RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for June 11th 2023

GB2RS News

Sunday the 11^th of June 2023

The news headlines:

• RSGB President's IRTS speech
• Contest group map
• Distance learning for Full licence exam

 

RSGB President, John McCullagh, GI4BWM received a warm welcome when he attended the IRTS AGM Gala Dinner recently. He talked about the challenges faced by national societies, as well as the success of the RSGB’s Tonight@8 live webinars and online exams, which were introduced during the pandemic. John also stressed the importance of engaging young people in amateur radio, through the Society’s work with schools and universities. He is featured on page 10 of the June issue of Ham Radio Ireland Magazine.

As part of the RSGB’s new Club Finder facilities, the Society has launched an online map that shows affiliated contest-only clubs and groups. If you’d like to get involved in a group, you can use the map to search locally and more widely. Depending on the club entry you will be able to see which contests they participate in as well as their contact and website information. If you are part of an RSGB-affiliated contest group or club, please check your details and, if they need updating, log into the RSGB members’ portal. New information will be uploaded to the map every Friday afternoon. You can find the map on the RSGB’s contest web page at rsgb.org/radiosport

Since 2011, the Bath Based Distance Learning team has helped nearly one thousand students to obtain their Full licence. Student feedback is always very positive and the pass rate continues to be well over 80%, compared with a national average of around 66%. The BBDL team is now planning another Full-licence level course. The course will run from the end of August to December, with exams in January. Students receive weekly work packages via an online classroom and have access to weekly online tutorials. Each student is allocated to one of the remote tutors who provide feedback and additional guidance. There are weekly quizzes to check on progress and at the end of the course there are a number of mock exams. There is no charge for the training, but applicants must work through some pre-course material and complete a quiz to be eligible for a place. This focuses on the ‘new’ Intermediate topics that were introduced to the syllabus in 2019. The aims of the pre-course classroom are to make sure applicants can use the BBDL systems and to ensure that they are ready for the current Full training syllabus. Each student will need to provide their own RSGB Full licence textbook and arrange their own exam at the end of the course. Advice will be provided as part of the course. The deadline for course applications is Tuesday the 25^th of July. To request full details and an application form, please email BBDL Team Leader, Steve, G0FUW, via g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk

International Museums on the Air will take place on the weekends of the 17^th and 18^th, and the 24^th and 25^th of June. A participation award will be issued to all stations that register. The registration process is simply to assist the organisers with the administration of the event and provides those taking part with an indication of how many stations will be active and exactly where the museums involved are located. To read more details about the event, and to register, please visit: tinyurl.com/MOTAW

 

And now for details of rallies and events

The Mendips Rally is taking place today, the 11^th of June. The venue is Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall, Church Lane, Farrington Gurney, Somerset, BS39 6TY. The entrance fee is £2. The doors open at 7.30 am for traders and 9.30 am for visitors. For bookings and enquiries please contact Luke on 07870 168 197 or email mendipsrally@hotmail.com

The Junction 28 Radio Rally is also taking place today, the 11^th of June. The venue is Alfreton Leisure Centre Bowls Hall, Church Street, Alfreton, DE55 7BD. The doors open at 10.15 am and admission is £4. There is a fee of £12 to book a table in advance. A bar and refreshments are available on-site. For more information, directions, and the booking form, visit snadarc.com Alternatively, email secretary@snadarc.com

The East Suffolk Wireless Revival, also known as the Ipswich Radio Rally, will take place on Sunday the 18^th of June. The venue will be Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton IP10 0PW, just off the A14. The doors open at 9.30 am and the entry fee for visitors is £3. The venue has free car parking. There will be trade stands, a car boot sale, a bring-and-buy area, special interest groups, an RSGB bookstall and much more. Catering is available on-site. For more information contact Kevin, G8MXV on 07710 046 846 and visit eswr.org.uk

 

The Newbury Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 25^th of June. The venue will be Newbury Showground, next to junction 13 of the M4 motorway in Berkshire, RG18 9QZ. There will be a display area with an amateur radio station, exhibits, special interest groups, clubs and societies. The doors will open to sellers at 8 am and visitors at 9 am. Ample free parking will be available. Entry is £3 for visitors. A seller’s pitch costs £15. On-site catering and disabled facilities will be available. For more information, email NewburyRally@nadars.org.uk and visit nadars.org.uk

 

Now the Special Event News

Autistic Pride Day is held on the 18^th of June each year. In support of the occasion, special callsign PD2023APD will be active from the 16^th to the 18^th of June on the 10, 20 and 40m bands. See QRZ.com for more information.

Special event callsign DB23SOWG will be active until the 25^th of June. The suffix stands for ‘Special Olympics World Games’, the world's largest sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities. This year the event is being held in Berlin. QSL via the bureau, or direct to DL2VFR.

The Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society will be using the callsign GB0BAL at HQ RAF Cosford from the 17^th of June to the 14^th of July. The ‘BAL’ suffix stands for Berlin Airlift. This was a huge humanitarian operation that took place between June 1948 and September 1949. Access to the city of Berlin was blocked in June 1948. The Western Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, an operation to supply the city with necessary resources by air.

The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club is supporting International Men’s Health Week 2023 by using the special callsign GB0MMH from the 16^th to the 18^th of June. The group will be operating from its clubhouse at Haven Mill, Patrington Haven, 15 miles east of Hull in Yorkshire. Activity will be across various modes and HF bands. For more information, please visit hfdxarc.com

 

Now the DX news

Today is the last chance to work Lars, SM6CUK. He is active from Ven Island, EU-137, as SA6G/7. He is operating on the 40 to 10m bands using CW. QSL via his home call, Logbook of the World and Club Log’s OQRS.

Bob, N7XR is active as V7/N7XR from Kwajalein, OC-028, in the Marshall Islands until late June or early July. He operates CW, RTTY and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS.

T88PB will be active from Koror Island, OC-009, until Monday the 19^th of June. He will operate on the HF Bands. QSL via JA0JHQ directly.

 

Now the contest news

The IARU ATV Contest starts on Saturday the 10^th of June at 1200UTC and ends on Sunday the 11^th of June at 1800UTC. Using TV on 432MHz and up frequencies, the exchange is a serial number, four-digit code and locator.

On Sunday the 11^th of June, the 2^nd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Sunday the 11^th of June, the Practical Wireless 2m QRP Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. Using phone and a maximum of 5W on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 13^th of June, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

This is followed by the 432MHz UK Activity Contest which runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 14^th of June, the 80m Club Championship CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Wednesday the 14^th of June, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 14^th of June, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

On Thursday the 15^th of June, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The 50MHz Trophy Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 17^th of June and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 18^th of June. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 17^th of June and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 18^th of June. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and age.

On Sunday the 18^th of June, the Worked All Britain 6m Phone Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using phone on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square.

 

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 8^th of June 2023

Solar activity has remained at low levels over the past few days with only minor C-class and one M-class flare detected. The majority of these small flares were produced by active region 3327 in the southeast quadrant.

But a large number of sunspots means we are at a high risk of M-class or even higher flares over the next week.

HF conditions for last weekend’s Field Day were good and most teams put in good scores. Sporadic-E wasn’t too evident on HF, but there was plenty of F-layer DX to be had and luckily an anticipated geomagnetic storm never materialised.

The Kp index remained low for the whole weekend, apart from a brief excursion to Kp4 late on Sunday evening, which only lasted until the next three-hourly update.

Next week the Space Weather Prediction Centre thinks the solar flux index will be in the range of 140 to 155, with 155 coming much later in the week. We may expect some geomagnetic disturbance over this weekend, with the Kp index perhaps reaching four on Sunday the 12^th.

Looking further ahead, the 18^th to the 21^st is predicted to be unsettled with a maximum Kp index of five.

We really are into a period of summer HF propagation now, which is characterised by lower maximum useable frequencies during daylight hours, but higher MUFs during night-time.

According to Propquest, night-time MUFs over a 3,000km path are staying well above 14MHz and even 18MHz all night. You may even find DX on 21MHz up until midnight. So don’t write off the HF bands after dark as you may get some surprises.

 

 

And now the VHF and up propagation news

Sporadic-E produced some remarkable conditions early last week with 50MHz FT8 QSOs made with Australia during the day and afternoon and evening openings to the Caribbean, Central, North and South America on FT8 and CW.

Caribbean signals were still being copied at 2200UTC on some days.

The 5^th produced QSOs for many on 70MHz including S01WS in Western Sahara. We are still in the peak Sporadic-E season, so it is well worth keeping a check on band activity via the various clusters or simply listening, particularly in the late afternoon.

The current weather setup is quite typical for this time of year and can be remarkably persistent. Although there have been suggestions of unsettled thundery weather arriving, it may be a brief visit and rather limited in extent. Some eastern areas stay close to the high pressure which becomes more dominant again throughout next week.

This means that Tropo will still be a component of the coming week’s propagation, especially along North Sea coasts, although this will tend to favour northern Britain as the week progresses.

The thundery weather could introduce rain scatter, especially to southern and western areas, and these storms should be easy to track in view of the light upper winds.

Recent solar conditions, as detailed in the previous section, continue to provide propagation variety with chances of aurora plus the usual mention of random meteor scatter.

Moon declination is still negative until Monday, and, as we are past perigee, we will have lengthening Moon windows and rising path losses. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.

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