RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 24th of November 2024

GB2RS News

Sunday the 24^th of November

 

The news headlines:

• The past and the future – the RSGB releases more Convention presentations
• RSGB Tonight@8 on HF antennas – join the last live event of 2024
• Encourage youngsters on the air during YOTA Month

 

The RSGB continues to share some great presentations from its recent annual Convention. The two this week look back to the important history of amateur radio and contrast that with how amateur radio might be influenced by modern technology. Don Beattie, G3BJ discussed the very different amateur radio environment of 1924, and the history and events of October that year when the first two-way trans-global radio communication between the UK and New Zealand took place. This centenary celebration is just one of a range of activities that have included RadCom articles and a re-enactment of the contact at Mill Hill School. In his presentation on using AI to write simple amateur radio applications, RSGB Board Chair Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX considers how using AI software can improve productivity and bring the ability to write effective software within the reach of more people. This presentation is being released separately as part of the RSGB’s focus on encouraging coding and programming activities amongst the amateur radio community. You can find a range of coding resources on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/coding  To watch both presentations, go to the RSGB YouTube channel and choose the ‘RSGB 2024 Convention’ playlist.

The final RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2024 is on Monday the 2^nd of December. The presentation by Tim Hier, G5TM will focus on the various HF antennas available for portable operating. He will also look at how to use very basic modelling software to ascertain the choices you have at your disposal. Tim’s ethos when working portable is simple, “Five minutes from arrival to operating and no more”. Tim is also the editor of RadCom Basics and will refer to content in that RSGB publication that will help radio amateurs who want to try portable operating. 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

Youngsters on the Air Month begins one week today. Callsign GB24YOTA will be active for the month, hosted by a range of groups, clubs and individuals. Marlborough Scout Group will be the first team of youngsters to operate. They will be on the air before midday on Sunday the 1^st of December, and then again after 6 pm on the same day. Also operating the special callsign next Sunday will be the Cambridge University Wireless Society. They will be hosting the callsign between 12 pm and 6 pm. Remember to listen out and have a QSO with a young radio amateur on the air. If you’d like to get involved, you’ve still got time. Go to QRZ.com  and search for GB24YOTA to check availability and then email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest. 

The RSGB VHF Contest Committee is currently planning the rules for the 2025 VHF contests. Following some discussion at the RSGB Convention, the committee members have some questions on which they would appreciate feedback from contestants, with particular topics focused on VHF Field Day and the Back Packers events. You can find the survey online at tinyurl.com/VHFCC2025 and it will close on Friday the 6^th of December.

Members of Wokingham u3a Amateur Radio Group have secured a new club call sign, G5UTA. The group operated the callsign for the first time during the national u3a week in September. G5UTA can be used by any u3a member with a Full licence, in support of a u3a event or demonstration. You can read more about the new callsign, including how to apply for authorisation to use it, in the January 2025 edition of RadCom. To find out more about amateur radio as a subject area within u3a, you can contact its new subject adviser Paul, G0NDN via the u3a website at tinyurl.com/u3asubjects

The historic VLF transmitter at Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden is celebrating one hundred years since it was put into commercial operation. The unique Alexanderson alternator operates using callsign SAQ. To mark the centenary a special transmission will take place at 1000UTC on Sunday the 1^st of December using CW on 17.2kHz. The event will be livestreamed on the organisation’s YouTube Channel using the handle @AlexanderSAQ. You can find out more about the event via alexander.n.se 

And now for details of rallies and events

The Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society Dinner is at the Creg-ny-Baa on Friday the 29^th of November. Tickets are £25. For more information, including details of the menu and how to book, visit iomars.im

The Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally is on 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, please pre-book as soon as possible. Please contact Phil, G6DLJ via 07990 563147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com

Now the Special Event news

A special event callsign 9Y20TATT is active until the 29^th of November 2024 to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society. All amateurs are invited to make contact. Limited edition QSL cards will be available, and certificates can be requested by amateurs making at least five unique contacts. Find out more on the event website via 9y20ta.tt

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of Radio Beograd in 1924, members of the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club, YU1ANO in Serbia are active as YT100RB and YU1924RB until the 30^th of November. For details of a certificate that is available for contacting these stations see yu1ano.org

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.

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 they would like from Santa this year. The Club will also be live streaming on its YouTube Channel.

  

Now the DX news

HC5CW and HC2AP are active as HC5CW/8 and HD8CW from San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Islands until the 28^th of November. The IOTA reference is SA-004. They will operate on the HF bands, CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via M0OXO or OQRS.

The FW7AA Team is active from Wallis Island until the 29^th of November 2024. The IOTA reference is OC 054. They will operate on the HF Bands. QSL via W7YAQ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.

The 9L5A Team, who are members of the F6KOP Club, will be active from Sierra Leone between the 27^th of November and the 8^th of December. They will operate on the 160 to 6m bands and QO-100. QSL via F5GSJ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS.

Now the contest news

The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 23^rd of November and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 24^th of November. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.

On Tuesday, the 26^th of November, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm, 9cm, 6cm and 3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the 27^th of November, 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 28^th of November, the RSGB 80m Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band only, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

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

We’ve had yet another week of relatively calm geomagnetic conditions. The solar flux index has been in the 160s and despite having 14 M-class solar flares over seven days, we haven’t had any coronal mass ejections to contend with.

As a result, the daytime maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path has been high, reaching more than 35MHz at times.

The MUF declines after sunset, as expected, settling at about 12-13MHz, meaning the only HF band open to DX has been the 10MHz or 30-metre band.

DX this week has included 3D2Y in Rotuma. This Pacific DXpedition has been spotted in Europe, on 20m, 15m and 17m CW, so plenty of choice as to which band you try.

E51SGC in Rarotonga on the Cook Islands has also been spotted across many of the HF bands, but they will be leaving on the 24^th of November. The good news is that the team of Stan LZ1GC and Ted LZ5QZ are moving on to Tonga as A35GC from the 25^th of November until the 7^th of December 2024.

Gerben (PG5M) is active on the Falkland Islands as VP8G and has been spotted on 20m, 15m and 10m CW. He is there until the 25^th of November so get in quickly!

Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI may rise to the mid-250s again. Geomagnetic conditions are largely predicted to be good, although do keep an eye on solarham.com for updates.

And don’t forget the CQ Worldwide CW contest this weekend which should bring a lot of DX to the HF bands.

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

The weather is now in an unsettled phase with areas of low pressure bringing alternating spells of mild wet and windy weather interspersed with colder brighter and breezy showery weather. 

This raises a couple of radio-related points; one is that we will see some very strong and potentially damaging winds in some areas, so check daily forecasts and make sure your mast guys are secure; and secondly an absence of any marked high-pressure Tropo weather. 

Rain and snow scatter may be worth checking on the GHz bands in such unsettled weather. Meanwhile, meteor scatter is worthy of greater attention as next week’s list of showers includes the small Alpha Monocerotids shower and the tail end of the big Leonids shower.  

This introduces another potential nugget of interest in that it is widely accepted that meteors form the source material for Sporadic-E. Despite being out of season in the traditional sense, the prevalence of stronger jet streams in unsettled weather makes the next week a possible ‘watch period’ for Es.

If you are curious about what these might look like, check out the propquest.co.uk  website and look for the near vertical incidence skywave or NVIS tab for Wednesday the 20^th of November 2024.

During the two events in the middle of the day and evening, the critical frequency of the Es layer reached values of nearly 10MHz, which could equate to four-metre propagation on a good day. You will see the Es blog tab upper air charts also show a jet stream of greater than 100 knots. 

For EME operators, the Moon has passed peak declination so Moon availability and peak elevation will be falling. Path losses are high and rising towards apogee on Tuesday the 26th. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.

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