RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 21st 2022.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 21st of August 2022

The news headlines:

• Sponsoring young contesters

• 8-year-old speaks to the ISS

• British Inland Waterways on the Air

The CDXC and the RSGB are pleased to announce their joint sponsorship of one of the Youth Teams at the World Radiosport Team Championship. The Championship is due to take place in Bologna, Italy in July 2023. In order to promote contest activity by young radio amateurs, the organising committee reserved six sites for young contesters. Jamie Williams, M0SDV and Philipp Springer, DK6SP will form Youth Team 2 and will be the team jointly sponsored by CDXC and RSGB.

On Tuesday, the 16^th of August, BBC TV spoke to 8-year-old Isabella about her contact with a NASA astronaut on the International Space Station. On the 2nd, Isabella used her dad's callsign M0LMK to make supervised contact with the ISS amateur station. Isabella, a member of the Hilderstone Radio Society, has been involved in several amateur radio events and is working towards her own amateur radio licence. BBC South East Today for the 16^th of August is available on the iPlayer and this interview is about 15 minutes into the show.

British Inland Waterways on the Air takes place between the 27th and 29^th of August. It is open to all amateurs who are boaters, cyclists, walkers and other users of the canals, rivers, towpaths and riverbanks for work or recreation. Even lakes and reservoirs that are used for recreation classify as an inland waterway, so there are many places for activating. Many clubs and individual amateurs on or near the UK inland waterways obtain a Special Event Station callsign. Others operate mobile or portable using their own call signs. The primary bands will be 40m and 2m. If you would like to register or obtain more details about the event please visit, nharg.org.uk/biwota.

Another popular event, Churches and Chapels On The Air, will take place on Saturday the 10^th of September between 10 am and 4 pm. Stations will be operating mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF at jhwresdell@gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part can be found at wacral.org.

There is still time to get involved with the Oscar 100 Award. It aims to promote and foster experimental activities and radio contacts by means of the geosynchronous satellite QO-100. Participants need to contact as many stations and DXCC countries as possible via QO-100 between 0001UTC on the 1^st of June to 2359UTC on the 31^st of December. The award is open to all radio amateurs operating from geographical locations under the coverage of the satellite. Further details and award rules are available at arifidenza.it.

Advance notice now. The 6^th Essex CW Boot Camp will take place on the 22^nd of October. CW enthusiasts from around the country meet for a fun day of CW activities that include gaining confidence on the Morse key to improving your receiving skills. Early booking is essential as space is limited, so please email g0ibn1@yahoo.com.

And now for details of rallies and events

Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.

Today, the 21^st of August, the Rugby ATS Radio Rally will take place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PY. Doors open at 10 am and there will be a car boot sale area. More at rugbyats.co.uk.

Also today, the 21^st, the Red Rose Rally will be held at St Joseph’s Hall, Leigh WN7 2PJ. Organised by West Manchester Radio Club, there will be free parking, a café as well as trade, individual and club stands. There will also be a Bring & Buy. More information at wmrc.co.uk.

Next Sunday, the 28^th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will be held at The Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley, MK2 2HX. There is free onsite parking, catering and disabled facilities. Entry is £3 and the doors open at 9 am. See mkars.org.uk for more information.

The Torbay Annual Communications Fair takes place next Sunday, the 28^th, at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10 am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30 am. It is an indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will be also available on-site.

On bank holiday Monday, the 29^th, the HARS Annual Rally will be held at Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Gates open at 9 am. There is free car parking, a Bring & Buy as well as indoor and outdoor stalls. Catering is available on-site. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz using GX0HSR. More at hunts-hams.co.uk.

Now the Special Event news

Cwmbran & District Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB0FL at the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre in Newport on the 27^th and 28^th of August. It is part of the British Inland Waterways on the Air event. Visitors are welcome between 10 am and 4 pm.

Celebrating the 60^th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago's independence, 9Y60TT will be on the air from the 26^th of August to the 2nd of September. The event will be multi-mode, multi-band and multi-operator. QSL via Logbook of The World.

TM3GGR will be active until the 4^th of September for the Golden Globe Race, the single-handed, round-the-world sailing race that will start in France on the 4^th of September. QSL via the bureau to F6KUF or direct to F5OEV.

Now the DX news

Masa, JA0RQV expects to be active again as A35JP from Tonga, OC-049, until the 24^th of September. In his spare time, he will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, or via the bureau to JA0RQV.

Ed, ES2TT will be active as ES2TT/1 from Aegna Island, EU-149 on the 27^th of August, and as ES2TT/0 from Hiiumaa Island, EU-034 on the 3^rd and 4^th of September. He will operate CW and SSB on the 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.

Marek will be active as FH4VVK in his spare time while stationed on Petite-Terre, Mayotte, AF-027, until the 1^st of April 2024. QSL via eQSL or direct. See qrz.com for further information.

Now the contest news

On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest takes place between 1830 and 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend, the CQ RTTYops WW RTTY Contest has two sessions between the 26^th and 28^th of August. The first session is from 2200UTC on the 26^th to 1200UTC on the 27^th. The second session is from 1200 to 2359UTC on Sunday the 28^th. Using RTTY only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is a signal report and the 4-digit year of your first licence.

The World Wide Digi DX contest runs from 1200UTC on the 27^th to 1200UTC on the 28^th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is your 4-character locator.

Next Sunday, the 28^th, the UK Microwave group 5.7 and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 19th of August 2022.

It looks like the Sun continued to be unsettled with an enhanced solar wind from coronal holes making itself felt here on Earth. A geomagnetic storm pushed the Kp index to six for two consecutive six-hour slots on the evening of the 17^th, although it was fairly quick to recover. However, it wasn’t long before the Kp index was up to five again on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the solar flux index climbed, peaking at 131, but then declining to 123 by Thursday.

The first geomagnetic storm affected the ionosphere with critical frequencies dropping to just over 5MHz. This meant that DX was mainly closed to frequencies above 14MHz. The storm on Thursday the 18th saw an initial enhancement with MUFs over a 3,000km path hitting 21MHz.

We have had a run of geomagnetic storms, which is par for the course as we ramp up with solar cycle 25. The bad news is that this is likely to continue. It does however mean that aurora watchers and auroral radio operators will get more opportunities as the year moves on.

NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will decline to the high 90s after starting the week at around 100. It does predict relatively settled geomagnetic conditions, but as we have said before this is likely to change at short notice thanks to solar flares, and their associated coronal mass ejections, plus the effects of coronal holes.

We may have seen the best of Sporadic-E this season, although there may be weak openings on 10 metres that are best captured via FT8 and other JT digital modes.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

It's a change-over to rather unsettled weather with Atlantic systems bringing some occasional bands of rain or showers across the country and the possibility of some rain scatter on the GHz bands.

Later in the coming week, there are hints that a new high will build in from the Atlantic to bring a return of some Tropo conditions. This may leave conditions a bit flat on VHF until after midweek or a bit beyond, so it could be worth seeking out any late-season Sporadic-E activity in the meantime.

Although Es have been rare lately, you might still find some glimmers of hope into the first week of September. In such fleeting events, you will often find the digital modes can flag up a potential direction to explore, starting on 10m and then migrating up to 6m as an event develops.

The solar activity has recently brought some auroral conditions, so remember to keep an eye on the Kp index in case further auroras materialise. As well as using the traditional 10m or 6m and occasionally 2m bands for this, you will often get a strong indication from even 80m signals sounding ‘hollow and watery’ and that is a cue to check for VHF aurora.

Meteor scatter is always a go-to mode if all else fails especially in the early mornings when random meteors are at a peak.

With high Moon declination this week we have long Moon windows, but with apogee on Tuesday, path losses are at their highest for the lunar month. 144MHz sky noise is moderate and falling but be aware that the Sun and Moon are close to eclipsing next Saturday morning meaning high Sun noise for a while.

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