RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 30th 2022.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 30^th of October 2022

The news headlines:

• RSGB Construction Contest

• RSGB ICQ Podcast Interviews

• Next RSGB Tonight@8 Webinar

 

The RSGB has launched this year’s construction competition. To enable members across the country, and even the world, to take part, entries will be judged over the internet rather than in person. There are four categories – Beginners, Construction Excellence, Innovation, and Software – and the deadline for entries is the 1^st of March 2023. Special recognition will be given to entries submitted by radio amateurs under the age of 24, and to those who have just gained their Foundation licence. A cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each section, with a bonus for the overall winner who will also be declared the winner of the Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy. To find out more, including how to enter, see the full details on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/construction-competition

The RSGB President Stewart Bryant, G3YSX and General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB were interviewed by ICQ Podcast at the National Hamfest. Steve talked about this year’s first hybrid RSGB Convention which brought hundreds of people together again. The two days of live stream content is still attracting thousands of views from radio amateurs across the world. The President discussed the RSGB’s international and standards work with the IARU, as well as the need to use and protect the spectrum. You can find Episode 388 at icqpodcast.com and the RSGB interview starts at one hour, thirty minutes and fifty-two seconds.

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 VHF Contest Committee is currently planning the rules for next year’s VHF contests. Following some discussion at the RSGB Convention, they have some questions on which they would appreciate feedback from contestants. You can find the survey online at thersgb.org/go/vhf2023. The survey will close on Sunday the 13^th of November.

The RSGB is sad to learn of the passing of Richard Brunton, G4TUT. For countless years, Richard was editor of the popular Southgate Amateur Radio News website. Every single day, he searched the world’s amateur radio and technology resources for stories of interest and published them. Richard offered his platform inclusively, commissioning non-commercial podcasts and blogs to promote opinion alongside conventional news items. He also compiled the ‘CQ Serenade’ weekly programme which was broadcast throughout Europe on Shortwaveradio.de and other public-facing media. Richard was an intensely private man who had no close family, but he reached thousands of friends daily through his website. Amateur radio has lost a true communicator.

And now for details of rallies and events

Scotland’s biggest Rally for this year is being held in Galashiels today the 30^th of October. The Rally takes place at the Volunteer Hall, St John Street, Galashiels. Admission is £2.50 per person, with free entry for those under 16s. Doors open for general admission at 11 am with disabled and accessible entry and early book-in of bring-and-buy items at 10.45 am. There will be an RSGB bookstall and catering is available on the site.

The Hack Green Radio Surplus Hangar Sale takes place today, the 30th, at Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 8AL. The event will include the sale of electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. Doors open at 11 am. For more details visit www.hackgreen.co.uk

The British Vintage Wireless Society’s Golborne Swapmeet will take place today the 30^th of October. The venue is Golborne Parkside Sports and Community Club, Rivington Avenue, Golborne, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 3HG. Doors open at 10 am with stallholder entry from 9.30 am. Contact Mark Ryding via markryding100@hotmail.co.uk for additional information.

Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place next 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 am. For more information email m0omc@m0omc.co.uk

Now the Special Event News

The Norfolk Tank Museum Radio Group near Long Stratton has been granted the permanent special callsign of GB2NTM and will be on the air for the last day of the Museum’s 2022 season from 11 am until 5 pm today, the 30^th of October. Operation is planned on 80, 40 and 20m plus 70.450MHz FM using radios from the museum’s collection. More details via the QRZ.com page for GB2NTM.

Now the DX news

Bill, K9HZ will be active as J68HZ on Saint Lucia, NA-108, until the 5^th of November. He will be available for contact during the CQ Worldwide DX SSB Contest. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, Club Log or directly to K9HZ.

Take, JI3DST will be active from Shodo Island, AS-200, until the 4^th of November. He will be using SSB and CW. He will operate as JI3DST/5, JJ5RBH and JS6RRR/5 as well as JS6RRR/P on FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.

Tjeerd PE1OJR will be active as PJ4TB from Bonaire, SA-006, until Monday the 31^st of October. He will be operating on the 40 to 6m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.

HB175RAIL will be active until the 31^st of October to celebrate the 175^th anniversary of the Swiss Railways. Multiple bands and modes will be in operation and a number of certificates will be available. QSL via Logbook of the World.

OR1050HERZ will be active until the 31^st of October to mark the 1,050^th anniversary of the foundation of the town of Herzele in the Belgian province of Flanders. Activity will be on all bands and modes. QSL via the bureau.

Now the contest news

Today, the 30^th, the CQ Worldwide DX Contest ends its 24-hour run at 2359UTC. Using SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone.

On Tuesday the 1^st of November, the Silent Key Memorial Contest runs from 0600 to 0900UTC. Using CW only on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is a signal report and a Silent Key callsign.

On Wednesday the 2^nd of November, the UKEICC 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is a six-character locator.

Next weekend, the 144MHz CW Marconi Contest runs for 24 hours from 1400UTC on Saturday. Using CW only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 28^th of October 2022

Good conditions on HF have continued with only a short geomagnetic disturbance to dull things a little. The planetary Kp index got up to five on the 25^th, due to plasma from a geo-effective coronal hole, but luckily it recovered quite quickly. Two days later it was back to one and the upper HF bands came alive again.

The ionosphere was disturbed on the 23^rd and 24^th, with the MUF over a 3,000km path dipping in and out of the 10m band. But by the 25^th things were pretty much back to normal.

The solar flux index dropped down to 105 on the 22^nd but recovered a little to end at 122 on Thursday.

It has once again been a good week for 10m with openings to the US being commonplace. This is a good opportunity to up your Worked All States score with the 14, 18 and 21MHz bands remaining open long after sunset. 28MHz is also shining during daylight hours.

Other notable contacts were AH7C Hawaii on 10m FT8 long path by Darren, G0TSM. Darren also worked P29RO, the German DXpedition to Papua New Guinea, on all bands from 18 to 28MHz.

Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 100-118 range. Unfortunately, the Kp index is expected to rise to five on Saturday the 29^th due to an enhanced solar wind stream from a trio of coronal holes on the Sun’s equator. This may no doubt impact conditions for the CQ Worldwide Phone Contest this weekend.

NOAA thinks the unsettled conditions could linger until Thursday, November the 3^rd when the Kp index may return to two.

And finally, please note that the data feed from the Chilton Digisonde has not been reliable this week. To circumvent this, on Propquest.co.uk we recommend selecting FF051 Fairford to maintain the graphs.

And now the VHF and up propagation news

The autumnal weather remains in control and the basic pattern changes very little over the coming week.

This places low pressure to the southwest of the British Isles and a mild south-westerly wind bringing periods of rain as fronts cross the country with intervening spells of showery weather in between.

The result of all this for VHF and UHF propagation is that rain scatter continues to have a look-in on the GHz bands. But this is very little comfort for tropo operators since high pressure does not really feature at all in the coming week, other than occasional weak transient events alongside weather fronts.

The ever-present chances of aurora are always a possibility, so keep up to date with VHF cluster reports of current activity levels to ensure you don’t miss out on any openings.

The Propquest.co.uk graphs have shown isolated occasions with Sporadic-E recorded on the foEs plots, so always worth a check on 10m and 6m for strong short skip European signals, especially on digital modes.

Random meteor scatter in the hours around dawn is always a banker for propagation and we are still in the tail end of the Orionid and Leonis Minoris showers to add to the mix. Next Sunday, the 6^th, marks the onset of the big Leonids shower, peaking around the 16^th.

With the Moon at minimum declination this weekend, Moon windows will be short but lengthening as the week progresses. Perigee was yesterday, Saturday, so path losses are at their lowest. 144MHz sky noise is low in the coming week.

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