GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 14th July 2019

 

The news headlines:

RSGB President writes to Ofcom

New Science Museum exhibition

RSGB Convention lectures

After due consideration, and as reported in GB2RS news on the 5th of July, RSGB President Dave Wilson, M0OBW wrote to Ofcom strongly expressing the RSGB’s concerns about the proposed WRC-23 aeronautical Agenda Item that includes 144-146MHz. A set of appendices were attached to the letter, to enhance understanding of amateur radio usage in this band, and emphasise why any study for such new use would inevitably be fraught with complexity and likely to be unsuccessful. The letter requests regarding three other WRC Agenda Items; 50MHz, Wireless Power Transfer and 23cm/Galileo, where UK/Ofcom support is also sought. For further information please see our focus pages at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19

Discover the remarkable world of codebreaking, ciphers and secret communications in a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London. From the trenches of the First World War to the latest in cyber security, Top Secret explores over a century’s worth of communications intelligence through hand-written documents, declassified files and previously unseen artefacts from the Science Museum Group's and GCHQ’s historic collections. It includes the story of Alan Turing and the team of Bletchley Park codebreakers who broke the Enigma code in 1941. Top Secret coincides with the 100th anniversary of GCHQ and runs until the 23rd of February 2020. The exhibition is free but booking is required. See the Science Museum website at www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/‎ for more details.

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. Two of the interesting lectures over the weekend will be Don Field, G3XTT talking about Guest Operating. Being part of a multi-operator contest or DXpedition effort can be fun, it's a great learning experience and he has been involved in many such operations. Tony Canning, G2NF will be speaking on a subject very close to many radio amateurs’ hearts, Urban QRM; What can I do? To book weekend packages or day tickets and to read more about the RSGB Convention, go to www.rsgb.orf/convention

Confused by all the recent talk about the World Radio Conference, CEPT Project teams etc? The RSGB has put together a few slides that explain the layers in the international regulatory cake. They are available at https://tinyurl.com/rsgb-slides and are also part of the wider resource on WRC-19 at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19.

Join VERON, the Dutch National Society, in a 2m propagation experiment on Saturday the 20th of July from 1700 to 1900UTC. Make QSOs on the 2m band in any mode you prefer. It’s not a contest but an experiment to get as many radio amateurs on the band as possible. Club Log is handling the statistics. Upload your QSOs in ADIF format. Find out more on the VERON website www.veron.nl

The RSGB invites young people, and an accompanying adult if the child is under 16 years, to join them at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on the 6th of August for a fun and hands-on workshop where they can learn more about radio and electronics. Details are on the Bletchley Park website at https://bletchleypark.org.uk under the What’s On tab.

A further meeting on Wireless Power Transmission was held in Copenhagen in week beginning the 1st of July. This was a sub-group of CEPT Committee SE24 charged with work on a report on generic WPT devices. Don Beattie, G3BJ, representing IARU, made input on its projections of harmful emissions from WPT systems, both generic and wireless electric vehicle charging, operating at the existing harmonic emission limits. The IARU also reported on tests carried out on small WPT devices. The IARU continues to argue for tighter emission limits on harmonics and other spurious emissions from WPT systems, which have the potential to cause sustained harmful interference to incumbent radio services.

A new G-2800DXC rotator has been installed on the tower driving the SteppIR beam for GB3RS, the permanent special event station at the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park. The work was completed ahead of schedule and GB3RS is now both back on air and available for visiting amateurs to operate during their visit, please bring your licence with you.

The TX Factor video recently made at the RSGB National Radio Centre about the new geostationary satellite OSCAR 100 is now online. Go to http://www.txfilms.co.uk/txfactor/ and view Episode 23.

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

Today, the 14th, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally will be held at Penair School, St Clements, Truro TR1 1TN. Doors open from 10.30am to 4pm. There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy. Catering is available on site. Contact Mike Halloway on 01209 211 069.

Today, the 14th, the McMichael Radio Rally and Boot Sale will take place at Reading Rugby Football Club, Sonning Lane, Sonning on Thames RG4 6ST. Doors open 9.30am to 3.30pm, admission is £3. There will be trade stands and exhibition displays as well as a car boot area. Catering is available on site as well as a bar. More from Min, G0JMS on 07917 830 410.

Today, the 14th, the 23rd Red Rose QRP Festival will be held at St Joseph’s Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PR. There is free car parking and the halls are all on one level. Doors open 10.30am. There will be a Bring & Buy, RSGB bookstall, refreshments and bar. Details from Colin, M0IQY on 0741 936 3131.

Next Sunday, the 21st, sees the Finningley ARS Rally take place at The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road , Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX. Doors open 10am and there is free parking. An indoor and outdoor area will have with major traders and club stalls from microwave components to QRP kits. Hot food and drinks are available all day. Admission is £3. Contact Kevin, G3AAF on 07831 614640 for other details.

To get your event into RadCom, onto GB2RS and on the RSGB website, please send details as early as possible to [email protected] – we need to know four months in advance to get your info into RadCom.

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

Ignazio, IT9AGZ will be active as IF9/IT9AGZ from Levanzo Island, EU-054 between the 16th and the 28th of July. QSL via his home call.

Harry, JG7PSJ will be active as JG7PSJ/7 from Oshima, AS-206, one of the new IOTA designations, starting around 2200UTC on the 19th of July until around 0600UTC on the 21st. He will operate CW, SSB and RTTY on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via his home call.

JI3CEY will be also be active holiday style as JI3CEY/0 from the island of Sado, AS-206, one of the latest IOTA destinations, between the 20th and the 22nd of July. Plans are to operate SSB and CW on the HF bands. QSL via his home call.

Rick, K6VVA plans to be active as K6VVA/KL7 from Endicott Island, NA-004 from about 2200UTC on the 16th of July until about 1600UTC on the 19th. He will operate CW and some SSB on 40, 30 and 20 metres. IOTA credit for this operation will be obtained only via the Club Log Matching function on the IOTA website.

Now the special event news

Gilwell Park also hosts GB2GP and has been getting Scouts on the air for over 50 years. To celebrate Scouting’s 100 years, GB100GP today, the 14th of July, when Gilwell Park is open to Explorer Scouts and Ranger Guides.

Leicester Radio Society will be hosting GB5EHL for Eagle Has Landed throughout the whole of July to celebrate the first moon landing. In particular they will be on air for the whole weekend of 20th and 21st July using HF and VHF, all modes. A special ASL card will be available.

GB100BM will be on the air to celebrate 100 years of Bentley Motor cars. The station will be operated by members of South Cheshire ARS. Throughout July they will operate on the 80m to 2m bands using SSB, CW, FM and datamodes. A special full colour QSL will be available. QSL is via OQRS, Bureau, Logbook of The World and eQSL.

On the 20th of July, members of Poldhu ARC will be operating GB50AML from the Goonhilly Earth Satellite Station in Cornwall to commemorate the part Goonhilly played in relaying TV signals of the Apollo 11 Moon landing 50 years ago. Look for activity on 40 metres SSB, and 20 metres CW and SSB. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or via G3UCQ.

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

Next The IARU HF Championship 24 hour run ends at 1200UTC today, the 14th. Using SSB on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands the exchange is signal report and ITU Zone, which for the UK is 27.

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

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 Saturday the 2nd 40m QSO Party runs from 1000 to 1200UTC. Using SSB only the exchange is 59 and your name.

Next Sunday, the 21st, the 70MHz Trophy contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number locator and postcode.

The Low Power Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC on Sunday the 21st. Using CW only on the 3.5 to 14MHz bands the exchange is signal report, serial number and power.

Don’t forget that the UK Six Metre Group Marathon runs until the 4th of August. Using all modes on the 50MHz band, the exchange is just your 4-character locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 12th of July.

Last week saw poor geomagnetic conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Kp index hitting five. This was due to a weak coronal mass ejection followed by the onset of a solar wind stream from a coronal hole. A solar wind speed above 650km/s, coupled with a strongly south-pointing Bz field, led to geomagnetic unrest at higher latitudes.

The net result was poor conditions on HF, with even the Chilton ionosonde failing to show much of an ionospheric return on its plots.

The poor conditions continued on Thursday with 20m looking distinctly lacklustre and only one or two stations audible on the band. Conditions are predicted to recover by the weekend.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux will continue to be around 67, with zero sunspots. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be settled with a maximum Kp index of two. This means HF conditions may be better next week, although still subject to the summer doldrums.

We have probably seen the best of the Sporadic-E season, but do keep an eye on 10m for short-skip openings. A long-term view is that we may not see better HF F2-layer conditions until the Autumn. On the bright side, today, the 14th, is the last day for the Cricket World Cup special event stations, so make the most of the final activity.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

A period of high pressure is crossing the country this weekend, which should have suppressed the heavy showers of recent days in some areas. Thus rain scatter is now replaced by some Tropo, for a time at least.

Early next week the weather position gets very uncertain with weather models split. One version brings a low across northern Britain from the Atlantic, which brings a showery cold front south by the end of the week to offer a chance of rain scatter again.

The other model outcome is for low pressure to drift into southern Britain from the continent, leaving pressure higher in the north, but introducing showers to the south. Either way, the end result is that the early week Tropo is replaced by the chance of rain scatter again.

As we move into mid-July, Sporadic-E can become less commonplace, but still produce some good openings when they do materialise. The FT8 factor means there’s plenty of chance for QSOs via this mode if signals are too low for SSB and CW.

Moon declination is at a minimum tomorrow, Monday, and apogee is just a week away so path losses will continue to increase as the week progresses and Moon windows will be very short with the moon at low elevations.

There are no major meteor showers this week so continue to look for best DX opportunities via random meteors around dawn.

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