GB2RS

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for April 3rd 2022.

GB2RS News
Sunday the 3rd of April 2022
 
The news headlines:
Transatlantic tests and Paul Godley lecture
Volunteers sought for the NRC
MSF signals closed for maintenance
 
As most listeners will already know, Paul Godley was sent over from the USA 100 years ago to conduct the transatlantic tests. Those tests opened up the era of short-wave radio communication. But why Paul Godley? Who was he, why was he chosen and what happened next? On Thursday the 7th of April, all those questions will be answered in an open Zoom talk by Godley's grandson, Bruce Littlefield. The Zoom meeting will be hosted by Wigtownshire ARC in South West Scotland and will begin at 1900UTC. Everyone is invited, subject to a limit of 100, and joining details will be published closer to the meeting date at www.gm4riv.org.
The RSGB National Radio Centre welcomes thousands of people through its doors each month and introduces them to amateur radio. The Society needs to expand the team of volunteers and is particularly looking for people who can be part of the team each Thursday. If you are interested in becoming an NRC volunteer you should enjoy meeting people and be prepared to work a minimum of one, preferably two, days per month. Full training is given. Please email NRC Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB for further information via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk.
A scheduled annual maintenance shutdown of the MSF 60kHz Radio Time Signal service is planned. It will allow safe working on the masts and antennas. The service will be off-air from 0700 to 1700UTC each day between the 4th and 21st of April. The transmission will be restored overnight whenever possible. A radio-controlled clock will not be able to pick up the MSF signal during these periods, so may drift off from the correct time.
There have been recently a number of reports of individual holders of UK Amateur licences gaining Innovation and Trial licences from Ofcom. This is to conduct experimental transmissions on 40MHz or the 8m band. The RSGB has asked Ofcom for guidance concerning the status and possible contacts with such stations. Ofcom’s view is very clear. Any operation on 40MHz in the UK is not Amateur radio and therefore cross-band contacts to such stations by UK radio Amateurs operating on the bands licenced for amateur radio are not permitted. You can read the full statement from Ofcom in the RSGB Notices part of the RSGB website at rsgb.org.uk.
The RSGB is looking for a Convention Chair to lead the team of people who will create this year's Convention. If you understand the advantages of both online and in-person events and can contribute ideas for speakers and topics that will attract both audiences, this could be the role for you. For a full role description look on the volunteer vacancy page of the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers.
BBC journalist and long-time RSGB Member Laurie Margolis, G3UML broke the fact of the invasion of the Falklands through amateur radio. On Monday the 4th of April, he will share how that happened in the RSGB’s free Tonight@8 webinar. He will also cover his involvement in the 1970 King Hussein story. Watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC stream. Find out more about this and the Society’s other webinars via rsgb.org/webinars
On the 18th of April, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris. You can read more about the event, download posters and other publicity material for any special event station you may be planning from iaru.org.
 
And now for details of rallies and events
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.
The 36th QRP Convention will be held on the 9th of April in Digby Hall, Sherborne DT9 3AA. Doors open at 9.30 am and entry is £3. There are no lectures this year. Please note that car parking charges apply.
On the 10th of April, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Spring Rally will be at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen LN8 3HT. Entry is £2 per person. The doors open at 10 am or 30 minutes earlier for disabled visitors. There is ample free car parking and refreshments will be available. Free Wi-Fi is available on site.
The next rally in the diary is on the 24th of April. The Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will be held in Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN.
Now the DX news
S57MK will be active as 9N7MK until the 23rd of April. He will be operating for three or four days from Kathmandu and then from other locations while trekking in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. He will run 10 to 15 watts mainly on the 40, 20, 17 and 15m bands using SSB, CW and digital modes.
Antonio, EA5RM will be working on a non-governmental organisation's project in the Bolivian rainforest until the 22nd of April. In his spare time, he will operate SSB, CW and FT8 as CP1XRM. QSL via his home call.
Rune, LA7QY and Helge, LB4MI will be stationed on Jan Mayen, EU- 022, until early October. They plan to operate as JX7QY and JX/LB4MI, respectively, in their spare time.
 
Now the Special Event news
Flight Refuelling ARS will be operating from the club station using GB2FRA to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary. It is intended that the callsign will be used on all the bands and modes that are available from the club shack including 10GHz EME. Operations will run throughout April. Please keep a lookout for them on all bands.
Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society will operate GB5MW between the 3rd and 30th of April to celebrate the society's centenary year. QSL via eQSL.
Brother John Cassar, 9H1CJ is a Franciscan friar operating from the Capuchin friary in Malta, EU-023. Until the 30th of June, he will be active as 9H6CAP, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the destruction of the historic friary and adjacent church during World War Two. QSL direct to home call.
 
Now the contest news
Today, the 3rd sees the Spring 70MHz contest run from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Monday, the CW leg of the 80m Club Championship takes place between 1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number.
The 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC on Tuesday. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for both is a signal report, serial number and locator.
Wednesday sees the 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest run between 1900 and 2100UTC. The exchange is a report and your 4-character locator.
Also on Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80mtr SSB contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC. The exchange is your 6-character locator.
Four contests are scheduled to take place next Sunday, the 10th of April.
The Spring 50MHz contest takes place between 0900 and 1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next is the UK Microwave group Low Band contest running between 1000 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The Worked All Britain data contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC and from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using the 3.5 to 14MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your WAB reference.
Finally, the RoLo SSB contest runs between 1900 and 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is the signal report and the locator you received.
 
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 1st of April 2022.
Last week we said there was a sense of excitement as it looked like the solar flux index would increase. But even NOAA didn’t predict that it would rise to 156, which it hit on Monday the 28th. Unfortunately, along with high sunspot numbers, we have had unsettled geomagnetic conditions. On Sunday and Monday last week, the Kp index hit four, due to the predicted coronal hole issues. By Thursday the 31st, the effects of an M4/M1 coronal mass ejection event from the 28th of March were being felt. This CME resulted from a pair of sunspots, which combined into one larger shock front.
The solar wind speed was above 500km/s and the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field shifted south meaning it coupled more easily with the Earth’s magnetic field, pushing the Kp index to five with warnings for middle to high latitude aurora happening.
If this wasn’t enough, we have had a number of solar flares to contend with, including an X1.3 event from active region AR 2975 peaking at 1737UTC on Wednesday the 30th of March. This will likely result in a CME coming our way.
All this has had numerous effects on HF, from fadeouts from the flares to pre-auroral enhancements from the CMEs and good conditions on 10 metres thanks to the high SFI.
A high f0F2 critical frequency has also meant that 40 metres has been open to inter-G signals at times.
We are now well and truly in a period where it is getting difficult to predict what will happen next. NOAA predicts that the SFI will remain above 120 for the next few days and then decline into the teens. We think the best advice is to keep an eye on solarham.net and watch out for news of CMEs leaving the Sun. Expect unsettled conditions around 48 hours after news of any CME.
But the best advice overall is just get on the bands and work DX whenever you can! We can often expect MUFs to exceed 28MHz at times so make the most of 10 metres when you can, for example, John, G4BAO reports 10m was wide open to Asia on Thursday morning.
 
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
Next week offers a change of wind direction from northerly to westerly with the glimmer of hope for high pressure after the weekend, but it's only a partial nod towards tropo with just a weak, temporary ridge extending across the southern UK from the Azores high.
The next items worth mentioning are as in last week’s bulletin; keep your ears and eyes open for aurora, after a promising end to the last week as we write this with fluttery signals on 80m, you should have sorted out some favourite beacons to listen out for. Also, the early mornings can be good for random meteor scatter activity.
As we roll over into April we are getting a bit closer to the 2022 Sporadic-E season. There have been some isolated examples on 10m CW/SSB and 6m on data modes, so it's time to start checking the position of jet streams and EPI on the Propquest.co.uk website.
The end of last week favoured paths to the south into Spain across a northwesterly jet stream over the Pyrenees and Cantabrian mountains, whereas next week it looks like paths to Scandinavia might be worth a look, although probably a lower probability for these more northern latitudes.
Moon declination is positive all week reaching maximum on Friday, so Moon windows and peak Moon elevation will be high. We are past perigee so path losses will increase throughout the week. 144MHz Sky noise is low all week, briefly hitting 500K on Thursday.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
 

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for March 27th 2022.

GB2RS News
Sunday the 27th of March 2022
 
The news headlines:
Giles Read, G1MFG, Silent Key
RSGB National Radio Centre re-opens
Emergency comms in the Azores
 
We start with the sad news that the RadCom Technical Editor, Giles Read, G1MFG, has become a Silent Key following a short illness. Since June 2006 he has been an integral part of the RadCom and GB2RS team and will be missed by his colleagues as well as many in the wider amateur circle. An obituary is on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/sk. We will be adding to this web page and sharing a fuller tribute to Giles in the May edition of RadCom. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
The RSGB is pleased to announce that the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will reopen on Monday the 28th of March. It will be open seven days per week as usual. The Society is sorry to have had to close the NRC last week due to a significant number of volunteers suffering from Covid and is grateful for your support of that decision. If you had hoped to visit last week, the RSGB is sorry for any disappointment caused and the volunteers look forward to welcoming you soon.
The island of São Jorge in the Azores has suffered over 1800 earthquakes in 48 hours. The Regional Government has prepared contingency plans to protect the island’s population. CT1END, the Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator for Portugal, reports that a group of nine radio amateurs are working to support emergency communications locally and back to Portugal. Radio amateurs are asked to steer clear of 3.75 to 3.76MHz overnight, 7.1 to 7.11MHz during the day and around 14.300MHz for those amateurs outside the region. All radio amateurs are encouraged to listen carefully and avoid causing any interference to emergency operations on those frequencies. More at iaru-r1.org.
A brief reminder now. In the UK the clocks went forward 1 hour at 1 am this morning, the 27th of March.
Voting in the RSGB 2022 AGM is now open. There are three resolutions to vote for including the endorsement of two Nominated Board Directors. They have been put forward by the RSGB Nominations Committee but it is RSGB Members who choose whether or not to endorse them. The Society encourages all members to read the CVs and personal statements of the Nominated Directors and then follow the voting links to cast a vote. On the RSGB AGM web pages, you can also see the draft accounts and submit a question for the RSGB Board to answer at the online AGM. Go to rsgb.org/agm to find all the information and links you need.
Each IARU Region holds a General Conference every three years, timed so that there is one regional conference every year. The reports of past Region 1 Conferences, including the one in 2021, can be accessed via iaru-r1.org. Just go to the How IARU Works in the About IARU section.
The annual School Club EU Day activity takes place on the 5th of May between 0800 and 1800UTC. The aim is to make contacts with and among school amateur radio club and training stations as well as school children with their own callsigns. A certificate of participation will be issued for stations that send an excerpt from the log of the day. Search online for Annual School Club EU Day to learn more.
 
And now for details of rallies and events
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.
There are no rallies in the diary for next weekend. The 36th QRP Convention will be held on the 9th of April in Digby Hall, Sherborne DT9 3AA. On the 10th of April, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Spring Rally will be at Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen LN8 3HT.
 
Now the DX news
Peter, DF6QC, will be active as DA0HEL from Helgoland Island, EU- 127, until the 2nd of April. A side trip to nearby Helgoland Dune is also planned when activity as DL0IH will only be during the morning and early afternoon hours. QSL via DF6QC, direct or bureau.
Jean-Luc, F1ULQ will be active as TO1Q from Guadeloupe, NA-102, until the 8th of April. He will operate SSB and FT8, and possibly satellites and EME as well. QSL via Logbook of The World, via F1ULQ either direct or bureau or Logsearch on Club Log.
Look for Janusz, PJ5/SP9FIH, Roman, PJ5/SP9FOW, Dariusz, PJ5/SP9MQA to be active from Sint Eustatius, NA-145, until the 7th of April. They will operate SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8 on 10 to 40m bands. QSLs via Club Log's OQRS, or via SP9FIH for both PJ5/SP9FIH and PJ5/SP9FOW and SP9MQA for PJ5/SP9MQA.
 
Now the Special Event news
Commemorating the 150th anniversary since the death of Samuel Morse on the 2nd of April 1872, OE0MORSE will be on the air, CW only, throughout April. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World or eQSL. A certificate will be available.
The Isle of Wight Radio Society is planning a rather unusual special event station on a sandbank that only uncovers for a few minutes at extreme low water, twice a year. GB1BB is planning to be active over the Easter weekend, depending upon tide times. Follow the story on iowrs.org.
Dennis, G7AGZ / M3DJS is running a project in two parts for the Cornwall Hospice Care organisation. The first part will be a special event station using the callsign GB0CHC that will run throughout April on all bands from 80m to 70cm from home. The second part will be a six-peak challenge that he hopes to complete in twelve days subject to weather conditions. All information is on the GB0CHC qrz.com page.
 
Now the contest news
This weekend the CQ WPX Contest runs for 48 hours, ending at 2359UTC today, the 27th. Using SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society will be active as ZB2BU in the contest with a multi-op low power entry.
On Monday, the RSGB FT4 contest will run from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using the 80, 40 and 20m bands. The recommended dial frequencies will be 3.576, 3.579 and 3.582MHz, 7.0475 and 14.080MHz. The exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator.
On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW only the exchange is your 6-character locator. Rules at ukeicc.com.
On Saturday, the FT4 International Activity Day will run from 0800 to 2000UTC. Using FT4 on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and 4-character locator.
Next Sunday sees the Spring 70MHz contest run from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report was compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday 25th of March 2022.
We had a good week of HF propagation with moderate solar flux index numbers and generally quiet geomagnetic conditions. The KP index has not been above three, at least by Thursday when this was written. The SFI has been hovering around the 100 mark, which was enough to stir 12 metres into action with occasional 10m openings.
A proton storm was detected earlier in the week, courtesy of the LASCO instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. This was as a result of a CME on the far side of the Sun, which was luckily not Earth-directed.
We now have a sense of excitement as a new sunspot group is currently turning into an Earth-facing position. Active region 2975, along with a larger Earth-sized sunspot group, appears to be in a growth phase. Both regions will likely be a threat for at least minor C-Class or moderate M-class solar flares over the next week.
NOAA predicts the SFI may rise from 98 to perhaps 120 over the next seven days. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be unsettled around April 1st with a predicted Kp index of five. A coronal hole became Earth-facing on Thursday so there is also the chance of an elevated KP index and reduced MUFs over the weekend.
Finally, with the spring equinox here this is a good time for North-South paths on HF.  Higher-band contacts into South Africa and South America have been prevalent over the last week and should continue for a few weeks.
 
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
Through much of the coming week, we will see the high-pressure system dominating the weather charts and continuing to provide a chance of further Tropo paths on VHF and UHF.
In this case, the high pressure will, at times, be centred right over the country and when this happens the temperature inversion may be too close to the ground for longer distance Tropo since it is changes in the refractive index of the air across the inversion that makes Tropo work for RF waves.
To avoid problems near the high centre, it is usually better to look for paths around the side of a big high to get the best DX. There are some weather models that try to break down the high later in the week, so make the most of the better conditions when you can.
There are still signs of disturbed solar conditions, so there’s always a chance of some aurora to play with, or of course, any random meteors may be worth a check, especially early morning.
There are reports of some strong Sporadic-E signals on 10m, so as we move into April it becomes a more regular item on the menu, say for 10m and perhaps 6m on digital modes.
Moon declination is increasing and goes positive again on Friday, so Moon windows and peak Moon elevation will increase. With perigee last Wednesday, path losses are low but increase as the week progresses. 
144MHz Sky noise is low all week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for March 20th 2022.

GB2RS News
Sunday the 20th of March 2022
 
The news headlines:
COVID closes the RSGB National Radio Centre
British Summer Time starts on the 27th
Events to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
 
Unfortunately, it will be necessary to close the RSGB National Radio Centre for a week, starting on Monday the 21st of March. A number of NRC volunteers have Covid and the Society doesn’t have enough available volunteers to welcome the hundreds of people who visit each week. The RSGB hopes to re-open the Centre on Monday the 28th of March. Please check the RSGB and NRC websites for updates before travelling.
In the UK the clocks go forward 1 hour at 1 am on the last Sunday in March, which is the 27th of March in 2022. This is known as British Summer Time or BST. The clocks don’t change again until the 30th of October. If you are entering contests, please check the times.
The RSGB is offering a wide variety of amateur radio activities to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. From special event stations to an innovation competition, a radio tournament and an operating award, the Society hopes there is something for everyone. You can read an outline of each of the activities now and further details will follow shortly. Take a look at the April issue of RadCom or the Society’s website at rsgb.org/jubilee.
The RSGB Legacy Fund, thanks to the generosity of donors, has significant financial resources available to encourage and develop amateur radio. The Legacy Committee, which is a subcommittee of the RSGB Board, considers proposals for grants to be given to projects from the Legacy Fund. The RSGB is seeking members to join the Legacy Committee, preferably with experience in grant applications or experience within the charitable sector. For more information or an informal chat, contact RSGB Board Chair, Ian Shepherd, G4EVK via the email chairman@rsgb.org.uk.
Now in its twentieth year, SOS Radio Week celebrates the work of the volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, National Coastwatch Institution and, in 2022, the many independent lifeboat and rescue organisations around our coasts. SOS Radio Week 2022 starts at 0000 UTC on the 1st of May and concludes at 2359 UTC on the 31st of May to coincide with the RNLI’s own Mayday fundraising month. Participants are encouraged to become an official Registered Station and make as many contacts as possible, mentioning the reason for the event during their contacts. For further details please visit sosradioweek.org.uk where you can also register to take part.
The RSGB is delighted to be planning an in-person convention again on the weekend of 7-9 October. The Society will also live stream some of the presentations in a new hybrid event format. Please share your suggestions for topics and speakers you'd like to hear at the event by completing the RSGB’s very short survey. The deadline for responses is Thursday the 31st of March. You can find the survey at thersgb.org/go/survey.
 
And now for details of rallies and events
The Callington ARS Rally takes place on the 27th of March. It will be held in Callington Town Hall.
A date for your diary. The National Hamfest will take place on the 14th and 15th of October at the Newark Showground NG24 2NY.
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.
 
Now the DX news
Gianpi, IK1TTD will be active as 3A/IK1TTD from Monaco between the 25th and 27th of March. Main activity will be during the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest. QSL via his home call, direct or via the bureau.
Helmut, DF7EE will be active again as CT9/DF7EE from Madeira, AF- 014, from the 22nd of March until the 1st of April. This includes participation in the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest as CQ3W. QSL for both callsigns via Logbook of The World and Club Log's OQRS.
Alex, DD5ZZ will be active again as OA7/DD5ZZ until approximately mid-May, including an entry in the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest. He will be operating on the 10 to 40m bands. QSL via his home call and Logbook of The World.
 
Now the Special Event news
Celebrating twenty years of the Summits on the Air programme, GB20SOTA will be active from a Welsh SOTA summit until the 26th of March. QSL via the bureau, or direct to M1EYP.
Frans, PC2F will be active as PF01MAX until the 20th of November, over the twenty-two Grand Prix weekends of this year's FIA Formula One World Championship. QSL via PC2F either direct or via the bureau, Logbook of The World and eQSL
DARC is the German IARU Member Society and their Special Event Team will activate DA22WARD until the 30th of April in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day on the 18th of April.
 
Now the contest news
This weekend the BARTG HF RTTY Contest ends its 48-hour run at 0159 UTC on the 21st. Using the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is serial number and time in UTC.
The all-mode SHF UK Activity Contest takes place on Tuesday between 1930 and 2230 UTC. Using the 1.2 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday, the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130 UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend the CQ WPX Contest runs from 0000 UTC on the 26th to 2359 UTC on the 27th. Using SSB only, on the 1.8 to 28 MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and serial number. CQ Amateur Radio magazine has said it will not accept competitive entries in any of its sponsored contests by amateur radio stations in Russia, Belarus or the separatist Donbas region of the Ukraine. Future events will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the situation at that time.
 
Now the radio propagation report, was compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 18th of March 2022.
Well, what a mixed week of solar activity we have just had. Last week, we forecast that we could expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions over the last weekend but we didn’t expect to see the Kp index hit six.
Sunday the 13th saw ground-based magnetometers hit hard with at least 15 hours of unsettled conditions when the Kp index fluctuated between five and six. This was caused by a full halo coronal mass ejection or CME, that was observed coming off the Sun on Thursday the 10th. This had a strongly negative Bz component so more easily coupled with the Earth’s magnetic field.
The net result was a decline in MUFs, reports of visible aurora in Scotland and complaints about HF conditions with the ensuing G2 geomagnetic storm.
Saturday wasn’t too bad with lots of contacts being made during the early part of the Commonwealth Contest. Twenty-metre contacts with the New Zealand ZL6HQ station were also possible from the UK, although signals were very fluttery. The short path to ZL goes through the North pole auroral zone so it is not surprising that the signals were affected, despite the Kp index being down to one, from five, during the late morning.
The solar flux index held firm at 125 on Saturday but was already declining and was down to 107 by Thursday.
So, after last weekend’s onslaught, what do we have in store for next week?
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre thinks that the solar flux will again decline, from a predicted 115 on Saturday down to 95 on Friday the 25th. The geomagnetic conditions prediction has the Kp index rising to four on Sunday but it may then decline to two by Wednesday the 23rd. The risk of an Earth-facing coronal mass ejection seems to have declined with the decrease in solar activity. So, for once, it looks like a good thing!
 
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
High pressure will dominate the weather charts over the next week or more, centred a long way east over Poland and the Baltic but with a strong ridge extending west towards the British Isles.
These large highs are usually associated with a marked temperature inversion and this is a good omen for extensive tropo. This works best if there is moisture below the inversion, so misty low cloud or fog will be a good indicator for better conditions.
When the forecast is for dry sunny weather, this usually means that the Tropo may not be so reliable. Paths across the North Sea to northern Europe and into the Baltic region are worth extra attention. 
It’s a good time to get together a list of beacons from the region, either from the RSGB website or www.beaconspot.uk and check the various clusters for signs of activity.
We are nearly there for the Sporadic-E season, but not quite yet. Aurora and meteor scatter are still worth a look though.
The Moon will be waning throughout this week with the lowest declination on Friday/Saturday. However, the path loss is also at a minimum this week, so conditions should be good until the 23rd when the Moon moves into the noisier part of the sky, for several days.
The early part of the week should provide opportunities for stations with fixed or limited elevation adjustment, due to the low elevation of the moon.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
 

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for March 13th 2022.

GB2RS News
Sunday the 13th of March 2022
 
The news headlines:
Saint Patrick’s Day stations on the air
Read about WRC-23
Looking ahead to international Marconi Day
 
Saint Patrick’s Day stations will be running from midday on the 16th of March to midday on the 18th of March. For further information and to register as a participating station go to stpatricksaward.com.
The International Telecommunication Union, ITU, has released its World Radio Conference-23 booklet. It provides easy access to the WRC-23 agenda and pertinent resolutions. It can be freely downloaded in all 6 languages of the ITU via the IARU Region 1 website at iaru-r1.org.
The Cornish Radio Amateur Club will be running this year’s International Marconi Day on the 23rd of April. Anyone wishing to register as an official station should please email crac.imd@gmail.com.
The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo takes place this weekend. Saturday’s lectures start at 1600 and Sunday’s at 1500UTC. The Expo platform will remain open until the 10th of April for viewing presentations on-demand. Go to qsotodayhamexpo.com for more information.
GB3YA in Cwmbran is now operational on 145.7125MHz with input 600kHz lower at 145.1125MHz. Initial tests show that stations as far away as Bath and Newbury are able to use the repeater. The repeater keeper says, ‘please, all feel free to use it'.
 
And now for details of rallies and events
Today, the 13th, the Hamzilla Radio Fest takes place at the Discovery Science Park, Gateway House, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9FF. Those who bought tickets and tables for 2021 will have had their bookings carried forward to Hamzilla 2022. Tickets from £3 and tables £12. More at www.hamzilla.uk.
The Callington ARS Rally takes place on the 27th of March. It will be held in the Town Hall at Callington in Cornwall.
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event for free in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.
 
Now the DX news
Paul, G8AFC will be operational from Pereybere on the north coast of Mauritius island as 3B8HE until early April. He will principally use SSB on the 7, 14 and when propagation permits, the 28 and 50MHz bands. Operation will be mostly during the daytime as propagation dictates and occasionally in the evenings. QSL details are on QRZ.com
Don, K6ZO will be operating as D60AB [ Pron: Dee Six Zero A B]  from the 16th to the 18th of March from the Comoros islands. QSL direct to his home callsign.
Diya, YI1DZ will be transmitting as Z81D from Juba in South Sudan until the 11th of September. Activity will be holiday style. QSL via OM3JW.
 
Now the Special Event news
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Humwick Primary School will be operating GB4HJS for Science Week. On Thursday and Friday, St Andrews Primary School also in Sunderland, will be operating GB2SPS for Science Week. Both stations will operate using data modes on HF as well as using the VHF & UHF bands. More on both of these special event stations from Ian, G7MFN by email to g7mfn@hotmail.co.uk.
Two special event stations, GB1900HA and GB1900HW, will run throughout the year to commemorate 1900 years since the building of Hadrian’s Wall. Austin, M0MNE in South Shields and Roy, M0TKF in Hexham will be operating the stations from near Hadrian’s Wall and will be active on the HF and VHF bands in voice, CW and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log’s OQRS. See QRZ.com for more information.
 
Now the contest news
When operating in any contest, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following all relevant pandemic-related government rules. For RSGB Contests, until further notice, all logs received from stations located in the Russian Federation or Belarus will be treated as check logs.
The second 70MHz Cumulative Contest takes place from 1000 to 1200UTC today, the 13th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The RSGB Commonwealth Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1000UTC today, the 13th. This is one of the longest-running contests in the HF contesting world. It is CW only on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
The 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place on Tuesday from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the CW leg of the 80m Club Championships takes place between 2000 and 2130 UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Also on Wednesday, the 1296MHz FT8 Activity Contest runs between 1700 and 2100 UTC. The exchange is callsign and your 4-character Maidenhead locator.
Thursday sees the all-mode 70MHz UK Activity Contest take place between 2000 and 2230UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend the BARTG HF RTTY Contest takes place from 0200UTC on the 19th to 0159UTC on the 21st. Using the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and time in UTC.
 
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 11th of March 2022.
We may not have had a large number of sunspots this week, but at least the Sun was consistent. We started the week last Sunday with a sunspot number of 116, and by Thursday it was still at 115. This sounds worse than it actually was as there were six sunspot groups active on Thursday, including newly-assigned active region 2965, which is coming into view off the east limb.
As we predicted, last weekend was characterised by unsettled geomagnetic conditions with a maximum Kp index of five across Saturday and Sunday. This affected HF a little, but there were still some good UK scores put in for the ARRL DX International SSB contest, with Andy, M0NKR making 812 contacts in just seven hours on 40, 20 and 15 metres. He also reports working many USA west coast stations on 15 metres, which appeared to be the money band.
NOAA predicts that next week we will have a decline in solar activity with a predicted solar flux index of 110 falling to 100 by the end of the week. From a geomagnetic point of view, it may be a repeat of last weekend. NOAA says that it predicts a maximum Kp index of four this weekend, then we may have quieter conditions next week. But then it predicts an elevated Kp index the following weekend (19th to the 21st) of up to four again.
Finally, don’t forget we have the Commonwealth Contest this weekend, which is a great opportunity to work some choice DX stations with no competition from non-Commonwealth entities - this doesn’t happen very often!
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This first weekend sees a continuation of the unsettled weather type, especially in western areas, but there is a large area of high pressure just out of reach over central Europe. This looks as though it could edge towards the eastern side of the UK as we move into the new week and may give some Tropo to the east into the Baltic regions.
The problem is that there is a chance of some, much colder, air moving in from the east with a chance of some wintry showers. Although the main feature is likely to be the strength of the winds, bitter cold is not really conducive to good Tropo.
The other modes can still play a role, so check the solar data for high K indices, indicating a chance of aurora, as well as the usual early morning random meteor scatter. Perhaps start to dust down your techniques for Sporadic-E as we head into the second half of the month. We are not there yet, but maybe it is worth the occasional look at 10m.
The Moon’s declination is positive until next Saturday, and path losses are falling with perigee still more than a week away. 144MHz sky noise is low all week, creeping to just over 300 Kelvin next weekend.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
 

RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for March 6th 2022.

GB2RS News
Sunday the 6th of March 2022
 
The news headlines:
RSGB statement the Russian Federation and Belarus
RSGB AGM online
QO-100 Emergency comms exercise
 
The normal stance of amateur radio is that it is apolitical. However, it is clear that recent actions by the Russian Federation and their military have crossed a line and the RSGB cannot in this instance remain neutral. The policy of the RSGB is that we will follow the actions of the mainstream sporting bodies with regard to all activities of a competitive nature such as contests and ARDF. Russian and Belarusian radio amateurs are therefore currently ineligible to participate in any event that is organised/sponsored by the RSGB. The policy of the RSGB in commercial activities is that we will refrain from trade with Russia and Belarus until further notice.
The RSGB Annual General Meeting on Saturday the 23rd of April will, once again, be held online. Members will be able to submit questions in advance for RSGB Board Directors to answer. We will announce the recipients of the RSGB annual awards and trophies as well as the winners of the Construction Competition. The RSGB President will give his review of 2021 and there will be an excellent presentation after the formal business of the day. Full details will be available in the April edition of RadCom and on the website from the 16th of March.
On the 26th of February, 22 stations representing 14 countries around IARU Region 1 took part in a short notice exercise using the facilities of the geostationary satellite QO-100. This was the first of a number of smaller exercises, tests and meetings to be held by IARU Region 1 throughout the year, building on the earlier Global Simulated Emergency Tests to cover as many aspects of emergency communications as possible. The intention is to bring emergency communicators together more frequently to demonstrate how the Amateur Radio Service can work together as a global community and develop a common understanding of each other’s capabilities. More information at IARU-r1.org.
The RSGB has agreed to fund a 50MHz beacon specifically to study meteor events above the UK. Unlike conventional propagation beacons, this will beam vertically up using circular polarisation. The 50MHz band is particularly suitable for observing meteors by radio as they create an ionised trail strongly reflective to radio at that frequency while they burn upon entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. This is a collaborative project between the amateur radio and radio astronomy communities and will enable a range of radio-based citizen science and STEM projects studying meteors. The beacon is to be located at the Sherwood observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, a central location for UK coverage.
Radio amateurs in Ukraine appear to be diligently maintaining radio silence as the state of emergency declared there just prior to the Russian military invasion remains in effect. A Presidential decree on the 24th of February included “a ban on the operation of amateur radio transmitters for personal and collective use”. The Ukraine Amateur Radio League reported this past week that it has received many messages of encouragement from the worldwide amateur radio community.
An updated document, detailing New Zealand amateur radio beacons including their active status, is now available online. This includes those beacons on the HF bands. Go to nzart.org.nz and scroll down for the news item on ZL beacons.
 
And now for details of rallies and events
Today, the 6th of March, the Exeter Radio & Electronics Rally will be held in America Hall, De La Rue Way, Exeter EX4 8PW.
Also today, the 6th, the Hack Green Bunker Rally will be held at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 8AL. There will be electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. Doors open at 10 am.
Next Sunday, the 13th, the Hamzilla Radio Fest takes place at Discovery Science Park, Gateway House, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9FF. Those who bought tickets and tables for 2021 will have their booking carried forward to Hamzilla 2022. Tickets are available now from £3 and tables £12. More at www.hamzilla.uk.
Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We’ll publicise your event for free in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.
 
Now the DX news
Alan, G3XAQ will be active again as 5X1XA from Kampala, Uganda between the 7th and 14th of March. He will operate CW only on the 80 to 10m bands, with main activity during the RSGB Commonwealth Contest. QSL direct to G3SWH. See g3swh.org.uk and Logbook of The World.
Nobby, G0VJG will be active as 8Q7CQ until the 18th of March. He will operate from the Island of Innahura, AS-013. Activity will be on the 80 to 10m bands, including 60m, using SSB and digital modes. His equipment will be an FT-450D or FT-857 with a Juma 1000-watt amplifier into an HF6V Butternut vertical for the HF bands and a link dipole. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.
Klaus, DJ9KM and Georg, DD8ZX will be active holiday style as CT9/ DJ9KM and CT9/DD8ZX from Madeira Island, AF-014, until the 12th of March. They will operate mainly FT8 and RTTY. QSLs via Logbook of the World.
 
Now the Special Event news
Newport ARS has been granted GB4NPT to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Newport, South Wales, being granted full city status. The station will be operating throughout March. There is a QRZ page available for more information.
GB80LAN in the UK, VE80LAN from Canada and VK80LAN from Australia, will mark the 80th anniversary of the first operational sortie of the Avro Lancaster. The aircraft was the mainstay of the RAF Bomber Command that was flown by British, Canadian and Australian pilots during World War II. The stations will be on the air throughout most of March. QSL via operators' instructions.
 
Now the contest news
When operating in any contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following all relevant pandemic-related government rules. For RSGB Contests, until further notice, all logs received from stations in the Russian Federation or Belarus will be treated as check logs.
The March 144/432MHz contest runs for 24 hours until 1400UTC today, the 6th of March. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The ARRL SSB DX contest runs for 48 hours this weekend ending at 2359UTC today, the 6th. Stations outside the US and Canada should work as many contiguous states and provinces as possible. Using phone only on the contest sections of the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metre bands, the exchange is signal report and power. US and Canadian stations will send a signal report and their state or province.
On Monday the 80m Club Championships will run between 2000 and 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. It is followed by the all-mode UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for both is signal report, serial number and locator.
The 432MHz FT8 Activity Contest takes place between 1900 and 2100UTC on Wednesday. The exchange is signal report as appropriate for FT8 and your 4-character locator. A serial number is not required.
On Thursday the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The second 70MHz Cumulative Contest takes place from 1000 to 1200UTC next Sunday, the 13th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend is the RSGB Commonwealth Contest running for 24 hours from 1000UTC on the 12th to 10000UTC on the 13th. This is one of the longest-running contests in the HF contesting world. It is CW only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, was compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 4th of March 2022.
We had another pretty uninspiring week, sunspot wise, with the solar flux index struggling to get above 100, at least until later in the week when it touched 110 on Thursday. The good news is that, on the whole, geomagnetic conditions were quiet, which really allowed the F2 ionospheric layer to develop.
As a result, there were reports of some good 10 metre openings at times. Members of the 10m UK Net Facebook group reported FT8 openings to the west coast of the USA, as well as openings to Malawi, Indonesia and Australia.
Propquest.co.uk confirmed this, showing 10m openings over a 3,000km path throughout the day. It is worth calling CQ on 28MHz even if the band sounds closed as some openings will be fleeting and short-lived.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI will start in the low 100s, but then decline to the high 90s as the week progresses.
Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for this weekend and next, but with only a maximum Kp index of four. Having said that, it would only take an Earth-facing coronal mass ejection to push the index even higher. These CMEs are very hard to predict, but unfortunately very common at this point in the cycle.
If the Sun behaves itself, we might see more openings on 10 metres this week, so do keep a look on the band.
This weekend is the ARRL International DX SSB Contest, which is another opportunity to increase the count for your Worked All States award.
 
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
We had a fleeting distraction of high-pressure last weekend, after not quite making it during the last week, it nearly got here, but the Atlantic fronts won that battle. 
So, this first weekend looks promising with another attempt to get high pressure established and a chance of some Tropo on the VHF bands.
However, like last week, approaching fronts and new areas of low pressure will soon turn next week into the unsettled variety with rain and even some snow as the milder Atlantic air meets the cold south-easterly over the eastern side of the country. These fronts with big temperature contrasts can produce some temporary enhancement of Tropo parallel to the front, so it is worth checking.
We’re still not in the new Sporadic-E season yet, but the Propquest graphs at Propquest.co.uk do occasionally pick up the odd ‘blip’, which might show up on the digital modes on 10m. As in previous weeks, don’t forget to stay in tune with solar events for chance aurora should the Kp index rise, and for the early risers, some pre-dawn random meteor scatter.
The Moon’s declination is positive all week, but path losses are rising as we approach apogee this Thursday. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate all week, peaking around 500 Kelvin on late Thursday and Friday.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.