RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 13th October 2024

GB2RS News

Sunday the 13^th of October

The news headlines:

• The RSGB 2024 Convention is taking place this weekend
• Two new volunteer Youth Champions have been appointed by the RSGB
• Celebrations are underway to mark the first trans-global two-way radio communication

The RSGB Convention has been in full swing this weekend. If you haven’t been able to attend, the RSGB has provided a packed live stream on each day and those live streams are available for anyone to view. Full of presentations, interviews and videos to inspire you, this is another way to enjoy your Convention, in your way. Either go directly to the RSGB YouTube channel or head over to rsgb.org/livestream to see the programme of presentations and the links to the livestreams.

The RSGB is delighted to announce the appointment of two new volunteer Youth Champion roles. Chris Aitken, MM0WIC will be the RSGB’s School Youth Champion and Rhys Williams, M0WGY/AJ6XD will be the University Youth Champion. Chris is a Computing Science teacher at Wick High School, Caithness. Since 2023, Chris has been running the Wick High School Radio Club, GM0WHS, providing students with a wide range of experiences in amateur radio. He has four students who have passed their Foundation licence exam and are now taking on leadership roles within the club and assisting the latest cohort in their studies. He is also a member of the RSGB Outreach Team. You can contact Chris via youthchampion.school@rsgb.org.uk  Rhys represented the RSGB at the Youngsters on the Air Camp in Prague this year. He sent back daily reports on his activities which you can still see on the website under the summer camps tab at rsgb.org/yota  He is starting a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Oxford and is keen to help the RSGB support the growth of amateur radio in universities across the UK. You can contact Rhys via youthchampion.uni@rsgb.org.uk  Ben Lloyd, GW4BML is the Board Liaison for youth activities. He said that he welcomes Chris and Rhys to their new youth volunteer roles and looks forward to working closely with them in the future to attract and grow RSGB youth membership. He explained that the three of them have already had some positive conversations and shared some good ideas, which they will be putting into place over the coming months.

This week marks the centenary of the world’s very first trans-global two-way radio communication. On the 18^th of October 1924 Frank Bell, 4AA, from New Zealand, and Cecil Goyder, 2SZ, from North London, changed how we communicate forever by making contact on amateur bands. To commemorate this historic contact, special callsigns will be active, and awards and QSL cards will be available for those who make contact with these special stations. GB2NZ and ZM100DX have already been active since the start of the month. Starting tomorrow, until the 20^th of October, calls reflecting Goyder’s callsign, G2SZ, and Bell’s, ZL4AA, will be active. This will include activity here in the UK from Mill Hill School in North London which is the original location from which Goyder made his contact. On Friday the 18^th of October, radio amateurs will also be recreating and re-enacting the first contact between Goyder and Bell. It is hoped that the QSO will be made on a wavelength close to that used in 1924. To find out more about this unique celebration go to gb2nz.com

YOTA Month is just around the corner, and the RSGB is looking for volunteers to host the GB24YOTA callsign throughout the month of December. As in previous years, schools, clubs, guide and scout groups and also individuals are invited to host young radio amateurs whilst they operate with the callsign. Each day during the month has been split into a number of operating slots that you can book. In recent years, this system has allowed many more youngsters to get on the radio throughout the month. You can see the operating calendar by visiting QRZ.com and searching for GB24YOTA. Operators should be below the age of 26. Those who do not hold a Full amateur radio licence should be supervised by an appropriate Full licensee whilst operating. The RSGB is pleased that previous activators have already reached out to book their operating slots but there are still many more up for grabs! To book an operating slot or for more information about YOTA Month, please email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk

During last month’s Hamfest in Newark, the ICQ Podcast team spoke with RSGB President John McCullagh GI4BWM, RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant G3YSX and RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas M1ACB. Listen to Episode 440 of the podcast series to hear them discuss some of the many events that the Society is currently involved with. This includes the recent Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contact, which Girlguiding and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh took part in, as well as the RSGB Convention. The second part of the interview, which features the Chair of the RSGB’s Propagation Studies Committee, Steve Nichols, G0KYA will be aired during upcoming Episode 441. Visit icqpodcast.com to listen to episode 440 now.

The RSGB has been delighted with the number of responses that it has received in response to its call for Jamboree on the Air participation, which is taking place between the 18^th and 20^th of October. The Society has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. The list is available by going to rsgb.org/jota and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air’ link on the right hand side of the page. If you are planning to get involved with JOTA and would like to be added to the list, please get in touch via comms@rsgb.org.uk with a summary of your station name, callsign and any other relevant information. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag @theRSGB and also use #JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. If you’re not involved with a JOTA station do listen out for them on the air and encourage the young operators.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Dartmoor Autumn Radio Rally is taking place today, the 13^th. The venue is Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton in Devon. The usual bring-and-buy area, trader stands, refreshments and free parking are available. The doors are open from 10 am and admission costs £2.50. For more information visit dartmoorradioclub.uk or email 2e0rph@gmail.com

Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally is also taking place today, the 13^th, at Driffield Showground in East Yorkshire. The doors are open from 10 am. For more details visit hornseaarc.com or contact Les, 2E0LBJ on 01377 252 293.

The Mexborough and District Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place on Saturday the 19^th of October at The Place, Castle Street, Conisborough, Doncaster. The doors will be open from 10 am to 4pm but traders can gain entry from 8am. Light refreshments will be available and the rally will feature a bring-and-buy sale. The cost for booking a table is £5. To book please email madarsrally@gmail.com 

The date has been confirmed for the Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. It will be going ahead on Saturday the 9^th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. The programme is now confirmed and, at the moment, 35 people have booked to attend the event. There are 15 places left so please book as soon as possible. Booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com 

Now the Special Event news

Celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the formation of Radio Beograd in 1924, members of the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club, YU1ANO, in Serbia, are active as YT100RB and YU1924RB until the 30^th of November. For details of a certificate that is available for contacting these stations, see yu1ano.org

Special callsign HB50VC is active until the 31^st of December to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Swissair Amateur Radio Club, HB9VC. QSOs will be uploaded to the Logbook of the World. QSL cards will not be provided. You can download a certificate for working this special event station from tinyurl.com/HB50VC-24
Now the DX news

The PX0FF Dxpedition team is active from Fernando de Noronha, SA-003, until the 21^st of October. The team is working on the 160 to 6m bands, including the 60m Band, using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via DJ4MX, ClubLog, OQRS and Logbook of the World.

A team of amateurs will be active as C91BV from Mozambique from the 17^th to the 24^th of October. Operators will be working on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via EB7DX. For more information about the DXpedition, see QRZ.com

Now the contest news

On Tuesday the 15^th, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 16^th, 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.

On Thursday the 17^th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Worked All Germany Contest starts at 1500 UTC on Saturday the 19^th and ends at 1500 UTC on Sunday the 20^th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Sunday the 20^th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 9^th of October 2024

What a difference a week makes when it comes to HF propagation!

This last week has been characterised by solar flares, coronal mass ejections, or CMEs for short, and an elevated Kp index. Put together, this has resulted in dire conditions on HF, reminiscent of a solar minimum.

A visible aurora was seen from the UK once again after the Kp index hit 7.33 on the 8^th of October.

Numerous CMEs have hit the Earth and the solar proton flux has risen, resulting in a moderate S2 radiation storm as particles blasted away from the flare site.

This means poor trans-polar paths until the solar wind abates and the storm settles.

Maximum usable frequencies have been badly affected and struggled to get much past 14MHz over a 3,000km path on the 8^th of October. Geomagnetic storms were also forecast for Thursday the 10^th and Friday the 11^th.

That’s a shame as, before the CMEs hit, HF had been humming with a lot of DX on the 28MHz band and many five-watt beacons romping in from the USA.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may drop back into the 170s, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how geomagnetic conditions will pan out.

We have had three X-class solar flares over the past week and on Wednesday the 9^th the probability of another X-class solar flare was estimated at 30% and an M-class event at 75%. So, it may be a case of ‘batten down the hatches’ on HF until the storm conditions pass.

This is not uncommon at this point in the solar cycle and unsettled conditions are likely to continue as we move along the downward portion towards the solar minimum.

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

The current spell of unsettled weather is probably going to flip into high-pressure mode a couple of times during the coming week. The first of these will be today, the 13^th, and through the first half of next week.

However, by Wednesday the next change back to low pressure should be with us, closely followed by another attempt to build high pressure later in the week. 

This offers something for everyone with prospects for rain scatter on the GHz bands and the possibility of Tropo.

The prospects for meteor scatter are also good with October offering several useful meteor showers.

While 50 and 70MHz are the best for the mode, look at 144.360MHz in MSK144 digimode. Or, if it’s a shower peak, 144.200MHz, the SSB meteor scatter calling channel, to see what’s around.

The solar conditions continue to behave like a solar maximum and, with several recent powerful flares and CMEs to stir things up, we should continue to check the bands for signs of aurora. 

The recent RSGB CW 80m Autumn Series Contest on Monday the 7^th of October was about as auroral as it gets with a strong flutter on signals and a challenging hour and a half for participants – so not just an effect for VHF. 

The RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest coming up next week on Tuesday the 15^th may be on the changeover from high pressure to low. Tropo might be limited to eastern areas for paths across the North Sea to northern Europe.

For EME operators, Moon declination is still negative but will rise to positive by Tuesday night. Path losses are falling towards a minimum at perigee on Thursday the 17^th.

So, we have increasing peak Moon elevations and longer Moon windows with the lowest loss for the coming week. 144MHz sky noise is low for the rest of the week.

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