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GB2RS NEWS
Sunday 5th August 2012
The news headlines:
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Olympic Flagship station working via satellites
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RSGB statement criticises PLT growth
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Consultation now running on RSGB Interim Board Strategy and Governance proposals
Olympic Special Event Station 2 Oscar 12 Whiskey has been active on the amateur radio satellites, working stations in the USA and across Europe. The 2o12W satellite station has been operated by Ken, GW1FKY. He is using a Kenwood TS-2000 feeding a 5 element dual-band Elk antenna mounted on a rotator on the portable cabin. Other Olympic stations have also been enjoying great success on the bands and getting interesting visits from the public. For details of all the Olympic stations, check out the RSGB website at www.rsgb.org/operating/ and click on London Olympics 2012.
The RSGB has issued a statement expressing grave concern at the continuing headlong rush to legitimise high levels of emission from PLT devices, in contravention of the Essential Requirements of the EMC Directive. You can read the full statement on the RSGB website www.rsgb.org, click on Update on draft PLT standard prEN50561-1.
Consultations are now running on the RSGB Interim Board proposals on Strategy and Governance. All members are encouraged to share their views, on what are arguably the most important consultations that the Society has ever undertaken. All responses will be carefully considered and the more input that is received, the more robust the final documents will be. The Interim Board intends to bring final proposals for Governance to an Extraordinary General Meeting in November and needs your comments by 20 August. Two Litmus Tests are being run through the RSGB website to facilitate comment and discussion on the proposals. Alternatively you can send comments by e-mail to strategy@rsgb.org.uk or governance@rsgb.org.uk, or submit written comments to the Board at HQ. Follow the link from the main page of the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org.
The latest edition of The 5MHz Newsletter is now online on Google docs at http://tinyurl.com/c86r3l4. It includes news on the ITU working party for the WRC2015 5MHz Agenda Item, plus technical correspondence on NVIS from Marcus Walden, G0IJZ.
Former Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Ivica Dačić [ee-VEET-sah DAH-chich], YU1YU, was elected as that country’s newest Prime Minister on July 27. Dačić is a member of the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia, the SRS Serbia’s IARU Member-Society and is said to be a member of his local club, YU1AAV.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 5 August, the Chippenham & DARC Radio Boot Sale takes place at the Chippenham Sea Cadet HQ, off Long Close, Chippenham, approximate post code SN15 3JZ. Doors open at 9am for booters, £5 per boot, foot entry is £1 on the gate, with under 16s free. There is an on site car park and visitors are asked not to park in Long Close.
King’s Lynn ARC Rally & Car Boot will be held today, 5 August, at Gaywood Community Centre, PE30 4DZ. Doors open at 10am and admission is £2. There are trade stands and a car boot area. More details from Ray, G3RSV on 01553 849 700.
Today, 5 August, the Lorn Radio Amateur Rally is being held in Crianlarich Village Hall, Crianlarich, near Oban FK20 8QN. Admission is £1 and there are trade stands, a Bring & Buy and a car boot area.
The Cockenzie & Port Seton ARC 19th Annual Mini-Rally Night will take place on 10 August at the Community Centre, Main Hall, Port Seton. Bring along your own junk and sell it yourself. Tables are on a first come first served basis and admission is £2 for everyone. Doors open from 6.30 to 9.30pm.
On 12 August the Flight Refuelling ARS Hamfest takes place at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA. Doors open at 10am and there will be trade stands and a car boot area. More details from Mike, M0MJS on 01202 883 479.
Now for the news of special events
Sandford Mill Museum in Chelmsford will be open to the public on the first three Sundays in August from 2 to 5pm. The museum is home to an extensive collection of historic radio equipment. Many fascinating radio exhibits are displayed there including spark transmitters from the late 1890's and a fully equipped ship’s radio room. The Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB1000MWT on August 5, 12 and 19 from the 2MT Marconi hut inside the museum, postcode CM2 6NY. Admittance and parking are free.
Riviera Amateur Radio Club will be operating the special event station GB4TSF at Torbay Steam Fair today, 5 August. More details are available at the club website at www.rivieraarc.org.uk.
Oldham Amateur Radio Club will be operating from Royton Park, Royton, Oldham today, 5 August, from 10.30am until 4pm using GB8RTC to celebrate Royton being 800 years old. Operation will be from 40m to 70cm. For more details about the station and events going on at the park please contact Chris, G7OOD on 0774 934 7142.
Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group will be operating GN0LIX/P from Chaine Memorial Tower in Larne, County Antrim between 18 and 19 August as part of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. The station will be active on 20m, 40m and 10m SSB, conditions permitting. All QSL will be via the bureau. For further information, visit the Carrickfergus Club website at www.radioclubs.net/carg.
Hinckley Amateur Radio Electronics Society will be putting a special event station on the air on 10 August from Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds, Bruntingthorpe, Lutterworth LE17 5QS, for On Your Marks 2012. This is a charity fund raising day including flying displays and a motorcycle stunt display.
Kent Weald Radio Club is operating GB1HA over the weekend of 11 and 12 August from Headcorn airfield, Kent. Operation will be on HF and VHF to demonstrate amateur radio during the military show that is taking place there over the two days. Further details can be obtained from Patrick via email to palybl@btinternet.com.
Telford and District Amateur Radio Society will be operational from early on Saturday 11th until 4pm on Sunday 12th August using the callsign GB0WPB for William Penny Brookes. The station is celebrating the life of Doctor William Penny Brookes, founder of the Wenlock Olympian Association, who organised the first Annual Wenlock Olympian Games in October 1850. The first Games, held in October 1850, were a mixture of athletics and also traditional country sports such as quoits, football and cricket. The station will be based at Much Wenlock Scout Hut, Bull Ring, Much Wenlock, TF13 6HS. Three stations will be running, 2m/70cm using a vertical, 40 and 80m using a dipole and 20, 15 and 10m using a tribander. Fellow amateurs who happen to be in the area are welcome to visit and operate.
A pair of twinned Special Event Stations, GB175PO and TM175PO, will be running in Dover and Calais to celebrate 175 years of P&O. Operation starts on 11 August and will be running for 30 days. Both stations will have the opportunity to work from ferries at various times during the operation.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Bill, K9HZ will be on the air from St Lucia as J68HZ from 4 to 19 August. The IOTA reference is NA-108 and he will be active on all bands from 40 to 6m. QSLs go via his home callsign.
Stefan, DL4ST is in Afghanistan until the end of September. He is active as T6SS and so far has been worked mainly on 20m.
From 7 to 13 August John, 9M6XRO and Steve, 9M6DXX will be active from Spratly Island using the callsign 9M4SLL. They will be on 10 to 80m using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL manager is M0URX.
A multi-national group will activate the Comoros Islands from 8 to 20 August. The callsign will be D64K. QSL info is via IV3DSH and full details of the expedition can be found on www.d64k.net.
Erik, LA2US is now active as JW2US from Bear Island, EU-027, until November. He operates mainly SSB with some CW on 40-10 metres.
Now the contest news
Today, 5 August, the 432MHz low power contest finishes at 1200UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and postcode.
The UK Microwave Group’s Microwave Field Day also takes place today, 5 August, from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using the 1.3 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The 144MHZ UK Activity Contest takes place on 7 August from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
August is the first month of the new 80m Club Sprint series, which continues until November. The CW leg takes place on Wednesday 8th from 1900 to 2000UTC. The whole series is limited to 100 watts output. The exchange is both callsigns, serial number and name.
The 5th 70MHz Cumulative Contest takes place from 1400 to 1600UTC on 12 August. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The first of this year’s Worked All Europe contests takes place for the entire 48 hours of the 12th and 13th. This month it’s CW. Work non-European stations only. There are country multipliers and the added dimension of QTCs, reporting the details of previously held QSOs, enables those who choose to send and receive them to boost their score significantly. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 27th to Thursday the 2nd of August, compiled by Martin Harrison, G3USF, on Friday the 3rd of August
Solar activity ranged between very low and moderate. Every day brought a crop of C-class flares, but they had little apparent impact on propagation. M-class flares were reported on the 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th. Of these, an M6.1 flare on the28th was the most significant, bringing increased geomagnetic activity on the 2nd. Solar flux levels increased from 123 on the 27th to 150 on the 1st, then 135 on the 2nd. The average was 135 units – 36 up on the previous week. The 90 day solar flux average on the 2nd was 127, two units up on last week. X-ray flux levels increased from B4.8 on the 27th to B6.3 units by the 1st, averaging B5.5. Geomagnetic activity was at quiet to unsettled levels for much of the period, However, on the 30th, the coronal mass ejection associated with the flare on the 28th brought ‘active’ levels and an Ap index of 13. A brief disturbance occurred on the 2nd, when the Ap index was up to 16. For most of the rest of the week it was in single figures. The average Ap for the week was 9. Solar wind speeds reported by the ACE spacecraft ranged between 307 and 455 kilometres per second. Particle densities were generally low, but reached 14 per cubic centimetre during the disturbance on the 2nd. Bz varied between minus 11 and plus 13 nanoTeslas during that disturbance, but otherwise ranged between minus 3 and plus 4 nanoTeslas. Although the disturbance on the 30th was quite mild one, it brought extensive auroral propagation from early afternoon to mid-evening, which at peak reached southward to central England. Though the event on the 2nd was more intense few auroral contacts were reported.
And finally the forecast. Solar activity and solar flux levels are expected to be below last week’s levels, though there is a chance of occasional M-class flares bringing moderate levels. The solar flux should be in the 130’s for most of the week. The geomagnetic field is expected to be ‘active’ at times during the next few days due to a recurring coronal hole. Quiet conditions should return by midweek, although an Earth- directed coronal mass ejection cannot be totally ruled out. MUFs at equal latitudes should be around 21MHz in the south and 18MHz in the north. Paths to Japan, currently among the more difficult, should have a maximum usable frequency, with a 50 per cent success rate, of around 22MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 16MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 1000 and 1400 hours.
The summer sporadic-E season is now well past its peak, but brief openings may still occur on both 50 and 70MHz. MS operators should find the Perseids shower moving towards its peak next weekend.
And that’s all for this week from the propagation team.
