RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 12th January 2025

GB2RS News

Sunday the 12^th of January

The news headlines:

• There are opportunities in the RSGB’s Regional Team
• World Thinking Day on the Air is coming up in February
• Are you interested in an exciting opportunity to volunteer with the amateur radio maker community?

If you’re looking to get involved in a different side of amateur radio this year, have you thought about becoming a volunteer RSGB Regional Representative for your area? There are eight Regional Representative posts available for nomination in this year’s RSGB elections. This rewarding role will give you the opportunity to represent the views of members in your region to the Board, as well as supporting and advising the District Representatives located within the Region. Regional Representatives are also members of the volunteer Leadership Team and have the opportunity to contribute to the Society’s strategy and policy development, as well as to its implementation. If you think this sounds exciting, and you are a confident communicator who has experience in managing people, then go to rsgb.org/election and read the candidate pack now. You’ll also find details about how to apply, alongside information on other roles, including the RSGB President and two Elected Board Director vacancies. The closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31^st of January. So, act now and use your expertise to make an impact on amateur radio in your region.

On the 15^th of February, Girlguiding members will celebrate World Thinking Day on the Air. The aim of this event is to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. On this day, Crawley Amateur Radio Club and RSGB volunteers will be hosting a special event call sign GB1SCG, which relates to Sussex Central Guides. Girlguiding members of all ages will have the opportunity to celebrate by communicating via the amateur bands. If you or your amateur radio club are planning to work with a local Girlguiding group for World Thinking Day on the Air, please get in touch via comms@rsgb.org.uk  so the RSGB can promote your event. 

As part of the RSGB’s ongoing strategy to take amateur radio to new and diverse audiences, it is delighted to advertise a new volunteer role. This is an opportunity for someone to be an advocate for amateur radio within the maker community. The spirit of experimentation, curiosity and learning is common to both groups and the RSGB would like to foster greater crossover between the amateur radio and modern maker communities. This crossover would be centred around hackspace and maker spaces, as well as larger events, but would also encourage individuals from each community to inspire and learn from each other. This role is intended to help take amateur radio to a new audience with an emphasis on how the licence would support other hobbies, rather than the promotion of traditional amateur radio activities. To carry out this role you’ll need to be open to working with different communities, be proactive and organised, and be able to build a team and help it to work to achieve goals. To find full details of the role go to rsgb.org/volunteers and if you’re interested in applying or being part of a wider team, contact RSGB Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX via g0mgx@rsgb.org.uk 

The RSGB is recruiting volunteers for two roles that are fundamental to the delivery of the Society’s Convention. The Convention Chair will be someone who understands the advantages of both online and in-person events. The successful applicant will have an awareness of all aspects of amateur radio and will contribute to shaping the RSGB Conventions of the future to suit the changing amateur radio audience. A second opportunity to be part of the Convention team is as the Society’s Lecture Coordinator. This role is part of both the Convention and Tonight@8 teams and requires someone who is proactive and collaborative. The applicant will need to bring ideas for presentations that educate and inspire radio amateurs to try something new, learn more about interesting topics and expand their knowledge of amateur radio. To find out more about either of these roles and how to apply, go to rsgb.org/volunteers 

Don’t forget that the next event in the popular 145 Alive series will take place on Sunday the 26^th of January 2025. It will run from 12 pm to 3 pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page.

Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place on the 26^th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. The cost of a table is £10. To book, please contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com

On the 9^th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society Radioactive Rally will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk

The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23^rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk

On the 1^st of March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will be held at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk

Now the Special Event news

The South African Radio League, or SARL, is enjoying its 100^th anniversary in 2025. To celebrate the occasion, the SARL Centenary Marathon QSO Party began at 0000UTC on the 1^st of January and will run until 2359UTC on the 31^st of December 2025. Throughout the year, the League, with the aid of its members and associated clubs, will be on the air using special event callsign ZS100SARL, as well as the permanent callsigns ZS6SRL and ZS9HQ. For details of several awards that will be available, and for more information, go to tinyurl.com/SARL25

The Deutsches Museum in Munich, one of the largest science and technology museums in the world, celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2025. Special callsign DL100DM will be active throughout the year from the amateur radio station which is part of the Museum's permanent electronics exhibition. QSL via DL8FA. More information is available at QRZ.com

Now the DX news

Thierry, TK1CX is active in Cameroon until February 2025. In his spare time, he is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. He operates mainly using FT8 with a solar power supply. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via EA5ZD.

Don, KW7R is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. He is there on a work assignment until September 2025 and, in his spare time, he operates CW and FT8 on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.

 

Now the contest news

Today, the 12^th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m Data modes Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 14^th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also, on Tuesday the 14^th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 16^th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Saturday the 18^th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m SSB Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 9^th of January 2025.

First, let’s take a look at last week’s solar activity. As predicted, the solar flux index declined to the 160s. We had one X-class solar flare on the 4^th and there have been 11 M-class flares since then. The net result was that the ionosphere was unsettled from the 4^th to the 6^th of January with the Kp index hitting 5 on the 4^th. Following this, the Kp index was at 4 on the 5^th and 6^th of January.

There were reports of visible aurora over the UK on Saturday the 4^th, but it was nothing like the record-breaking aurora in April 2024.

There were coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, over this period but they were mainly facing away from Earth. Maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs for short, held up over this period, although the shorter days meant that the MUF over a 3,000km path didn’t stay above 28MHz for long after sunset. MUFs plummeted to below 10MHz by 1800UTC on Sunday the 5^th.

The message is clear – get your high-band DXing done by sunset!

Next week it looks like the Sun is going into hibernation. The main sunspots will be disappearing over the western limb, leaving it looking a little bare. As a result, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain low until the 16^th when it is predicted to climb into the 200s once again.

Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast from the 16^th to the 20^th of January with a predicted maximum Kp index of 4. There are currently no coronal holes to worry about.

So, in conclusion, this weekend ending the 12^th looks set to be reasonable for HF operating, barring any X-class solar flares and accompanying CMEs. We predict that MUFs over 3,000km will be above 28MHz from around 0900UTC to 1500 UTC.

 

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

We are in the middle of a proper winter cold spell at the moment, and we are about to see a large high coming over the country.

This high is building in cold air and it means sharp frosts and perhaps some fog, so there’s a chance of patchy tropo at times. Conditions may further improve as the high slips south after this weekend ending today the 12^th. This may allow milder, moister Atlantic air in from the west to improve the refractive index contrast across the inversion, which could lead to tropo.

The solar conditions have remained interesting and produced a few aurora alerts, so we can probably benefit from watching the Kp index during the coming week. 

Meteor activity has passed its early January peaks, and we are now sliding back into random meteor activity as our best option. These tend to be better just before dawn. There is just one minor shower this week. The Gamma Ursae-Minorids are active from the 10^th to the 22^nd of January and peak on the 18^th.

We have mentioned Sporadic-E quite a lot recently but, with the passing of the meteor activity, the chances of it occurring have reduced considerably. Although limited activity may enhance the lower bands, it probably won’t feature in the usual high HF and VHF bands.

The Moon reaches maximum declination this weekend, ending today the 12^th. Moon windows are long and peak Moon elevations are high. Path losses are also high and increasing all week. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.

And that’s all from the propagation team.