RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for November 6th 2022.

  GB2RS News

Sunday the 6^th of November 2022

The news headlines:

• Next RSGB Tonight@8 Webinar

• RSGB Annual General Meeting

• RSGB Morse Test Coordinator

 

The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar will be live-streamed on Monday the 7^th of November at 8 pm. Terry, G4POP, will present ‘Log4OM: The first decade’ – a look at the popular free logging software Log4OM. Suitable for all levels of expertise, Terry’s talk will consider the software’s history, its developers and its in-built features. There will be a live demonstration and a chance to ask questions. Tonight@8 webinars are live-streamed on BATC and on the RSGB YouTube channel. For more information about all RSGB webinars go to rsgb.org/webinars

The RSGB has announced that its 96th AGM will take place on Saturday the 15^th of April 2023. Full details of the AGM, the voting process and the calling notice will appear in the April 2023 issue of RadCom. In the coming weeks, the Society will publish details of the roles that will form part of the elections and how you can get involved.

The RSGB has appointed Eric Arkinstall, M0KZB as its Morse Test Coordinator. Eric has been interested in electronics since he was young and he built his first crystal set when he was about 11 years old. Eric now teaches Morse code on the air each week. For further information about Morse and the Morse test, see the RSGB website at rsgb.org/morse

Amateur Radio Digital Communications is a private foundation that exists to support amateur radio and digital communication science and technology. It has two standing committees for which it seeks volunteers each year: the Technical Advisory Committee and the Grants Advisory Committee. Applications should be received by the 12^th of November 2022. International applications are welcome. Details of how to apply can be found under the News tab at ampr.org

The Bath Based Distance Learning team has helped over a thousand students to pass UK amateur radio exams with pass rates consistently above the national average. Their next course will be for the Intermediate level and it will run from January to May 2023. The deadline for applications is the 7^th of December. There will be no charge for the training but students will need to provide their own textbook, scientific calculator, electronic parts and tool kit. As well as weekly work packages via a virtual classroom, there will be weekly online tutorials, revision quizzes and lots of practical exercises to bring the theory to life. Students will also have access to one of the remote tutors who will provide feedback and additional guidance when required. As part of the application process, there will be some pre-course work to ensure students are able to use the online learning systems and ensure they are ready to study in January. To find out more and receive course application details, email Team Leader Steve, G0FUW via g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk The team will also run a Full Licence course, which will start in August 2023, but a further announcement will be made when that course is ready for enrolment.

 

And now for details of rallies and events

The Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place today Sunday the 6^th of November, at Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a bring-and-buy sale and catering. The venue has disabled access. Doors open for traders at 8 am and to the public at 10. For more information email m0omc@m0omc.co.uk

Now the Special Event News

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 6^th is the last chance to catch Eiki JH8JWF operating as 5R8AS from Madagascar, AF-013. Eiki will be operating using SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.

A team of operators will be active as P29RO from Loloata Island, Papua New Guinea, OC-240, until the 10^th of November. They plan to operate the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via the bureau, Club Log or directly to DL4SVA.

PA900UTR will be active until the 11^th of November on various bands and modes. The station is operating to celebrate the 900^th anniversary of Utrecht being granted city rights in 1122. QSL via the bureau to PI4UTR.

Now contest news

Today, the 6^th, the 144MHz CW Marconi Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC. CW only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Tuesday the 8^th of November, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday the 8^th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Wednesday the 9^th of November, the FT8 Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. The exchange is a report and a four-character locator.

On Thursday the 10^th of November, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend the Worked All Europe RTTY Contest runs for 24 hours from 0000UTC on Saturday the 12^th. Using the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are allowed, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Sunday the 13^th of November, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO

They write, we had yet another week of good HF propagation, despite a strong solar wind that threatened to push the geomagnetic Kp index up, but it generally never managed more than a four in the first half of the week.

The solar flux index managed to hit 130 on Thursday, having been in the 120s all week, but the sunspots have been quite weak and small.

On Thursday the Kp index rose again, hitting five due to the enhanced solar wind from an Earth-facing coronal hole. Nevertheless, the Fairford Digisonde registered a critical frequency of 9.925MHz, giving a maximum useable frequency in excess of 35MHz over a 3,000km path around lunchtime. This may have been a pre-auroral enhancement as it didn’t last very long – the MUF was soon down to 28.8MHz. Please note the Chilton Digisonde has been down again, so if this continues please switch to Fairford at Propquest.co.uk.

The upper HF bands have been very lively with much DX being worked. 5V7RU Russian DXpedition team in Togo have made it into many logs, as has J28MD team in Djibouti.

Transatlantic 10m signals remain very strong during the daylight, reflecting the good HF propagation at this point in the year, switching to South America as the Sun is setting.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will probably remain in the 120s. It also predicts unsettled geomagnetic conditions on the 10th, 11th and 12th when the Kp index may once again rise to five.

If you have been putting off getting onto HF you are really missing out!

Now the VHF and up propagation news.

The unsettled weather pattern is still the dominant story for the coming week with a series of lows either across the country or sitting over the nearby Atlantic, bringing periods of rain and strong winds and showery interludes in between.

This raises the issue of rain scatter for another week on the GHz bands. There are probably just two periods with ridges of higher pressure. The first crosses the country on Friday night at the start of the week and the second develops over the English Channel at the end of next week, so limited Tropo options once again.

November is a good month for meteor scatter with the Leonids shower starting today and peaking around the 16^th. Expect some increasing signs of meteor scatter activity as the week progresses.

The solar conditions continue to provide coronal holes and the prospect of geomagnetic storms, so keep a watch on the Kp index, with a high index warning of auroras.

As for Sporadic-E, we are in the doldrum month of November which rarely provides anything dramatic, but the usual procedure of monitoring the foEs graphs on Propquest should reveal what's happening.

Moon declination is positive again with Moon windows lengthening as the week progresses. Path losses are still low but increasing and apogee is still over a week away. 144MHz sky noise is low in the coming week.

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