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GB2RS NEWS
Sunday 30 October 2011
The news headlines:
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Amateurs help Turkish earthquake relief
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T32C sets new QSO record
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K4LCD gets special LF permit
On 23 October an earthquake struck the Van region of Eastern Turkey. Radio Amateurs from the Turkish national society, TRAC, are responding to assist with communications in the area. Please avoid causing QRM to emergency traffic on 7.092MHz USB. USB is being used to allow communications with a government station.
The Five Star DXers Association T32C DXpedition to Christmas Island has now finished. Despite initial difficulties with their container of equipment not reaching the island, the team finished with over 213,000 contacts and this is the first time an expedition has exceeded 200,000 QSOs, congratulations to all involved. Of that total, it looks like there were 48,914 individual callsigns worked. The total number of QSOs into Europe was 59,692. As the team start making their way back home more details will become available.
The FCC has issued an Experimental License grant to K4LCD to operate on 130kHz and 500kHz with the callsign WF2XXQ. The permit is valid until 1 October 2016 and is tied to the ongoing Very Low Frequency Amateur Radio Experiment. More information is available online at tinyurl.com/4235u7s.
A well known low cost airline has added Manchester to their routes flying to Memmingen in Germany. This may be of interest to those thinking of travelling to the HamTronic amateur radio exhibition, because Friedrichshafen is about an hour's drive from Memmingen. It is also possible to make the journey by train. The show will take place in Friedrichshafen from 22 to 24 June 2012.
Due to an administrative mistake, last week's GB2RS Rallies and Events and Local News contained incorrect information. The editorial team apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience this caused. The procedure for preparing Local News has now been revised and the chance of a re-occurrence has been significantly reduced.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 30 October, is the second day of the North Wales Rally is at John Bright School, Llandudno LL30 1LF. Opening at 10am, there will be trade stands, a Bring and Buy, catering and disabled facilities. Details from Liz Cabban, GW0ETU on 07760 190 355 or lizcabban@yahoo.co.uk.
Today, 30 October, sees the Holsworthy Amateur Rally at Holsworthy Community College, Victoria Hill, Holsworthy EX22 6JD. Details from Roger Williams, on 07773 983 691.
The Foyle & District ARC Rally will take place on 6 November at the Best Western White Horse Hotel, 68 Clooney Road, Derry BT47 3PA. Doors open at 12 noon and there will be trade stands, the RSGB QSL bureau and IRTS in attendance.
The West London Radio & Electronics Show, otherwise known at the Kempton Rally, will take place on 6 November at Kempton Park racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ. Doors open at 10am and there will be trade stands, RSGB bookstall and lectures. More information from Paul, M0CJX, on 08451 650 351.
Now for the news of special events
Caddington Scout and Cub group is holding a communication week starting on 14 November to be held at Scout HQ, Dunstable Road, Caddington, Bedfordshire. They will be using the callsign GB1CSC. The station will be run by Mark, G1AYH and he asks that if you hear the Scouts and Cubs, please give them a call.
MM0DHQ will be transmitting from Kilwinning Abbey, in Scotland as part of Castles and Stately Homes on the Air on 1 November. All details can be found at www.cashota.co.uk.
Almonte Amateur Radio Club in Canada will be running a 24 hour special event station, VA3AAR, on 6 November to celebrate the 150th anniversary of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. A commemorative QSL card will be available.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
3XY1D will be on the air from Guinea until 1 November. Operation will be on 6 through to 160 metres using CW, SSB and digital modes. One station will be exclusively dedicated to RTTY, PSK31 and SSTV. QSL via DL7DF, direct or via the bureau.
LA5UF will be on the air from Easter Island as CE0Y/LA5UF between 3 and 11 November. Activity will be on CW and PSK31. QSL only via his home callsign.
Bill, N7OU is operating from the South Cook Islands until 7 November using the callsign E51NOU. He will then travels to the North Cook Islands where he will stay until 22 November. He will be using the same callsign from both DXCC entities so recommends that operators are careful with logbook entries.
TU2T will be on the air from the Ivory Coast until 11 November. Direct QSLs go via I2YSB and bureau cards go via IK2CIO.
VK7ZX will be on the air from King Island off the Tasmania coast from 3 to 7 November, mainly on 20m and 40m. You can find out more at www.kingislandlight150.com. QSL via VK7ZE, either direct or via the bureau.
Now the contest news
Today, 30 October, is the second day of the CQWW DX SSB contest, finishing at 2359UTC. Use SSB on all contest bands from 3.5-28MHz and exchange RST plus Zone, which is 14 for the UK.
1 November sees the 144MHz UK Activity Contest taking place from 2000 to 2230UTC using all modes. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend, the Marconi CW Contest runs for 24 hours from 1400UTC on the 5th on the 144MHz band. There are 6- and 24-hour sections for single operator fixed stations and all others, so it need not constitute a huge commitment. Incidentally, this contest runs concurrently with an IARU co-ordinated contest. You can submit a single set of logs for entry to both events, because entries will be submitted to the IARU event unless you specifically request otherwise. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 17th to the 23rd of October, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 24th of October
Numerous sunspot groups were visible every day with up to 11 groups on the 17th and the 21st. Most were small and quiet but a couple of groups were large enough and magnetically complex to produce M class solar flares. Solar activity increased to moderate when M class flares took place on the 20th, 21st and the 22nd. On the 22nd a filament erupted producing a coronal mass ejection and hours later another spectacular coronal mass ejection took place with the M class solar flare. Both the STEREO and SOHO spacecraft took some amazing images of both events. Solar flux levels increased from 153 units on the 17th to a new high for this cycle at 168 units by the 21st. The average was 156. The 90 day solar flux average on the 23rd was 122 units, that’s four units up on last week. X-ray flux units varied little day to day and the average was B8.8 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day and the average was Ap 5 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 450 kilometres per second on the 17th to a slow 270 kilometres per second by the 23rd. Particle densities were low with levels no higher than 5 particles per cubic centimetre during the period. As one would expect, Bz showed little variation every day and only fluctuated between minus and plus 6 nanoTeslas. With the main factors influencing HF propagation even more favourable than in earlier weeks, MUFs at times verged on 40MHz and all continents were again workable up to 28MHz.
Over recent days some strange propagation as taken place on 28MHz with stations heard and worked at good signal strengths with distances between 60 and 200 miles apart within the UK. Also, stations with a distance of between 250 and 300 miles away are much stronger than normal. It would appear not to be Sporadic-E, tropo or backscatter propagation. Many experienced operators have commented that they have never heard anything like this before over many decades.
And now the solar forecast. Looking at the last few solar rotations, this would suggest that the quiet side of the Sun will be looking our way. Solar activity should be mostly low, with only C class solar flares taking place, but an M class flare cannot be totally ruled out. Solar flux levels should be around the 120s for most of the week. Geomagnetic activity should be quiet at first but during the second half of the week activity could increase due to a small coronal hole. A warning, though unlikely, that if solar activity increased to high then a coronal mass ejection could increase activity for several days. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 30MHz. Darkness hour lows should be around 10MHz. Paths this week to South America should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 36MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 30MHz. With the path going over the equator into the southern hemisphere it should not be affected by any weak to moderate levels of geomagnetic activity.
And that’s all for this week from the propagation team.
