RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for 17th December 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 17^th of December 2023

The news headlines:

• Ofcom document on changes to amateur radio licensing released
• YOTA month continues
• WRC-23 concludes

Earlier this week, Ofcom released a document titled “Updating the Amateur Radio Licensing Framework”. The document states that amateur radio licences will be changing in 2024 and provides details of the changes that are planned. These include adjustments to the overall licensing framework and rules in a number of areas including callsigns, technical parameters, licence format, terms and conditions. To read the document in full, as well as a range of associated documents and resources generated by the RSGB and Ofcom, visit rsgb.org/licence-review

Youngsters on the Air month is well underway with some great activity from a range of schools, universities and radio societies. If you’d like to get involved, you can listen out for special callsign GB23YOTA and make these young operators feel welcome on the air. Today, the callsign is being operated between 9 am and 6 pm under the supervision of RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML. Young members of the Hereford Amateur Radio Society, and other local youngsters, will be getting on the air. Later this week, on Thursday the 21^st of December between 6 pm and midnight, Ben will also be helping a fully licensed young radio amateur activate a SOTA summit. They will be working the 160m and 80m bands with the YOTA callsign. On Saturday the 23^rd of December, Tommy M7OMY, supervised by M0BOY, will be back on the air for the duration of the day and night. There is still time to get involved with Youngsters on the Air month – just email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to book a slot or ask for further information.

Following four weeks of deliberations, the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference concluded in Dubai on Friday the 15^th of December with the signing of the ‘Provisional Final Acts’ and a closing ceremony. The numerous changes don’t formally take effect until the 1^st of January 2025 and preparations are already underway to agree the agenda for future WRC events. The RSGB’s special focus pages have the final news report and photos. To view these, visit rsgb.org/wrc-23  The results will be reviewed by the Spectrum Forum after the Christmas break, alongside IARU and domestic changes.

The UK Meteor Beacon project is now in its second phase, and both phases have been supported by the RSGB Legacy Fund. At the RSGB 2023 Convention, Brian Coleman, G4NNS outlined the plan for the second phase. A network of receivers will be developed, streaming their data via a central server for detailed study of individual meteor events. This is a cooperation between the ‘worlds’ of amateur radio and astronomy. You can now watch Brian’s presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB  The RSGB Legacy Fund supports a wide range of amateur radio projects. You can find out more and download an application form on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/legacy

The RSGB election process has begun and there are eleven roles to fill. These include eight Regional Representatives covering a wide range of regions, as well as an elected Director and two Nominated Directors. Bob Beebe, GU4YOX is the new Chair of the Nominations Committee and he is keen to see people volunteer. He says that being a Director of the RSGB is a great opportunity to contribute to the future direction of the Society and the RSGB needs the best people to come forward to play their part. If you don’t feel you can volunteer, do you know someone who would make a good Director? Do you know someone committed to amateur radio, in touch with the leading thinking in amateur radio today, and capable of contributing to the Society’s work in a team environment? If so, ask them to stand for election or as a Nominated Director. Find out more about the RSGB election process, and all the available roles, on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election

Following feedback from the amateur radio community, the RSGB’s Learning Team is launching a revised Discovery Scheme in the New Year. This will be a revamp of the Individual Scheme from the Beyond Exams initiative and consists of three levels of participation. The ‘Explorer’ level is aimed at newcomers to amateur radio and will run from January to March 2024. The ‘Adventurer’ level, which will run from April to June 2024, is targeted at those who have been involved with amateur radio for a while and wish to progress. Requiring more significant experience, the ‘Master’ level will run from July to December 2024. For more information, contact Beyond Exams Coordinator Mark Burrows, 2E0SBM​ via be.coordinator@rsgb.org.uk

As the 2023 year draws to a close, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the newsreaders who read the RSGB news on a variety of platforms for their service to their fellow amateurs throughout the year. We respectfully ask amateurs to check carefully before using 145.525MHz on a Sunday as there are many GB2RS broadcasts throughout the day on this frequency. 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 other platforms.

RSGB HQ will be closed for Christmas and New Year from 4.30 pm on Friday the 22^nd of December until 8.30 am on Tuesday the 2^nd of January 2024. Next Sunday, the 24^th of December, the GB2RS News script will be prepared as usual and read at the discretion of individual news readers. There will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday the 31^st of December 2023 but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. During the holidays, if you need information about amateur radio, exams or RadCom you’ll find lots of pages on the RSGB website at rsgb.org

The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. There will be reduced hours on New Year’s Eve when the Centre will be closing at 2 pm. Following the seasonal closures, the RSGB National Radio Centre will also be closed for essential maintenance works between the 2^nd and 5^th of January 2024. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual. Remember that RSGB Members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park from the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bpvoucher

GB2RS News on the Isle of Man is delivered by a team of four Newsreaders and is widely heard thanks to the extensive GB3IM UHF repeater network. Please note that, from the 7^th of January 2024 onwards, the transmission is moving to the new time of 4 pm. For a complete list of GB2RS broadcasts, please download the Broadcast Schedule from rsgb.org/gb2rsschedule

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. 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

Celebrating Christmas and the New Year, special callsign PH23XMAS will be active until the 28^th of December. Following this, special callsign PH24HNY will be active from the 28^th of December to the 31^st of January. For more information, visit QRZ.com

Listen out for members of Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society who are active during December using special callsign GB5XMS. The station is active on the HF bands using CW, data and SSB.

Now the DX news

Harald, DF2WO is active as XT2AW from Burkina Faso until the 19^th of December. He operates all modes on the HF and 6m bands and via QO-100. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and Logbook of the World.

Gab, HB9TSW has been active as Z68BG from the Slatina Air Base in Kosovo since the 5^th of December. He is operating CW only in his spare time until the 19^th of December. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via his home call.

Now the contest news

On Tuesday the 19^th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 21^st of December, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 14^th of December 2023

We had a fairly settled time last week with only the solar wind and some solar flare activity to contend with.

Sunspot region 3514 produced a moderately strong M5.8 solar flare on the 14^th of December. This event was responsible for a coronal mass ejection, or CME, but that was directed to the west and missed the Earth.

The problem with the solar wind is that its Bz has mostly been pointing south, which means it more easily couples with the Earth’s magnetic field allowing solar plasma to flood in. The result was that the Kp index mostly remained high, with the index hitting three or four across the midweek period.

While not excessive, this has affected HF to an extent, although the daytime MUF over 3,000km has remained above 28MHz on most days.

What you may find is that the higher bands are now closed until later in the morning and that they close earlier in the afternoon as well. This is partly due to the time of year and partly due to the lower solar flux index we are experiencing.

The solar flux index improved slightly over the past week, ending at 135 on Thursday, having been in the 120s earlier.

Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the range of 125 to 140. It is predicting unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 16^th to the 19^th of December, with a maximum Kp index of five.

Now for a propagation forecast. Santa’s broadcasting arm, Santa Radio OF9X, is active again from near the Arctic Circle on all amateur radio bands, using CW, SSB and FT8, until the end of the year. The activity is organised by the Radio Club of Pusula, OH9W and Radio Arcala, OH8X.

Keep an eye on DXSummit.fi to find out where they are operating. So far, they have been spotted on the 160, 40, 20, 12 and 10m bands. The Proppy prediction chart shows that anywhere between 10MHz and 28MHz is fair game during daylight, while 7MHz and below will work better at night.

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

As expected, the return of a significant region of high pressure developing over the continent as this week ends will bring some enhanced Tropo conditions from the southern UK into the continent and across Biscay to northern Spain.

It is also possible that the traditionally preferred policy of beaming around the edge of a high for DX paths will make looking east into northern Germany, Poland and the Baltic a fair prospect, but only until around Tuesday the 19^th when a cold front moves south and breaks the path. This is a pity since it will be before Tuesday’s 1.3GHz Contest and Thursday’s 70MHz UK Activity Contest, which look like missing the best conditions.

The second half of the coming week will be dominated by low pressure to the north of Britain and a series of fronts and showery troughs driving south, bringing much colder air with a risk of wintry weather. It will also become very windy at times.

This removes Tropo from the picture, but rain scatter may be worth considering, although the shower echo regions will be moving briskly. Use online rain radar displays to help you.

The other modes of meteor scatter and aurora are worth leaving on the list with the remains of the December Geminids still with us.

Don’t forget that out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation often appears in the period from mid-December to mid-January, so check the 10 and 6m bands periodically for activity.

For EME operators, Moon declination is negative but rising, going positive on Wednesday the 20^th. Path losses are at a minimum at perigee, the Moon’s closest point – this was on Saturday the 16^th. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.

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