RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 16th February 2025

GB2RS News

Sunday the 16^th of February 2025

The news headlines:

• The RSGB has announced its Scout, Cadet and Girlguiding Youth Champion
• Listen out for stations operating for World Thinking Day on the Air
• New resources and ideas have been added to the RSGB British Science Week web pages

The RSGB is delighted to announce that Samuel McCutchion, M7UEL will be the RSGB's Scout, Cadet and Girlguiding Youth Champion. Sam brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the role having been part of the Scouts from a young age in Beavers and then working his way up to Network. He then progressed to become an Assistant Section Leader. This knowledge will help the RSGB Youth Team to engage and offer amateur radio support to not only the Scouts but also the Cadets and Girlguiding. If you’d like to congratulate Sam on his role, or if you have any ideas you think would be useful to share, email him via youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk 

Lots of amateur radio stations are on the air this weekend and next weekend for World Thinking Day on the Air. Listen out for them and encourage the young Girlguiding members. You can find details of some of the active stations via rsgb.org/thinking-day  but, if your station isn’t listed, please share details on the RSGB social media channels. The event aims to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication.  

Have you visited the RSGB’s British Science Week web pages yet? Two new worksheets have recently been added to inspire you to get involved and showcase amateur radio to new audiences. The activities were designed by the RSGB Outreach Team to fit in with this year’s British Science Week theme of ‘Change and adapt’. If you’d like to deliver these activities to schools or youth groups, the Society has sample lesson plans, risk assessments and a guide to contacting your local school available on its website. Remember that British Science Week isn’t just for younger audiences, it is open to all. If you’re looking for ideas to get your friends and family involved or a local community group, go to rsgb.org/bsw  and visit the British Science Week resources page. There is a wealth of ideas available, from looking at the history of radio communications to building a sustainable system using only solar panels. If you have an activity planned for British Science Week, let the RSGB know by emailing the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  Details of events taking place will be shared on the Society’s website. 

The deadline for the RSGB Construction Competition is Saturday the 1^st of March, which means you have less than two weeks left to submit your entry. The judges will be considering entries in six categories: beginners, construction excellence, innovation, software, antennas and outreach. To find out how to submit your application go to rsgb.org/construction-competition  The results of the competition will be announced during the 2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting on the 12^th of  April. 

If you are passionate about amateur radio and have some spare time to support fellow radio amateurs, why not become an RSGB District Representative? There are currently 12 vacancies across the United Kingdom, including in Belfast, Cambridgeshire and Lancashire. To find out if there is a vacancy in your region go to rsgb.org/volunteers  and then get in touch with the Regional Representative of the district with the vacancy.

Amateur radio operators are reminded to take care when operating on the WRC-15 secondary amateur allocation at 5MHz. The UK still has no access to the full WRC-15 allocation. Despite requests, this seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Whilst the UK is fortunate to have more generous licence conditions, these mustn't be put at risk by irresponsible operating in violation of the licence conditions, particularly in the 5358 to 5362kHz gap where there is no UK allocation. The RSGB website has detailed advice for operators, both for SSB and digital modes, on its rsgb.org/5mhz web page. Please take care not to transmit outside of the UK segments even if you hear other amateurs transmitting. Remember that signals heard may be coming from amateurs in other countries with different allocations.

The RSGB ARDF Committee is pleased to announce the return of the British ARDF Championships in 2025. The Championships will be held as a three-day festival in early April 2025. Entries open on the 1^st of March and will remain open right up until the event itself. Further information and updates can be found at tinyurl.com/ARDF25

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 Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday 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

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

On the 2^nd of March, the Exeter Radio Rally is taking place at a new venue. The event will be held at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE, from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information phone Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk

Now the Special Event news

Daren, 2E0LXY is hosting a special amateur radio event to raise funds for the Sheffield Children's Hospital today, the 16^th. He will be operating on the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands using FT8. He will also be active on the 2m and 70cm bands using FM. DMR users can talk to Daren via Brandmeister talk group 23530. More information, including how to donate, is available via Daren’s QRZ.com page.

Special callsign S5701DX is running during February in memory of Slavko, S57DX who became a Silent Key last February. The station has been heard recently using CW and SSB on the HF bands. For more information visit QRZ.com

From the 1^st to the 28^th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com and rbli.co.uk

Now the DX news

Bob, NC6Q is active as HP1TT from Panama until tomorrow, the 17^th.  He is operating CW and some SSB on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL directly to NC6Q.

Datta, VU2DSI is operating from Lonar Lake in India from the 20^th to the 24^th of February 2025. This unique location was formed by the impact of a meteor around 550,000 years ago. The station will be active on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Claudio, HB9OAU is active as D44OA from Sal Island, AF-086, Cape Verde until Tuesday the 18^th. He is operating using CW and SSB on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.

 Now the contest news

The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15^th and runs until 2359UTC today, Sunday the 16^th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmit power. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

On Tuesday the 18^th, the RGSB 1.3GHz Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 20^th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The CQ 160m DX Contest starts at 22:00 UTC on Friday the 21^st and ends at 22:00 UTC on Sunday the 23^rd of February. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.

The REF Contest starts at 06:00 UTC on Saturday the 22^nd and ends at 18:00 UTC on Sunday the 23^rd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13^th of February 2025

Two large coronal holes on the Sun’s surface have been spraying solar material towards Earth, pushing the Kp index to a high of 4.67.

The solar wind speed has been consistently higher than 500 kilometres per second and, with a south-pointing interplanetary magnetic field, the plasma has flooded into Earth’s magnetic field. There have been a few aurora warnings, but these have only been minor.

As a result, the ionosphere has not been too badly affected and daytime maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path have generally remained above 28MHz, with the odd dip towards 24MHz.

Coronal mass ejections have not made an appearance and there were only three M-class flares between the 9^th and 13^th of February.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index fell to the 150s and 160s last week.

Recent HF DX has included the V73WW DXpedition on the Marshall Islands, which has been worked from the UK, including on the 40, 30 and 20m bands using CW. The TX7N DXpedition to Marquesas Island in French Polynesia has just finished. It wasn’t an easy path, but it was worked from the UK on all bands from 30 to 12m using FT8, CW and SSB.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could rise a little, to be in the 180 to 190 range. Once Earth is free from the effects of the current coronal hole stream, we may expect the Kp index to retreat, perhaps to a maximum of 2.

So, DX next week could be quite reasonable but, as always, keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates.

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

The lingering high pressure just to the east of the UK is holding weather fronts over western Britain for the time being with any tropo benefits confined to eastern areas and being marginal at best. 

During the coming week, changes will be slow but gradually a more determined push on the Atlantic fronts may bring them over most areas, except the extreme southeast of the country.

This will make rain scatter more accessible although the models suggest that the fronts are likely to become weaker. So, they will not be especially useful by the time they reach the southeast. Sporadic-E is in its quiet season now, as are the meteor scatter prospects, with no major showers in attendance until the spring Lyrids in late April.

Perhaps this quieter time is a chance to do some operating housekeeping. For example, you could update a list of nearby repeaters and beacons to help you track developing openings. Or maybe you could consider trying a new mode or band. Perhaps you could learn to use digital modes for meteor scatter. Maybe consider joining the increasing numbers trying CW on the 2m band.

Moon declination went negative again on Saturday the 15^th and path losses are rising as the Moon moves away to apogee, its furthest point from Earth, on Tuesday the 18^th. 144MHz sky noise is low for most of the coming week but goes high for the weekend of Saturday the 22^nd.

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