GB2RS

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 17th November 2019

The news headlines:

RSGB Board co-opts assistance

Nominate for the CWops Award

Radio events at Bletchley Park

 

Two experienced RSGB Members have been co-opted to assist the Board. Dr John Rogers, M0JAV becomes a Board Director. Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX will advise the Board on RSGB publications activities and support the Contest Committee. Dr Rogers and Dr Bryant will remain co-opted until the 2020 RSGB AGM. They will then either step down or stand for election to the Board in the normal way.

The CW Operators Club, CWops, is now accepting nominations for this year’s Award for Advancing the Art of CW. Individuals, groups and organisations are all equally eligible, and the award is not limited to amateur radio operators or their organisations. Nominations may be made by anybody, not just CWops members, and should be emailed to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected]. The closing date for nominations is the 18th of March 2020 and the presentation will be made at Dayton Hamvention. Further details, including criteria for nomination, can be found at www.cwops.org.

Following on from the success of previous radio workshops at Bletchley Park, we’ll be running two more events this December. On Saturday the 14th of December the Introduction to Amateur Radio workshop is open to anyone aged 17 and over. It consists of talks, videos and demonstrations, and gives attendees an insight into the world of amateur radio. The following day, Sunday the 15th December, the hands-on Build a Radio Receiver workshop is aimed at 10 to 18-year-olds. Attendees will have a short introduction to the history of radio communications, propagation and electronic construction, before moving on to building a medium wave radio receiver, which they will be able to take away with them. We thank the Radio Communications Foundation for supporting this event. Pre-booking is essential. Go to www.bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on for more information and to book.

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 continues in Egypt, considering many aspects of radio including several that will affect our hobby. The ITU Media Team has a TV studio for interviews and they recently spoke to Tim Ellam, VE6SH, President of the International Amateur Radio Union. You can find that interview, plus all the latest news at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19 and on the RSGB social media channels.

Well over 80,000 people have visited the RSGB National Radio Centre so far this year. In order to provide even better engagement with our guests, we are looking to recruit more volunteers to join the NRC team. If you are an RSGB Member with a Full licence, like meeting people, enjoy explaining and demonstrating our hobby, you could be ideal. NRC volunteers enjoy numerous benefits associated with volunteering at Bletchley Park and full training will be given. You’ll need to be available for one, or preferably two days a month and should live within a sensible travelling distance of Bletchley Park. Reasonable travel costs are refunded. Please email [email protected] for further information.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Nevada Radio has its open day in their Portsmouth premises today, Sunday the 17th. RSGB representatives will be in attendance.

The Mid Cornwall Beacon and Repeater Group AGM is on Saturday the 23rd of November. It takes place at Lanivet Village Hall, Lanivet, Cornwall PL30 5HG. Doors open at 1pm and proceedings commence at 2pm. Full details are at www.gb3nc.org.uk.

The 42nd CATS Radio & Electronics Bazaar takes place next Sunday, the 24th of November. The venue is Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon CR5 1ES. Doors open from 10am until 2pm and the £1.50 entry fee includes a free tea or coffee. There will be second hand equipment, flea market tables, traders, a Bring and Buy stand and an RSGB bookstall. Refreshments are available on site. Contact Andy, G0KZT on 0772 986 6600 or see www.catsradio.org.

Next Sunday also sees the Bishop Auckland Radio Amateurs Club rally. It takes place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, 32 High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. The venue has good parking and access to the large ground floor hall. There will be the usual radio, computer, electronics, and Bring & Buy stalls as well as catering and bar. Doors open at 10.30am, with disabled visitors gaining access at 10.15. Admission is £2, with under 14s free of charge with an adult. More details from John, G4LRG on 0777 569 6568.

We have no more rallies listed for 2019. Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Al, K7AR will be active as V63AR from Pohnpei, OC-010, from the 18th to the 26th of November. Using the HF bands with CW, SSB and FT8, he will also enter the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL to home call.

Bud, AA3B will be on the air as V26K from Antigua, NA-100, until the 26th of November. He’ll be on HF with an emphasis on CW. He will take part in the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL direct to home call.

Dan, N6MJ will be in the Cayman Islands as ZF2MJ from the 19th to the 25th of November. During the CQ World Wide DX CW contest, he will sign ZF1A. QSL ZF2MJ to home call and ZF1A via K6AM.

Didier, F6BCW will be QRV as FO/F6BCW from Hiva Oa Island, IOTA reference OC-027, from the 19th to the 25th of November. Activity will be on 40 and 20m. QSL direct to home call.

Mats, SM6LRR will be on the air in Vietnam as XV9D from today until the 30th of November. Look for him on 40 and 20m. He’ll also be on 40m in the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL direct to EA5GL.

Members of the Radio Club QRM Belgrano are QRV as LU4AAO until the 18th of November to celebrate Argentine Traditions Day. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL direct to LU4AAO.

Members of the Slovenia Contest Club will be in Ghana operating as 9G5W until the 27th of November. Activity will be on 160 to 10m using CW, SSB, RTTY and other digital modes. They will enter the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL via Logbook of the World.

Now the special event news

Throughout November W9CAP will be on the air from Chicago, celebrating the role of the US Civil Air Patrol in Illinois. Operations are planned in the 7, 14, 18 and 28MHz bands. A special QSL card will be available.

OL75CARBON will be on the air until the end of November from the Czech Republic. The station celebrates the 75th anniversary of WWII Operation Carbon, which dropped British-trained Czech paratroopers in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Station details and a wealth of fascinating detail on Operation Carbon can be found on the QRZ.com page for OL75CARBON.

Cape Fear Amateur Radio Society is Celebrating its 50th anniversary by operating K4MN from the 18th to the 24th of November. Details, including planned frequencies, are at https://cfarsnc.org/

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible. We have not received special event station notifications from Ofcom in recent months so you MUST let us know to get your event publicised on GB2RS, in RadCom and online.

Now the contest news

Today sees the UK Microwave Group Low Band contest. Running from 1000 to 1400UTC, all modes can be used on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 1.3GHz Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the Autumn Series SSB contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Thursday sees the 70MHz UKAC, which runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The biggest contest this month is CQWW DX CW, which runs for 48 hours over the weekend of 23rd to the 24th. Starting at 0000UTC on Saturday and ending at 2359 on Sunday, this CW-only event uses all the contest bands from 1.8 to 28MHz. The exchange is signal report and Zone, which is 14 for the UK.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 15th of November 2019.

Last week was pretty good in terms of HF propagation. Other than a slight blip in the Kp index on Monday the 11th, when it rose to three due to a weak coronal hole stream, geomagnetic conditions remained settled.

The Sun remained spot-free all week, although a new region was noted on the 13th. Region 2752 rotated into view on the southwestern edge of the Sun’s disk, but we will have to wait and see how it develops. The magnetic layout and high latitude location of this region associates it with the new Solar Cycle 25. This is the second such region in the past few weeks, but don’t get too excited as going by previous experience it may disappear within a couple of days.

Maximum usable frequencies were often above 21MHz at times, according to Propquest.co.uk, which had more to do with better autumnal seasonal ionospheric conditions than increased solar activity.

Next week NOAA has the solar flux index pinned at 70 or 71 all week, with unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 20th to the 24th.

At the time of writing a large coronal hole was just turning to be Earth-facing, which could lead to disrupted geomagnetic conditions, perhaps beginning late on the 16th. As always check for a pre-auroral enhancement as the solar wind first hits the Earth and then expect conditions to decline with reduced MUFs and noisy bands as any potential geomagnetic storm develops.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

This coming week is a continuation of the long run of unsettled wet weather. Microwave band stations will be the main beneficiaries of this rain as it should bring some good rain scatter. The rain is likely to be in the form of heavy showers, which at this time of the year are mostly around the coasts and a short distance inland.

The many radar displays online will give you plenty of help tracking down the stronger radar echoes, which might give some useful scatter points. More widespread frontal activity will also be present at times, so giving more rain scatter path options to explore.

It is hard to find any strong highs on the charts for next week, so Tropo will not be a big player, although there are times, in between the areas of low pressure, when a weak ridge may give a temporary but slight enhancement.

The Leonids meteor shower is at its maximum today so look out for the better meteor scatter conditions to peak overnight and extend into next week.

It’s a good EME weekend, and the final ARRL VHF/UHF contest is underway. Moon declination is at its highest, so we have long Moon windows and high Moon elevation, but as we are still a week from perigee – the point of the Moon’s closest approach – losses are still quite high. 144MHz sky temperature is low for most of the week.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 10th November 2019

The news headlines:

Volunteer as GB2RS Manager

News from WRC-19

Train the Trainers in July

 

The GB2RS News Service is looking for a new volunteer Manager following the sad passing of Ken Hatton, G3VBA, earlier this year. The position involves appointing and liaising with GB2RS Newsreaders, managing schedules and Notices of Variation, and working closely with the editorial staff at HQ. For more information please contact the RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB, via email to [email protected].

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 opened in Egypt on the 28th of October. Daily reports of proceedings can be found on the RSGB’s social media and special focus page at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19. These reports are prepared by the RSGB volunteers attending the Conference. WRC-19 has a wide-ranging agenda, of which the amateur issues are but a small part. IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH is also tweeting photos and notes from the meetings and you can find his feed at https://twitter.com/IARU_President.

Advance notice now that Hilderstone Radio Society will host an RSGB Train the Trainers event on Saturday the 11th of July 2020. This free event takes place in Margate and is open to all amateurs interested in helping new amateurs acquire or progress to a higher licence. It is essential you pre-book. For more information, or to register your interest, email [email protected],

The 2019 YOTA winter camp is taking place in the Netherlands from 12 to 15 December 2019. You can meet the RSGB team who will be taking part at www.rsgb.org/yota.

The RAIBC has an Audio Library that includes manuals for all three licence levels. Updated versions for Syllabus 2019 are available on audio disk, but not for download. See the RSGB’s Audio and Braille resources web page for further details about these and other useful resources, at www.rsgb.org/audio-braille-resources

Nevada Radio is holding an Open Day at their Portsmouth premises on Sunday the 17th of November. RSGB representatives will be in attendance.

Martyn Lynch & Sons is holding a Hog Roast at their showroom in Staines on Saturday the 30th of November. The date shown on page 12 of the November RadCom is incorrect, for which we apologise.

The latest edition of the 5MHz Newsletter is now available for free pdf download from the RSGB 5MHz page, www.rsgb.org/5mhz. This edition includes 5MHz news from nine countries, features the World of 5MHz 2019 and a report on Exercise Blue Ham.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

The Rochdale & District ARS Winter Rally takes place on Saturday the 16th of November at St Vincent de Paul’s, Caldershaw Road, off Edenfield Road, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open to the public at 10.15am, with disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. Admission is £2.50, with those under 12 free. Pitches are £5 if you have your own table or £10 with a table provided. Guest speaker Keiran Wilkinson, IT Director at Hack:Oldham, will speak at 11am and noon on Make It, Don’t Buy It, an explanation of how you can use computer aided design, 3D printing and laser cutting to create project enclosures and casings. Refreshments are available including bacon and sausage butties. Further details from Robert, M0NVQ, on 0777 811 3333.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Alan, G3XAQ and Don, G3XTT will be active from The Gambia from the 12th to the 26th of November as C56XA and C56DF respectively. Main activity will be during the CQ WW DX CW Contest, with casual operating outside the contest. QSL C56XA via LoTW or G3SWH’s OQRS, QSL C56DF via LoTW, Club Log’s OQRS, or via G3XTT.

HA7RY, HA8KW, KN4EEI and AA7JV will be active as C6AGU from Wood Cay in the Bahamas, IOTA reference NA-001, starting around 15 November and running until the 9th of December. They will be testing some new DXpedition equipment, with a focus on 160 and 80 metres. They will also participate in the CQ WW DX CW Contest and the ARRL 160 Meter Contest. QSL via HA7RY.

Keith, GM4YXI and Chris, GM3WOJ will again be active as VK9CZ from Cocos Keeling island, OC-003, from the 12th until the 29th of November. Activity will be on all bands 160 to 10m, except 60m, on SSB, CW and FT8. VK9CZ will try to work as many UK stations as possible. Activity will also include a Multi-Two entry in the CQ WW CW contest on the 23rd and 24th of November. QSOs will be uploaded, daily if possible, to LoTW and ClubLog. Paper QSLs can be requested via the QSL Manager Steve, N3SL after the DXpedition. More details are at www.vk9cz2019.com.

Mats, RM2D / SM6LRR will be active again as XV9D from Vietnam on the 17th to the 30th of November. This year he will concentrate on 160-40 metres; he will also participate in the CQ WW DX CW Contest. QSL via LoTW, preferred, or direct to EA5GL.

Pierre, HB9AMO will be active again as 5U9AMO from Niger on the 15th to the 25th of November. He will operate CW on 160 to 10 metres, including participation in the CQ WW DX CW Contest. QSL via M0URX’s OQRS and LoTW. More info at www.hb9amo.net.

Tommy, DL8KX will be active holiday style, hopefully as 8Q7KX, from the Maldives, AS-013, from the 10th to the 17th of November. He will operate CW only on 40, 30, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL preferably via Club Log’s OQRS or via home call, direct or bureau.

Now the special event news

Coventry Amateur Radio Society is putting GB1BNF on the air today and on Monday in Bedworth for Remembrance Sunday.

The Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society has announced that its permanent special event callsign GB2RAF will be off the air until May 2020. This is due to the winter recess at the museum in RAF Neatishead, Norfolk, which hosts the station.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

The WAE DX RTTY contest runs for 48 hours this weekend, ending at 2359UTC on the 10th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is just your signal report and serial number.

On Monday the 80m Autumn Series Data contest takes place from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using data modes only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest takes place from 1900 to 1955UTC, with the exchange of signal report, serial number and 6-digit locator. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for this contest is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 50MHz Machine Generated Mode Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC. The exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator. It is immediately followed by the 50MHz UKAC, which runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange for this one is signal report, serial number and locator.

Saturday sees the Second 1.8MHz CW contest, running from 1900 to 2300 UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and District code.

Finally for this week next Sunday sees the UK Microwave Group Low Band contest. Running from 1000 to 1400UTC, all modes can be used on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 8th of November.

We had a more settled week, geomagnetically speaking. The Sun was a lot calmer, with a lack of coronal holes and fast solar wind to disrupt the ionosphere. We also had a sign again that Solar Cycle 25 is on its way. A tiny sunspot, numbered 2750 and belonging to Cycle 25, appeared in the Sun’s south-east quadrant. It didn’t last long before vanishing, but it is a sign that the minimum may be coming to an end. Another tiny spot also appeared, this time belonging to outgoing Cycle 24, but it too was short lived. Solar activity should remain at very low levels in the short term.

The solar flux index was in the range 69-71, but there was HF activity to be had if you searched hard enough. VP6R, on Pitcairn Island, D68CCC on Comoros and VK9NG on Norfolk Island were all active, and Guam, Oman, Mauritania, The Philippines and Japan were all spotted on 20m FT8.

Propquest.co.uk showed that the maximum useable frequency often exceeded 21MHz over a 3,000km path during daylight hours, often getting close to 24MHz.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux will continue to be around 67. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to remain settled with a maximum Kp index of two. Quiet conditions should continue until the 20th of November, when a fast solar wind from a returning coronal hole should push the Kp index to a maximum of five.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

It’s another unsettled look to the charts for the coming week, with a general low pressure feel to things. This means that rain scatter should be on the list for those on the GHz bands.

High pressure is very hard to pin down next week with a large high near the Azores, so according to the present charts Tropo won’t be much in evidence. Sometimes these unsettled patterns can produce very rapid development of lows and one such model run does indeed show the potential for a deep low over the country at the end of next week from Thursday night into Saturday. If this remains the plan as we get nearer, then it's worth keeping up to date with the forecasts from midweek, especially regarding wind speed.

There are two meteor showers to look out for this week. The Northern Taurids tomorrow, then one of the major meteor showers of the year, the Leonids, peaking overnight from the 17th to the 18th. The Leonids is well known for producing meteor storms, the last one being in 2001. These storms are best seen when the parent object, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is near perihelion, its closest approach to the sun. Unfortunately it appears that the Earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099 so don’t expect fireworks!

Visible peaks of around 15 meteors per hour can be expected and there will be much improved meteor scatter conditions.

Moon declination is increasing, reaching maximum a week today, so there’s plenty of EME time this week. The Moon is not long past apogee so losses will be high but falling. 144 MHz sky temperature reaches a peak of 500K on Friday.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 3rd November 2019

The news headlines:

New edition of RadCom Plus released

Latest news on WRC-19

5MHz Newsreader wanted

The RSGB is pleased to announce that the new edition of RadCom Plus, Volume 4, Issue 1, is out now at www.rsgb.org/radcom-plus. RadCom Plus is the RSGB’s digital technical supplement and RSGB Members can read it in HTML5 flipbook, PDF and Epub formats. This issue contains over 50 pages and includes an Arduino Vector Network Analyser, the pros and cons of multiband inverted-V antennas and a homemade yet accurate 100kHz to 3GHz spectrum analyser. All the back copies of RadCom Plus have now been converted to the HTML5 viewer. RSGB Members can sign up to receive email alerts for future editions at https://thersgb.org/members/portal/

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 opened in Egypt on the 28th of October. Daily reports of proceedings can be found on the RSGB’s social media and special focus page at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19. These reports are prepared by the RSGB volunteers attending the Conference. WRC-19 has a wide-ranging agenda, of which the amateur issues are but a small part.

We’re still in need of readers to join the GB2RS News 5MHz team rota. The 5MHz GB2RS broadcast takes place on Sunday afternoons at 1500UTC on 5398.5kHz USB. A Full licence is necessary for 5MHz operation and you must be a Member of the RSGB. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact the GB2RS News Manager via email to [email protected].

Bletchley Park changed to its winter opening hours on Friday the 1st of November. This means that the site, including the RSGB National Radio Centre, will be open from 9.30am to 4pm, with last admission at 3pm. RSGB Members can gain free entry to Bletchley Park by downloading the voucher at rsgb.org/bpvoucher.

Episode 24 of TX Factor is a National Hamfest 2019 special, reporting on some of the eye-catching products and services on display at this year’s event in Newark. They investigate the current state of HF propagation with RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair Steve Nichols, G0KYA, celebrate 50 years of Nevada Radio with Mike Devereaux, G3SED, try out a few solder stations and look at the VMARS vintage AM radios. And to cap it all, they take a look at the latest rig from Yaesu, the FTdx101D. As always, there’s a chance to win a great bundle of prizes from their sponsors, the RSGB and ML&S. Go to www.txfilms.co.uk/txfactor/

The RSGB VHF Contest Committee would appreciate your views on a number of topics to help it set the contest rules for 2020. The survey is quite short and all your views are read and appreciated. The survey will close at midnight on Sunday the 10th of November and is available at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VHFCC2019. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

The annual Hog Roast at Martin Lynch & sons will take place on the 30th of November at their premises in Staines, TW18 2AP. The published date in the November RadCom is incorrect and our apologies to ML&S for the error.

Have you applied to host the callsign for this year’s Youngsters on the Air Month, which takes place throughout December? The RSGB has the call sign GB19YOTA and we’re looking for radio clubs, schools, Scout and Guides groups, Cadet groups and individuals to activate the call sign or host a station. To find out more go to www.rsgb.org/yota-month.

The Royal Signals ARS would like to contact those people who joined the RSARS at the National Hamfest on 28 and 29 September. Please contact the membership secretary by email to [email protected].

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 3rd of November, the Bushvalley ARC Rally takes place at Limavady Football Club, Rathmore Road, Limavady BT49 0DF. Doors open 11am and admission is £3.

Next Saturday, the 9th of November, the BATC ATV Convention South takes place at Chilton Village Hall near Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0SH. There will be an ATV Clinic, Show and Tell, Bring & Buy and two interesting talks. More information at https://forum.batc.org.uk

Plymouth Radio Club would like to inform people that this year’s rally, planned for November, will not be held. The club would like to thank all those who have supported them over the years.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Members of the CAN-AM DXpedition Group will be active as TX7T from Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, IOTA reference OC-027, from the 6th to the 17th of November. They will operate CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 in Fox & Hound mode on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via M0URX's OQRS and Logbook of The World.

Rick, NE8Z will be active as HC1MD/2 from the lighthouse at Capay on Hill, in the Santa Elena province of Ecuador until the 9th of November. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 40, 30, 20 and 17m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, or direct to K8LJG.

Eric, VA2IDX will be active as VA2IDX/P from Anticosti Island, NA-077, until the 6th of November. He will operate CW QRP and possibly SSB on the 40 and 20m bands around 2000 to 0200UTC. QSL via his home call.

Gary, G0FWX will be operating as V47FWX between the 6th and the 13th of November from John, V47JA’s QTH in St Kitts and Nevis, NA-104. QSL via M0URX.

Tom, F4HPX is on holiday on New Caledonia, OC-32, from the 3rd of November. He will be operating as FK/F4HPX on the 80 to 10m bands using FT4, SSB, and CW. He also plans a visit to the Ile des Pins, OC-033. QSL via F4HPX either direct or via the bureau, Club Log OQRS, Logbook of the World or eQSL.

Now the special event news

The volunteers of the Brooklands Wireless Communications Collection will operate the museum's callsign, GB1BM, to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the ending of hostilities of the First World War on the 9th of November. They will operate from the Finishing Straight, Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge KT13 0QN. The aim is to contact 101 other radio stations using just one frequency because most radio equipment in use in 1918 was only capable of operating on a single channel. You can work the station on the air or visit the museum between 10am and 4pm. Please note the normal entry fees apply.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

This weekend, the Marconi CW contest runs for 24 hours ending at 1400UTC today, the 3rd. It is CW only on the 144MHz band and the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Midlands Inter-Club GMT Activity contest continues today, Sunday the 3rd, and on subsequent Sundays. It runs between 10am and midday, on or around 145.450MHz FM. Full details can be found at solihullradioclub.co.uk/award.

On Monday the Pioneer FT4 Series contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using the 3.5MHz band only, the exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator.

On Tuesday the 144MHz Machine Generated Mode Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. The exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator. At the same time the 144MHz FM Activity Contest takes place, with the exchange of signal report, serial number and 6-digit locator. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for this contest is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your 4-character locator.

On Saturday, the Club Calls or 1.8MHx AFS contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 1.8MHz band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and club information.

The WAE DX RTTY contest runs for 48 hours next weekend from 0000UTC on the 9th to 2359UTC on the 10th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is just your signal report and serial number.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 1st of November.

Last week offered a mixed bag of HF propagation. The weekend saw the aftermath of a geomagnetic storm, triggered by matter from a solar coronal hole. This pushed the Kp index up to six and sparked auroras at the North and South poles. The disturbance eventually settled by Wednesday, after a few days of the Kp index hitting three. This didn’t stop top DXers working VP6R, the DXpedition on Pitcairn Island in the Pacific. A variety of modes were used to put the callsign in people’s logs, with the FT8 Fox and Hounds mode proving popular.

Next week we may see more of the same as the Sun continues to present zero sunspots. Geomagnetic conditions are a little harder to predict as a weak coronal hole stream is currently moving past Earth. Visible aurora will be likely at very high latitudes.

The US Air Force predicts the Ap index – and note, that’s not the Kp index – will remain at about five, with an increase to 10 on the sixth. This equates to a Kp index maximum of two, which suggests more settled conditions from this weekend onwards.

Daytime critical frequencies are struggling to get much above 6.3MHz at the moment, which translates to a maximum useable frequency over 3,000km of up to around 21MHz, and occasionally higher. There have even been reports of 28MHz openings. Night-time critical frequencies are currently around 3.25MHz, which doesn’t bode well for NVIS contacts around the UK on 80 metres. But longer distance contacts into Europe and further afield should still be possible at night.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The atmospheric forecast models are very good at predicting the general weather type out to some considerable time ahead. They seem to be in broad agreement about the coming period of weather being dominated by areas of low pressure and bands of rain or showers. This once again means that rain scatter will probably be the main weather-related propagation mode for next week.

High pressure is not really a candidate for Tropo propagation modes next week and, since we are way past the main Sporadic-E season, the list scrolls down to the odd chance aurora and meteor scatter event. These are very hard to predict, other than recommending that you should be aware of any meteor showers and watch the various propagation bulletins that show the state of the solar wind and geomagnetic index.

Moon declination is increasing again from today, going positive this coming Saturday, meaning Moon windows will lengthen. The Moon is at apogee on Thursday so losses will be at their highest this week. 144MHz sky temperature reaches a minimum on Thursday.

There are no major meteor showers this week, but the big Leonids shower is just two weeks away, so get ready!

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 27th October 2019

The news headlines:

Check you’re back on UTC

Latest news on WRC-19

RSGB Contest Committee seeks views on rules

In the UK, the clocks went back 1 hour at 2am today, the 27th of October. This means that the UK is now on UTC timing, sometimes also still referred to as GMT.

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 is due to open in Egypt on the 28th of October. The meeting, which lasts four weeks, will be attended by three thousand delegates from most of the countries around the world, and will discuss and agree changes to the ITU Radio Regulations. The IARU and its member-societies will be there, representing the amateur and amateur satellite services with a team of 14 people from 10 countries. There are several items of particular interest to the amateur community and the IARU team will provide updates as the Conference progresses, see the RSGB’s social media and special focus page at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19. The Conference has a wide-ranging agenda of which the amateur issues are but a small part.

Once again, the RSGB VHF Contest Committee would appreciate your views on a number of topics to help it set the contest rules for 2020. The survey is quite short because the Committee is not considering major alterations to the rules for next year, but all your views are read and appreciated. The survey will close at midnight on Sunday the 10th of November and is available at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VHFCC2019. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

We have started releasing videos to RSGB Members from the recent RSGB Convention 2019. Head to rsgb.org/videos to watch RSGB Board Director, Kamal Singh, M0IOV discuss The future and growth of Amateur Radio, and Examinations Standards Committee Chair, Tony Kent, G8PBH providing an update on Exams. In the Meet the Board session, Board Chair, Ian Shepherd, G4EVK, gives an overview of the RSGB Board and the Directors summarise their roles. We have also released a number of technical talks. Sam Jewell, G4DDK looks at the Icom IC-9700 and how it measures up as a VHF DX transceiver and Derek Kozel, MW0LNA talks about Digital Homebrewing and the Schematics of SDR. We apologise for the poor audio on Sam’s presentation. Additionally, the keynote presentation by Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, has been released on the RSGB YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TheRSGB. Dave talks about Our Global Amateur Radio Community.

IARU member-societies have voted to admit the Saudi Amateur Radio Society and Seychelles Amateur Radio Association to membership. Saudi Arabia and Seychelles are located in ITU Region 1, which also corresponds to IARU Region 1. Their IARU membership became effective on the 9th of October upon completion of the voting procedure set out in the IARU Constitution.

The annual Hog Roast at Martin Lynch & sons will take place on the 30th of November at their premises in Staines, TW18 2AP. The published date in the latest RadCom is incorrect and our apologies to ML&S for the error.

Have you applied to host the callsign for this year’s Youngsters on the Air Month in December? It is a great opportunity to encourage youngsters to get on the air and to learn more about the practical side of the hobby. The RSGB has the call sign GB19YOTA and we’re looking for radio clubs, schools, Scout and Guides groups, Cadet groups and individuals to activate the call sign or host a station. Operations can be any mode or modes on HF, VHF or UHF. Each day will be split into three operating slots, running roughly from midnight to noon, noon to 6pm and 6pm to midnight. You can apply to operate more than one slot, or even just for a few hours if you wish. A log of all the QSOs is sent to a central system on ham-yota.com allowing you to compare your progress with other countries. Certificates and awards are given out by the IARU for participation in the event. To find out more go to www.rsgb.org/yota-month.

Train the Trainers is looking for clubs to host a session to support tutors in teaching the Foundation, Intermediate and Full level amateur radio courses. The one-day Train the Trainers workshop helps to build on existing subject knowledge and helps tutors apply appropriate teaching methods. Clubs with access to suitable venues are being sought to host workshops throughout 2020. There is no charge for RSGB Members to attend, although clubs may charge a reasonable sum to cover venue hire and refreshments. For full details see www.rsgb.org/trainthetrainers. For enquiries, and to book, please email [email protected].

The RSGB Youth Team is recruiting. Currently the team has a Youth Champion, Rob, G2RE, and there are ten members, based far and wide across the UK. The Youth Team is keen to hear from young people who feel they could help. You don’t need to be licenced, all you need is a keen interest in radio, be computer literate and check your emails regularly. You need to be able to work with anyone and respect everyone. Lots of the work will be planning events, attending shows and writing articles. If this sounds like you then send an email telling Rob a little about yourself and your interest in amateur radio to [email protected]

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

There are no rallies in the diary for this weekend, the 26th and 27th of October.

Next Sunday, the 3rd of November, the Bushvalley ARC Rally takes place at Limavady Football Club, Rathmore Road, Limavady BT49 0DF. Doors open 11am and admission is £3.

Plymouth Radio Club would like to inform people that this year’s rally, planned for November, will not be held. The club would like to thank all those who have supported them over the years.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Members of Radio Club Melipulli will be active as XR7PNAA from the Alerce Andino National Park between the 1st and the 3rd of November. QSL via CE7RCM.

CN44MS will be active between the 1st and the 12th of November from Tan-Tan, Morocco. QSL via RW6HS.

Martin, OK1FZM and his wife Lenka, OK1WZM will be active holiday style as S79ZM from the islands of Mahe and Praslin in the Seychelles, IOTA reference AF-024, until the 31st of October. They will operate CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, with main activity on 30, 20 and 17 metres. All QSOs will be confirmed via the bureau; direct cards via OK1FZM. They will not use Club Log or Logbook of The World.

The Egyptian Radio Amateurs Society for Development will be active as SU8WRC for the World Radiocommunication Conference to be held in Egypt from the 28th of October to the 22nd of November.

Jim, WB2REM and members of the 7163 DX Group will be active from Belize until the 30th of October. Look for V31CT, V31MM, V31NY, V31ST and V31ZZ operating SSB, CW, FT8, FT4 and possibly EME.

Steve, WB4GHY will be active again as ZD8SC from Ascension Island, AF-003, until the 11th of November. In his spare time he will operate mostly SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World or direct to WB4GHY.

Now the special event news

The NHS Emergency Care Improvement Support Team led by Paul, G1SMP will be attending the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on the 28th of October to launch a new annual special event aimed at recognising the life-saving role of community first responders. The team, along with NRC volunteers, will be operating two callsigns, GB1NHS and GB1CFR. The stations will be on the air between 1000 and 1400UTC. Frequencies and modes of operation will be posted on Twitter @GB1NHS on the day. The date corresponds with National Community First Responder day in the USA.

OL75CARBON commemorates the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the Paratroops in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during the WWII, known as Operation Carbon. The station will be active until 30 November. For more information, please visit the OL75CARBON QRZ.com page.

OR75CLM will commemorate the Canadian Liberation March in 1944. The station will be on the air between the 1st and the 3rd of November using as many modes and bands as possible. The callsign will also be used on the 6th of November at 8.30pm local time. A special QSL card will be available. More information can be found at www.onz.be.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

This weekend it’s the CQ World Wide DX SSB contest. It ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC today, the 27th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and your Zone, which is 14 for UK stations.

On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. It is CW only and the exchange is your 4-character locator.

On Thursday, the 80m Autumn Series Contest runs from 1900-2030UTC. It is SSB only and the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next weekend, the 2nd and 3rd of November is the Marconi CW contest. It runs from 1400 to 1400UTC. It is CW only on the 144MHz band and the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 25th of October.

The solar disturbance predicted in the last report, which was due to hit Earth last weekend, didn’t amount to anything. However, the large coronal hole that has just completed its 27-day transit around the Sun’s surface certainly did. The ACE spacecraft shows that the solar wind speed increased rapidly on the morning of Thursday the 24th to more than 500 kilometres per second. The temperature of the ions in the solar wind increased too, at the same time as the interplanetary magnetic field or Bz shifted sharply southward. As a result, the Kp index rose from one to four as the solar wind coupled to the Earth’s magnetic field, and subsequently the HF bands were affected. Initially they showed an enhancement in HF propagation, with Propquest.co.uk showing the maximum useable frequency reaching more than 21MHz, even hitting 24MHz, over a 3,000km path. Quite how this will pan out over CQ Worldwide weekend we’ll have to wait and see.

Next week NOAA shows the sunspot number remaining at 0 with the solar flux index at 66. Once the current geomagnetic disturbance has passed we should then see more settled conditions for the rest of the week. Make the most of the autumnal HF conditions, where higher maximum usable frequencies and good transatlantic propagation make a pleasant change to the HF doldrums we had over the summer.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

We entered a period of unsettled weather to end the past week, but can look forward to a new high pressure over northern Britain by midweek. In some models, this slips southeast across the North Sea into northern Europe to allow an Atlantic low to move in by next weekend. In complete contrast to this, another model takes the high west into the Atlantic and allows low pressure to develop close to southern Britain. It all sounds complicated and will certainly change between now and then; however there are some useful propagation outcomes. The period of high pressure up to midweek obviously produces a chance of Tropo, whichever way it drifts off afterwards, although it is relatively short-lived and not looking like a prime Tropo event.

The rest of the propagation options are probably pinning hopes on some strong convection over the warmer waters surrounding the UK. This is a typical late autumn phase in our weather and means the chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands from heavy showers around the coast.

Moon declination is negative now, but perigee was yesterday so losses are still low. At 144MHz, sky noise reaches a peak of nearly 2500K on Friday.

No major meteor showers this week so back to the pre-dawn morning random enhancement

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 20th October 2019

The news headlines:

New talk on WUSAT-3 goes online

Apply for GB19YOTA now

Results of Convention Construction Comp announced

A new video has been released on YouTube of a talk that was given to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, which was part of the RSGB Convention. Given by Professor Julia Hunter-Anderson, the talk is on the WUSAT-3 CubeSat project and highlights potential uses of satellites for wildlife tracking. You can watch it at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1020-A

Have you applied to host the callsign for this year’s Youngsters on the Air Month in December? It is a great opportunity to encourage youngsters to get on the air and to learn more about the practical side of the hobby. The RSGB has the callsign GB19YOTA and we’re looking for individuals, radio clubs, schools, Scout, Guide and Cadet groups to activate the callsign or host a station. Operations can be on HF, VHF and or UHF using all modes. Each day will be split into three operating slots, midnight to 1159UTC, 1200 to 1759 UTC, and 1800 to 2359UTC. You can also just operate for a few hours if you wish. All Full licensed RSGB Members or Affiliated clubs can register to host the callsign. Such stations can be operated by Foundation and Intermediate licence holders provided they are supervised by an appropriate Full licence holder. The aim of the event is to get operators aged 26 or below on the air. To find out more go to www.rsgb.org/yota-month and to apply to host the callsign please email [email protected] with your full name and callsign, your RSGB Membership or affiliation number, plus your preferred dates and operating times.

The 2019 RSGB Construction Competition, generously sponsored and supported by Martin Lynch & Sons, was very well supported with a larger number of entries this year. We’d like to thank all the judges for their time and expertise and the entrants who took the trouble to bring their projects to the Convention. Judges’ Merit awards went to Russell Tribe, G4SAQ, for his Low Earth Orbit Satellite Antenna Tracking Controllers and to David Holman, M0YDH, for his Digital Amateur TV system. The Judges’ Technical Merit award went to Dean Brice, G0UIL, for his Bluetooth Satellite Antenna Controller. The winner of the Innovation category was Mike Willis, G0MJW, for his Dual Band Feed System. The Construction category was won by John Quarmby, G3XDY for his Solid State Amplifiers for 2m, 70cm and 23cm and the Software category winner was Heather Lomond, M0HMO, for her Software DATV receiver. Kevin Ayriss, G8MXV won the Supporting and Encouraging Beginners category with his Magnetic Loop Antenna Controller. He is also the overall winner of the 2019 RSGB Construction Competition, receiving the Pat Hawker G3VA trophy.

The predtest.uk website, supported by the RSGB, is currently without a site developer, consequently a volunteer is sought. Website management skills, as well as Ubuntu and Python knowledge are prerequisites. Presently two items need addressing; the site requires refactoring and the OS needs updating to the newest release, which in itself has some Python prerequisites. Replies to Gwyn Williams, G4FKH at [email protected] please.

SAQ, the world heritage radio station, is to transmit on UN-Day, the 24th of October. The transmission will be on 17.2kHz CW. The startup of the transmitter will be around 1630UTC and the transmission of the message will be at 1700UTC. No QSL cards will be send out for this transmission and no List of Reports will be constructed, but they do accept shorter Listeners Reports by email to [email protected].

The Royal Signals ARS would like to contact those people who joined the RSARS at the National Hamfest on the 28th and 29th of September. Please contact the membership secretary by email to [email protected].

The Homebrew Heroes Award Program has announced its first annual recipient, Hans Summers, G0UPL. This annual award recognises persons, groups or organisations who help define the frontiers in amateur radio technology through the long-standing tradition of homebrew construction. The formal video presentation is available at the Award Program website, homebrewheroes.org. A longer audio feature interview is available in Episode 308 of the ICQ Podcast at icqpodcast.com.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 20th of October, the Galashiels Rally will take place in Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 3JX. Doors open 11am for disabled visitor and 11.15am for the general public. There will be traders and a Bring & Buy. Refreshments will be available on site.

There are no rallies in the diary for next weekend, the 26th and 27th of October.

Plymouth Radio Club would like to inform people that this year’s rally, planned for November, will not be held. The club would like to thank all those who have supported them over the years.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Yosuke, JJ1DQR will be active as 3W9QR from Da Nang in Vietnam from the 23rd of October to the 1st of November. QSL via JJ1DQR.

Geri, DK8KW will be active as 3W9KW from Hanoi in Vietnam until the 26th of October. He will operate QRP CW and possibly SSB, depending on conditions. QSL via DK8KW.

A group will be active as CQ9A from Madeira, IOTA reference AF-014, until the 26th of October. They will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 80 to 6m bands, with special attention on 60m. QSL via Club log’s OQRS, Logbook of The World, or via EA1AP.

Jay, AA4FL will be active holiday style as J6/AA4FL from St Lucia, NA-108, until the 28th of October. QSL J6/AA4FL via Logbook of The World, or direct to his home call.

Kenji, JA4GXS will be active as JA4GXS/0 from Sado Island, AS-206, from 0800UTC on the 26th of October until 2200UTC on the 27th. He will operate CW and FT8 on the 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via his home call, direct or via the bureau.

Jaap, PA7DA will be active as P4/PA7DA from Aruba, SA-036, until the 31st of October. He will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via PA7DA.

Now the special event news

Hartlepool ARC will be running Jamboree on the Air special event station GB0TVS on behalf of Tees Valley Scouts today, the 20th of October. The station will operate from the Hartlepool Scout Centre, Brierton Lane, just off the A689. Activity will be on HF, VHF and UHF, and all visitors will be welcome.

GB100GP will be on the air from Gilwell Park today, 20th of October, and will have over 250 youngsters visiting the station over the weekend to take part in a variety of activities. They will be active on HF and locally on 145MHz with voice and SSTV.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

The Worked All Germany contest ends its 24 hour run at 1500UTC today, the 20th. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with German stations also sending DOK.

Today, the 20th of October, the 50MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on 6m only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Today, the 20th, the 2nd RoLo contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and the rolling postcode.

Also today, the 20th, the UK Microwave Group 24-76MHz contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday it’s the 80m Autumn Series from 1900 to 2030UTC. This time it’s data only and the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next weekend it’s the CQ World Wide DX SSB contest, running for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 26th to 2359UTC on the 27th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and your Zone, which for UK operators is 14.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 18th of October.

The solar minimum continued last week with zero sunspots being recorded. The good news was that geomagnetic conditions were quite settled with a maximum Kp index of three recorded. Most of the week it was between zero and two, which meant that the HF bands were performing to seasonal averages.

Rsgb.org/propquest shows that maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path are regularly exceeding 21MHz and reaching as high as 24MHz at times. This would bode quite well for the CQ Worldwide CW contest next weekend – when more than 35,000 amateurs are expected to take to the airwaves – if it were not for the bad news coming up!

Next week NOAA predicts the sun will remain spotless and with a solar flux index of 68. However, a large solar coronal hole was rotating to be Earth-facing on Friday, which means we may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend. We can expect the Kp index to rise to at least four, bringing noisy bands and lowered maximum usable frequencies after a potential HF enhancement. The ionosphere should settle again early next week.

NOAA then predicts a further geomagnetic disturbance from the 24th to the 27th, thanks to another coronal hole that is returning into view again after a 27-day solar rotation. This may coincide with CQ Worldwide, so it is anyone’s guess as to how propagation will be.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The majority of this weekend and throughout next week will be dominated by low pressure, so it once again looks like the weather will continue to give us rain scatter conditions for the GHz bands. With the SHF UKAC coming up on Tuesday, this is good news for those higher bands.

For the rest of us relying upon Tropo, there is little comfort, although there is a hint of a temporary, but rather weak, ridge of high pressure over the British Isles early next week. The models imply it’s a one-day wonder, probably on Monday, so keep alert to the charts to track its progress.

Of course, other modes are available, such as aurora, EME and meteor scatter, so it will pay to look at the clusters to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

This weekend sees the second leg of the 50-1296MHz ARRL EME contest, so it’s a good time to try the mode at moonrise and moonset if you have a big terrestrial system. The Moon is at maximum declination today and perigee is just a week away so conditions will be good, helped by low and falling sky noise on VHF.

There are two meteor showers this week. The big Orionids shower, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of 20, peaks on Monday. The much smaller Leonis Minorids, with a ZHR of two, peaks on Thursday.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 13th October 2019

 

The news headlines:

RSGB meets with Ofcom over VDSL

Scottish Microwave Round Table soon

Apply now to run GB19YOTA

 

As a result of RSGB Members’ concerns, a letter requesting a meeting was sent to Ofcom by the RSGB Director responsible for Spectrum, RSGB Board Chair and RSGB President. Subsequently, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, Dr Philip Willis, M0PHI, Dr Martin Sach, G8KDF, Dr John Rogers, M0JAV and Steve Thomas, M1ACB met with Ofcom this week to discuss the VDSL issues. Some of the key points from that meeting include: 1. Ofcom has finished its testing and has produced a report which the RSGB saw in draft format. This revised report recognises that VDSL emits a level of Electro Magnetic Disturbance capable of affecting HF radio reception. With that in mind, the RSGB asked Ofcom to publish its new report and remove the previous report from its website.2. Ofcom is happy to support the RSGB’s plans to re-open discussions with OpenReach. One area the RSGB intends to discuss with OpenReach is the implementation of notching for the amateur bands, a feature that is already included in OpenReach equipment 3. The RSGB EMC Committee has published its final report on joint testing with Ofcom and is happy to confirm that the results are similar to those in the new Ofcom report at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1013-ofcom4. The RSGB emphasised the need to implement notching in G.fast, Ultrafast Broadband, from the beginning, and will take this up with Ofcom during further meetings 5. To help amateurs understand Ofcom’s position, Ofcom offered to write an open letter to the RSGB explaining its ethos; the rationale behind how it operates; what the law is; what Ofcom can do and what it will do; and also how Ofcom’s decision-making process works. This letter has also been published on the RSGB website.

The Scottish Microwave Round Table will take place in Burntisland in Fife on Saturday the 2nd of November. The programme includes talks by Martin Hall, GM8IEM on Constructing a 13cm home station around the Kuhne MKU23 G4 transverter; Heather Lomond, M0HMO on Beginning with GNU SDR and Mark Hughes, GM4ISM on Microwave EME. Other attractions include a construction competition, a test equipment bench and an evening dinner. Further information including the programme and booking information is online at www.gmroundtable.org.uk.

Youngsters on the Air Month takes place each December to encourage youngsters to get on the air and to learn more about the practical side of the hobby. The RSGB has the callsign GB19YOTA and we’re looking for radio clubs, schools, Scout/Guides groups, Cadet groups and individuals to activate the call sign or host a station. Operations can be on HF, VHF, UHF using all modes but all operators should be aged 26 or below. Each day will be split into three operating slots: 0000 to 1159UTC; 1200 to 1759UTC; and 1800 to 2359UTC but you can also just operate for a few hours if you wish. All Full licensed RSGB Members or affiliated clubs can register to host the callsign but Foundation and Intermediate licence holders may operate if they are supervised from the station of a club or the station of a Full licence holder. To find out more go to www.rsgb.org/yota-month and to apply to host the callsign please email [email protected] with your full name and callsign; your RSGB Membership or affiliation number; your preferred dates and operating times.

The RSGB is pleased to announce that Rob Evered, G2RE has taken up the volunteer post of Youth Champion. Rob will work closely with the Youth Team to ignite interest; develop links with schools, Scouts and Guides, universities and the general public; and motivate young people to get involved in amateur radio.

A special WRC-19 issue of ITU News is now available for downloading at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1013-ITU. It is a large file but provides an excellent overview of the Conference and its Agenda items, including an article on the IARU objectives for the Conference by IARU Secretary Dave Sumner, K1ZZ. WRC-19 takes place over a full month starting on the 28th of October, concluding on the 22nd of November. The relevant RSGB volunteers plan to attend as part of the Ofcom-led UK delegation, whilst some other amateurs will be embedded in other national delegations. The IARU will also be present at it has official Observer status. The RSGB’s social media and special focus page at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19 will feature regular postings whilst the conference is underway.

From 8am to 5pm today, the 13th of October, UK Army, Navy and Air Cadet Units will be carrying out Exercise Blue Ham 19. Operations will be on the 5MHz shared band. Amateurs may claim a certificate if they contact 10 or more stations over the weekend and submit a copy of their log sheet. QSO exchange details and claim info are at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-BlueHam-19. This is the last chance of 2019 to make contact with Cadets.

There are two ARISS school contacts with the International Space Station planned for this week. An Italian school is booked for the 17th of October around 0849UTC with the contact conducted in Italian. Then, on Friday the 18th at around 0937UTC, an English language contact has been arranged with participants at a Science and Technology event in Germany. The downlink signals for both contacts will be audible in parts of Europe on 145.800MHz FM.

The GB3JV amateur TV repeater is now on the air in beacon mode. It is located in Petts wood, Kent and transmits on 3404MHz. The Tx antenna is a slotted waveguide design and gives an ERP of 150 watts. Receiver inputs are available on 1249MHz and the repeater output is streamed on the BATC website. To receive the repeater all that’s required is a tuneable DVB-S2 satellite receiver, or a BATC Minitiouner, a small dish and a C-Band LNB. Coverage predictions show reception possibilities across the heavily populated area of South-East & East London as well as parts of Essex. This repeater is on the air due to the work of many people and the repeater keeper thanks them all. Information and updates are at www.gb3jv.co.uk.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 13th, is the final day of the 2019 RSGB Convention at Kent’s Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Milton Keynes MK7 6BZ. See www.rsgb.org/convention

Today, the 13th, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Rally will be held in the Floral Hall, Hornsea HU18 1NQ. Doors open at 10am. Admission is £2, with under 14s free. The Bring & Buy will be run by Hornsea ARC. There will be trade stands showing radio equipment, computers etc and an RSGB book stand. Hot and cold food will be available in the café. Contact Les, 2E0LBJ on 01377 252393 or see www.hornseaarc.co.uk.

Today, the 13th, sees the Holsworthy Radio Rally take place at its new venue, Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and catering on site. The venue has separate disabled access via the side door. A club steward will be on duty in the car park. Doors open 8am for traders and 10am for visitors. Contact Howard, M0MYB via email to [email protected].

On Saturday, the 19th, the Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Radio Rally will be held in Downshire Secondary School, Downshire Road, Carrickfergus. Doors will open at 12 noon for the public and 9.30am for traders. All proceeds from the sale of the food and beverages will go to Belfast Samaritans, a very worthy charity. More information from Elizabeth Forde on 0785 544 2839.

On Saturday, the 19th, the CW Convention and CW Boot Camp will be held at the 3rd Witham Scout & Guide HQ, Rear of Spring Lodge Community Centre, Powers Hall End, Witham, Essex CM8 2HE. Registration is at 8.30am for a 9am start. The event is due to finish at around 4.30pm. You should pre-register, as places are limited. Contact [email protected] or 0745 342 60 87.

Next Sunday, the 20th of October, the Galashiels Rally will take place in Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 3JX. Doors open 11am for disabled visitor and 11.15am for the general public. There will be traders and a Bring & Buy. Refreshments will be available on site.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected]. So far we have received details of just SIX events for the whole of the year.

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Members of the CAN-AM DXpedition Group will be active as TX7T from the Marquesas Islands, IOTA reference OC-027, until the 17th of November. They will operate CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 in Fox & Hound mode on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via M0URX's OQRS and Logbook of The World.

Rene, DL2JRM will be active as 9H3YY from Malta, EU-023, between the 18th and 22nd of October. QSL via his home callsign, direct or bureau. He does not use Logbook of The World.

Willy, DJ7RJ will be active again as FH/DJ7RJ from Mayotte, AF-027, from the 15th of October to the 4th of November. He will operate CW and SSB with a focus on the 160m band and the low bands. QSL via his home call. He does not use Logbook of The World or Club Log.

Antonio, EA5RM will be working in Bolivia until the 30th of November. In his spare time he will operate SSB and digital modes on the 40 to 10m bands as CP1XRM. QSL via EA5RM.

Look for Fabien, F4GYM/P and Pierre-Marie, F4FCE/P, who will be active from Grande Ile de Chausey, EU 039, between the 19th and the 25th of October. They will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via home calls, either via the bureau or direct.

Philippe, F1DUZ will be active as FG4KH from Guadeloupe, NA-102, between the 14th to the 29th of October. He will operate SSB and some FT8 on 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL, or via F1DUZ, either direct or via the bureau.

Now the special event news

Hartlepool ARC will be running Jamboree on the Air special event station GB0TVS on behalf of Tees Valley Scouts on the 19th and 20th of October. The station will operate from the Hartlepool Scout Centre, Brierton Lane, just off the A689. Activity will be on HF, VHF and UHF, and all visitors will be welcome.

GB1NHS will be operating as part of GIANT Healthcare scheduled to take place on 15-16 October 2019 at the Chelsea Football Club Stadium in London. This year will be the first time that the event has featured amateur radio. Paul Devlin will be operating a demonstration station on both days.

GB100GP will be on the air from Gilwell Park on the 19th and 20th of October and will have over 250 youngsters visiting the station over the weekend to take part in a variety of activities. They will be active on HF and locally on 145MHz with voice and SSTV.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

The Oceania DX CW contest ends its 24 hour run at 0800UTC today, the 13th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Today, the 13th, the IRTS 40m Counties Contest runs from 1200 to 1400UTC using CW and SSB, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their County.

On Monday, the 80m Autumn Series runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend the Worked All Germany contest runs from 1500UTC on the 19th to 1500UTC on the 20th. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with German stations also sending DOK.

Next Sunday, the 20th of October, the 50MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on 6m only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next Sunday, the 20th, the 2nd RoLo contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and the rolling postcode.

Next Sunday, the 20th, the UK Microwave Group 24-76MHz contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 11th of October.

We had a mixed bag of HF propagation over the last seven days, although Monday saw maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path climb above 21MHz. Conditions were less good on Thursday morning, mainly due to an elevated Kp index, which reached four thanks to an enhanced solar wind with a south-facing Bz component.

There was DX to be had though, including A82X in Liberia, TO80SP in St Pierre and Miquelon and the ZK3A DXpedition to the Tokelau Islands. They unfortunately had to end their operations early due to the illness of an island resident, but well-equipped stations were able to work them earlier.

There were no sunspots recorded during the last seven days. We apologise for saying the same last week when in fact a small spot appeared and then vanished the next day!

Next week NOAA has the solar flux index pegged at 68. The good news is that it doesn’t think we will have any geomagnetic disturbances. A shot of the sun taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday the 10th showed no coronal hole activity at all. As we know all too well this could change as the week goes on, but for now we predict settled geomagnetic conditions with maximum usable frequencies near their seasonal norms.

We are now seeing the better autumnal propagation as the ionosphere cools, although you may be forgiven for thinking we are not. The low solar flux is not making the bands come alive to SSB and to a lesser extent CW, although modes like FT8 with its lower required signal to noise ratio is letting DX be worked on a regular basis.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

It’s hard to get too much enthusiasm for next week’s VHF propagation prospects as autumn is the season of changeable weather patterns. The coming week is no exception. There will be low pressure nearby for much of the week with the main centres tracking close to Scotland, but also affecting the south at times. These will also bring windy weather at times to test the summer antenna work! The upside of course is that this unsettled weather pattern will bring some good prospects for rain scatter on the GHz bands again.

As for Tropo, it’s not looking good for UK stations with high pressure displaced to the south over France, Biscay and the Azores and thus well out of range for any extended Tropo paths.

Today sees Moon declination go positive so we’ll see a continuing increase in Moon window lengths and peak moon elevation. We are past apogee for this lunar month now, so losses will be falling as well. Sky noise on VHF is low but increasing, reaching 500 kelvin at 144MHz next Saturday.

There is one small meteor shower this coming week, the Epsilon-Geminids on the 18th. We are a week and a day from the much more intense Orionids shower so we should see some improvement then in meteor scatter conditions.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 6th October 2019

 

The news headlines:

Bampton School to contact ISS on Tuesday

Exams committees reorganised

Enter the Construction Competition!

Bampton School in East Devon will make their contact with the International Space Station on the Tuesday the 8th of October at 1.51pm. They will be operating as GB4BPS and contacting NA1SS on the station, speaking to Drew Morgan, KI5AAA. The downlink signals on 145.800MHz FM will be audible in many parts of Europe.

In January 2019 the RSGB announced that the Exam committee structure would be changing. The Examinations and Syllabus Review Group, or ESRG, has now been formed to replace the previous Examinations Group. The new Group includes places for club tutors who hold a Full amateur radio licence and have taught the Advanced Syllabus for at least two years. The RSGB is seeking to appoint a Chair and up to three additional members. Further information about the Group, including its Terms of Reference and membership can be found on the RSGB website at www.rsgb.org/esrg. Please email the Examination Standards Committee Chair, Tony Kent G8PBH, via [email protected] for an application and include a brief description of your relevant experience.

There is still time to put in an entry for the RSGB Annual Construction Competition, which will be judged at the RSGB Convention on the 12th. Entries covering any aspect of amateur radio are welcome. Any project may be entered, other than previous winners in this competition. If you have entered a club or national construction competition, or written up a project for your club magazine, you have done most of the work needed to enter the RSGB Construction Competition. Go to www.rsgb.org/construction-competition to find out more.

Regrettably, two items were stolen from the ML&S stand at the National Hamfest last Saturday. A Kenwood TH-D74E, serial number B6B10239, complete with the battery and antenna was removed from the stand. Additionally a Nissei digital SWR/power meter type RS-70 was removed. If you are offered either of these items, please contact Martin Lynch & Sons.

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. It is kindly sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons. The programme of lectures and workshops is now online at www.rsgb.org/convention. The closing date for online discount day tickets is the 7th of October. Weekend package bookings can be made until midnight tonight, the 6th of October, at www.rsgb.org/convention. If you have tickets for the Gala Dinner on Saturday and wish to reserve a table with friends, send your name and callsign details to [email protected].

From 8am to 5pm on the 12th and 13th of October, UK Army, Navy and Air Cadet Units will be carrying out Exercise Blue Ham 19. Operations will be on the 5MHz shared band. Amateurs may claim a certificate if they contact 10 or more stations over the weekend and submit a copy of their log sheet. QSO exchange details and claim info are at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-BlueHam-19. This is the last chance of 2019 to make contact with Cadets.

John Rogers, M0JAV and David Lauder, G0SNO will be running an RFI Clinic at the RSGB Convention on Saturday at 4.45pm. The session will consist of a short presentation on the tools and techniques used to locate and identify RFI sources. Then a number of test setups and live demos will be available using radios, SDRs and spectrum analysers to let you see and hear some of these common RFI sources. If you have an unusual source then please bring it along for them to investigate.

Due to essential maintenance work, the GB3RS radio room at the RSGB’s National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed on Wednesday the 9th of October. The NRC itself will remain open to visitors but, with the radio room closed, it will be unavailable for visiting radio amateurs to operate the station GB3RS. We apologise for any inconvenience and anticipate the station to be fully operational again on Thursday morning.

There will be two Raspberry Pi workshops held on Saturday the 12th at the RSGB Convention. Raspberry Pi owners that are new to Linux and the Pi who would like to understand more about its capabilities in amateur radio should bring along their own Pi; the workshop will supply other equipment. There are limited spaces, but plenty of room for observers, and handouts will be provided. See www.rsgb.org/convention for timings.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 6th of October the 46th Welsh Radio Rally takes place at Rougemont School, Llantarnam Hall, Malpas, Newport NP20 6QB. Doors open from 10am to 4pm, or 9.45am for disabled visitors. Admittance is £2.50. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, RSGB bookstall and Special Interest Groups. Lectures will take place during the day. Catering is available on site. Contact Rob Evans, MW0CVT, 01495 220 455.

The RSGB Convention takes place from the 11th to the 13th of October, with delegates being encouraged to visit the RSGB’s National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on Friday as part of the weekend activities. Taking place at Kent’s Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Swallow House, Timbold Drive, Kent’s Hill Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 6BZ, the Convention will feature five streams of lectures and workshops to suit all areas of amateur radio interest. See www.rsgb.org/convention

Next Sunday, the 13th, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Rally will be held in the Floral Hall, Hornsea HU18 1NQ. Doors open at 10am. Admission is £2, with under 14s free. The Bring & Buy will be run by Hornsea ARC. There will be trade stands showing radio equipment, computers etc and an RSGB book stand. Hot and cold food will be available in the café. Contact Les, 2E0LBJ on 01377 252393 or see www.hornseaarc.co.uk.

Next Sunday, the 13th, sees the Holsworthy Radio Rally take place at its new venue, Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and catering on site. The venue has separate disabled access via the traders side door entrance. A club steward will be on duty in the car park. Doors open 8am for traders and 10am for visitors. Contact Howard, M0MYB via email to [email protected].

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Pasi, OH3WS will be active as OJ0W, OJ0/OH3WS and OJ0/OG3A from Market Reef, IOTA reference EU-053, until the 12th of October. He will operate CW and SSB on the 80 to 30m bands. This is expected to be the last activity for Market Reef’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Ravi, VU2IIX will be on Mahe Island in the Seychelles, AF-024, until 30 June 2021. He will operate SSB and digital modes as S79VU on the 80 to 10m bands.

Vernon, NN5E and James, NT5V will operate as V31CC and V31JW respectively from Belize until the 12th of October. QSL via Logbook of The World, or via home calls either direct or via the bureau.

Members of the Italian DXpedition Team will be on the air from Liberia until the 11th of October. An unusual feature of this trip is that instead of the normal EL prefix they will be using A82X for CW and SSB contacts and A82Z for digital contacts. QSL manager is I2YSB and there will be an online log.

Istvan, HA5AO is in Lesotho until the 19th if October using the callsign 7P8AO. He will focus on the high bands, mainly on CW and FT8. QSL via his home call.

Now the special event news

Special callsign GB100HAL has been issued to commemorate 100 years of RAF Halton, in conjunction with the many events that are taking part celebrating the anniversary. The call may also be claimed towards the Airfields on the Air Award and is recognised by RAFARS for all their awards. The callsign will be used most Saturdays up until the end of the year.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

This weekend is busy, with several contests taking place over the two days.

The IARU 432MHz to 245GHz contest runs for 24 hours, finishing at 1400UTC today, the 6th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Oceania DX SSB Contest runs for 24 hours until 0800UTC today, the 6th. Using SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Today, the 6th, the DX Contest runs from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Also today, the 6th, the Worked All Britain DX Contest runs from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB area.

On Monday the Pioneer FT4 Series contest takes place from 1900 to 2000 on the 3.5MHz band. The exchange is your signal report and 4-character locator.

The IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC using CW and SSB on the 3.5MHz band. The exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their County.

On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC, using FM only. It is followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for both contests is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 50MHz Machine Generate Mode Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC, with the exchange of signal report and your 4-character locator. It is followed by the all-mode 50MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for that contest is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Oceania DX CW contest runs for 24 hours from 0800UTC on the 12th to 0800UTC on the 13th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next Sunday, the 13th, is the IRTS 40m Counties Contest. Running from 1200 to 1400UTC using CW and SSB, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their County.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 4th of October.

We had a real mixed bag in terms of HF propagation last week. The middle of the week through to Friday was actually quite good. Peter, G3XJE ran a very comprised 20m WSPR station from the Propagation Studies Committee stand at the Newark Hamfest and was picked up as far afield as the southern states in the USA. Saturday was a different story though, thanks to a geomagnetic storm that saw the Kp index soar to five. Twenty metres was pretty lousy and WSPR on 30 metres from Newark only returned a few European spots.

The Sun remained spotless last week and HF propagation is again being dominated by geomagnetic disturbances. Next week NOAA has the solar flux stuck at around 68 with zero sunspots.

We may see the effects of another coronal hole today, the 6th of October, with the Kp index predicted to rise to four. Look out for a possible pre-auroral enhancement. This disturbance may be relatively short lived, with the Kp index falling to two for the rest of the week.

There are a number of DXpeditions on at the moment. The A82X and A82Z DXpedition to Liberia may be one of the easier ones to catch, with openings from 0600-0800 hours on 30m to 15m being favourite. After the slight mid-day D-Layer absorption lull, openings again occur all afternoon. Keep an eye on the DX Cluster to see where they are operating.

Station A35JT from Tonga may be a little more difficult for average stations, as will ZK3A from the Tokelau Islands, both in the Pacific Ocean. But if you don’t have a beam and a linear amplifier, why not try FT8?

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

It's another very unsettled looking set of weather charts for the week to come. They suggest that once again, rain scatter will be the go-to mode on the GHz bands. The hidden message here is that this means low pressure and a general lack of high pressure and temperature inversions for enhanced Tropo conditions.

It can sometimes be useful to explore areas of high pressure a bit further away, and in the next week we find a large high resident between the UK and the Azores. A ridge from this high could occasionally just reach out to the south-western corner of the British Isles to give a small chance of Tropo paths from Southern Ireland, southwest England and South Wales towards Spain and perhaps as far as the Canaries or Azores.

Moon declination reached minimum yesterday so we’ll see an increase in Moon window lengths and peak moon elevation as the week goes on. Apogee is on Thursday, so losses will be high as well. The only plus is that sky noise on VHF is low all week.

There is a flurry of meteor showers this week with the largest, the Draconids, with a zenithal hourly rate of 10, peaking on the 9th. This is followed by the Southern Taurids on the 10th and the delta Aurigids on the 11th, so we should see some better meteor scatter conditions.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 29th September 2019

 

The news headlines:

Bampton School to contact ISS

RSGB Convention latest news

Frequency Measurement Festival for WWV

 

Another UK school has the opportunity to contact the International Space Station. Bampton School will make the contact sometime during the week of the 7th of October, but won’t know the exact date and time until closer to the event. They will be operating as GB4BPS and contacting NA1SS on the station. They hope to speak to either Drew Morgan, KI5AAA or Luca Parmitano, KF5KDP, members of the Expedition 60 crew.

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. It is kindly sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons. The provisional programme of lectures and workshops is now online at www.rsgb.org/convention. There will be a Meet the RSGB Board session where delegates have the opportunity to discuss current issues and strategy with the members of the RSGB Board of Directors. The closing date for online discount day tickets is the 7th of October. Weekend package bookings and the Buildathon can be booked until midnight on the 6th of October at www.rsgb.org/convention. If you have tickets for the Gala Dinner on Saturday and wish to reserve a table with friends, send your name and callsign details to [email protected].

HamSCI and the Case ARC will sponsor a Festival of Frequency Measurement on WWV’s centennial, the first of October, from 0000 to 2359UTC. The event invites radio amateurs, short wave listeners, and others capable of making high-quality frequency measurements on HF to participate and publish their data to the HamSCI community on the Zenodo open-data sharing site. Read all about how to get involved on the ARRL website, see https://tinyurl.com/rsgb-wwv

In Australia, Foundation licensees have gained some digital privileges. The changes include digital modes for Foundation licensees, the removal of the requirement for Foundation licensees to use commercial equipment and a general relaxation of the emission bandwidths for all classes of licence. There are no changes to output power or bands. The changes took effect on the 21st of September.

Moonraker launched a new version of Worked All Postcodes at the National Hamfest on the 27th. The challenge is to work as many postcodes as possible, simplex only, any mode on the 70MHz, 144MHz, 430MHz & 1296MHz bands. The first 10 people to work 30 unique postcodes on the 2m band, confirmed by both stations via the app, will get the pick of some great prizes. A suggested activity night is Wednesday, from 1900-2200UTC using SSB on 144.625MHz ±QRM. Download the worked all postcodes on Google Play or the App Store or visit www.amateur-radio.co.uk.

The next edition of RadCom Basics is now available. Each edition of RadCom Basics explores key aspects of amateur radio in a straightforward way. RadCom Basics is sent as an email alert to subscribers when each edition is published. This email provides a list of contents and a link to the articles on the RSGB website. Go to www.rsgb.org/radcom-basics to register.

With over 60,000 visitors to the RSGB National Radio Centre so far in 2019, we are looking to recruit new volunteers to engage with the public and give radio demonstrations. If you’re interested in becoming an NRC volunteer you should be passionate about meeting people, feel confident explaining the hobby, as well as operating the NRC’s radio station, GB3RS. You should be a licensed amateur, an RSGB Member and be prepared to work a minimum of one (preferably two) days per month. You will be joining a team of enthusiastic, friendly and dedicated volunteers and full training will be given. Travel expenses are paid to volunteers living within reasonable travelling distance and NRC volunteers enjoy numerous benefits associated with volunteering at Bletchley Park. Please email [email protected] for further information.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

We have no rallies in the diary for today, the 29th of September.

Next Sunday, the 6th of October the 46th Welsh Radio Rally takes place at Rougemont School, Llantarnam Hall, Malpas, Newport NP20 6QB. Doors open from 10am to 4pm with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.45am. Admittance is £2.50. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy, RSGB bookstall, Special Interest Groups and lectures will take place during the day. Catering is available on site. Contact Rob Evans, MW0CVT, 01495 220 455.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Harald, DF2WO will be active as D44TWO from Sao Tiago on Cape Verde, IOTA reference AF-005, from the 29th of September to the 13th of October. He will be using an Icom IC-7300, two transverters with 3 watts output on the QO-100 geostationary satellite Es’Hail. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.

Elena, RC5A and Yuri, RM0F will be active as 5H3CA and 5H3RRC from Mafia Island, AF-054, from the 29th September to the 5th of October. They will operate CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via RC5A.

DS3EXX/2 and DS3FGN/2 will be active from Daecheong-do, AS-122, between the 3rd and the 9th of October. They will operate SSB, CW and FT8 on the 160 to10m bands. QSLs via DS3EXX direct and Logbook of The World; DS3EXX/2 plans to use Club Log's Live Streams.

A team will be active as HQ9X from Roatan Island, NA-057, until the 7th of October. They will be active on as many bands and modes as possible although 60m operation will be limited to 50 watts USB. QSL via KQ1F.

Jeff, K5WE and Bill, N5AQ will be active as VP2VEM and VP2V/N5AQ respectively from the British Virgin Islands, NA-023, between the 4th and the 13th of October. They will operate mainly CW with some RTTY, FT8, FT4 and SSB on 160-10m. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, or via their home calls.

Oleh, KD7WPJ will be active as YJ0BCP from Efate, Vanuatu, OC-035, from the 3rd to the 10th of October. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via KD7WPJ for CW and SSB contacts, Logbook of The World for FT8 contacts.

Now the special event news

September 2019 marks the centenary of radio in the Cambridge Area. There is a celebration day today, the 29th of September at Foxton, to which all local amateurs are invited. Local clubs have activated the callsign GB1CAM and it will be in operation until the end of the month.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

This weekend it’s the CW World Wide DX RTTY Contest. It ends its 48 hour run at 2359UTC today, the 29th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and your Zone, which for the UK is 14.

Today, the 29th, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 144MHz Machine Generated Mode Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Tthe exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator. At the same time the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs with the exchange signal report, serial number and locator. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for this contest is also signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only, the exchange is your 4-character locator.

Next weekend is busy with seven different contests taking place over the two days.

The IARU 432MHz to 245GHz contest runs from 1400UTC on the 5th to 1400UTC on the 6th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The 1.2GHz and 2.3GHz Trophy contests takes place on Saturday the 5th from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on the 1.2 and 2.3GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Oceania DX SSB Contest runs from 0800UTC on the 5th to 0800UTC on the 6th. Using SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next Sunday, the 6th, the DX Contest runs from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Sunday the 6th, the Worked All Britain DX Contest runs from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB area.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 27th of September.

Last week continued with zero sunspots, making it now more than 190 days this year that the solar surface has remained spotless. Many solar scientists predict that 2019 will have a total of more than 250 days without sunspots, which would make it the ninth most ‘spotless’ year since records began in 1849. Current research suggests that it may be at least next summer before we see Solar Cycle 25 taking off. Solar physicist Lisa Upton says the current solar minimum will continue through 2019, likely ending in 2020. The next solar maximum is expected in 2024-2026. Meanwhile, looking at HF propagation last week there were a few surprises. Ten metre FT8 showed that there are still some short Sporadic-E openings occurring on the band. The trick is to be there when they happen!

Daytime critical frequencies are still hovering around the 4.1 to 5.1MHz range, which is good news for 80m local contacts, but not so good for 40m. These figures translate to maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path of up to 18-19MHz at times. But do keep an eye on Propquest.co.uk for real-time figures.

This weekend will likely see the after-effects on the ionosphere of a very large coronal hole that was spewing out solar matter when this report was being prepared. This may send the K index up to a maximum of six, with lowered critical frequencies and noisy bands. The rest of the week will see slightly more settled conditions.

The good news is that DX is starting to return as we move towards better autumnal ionospheric conditions. The lower bands are also starting to come into their own. And as we have passed the Autumnal Equinox don’t forget that this is also the best time of year for north-south, trans-Equatorial contacts.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

There was a totally different feel to the weather last week with a return of rain, showers and strong winds at times. That produced some nice rain scatter QSOs on 10GHz for the SHF UK Activity Contest. It looks like a similar story this weekend and into much of the next week for most areas, which will mean that rain scatter is again an item for the coming week. There will be a brief possibility of a weak ridge of high pressure crossing the country mid-week, although such short duration transient features are not usually great providers of Tropo.

The Moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth, today so path losses are low. Declination is negative and falling so peak moon elevation will get lower as the week progresses. We are entering a period in the Northern Hemisphere where Moon perigee coincides with low and decreasing declination, meaning that lowest path losses coincide with low Moon peak elevation and short moon visibility windows. This trend will continue until June 2022 when perigee and lowest declination coincide. After this, the trend reverses until September 2026 when perigee and maximum declination coincide again. This is a double-edged sword, as the upcoming conditions will favour extreme EME DX where antenna elevation needs to be very low, but path losses on the GHz bands will be highest when the Moon is at its highest. There are no significant meteor showers this week, so continue to check the early hours before dawn for the best random meteors.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 22nd September 2019

 

The news headlines:

National Hamfest this week

RSGB Convention news

GB1SOE at Bletchley Park

 

Next Friday and Saturday it’s the National Hamfest, held at the Newark Showground, Newark NG24 2NY. On Saturday, the 28th, the National Club of the Year finalists will be announced. The competition, which is sponsored by Waters and Stanton, announced the Regional Finalists at the AGM in April. Other activities to look forward to over the weekend is a Buildathon for the new constructor, national and international trade stands, a Bring & Buy as well as car boot type area. More details are at www.nationalhamfest.org.uk

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. It is kindly sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons. The provisional programme of lectures and workshops is now online at www.rsgb.org/convention. The talk Hints and Tips to get the most out of Digital Modes including FT-8 by Gavin Nesbit, M1BXF is aimed at those who are new to, or are thinking of trying, Machine Generated Modes such as FT-8, particularly on VHF. And for something a little different, Dr Bill Crofts and Professor Julia Hunter-Anderson from Warwick University will look at WUSAT-3, a novel wildlife tracking satellite. The closing date for online discount day tickets is the 7th of October. Weekend package bookings and the Buildathon can be booked until the 7th of October at www.rsgb.org/convention.

The weekend of the 28th and 29th of September is the 1940s weekend at Bletchley Park. The RSGB National Radio Centre will be open all weekend to Bletchley Park visitors and, supporting the 1940s weekend, they will host the special event station GB1SOE. RSGB Members can gain free access to the Bletchley Park museum by downloading and printing the entry voucher from the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org/bpvoucher.

Since its inception in 1998 the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend has been held on the 3rd full weekend in August. Next year, 2020, that weekend is host to the 75th anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific region. The organisers of the ILLW event have therefore decided it would be appropriate to temporarily move it to the following weekend, the 22nd and 23rd of August 2020.

Waters & Stanton has announced that Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, co-founder of Elecraft, will be visiting Portsmouth to give the first UK live demonstration of the Elecraft K4 transceiver. The event will take place at 6.30pm on Wednesday the 25th of September. All visitors are welcome at Unit 1, Fitzherbert Spur, Portsmouth PO6 1TT.

The next edition of RadCom Basics will be available at the end of September. This edition will look at RSGB Awards, in particular for the Foundation licensee, Moving up to the Intermediate and Full licences, Using digital Repeaters and How and Why the HF bands come alive in the autumn. RSGB Members can read previous editions of RadCom Basics by going to www.rsgb.org/radcom-basics. You can register to receive notification of subsequent issues as they become available; they will appear at the same internet address. Each edition of RadCom Basics explores key aspects of amateur radio in a straightforward way. RadCom Basics is sent as an email alert to subscribers when each edition is published. This email provides a list of contents and a link to the articles on the RSGB website.

Three more RSGB 2018 Convention videos have been released to the RSGB YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/theRSGB. Rael Paster, M0RTP talks on Magnetic Loop Antennas; Dave Deane, EI9FBB looks at the Irish Islands IOTA Tour of 2018 and Matthew Phillips, G6WPJ examines FreeDV, Digital Voice for HF and other low SNR channels. There are now over 110 videos on the RSGB YouTube channel, check out www.youtube.com/theRSGB

There’s still time to apply to be part of the Youngsters on the Air Winter Camp in the Netherlands from the 12th to the 15th of December. The closing date for applications is the 30th of September. See www.rsgb.org/yota

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 22nd, the Weston-Super-Mare Radio Rally will be held at The Campus, Highlands Lane, Weston super Mare BS24 7DX. Doors open 10am to 3pm and entry is £3. There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy stall, plus excellent catering and a large car park. Enquiries to Dave Dyer on 0787 103 4206.

Today, the 22nd, the Belgium Amateur Radio & Computer Rally takes place at Louvexpo, La Louvière, Belgium. Open from 9am to 4pm, talk-in is on the local FM, DMR & D-Star repeaters. There will be trade stands from UK, Holland, Germany and France, plus a flea market. Details are at www.on6ll.be.

Next Friday and Saturday the National Hamfest takes place at Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, Lincoln Road, Winthorpe, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 2NY. Everything from national and international traders to a Buildathon will be there. See www.nationahamfest.org.uk for all the details.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Jacek, SP5APW will be active as 3W9KJ from Dao Co To, IOTA reference AS-132, in Vietnam from the 27th of September to the 3rd of October. The main mode will be FT8/FT4, with some SSB if conditions allow. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, Logbook of The World or via his home call.

Maurizio, IK2GZU will be active as 5H3MB from Tanzania between the 25th of September and the 28th of October, while doing volunteer work for the local hospital. In his spare time he will operate SSB, CW and RTTY on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, Logbook of The World and eQSL, or via IK2GZU either direct or via the bureau.

Taka, JA8COE will be active as JA8COE/0 from Sado Island, AS-206 on the 22nd to the 24th of September. He will operate CW, FT8 and SSB on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, or via JA8COE either direct or via the bureau.

Rudi, DK7PE will be active as 8R1CW from Guyana until the 28th of September. He will be active when time allows. Details will be published on his website www.rooody.de.

Kazu, JD1BNA plans to active as JD1BNA/JD1 from Minami Torishima, OC-073, between the 25th and the 30th of September. He will operate mainly CW with some SSB and FT8 on the 160 to 17m bands. QSL direct to JL1UTS.

Bo, OZ1DJJ will be active in his spare time as OX3LX from Simiutaq Island, NA-220, between the 26th and the 30th of September. Before and after going to Simiutaq he might be active from the main island of Greenland, NA-018. QSL via OZ0J, Club Log’s OQRS and Logbook of The World.

Now the special event news

Today, the 22nd, Sheffield & District Wireless Society is celebrating its 100th anniversary with GX5TO on the air from the Kelham Island Industrial Museum. Activity will be between 1030UTC and 1530UTC using 40m and 20m SSB and FT8. Call in on 2m FM.

Southgate ARC will be taking part in Railways on the Air today, the 22nd of September, from the Hoddesdon Model & Railway Club at Broxborne Meadows, using the callsign GB4HMR. Volunteers, operators and anyone interested are more than welcome to come along.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

Today, the 22nd, the Practical Wireless 70MHz contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday it’s the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is your 4-character locator square.

Thursday sees the 80m Autumn Series running from 1900 to 2130UTC. It’s the data-only leg so the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next weekend it’s the CW World Wide DX RTTY Contest, running from 0000UTC on the 28th to 2359UTC on the 29th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and your Zone, which for the UK is 14.

Next Sunday, the 29th, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 20th of September.

We had a relatively settled week, with the Kp index remaining at or below four. The high-speed solar wind was the reason for the K index increase, but it didn’t significantly degrade HF propagation. We are seeing a change to more autumnal HF conditions with north to south paths opening up quite regularly. The summer doldrums are also now fading as we see an increase in daytime critical frequencies. This is probably the best month for working into the Southern Hemisphere.

A 10 metre FT8 opening at around 1500UTC on Monday saw the Falklands Islands being very workable. Mike, VP8NO and Bob, VP8LP were both active on the mode, giving many people a chance to get VP8 in their logs. South American stations active this week on 15 and 10m last week FT8 included Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Paraguay. It does seem that a lot of DX stations have moved to FT8 and FT4 for contacts, a mode that works well under poor conditions due to its lower required signal to noise ratio. So if you haven’t tried it why not give FT8 a whirl? The Chilton ionosonde shows that daytime MUFs over a 3,000km path are now exceeding 18MHz and even touching 21MHz at times. There are also signs that limited Sporadic-E openings are still occurring on 10 metres.

Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain pegged at about 68, with zero sunspots. Geomagnetic conditions will remain mainly settled, at least until the weekend of the 28th/29th, when the Kp index may rise to six due to a solar coronal hole making its return after its transit around the Sun’s surface.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The coming week is looking like almost the exact opposite of last week. The high pressure systems will move away east by the start of this weekend and allow Atlantic lows to dominate the weather over the country for much of the coming week. This means any Tropo at first to the east across the North Sea into the Baltic will soon fade and we’ll be left with unsettled, wet and rather breezy weather. As for propagation, there will be a chance of rain scatter on the microwave bands for Tuesday night’s Super High Frequency UK Activity Contest.

Other modes are always worth a look, even the odd fleeting bit of Sporadic-E on 10m perhaps. But it also worth mentioning that the autumn months are always a good time to be alert to the prospects of aurora.

The Moon reaches maximum declination tomorrow, and perigee on Friday, so EME conditions should be good all week with falling losses. Sky noise on 144MHz is mainly falling, but this coming Saturday the Sun and Moon are close together in the sky from mid morning to Moonset, so noise levels will make EME very difficult apart from for GHz band stations with very narrow antenna beam widths.

The daytime Sextanids meteor shower, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of five, peaks this coming Saturday, but is not a very big one. Continue to check the early hours before dawn for the best random meteors.

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

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 15th September 2019

 

The news headlines:

Larry E Price, W4RA, SK

Bulgarians get digital segment on 6m

RSGB NRC aerial improvements

 

It with great sadness that IARU reports that ARRL and IARU President Emeritus Larry E Price, W4RA, died on the 10th of September. He was 85. The IARU owes a debt of gratitude to Larry for his tireless work over the decades to represent the interests of amateur radio in regulatory forums. Larry was first licensed as WN5TIA at age 16. He served four two-year terms as ARRL President, serving simultaneously as Secretary of the International Amateur Radio Union in 1989-1992 and continuing as IARU Secretary and ARRL International Affairs Vice President until his election as IARU President in 1999. He served as IARU president for two five-year terms, retiring and being named IARU President Emeritus by the IARU Administrative Council in 2009. The ARRL Board named him ARRL President Emeritus in 2011. The amateur radio community expresses its deep-felt sympathy to Larry’s family at this sad time.

Bulgarian radio amateurs have obtained temporary access to the digital portion of the 50MHz band, 50.310 to 50.335MHz. Previously their allocation was restricted to just 50.05 to 50.2MHz, which excluded digital usage such as FT8. A key objective to WRC-19 is to extend 50MHz access to all countries across Region 1.

The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park has successfully completed the realignment of the SteppIR beam this week. The Yaesu rotator is now back in action and the SteppIR beam can be rotated. The D-Star Repeater GB7BP is also now back online and operational. Don’t forget RSGB Members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park and take your licence with you for the opportunity to operate GB3RS whilst you are there. See www.rsgb.org/bletchley-park-voucher for details.

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. The provisional programme of lectures and workshops is now online at www.rsgb.org/convention. In the talk I can HEAR it, why won’t it decode? Neil Smith, G4DBN will discuss how do you choose the best digital mode for tropospheric DX at VHF and above? He will investigate the effects of multipath, scintillation, scatter modes and radio characteristics on signal coherence and decodability. Full details of tickets, weekend packages and the Buildathon can be found at www.rsgb.org/convention.

Three more RSGB 2018 Convention videos have been released to the RSGB YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/theRSGB. John Warburton, G4IRN talks about An HF DXpedition to the Andaman Islands; Bo Hansen, OZ2M looks at Arduino, GPS, RF and Si5351A for radio amateurs and Chris Tran, GM3WOJ looks at Transmit/Receive switching times and why they matter.

GB7HZ, in Strabane, Northern Ireland is a multi-mode digital repeater and is now active on DMR, D-Star and Yaesu Fusion. Reports are welcome to the Keeper, Michael Conaghan, MI0HOZ.

The next edition of RadCom Basics will be available at the end of September. This edition will look at RSGB Awards, in particular for the Foundation licence, moving up – Intermediate and Advanced licences, using digital repeaters, and how and why the HF bands come alive in the autumn. RSGB Members can read previous editions of RadCom Basics by going to www.rsgb.org/radcom-basics. You can register to receive notification of subsequent issues as they become available; they will appear at the same internet address. Each edition of RadCom Basics explores key aspects of amateur radio in a straightforward way. RadCom Basics is sent as an email alert to subscribers when each edition is published. This email provides a list of contents and a link to the articles on the RSGB website.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 15th, the West Tyrone ARC Rally will be held at Omagh Rugby Club, 7 Mellon Park Drive, Omagh BT78 5NE. Doors open at 11am and admittance is £3. There will be a talk in station, trade stands, special interest groups, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. Catering and a licensed bar are available on site. A prize draw will take place. More information from Philip, MI0MSO on 0784 902 5760.

Next Sunday, the 22nd, the Weston-Super-Mare Radio Rally will be held at The Campus, Highlands Lane, Weston super Mare BS24 7DX. Doors open 10am to 3pm and entry is £3. There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy stall, plus excellent catering and a large car park. Enquiries to Dave Dyer on 0787 103 4206.

Next Sunday, the 22nd, the Belgium Amateur Radio & Computer Rally takes place at Louvexpo, La Louvière, Belgium. Open from 9am to 4pm, talk-in is on the local FM, DMR & D-Star repeaters. There will be trade stands from UK, Holland, Germany and France, flea market. Details are at www.on6ll.be.

Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

The Latvian team on Nauru between the 16th to 25th September will be signing C21WW instead of C21W.

Tina, HB0/DL5YL and Fred, HB0/DL5YM will be active from Masescha, Liechtenstein from the 20th of September to the 5th of October. They will operate CW, plus RTTY during the CQ WW DX RTTY Contest and maybe some SSB on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via their home calls, direct or bureau.

Giuseppe, IK5WWA will be active as IM0DAE from San Pietro Island, EU-165, between the 16th and the 28th of September. He will be on the HF bands as well as 6m, 2m and 70cm. QSL via IK5WWA, direct or bureau.

Harry, JG7PSJ will be active holiday style as WH0RU from Saipan, OC-086, between the 15th and the 22nd of September. He will operate CW, SSB and RTTY on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, or direct to JG7PSJ.

Chip, KB1QU will be QRV as 9G5QU from Ghana from until the 21st of September. He will be on 40, 30 and 20m on CW and digital. QSL manager is N4GNR.

Now the special event news

Thames Amateur Radio Club will operate GB2MFM today, the 15th, to raise awareness of military sites, particularly in Essex and Kent. GB2MFM will be at a WW2 pill box at Wat Tyler Country Park, near Basildon.

This month marks the centenary of radio in the Cambridge area. As well as a celebration day to be held on the 29th of September at Foxton, to which all local amateurs are invited, local clubs have activated the callsign GB1CAM and will be operating it throughout September. Further details are at cdarc.org.uk.

OL75CARBON commemorates the 75th anniversary of the dropping the CARBON paratroops in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during the WWII, known as Operation Carbon. It will be on the air until the 30th of November. For more information visit QRZ.com.

In memory of those lost in Operation Market Garden, the South Dorset Radio Society will be operating from the war-time glider base at Tarrant Rushton near Blandford in Dorset. They will be on the air from Tuesday the 17th until Friday the 20th of September, using the callsign GB0MKT.

Southgate ARC will be taking part in Railways on the Air on the 21st and 22nd of September from the Hoddesdon Model & Railway Club at Broxborne Meadows with the callsign GB4HMR. Volunteers, operators and anyone interested are more than welcome to come along.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

It’s a very busy time for contests this weekend. The WAE DX SSB contest runs for 48 hours this weekend ending at 2359UTC today, the 15th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EU stations only work non EU stations.

The UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC today, the 15th, on the 24 to 76GHz bands. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC today, the 15th. It is immediately followed by the IRTS 2m Counties Contest from 1330UTC to 1500UTC. Both contests use SSB and FM and the exchange is signal report and serial number, with EI and GI stations also giving their county.

The BARTG Sprint 75 contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC today, the 15th, on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands. Using RTTY only, the exchange is just your serial number.

Finally for today, the 15th, the 70MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC next Sunday, the 15th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3GHz band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 80m Autumn Series contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Thursday the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTc. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Sunday, the Practical Wireless 70MHz contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 13th of September.

It was a quiet week, geomagnetically speaking, with the Kp index generally not rising above two. But a lack of sunspots didn’t help HF propagation, which was decidedly uninspiring. There were some highlights though, mostly on FT8. Columbia was decoded on Wednesday evening on 15 metres at a time when CW and SSB users might have thought the band was dead. FT8’s ability to dig out signals that are below the noise level is saving the day in terms of DX being workable.

On a brighter note, in a new paper, scientists predict that the current solar cycle 24 will end in the first half of 2020, kicking off the growth of solar cycle 25 very shortly after. The paper, from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, is based on a new theory that tsunamis of plasma race through the Sun’s interior and trigger the birth of the next sunspot cycle.

Meanwhile NOAA predicts that next week the solar flux index will remain low with an estimate of 68-70. A total lack of Earth-facing coronal holes is good news, with the Kp index remaining at around two.

Finally, we are starting to see the gradual change to autumnal HF conditions, which will bring better DX working over the next couple of months. The Propquest site shows that the maximum usable frequency is now hitting more than 18MHz over a 3,000km path at times, so 17m is becoming quite usable as we exit the summer doldrums. It is also still showing an uplift in the critical frequency after dark on most days, which could bring some DX surprises.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The coming week will suit VHFers who like to rise early, so set those alarms to get the best DX opportunities. The week will start with high pressure over the country and, except for a brief period when low pressure moves across the far north of Britain this Saturday, the 14th, it’s pretty much a Tropo story all the way. When there is still summer warmth around, it’s worth noting that the strong lift conditions in the early morning usually fade as the temperature rises. So it’s really an early bird that catches the worm for Tropo!

Last Friday saw Moon apogee, when it is at its furthest point from Earth, and Moon declination goes positive today, so EME conditions will improve as the week progresses. The Moon will rise higher in the sky at zenith and will be above 50 degrees elevation in Southern England in the early hours of Thursday. Sky noise on 144MHz starts the week at a low of around 250 kelvin, and path losses will fall.

There are no major meteor showers this week, but the September epsilon-Perseids minor shower, though past its peak, continues to be active until around the 21st September. Check the early hours before dawn for the best random meteors.

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