RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 22nd December 2024

GB2RS News

Sunday the 22^nd of December

The news headlines:

• The RSGB is looking for a new Lecture Coordinator
• YOTA Month draws to a close but is still busy on the air
• The first RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2025 focuses on GB2RS

The RSGB facilitates just over 60 lectures each year in a mixture of in-person, hybrid and remote formats. 50 of these are at the RSGB Convention and 11 are delivered through the livestreamed Tonight@8 webinar programme of events. This set of presentations aims to cover a wide mix of amateur radio-related subjects, across all depths of amateur radio experience and knowledge. They are watched and admired by RSGB members and non-members across the world. The RSGB Lecture Coordinator is part of the Tonight@8 and Convention teams. Its recent Lecture Coordinator Keith Hotchkiss, G0FEA has stepped back to focus on his professional commitments, so the RSGB is looking for someone new for this volunteer role. The right person will be proactive and collaborative, bringing 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. They will lead the invitation and scheduling process for Tonight@8 webinars and contribute to the decisions about Convention presentations. They will also be the main contact with Convention presenters, inviting them to speak, updating the speaker project plan and helping to create a balanced programme. Reporting to the Convention Chair, the Lecture Coordinator would be a member of the RSGB Convention team but would not be required to take responsibility for organising and managing other aspects of the event. If you’re interested in the role or would like to find out more, please contact the RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB via gm.dept@rsgb.org.uk

Youngsters on the Air Month is nearly at a close. It has been filled with some brilliant activity from young people using special callsign GB24YOTA. Thank you to everyone involved, from supervising young amateurs to making contact with them on the air. Before the year ends, we still have some activity using GB24YOTA, so please continue to listen out. Tomorrow, Monday the 23^rd of December, Hilderstone Radio Society will be back on the air as it hosts the callsign for a final time this month. On Sunday the 29^th of December, Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club in Northern Ireland will be operating GB24YOTA, followed by Marlborough Scouts on Monday the 30^th of December. If you have been involved with Youngsters on the Air Month and would like your activity to be in a special RadCom feature, email your photos and a short report to comms@rsgb.org.uk  as soon as possible.

The first RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2025 will be live on Monday the 6^th of January. The presentation is all about the RSGB’s GB2RS News service which will be celebrating its 70^th anniversary next year. A team of people will contribute to the live presentation and will give you a behind-the-scenes insight into how the script is compiled, as well as a newsreader’s perspective of the weekly broadcast. They’ll share details of the plans being put in place for the anniversary and explain how you can get involved. The team will also consider GB2RS in the modern media environment and how new technologies in amateur radio are being embraced. Find out more about this fascinating discussion and the presenters by going to rsgb.org/webinars  Watch the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.

The RSGB will be releasing four new presentations from its 2024 Convention over the festive season. If you’d like to be the first to hear about new releases as soon as they are available, go to youtube.com/theRSGB and subscribe to receive notifications. The RSGB YouTube channel has hundreds of other videos and webinars to enjoy, as well as numerous playlists on amateur radio construction, useful practical skills, technical topics and much more. Let the Society know you enjoy the content by pressing the ‘Like’ button when you watch a video.

Don’t forget that the RSGB’s headquarters will be closed for Christmas and New Year from 2pm on Tuesday the 24^th of December 2024 until 8.30 am on Thursday the 2^nd of January 2025. The RSGB National Radio Centre, or NRC, will also be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, the NRC will close at 2 pm and it will also be closed for essential maintenance works on Thursday the 2^nd of January. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual.

Sweden’s Alexanderson alternator station SAQ has scheduled a transmission to send out a traditional Christmas message to the world. The century-old 200kW transmitter will start up and begin tuning at 0730UTC on Tuesday the 24^th of December using CW on 17.2kHz. Transmission of the Christmas message will take place at 0800UTC. The event will be live-streamed from 0725UTC via the Alexanderson site’s YouTube channel. Further details about the event, including test transmissions and QSL reports, can be found by going to alexander.n.se 

Please note there will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday the 29^th of December 2024, but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Sparkford Radio Rally is taking place 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 public. Admission is £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available. For more information, contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email m3vhv@hotmail.co.uk

Looking ahead to events coming up next year, 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. Doors open at 10 am, and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. The cost for a table is £10. To book, please contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com

Now the Special Event news

In celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the GB2RS News service, special callsign GB70RS will be on the air from the 1^st of January. Listen out for operators on all modes and all bands. QSL via the Bureau, eQSL or Logbook of the World. For more information, please visit the GB70RS page at QRZ.com

Denby Dale Amateur Radio Society will be celebrating the New Year with a series of special event station callsigns all ending in HNY, which stands for Happy New Year. Members will be active on all HF and VHF bands using SSB, CW, FM and data modes. You can find full details of active callsigns on the GB0HNY page at QRZ.com

Several special event stations will be active between the 1^st and the 3^rd of January 2025 to celebrate KW Electronics, a former UK manufacturer of amateur radio equipment. The active callsigns will include: GB4KW, GB8KW, GB0KW, GB1KW, GB5KW, GB2KW and GB6KW. More details are available via QRZ.com

Special callsign GB0IRN will be active in January to celebrate the anniversary of the International Radio Network. The International Radio Network is active on various platforms and its mission is to promote amateur radio to those interested in radio communications. Find out more by visiting irn.radio

Terry, GM3WUX will be using special callsign GB200LB from the 4^th of January until the 31^st of January 2025. The ‘LB’ in the callsign stands for Louis Braille. The station will be operating to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the Braille Code. The 4^th of January is Louis Braille's birthday. Activity will be mainly on CW. QSL via M0OXO. Further details are available via QRZ.com

Now the DX news

A Danish DXpedition is operational as TO0J from French Guiana until the 31^st of December. The group will be active on the 80 to 10m bands using CW, and SSB, but mainly FT8. QSL via Clublog’s OQRS, Logbook of the World or eQSL.

The J75K team is active in Dominica from the 26^th of December 2024 until the 4^th of January 2025. The IOTA reference is NA-101. They will be operating on the 160 to 6m bands using SSB, CW and FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to IV3JVJ.

Brian, GW4DVB will be operating from St Kitts as V4/G4DVB from the 31^st of December 2024 to the 6^th of January 2025. The station will be active using multiple modes on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL directly to Brian. More information is available on QRZ.com

Members of the Rebel DX Group will be active as 5N9DTG from Abuja in Nigeria during January 2025. They will operate on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, FT8 and possibly SSB. QSL via ClubLog’s OQRS.

Now the contest news

The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon started at 0000UTC on Sunday the 1^st of December 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 Thursday the 26^th of December, the DARC Christmas Contest runs from 0830UTC to 1059UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send their DOK number.

On Friday the 27^th of December, the RSGB 50MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Saturday the 28^th of December, the RSGB 70MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The Stew Perry Top Band Challenge starts at 1500UTC on Saturday the 28^th of December and ends at 1500UTC on Sunday the 29^th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is your four-character locator.

On Sunday the 29^th of December, the RSGB 144MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Monday the 30^th of December, the RSGB 432MHz Christmas Contest runs from 1500 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 1^st of January 2025, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1^st, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Wednesday the 1^st of January, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

The ARRL RTTY Roundup Contest starts at 1800UTC on Saturday the 4^th of January and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 5^th of January. Using data modes on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American stations will send their state, and Canadian stations will send their province.

The European CW 160m Party runs from 2000UTC to 2300UTC on Saturday the 4^th of January and from 0400UTC to 0700UTC on Sunday the 5^th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange for club members is signal report, name, club and membership number. For non-members, the exchange is report and name.

On Saturday the 4^th of January 2025, the RSGB 80 and 40m CW Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using CW 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 19^th of December 2024.

The last week was a little more disturbed than usual and we had a Kp index that hit 5.33. An enhanced solar wind stream contributed to active geomagnetic conditions and an interplanetary shockwave, that swept past Earth at 0519UTC on the 17^th of December, caused minor G1 geomagnetic storming.

A far-sided halo coronal mass ejection event also occurred later on the 17^th of December at 1600UTC although this was not directed towards Earth.

This shows that the Sun is still very active, and we should not be surprised if we experience more solar flares and CMEs.

The solar flux index stayed in the 160s and 170s and we should keep an eye on active region 3927, which is currently turning to be Earth-facing and has already been the source of some C-class solar flares.

Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may rise slightly to be in the 180s. The largest Kp index forecast is 2, which probably means that NOAA is unsure about what will actually happen.

We are pleased to report that OF9X is once again on the air from the land of Santa Claus in Lapland. Up to 16 operators will operate Santa Radio on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT4 and FT8. They have already been spotted on the 30 and 20m bands using CW and on the 12 and 17m bands using RTTY. So, there is plenty of scope to work them.

According to the prediction program Proppy, paths to Lapland should be open on 14MHz from 0800UTC to 1800UTC. On 28MHz, expect them to be open from 0930 to 1500UTC. The 80 and 40m bands should be mainly open during the hours of darkness.

As always, across the Christmas period, we recommend that you use solarham.com and propquest.co.uk for real-time updates on solar and ionospheric conditions.

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

Last week ended in a colder unsettled period of weather with strong north-westerly winds and spells of rain or showers.

The air is sufficiently cold that some snow is possible over northern hills. This is potentially good news for rain or snow scatter, especially off fast-moving showers down the coastal fringes of the UK. 

Although the nearest high remains near the Azores to begin with, it slowly migrates east to France and, by Christmas, to central Europe. This will bring high pressure and possibly Tropo onto Santa’s list from Christmas Eve onwards. Look for patches of misty low cloud or fog for the best conditions.

As usual, check for other modes. Meteor scatter and aurora are both worth consideration and this is a prime time for out-of-season Sporadic-E between now and about mid-January. 

One of the helpful aspects of looking for winter Sporadic-E is that quite often the jet streams are significantly stronger than in the more traditional summer Sporadic-E season. Jet streams are a good source of turbulence that can eventually propagate up to the E region to make Sporadic-E propagation.

Jet streams are shown on upper air charts and can be a good geographical guide to Sporadic-E prospects in the summer and should therefore be similarly consulted for these winter events.

In this case, they tell us that the first half of the coming week, up to Christmas Day, is well set up with a northerly jet stream over central Europe and, more importantly, crossing the Alps. So, a second mode goes on to Santa’s list.

Check the VHF Cluster’s Sporadic-E graphs at propquest.co.uk for early signs of activity, particularly for paths to the southeast into Italy and the Balkans.

The Moon started this weekend with positive declination but goes negative late today, the 22^nd. Path losses are at their highest due to apogee on Christmas Eve. 144MHz sky noise is high until Wednesday, including near-eclipse conditions all day on Monday.

That’s it for this year. How about making a New Year’s resolution to try a new mode? Maybe use SSB or CW on VHF now and again and put out lots of CQ calls in 2025!

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