. All these topics, plus much more, have been answered in the newly updated RSGB National Radio Centre web pages. Other topics include the RSGB’s involvement in the Voluntary Interceptors, as well as organising your visit and how to volunteer at the Centre. Go to rsgb.org/nrc  to discover more. The team of volunteers looks forward to welcoming you soon.

Bletchley Park will be hosting one of its infamous 1940s weekends in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE day. In tribute to the event, the RSGB National Radio Centre will be operating a special event station GB2BP from the 3rd to the 5th of May. Put the date in your diary and make sure you get this callsign in your logbook.

The next event in the popular 145 Alive series takes place on Saturday the 12th of April between 12 noon and 3 pm. If you’d like to be a net controller for the event please email [email protected]  with the callsign you intend to use on the day and your intended six-digit maidenhead locator. For more information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page.

The South Yorkshire ATV Group is pleased to announce that the GB3YT television repeater on 23cm has completed its move from Mirfield in West Yorkshire to its new site at Birdwell near Barnsley, adjacent to junction 36 on the M1. The repeater receives on 1276MHz DVB-S or DVB-S2 using 1000 or 333 kilo-symbols per second and transmits on 1316MHz DVB-S at 1000 kilo symbols per second. The repeater is switched on between 6 pm and 9 pm on weekdays and 3 pm and 9 pm at weekends. This will be reviewed when activity increases. Further information about GB3YT and membership in the Group can be found via gb3yt.co.uk or by emailing [email protected]

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Biggleswade Swap meet, organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society, is taking place on Sunday the 23rd of March at The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. Doors open to stallholders from 9 am, with general entry from 9.30 am. Admission is £8. Hot and cold refreshments are available all day. There will be vintage technology of varying sorts, as well as a bring-and-buy stall run by the British Wireless and Television Museum. For enquiries, including stall bookings, please email Jeremy Owen, G8MLK via [email protected]  More details can also be found via BVWS.org.uk

The Callington Radio and Electronics Rally will be held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7BD on Sunday the 23rd of March. Public access to the event is from 10 am until 1 pm. Entry is £2 each with no charge for those under the age of 16. A comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies from the southwest will be present along with a bring-and-buy stall and the usual excellent catering service. As an improvement from last year, the bring-and-buy stall now accepts payment by all major debit and credit cards using contactless, chip and pin or by phone. The venue has disabled access and toilet facilities with ample parking in a nearby car park. Although the main hall is now fully booked, tables are still available in an adjacent room at £5 for the large size and £3 for the smaller one. Pre-booking is essential, so please contact Alastair, M0KRR at [email protected] or by phone at 01503 262 755 with your requirements as soon as possible.

Also on Sunday the 23rd of March is The Dover Amateur Radio Club 2025 Rally which is taking place at the St Radigunds Community Centre, Poulton Close, Dover, CT17 0HL. The doors are open between 10 am and 2 pm and entry is £3. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available on-site. Tables are available at £15 each, with a maximum of two tables per vendor. For table bookings and the latest news go to darc.online/rally

The Pencoed and District Amateur Radio Club Rally is on Sunday the 30th of March at Sarn and Bryncwils Social Club, Bryncoch Road, Sarn near Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Entrance is £2.50. Tables are available at £10 each. Refreshments will be available. Public access to the event is from 10am, with trader access from 8 am. Please contact Ieuan Jones via 07791 709 691 for further information.

Now the Special Event news

In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club will be operating the club’s call sign GI3VFW on Monday the 17th of March for one week. Members will be operating on all bands on HF, VHF and UHF from Tandragee, County Armagh. The club will also be operating GI3VFW from the 25th to the 27th of April from Navan Fort Armagh using all bands and modes.

Radio amateurs in Scotland will be on the air throughout March using the special callsign GB1KBR. This is to celebrate the start of the official handover of the Commonwealth Games Kings Baton by His Royal Highness King Charles the Third at Buckingham Palace for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Activity will be on HF, SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL and QRZ.com There will also be an award programme available via the Ham Award platform. For further information on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games please visit glasgow2026.com

Dennis Spratt, G7AGZ will be operating as a special event station GB0CHC in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care. This marks his 34th year since his first project for the hospices in 1991. Dennis will be active from near St. Agnes, Cornwall on most bands and modes. The station will be on air from the 1st of April for 28 days. He hopes to beat his target of 912 QSOs from 2024. See QRZ.com for further details, as well as how to donate.

Now the DX news

Heath, VK3TWO is active from Fiji as 3D2TWO until the 27th of March. The station will be active on the 40 to 10m bands using SSB and FT8. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Aldir, PY1SAD will be active again from Georgetown in Guyana as 8R1TM from the 11th of March to the 26th of April. Aldir will be operating on all bands using CW, SSB, digital and satellite. QSL via eQSL and Logbook of The World.

A team of 12 operators are active as VU4AX from the South Andaman Islands, IOTA reference AS-001, until Thursday the 20th of March. The group is operating six stations around the clock, on bands from 10m to 160m, including WARC and 60m, using CW, SSB, and digital. Full details, including QSL information, are available via dx-adventure.com

Looking ahead, DA1DX, DK9IP, DM6EE and DL8LAS will be active from Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands as VP2VI from the 10th to the 27th of April.

Now the contest news

The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group HF RTTY Contest started on Saturday the 15th of March and ends at 0159UTC on Monday the 17th of March. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and time.

On Monday the 17th of March, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.

On Tuesday the 18th of March, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday the 18th of March, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and county code.

On Thursday the 20th of March, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13th of March 2025

We’ve had another week of disturbed geomagnetic conditions with the Kp index at four or five for long periods. On the evening of the 12th of March, Kp was five and, at the time of writing, has stayed there for a total of five three-hour periods.

This has taken its toll on the ionosphere with MUFs over a 3,000km path down to less than 24.7MHz during daylight.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index rose to 160 on Thursday the 13th after hitting a low of 147 on the 7th.

The best HF propagation was last weekend, the 8th and 9th of March, just in time for the Commonwealth Contest. This saw stations around the world romping into the UK, including signals from Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Barbados, and many others.

As contacts were limited to Commonwealth countries, it meant the UK had little QRM to contend with and it was fairly easy to fill the log book on 40m to 10m.

Australia was still coming in at 59 after dark, and even British Columbia on the west coast of Canada could be worked with simple wire antennas and low power.

This may have been caused by a pre-auroral enhancement, as the Kp index rose late on the first day of the contest.

Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index may rise to 195 by the 21st. It also suggests that we may be back into calmer geomagnetic conditions with a maximum Kp index of two. This will be a welcome change and, if it happens, will no doubt result in better HF conditions.

And remember, March is a good month for north-south contacts, such as the UK to South Africa and the UK to South America.

But with the equinox just around the corner, auroras are twice as common due to the Russell-McPherron effect.

Just as when two bar magnets attract one another when they are oriented oppositely, so opposite Bz components attract. During the autumn and spring equinox, this orientation enables a 'connection' to the Sun, thereby allowing the solar wind to stream in.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The recent change to colder weather brought showers and potential rain scatter to the second half of last week. But this weekend we have lost the showers and gained a large region of high pressure to bring a hint of Tropo.

It's not perfect, since in cold air highs like this, conditions are usually less than ideal, so don’t expect too much from this particular area of high pressure. 

The high will last until midweek before it slips away into eastern Europe and, on its parting, may allow some moisture below the inversion and will improve the Tropo prospects briefly. The second half of the coming week will be dominated by low pressure and back to rain-scatter as an option on the GHz bands.

The solar conditions have continued to provide a few weak auroral alerts and it's worth continuing a watching brief on the Kp index for hints of activity; anything greater than a Kp of five is worth our interest.

Listen out for watery-sounding signals on the LF bands and then check out the 10m and 6m bands for auroral signals.

The next important meteor shower is the April Lyrids, but there’s always the chance of random meteor scatter activity, particularly in the pre-dawn hours.

It’s still a little early to mention Sporadic-E, but it’s always worth looking at the lower frequencies first, which means 10m and 6m. Check the graphs on Propquest for signs of spikes in the foEs, which is the critical frequency of the Es-layer.

EME path losses continue to rise until apogee on Monday evening. Moon declination is still falling, reaching a minimum on Saturday the 22nd. So again, we have short Moon windows and reduced peak Moon elevation. 144MHz sky noise is moderate and rising to high by Friday the 21st.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 9th of March 2025

The news headlines:

As part of the celebrations of the centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union, the RSGB will be activating the callsign GB0IARU in April 2025. If you would like to be an activator, you need to be an RSGB member with a Full licence, as UK licence conditions only allow Full licensees to operate club callsigns. If you would like to take part, please send an email to [email protected]  You will be invited to join a discussion group which will be used to provide you with all the information that you will need. You will have to join the RSGB Contest Club to use the callsign, as GB0IARU is linked to the Contest Club’s callsign G6XX. Foundation and Intermediate licensees will be able to take part under supervision. You can find detailed instructions about operating with GB0IARU on the RSGB website at tinyurl.com/GB0IARU  For QSL information please see the QRZ.com page for GB0IARU.

British Science Week began on Friday the 7th of March and will continue until Sunday the 16th of March. The annual celebration presents radio amateurs with the opportunity to showcase their hobby to new audiences. Crowthorne and Wokingham Men’s Shed will be operating as G8EYM during the forthcoming week. Organisers who would like to set up skeds with other groups, particularly other Men’s Sheds groups, should get in touch via [email protected]  if you’d like to be involved. Some events are also open to the public. South Derbyshire and Ashby Woulds Amateur Radio Group will be hosting a family-friendly open weekend on the 15th and 16th of March. The event will include opportunities for kit building, details of training, as well as an opportunity to operate under supervision. Norfolk Amateur Radio Club intends to support the City of Norwich School with its Super Science Saturday on the 15th of March. To get involved with these events, plus more, go to rsgb.org/bsw  and choose the “Events happening near you” tab on the righthand menu. The Society has also shared several fun ideas that you can take part in, from giving your friends and family a tour of your shack to observing the Sun’s cycles and understanding the aurora. And of course, don't forget to get involved with the official RSGB British Science Week activity, which is featured in the Community Activity Pack. This can be done at home on DMR or any other radio. Whatever inspires you, be part of this fantastic celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and show the very best that amateur radio has to offer.

Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, also known as HamSCI, is holding its 8th annual workshop in New Jersey on the 14th and 15th of March. This year’s workshop features nearly 50 presentations, four tutorials, as well as a keynote address by the ARRL's Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. RSGB Propagation Studies Committee associate member Professor Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL will be delivering several sessions at the two-day event, including one on post-sunset Sporadic-F propagation. The RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Secretary Doctor Chris Deacon, G4IFX, is also attending and will be delivering a session on The Physical Nature of Sporadic-E. You’ll be able to watch these sessions, plus more from the workshop agenda online. Details of how to access the event virtually, as well as more information about the event can be found at hamsci.org/hamsci2025

The RSGB remote invigilation team will be taking a break over the Easter weekend. You will be able to book to take an exam on Friday the 18th of April or Saturday the 19th of April, but no exam slots will be available on Sunday the 20th of April, or Monday the 21st of April. Exam bookings will resume as normal after that.

Amateur Radio Clubs On The Air is getting ready for a second weekend of operating on the 22nd and 23rd of March. It is a chance for amateurs to promote their club, have some fun and collect points for an award. All bands may be used, using any mode including SSB, CW, FM, RTTY, FT8, FT4 and other digital modes. This is an ongoing award, and contacts may be claimed from the 23rd of March 2025 onwards. You can find full details on the Leicester Radio Society website at g3lrs.org.uk, via the G3LRS page at QRZ.com  or by emailing [email protected]

Cray Valley Radio Society is running a two-day, face-to-face Foundation licence course on the 5th and the 12th of April, near Greenwich in southeast London. The Foundation training package costs £65 and this includes the online exam at the end of the course. Please apply or contact Cray Valley Radio Society via its temporary website at cvrs.uk 

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

On Sunday the 16th of March, the Ripon and District Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place at Great Ouseburn Village Hall, Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn, York YO26 9RL. Doors open for traders at 7.30 am and then to the public at 10 am for an admission price of £3. Free parking, refreshments and bacon butties will be available. The tables cost £10 each. For enquiries, or to book one or more tables, email [email protected]

The Biggleswade Swapmeet, organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society, is taking place on Sunday the 23rd of March at The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. Doors open to stallholders from 9 am, with general entry from 9.30 am. Admission is £8. Hot and cold refreshments are available all day. There will be vintage technology of varying sorts including radio, TV, communications, audio, vinyl, computing, telephones and components. There will also be a bring-and-buy stall run by the British Wireless and Television Museum. For enquiries, including stall bookings, please email Jeremy Owen, G8MLK via [email protected]  More details can also be found via BVWS.org.uk

The Callington Radio and Electronics Rally will be held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7BD on Sunday the 23rd of March. Public access to the event is from 10 am until 1 pm. Entry is £2 each with no charge for those under the age of 16. A comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies from the south-west will be present along with a bring-and-buy stall and the usual excellent catering service. As an improvement from last year, the bring-and-buy stall now accepts payment by all major debit and credit cards using contactless, chip and pin or by phone. The venue has disabled access and toilet facilities with ample parking in a nearby car park. Although the main hall is now fully booked, tables are still available in an adjacent room at £5 for the large size and £3 for the smaller one. Pre-booking is essential, so please contact Alastair, M0KRR at [email protected] or by phone at 01503 262 755 with your requirements as soon as possible.

Also on Sunday the 23rd of March is The Dover Amateur Radio Club 2025 Rally which is taking place at the St Radigunds Community Centre, Poulton Close, Dover, CT17 0HL. The doors are open between 10 am and 2 pm and entry is £3. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be available on site. Tables are available at £15 each, with a maximum of two tables per vendor. For table bookings and the latest news go to darc.online/rally

Now the Special Event news

The British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel since 1825. Starting from April, it will also be running GB2TT to celebrate the same anniversary. QSL will be via the Bureau. More information is available at QRZ.com  and via webrars.info

From the 1st to the 28th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com  and rbli.co.uk

Now the DX news

The VK9CU team will be active between the 4th and the 11th of March from Cocos Keeling Islands, IOTA reference OC-003. They will operate on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT4 and FT8. QSL via DL2AWG, ClubLog and Logbook of the World.

Elvira, IV3FSG is active as D68Z from Moroni in the Comoro Islands until the 18th of March. IOTA reference AF-007. She will operate on HF bands using CW, SSB and digital modes.

Looking ahead, DA1DX, DK9IP, DM6EE and DL8LAS will be active from Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands as VP2VI from the 10th to the 27th of April.

Now the contest news

The Commonwealth Contest started at 1000UTC on Saturday the 8th of March and ends at 1000UTC today, Sunday the 9th of March. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. HQ stations also send ‘HQ’.

On Tuesday the 11th of March, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs between 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday the 11th of March, 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.

On Wednesday the 12th of March, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 12th of March, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Wednesday the 12th of March, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Thursday the 13th of March, 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 British Amateur Radio Teledata Group HF RTTY Contest starts at 0200UTC on Saturday the 15th of March and ends at 0200UTC on Monday the 17th of March. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and time.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 6th of March 2025

We started last week with geomagnetic disturbances that saw the Kp index rise to a maximum of 5.67 on the 28th of February and then hover around the 4.5 mark for the next couple of days.

As predicted, the rest of the week went quite well, with the Kp index in the range of one to four.

The solar flux index fell from a maximum of 210 on the 23rd of February to a low of 140 on the 2nd of March. It then climbed back to 160 on the 4th. Over the past week, we have had no X-class and only one M-class solar flare which was on the 5th.

As we head into next week, it looks like all the sunspots in the Sun’s northern hemisphere have now departed. Nevertheless, the southern hemisphere is still supplying lots of spots so don’t panic just yet!

HF conditions have been quite good. VK6IF and VK6IA in Western Australia were booming in on 28MHz USB on the morning of Thursday the 6th, as was VK9CU on the Cocos-Keeling Islands.

Nigel, VP8TXF and Ian, VP8CIW have been operating from the Falkland Islands ahead of this weekend’s Commonwealth Contest and have been worked from the UK on 20m-10m. They are there until the 10th, so get in quick.

Other DX to be worked this week includes VU4AX Andaman Islands, 6Y7EI Jamaica, PJ7AA Sint Maarten Island, 4S7KKG Sri Lanka, TY5C Benin, 6W7/ON4AVT Warang Senegal, RI1ANE Antarctica and H44MS Solomon Islands.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start off around 150 and may then climb to 185 by the 16th. A large coronal hole became Earth-facing on the 6th, which may result in unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend, the 8th and the 9th.

It looks like we can expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions around the 10th to the 16th, with a maximum predicted Kp index of five.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The weather divides into two segments; the first, from the middle of last week through to the middle of next week, is rather changeable with low pressure nearby bringing rain or showers and potential for rain scatter on the GHz bands.

Eventually, the unsettled weather ends with a cold northerly on Tuesday the 11th and this leads to a new high building from Wednesday into the weekend of the 15th and 16th March. 

This is good news for Tropo and could possibly be of benefit to those in the UK 70cm Activity Contest on Tuesday the 11th in the western UK, but more generally for the FT8 70cm Activity Contest on Wednesday and the 50MHz UK Activity Contest on Thursday evening.

We are still between major meteor showers and therefore must rely upon random activity for now. The next shower of note is the Lyrids on the 21st and the 22nd of April, so we have a while to go yet.

The solar activity has continued to produce a regular supply of auroral alerts and fluttery signals on the LF bands, but with a lot of clouds in northwestern areas and southern parts just marginally out of reach for any naked-eye auroras. A few digital camera pictures did surface on the web. 

Keep an eye open just in case though. Remember Kp equalling five or greater is where we need to be.

Lastly, the Sporadic-E prospects are still relatively low with only the odd minor blip up to around a Sporadic-E critical frequency of 5 to 7MHz, often around the middle of the day. This contrasts with the morning and evening windows in the main season. It is enough to promote interest in the 10 or 6m bands, but almost certainly a fleeting moment.

EME path losses rise all this coming week and moon declination falls with associated shortening Moon windows and reducing peak Moon elevation. The best results will therefore be early in the week. 144MHz sky noise is moderate this weekend, falling to low in the week commencing the 10th.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 2nd of March 2025

The news headlines:

British Science Week starts this Friday the 7th of March and gives radio amateurs the opportunity to share their passion and knowledge of the hobby to reach new audiences. Schools including Kingsmead School in Taunton and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Ormskirk have radio-related activities planned for students. Clubs including South Derbyshire and Ashby Woulds Amateur Radio Group will be involved with events that are open to the public. A Men’s Sheds group in Crowthorne and Wokingham will be active as G8EYM and would appreciate skeds, especially with other Men’s Sheds – could you arrange one with them? In another fantastic development for this year, the RSGB Outreach team has partnered with the Radio Communications Foundation to provide FM radio receiver kits for 15 school, university, scout and youth groups to build. You can find details of these events, plus more, by going to rsgb.org/bsw and choosing the “Events happening near you” tab on the righthand menu. If you have an activity taking place, there is still time to let the Society know so it can help promote the event. Email the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via [email protected]  Even if you haven’t planned anything yet, you can still get involved by doing the RSGB’s official British Science Week activity with your friends and family. You can find that and other ideas and resources on the RSGB British Science Week web page. Be inspired, get involved and show the very best that amateur radio has to offer.

The RSGB Technical Forum is accepting expressions of interest from people who would like to join the group. The Forum is a body of technical experts that review articles submitted to the RSGB RadCom Editors. It provides a recommendation on whether they should be accepted for publication, and whether they are best suited to RadCom, RadCom Basics or RadCom Plus. If you are able and willing to contribute to the RSGB Technical Forum, please write in the first instance to [email protected] and include a short summary of your relevant amateur radio and professional expertise.

The RSGB is looking for an Assistant Editor to join the team that produces its suite of RadCom publications. The successful candidate will be involved in everything from magazine production and sub-editing to writing articles and planning content. More information is available on page 83 of the February 2025 issue of RadCom or via rsgb.org/careers  If you are interested in applying for the role, email [email protected]

The Commonwealth Contest is a unique annual event which has run every year since 1931. Held over the weekend nearest to Commonwealth Day, it is loved by many RSGB members and radio amateurs throughout the Commonwealth. In 2024 over 240 individual entrants and 15 Commonwealth Headquarters stations representing national societies were active. The Commonwealth Contest is a treasure hunt with amateurs in distant locations looking to make a QSO with you, so if you are not a regular contest participant or you have a simple HF setup, you might use the Contest as an opportunity to make DX QSOs. UK amateurs are travelling to the Caribbean, the Falklands and New Zealand, so your scope for QSOs is expanded, and many VK, ZL, VU and VE amateurs will be joining in too. This year the Contest takes place on the 8th of March, and you can find out more on page 38 of the March issue of RadCom and on the RSGB website via tinyurl.com/commonwealth-contest

On Saturday the 29th of March, the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator, Martyn Baker, G0GMB, together with Andy Webster, G7UHN from the Radio Communications Foundation, will be delivering a talk in the Fellowship Auditorium at Bletchley Park. It will introduce people to the radio spectrum and how to get to grips with the fundamentals of radio transmission. The RSGB is delighted that its members can benefit from a 10% discount, reducing the price to £14.40. To find out more, go to the ‘What’s on’ section on the Bletchley Park website via bletchleypark.org.uk  If you'd like to visit the wider Bletchley Park site after the talk, RSGB members can gain free entry by downloading a voucher from rsgb.org/bpvoucher

Amateur Radio Clubs On The Air is getting ready for a second weekend of operating on the 22nd and 23rd of March. It is a chance for amateurs to promote their club, have some fun and collect points for an award. All bands may be used, using any mode including SSB, CW, FM, RTTY, FT8/4 and other digital modes. This is an ongoing award, and contacts may be claimed from 23 March 2024 onwards. You can find full details on the Leicester Radio Society website at g3lrs.org.uk, via the G3LRS page at QRZ.com  or by emailing [email protected]

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

Today, the 2nd of March, the Exeter Radio Rally is taking place at a new venue. The event will be held at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE, from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information phone Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email [email protected]

On Sunday the 16th of March, the Ripon and District Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place at Great Ouseburn Village Hall, Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn, York YO26 9RL. Doors open for traders at 7.30 am and then to the public at 10 am for an admission price of £3. Free parking, refreshments and bacon butties will be available. The tables cost £10 each. For enquiries or to book one or more tables, please email [email protected]

Now the Special Event news

The British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel since 1825. Starting from April, it will also be running GB2TT to celebrate the same anniversary. QSL will be via the Bureau. More information is available at QRZ.com  and via webrars.info

From the 1st to the 28th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com  and rbli.co.uk

Now the DX news

Operators R1BIG, RW3RN, W8HC, R9LR and N3QQ are active from Chiriqui, Panama as 3F3RRC until the 3rd of March.

The VK9XU Team will be active from Christmas Island, IOTA reference OC-002, until the 4th of March. They will operate on 160 - 6m, CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 and FT4. QSL via DL2AWG, ClubLog and Logbook of the World.

Looking ahead, DA1DX, DK9IP, DM6EE and DL8LAS will be active from Anegada Island in the British Virgin Islands as VP2VI from the 10th to the 27th of April.

Now the contest news

The ARRL DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 1st of March, and ends at 2359UTC today, the 2nd of March. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange for non-US and Canadian stations is signal report and transmit power in Watts. US and Canadian stations will send their State/Province in place of transmit power.

The RSGB March 144MHz/432MHz Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 1st of March and ends at 1400UTC today, the 2nd of March. Using all modes on the 2m and 70cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number, and locator.

Today, the 2nd of March, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the microwave bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also, today, the 2nd of March, the Worked All Britain 80m phone Contest runs from 1800 to 2200UTC. Please note that this is an SSB-only contest, and the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain area. Entries are to be with the contest manager by March the 12th. The full rules can be seen on the WAB website.

On Monday, the 3rd of March, the RSGB 80m Club Championship DATA Contest runs from 2000 to 2130 UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band only, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday, the 4th of March, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955 UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday, the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday, the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Wednesday the 5th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club Contest runs from 2000 to 2100 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

The Commonwealth Contest starts at 1000UTC on Saturday the 8th of March and ends at 1000 UTC on Sunday the 9th of March. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Commonwealth HQ stations will also send ‘HQ’ as part of the contest exchange.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 27th of February 2025

We had another week of mixed geomagnetic conditions. The Kp index rose to a high of five with visible aurora over the UK at times.

Two large coronal holes are now both facing Earth. A solar wind stream flowing from these zones is expected to flow past Earth, possibly on Friday the 28th of February or Saturday the 1st of March. Active geomagnetic conditions with a Kp index of four are currently forecast for this weekend.

There has also been more solar flare activity over the past seven days with an X2-class flare on the 23rd and ten M-class flares. The X-class flare occurred at 19:27UTC so had little effect in Europe as the Sun had set. Luckily, an associated coronal mass ejection was not Earth-directed. Another fast-moving CME on the 24th was also not Earth-directed.

As we enter March it looks as though the Sun is still very active. The solar flux index stood at 180 on Thursday the 27th, after hitting 210 on the 23rd. Maximum usable frequencies over 3,000km are still reaching 34-35MHz around midday, while night-time MUFs are generally around 10-11MHz, with occasional openings on 20 metres.

This week Bob, VP8LP on the Falkland Islands has been active on 10 metres SSB and has been worked from the UK.

As we enter March this is a good time for North-South paths on HF, such as UK to South Africa and UK to South America. The spring equinox is also a good time for auroral conditions.

NOAA predicts the Sun will start next week with an SFI of 190, perhaps falling to 170-180 as the week progresses. We hesitate to say this, but geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be good once we get past the disturbances on the 28th and the 1st, but only time will tell!

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

There is likely to be a welcome return of high pressure for much of the period from this weekend until the middle of the coming week on the 5th of March.

Models show a return of unsettled Atlantic weather, meaning lows, fronts, showers and rain scatter for the GHz bands. Until then, it will be typical high-pressure Tropo conditions with an extensive temperature inversion aloft caused by the descending warming air in the high-pressure region.

This should provide ducting conditions over a large part of the country. As often, the far north of the UK will probably just miss out and retain too much breeze for the inversion to be effective.

The lull in meteor shower activity continues, so once again your best chances will be in the morning hours around, or just before, dawn.

The Sun has kept aurora seekers busy and shows how frequently it can just tip into the right disturbed conditions at this stage of the solar cycle. As we said earlier, there have been reports of visible aurora in the past week.

The signs for this are the Kp index rising to five or greater and flutter on LF band signals or trans-polar paths on the HF bands.

The new Sporadic-E season is almost upon us, but we are not there yet. Check the graphs on Propquest for signs of enhanced foEs values and check the HF bands first; 10m is particularly good for strong European Es signals.

EME conditions will be predictable as usual, with Moon declination rising all week and path losses at their minimum at perigee late on Saturday the 1st of March. 144MHz sky noise is low from this coming weekend, rising to moderate by Friday the 7th.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 23rd of February 2025

The news headlines:

Nominations in the RSGB elections have closed. For some roles, a single nomination was received, and the candidate is therefore elected unopposed. They will take up their role at the end of the RSGB AGM in April. These unopposed candidates include the roles of President and also Regional Representatives in Regions 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12. In Region 9, no valid nomination was received. For more information about each of these unopposed candidates, see the March issue of RadCom or the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election

The RSGB Band Plans for 2025 were published in the March 2025 issue of RadCom. They are also available on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/bandplans. This year’s plans incorporate further VHF and UHF changes in response to the increased demand that has been prompted by the new Ofcom amateur licence. There are also a few changes from the 2023 IARU Region-1 General Conference. All amateurs are reminded to consult the Band Plans before operating.

Despite continuing challenges nationally and across the world during 2024, the amateur radio community stayed strong and the RSGB supported it. The RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB wrote his annual feature called ‘A year in numbers’ for the March RadCom and shared some great things to celebrate, in which RSGB HQ staff often led the way. You can also see the highlights in a brief video on the RSGB YouTube channel. The April RadCom will show in detail the work of the committees and other specialist volunteers.

Girlguiding groups will be celebrating World Thinking Day on the Air this weekend so listen out for them and encourage the young operators. To highlight the opportunities for young people to get involved in amateur radio activities, this week the RSGB has published two new videos that celebrate the fantastic ISS contact and STEM day held in the autumn and attended by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. You can watch both the videos on the RSGB YouTube channel.

Between January and March 2024 Bob Bower, GM4DLG took on a one-man antipodean adventure. The DXpedition is currently being serialised in RadCom, and on Monday the 3rd of March, he will be delivering a Tonight@8 presentation to complement these features. The trip was eight weeks long and covered 27 activations from 11 sites on six islands. Bob operated on 20, 40 and 80m with 100W SSB into vertical arrays of his design, with his holy grail being a valid 80m greyline QSO with Great Britain. Visit rsgb.org/webinars to find out more. Join the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.

Don’t forget to submit your entry to the RSGB Construction Competition by Saturday the 1st of March. You’ll need to email a short description of your entry and up to four photographs. It is also recommended to send a link to a video that demonstrates your entry working. More details on submitting your application can be found via rsgb.org/construction-competition  The results of the competition will be announced during the 2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting in April.

Exercise Blue Ham will take place on the 29th and 30th of March on the 60m band. Stations will be active between 9 am and 6 pm. Blue Ham exercises provide a platform to further develop Cadet radio operator skills and confidence by engaging with the amateur radio community via the MOD 5MHz shared band. Cadet radio operators, under supervision, will exchange radio messages with amateur radio operators in the UK and Europe. The Cadets hope to speak to many radio amateurs on the air. For more information visit alphacharlie.org.uk/exercise-blue-ham

The 26th European Hamradio School Stations Day will take place on Monday the 5th of May from 0700 to 1700UTC. This is an activity day, not a contest, so the focus is on personal radio contacts and QSO partners should take time for a short exchange. The organisers look forward to seeing many schools, universities and training centres on the air again. To find out more, go to tinyurl.com/european-schools

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Red Rose Winter Rally is taking place today from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30am. For more details visit lvars.uk

On Sunday the 2nd of March the Exeter Radio Rally is taking place at a new venue. The event will be held at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE, from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information phone Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email [email protected]

 Now the Special Event news

On 26 February 2025, the 90th anniversary of the Daventry Experiment will be commemorated, marking a pivotal moment in the development of British radar technology. The Daventry Experiment had a lasting impact on both military strategy and civilian applications. To honour this milestone, several special event stations will be active. The Bawdsey Radar Museum will be hosting GB2BRS, with BRS representing Bawdsey Radar Station, whilst Coventry ARS from near Daventry will operate GB9ORE, with RE representing Radar Experiment.  Chelmsford ARS from Great Baddow in Essex will activate GB9OCH with CH representing Chain Home since Chelmsford is where one of the original Chain Home radar masts still stands. 

Special callsign S5701DX is running during February in memory of Slavko, S57DX who became a Silent Key last February. The station has been heard recently using CW and SSB on the HF bands. For more information visit QRZ.com

From the 1st to the 28th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com and rbli.co.uk

Now the DX news

Datta, VU2DSI is operating from Lonar Lake in India until tomorrow, the 24th of February. This unique location was formed by the impact of a meteor around 550,000 years ago. The station will be active on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Now the contest news

The CQ 160m DX Contest started at 2200UTC on Friday the 21st and ends at 2200UTC today, Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

The REF Contest started at 0600UTC on Saturday the 22nd and ends at 1800UTC today, Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The UBA DX CW contest started at 1000UTC on Saturday the 22nd of February and ends at 1300UTC today, Sunday the 23rd of February.  Using CW on the 80 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Belgian stations will also give their section code.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 20th of February 2025

It seems we were a little over-ambitious in suggesting that last week would be better for HF propagation. It looked like we would avoid coronal mass ejections and see the Kp index fall to lower levels.

Unfortunately, the Sun had other ideas and a fast-moving solar stream, often moving faster than 500 km/s, had a south-pointing Bz, which coupled more easily with Earth and sent the Kp index up to four or more.

So even by Wednesday the 19th, the Kp index was hitting five.

However it seems that the geomagnetic disturbance merely lowered the MUF from around 40-45MHz to 31-32MHz, so it barely affected HF propagation.

At the time of writing, there had only been one M-class solar flare in the past five days, but more than 50 minor C-class events. There were no Earth-directed CMEs.

Nevertheless, there was DX to be had with the standout stations being the V73WW DXpedition to Majuro Atoll on the Marshall Islands, TI1RRC Costa Rica, and 5N9DTG in Nigeria. Upcoming DX next week includes OX3LX (Greenland), Dave G4BUO as 5W0UO (Samoa), TO3Z (Guadeloupe), 4S7SPG (Sri Lanka) and FS/VA3QSL (St Martin).

Next week, NOAA predicts that the week commencing the 23rd of February could see the solar flux index starting at 170, but then rising to 195-200 as the week progresses. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to start quietly, with a Kp index of two, but then become unsettled by the 27th to the 29th, with a maximum predicted Kp index of five.

If this scenario does pan out then we may expect the best HF conditions to occur at the beginning of next week, from the 23rd to the 26th.

As always, keep an eye on solarham.com for day-to-day solar news, and perhaps monitor PSKreporter, the Reverse Beacon Network and DX Clusters for digital, CW and SSB HF propagation updates.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The current spell of unsettled weather seems likely to continue through to the end of next week. There will also be significant windy weather at times. It is therefore not a particularly good period for Tropo, or big antennas for that matter.

This leaves us with rain scatter on the GHz bands and some of these scattering regions will be large areas affecting the whole of the country as weather fronts pass by, rather than more isolated and harder-to-follow showers which often provide our rain scatter.

Meteor scatter is still within its quieter period with no major showers and better chances coming from random meteor activity, which tends to peak in the hours before dawn.

Recent solar activity has provided some weak auroral conditions on many days.  As usual, check for high values of the Kp index as a good indicator, or even listen for a watery tone on the LF bands. Ultimately you will need to see the Kp index going to at least five to make it worth checking for auroral signals on VHF.

We are still in the dormant period for Sporadic-E propagation, which is a shame given the powerful jet streams likely during this stormy weather. These would produce good Es prospects in the main summer season, but weaker Es at low VHF are still a possibility despite being out of season.

Moon declination is at minimum today, Sunday the 23rd of February, and path losses are decreasing as the Moon moves closer to Earth as it heads to perigee on Saturday the 1st of March. 144MHz sky noise goes high this weekend, beginning Saturday the 22nd.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 16th of February 2025

The news headlines:

The RSGB is delighted to announce that Samuel McCutchion, M7UEL will be the RSGB's Scout, Cadet and Girlguiding Youth Champion. Sam brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the role having been part of the Scouts from a young age in Beavers and then working his way up to Network. He then progressed to become an Assistant Section Leader. This knowledge will help the RSGB Youth Team to engage and offer amateur radio support to not only the Scouts but also the Cadets and Girlguiding. If you’d like to congratulate Sam on his role, or if you have any ideas you think would be useful to share, email him via [email protected] 

Lots of amateur radio stations are on the air this weekend and next weekend for World Thinking Day on the Air. Listen out for them and encourage the young Girlguiding members. You can find details of some of the active stations via rsgb.org/thinking-day  but, if your station isn’t listed, please share details on the RSGB social media channels. The event aims to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication.  

Have you visited the RSGB’s British Science Week web pages yet? Two new worksheets have recently been added to inspire you to get involved and showcase amateur radio to new audiences. The activities were designed by the RSGB Outreach Team to fit in with this year’s British Science Week theme of ‘Change and adapt’. If you’d like to deliver these activities to schools or youth groups, the Society has sample lesson plans, risk assessments and a guide to contacting your local school available on its website. Remember that British Science Week isn’t just for younger audiences, it is open to all. If you’re looking for ideas to get your friends and family involved or a local community group, go to rsgb.org/bsw  and visit the British Science Week resources page. There is a wealth of ideas available, from looking at the history of radio communications to building a sustainable system using only solar panels. If you have an activity planned for British Science Week, let the RSGB know by emailing the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via [email protected]  Details of events taking place will be shared on the Society’s website. 

The deadline for the RSGB Construction Competition is Saturday the 1st of March, which means you have less than two weeks left to submit your entry. The judges will be considering entries in six categories: beginners, construction excellence, innovation, software, antennas and outreach. To find out how to submit your application go to rsgb.org/construction-competition  The results of the competition will be announced during the 2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting on the 12th of  April. 

If you are passionate about amateur radio and have some spare time to support fellow radio amateurs, why not become an RSGB District Representative? There are currently 12 vacancies across the United Kingdom, including in Belfast, Cambridgeshire and Lancashire. To find out if there is a vacancy in your region go to rsgb.org/volunteers  and then get in touch with the Regional Representative of the district with the vacancy.

Amateur radio operators are reminded to take care when operating on the WRC-15 secondary amateur allocation at 5MHz. The UK still has no access to the full WRC-15 allocation. Despite requests, this seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Whilst the UK is fortunate to have more generous licence conditions, these mustn't be put at risk by irresponsible operating in violation of the licence conditions, particularly in the 5358 to 5362kHz gap where there is no UK allocation. The RSGB website has detailed advice for operators, both for SSB and digital modes, on its rsgb.org/5mhz web page. Please take care not to transmit outside of the UK segments even if you hear other amateurs transmitting. Remember that signals heard may be coming from amateurs in other countries with different allocations.

The RSGB ARDF Committee is pleased to announce the return of the British ARDF Championships in 2025. The Championships will be held as a three-day festival in early April 2025. Entries open on the 1st of March and will remain open right up until the event itself. Further information and updates can be found at tinyurl.com/ARDF25

Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected]  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk

On the 2nd of March, the Exeter Radio Rally is taking place at a new venue. The event will be held at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE, from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information phone Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email [email protected]

Now the Special Event news

Daren, 2E0LXY is hosting a special amateur radio event to raise funds for the Sheffield Children's Hospital today, the 16th. He will be operating on the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands using FT8. He will also be active on the 2m and 70cm bands using FM. DMR users can talk to Daren via Brandmeister talk group 23530. More information, including how to donate, is available via Daren’s QRZ.com page.

Special callsign S5701DX is running during February in memory of Slavko, S57DX who became a Silent Key last February. The station has been heard recently using CW and SSB on the HF bands. For more information visit QRZ.com

From the 1st to the 28th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com and rbli.co.uk

Now the DX news

Bob, NC6Q is active as HP1TT from Panama until tomorrow, the 17th.  He is operating CW and some SSB on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL directly to NC6Q.

Datta, VU2DSI is operating from Lonar Lake in India from the 20th to the 24th of February 2025. This unique location was formed by the impact of a meteor around 550,000 years ago. The station will be active on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Claudio, HB9OAU is active as D44OA from Sal Island, AF-086, Cape Verde until Tuesday the 18th. He is operating using CW and SSB on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.

 Now the contest news

The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15th and runs until 2359UTC today, Sunday the 16th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmit power. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

On Tuesday the 18th, the RGSB 1.3GHz Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 20th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The CQ 160m DX Contest starts at 22:00 UTC on Friday the 21st and ends at 22:00 UTC on Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

The REF Contest starts at 06:00 UTC on Saturday the 22nd and ends at 18:00 UTC on Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13th of February 2025

Two large coronal holes on the Sun’s surface have been spraying solar material towards Earth, pushing the Kp index to a high of 4.67.

The solar wind speed has been consistently higher than 500 kilometres per second and, with a south-pointing interplanetary magnetic field, the plasma has flooded into Earth’s magnetic field. There have been a few aurora warnings, but these have only been minor.

As a result, the ionosphere has not been too badly affected and daytime maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path have generally remained above 28MHz, with the odd dip towards 24MHz.

Coronal mass ejections have not made an appearance and there were only three M-class flares between the 9th and 13th of February.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index fell to the 150s and 160s last week.

Recent HF DX has included the V73WW DXpedition on the Marshall Islands, which has been worked from the UK, including on the 40, 30 and 20m bands using CW. The TX7N DXpedition to Marquesas Island in French Polynesia has just finished. It wasn’t an easy path, but it was worked from the UK on all bands from 30 to 12m using FT8, CW and SSB.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could rise a little, to be in the 180 to 190 range. Once Earth is free from the effects of the current coronal hole stream, we may expect the Kp index to retreat, perhaps to a maximum of 2.

So, DX next week could be quite reasonable but, as always, keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The lingering high pressure just to the east of the UK is holding weather fronts over western Britain for the time being with any tropo benefits confined to eastern areas and being marginal at best. 

During the coming week, changes will be slow but gradually a more determined push on the Atlantic fronts may bring them over most areas, except the extreme southeast of the country.

This will make rain scatter more accessible although the models suggest that the fronts are likely to become weaker. So, they will not be especially useful by the time they reach the southeast. Sporadic-E is in its quiet season now, as are the meteor scatter prospects, with no major showers in attendance until the spring Lyrids in late April.

Perhaps this quieter time is a chance to do some operating housekeeping. For example, you could update a list of nearby repeaters and beacons to help you track developing openings. Or maybe you could consider trying a new mode or band. Perhaps you could learn to use digital modes for meteor scatter. Maybe consider joining the increasing numbers trying CW on the 2m band.

Moon declination went negative again on Saturday the 15th and path losses are rising as the Moon moves away to apogee, its furthest point from Earth, on Tuesday the 18th. 144MHz sky noise is low for most of the coming week but goes high for the weekend of Saturday the 22nd.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 9th of February 2025

The news headlines:

The RSGB has launched a new web page on how emerging technology can be used in amateur radio. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3D printing offer the opportunity to broaden the definition of amateur radio. They can also increase appeal and attract a more diverse audience. For existing radio amateurs, they offer the opportunity for progression through learning new skills. You’ll also find links to two RSGB Convention presentations, including the newly released talk on 3D printing by Tom Wardill, 2E0JJI. Go to rsgb.org/emerging-technology  to learn more. The Society will be adding more technologies to the web page in the coming months and would love to hear from you if you are involved in amateur radio in any of these areas. Share your stories via [email protected] 

On Saturday the 29th of March, the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator, Martyn Baker, G0GMB, together with Andy Webster, G7UHN from the Radio Communications Foundation, will be delivering a talk in the Fellowship Auditorium at the Bletchley Park Museum. The presentation will introduce people to the radio spectrum and how to get to grips with the fundamentals of radio transmission. The session is being delivered as part of the RSGB’s ongoing strategy to promote amateur radio to wider audiences. The Society is pleased to announce that RSGB members who would like to attend the talk can benefit from a 10% discount, reducing the price to £14.40. To find out more about this talk, go to the ‘What’s on’ section on the Bletchley Park website via bletchleypark.org.uk  If you'd like to visit the Bletchley Park museum after the talk, don’t forget that RSGB members can gain free entry by downloading a voucher from the RSGB website via rsgb.org/bpvoucher

British Science Week is less than a month away and the RSGB would love you to use your interest, expertise and enthusiasm for amateur radio to get people involved. The annual event takes place between the 7th and 16th of March and celebrates science, technology, engineering and maths. Perhaps you love going portable and could take a local rambler group on an activation with you, or maybe you’re a member of ‘Men in Sheds’ and could deliver a soldering demonstration for them. The Society wants to make amateur radio accessible and inclusive for everyone. All ideas are welcome, both big and small. Whatever you are planning, send your ideas to the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via [email protected]  The RSGB will continue to share resources and ideas for how to get involved via rsgb.org/bsw 

A competition has been launched for RSGB Regions 6 and 7 in Wales that will take place throughout March. The aim is to encourage both individual RSGB members, as well as Affiliated Clubs in Wales, to build their own resonant 21MHz antenna and make as many QSOs as possible on the 21MHz band during the month. There are four categories to enter, with certificates issued to the top three stations in each of the categories. A club trophy is also available. To view the full competition rules and to access the submission form, go to tinyurl.com/walescomp 

Don’t forget that Girlguiding groups will be taking part in World Thinking Day on the Air activities over the weekends of the 15th and 22nd of February. The event aims to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. A list of stations that have provided the RSGB with details of their callsign can be found by going to rsgb.org/thinking-day  If you’d like to be added to this list, please email [email protected]

And now for details of rallies and events

Today, the 9th, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair is taking place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors are open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission costs £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking are available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via [email protected]

The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk

Now the Special Event news

A series of special event stations is active until the 31st of March to celebrate the city of Chemnitz, one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2025. All QSOs will be uploaded to eQSL, Logbook of the World, Club Log and the DARC Community Logbook. Paper QSL cards will not be issued. For more information about the event, including details of a certificate that is available for working the stations, visit 2025c.de

Special callsign A9100IARU is in use by the Bahrain Amateur Radio Society to mark the 100th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union. The callsign will be active for five days during each month of the 2025 year. The station was spotted recently using FT4 on the 10m band. QSL via EC6DX.

British Railways Amateur Radio Society is continuing to run special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel. Operation is mainly focused on 40m but there may be additional activity on the 10m band using SSB. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the special event stations, visit QRZ.com

A team of operators from DARC is active until the 27th of April using special callsign DA0IARU. The station is operating to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IARU. The special event team has been in existence for around five years and is led by Ric, DL2VFR.

Now the DX news

Thierry, TK1CX is active from Cameroon until the end of February. He is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. He operates mainly using FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via EA5ZD.

Przemo, SP3PS is operating as C5SP from The Gambia until around the middle of March. He operates using SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via SP3PS.

Now the contest news

The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th and runs until 2359UTC today, the 9th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The PACC Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 8th and runs until 1200UTC today, the 9th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province.

On Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB 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 11th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 80m Club Championship data leg runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Thursday the 13th, the RSGB 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 ARRL International DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15th and runs until 2359UTC on Sunday the 16th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmit power. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Wednesday the 5th of February 2025

Last week went pretty much as predicted. The solar wind from a large coronal hole impacted the Earth on Saturday the 1st of February, pushing the Kp index to four. The hole was so large that the geomagnetic disturbance lasted until the early evening on Sunday.

Once the solar wind speed had dropped, things got back to normal and the Kp index has been in the range of 1 to 2 ever since.

The event appeared to have had little effect on HF propagation, with maximum usable frequencies over a 3000km path remaining above 28MHz during the daylight hours. So it looks like we dodged a bullet.

At the time of writing, we have had 21 M-class flares in three days.

A solar flare measuring M8.8 was detected around active region 3981, peaking at 0358UTC on the 3rd of February. This was the strongest flare yet from this region in terms of peak X-Ray flux. However, the flare itself was impulsive and was not the source of a coronal mass ejection.

Over the next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could fall slightly to be in the 180 to 200 range. Make the most of the good propagation as we may be entering a period of unsettled geomagnetic conditions again from the 10th to the 17th of February. NOAA predicts that the Kp index could rise to a maximum of 5 on the 13th but is likely to be in the range of 3 to 5 over the seven days.

Part of this may be down to another coronal hole which became Earth-facing on the 6th of February. There is also a good chance that we could get an X-class eruptive flare from active regions 3981 or 3978, which could result in a coronal mass ejection.

We recommend you keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

High pressure during the second half of last week brought some useful tropo conditions. As this week, ending today the 9th comes to a close there are some wintry showers along North Sea coasts, which may produce some snow and rain scatter. However, this may be weakened by the nearby high pressure. 

By the end of this week, ending today the 9th, there will be a change of weather pattern as the high, having now migrated to Scandinavia, leaves room for Atlantic weather systems to encroach from the west during the coming week. This could bring rain scatter possibilities to the western side of the country. These should be more useful than the eastern coast ones at the end of last week since the rain will probably be heavier and the fronts slow-moving.

This time of year is something of a desert for Sporadic-E propagation although look out for lesser events as a result of jet streams. You can track these on the Propquest website.

Keep a look out for auroras during the week beginning tomorrow, the 10th. The likelihood of M-class flares is around 85%, while the chance of X-class flares is approximately 20%. So keep an eye on the Kp index for any potential solar events that could cause auroras.

Next week, there are no major meteor showers. The next significant meteor shower, the Lyrids, will become active in April. Keep checking the pre-dawn period for random meteors.

Moon declination reached a maximum yesterday, Saturday the 8th. Path losses are still low but will increase throughout the coming week. This means that this weekend, ending today the 9th, should produce good activity for EME, especially on the GHz bands with long Moon windows and high peak Moon elevation.

144MHz sky noise is moderate this weekend, ending today the 9th, but falls to low for the rest of the coming week.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 2nd of February 2025

The news headlines:

Tomorrow’s Tonight@8 webinar will help you navigate basic fault-finding and electronics within your construction projects. Lee Aldridge, G4EJB will use his many years of experience working in telecoms and electronics to help you understand what to do when you’ve built a project, but it doesn’t work. Go to rsgb.org/webinars to find out more. Join the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. You can also read more from Lee in the latest edition of RadCom Basics on pages 16 to 24.

The RSGB has announced that Peter Bowyer, G4MJS is to take on the new role of RSGB Board Vice Chair. The current Board Chair, Stewart Bryant, G3YSX said that the role of RSGB Board Chair has always been a busy one and, as the RSGB has taken on more commitments, the demands of this position have continually grown. Being able to share those duties is in the best interests of both the Society and the incumbent, and he is grateful to Peter for volunteering for this new role. Contact details for Peter and other RSGB Board Directors are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/board 

As we start a new year, the RSGB would like to highlight that it shares regular updates on its strategy both in RadCom and online. The latest update by General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB reflects on the year ahead and discusses how best the Society might achieve a clear direction for 2025. Read this and previous strategic updates on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/strategy-updates 

The RSGB exams team is pleased to announce the publication of a revised version of Syllabus Version 1.6. This update is known as Version 1.6b. The revisions address feedback received from the community since the publication of Version 1.6a. The companion document summarises the changes made to the syllabus which include moving some material from Licensing, in Section 1, to the more appropriate Section 7 which focuses on Operating. There are no significant changes to the number and content of learning points. Version 1.6b will be in effect for exams held from the 1st of April 2025. 

The RSGB’s weekly news broadcast GB2RS is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. As part of the celebrations, a special callsign GB70RS is active throughout the year. The callsign is being operated by radio amateurs who help to deliver GB2RS each week and could include Newsreaders and RSGB Headquarters staff. You can listen out for operators on all modes and all bands, with activity taking place at any time, although you are particularly likely to hear them before and after the GB2RS broadcasts. Find out more via the GB70RS page at QRZ.com  If you’d like to learn more about the weekly news service, and other celebratory activities taking place this year, watch January’s Tonight@8 webinar, which is available on the Society’s YouTube channel.  

The January 2025 edition of RadCom Basics is now available on the RSGB website for members to read. RadCom Basics is aimed at new licensees and amateurs who want to refresh their skills and knowledge. Among others, this edition includes articles that provide advice on constructing a kit, options for installing a suitable 40m band antenna in a small garden, and a discussion on what you need to power a portable station. To read RadCom Basics visit rsgb.org/radcom-basics

RSGB Headquarters will be closing at 12 pm on Friday the 7th of February as RSGB staff will be attending the funeral of their colleague Gillian Coull. To allow time for preparation of the GB2RS News script, the deadline for the GB2RS News broadcast on Sunday the 9th has been brought forward. Please send details of all your news and events to [email protected] by 10 am on Wednesday the 5th of February.

And now for details of rallies and events

On Sunday the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via [email protected]

The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk

Now the Special Event news

Special callsign HB20SOTA is in use throughout 2025 by the Swiss SOTA Group to celebrate its 20th anniversary. For more information, and to read details of a certificate that is available for working the station, visit tinyurl.com/hb20sota

Special callsign OF60AP is in use throughout 2025 by members of the Central Uusimaa Radio Amateurs Association, OH2AP. The station is operating to celebrate the club's 60th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station visit tinyurl.com/OF60AP2025

Now the DX news

Giovanni, IZ2DPX is active from ZD7DPX from St. Helena Island, AF-022, until tomorrow the 3rd of February. He is operating SSB and digital modes on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly to IK2DUW.

Aldir, PY1SAD is active as 8R1TM from Georgetown, Guyana until the 8th of February. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes across a variety of bands and via satellite. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com, or directly to Aldir’s home call.

Now the contest news

Today, the 2nd, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Tomorrow, the 3rd, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Wednesday the 5th, The United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

On Saturday the 8th, the Worked All Britain 1.8MHz Phone Contest runs from 1900 to 2359UTC. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain area.

Also on Saturday the 8th, the RGSB 1.8MHz Contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th of February and runs until 2359UTC on Sunday the 9th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The PACC Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 8th of February and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday the 9th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 30th of January 2025

Last week was pretty unremarkable as far as the Sun goes, but it looks like that is about to change.

The seven days preceding Thursday the 30th were characterised by reasonably settled geomagnetic conditions, with a maximum Kp index of 3.67 and a solar flux index that fell from 205 on the 24th, to the 170s by the 30th. During this period there had been only four M-class solar flares and no X-class events.

Over the next few days, things could change. Two large coronal holes near the Sun’s equator threaten to upset the quiet conditions. As the solar material flows out it could cause the Kp index to rise, perhaps to 4, with reduced maximum usual frequencies and noisy conditions. But this will depend upon its associated Bz or interplanetary magnetic field.

If it is south-pointing it will couple more easily with the Earth’s magnetic field, allowing plasma to flow in, and the Kp index will rise. However, if it is north-pointing we may see very little effect at all.

So, keep an eye on Solarham.com for real-time updates and look for increased solar wind speed as the main indicator of the approaching solar material.

If the Bz does point south we may expect unsettled conditions and possible aurora today, the 2nd.

Meanwhile, three sunspot groups are rotating into an Earth-facing position in the Northern Hemisphere on the Eastern side of the Sun. We have already seen an M-class flare from one of them.

These could boost the solar flux index but could also be a source of solar flares and coronal mass ejections over the coming week.

Strangely, NOAA does not seem to think they will, as its predicted solar flux index over the next seven days is in the 150 to 160s range. It does agree with our prediction of unsettled geomagnetic conditions, although with a projected Kp index of 5 today, the 2nd, falling to 4 over the next three days.

We will just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, maximum useable frequencies over a 3,000km path are still exceeding 28MHz from around 0830 to 1600 UTC. As the month moves on, we can expect the amount of daylight to increase, so this period may be extended.

Make the most of 160 and 80m as the optimum time for these bands has now passed.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The tail end of the previous week saw a few weak weather features as lows and a front brushed past. However, from this first weekend of February, there will be a trend to higher pressure, which will offer up some tropo opportunities at times during the coming week. 

There is a chance of the occasional decaying front drifting down the country but, for most of the next week, it’ll be a tropo story, if anything.

50MHz has been quiet again as we await the return of maybe the last Spring equinox-style propagation of this cycle around mid-March.

Meteor scatter is once again mostly down to random activity although there is one minor shower, the Capricornids-Sagittariids, which peaked yesterday, Saturday the 1st of February. 

Rain scatter may be somewhat rarer due to the mainly high-pressure pattern. 

Some auroral propagation is not without hope in view of the large coronal hole, which crossed the Sun last week. Keep a lookout for high Kp values, and keep an ear open for watery signals on the LF bands as a good sign of potential activity on the higher bands.

Moon declination goes positive again today, the 2nd. With perigee having passed late yesterday, the 1st, this means that the upcoming week will be good for EME. This is especially true on the GHz bands if you have a clear view of the horizon. 144MHz sky noise is low, rising to moderate next weekend.

One final note: there have been some access problems with the data feeds for the Propquest website. Hopefully, these are temporary and have fixed themselves by the time you hear this broadcast. The other data plots such as jet stream charts should continue to update so there is plenty to look at on the other pages.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 26th of January 2025

The news headlines:

The RSGB is delighted to announce details of the amateur radio activity that the Society provided for the British Science Week 2025 Community Pack. The RSGB Outreach Team, working with the RSGB Comms Team, submitted two activities on this year’s theme of ‘Change and adapt’ and one was chosen for the Community Pack. This activity was created by John Hislop, G7OHO and tested by RSGB School Youth Champion Chris Aitken, MM0WIC, and other members of the Outreach Team with various groups and ages. It uses amateur radio to find out if people in different countries are seeing changes in their weather patterns. It is a simple activity that is also designed to get people on the air. Community or youth groups will need access to a Digital Mobile Radio repeater and assistance from a radio amateur, which is why the RSGB is asking for the support of the amateur radio community to make this as effective as possible! You can find the RSGB activity and other resources on its website at rsgb.org/bsw so take a look and get ready to be involved! You can also find the full set of this year’s activity packs at britishscienceweek.org  To ask questions or suggest an activity, contact the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO via [email protected] 

The RSGB President is a prestigious and important role. Each President has the autonomy to shape the duties and activities they carry out to best match their view of the role. Former Presidents have spoken of the unique insight it has given them into the hobby, and the fulfilment they have felt from the role. Read more from the current and some previous Presidents by going to rsgb.org/president  If you believe you can advocate for amateur radio, that you have the necessary understanding of how the RSGB works, and are someone who can relate to and talk engagingly with a wide range of people, then why not apply to be the next RSGB President? Nominations are now open in the RSGB 2025 elections and full candidate packs can be found via rsgb.org/election  Applications are strongly encouraged from radio amateurs of all different backgrounds and identities. Every new volunteer who joins the RSGB is an opportunity to bring a different perspective, which the Board is eager to embrace. Remember that the closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31st of January. So, if you’d like to rise to the challenge and be the Society’s next President, act now.  

Have you ever spent time constructing a project, only to find it doesn’t work? If so, the next Tonight@8 webinar on Monday the 3rd of February is one to put in your diary. Lee Aldridge, G4EJB will present a basic fault finding and electronics session that will look at the requirements of construction, as well as the pros and cons of different types of construction. He will also look at what to do when you’ve built a project, but it doesn’t work. This will include looking at your method, understanding some simple circuits and basic use of a digital multimeter, your expectations, as well as checking and testing. Lee has nearly 35 years experience of working in telecoms and electronics and will be known by many as the former RadCom Basics Editor. Find out more about this discussion by going to rsgb.org/webinars  Watch the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.

Today, the 26th, the 2m band is full of transmissions from operators taking part in 145 Alive. The event is running from 12 pm to 3 pm and there are nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page.

Have you been involved in inspiring newcomers to amateur radio? Do you have a knack for introducing and explaining the fundamental principles of our wonderful pastime to the uninitiated? If so, have you considered writing for RadCom Basics? Tim, G5TM, the RadCom Basics Editor, welcomes all suggestions. If you have ideas for future articles, email [email protected]

The RSGB is looking for an assistant editor to join the team that produces its suite of RadCom publications. The successful candidate will be involved in everything from magazine production and sub-editing to writing articles and planning content. More information is available on page 83 of the February 2025 issue of RadCom and via rsgb.org/careers  If you are interested in applying for the role, email [email protected]

 And now for details of rallies and events

The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place today, the 26th, at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking are available. For more information contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email [email protected]

On Sunday the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10am to 3pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via [email protected]

The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of February from 10am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

Advance notice now that the 13th Scottish Microwave Round Table will be held on Saturday the 1st of November 2025 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife, Scotland. There will be an optional dinner in the evening at a local hotel. Further updates will be posted on the gmroundtable.org.uk website in June or July 2025. To find out more email Colin via [email protected]

Now the Special Event news

The Straight Key Century Club's Straight Key Month is currently underway. The annual on-air event commemorates the Club's founding in 2006 and celebrates the original instruments of early radiotelegraphy including straight keys, bugs and ‘cootie’ keys. Listen out for the K3Y callsign which is being aired from the ten USA call areas. Information on the event and QSL instructions can be found at tinyurl.com/K3Y2025

A large multi-national team is active as TX7N from Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands, OC-027, until tomorrow, the 27th. The team is operating using CW, SSB and digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of the World. For more information and updates visit tx7n.com

British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel. Operation will be mainly focused on 40m but there may be additional activity on other bands. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the special event stations visit QRZ.com

 Now the DX news

Dwight, VE7BV is active as TG9BBV from Guatemala until the 28th of January. He is operating using mostly CW and SSB on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Dwight’s home call and Logbook of the World.

Ralf, DB4REB is active as CN2REB while on holiday in Morocco until the 30th of January. He is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on various bands. Ralf is hoping to work some Parks on the Air sites along the coast during his visit. QSL via eQSL or directly to Ralf’s home call. For more information and updates visit QRZ.com

Felix, DL5XL is active as DP1POL from a German research station in Antarctica, AN-016, until the 25th of February. He is operating mainly using CW on the HF bands. There may also be some digital mode and SSB activity. QSL via DL1ZBO. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log.

Now the contest news

The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group RTTY Sprint started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 25th and runs until 1200UTC today, the 26th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number.

The CQ 160m DX Contest started at 2200UTC on Friday the 24th and runs until 2200UTC today, the 26th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

On Tuesday the 28th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13, 9, 6 and 3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 29th, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon began at 0000UTC on Sunday the 1st of December and ends at 2359UTC on Friday the 31st of January. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator.

On Sunday the 2nd, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. 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 23rd of January 2025

This week, ending today the 26th, has looked a lot like a repeat performance of two weeks ago. The majority of the sunspots are in the western hemisphere with very few in the eastern side. This means that the solar flux index could drop over the coming week unless there are sunspots ready to rotate into view to replace those being lost.

A look at the STEREO Ahead spacecraft imagery suggests that there are indeed sunspots over the Eastern limb, so all may not be lost.

Overall, the Sun has been fairly quiet. There were no X-class flares and only five M-class flares from the 19th to the 23rd of January. The Kp index has also been relatively low, only peaking at four for one three-hour period on the 20th of January.

As a result, with the solar flux index in the 200s, HF conditions have been quite good. The maximum usable frequency over a 3,000km path has been consistently over 28MHz, from around 0830 to 1600 UTC. However, the 20, 17, 15 and 12m bands, seem to be carrying most of the DX at the moment.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the mid-200s. Geomagnetic conditions are also predicted to be good until the end of the month, but a Kp index of 5 is forecast for the 31st of January, and this could last for a few days.

So, we urge you to make the most of the conditions now, before geomagnetic storming, if it occurs, makes a mess of HF as we enter February.

 And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The weather pattern is being driven by a very strong winter jet stream across the Atlantic Ocean. This gives scope for rapid development of deep lows and consequent gales and damaging winds.

On Friday the 24th of January, the first big storm hit the northwest of Britain. We may find that the next low in the series is heading for southern Britain tomorrow, the 27th. 

This all makes tropo unlikely for much of the week ahead since it stays unsettled through most of the period but with the smallest hint of higher pressure trying to return from Thursday.

Rain scatter will probably be worth some consideration on the GHz bands while meteor scatter remains driven by random activity rather than any major showers.

There have been further aurora alerts over the last week and it's always worth keeping the Kp index in view to monitor any possible chances for aurora. High figures, above a Kp index of 4, are a good trigger point to get interested.

Moon declination reaches a minimum in the northern hemisphere today, the 26th, when Moon windows are at their shortest and peak Moon elevation is at its lowest.

Path losses are now falling as we passed apogee on Tuesday the 21st. 144MHz sky noise is high, reaching over 3,000 Kelvin today, the 26th, before dropping to moderate until Wednesday when the Moon and Sun are very close in the sky for the whole Moon pass. After this, it drops to a low for the rest of the week.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.