RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 24th December 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 24^th of December 2023

The news headlines:

• Examinations and Syllabus Review Group to update syllabus
• The RSGB election process is underway
• Volunteer Youth Country Representatives sought

 

Season’s greetings to all our listeners! Today’s GB2RS news script will be the final one of 2023. Today’s news reading is optional, as the RSGB appreciates that not all newsreaders will be available, but the script will be on the RGSB website so all can see it. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the newsreaders, who read the news on a variety of platforms, for their service to their fellow amateurs throughout the year. We’d also like to remind amateurs that there has been a long-standing convention to listen for news broadcasts on Sundays before transmitting, to allow news reading to go ahead without interference. Thank you to all those who listen on Sunday mornings, and the other times that the news is read, to those who call in afterwards to speak to the newsreaders, and to everyone who listens via various platforms. Please note, there will be no script prepared for broadcast on Sunday the 31^st of December 2023 due to RSGB HQ being closed from 4.30 pm on Friday the 22^nd of December until 8.30 am on Tuesday the 2^nd of January 2024. Newsreaders may, of course, choose to run a net at their normal transmission time, but under their own callsign only.

Following its consultation on proposed changes to the amateur radio licence, Ofcom has recently published the “General notice of proposal to vary amateur radio licences”. The timescale for putting the licence changes into effect means that the Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has been working on the revised syllabus, version 1.6, in parallel with the Ofcom consultation. To read the full explanation, and see the draft sections, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/training and choose the ‘Trainer Information’ link in the righthand menu.

The RSGB election process is underway and the closing date for RSGB Nominated Directors is Wednesday the 3^rd of January. In being a Director, you are responsible for taking strategic decisions that steer the direction of the Society and provide leadership and motivation to implement its strategy. If you have the right skills and attributes that you think can help the Society develop for the future, then please get in touch. Contact the Nominations Committee Chair, Bob Beebe, GU4YOX via nomimations.chair@rsgb.org.uk   On the RSGB website there is information about the Elected Director and Regional Representative roles available and the process for standing for those roles. You can also read an important statement from Don Beattie G3BJ, former RSGB President and IARU Region 1 Past-President, in which he outlines what he thinks are the necessary skills for Board Directors and encourages people to play their part in the future of the Society. Go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election to find out more.

A reminder now that the RSGB is looking for four licensed radio amateurs to help raise the profile of wireless communication amongst young people. Initially, we’re looking for RSGB members based in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to engage young people in the hobby. These volunteer Youth Country Representatives will represent the RSGB at externally organised events and will plan and deliver outreach activities. If you have plenty of ideas, a passion for getting young people involved in amateur radio and experience of running small-scale events, we would be very keen to hear from you. For full details of these roles, see rsgb.org/volunteers and for an informal discussion, please email RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML at: gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk

If you live in Region 11 you could support your local amateur radio community by becoming an RSGB District Representative. DR111 covers Cornwall and the Scillies, whilst DR114 focuses on Dorset. If you would like to find out more, please contact the Region 11 Regional Representative, Andrew Jenner, G7KNA. There are also District Representative vacancies in Region 3 and Region 10 – find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers

Two more RSGB Convention presentations will be published on YouTube over the Christmas holidays. In the first, Nobby Styles, G0VJG describes the challenging and hazardous DXpedition to Europe’s rarest IOTA location, Rockall Island. The second presentation, by David Lauder, G0SNO, outlines the RSGB EMC Committee investigations into sources of RF electrical interference from recent developments in electronic equipment, including electric vehicle charging. Subscribe to the RSGB YouTube channel to be notified when these presentations are available and get ready for some great Christmas viewing! Go to youtube.com/theRSGB to subscribe.

Youngsters on the Air month is nearly at a close. The month has been filled with some brilliant activity from young people using the special callsign GB23YOTA. Thank you to everyone who has been involved, from those who have been supervising young amateurs, to those making contact on the air. There is more GB23YOTA activity planned before the end of the year, so please continue to listen out and get involved. On Friday the 29^th of December, M0YTE will be supervising 2E0YOG between 12 pm and 6 pm. Following this, on Saturday the 30^th of December, Hilderstone Radio Society will be back operating the special callsign between 12 pm and 6 pm. If you have been involved with Youngsters on the Air month and have photos and a short report that you’d like to share, there will be a special feature in the March issue of RadCom. Email radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 21^st of January.  

And now for details of rallies and events

The Sparkford Wireless Group Tabletop Rally, in aid of the RAIBC, will take place on Thursday the 28^th of December from 9.30 am to 1 pm. The event will be held at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel near Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Entry is £3 and free parking and refreshments will be available. For more information, email Bob via wjh069@gmail.com

The Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 28^th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors will be open from 9 am and admission is £2. Ample free car parking and hot refreshments will be available. The tables cost £10 each. At 2 pm, after the Rally, there will be a used equipment auction. Items for the auction will be booked-in from 1 pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for tables and details via m5zzz@outlook.com or 07777 699 069.

Now the Special Event News

Once again, Santa Radio, OF9X will be active until the 31^st of December on all amateur radio bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via OH2BH. The activity is organised by the Radio Club of Pusula, OH9W and Radio Arcala, OH8X. 

Listen out for members of Denby Dale Amateur Radio Society who are celebrating the festive period with a series of special callsigns including GB0HNY. For more information visit QRZ.com

Look for special callsign PC100II which is active throughout December to celebrate the centenary of the third two-way contact between Europe and America conducted by Henk Jesse, PCII in the Netherlands, and 2AGB in the USA during the night of the 26^th and 27^th of December 1923. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, or via PA1AW.

Now the DX news

Moise, F4EZG is active as 5R8VE from the main island of Madagascar, AF-013, until the 3^rd of January 2024. He is operating using SSB and FT8 on the 20 to 10m bands. QSL via F4EZG, Logbook of the World and eQSL.

Now the contest news

On Tuesday the 26^th, the 50MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also, on Tuesday the 26^th, the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100 UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send their district or non-member code.

It’s not a contest but the Worked All Britain Christmas Party runs from Tuesday the 26^th of December to Saturday the 6^th of January. Using all bands and modes, the exchange is your Worked All Britain book number.

On Wednesday the 27^th, the 70MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 28^th, the 144MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Friday the 29^th, the 432MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 21^st of December 2023

We filed last week’s GB2RS propagation report and, shortly after, we had the biggest X-ray solar flare event this cycle!

This just shows how hard it is to predict solar activity and why long-term HF predictions are problematic. Anyway, back to the solar flare which occurred at 1702UTC on the 14^th of December. This was an X2.8 event that was also responsible for a coronal mass ejection.

Luckily, the Sun had already set in the UK but if you were working the USA, Caribbean or South America on HF, you may have found the path suddenly disrupted. If that did happen to you, please let us know.

The full halo coronal mass ejection, or CME, that followed headed mostly to the west, although a glancing blow was predicted to hit us on the 15^th or 16^th of December. It eventually hit late on the 17^th of December, pushing the Kp index to six on the morning of the 18^th of December. HF conditions remained fairly unsettled after that.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 140 to 150 range again and that the Kp index will be no more than two. However, that geomagnetic prediction may be wishful thinking. There are a lot of sunspots at the moment and active region 3529 may be a strong candidate for flare and CME action over the coming week.

So, our message is: work the DX when you can and don’t ignore the lower bands, such as 40, 80 and 160 metres, which may offer some good DX at night in the middle of winter.

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

The weather pattern over the Christmas period is set up as a teaser between very mild, and cold enough for some wintry weather. However, it probably won’t be cold enough – except in the north – to get too excited before the 25^th.

To set the scene and give you a chance to ‘roll your own forecasts’ in view of the long lead time for this forecast, the atmosphere is part way through its normal transition from summer-time Atlantic jet streams over Iceland to winter jet streams over the Mediterranean. 

We are currently in the middle, and this puts the main jet stream path across the British Isles. It will produce alternating periods of mild and cold weather – very difficult to pin down even a few days ahead, let alone into the New Year!

What we can get from this, in terms of propagation, is a good chance of the meandering jet stream being able to invoke a mid-winter Sporadic-E event for some of us. However, the times are less predictable than in the summer, so just keep a listen out on the 10m and 6m bands for activity, it would be a shame to miss any.

Tropo has done well over the last weekend, so a large high to the south of the UK, over the continent, is worth looking out for especially paths south to Iberia or east to the Baltic.

Lastly, look out for the lesser modes of scatter from rain or meteors, which will continue to be a random option, as well as the potential for aurora.

For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching a maximum on Boxing Day. Path losses are rising to a maximum on New Year’s Day. 144MHz sky noise is moderate all week.

Finally, a big thank you from the propagation team for the 'fine business' effort you all put into getting on the bands to explore and report these exciting propagation modes… Merry Christmas!

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