GB2RS News

Sunday, the 21st of September 2025

The news headlines:

Tickets for the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes are still available to purchase online, but hurry as advance sales close on Saturday the 4th of October. You will be able to buy a Convention ticket on the door but not at the reduced rate that is available now. Your ticket will give you access to numerous presentations including two on the funding available to interesting and innovative amateur radio projects. The RSGB Legacy Fund supports a wide range of projects and Legacy Committee Chair, Richard Horton, G4AOJ will give some recent examples that have been allocated funding. He’ll also talk you through how the application and approval process works. The California-based Amateur Radio Digital Communications foundation has its roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. Steve Bunting, M0BPQ and Chris Smith, G1FEF will give an overview of ARDC’s grants which are also open to international charities, non-profits, schools and universities. If you’re thinking of a new project that would benefit amateur radio or help to bring it to new audiences, these are two presentations you won’t want to miss! Find details on these and all the other Convention presentations via rsgb.org/convention  You’ll also find a new web page outlining what else is happening during the weekend. If you’re attending the Convention for the first time, then pop along to the RSGB’s new ‘welcome desk’ on the Friday evening from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and then from 8pm to 9pm. The desk is aimed at first-time or solo attendees, although anyone can come and say hello. A member of the RSGB HQ team and other RSGB volunteers will be on hand to greet you and introduce you to like-minded people, and act as a familiar face throughout the weekend if you need any help. The RSGB Convention takes place between the 10th and 12th of October.

Every radio amateur knows that it is important to identify yourself clearly when operating. This includes the mandatory use of a Regional Secondary Locator, or RSL, if you hold an Intermediate callsign in the 2-series. For example, your callsign would start with 2E0 if you’re in England or 2M0 if you’re operating in Scotland. This mandatory use of the RSL is shown in the Ofcom licence conditions. You can find a link to that document on the RSGB licence updates web page at rsgb.org/licence-review

Calling all young radio enthusiasts wherever you are in the world! The RSGB Outreach Team is thrilled to launch its first official DMR Youth Net. The first net will be on Tuesday the 30th of September at 1900UTC and the RSGB Youth Talk Group 23554 is available on the DVSPh and Brandmeister Networks. Whether you're just starting out or already love getting on the air, this bi-weekly net is your chance to build confidence speaking on the radio, connect with fellow young operators from around the world, and join in without needing to set up antennas at home. Hosted by RSGB Youth Outreach Team Leaders Chris Aitken, MM0WIC and Ben Lloyd, GW4BML, the net is designed to grow with you. As your skills and confidence develop, you could even take the mic and chair future sessions! We’re also offering loan kits that include a DMR handset and hotspot to help schools and home educators get started. Just fill out the form at tinyurl.com/RSGByouth-net  and we’ll be in touch. Tune in, speak up, and be part of something exciting!

The RSGB National Radio Centre will be hosting the World War Two SOE station, GB1SOE in the foyer of the Centre on Saturday the 27th of September. On Sunday the 28th of September, it will also be hosting three special one-off broadcasts to mark the 70th anniversary of GB2RS, which will include a special greetings message from the RSGB President. The special event station GB70RS will be used for the pre- and post-News nets. Go to rsgb.org/gb70rs  for full details. For those visiting the Centre over the weekend, Bletchley Park is hosting one of its 1940s weekends. RSGB members can visit the world-famous estate for free by downloading a voucher via rsgb.org/bpvoucher

The RSGB has several volunteer vacancies within the Regional Team including District Representative roles in Cambridgeshire, East Sussex and Lancashire. This is an incredibly rewarding role that gives you the opportunity to help your fellow radio amateurs. If you are passionate about the future of amateur radio, support the work of the Society and are an RSGB member, then apply now by contacting the Regional Representative in that region. View the full list of regional team volunteering vacancies via rsgb.org/volunteers

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

And now for details of rallies and events

Weston-super-Mare Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, the 21st, at The Campus, Highlands Lane, Weston-super-Mare. The doors open at 7.30am for traders and at 10am for the public. Refreshments are available on site and a raffle will be held at 11am. For more information contact Daniel via [email protected]

On Sunday the 5th of October, the 50th Welsh Radio Rally will take place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport in South Wales. The doors open for traders from 7am and for the public from 9.30am. Admission costs £3. For more information email [email protected]

Now the Special Event news

Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be running special event station GB2RMR on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of September. The station will operate from 9.30am to 4pm each day at the Riverside Miniature Railway in St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. The team will be using HF, VHF and UHF equipment. More details are available via QRZ.com

Special callsign GB70RS is in use to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the RSGB’s weekly news service GB2RS which has been running continuously since the 25th of September 1955. A team of amateurs is using the callsign on a variety of bands and modes. QSL via the Bureau, Logbook of the World and eQSL. For more information visit the GB70RS page at QRZ.com

Now the DX news

Tom, OH6VDA is active again as JW6VDA from the Svalbard Amateur Radio club in Longyearbyen [LONG-YEER-BE-IN], EU-026, until tomorrow, the 22nd. The station is active on various HF bands using SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred. More details are available via QRZ.com

Rikk, WE9G is active as WE9G/KH2 from Guam, OC-026, until Friday the 26th of September. The station is mostly operating digital FT modes but also some CW and SSB. Listen for activity on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World or via WE9G.

Now the contest news

Today, the 21st, the RSGB 70MHz Affiliated Series Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also today, the 21st, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number.

On Tuesday the 23rd, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 24th, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

On Thursday the 25th, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ Worldwide DX RTTY Contest runs from 0000UTC on Saturday the 27th to 2359UTC on Sunday the 28th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.

On Sunday the 28th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of September 2025.

Last week we said that it looked like someone had thrown a switch on the Sun and all the sunspots had vanished. Well, this week we’re pleased to report they’re back!

We have eight sunspot groups, spread evenly throughout the Sun’s hemispheres. Interestingly, the northern hemisphere sunspots are close to the equator, which is what you would expect at this point in the latter part of the solar cycle. The southern spots are somewhat higher in latitude, perhaps indicating that there might still be the potential for a double peak.

On Thursday the 18th, the solar flux index stood at 147 and the Kp index at 2. This suggests that HF conditions might be pretty good, at least until the next geomagnetic disturbance.

There have been no M- or X-class solar flares over the past week.

The solar wind speed dropped from a high of 800 kilometres per second on Tuesday the 16th, to a more reasonable 538 kilometres per second on Thursday the 18th. However, the Bz has been pointing south at times, which can cause problems with a raised Kp index.

The maximum useable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path generally allows for operation between 21 and 24MHz during daylight and 7 and 10.1MHz at night. At 0845UTC on Thursday the 18th, a quick check of the NCDXF beacons on 21.150MHz showed reception of CS3B in Madeira and 4X6TU in Israel.

On 24.930MHz, 4S7B in Sri Lanka, ZS6DN in South Africa, and CS3B in Madeira could be heard. On 28.200MHz the only audible beacon was 4X6TU in Israel.

The NCDXF beacons are a quick way to check worldwide HF propagation in just three-minutes per band, from 20 to 10m. For more details visit ncdxf.org/beacon

HF DX this week has included FP5KE on St Pierre and Miquelon, which is operating until the 26th of September. PJ7K on St. Maarten, which is active until the 22nd of September, was worked; and VK9NT on Norfolk Island, which is operating until the 27th of September, also made it into UK logbooks. Check the DX cluster for the latest spots.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the range of 125 to 135. The Kp index is forecast to remain low at 2 all week. A coronal hole threatens to push the Kp index higher, perhaps late today, the 21st, or tomorrow, the 22nd.

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

The first part of the coming week will be under the influence of the unsettled weather pattern with lows and fronts affecting the British Isles. So, it feels like there will be a few more days for the GHz rain scatter folk to play.

Be aware that even among low-pressure systems there can be fleeting moments of good Tropo. On Friday the 19th there were ideal Tropo conditions over southern Britain and south across Biscay to Spain as well as east across the North Sea.

The big change takes place on Wednesday as an area of high pressure starts to build over the UK. This could last through to the end of the week. So, there is plenty of time to develop some good Tropo conditions over large parts of the UK and near-continent.

There will probably be an elevated inversion some 1 or 2km above the surface. This will be caused by the high itself and may provide ducting conditions throughout the 24-hour period. This may be supported by temporary surface inversions overnight due to the ground cooling.

These features tend to take a while to establish, which suggests that the latter part of the coming week may be the best time to operate. The effect will only just be starting to influence conditions over the western side of the UK for the SHF UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 23rd.

Regarding the aurora prospects, it feels like we should be keeping a watch throughout this autumn period when the Earth’s magnetic field couples with the solar wind more effectively. Earlier last week the Kp reached 5, which is a good trigger to get interested in beaming north for those fluttery auroral signals.

Meteor scatter remains in between events at the moment with no major showers in the period. So, it’s random meteors only which, as we know, tend to favour the early morning, pre-dawn hours.

We are outside the traditional Sporadic-E season now but, as you may have noticed on the Propquest graphs, there has been the occasional spike on the foEs plot up to 5MHz or so. This is plenty to generate some strong short-skip European signals on the HF bands, especially 10m.

In the morning on Wednesday the 17th, Sporadic-E was probably triggered by the powerful jet stream moving east over the near continent. There may well be further occasions with strong jet streams during the next week, so keep checking the NVIS tab at propquest.co.uk to see if the foEs trace spikes again.

Now for an EME update. Moon declination is decreasing, from its maximum on the 14th of September. The Moon’s distance from Earth is also increasing until apogee on the 27th and 28th of September. This means path losses are growing over the next week. Sky noise will remain low until the 29th and 30th of September.

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