RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 19th November 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 19^th of November 2023

The news headlines:

• World Radio Conference WRC-23
• VHF Contest Committee survey
• “Taking Amateur Radio into schools” RSGB presentation released

 

World Radio Conference WRC-23 opens on Monday the 20^th of November. Over the coming four weeks, a wide variety of agenda items will be considered, of which the 23cm band is a high-priority item for amateur radio. IARU volunteers have worked hard over the past four years in preparation for this. The RSGB will be attending as part of the Ofcom UK delegation. The RSGB’s social media and special focus page at rsgb.org/wrc-23 will feature regular postings whilst the conference is underway. 

Following a really productive contest forum at the RSGB Convention, and a number of suggestions generated by the committee or raised in discussions with contesters, the VHF Contest Committee would like feedback to help finalise the VHF Contest rules for next year. The survey doesn’t have many questions so it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes of your time to fill it out, but the committee would really appreciate your views. Of course, there is also an opportunity for you to give feedback outside of those specific questions. You’ll find the survey at tinyurl.com/VHFCC and it will remain open until the end of the month.

As part of its commitment to outreach and the growth of amateur radio, the RSGB has released a presentation from its 2023 Convention, called “Taking amateur radio into schools”. Lyall Smith GM4XID, Chris Leviston M0KPW, and Simon Harris G4WQG, share their experiences of inspiring school pupils to explore and have fun with amateur radio. Lyall set up an amateur radio club in his school whilst Chris started an afterschool club at his daughter’s primary school. Simon, with the help of friends at his amateur radio club, created links with his son’s technical college that have snowballed to other schools in the area. The presentation shows how individual radio amateurs and clubs can make positive and productive links with schools and will give you tips and encouragement for getting involved with your local schools.

The Bath Based Distance Learning team has helped over a thousand students to pass UK amateur radio exams with pass rates consistently above the national average. The next Intermediate course will run from January to May 2024. Students will receive weekly work packages via a virtual classroom. There will be no charge for the training, but students will need to provide their own textbook, scientific calculator, electronic parts and tool kit. Students will also have to arrange their own exam at the end of the course, but advice will be provided at the appropriate time. As part of the application process, there will be some pre-course work to ensure students are able to use the online learning systems and to be sure they are ready to study in January. To receive course application details, please email Bath Based Distance Learning Team Leader Steve, G0FUW, via g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk

The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. There will be reduced hours on New Year’s Eve when the Centre will be closing at 2 pm. Following the seasonal closures, the RSGB National Radio Centre will also be closed for essential maintenance works between the 2^nd and 5^th of January 2024. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual. Remember that RSGB Members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park from the RSGB website rsgb.org/bpvoucher

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

 

And now for details of rallies and events

The Coulsdon Amateur Transmitting Society Bazaar is taking place today, Sunday the 19^th of November. The venue is Oasis Academy, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, CR5 1ES. Doors are open to the public from 10am to 2pm and the entrance fee is £3. Traders, bring and buy, club tables and car parking are available. Please forward general enquiries to bazaar@catsradio.org.uk

The Wiltshire Winter Radio Rally will take place on Saturday the 25^th of November from 9am to 1pm. The venue is Kington Langley Village Hall and Playing Field, Kington Langley, Wiltshire, SN15 5NJ. Entry costs £3. There is no charge for under 16s. For further information please contact chairman@chippenhamradio.club

Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 3^rd of December. The event will be held at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. The doors open at 10.30am for visitors, with disabled access from 10 am. For more information, contact bdingle@hotmail.co.uk

 

Now the Special Event News

Radio Club de Nice is active as TM8AB to commemorate the anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur two-way contact between Leon Deloy, 8AB and Fred Schnell, 1MO in November 1923. Listen for activity on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB, CW, FT8 and SSTV until the 10^th of December. QSL via F4KJQ.

Special callsign LX90RTL is in use to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of Radio Luxembourg’s first long-wave broadcast. It will be used by various LX operators until the end of the year. Look for activity on the HF bands using SSB, CW, digital modes, and satellite. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the DARC bureau. The logs will be uploaded to Club Log, Logbook of the World and eQSL on a regular basis. See QRZ.com for more information.

 

Now the DX news

Pierre, VK3KTB and Alexey, VE1RUS are active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, NA-008, until the 22^nd of November. QSL via OQRS.

Maurizio, IK2GZU is active again from Tanzania as 5H3MB until the 8^th of December. He is operating using SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL or via IK2GZU.

 

Now the contest news

On Tuesday the 21^st of November, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 23^rd of November, the Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest runs from 0000UTC on Saturday the 25^th of November to 2359UTC on Sunday the 26^th of November. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK is in zone 14.

 

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 16^th of November 2023

We had another roller-coaster week with periods of reasonably settled geomagnetic conditions followed by more unsettled times. Luckily, it didn’t get too bad, as it did when the Kp index hit seven the week before.

This, coupled with a lower solar flux index of 119 on Thursday, has meant HF conditions have not been outstanding. However, we are still buoyed by the seasonal HF conditions, which are generally good in Autumn.

Propquest shows that the F2-layer critical frequency is still maxing out at more than 12MHz around noon. The F2-layer critical frequency is the highest at which radio waves are returned back to Earth when sent directly up into the ionosphere.

This gives us a maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path of more than 40MHz. Interestingly, it also gives us an MUF over a 500km path of more than 14.7MHz. So, look out for long-distance inter-G signals around noon, or thereabouts, on the 20m band. The 30m band remains a pretty solid inter-G band from late morning to mid-afternoon.

Getting back to the geomagnetic conditions, the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field or IMF has been pointing south for long periods which is why the Kp index has been higher than normal. This means the IMF more easily couples to the Earth’s magnetic field, just like two bar magnets aligned north against south.

Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will rise again, perhaps reaching 140 by the end of the week. However, it also forecasts unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 22^nd  to the 25^th, with a forecast Kp index of up to 5. So, get your HF DXing in early next week!

 

And now the VHF and up propagation news

The seemingly never-ending period of unsettled weather is likely to continue into the coming week.

This means another week with only a limited chance of Tropo for most parts of the country. As something of a longshot, it's worth noting that southern parts of England, especially along the Channel coast, may have access to higher pressure over Biscay after the middle of next week for chance Tropo paths south into western France or northern Spain.

For the rest of us, the weather pattern is rather changeable with a tendency for north-westerly winds. At this time of year, this can often mean that showers form over the surrounding seas. Rain scatter options could be worth checking for stations around the Irish and North Sea coasts.

Meteor scatter is also worth considering, in view of the peak of the Leonids, on Friday the 17^th and Saturday the 18^th, at the beginning of this first weekend. It's quite a broad period of activity and, with the minor Moncerotids shower peaking on the 22^nd, conditions could still be good throughout the new week.

Lastly a thought about the chances of aurora and the busy solar activity: it's worth keeping a check on the planetary Kp index for signs of aurora – look for a Kp above six.

For EME operators, Moon declination starts at a minimum but rises all week, going positive again late on Wednesday. Losses are at their lowest with Moon perigee on Tuesday the 21^st. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. Perigee is when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth.

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