RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 1st of December 2024

GB2RS News

Sunday the 1^st of December

The news headlines:

• Join the final 2024 RSGB Tonight@8 live webinar
• Update on the RSGB strategic priority of spectrum and licensing
• RSGB HF Contest Committee announces changes to contests in 2025

The final RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2024 is being broadcast tomorrow, Monday the 2^nd of December. Join Tim Hier, G5TM for a talk on the various HF antennas available for portable operating. He’ll also discuss how to use very basic modelling software to ascertain the choices you have at your disposal. Tim will look at topics ranging from balancing the convenience of multi-band systems with some trade-off in performance to looking at using 40 metres portable. He’ll also look at how to power your station and the advantages of operating HF portable. Tim is the RSGB RadCom Basics Editor so he will also highlight content in that publication that viewers will find helpful. Watch the webinar live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars

The RSGB has taken the next steps to support its strategic focus on spectrum and licensing. The Society is now formally engaged in work for the 2027 and 2031 ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences. The RSGB has introduced a new special focus page on WRC-27 and WRC-31 which you can find via rsgb.org/wrc-27 This page includes topics such as 6G telecoms and satellites, wireless power, space weather, and lunar communications. Supporting a new WRC-31 opportunity, the RSGB is also grateful to Chris Whitmarsh, G0FDZ and Roger Ray, G8CUB for a great overview of amateur innovation above 275GHz. You can read this on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/terahertz

The RSGB HF Contest Committee has announced some changes to its HF contests for 2025. These cover the FT4 Series, the 1.8MHz Contests, the Commonwealth Contest, Field Day registration and also self-spotting. For full details go to rsgbcc.org/hf

Youngsters on the Air Month begins today and Marlborough Scout Group will be the first team of youngsters to operate. They are on the air up until midday today, and then again after 6 pm. Also operating today is the Cambridge University Wireless Society, which is hosting the callsign GB24YOTA between 12 pm and 6 pm. Listen out for the group again on Friday the 6^th and Saturday the 7^th of December. Other operators this week include Wick High School Radio Club on Monday, the RSGB National Radio Centre’s GB3RS station on Tuesday, Sandringham School on Wednesday and Thurso Scouts on Friday. Go to QRZ.com and search for GB24YOTA to view the full schedule and operating times. If you’d like to host the callsign, you’ve still got time. Visit rsgb.org/yota-month to find out more and then email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest. 

Don’t forget that if you want to take an exam online at home, the last date you can do that this year is Friday the 20^th of December. Exams will resume on Monday the 6^th of January 2025 and the booking system will be available over the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. Book online on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/exampay

The next in the series of 145 Alive events is taking place on Sunday the 26^th of January 2025. The organisers are looking for volunteer Net Controllers to help cover as many Maidenhead squares in the UK as possible. Whether you’ve been a Net Controller before or not, the team would love to hear from you. Find out more about the events by visiting the 145 Alive Facebook Group. To volunteer, send your intended individual, group or club callsign and your intended location and Maidenhead Square to masenville@gmail.com

The weekly shortwave broadcast from the Deutsche Amateur Radio Club, or D.A.R.C as it is also known, will be aired from Woofferton in England for the first time in January 2025. The broadcast will be made from an existing BBC broadcasting complex that is operated by the subsidiary company Encompass Media, where there are a total of ten transmitters and just as many antennas. The station in Austria that is currently used by the Club is ceasing its shortwave operations at the end of December this year. Thanks to successful negotiations, the first programme will be broadcast from Woofferton on Sunday the 5^th of January 2025 on the previously used frequency of 9670kHz. Full details of how to access Radio D.A.R.C are on the Club’s website via darc.de

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 Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 1^st of December, at Kington Langley Village Hall in Kington Langley, located just off Junction 17 of the M4. Doors open at 9 am and close at 1 pm. Admission is £3. Indoor tables are £10. Car boot pitches are £10 for a car-size pitch and £15 for a van-size pitch. Hot and cold refreshments will be available on-site. For more information email Chairman@Chippenhamradio.club

The Mid-Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair is on Sunday the 8^th of December at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. Doors are open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry is £3 per person and there is no charge for partners and under 16s. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available, as well as hot food and refreshments. The cost for traders is £5 per 6ft frontage with tables supplied. Booking in advance is recommended. Mains electricity is also available on request. Traders are asked to pre-book as soon as possible. Please contact Phil, G6DLJ via 07990 563147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com

The Sparkford Radio Rally is on Sunday the 29^th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil. Doors are open to traders from 7.30 am and from 9.30 am to the general public. Admission is £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available. For more information, please contact Luke via 07870 168197 or email m3vhv@hotmail.co.uk

Now the Special Event news

Ian Astley, M0IAA will be operating as GB1WH on Wednesday the 11^th of December. The special event station is being run to support and promote the excellent work done by Wakefield Hospice. To donate to the hospice or to hear more from Ian, visit QRZ.com

The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club will once again be running the special callsign GB0MC between the 1^st and 26^th of December. The ‘MC’ in the callsign stands for Merry Christmas. The Club would like to invite everyone to call in and give them a hearty “HoHoHo” and tell them what radio equipment you would like from Santa this year. The Club will also be live streaming on its YouTube Channel.

OR100LGE is the special callsign in use by members of the Liege Radio Club, ON5VL to celebrate its 100^th anniversary. The station is active until the end of the year on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via ON6YH. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log.

Now the DX news

The 9L5A team, part of the F6KOP Club, is active from Sierra Leone until the 8^th of December. The members will operate on the 160 to 6m bands and QO-100. QSL via F5GSJ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.

The A35GC Team is currently active from Tonga until Friday the 6^th of December. The IOTA reference is OC-049. The members will operate on the 160 to 6m bands, using CW, SSB, FT4, FT8 and RTTY. QSL via LZ1GC, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.

The TO9W Team is active again from Saint Martin Island until the 13^th of December. The IOTA reference is NA-105. The members will operate on the 160 to 10m bands, with a focus on the 40, 80 and 160m bands. QSL via W9ILY, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.

Now the contest news

The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon started at 0000UTC today and ends at 2359UTC on Friday the 31^st of January 2025. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator.

On Tuesday, the 3^rd of December, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday, the 3^rd of December, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 4^th of December, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator.

Also on Wednesday, the 4^th of December, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

The ARRL 160m Contest starts at 2200UTC on Friday the 6^th of December and ends at 1600UTC on Sunday the 7^th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is a signal report for UK stations. US and Canadian stations will also send their ARRL or RAC section numbers.

On Sunday the 8^th of December, the RSGB 144MHz AFS Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 28^th of November 2024.

Last weekend’s CQWW CW contest was a reminder of just how good HF propagation can be near sunspot maximum.

The whole world was workable on the contest bands up to 10 metres, including the Far East, Australasia, the Caribbean and South America. It was a great opportunity to increase your DXCC total and have fun at the same time.

This week’s solar flux index crept back above 200 again, peaking at 225 as this report was being prepared. Geomagnetic conditions have been surprisingly good over the past seven days with a peak Kp index of 3.67 on the 24^th of November.

There have been no X-class solar flares, but there has been a total of 13 M-class and 54 minor C-class flares over the past seven days. There have been coronal mass ejections, notably on the 25^th of November, but they have not been Earth-directed as of the 28^th.

So, to summarise, HF conditions have been pretty good.

We are now entering the Winter period for HF propagation, which tends to favour the low bands. So 160m, 80m and 40m come into their own and night-time DXing becomes the norm. Look for greyline openings to the west at sunrise on 80m and 160m, and also short, but good, openings on 40m in the late afternoon.

Nighttime may bring good DX on 80m and 40m, including the Caribbean and South America.

NOAA predicts that the SFI will remain in the low 200s next week, and while geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be good at first, the Kp index may rise to four on the 4^th to 6^th of December. This could result in reduced MUFs until the Kp index recovers.

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

The unsettled theme continues through most of the next week or two. The only signs of slightly enhanced prospects for Tropo are as we close this week, and even that is restricted to some eastern areas for paths across the North Sea.

A second option may temporarily appear around the middle of the coming week as a weak high crosses southern areas, but this one looks to be a cold high and probably not so good as a vehicle for Tropo.

The meteor scatter prospects are aided by the last throes of the Leonids which fade away by this weekend, and the Orionids which peaked on Thursday the 28^th of November, but last through the coming week.

The unsettled weather should offer some useful GHz bands rain or snow scatter, since there will be several active weather systems around. This early in the winter is a great time for strong shower activity around the still relatively warmer seas.

The auroral prospects are worth checking after recent activity. Look for watery-sounding signals on the LF bands as a good clue along with Kp index values greater than four.

Last week saw some fleeting signs of Sporadic E on the Dourbes ionosonde graphs on propquest.co.uk, especially on Monday the 25^th of November. This occurred typically around the middle of the day and was probably driven by the very strong jet stream and the current meteor activity.

The Moon’s declination is negative, reaching minus 28 degrees on Monday and we are close to eclipse on Sunday. That’s followed by two days of high 144MHz sky noise, so with path losses still high, EME operators should probably take the opportunity to check their antennas after last week’s gale.

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