RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for November 27th 2022

GB2RS News

Sunday the 27^th of November 2022

The news headlines:

• 146 to 147MHz NoV Extension

• HF DXpedition FundTrustee Required

• RSGB Convention Presentations

Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146 to 147MHz Notice of Variation for a further year. It is available on a non-interference basis and the NoV is subject to a 30-day notice period of change or withdrawal. Full licence holders can apply for the 146 to 147MHz NoV via the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nov

The RSGB assists HF DXpeditions to the rarer countries through a fund that is supported each year from the proceeds of a raffle held at the annual RSGB Convention, as well as income from legacies and donations. The Society is looking to appoint a fifth Trustee for the HF DXpedition Fund who, given the increasing number of applications, will also act as Secretary to the group. Applicants should be enthusiastic HF DXers with an interest in DXCC and IOTA. For further information about the role and how to apply, go to the volunteer vacancies section of the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers

The RSGB has released two individual 2022 Convention presentations. In the first, Professor Alwyn Seeds, G8DOH talks about “Building a VHF/UHF Contest Station”. The second presentation is by Hans Summers, G0UPL who explains “The QCX CW transceiver kit story: design, development, five years of production and evolution”. Part of the second presentation was live-streamed during the Convention but you can now watch it all on the RSGB YouTube channel – go to youtube.com/theRSGB and choose the RSGB 2022 Convention playlist.

On Saturday 3 December at 1400UTC, AMSAT SA and the South African Radio League are hosting a webinar about Hamprojects. This is a platform to facilitate complex projects that are beyond the possibility of individuals or even one amateur radio society or club. The concept was developed by Willi Vollenweider, HB9AMC as part of the IARU Region 1 Shaping the future of Amateur Radio initiative. During the webinar, Willi will explain Hamprojects in detail and how individual radio amateurs and groups, or amateur radio cubs, can participate or initiate their own projects and attract international participation. The webinar is free to attend and open to anyone who has an interest in technology and a desire to become part of future innovation. Register as soon as possible, as participation is limited to 150 persons, via tinyurl.com/hamrprojects

Don’t forget the Transatlantic Centenary Tests event that starts at 0000UTC on Thursday the 1^st of December and runs for the whole month. There are awards available for working the special stations and, if you are an RSGB Member and hold a Full Licence, still opportunities to book an operating slot. Go to rsgb.org/tct for full information.

And now for details of rallies and events

Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally will be held today, the 27^th, at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. Doors open at 10.30 am for everyone and 10 am for disabled visitors. Admission is £2 and free to under-14s who are accompanied by an adult. Talk-in will be on 2m channel V44. Contact Bob Dingle, G0OCB on 07710 023 916 for further information.

The Midlands Round Table event will be held on Saturday the 3^rd of December. The day will follow a relaxed schedule with talks aimed primarily at Microwave, Amateur Television, Amateur Satellite and other innovative areas of amateur radio. There will be tables provided free of charge for the junk sale and for any free items attendees wish to give away. The event is being held at Eaton Manor, Eaton-under-Heywood, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 7DH. The event venue will be open from 9 am and proceedings will start at 10 am. Questions and requests should be directed to Paul, G8AQA on 01694 771 441.

The Yeovil Amateur Radio Club Rally will be held on Thursday the 29^th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Doors will be open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and admission is £3. Free parking is available. The event will include bring and buy as well as 20 tables for traders. For more information contact Bob on 01963 440 167.

Now the Special Event News

Leyland and District Amateur Radio Club will be active as GB9LD for Lancashire Day today, the 27^th of November. Activity will take place on the 40m to 70cm bands. At 1500UTC the club will read the Lancashire Day Proclamation on HF and toast His Majesty King Charles III, Duke of Lancaster. All are welcome to join in. Enquiries to ladar@mail.com

On Thursday the 1^st of December, GB1WH will begin operating. The Special Event Station has been established to promote the work done by Wakefield Hospice. For more information, visit the GB1WH QRZ.com page.

GB1LJF begins its on-air activities on Thursday the 1^st of December. The Special Event Station is operating to celebrate the manufacturing of the English Electric Lightning aircraft in Lancashire. More information is available via the GB1LJF QRZ.com page.

Now the DX news

Today, the 27^th is the last chance to work Alex, K6VHF. He is active as 4L1FP from Tbilisi Georgia. He is operating SSB, CW and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log or directly to K6VHF.

Don, K6ZO will be active as 7Q6M from Malawi until the 29^th of November. He will be available on the 160 to 6m bands using SSB and CW. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to K6ZO.

Special Event Station CX100B will be active until the 30^th of November. The station is operating to celebrate the centenary of the first radio broadcast in Uruguay which took place on the 6^th of November 1922. QSL via CX1AA and Logbook of the World.

Special callsign ZW200ESQ is active until the 30^th of November to celebrate the bicentennial of the Brazilian Navy. Operations will take place from the premises of the Brazilian Naval School’s Communication Group. Activity will be on all bands from 80m to 70cm using CW, SSB, digital modes and FM on satellite. QSL via the bureau or directly to PY1JR.

Bob, W7YAQ and Al, K7AR will be active as K8H from Tutuila Island, OC-045, American Samoa until the 1^st of December. They will be operating two stations on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log, Logbook of the World or via W7YAQ.

Now the contest news

Today, the 27^th, the CQ Worldwide DX CW Contest ends its 24-hour run at 2359UTC. Using CW only on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone.

On Monday the 28^th of November the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is a report and four-character locator.

Thursday the 1^st of December sees the start of the UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon. The contest will run until the 31^st of January 2023. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator.

The ARRL 160m Contest begins at 2200UTC on Friday the 2^nd of December and finishes at 1600UTC on Sunday the 4^th of December. Using CW only on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. American and Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section.

Next Sunday, the 4^th of December, the 144MHz AFS Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. 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 25th November 2022

We dodged a bullet last week when a large coronal hole failed to produce a geomagnetic disturbance. Despite many predictions that we could expect an upturn in the Kp index, it looks like the solar wind missed the Earth, probably because the hole was too low in the Sun’s southern hemisphere.

As a result the Kp index never went higher than 4, actually 3.67 globally, and things remained calm. This was good news for HF, although a low solar flux index below 120 all week was nothing to get excited about. At the same time, the improvement in low-band conditions, as we head into late Autumn, is making up for it. Top Band contacts have been recorded with 3B8 Mauritius, and Peter, G3PHO has even made it into the USA in the late afternoon on 160m FT8.

So, if you’ve never worked much on Top Band, and you have the antenna for it, give it a try. Failing that, try the top end of 80m SSB around sunrise in the UK for contacts with the USA.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around the 120-125 mark. The good news is that there are no large coronal holes currently visible and there have only been minor C-class flares with CMEs that have not been Earth-directed, so geomagnetic conditions are likely to be good. That is, at least until the 1^st of December when we have a predicted Kp index of four, which may disrupt contacts mainly on polar paths.

This is good news for this weekend’s CQ Worldwide CW contest, which is a great opportunity for you to up your country totals or for your Worked All States award.

Now a footnote for those occasions when the propquest.co.uk graphs are not updating. It can be a local effect at one of the stations, such as Chilton, which has been offline recently. Usually selecting one of the tick boxes in the top right of the graphs will show Fairford or Dourbes when available.

However, last week and maybe still, we have a complete blank for all three ionosonde station plots, which is much more likely to be a server issue in the States where the data is hosted. You can check the Propquest server is working by selecting the “Archive” or “Averages” tabs. In any event, the ionosonde data plots will come back automatically once any issues have been resolved.

And now the VHF and up propagation news

The unsettled spell of weather continues into the first half of next week so could provide some further rain scatter opportunities on the GHz Bands.

The broad south-westerly pattern may well switch over to an easterly after midweek as high pressure builds across Scotland. This could bring a return of Tropo for some parts, but looks a bit weak, while the south will continue to be affected by low-pressure systems.

It will feel colder, with some models hinting at wintry conditions being a possibility, so wrap up well if you plan to do any portable operation!

The Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower noted last week is over but the small November Orionids, active until the 6^th of December, reaches its peak on Monday the 28^th.

Get ready for the big Geminids meteor shower in December. It commences on the 4^th reaching a ZHR of over 100 between the 14^th and 15^th. More about this closer to the shower peak.

Moon declination is increasing again and goes positive on Friday. So Moon windows will lengthen and zenith angles will increase. Path losses, on the other hand, start to increase again this week after last Friday’s perigee. We have to wait until mid-2026 before maximum declination coincides with the lowest path loss, but we are moving in that direction again. 144MHz sky noise is low all week, not getting above 300 Kelvin until next Sunday.

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