RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 22nd September 2024

GB2RS News

Sunday the 22^nd of September

The news headlines:

• The RSGB Convention is just three weeks away
• The RSGB has announced that routine bookings for paper exams will cease
• Take advantage of group activity opportunities at the RSGB National Radio Centre

The RSGB Convention is just three weeks away and there is a fantastic programme planned. Whatever your amateur radio interests or experience there will be something for you. In addition to the presentations, you could take part in a workshop to learn more about microcontroller programming – spaces are limited so make sure you book soon if you want to be part of that event. There will also be an EMF and EMC Clinic, contest forums and a chance to find out more about a wide range of amateur radio special interest groups. The social side of the Convention is important too, whether you’re catching up with friends over coffee or enjoying the Gala Dinner on Saturday evening. Day or weekend tickets for the Convention are still cheaper if you buy in advance rather than on the door, and the deadline for advance tickets is Monday the 7^th of October. To find out more about the programme, the speakers and to book your tickets, go to the RSGB Convention web pages at rsgb.org/convention

The RSGB has announced that from the 29^th of November it will stop taking routine bookings for paper exams. Currently 97% of amateur radio licence examinations are taken online using the TestReach platform, either at home under remote supervision or in a club setting. Following the implementation of Syllabus v1.6 on the 1^st of September 2024, the new examination question bank will only be maintained online. Generating paper exams will involve significant additional work for the RSGB Examinations Department, with the associated costs. You will be able to apply for a paper exam on the grounds of special educational needs in the same way that you can currently request special requirements such as extra time or a reader. To do that you need to email the Exams Department via exams@rsgb.org.uk  To read the full details of the changes, including the three important dates you need to know, please go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org  and search for ‘Exam Announcements’.

Do you work with young people at a school, or perhaps with a youth group such as the Scouts, Guides or Cadets? Are you looking for an activity that provides hands-on learning opportunities for them? The RSGB National Radio Centre currently has availability for two private evening visits in December as part of the Society’s activities for Youngsters on the Air month, or YOTA month as it is often called. Sessions typically last two hours and include an introduction to amateur radio, before the youngsters are split into smaller groups to complete a variety of activities. These can include Morse code, VHF communication using handhelds, shortwave radio communication and satellite communication. The group size is limited to a maximum of 12, and there must be one adult accompanying every four students. If you’d like to find out more about this unique learning opportunity, email the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk

The next Bletchley Park 1940s weekend is taking place at the moment. If you are visiting for the event, make sure you drop into the RSGB National Radio Centre where you’ll be able to see a number of World War Two receivers on display. Don’t forget that RSGB members can get free entry to Bletchley Park, which also includes admission to the RSGB National Radio Centre. You can access this fantastic offer by logging into the RSGB membership portal via rsgb.org/members  and selecting ‘Visit Bletchley Park’.

Don’t forget that National Hamfest 2024 is coming up on the 27^th and 28^th of September and promises to be an unforgettable celebration of all things amateur radio. As always, the traders and manufacturers are lining up to bring you the best in amateur radio equipment and accessories. Many exhibitors will be offering exclusive deals, making it the perfect time to upgrade your gear or add new items to your shack. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit nationalhamfest.org.uk 

Railways on the Air weekend usually takes place on the weekend closest to the 27^th of September. This date celebrates the anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger railway journey which took place on the 27^th of September 1825. The first passenger train ran on a line in the North East of England from Darlington to Stockton. Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club coordinates the event and this year it will take place over the weekend of the 28^th and 29^th of September. For more information visit rota.barac.org.uk

The next event in the popular 145 Alive series takes place on Sunday the 29^th of September. The event will run from 1 pm to 4 pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. The organisers are looking for more net controllers. For more information contact Mark Savage, M0XIC via the 145 Alive Facebook page.

On Monday the 7^th of October the RSGB’s Tonight@8 live webinar will be with Ian White, GM3SEK who will give a presentation entitled ‘Aircraft Scatter, the Hitch-Hikers Guide’. Aircraft scatter is about bouncing VHF and UHF radio signals off high-flying aircraft – effectively ‘hitching a ride’ with someone else’s plane to extend your everyday working range up to 800km. For example, if you are one of the hundreds who get involved in the monthly UK Activity Contests on the 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands, you will already be using aircraft scatter routinely and it will be responsible for some of your best QSOs. So how does aircraft scatter work? And if it’s so useful, why haven’t we heard more about it? Join the webinar live at 8pm on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about this and other webinars on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/webinars

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

Weston super Mare Radio Society Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, the 22^nd. The venue is The Campus Community Centre, Worle, Weston super Mare, BS24 7DX. For further information and to book a table email westonradiosociety@gmail.com

On Saturday the 5^th of October Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is holding a surplus equipment sale in aid of club funds. The venue will be Cwmduad Community Centre, Cwmduad, Carmarthenshire, SA33 6XN. The doors are open for traders from 8am, and for visitors from 10 am. Disabled access will be available from 9.30 am. The entrance fee for visitors will be £2. For more information, or to book a table, email G0JLX@mail.com

The 49^th Welsh Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 6^th of October at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, NP18 2YE. Traders can gain access from 7am and the doors will be open for visitors from 9.30am. The entrance fee is £3 per person and free parking will be available. For more information email Mike Rackham, GW4JKV via welshradiorally@gmail.com or phone 07976 368 250.

Now the Special Event news

Today, the 22^nd, Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club is active with the callsign GI5LOW from Blacks Farm in Tandragee to celebrate the G-QRP Club’s 50^th anniversary. The callsign will be active from around 9am and the station is operating using all modes on the HF bands and FM on the 2m and 70cm bands. Also, from 2pm, Philip, MI0MSO will be giving a talk on, and practical demonstration of, programming a LoRa board as a tracking unit on 433MHz.

During the annual Railways on the Air weekend on the 28^th and 29^th of September the British Railways Amateur Radio Society will be operating using the callsign GB1FRT on behalf of the Furness Railway Trust in Preston. Activity will be on the 40m band using SSB. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the station visit brars.info  and QRZ.com

Now the DX news

Today, the 22^nd, is the last chance to work Harald, DF2WO who is active as XT2AW from Burkina Faso. He is QRV on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB and FT4. You might also be able to catch him via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and Logbook of the World.

Listen out for members of Guisborough and District Amateur Radio Club who are active from the Isle of Lewis using their Club callsign MS0NYM. The station will be active from today, the 22^nd, to Saturday the 28^th of September. Operators will be available on a variety of bands using CW, FT8 and phone.

Now the contest news

Today, the 22^nd, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 24^th, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 25^th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

On Thursday the 26^th, the 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.

The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28^th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 29^th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.

On Sunday the 29^th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

 Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 19^th of September 2024

It was a topsy-turvy time for HF propagation last week with a declining solar flux index and geomagnetic disturbances thanks to coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, from the Sun.

The solar flux index declined to the mid-160s, and the Kp index had a couple of excursions to more than 7. These were due to CMEs and the second, which occurred on Tuesday the 17^th, was associated with the X4.5 solar flare on Saturday the 14^th.

Luckily, it was 0300UTC when the CME hit the Earth, so only die-hard UK DXers were affected. With a G4 geomagnetic storm raging, the maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path fell to less than 6MHz, but did manage to recover to 8.45MHz by dawn.

The rest of Tuesday was subdued with the maximum useable frequency never really getting above 21MHz. This is why the advice is often to avoid DXing when the Kp index climbs high, as the upper HF bands will likely be closed.

By comparison, on Thursday the 19^th the Kp index was 2.67 and the maximum useable frequency over 3,000km was above 28MHz again.

NOAA puts the risk of another X-class flare at 10%, and an M-class event at 55%. So, we are not out of the woods yet.

Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre says the solar flux index may decline slightly but could then rise to be in the 232 to 240 range. Geomagnetic storming is predicted for the 26^th to the 29^th, when the Kp index could rise to 5.

Meanwhile, autumnal HF conditions should soon be kicking in with better propagation to North America. If the solar flux stays high, we can expect excellent 28MHz propagation, perhaps to the mid-west and Pacific states.

North-South HF paths, such as the UK to South Africa and South America, should also be good around the equinox period.

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

The last week of Tropo gave us good conditions across the North Sea and up and down the country on the VHF and UHF bands. 

It is very likely that there will be a big change of weather type over this weekend, ending today the 22^nd, to a much more unsettled pattern with low pressure dominating during the coming week.

In fact, there will be a sequence of lows, fronts and showery interludes to set the template for next week. This means that rain scatter is a good candidate for propagation on the GHz bands, which could be useful on the evening of Tuesday the 24^th during the SHF UK Activity Contest. Meanwhile, tropo takes a back seat for a while.

The solar activity continues to be of interest and, again, the message is to monitor the Kp index to keep one step ahead of events in case any aurora spring up.

Meteor scatter is mainly down to random activity, although the daytime Sextantids peaks on Friday the 27^th of September, but with a low zenith hourly rate of 5.

For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching +29 degrees next Tuesday, so Moon visibility windows will continue to lengthen. Path losses are increasing as we passed perigee last week. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, dropping back to low next Thursday.

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