RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for February 19th 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 19^th of February 2023

The news headlines:

• RSGB Board Chair and Company Secretary
• RSGB Unopposed Election Results
• Saint Patrick's Day Award

 

We report with regret that Richard Horton, G4AOJ has tendered his resignation as an RSGB Board Director and the Board Chair, and Stan Lee, G4XXI has tendered his resignation as RSGB Company Secretary. The resignations are independent of each other and for personal reasons. The RSGB would like to thank them for their hard work and contribution to the Society. The RSGB President Stewart Bryant, G3YSX will Chair the Board until the AGM. In view of the important role of the Company Secretary in the Society’s AGM, which is just a few weeks away, the Board will agree to the appointment of a temporary Company Secretary pending the advertisement of the position and selection through the normal process.

The RSGB has announced the unopposed nomination results in its 2023 elections. In the election for RSGB President, there was only one nomination received so John McCullagh MBE, GI4BWM is elected unopposed for a two-year term. This year there were Regional Representative vacancies for five Regions – Regions 3, 7, 8, 11 and 13. The only candidate for Region 8 was Michael Na bPiob, MI0HOZ so he is duly elected unopposed for a three-year term. The terms of office for both roles above will commence at the AGM on the 15^th of April 2023. You can read their personal statements on page 6 of the March RadCom or on the RSGB website at www.rsgb.org/election The RSGB would like to congratulate both candidates and wish them well in their roles. RSGB Board Director candidates will be announced in the April RadCom and voting will begin on Wednesday the 15^th of March.

There are just over three weeks left to register to participate in the annual Saint Patrick's Day Award. The event takes place over a 48-hour period from 1200UTC on the 16^th of March to 1200UTC on the 18^th of March to allow worldwide participation in all time zones. The Saint Patrick's Day Award is 48 hours of non-competitive fun. Everyone can participate in the event, whether they are licensed or not. You can register to be a participating station by completing a short registration form online at stpatricksaward.com

The Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society will be operating the club callsign GT3FLH from the Isle of Man Sea Terminal building in Douglas on Saturday the 25^th and Sunday the 26^th of February between 11 am and 3 pm. The callsign will be active to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Douglas being the first radar-controlled harbour in the world. FT8, CW and SSB modes will be used on the HF bands from 40m and upwards. If the weather is inclement, the operation will be from the club HQ at the Scout Hall in Ballasalla. For more information about the Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society visit www.iomars.im

Today, the 19^th is the second day of the British Amateur Television Club’s monthly activity weekend. The event is aimed at getting more people on the air either from home or a nearby high spot to promote this exciting part of the hobby. This month, activity on 23cm and upwards is planned. Participants are encouraged to post details of where they are going to be, and what time they’ll be on the air, on the BATC forum. You can view the forum posts via forum.batc.org.uk Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to be a member to take part.

As part of British Science Week, the RSGB is running the ever-popular ‘Build a Morse Tutor’ workshop at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on Saturday the 18^th of March. For information about the workshop and to see our British Science Week activity pack, visit our website: www.rsgb.org/bsw

Radio amateurs are requested to give way to emergency response groups that are dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake that unfortunately hit Turkey and Syria earlier this month. Response activities are primarily expected to be on VHF and UHF but 3.777MHz and 7.092MHz may also be used, if needed.

 

And now for details of rallies and events

West Manchester Radio Club’s Red Rose Rally will take place on Sunday the 26^th of February. The event will be held at St. Joseph’s Hall, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Free parking, café services and a raffle are among the attractions on offer. For further information visit: wmrc.co.uk/rally.htmThe Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society is holding its annual rally on the 4^th of March. The venue will be the Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. Doors open at 10.30 am. For more information visit www.lvars.uk

Exeter Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place on Sunday the 5^th of March. The venue for the event will be America Hall, De la Rue Way, Pinhoe, Exeter EX4 8PW. The doors will open at 10.30 am for everyone and 10.15 am for disabled visitors. Admission is £3. Entry for those under 16 is free. There will be trade stands and bring and buy.

The South Kesteven Amateur Radio Society Junk Sale will take place on Saturday the 11^th of March at the  Railway Club, Grantham, NG31 7AU. Doors open for traders at 8 am. Traders are asked to bring their own table. Doors are open to the public between 9.30 am and 1 pm. Admission for traders is £5, and for the public £1. Refreshments will be available on-site. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment. Contact Stewart, M0SDM for more details via s.mason@skars.co.uk

 

Now the Special Event News

Special event stations, 7Z3FD, 8Z3FD and HZ3FD are operating in celebration of Saudi Arabia’s Founding Day. The stations will be active until the 22^nd of February. QSL via HZ1SAR. The logs will be uploaded to Club Log.

The United Nations Global Service Centre Amateur Radio Club will be active as 4U13FEB until the 28^th of February. The station is active to promote World Radio Day which was held on the 13^th of February. QSL via 9A2AA, directly or via the bureau.

Members of the Kuwait Amateur Radio Society will be active as 9K9NLD until the 28^th of February. The special callsign is active in celebration of Kuwait National Day, on the 25^th of February, and Liberation Day on the 26^th of February. QSL via EC6DX.

Members of the Panama Canal Amateur Radio Association will be active as 3E30PCARA until the 28^th of February to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the formation of their club in 1993. QSL directly to the Association.

 

Now the DX news

Peter, G4HSO will be active as S79/G4HSO from Seychelles until the 21^st of February. He will be operating CW and VarAC only. QSL via Logbook of the World.

Bob, W7YAQ and Al, K7AR will be active as YJ0A from Efate, OC-035, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Their visit will include operating in the CQ WPX RTTY Contest and the ARRL DX CW Contest. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, Logbook of the World or via K7AR.

Vlad, OK2WX will be active as 9U4WX from Burundi until the 27^th of February. He will be operating CW and SSB on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS is preferred. QSL is also possible via Logbook of the World or via IZ8CCW.

 

Now the contest news

The ARRL International DX Contest ends its 48-hour run today, the 19^th, at 2359UTC. CW will be used on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted. For stations outside of the USA and Canada, the exchange is signal report and transmission power. American stations send a signal report and their State. Canadian stations send a signal report and their Province.

On Tuesday the 21^st of February, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 22^nd of February, 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 23^rd of February, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

The CQ 160m DX Contest will run for 48 hours from 2200UTC on Friday the 24^th of February. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. American stations also send their State and Canadian stations send their province.

The French HF Championship, also known as the REF Contest, begins at 0600UTC on Saturday the 25^th of February and ends at 1800UTC on Sunday the 26^th of February. Using SSB on the HF bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. French stations send their department number or overseas territory prefix.

 

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 16^th of February 2023

Last week was interesting as we had an X-class solar flare, and a significant geomagnetic disturbance, as well as good HF conditions at times.

An impulsive X1.1 solar flare was observed around active region 3217 in the southeast quadrant of the Sun at 1548UTC on the 11^th of February. The flare did not appear eruptive, so we had no associated coronal mass ejection.

Nevertheless, the flare caused a fade-out as its X-rays penetrated deep into the D-layer of the ionosphere.

There were other lesser M-class and C-class flares throughout the week.

The Kp index rose to five on Wednesday the 15^th of February and conditions continued to be geomagnetically unstable throughout Thursday. Nevertheless, the ionosphere remained relatively stable with daytime MUFs over 3,000km generally staying above 28MHz all week.

The critical frequency is generally remaining well above 4MHz until midnight, meaning 80m is open around the UK and also to DX. After midnight it can decline, meaning only longer paths are open.

NOAA has updated its coronal mass ejection forecast model to predict a stronger-than-anticipated solar wind passing Earth by late Friday the 17^th of February and into Saturday the 18^th. A moderate G2 level storm watch was officially added, beginning on Friday, so aurora sky watchers and VHF enthusiasts should be alert this weekend.

Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasts that the SFI will fall back, perhaps to 130 by next Friday. Once we get past this weekend’s geomagnetic disturbance, the Kp index is predicted to remain settled all week, although a single coronal mass ejection could soon spoil that.

 

And now the VHF and up propagation news

After some good tropo for the 70cm UK Activity Contest last Tuesday, it will be a return to more unsettled weather that ends this week and starts this weekend. High pressure will then quickly return and take up residence over the south and west of the country, eventually ending up west of Ireland. 

This will mean that tropo will again offer some enhanced conditions on VHF and UHF and may prove useful for the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday evening.

After midweek, it will tend to favour paths within the UK and to the south into France. From midweek there will be low pressure to the east of the British Isles with a showery northerly flow down the North Sea. This will cut off the eastern half of Europe from any Tropo prospects, but it may offer some rain scatter from eastern areas.

There may continue to be some good chances of auroral propagation, which you can explore by checking the Kp index for values higher than five. In the absence of major meteor showers, random meteor scatter is always an option and likely to be most profitable around the dawn period.

For EME operators, Moon declination is negative but increasing, going positive again on Wednesday. The week will therefore see Moon availability windows increasing and path losses increasing from their lowest with perigee, the point where the Moon is closest to Earth, occurring today Sunday the 19^th. 

The Sun and Moon are close to an eclipse later today and throughout all of Monday’s moon window, so sky noise will be high due to the Sun being in the beamwidth of most antennas. After that, 144MHz sky noise is low for the rest of the week.

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