RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for April 24th 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 23^rd of April 2023

The news headlines:

RSGB Coronation activities
RSGB AGM announcements and videos
RSGB Board Chair

The RSGB is delighted that Ofcom has confirmed that the callsign GB23C can be used for the RSGB’s Coronation Special Special Event Station. Cray Valley Radio Society members led by Bob, M0MCV and Dave, G4BUO are organising the flagship amateur radio station that will use this callsign from the 3^rd to the 8^th of May. The Special Special Event Station will be on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, along the riverside in Greenwich. From the 10^th of May onwards, the callsign will be available for individuals and clubs to use until the end of June 2023, and further details about this will be announced shortly. Ofcom has also kindly agreed to a block of 676 Special Special Event Station callsigns for the RSGB’s Be a Connect activity for the Coronation. These are GB23BAA to BZZ, which will be available throughout May and June. More details on how to obtain one of these will be given next week, but meanwhile, you may wish to find a beacon site you could activate one or more times for this event. Finally, if you are planning outreach activities with local clubs and groups, take a look at the paper circuit template the RSGB has just shared on its website – go to rsgb.org/coronation and choose the coronation activity ideas tab in the right-hand menu.

The RSGB’s AGM was held online last Saturday, the 15^th of April. If you missed the live event, you can see the results of the elections and follow links to the trophy awards and the construction competition winners on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/agm. You can also catch up on the full live stream or watch individual sections on the Society’s YouTube channel. The RSGB has released separate videos of the outgoing President’s review of 2022, its new short Convention promo, and the interesting presentation about preparing the GB2RS propagation reports by the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair, Steve Nichols, G0KYA. You can see them all in the RSGB 2023 AGM playlist on YouTube via youtube.com/theRSGB

Following the RSGB AGM on Saturday the 15^th of April, a brief Board meeting was held to consider necessary appointments. The Board was aware that Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, who had been in a dual role since the recent resignation of Richard Horton, G4AOJ, had expressed a willingness to continue as Chair if required. It was agreed that Stewart should be co-opted to the Board under the terms of Article 37 and was asked to join the meeting. Stewart was then elected unanimously to serve as RSGB Board Chair until the 2024 AGM.

This a reminder now that SOS Radio Week 2023 starts at midnight on the 1^st of May and concludes at midnight on the 31^stof May. It is an opportunity to support the many voluntary organisations in the British Isles whose members volunteer to save the lives of others at risk around the many miles of its coastline, and out at sea. These organisations include the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the National Coastwatch Association and numerous independent lifeboat and coastal rescue groups. Individual amateur radio operators and clubs are invited to register to become an official SOS Radio Week station and operate under their own callsign, their club’s or a special event callsign to raise awareness of the great work these volunteers perform. Awards are available for registered stations that make the most contacts on each of the 160m to 70cm bands and using various modes. Registration is now open and further details can be found at sosradioweek.org.uk

And now for details of rallies and events

The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Rally, also known as both the ‘NARSA Rally’ and the ‘Blackpool Rally’, is taking place today, Sunday the 23^rd. The venue is Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. For more details contact Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608, email dwilson@btinternet.com or visit narsa.org.uk

Ripon Radio Rally will take place next Sunday, the 30^th of April. The venue will be Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2PT. Traders can gain access from 7 am and tables are £12 each. Doors open to the public from 10 am and entrance is £3 per person. For more information and directions visit: g4sjm.co.uk

Thorpe Camp Hamfest will take place on Sunday the 7^th of May. The venue will be Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre and the entrance fee will be £4 per person. Traders should arrive from 7 am. The rally will take place from 9 am to 1 pm. Hot food and drinks will be available on-site. For more information phone Sylvia or Anthony at 07956 654 481.

Dartmoor Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 7^th of May at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6AL. There will be the usual bring and buy, trader stands, refreshments and free parking available. Doors open at 10 am and admission is £2.50. For more information contact Roger by phone at 07854 088 882 or email via 2e0rph@gmail.com

Now the Special Event News

Special callsign 5P0WARD will be active from Denmark until Tuesday the 25^th of April in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via OZ1ACB.

Also celebrating World Amateur Radio Day, special event station OT23WARD will be active from various locations in Belgium until the 30^th of April. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World and eQSL. A certificate will be available. For more information visit QRZ.com

Polydoros, SV1AHH is using special callsign SX50AHH to mark 50 years of being involved with amateur radio. Operating from Greece, the callsign will be active until Friday the 28^th of April. He will be active on the 160 to 10m bands using CW, SSB, FT8, FT4 and RTTY. His logs will be uploaded to eQSL, Logbook of the World and Club Log. Paper cards will not be available.

Special callsign 3A8AB is operating from Monaco until Sunday the 30^th of April. The station is active to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur two-way contact between Leon Deloy, F8AB and Fred Schnell, 1MO in 1923. QSL via Logbook of the World.

Now the DX news

Look out for Paul, VP9KF who is active from Baileys Bay, Bermuda, NA-005, until Wednesday the 26^th of April. He operates CW only. QSL direct to Paul's address which you can view via his QRZ.com page.

Sands, VK4WXW has been on Willis Island, OC-007, since October, and will remain there until the end of April 2023. He works at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's weather monitoring station on the island, and in his spare time, he is QRV as VK9WX.

The T30UN operation from West Kiribati, OC-017, is expected to be active until the second week of May. Operators plan to be available on the 160 to 6m bands with one CW station, one SSB station and seven FT8 stations. It will be possible to see two FT8 stations on the same band, at the same time, on different frequencies. QSL via Club Log's OQRS.

Now the contest news

The SP DX RTTY Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 23^rd of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Polish stations send their province code.

Today, Sunday the 23^rd of April, The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75 Baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number.

On Monday the 24^th of April, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is your report.

On Tuesday the 25^th of April, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3GHz band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 26^th of April, 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 27^th of April, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next Saturday, the 29^th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club DX CW Contest begins at 1200UTC and runs for 24 hours. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Ireland stations also send their District Code.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 20^th of April 2023

We had a surge in sunspot activity over the last week, pushing the solar flux index up to a maximum of 178, although it subsequently declined to 147.

Solar flare activity was quite subdued after a frantic period from the 13^th to the 15^th that saw 40 C-class flares and two M-class flares erupt.

This activity was mostly centred around active region 3282 in the northwest quadrant.

Geomagnetic conditions were unsettled for a time around the 18^th and 19^th with the Kp index hitting a maximum of 4.3. This appears to have been due to enhanced activity from a coronal mass ejection and continuing coronal hole activity that saw the solar wind speed hit more than 600km/s and the Bz swing south.

The critical frequency was down below 7MHz on the morning of Wednesday the 19^th, which impacted near-vertical incidence skywave signals around the UK.

This impacted maximum useable frequencies, which struggled to exceed 21MHz over a 3,000km path on Wednesday, although by Thursday they were back over 28MHz again. A critical frequency of more than 10MHz meant the 40m band was once again suitable for close-in contacts around the UK.

There were many reports of DX being worked later on during the week, with Australia and New Zealand topping the bill on 18MHz and 28MHz.

Next week NOAA has put a more positive spin on sunspot activity. The Solar Flux Index is predicted to be in the range of 168 to 172 for the first half of the week, falling to around 160 in the second half.

But we could be in for a bumpy ride geomagnetically, with the Kp index predicted to hit five on Wednesday the 26^th of April through to Monday the 1^st of May. This may be due to the return of solar phenomena that occurred 27 days ago and saw the Kp index get up to 4.67.

Meanwhile, a very large solar coronal hole, albeit positioned very south on the Sun’s surface, and a much smaller one on its equator, threaten HF conditions this weekend.

Keep an eye on the real-time solar wind from the ACE spacecraft for signs of a rise in speed and a southward-pointing Bz interplanetary magnetic field on solarham.net. This could push to Kp index higher, perhaps to four.

And now the VHF and up propagation news

The Sporadic-E season is nearly upon us. Remember it will usually activate on 28MHz and then higher bands will follow if the event intensifies. There have been some 50MHz FT8 paths flagged up on DXmaps.com, although some may have been tropo.

The recent large high pressure centred over Scandinavia has been a bit subdued as regards Tropo. Much of the time, the air nearer the surface has been fairly dry with little sign of banks of sea fog over the North Sea, which would suggest better ducting potential.

We are now entering a phase with low pressure on the charts, initially over the south of Britain, but edging north for a time before drifting out across the North Sea.

This could produce some rain scatter on the GHz bands, especially should any heavy April showers develop.

Early next week a ridge will edge south across the UK in a colder northerly weather pattern, so although high-pressure returns, it may not be especially good for tropo.

The third changeover comes after midweek when a milder south-westerly returns with active fronts bringing rain and unsettled weather, especially to the north and west. This could mean further opportunities for rain scatter on the GHz bands and perhaps a hint of tropo in the Southeast towards the continent.

Aurora and meteor scatter are well worth considering, and the Lyrids shower peaks on Sunday the 23^rd. The message is to monitor meteor scatter frequencies and the clusters for signs of activity and, of course, try putting out a CQ call!

Moon declination is positive and rising, meaning increasing Moon time and increasing peak elevation until peak declination on Tuesday. Moon apogee is next Friday so path losses increase all week.

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for April 24th 2023

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