RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 23rd March 2025

GB2RS News

Sunday the 23^rd of March 2025

The news headlines:

• The RSGB launches its new web app
• RSGB Elected Board Director unopposed candidates are announced
• Full details of the RSGB 2025 AGM have been released

The RSGB is excited to give you a first look at its new app! The web version has just been launched and is a one-stop shop for all RadCom publications and club newsletters. You can find the web version at rsgb.org/radcom It gives RSGB members easy access to over ten years of back issues of RadCom, as well as RadCom Basics and Plus. The Society will be adding more back issues of RadCom from the archive in the coming months, making it even more valuable. All you need is your RSGB membership portal details to access the editions. If you’re not an RSGB member, you can still view a sample edition of RadCom through the web version of the app. If you like what you see, you can become an RSGB member via rsgb.org/join which will give you access to the back issues of RadCom and its sister publications. Watch this space for news of the release of the RSGB mobile app later this year.

For some roles in the RSGB elections, a single nomination was received. These include the two vacancies for Elected Board Directors. Peter Bowyer, G4MJS and Mark Savage, M0XIC will each take up the role of Board Director at the end of the RSGB AGM on the 12^th of April 2025. Both were interviewed separately to enable RSGB members to hear their views on the current issues facing amateur radio and the Society. Their answers were combined into two videos: the first ‘short’ video is just two quick questions, and the second video is a more in-depth interview. You can watch them both on the RSGB website and its YouTube channel. For more information about each of these unopposed candidates, see the April 2025 issue of RadCom or go to rsgb.org/candidates

The RSGB 2025 AGM will take place at 10 am on Saturday the 12^th of April. The event will be held online to ensure that as many members as possible can watch and take part. The formal business of the meeting will include the results of members’ votes on the resolutions and details about the election. The RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM will give a video review of 2024, and the Society will announce the recipients of its annual awards and trophies, as well as the winners of its construction competition. You can ask the Board questions on the day via Zoom or the YouTube live chat, or by submitting a written question in advance. After the main AGM meeting, the RSGB is delighted to have a presentation about the Society’s strategy. Led by Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX, there will also be contributions from Board Director Ben Lloyd, GW4BML; Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB; and Bob Beebe, GU4YOX who will at that point be the new RSGB President. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/agm

Maritime Radio Day 2025 starts at 1200UTC on the 14^th of April and finishes at 2300UTC on the 15^th of April. The annual event takes place to commemorate the almost 100 years of wireless telegraphy service for seafarers, which ended in the UK with the closure of Portishead Radio on the 30^th of April 2000. This event is a great opportunity to have a QSO with former Marine Radio Officers and Coast Station professionals who will be exchanging details of their previous ships and coast stations. The mode of operation is CW with all HF bands being used, including WARC. A certificate of participation will be issued to everyone who submits results. Amateur licence holders are invited to register to take part as Friends of Maritime Radio Day. Shortwave listeners may also submit logs. For more information and to register, go to radioofficers.com/mrd-2025

Amateur Radio Clubs On The Air has launched a new activity for radio amateurs to promote their club, have some fun and collect points for an award. All bands and modes may be used including SSB, CW, FM, RTTY, FT8, FT4 and other digital modes. This is an ongoing award, and contacts may be claimed from the 23^rd of March onwards. You can find full details on the Leicester Radio Society website at g3lrs.org.uk, via the G3LRS page at QRZ.com  or by emailing arcota@g3lrs.org.uk

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 Pencoed and District Amateur Radio Club Rally is on Sunday the 30^th of March at Sarn and Bryncwils Social Club, Bryncoch Road, Sarn near Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Entrance is £2.50. Tables are available at £10 each. Refreshments will be available. Public access to the event is from 10 am, with trader access from 8 am. Please contact Ieuan Jones via 07791 709 691 for further information.

The Dunstable Downs Radio Club will be holding its Annual National Amateur Radio Car Boot Sale at the usual venue, Stockwood Park in Luton, on Sunday the 18^th of May.  Excluding a break for Covid-19, this is the 40^th consecutive year that the event has been run.

Now the Special Event news

There is still time to work special callsign GB1KBR. Radio amateurs in Scotland are on the air until the end of March to celebrate the start of the official handover of the Commonwealth Games Kings Baton by His Majesty King Charles at Buckingham Palace for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Activity is on HF, SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL and QRZ.com  An award program is available via the HamAward platform. For further information on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games please visit glasgow2026.com

The Polish Amateur Radio Union is celebrating 95 years since its founding, as well as the centenary of the International Amateur Radio Union. To mark the occasion, ten special event stations will be active between the 11^th and 25^th of April. Full details of the event, as well as details of available awards, can be found via Hamaward.cloud

Now the DX news

Heath, VK3TWO is active from Fiji as 3D2TWO until the 27^th of March. The station will be active on the 40 to 10m bands using SSB and FT8. More information can be found at QRZ.com

Bud, AA3B will again be active from Antigua as V26K between the 25^th of March and the 2^nd of April. He’ll be participating in the CQWPX SSB contest. Outside of this, Bud will be focusing on mainly using CW. QSL via home call, Logbook of The World and OQRS.

Aldir, PY1SAD is active again from Georgetown in Guyana as 8R1TM until the 26^th of April. Aldir will be operating on all bands using CW, SSB, digital and satellite. QSL via eQSL and Logbook of The World.

Now the contest news

On Tuesday, the 25^th of March, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 26^th of March, the UK and Ireland Contest Club Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.

On Thursday, the 27^th of March, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 29^th of March and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 30^th of March. Using SSB on the 160 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 20^th of March 2025

Last week was pretty unremarkable from an HF perspective. After the disturbed geomagnetic conditions on the 12^th to the 14^th when the Kp index rose to five, conditions were a little more settled.

The solar flux index hit 204 on the 17^th of March but then declined back to the 180s.

Having said that things were settled, the Kp index did exceed four for three periods on the 19^th, peaking at 4.67. This had the effect of reducing the MUF over a 3,000km path to 21-24MHz.

We also had two M-class solar flares on the 17^th and the 19^th, with the latter causing a coronal mass ejection that may give Earth a glancing blow around the 22^nd of March.

As spring progresses, we may find the F2-layer MUF dropping as we move to summer ionospheric conditions, perhaps to be replaced by enhanced sporadic-E conditions on 10 metres instead.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may drop further, perhaps hitting 150 on the 28^th. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 25^th to the 28^th, with a maximum Kp index of five.

As we said last week, this is now a peak period for auroral activity, given the angle that the Earth makes with the Sun. The 'Russell-McPherron' effect is down to the alignment of the Sun and Earth around the spring and autumn equinox and means that you are twice as likely to experience the aurora in spring and autumn than in winter and summer.

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

The recent fine weather has provided some useful Tropo. This has been mainly towards the east and into the near continent, which seemed like nice timing for the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest last Tuesday evening.

Despite this, many participants reported conditions as poor. The high is now moving away and by the time you hear this, it will be a predominantly low-pressure weather sequence from now on. This means limited Tropo in the coming week, and rain scatter comes to the fore as a mode of choice if you have a GHz band set up.

The solar conditions continue to provide a trickle charge of auroral alerts, but not enough for any significant operating advantage. As usual the message is to keep on top of things by monitoring the Kp index for values over 5.

Meteor scatter remains largely in the gift of random meteors, so it's an early start to catch the pre-dawn peak of random meteors if you are so persuaded.

Lastly, a mention of Sporadic-E which is still in its close season. We have a while to wait until later next month when we could expect the occasional stirrings on 10m.

EME path losses continue to improve until the Moon’s perigee (its closest point to Earth) on the morning of the 30^th of March. Moon declination has been falling, reaching a minimum yesterday, the 22^nd.

So again, we have short Moon windows and reduced peak Moon elevation. 144MHz sky noise started high on Friday the 21^st of March but will drop back to low by the middle of next week.

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