GB2RS
This is the weekly RSGB GB2RS broadcast. Please send any news items to radcom@rsgb.org.uk.
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Thursday May 23, 2024
Thursday May 23, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 26th of May 2024
The news headlines:
The RSGB’s Exams and Syllabus Review Group is seeking volunteers
RSGB representatives had a successful time at Dayton Hamvention
The RSGB Discovery scheme has just been relaunched in a new format
The Exams and Syllabus Review Group – or ESRG as it is often known – is looking for new members to move the group forward. Its current task is to approve a new Direct to Full syllabus and to write and approve new questions for the new exams in September due to licence changes. The group meets online every Tuesday between 3 pm and 4.30 pm, with members of the Exam Standards Committee, but meeting times can be changed to accommodate everyone. ESRG volunteers need to be Full licence holders, members of the RSGB and be able to give a few hours a week. This is your chance to shape the future as we move to Syllabus 2.0 in 2025. To volunteer or find out more, contact the ESRG Chair Andrew Lenton via esrg.chair@rsgb.org.uk
Members of the RSGB Team, including RSGB General Manager, Steve Thomas M1ACB and the RSGB President, John McCullagh GI4BWM had a successful time at the Dayton Hamvention last weekend. The event was a brilliant opportunity to engage with radio amateurs from around the world and resulted in 132 people joining or rejoining the RSGB. There were also several podcasters, YouTubers and local news outlets in attendance. This included WHIO, which is a local US news channel, who interviewed RSGB President, John McCullagh GI4BWM. This was shared on local TV news, radio, as well as online. Josh from Ham Radio Crash Course also did a live stream to his 346,000 YouTube subscribers, which included a chat with RSGB General Manager, Steve Thomas M1ACB and the RSGB President. You can find links to view these clips on the RSGB notices section of the RSGB website.
The RSGB Discovery scheme has just been relaunched in a new format. Now called the Discovery Logbook, there are fewer requirements, an easy-to-follow programme and exciting links with external organisations such as Parks on the Air and Worked All Britain. There are also some great RSGB Awards to work towards if you’d like to include those in your programme of activities. The RSGB hopes that these links will enable radio amateurs to discover new ways of enjoying their hobby with the guidance and support of experts in those fields. There are three difficulty levels and the first of these, called Explorer, has just been launched. To see the programme activities, find out how to get involved or talk to the Society about linking your organisation with the Discovery Logbook, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/discovery
British Science Week is an annual event run by the British Science Association celebrating science, technology, engineering and maths. The event, which is taking place between the 7th and 16th of March 2025, will have the theme ‘change and adapt’, which lends itself perfectly to amateur radio in the 21st century. As part of its commitment to encourage new radio amateurs into the hobby, the RSGB will again be providing resources and activities to inspire people of all ages to get involved. The RSGB is now collecting ideas for activities for primary and secondary schools, or for use with the wider community. The 2025 theme offers a huge range of opportunities for creativity and discovery. Ideas could cover any area of the hobby, from construction to propagation, from making QSOs under supervision, to space and satellites. Whatever the idea, the Society would love to hear from you. Please send ideas to the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO at bsw@rsgb.org.uk. To find out more about previous activities you can visit rsgb.org/bsw and britishscienceweek.org
The popular Electromagnetic Field event, also known as ‘EMF Camp’, is taking place between the 30th of May and the 2nd of June. The event is a non-profit camping festival for those with an inquisitive mind. Over 3,000 like-minded people, including scientists, engineers and radio amateurs, are expected to attend the event in Eastnor, Herefordshire. For more information visit emfcamp.org
Guisborough and District Amateur Radio Club is organising a mini DXpedition to Scotland, on the Isle of Lewis from the 22nd to the 29th of September. The team has a couple of spaces left and welcomes amateurs from other clubs who would like to take part. For more information email m.dutton@virginmedia.com
And now for details of rallies and events
Durham and District Amateur Radio Rally takes place on Sunday the 26th of May at Bowburn Community Centre, Bowburn, County Durham, DH6 5AT. The doors are open from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm with disabled visitors gaining access at 10 am. The entrance fee will be £2. There will be a bring-and-buy sale, trade stands, special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. Catering and a licensed bar will be available on-site. For more information contact Michael, G7TWX, on 07826 924 192, or email dadars@gmx.com
Spalding and District Amateur Radio Society’s Annual Rally will take place on Sunday the 2nd of June. This year sees the event taking place at a new venue: Spalding Rugby and Football Club, Centenary Park, Drain Bank North, Spalding, Lincs, PE12 6AF. The event will feature a free on-site car park, inside and outside traders, an RSGB bookstall and an outside boot area. General admission is £3 per person. For more information visit sdars.org.uk/spaldingrally
The Junction 28 Radio Rally is coming up on Sunday the 9th of June at Alfreton Sports Centre, DE55 7BD, one mile from M1 Junction 28. The doors will be open from 10.15 am and admission will be £4. For more information visit snadarc.com or contact j28rally@snadarc.com
The Worked All Britain Awards Group will be holding its 2024 AGM from 12 pm at the Junction 28 Rally. Those unable to attend in person but wishing to join online via Zoom should email the Group’s secretary at m1aib@worked-all-britain.org.uk
Now the Special Event News
Hull and District Amateur Radio Society is running a special event station GB0HUL from the 31st of May to the 2nd of June. The station is active to mark 100 years of amateur radio in Hull and to celebrate the 95th birthday of Honorary Club member Bernard Atkinson, G0SWO. Listen out for operators on the HF and VHF bands using SSB, FT4 and FT8.
Special event stations CS2GPDX, CR2GPDX and CR3GPDX are active until the 31st of May to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Portuguese DX Group. The stations will operate on all HF bands using SSB, CW, FT8, FT4 and RTTY. QSL via Logbook of the World only. For details of certificates and trophies that are available, see QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Martin, MW0BRO is active as ZC4GW from Dhekelia in Cyprus (British Sovereign Base Area) until tomorrow, the 27th of May. He is operating CW only on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via MW0BRO. QSOs will be uploaded to Club-Log and Logbook of the World.
Rolf, DO4RKR is active as 8Q7KR from the Maldives, AS-013, until the 31st of May. He is working with 30W and operating SSB only on the 10m band. QSL via Rolf's home call, directly or via the Bureau.
Now the contest news
The CQ World Wide WPX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 25th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 26th of May. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Today, the 26th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 28th of May, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 30th of May, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
National Field Day starts at 1500UTC on Saturday the 1st of June and ends at 1500UTC on Sunday the 2nd of June. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The UK Six Metre Group Summer Contest starts at 1300UTC on Saturday the 1st of June and ends at 1300UTC on Sunday the 2nd of June. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and membership number.
The ARRL International Digital Contest runs from 1800UTC on Saturday the 1st of June until 2359UTC on Sunday the 2nd of June. Using any digital mode, excluding RTTY, on the 160 to 6m bands, the exchange is your four-character locator.
On Sunday the 2nd of June, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0900 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on 1.3, 2.3 and 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 22nd of May 2024
After the extremely unsettled HF conditions on the 10th and 11th of May, it was gratifying to see things returning to normal last week.
The Kp index has returned to being in the range of 1 to 4 and, with a solar flux index still in the 190s, we have seen some good propagation around the world.
But make no mistake – it probably won’t last!
Active region 3664, the source of so much mayhem a couple of weeks ago, will soon return from its trip around the Sun. It has probably been the source of a major flare while on the Sun’s far side and there is a good chance we may get a repeat performance of last month.
Meanwhile, make hay while the Sun shines!
NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will increase above 200 next week, but unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for tomorrow, the 27th of May, and at the end of the month and into early June.
Daytime critical frequencies have been between 8 and 9.3MHz, making 40m a good band for inter-G QSOs. These have also meant that the maximum usable frequency over a 3,000km path has often exceeded 24 to 27MHz, making 12m a viable band for DX. Note that this is a little patchy, so if you don’t hear anything on 24MHz just wait a while or check later.
Nighttime critical frequencies are usually around 6 to 7MHz, meaning 20m is generally open all night with occasional openings on 17m.
We are now well into the Sporadic-E season so there should be lots of short-skip into Europe on the 12 and 10m bands to play with.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The end of the current week, in the lead-up to the bank holiday weekend, shows a low and its thundery rain moving north and leaving behind a slack area of pressure with a weak trend towards building a ridge over the country.
The bulk of next week is showing up with a slack westerly pattern and weak fronts brushing past. From midweek, and towards next weekend, the frontal systems will be more active with longer periods of heavier rain possible.
The end result for most VHF and up operators is that there may be some occasional Tropo events, especially overnight during the slacker period with the weak ridge over the country by the start of the weekend.
A more likely option will again be rain scatter which will produce better scattering from the larger raindrops now the summer season is upon us, and thundery developments are more common. Check the many online weather radars for your tracking beam headings.
Meteor scatter will also be worth considering since we are approaching the period when many lesser showers appear to pep up the background meteor count. This will be useful for meteor scatter operators and serve the Sporadic-E folk well.
The solar activity continues to deliver random events which take the Kp index to high values. Remember that a Kp index greater than 5 indicates the chance of aurora propagation.
The primary mode at this time of the year is Sporadic-E. The late May and early June period is often regarded as a peak time for monitoring your favourite VHF beacons. As many will know, the 10m band is a useful starting point for identifying the beginning of an opening, and then you should check the higher bands in turn as the event strengthens. This is often indicated by the skip distance shortening on the 10m band.
The other basic operating tip is to use the daily blog on the Propquest.co.uk website for commentary on the effectiveness of the various upper air patterns such as jet streams, which can influence the location where Sporadic-E propagation occurs.
There are no major meteor showers this week so, in between the Sporadic-E, look around dawn for the best random meteor prospects.
Saturday the 22nd sees the lowest Moon declination of the month so next week will see some lengthening Moon windows. EME path loss is falling, but we are still over a week from perigee, its closest point to Earth. 144MHz sky noise starts the week high, as it reached over 2500 Kelvin on Saturday the 25th. It is low for the rest of the week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday May 17, 2024
Friday May 17, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 19th of May 2024
The news headlines:
RSGB Board liaison roles update
The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is closing soon
The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon is under way
Each RSGB Board Director has a liaison role between the Board and specific aspects of the Society’s work. This focuses very much on the work done by RSGB volunteers in committees, groups and teams as well as by the Honorary Officers. The Board has just agreed on the liaison roles for the coming year. To find out more or to see contact details for each Board Director, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/board
The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is closing soon. Its final open day will be on the 8th of June 2024. According to the Museum’s website, after this time it will start to dispose of its exhibits. The Museum attempts to tell the story of RAF Signals. Among its attractions, it contains a lot of working equipment which can be demonstrated, including transmitters, receivers and radar consoles. To read more about the Museum, and learn how you can visit it before it closes, visit signalsmuseum.uk
The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon is underway. The activity is open to all amateur radio operators worldwide and membership of the Group is not required. The objective is to work as many four-digit grid squares as possible between the 4th of May and the 4th of August on the 6m band. Logs can be submitted until the 18th of August 2024. You can find out more at uksmg.org
The latest RadCom contesting column is now available for all to read on the RSGB website. Since April 2024 this exclusive content has been shared online each month following the publication of each RadCom issue. This useful resource shares various aspects about contesting including a tip of the month, a featured UK contester, as well as a contest of the month. This month Nick Totterdell, G4FAL, who is the HF Contest Committee Chairman, looks at the history of contesting. To find out more, and to read this month’s column, visit rsgb.org/radcom-contesting
A reminder now that International Museums Weekend will be taking place on the third and fourth weekends in June. This year, those weekends are the 15th and 16th, and the 22nd and 23rd of June. Special event stations will be operating from a wide variety of museums from many different countries. To read more about the event, and to register to take part, visit tinyurl.com/IMW2024
Don’t forget that lots of stations are on the air to celebrate SOS Radio Week throughout May. The event takes place each year to celebrate the work of the volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Independent Lifeboats and National Coastwatch Stations around the British Isles. A commemorative certificate is available to all official stations that record their contacts on the website together with awards for the top individual and club, or group, stations on each band from 160m to 70cm. To read more about the event visit sosradioweek.org.uk
And now for details of rallies and events
The Braehead Rally is taking place today, the 19th of May, at the Braehead Arena from 10 am. Free on-site parking, bring and buy and refreshments are available. For more information contact Paul via email at mm3ddq@gmail.com
Also today, the 19th of May, the Dartmoor Radio Club Rally is being held at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, PL20 6AL. The doors open at 10 am. For more information, please contact Roger Hann on 07854 088 882 or email 2e0rph@gmail.com
Durham and District Amateur Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 26th of May at Bowburn Community Centre, Bowburn, County Durham, DH6 5AT. The doors are open from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm with disabled visitors gaining access at 10 am. The entrance fee will be £2. There will be a bring-and-buy sale, trade stands, special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. Catering and a licensed bar will be available on-site. For more information contact Michael, G7TWX, on 07826 924 192, or via email at dadars@gmx.com
Dunstable Downs Radio Club would like to remind everyone that its annual boot sale has been postponed until the 30th of June. This is due to the site being used by BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted to Dunstable Downs Radio Club’s Facebook page and reminder emails will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list, visit ddrcbootsale.org and sign up for email reminders.
Now the Special Event News
Today, the 19th, RAF Waddington Amateur Radio Club will be back at the International Bomber Command Centre for its Inspire Ride 2024 event, which this year will pay tribute to the men of Stalag Luft III who took part in the ‘Great Escape’ in March 1944. Operators expect to be working on the HF bands, using SSB and some CW, as well as FM on the 2m band. The station will be using a special event call sign GB5ESC, between 10 am and 4 pm.
North West Group Amateur Radio Club, MN0NWG is running a special event station GB0AEL until the 31st of May to commemorate the anniversary of Amelia Earhart's transatlantic flight. On the 20th and 21st of May 1932, Earhart became the first woman to fly nonstop and alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Recently, the station has been heard on the HF bands using CW, FT8 and SSB. QSL via MI0HOZ, directly or via the Bureau.
The United Nations Global Service Centre Amateur Radio Club, 4U1GSC, in Brindisi, is active as 4U29MAY until the 31st of May. The special callsign is active to promote the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, which is on the 29th of May. The station has been worked recently on the 20 and 15m bands using CW. QSL via 9A2AA.
Now the DX news
Chris, WA7RAR is active as 8P9CB from Barbados, NA-021, until the 26th of May. All of his operations are portable at various locations throughout the island, especially Parks on the Air sites. He is QRV on the 20 to 10m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to WA7RAR.
Roland, F8EN is active again as TR8CR from Gabon until at least the end of June. He will operate CW only and will celebrate his 96th birthday while there. QSL via F6AJA directly or via the Bureau. Roland can usually be found on the 30 to 10m bands using CW.
Now the contest news
The 144MHz May Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 18th and ends at 1400UTC today, the 19th of May. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Today, the 19th, the 1st 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Tomorrow, the 20th, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Tuesday the 21st, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 22nd, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using data modes on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The CQ World Wide WPX CW Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 25th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 26th of May. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Sunday the 26th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using All modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 16th of May 2024
After last weekend’s auroral spectacular, it was nice to see the Sun calm down a little and the bands get back to normal. But that didn’t last long.
To recap, on Friday the 10th of May the Kp index shot up to 9, due to the effects of a number of coronal mass ejections, while the HF bands closed down in the subsequent geomagnetic storm.
While there was visible aurora across the UK and Europe, HF propagation suffered and didn’t start to recover until the late afternoon on Saturday the 11th.
The main culprit, active region 3664, has now rotated out of view, but that doesn’t mean we are out of the woods just yet.
Solar flares can cause short-term disruption to HF propagation due to their X-rays penetrating deep into the D-region and causing signals to be absorbed. Subsequent coronal mass ejections can cause longer-term degradation of the F2 layer with reduced maximum usable frequencies, noisy bands and auroral conditions.
At the time of writing, the Kp index stood at 6 again so it looks like unsettled geomagnetic conditions are continuing with a moderate G2 geomagnetic storm in progress.
Low to moderate activity is now expected, with a slight chance of further strong-class flares. The regions currently on the visible disc are smaller and simpler, with isolated M-flares possible from these. However, a new active region, now rotating into view, has already emitted an X-class solar flare.
Next week, the United States Air Force predicts that the solar flux index may remain in the 160 to 180 range. HF conditions remain a lottery as they can be badly affected by solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
It is best to keep an eye on solarham.com for updates, and also propquest.co.uk for near real-time reports of the critical and maximum usable frequencies.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The weather remains on the unsettled side of things with areas of rain and some thunderstorms over the country, especially the south as we end this week. As this report is being read out, high pressure is becoming established over northern and western Britain.
This may eventually take a tenuous hold over the rest of the country during the second half of the coming week and into next weekend, the 25th and 26th.
This high pressure, although fairly weak, may help with some Tropo for those in northern Britain in the 144MHz May Contest and the Backpackers Contest this weekend, ending on the 19th. It may also be helpful to those taking part in the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest on the 21st. However, the conditions may not be of much use in the south as another low arrives from the continent.
Overall, rain scatter on the GHz bands will probably be worth exploring in the rainy areas again, since some of the showers may be heavy and thundery.
The prospects for Aurora are still worth keeping in mind despite the recent stunning event. Minor non-visible events can still provide a reasonable radio aurora to explore.
The Sporadic-E season continues to develop. And with such unsettled weather, there are plentiful jet streams to act as source regions for turbulence, which can propagate up to the E region where they can generate Sporadic-E.
We are currently at the tail end of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower. A few meteors from this shower will continue to appear, but no major shower is expected this week.
The lowest Moon declination occurs this coming Friday. With the Moon being full on the 23rd, a clear sky should reveal an impressive ‘Flower Moon’.
For EME, path loss will still be relatively high, although the Moon is starting to move back towards its closest point to Earth, or perigee.
144MHz sky noise starts the week low but rises to high on Saturday the 25th.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday May 10, 2024
Friday May 10, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 12th of May 2024
The news headlines:
New RSGB Trophy Manager announced
Questionnaire launched to help shape the future of the Commonwealth Contest
Learn about designing PCBs using KiCAD during the next Tonight@8 webinar
We are pleased to announce that Mike Franklin, G3VYI will be the new RSGB Trophy Manager. He will focus on the Contest Trophy collection and HQ will now manage the AGM Trophies. Jacqui Goodey, G6XSY, the retiring RSGB Trophy Manager, will support Mike’s transition into this role. She will also take responsibility for the historical aspect of our trophies. You can contact Mike via trophy.manager@rsgb.org.uk and Jacqui will have the new email address trophy.archivist@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB thanks Mike and Jacqui for volunteering for this important work.
Following the RSGB Commonwealth Contest in March, a small group of representatives have been reviewing possible changes that they hope will encourage more participation in future contests. The group includes representatives from countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The RSGB HF Contest Committee is now calling on both regular entrants and those who have never entered before but may do so in the future, to complete a questionnaire to help shape the next steps in the discussion. The questionnaire is open until Monday the 20th of May and can be found by visiting tinyurl.com/cwctest2024
The latest Tonight@8 webinar is tomorrow, Monday the 13th of May. Mike Willis, G0MJW will be giving an introduction to designing printed circuit boards using the popular open-source KiCAD package. The presentation covers the basics in real time, starting with a circuit sketch, going through the process of converting that into a schematic diagram, and then using that to create a printed circuit board design. It will then conclude with how to send this out for production. Watch this live presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars
The RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX has announced that, due to the pressure of work, Paul Nichols, M0PVN has resigned as an RSGB Board Director. Paul runs a busy and growing legal practice which, like many professional roles, requires long hours each day. Paul has offered to be a Legal Adviser to the Board. Stewart has welcomed him to that role and thanked him for his input to the RSGB during the last year.
Today, the 12th, lots of amateur radio stations are on the air as part of Mills on the Air Weekend 2024. The event takes place across the UK every May with more than 300 windmills and watermills usually taking part. For more information, and to view a list of registered stations, visit ddars.net/mills.html
The date has been confirmed for the 12th Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. It will go ahead on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife. Lunch will be provided, and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Online booking will open in July 2024. Updates, when available, will be published on the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk For more information, email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com
And now for details of rallies and events
The RetrotechUK event is taking place today, the 12th. The venue is Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. The doors open at 10.30 am with an entry fee of £10. A fee of £25 applies for early-doors entry at 9 am. This is an annual event organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society. There are almost 200 dealer stalls, clubs and private sellers. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the wide range of retro equipment. For more information email info@retrotechuk.com and visit retrotechuk.com
Barry Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place on Saturday the 18th of May. The venue will be Sully Sports and Social Club, South Road, Sully, CF64 5SP. Doors open from 9.30 am and admission is £3. Access for traders is available from 7.30 am. For more information, traders and exhibitors can ring Nigel, GW1CUQ on 02920 892 580. For general enquiries ring Steve, 2W0VOG on 07900 560 080 or email s.cawsey@sky.com
The Braehead Rally will be taking place next Sunday the 19th of May at the Braehead Arena from 10 am. There will be free on-site parking, bring and buy and refreshments available. For more information contact Paul via email at mm3ddq@gmail.com
Also on Sunday the 19th of May, the Dartmoor Radio Club Rally will be held at Yelverton War Memorial Hall, PL20 6AL. The doors open at 10 am. For more information, please contact Roger Hann on 07854 088 882 or email 2e0rph@gmail.com
Now the Special Event News
Special event station GB1SCW is active today, the 12th, from the National Coast Watch Station at Shoreham by Sea. Operators are celebrating the work of the National Coast Watch and RNLI as part of SOS Radio Week. Listen out for the station on the 40m to 70cm bands using SSB, CW, FM, and digital modes. See QRZ.com for more information.
The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club is once again supporting the International Men's Mental Health Month and helping to raise the profile of Men's Mental Health 2024 throughout the international amateur radio community. Club members will be operating from their headquarters at Patrington Haven, East Yorkshire using special callsign GB0MMH. The station will be active throughout the weekends of the 17th to 19th of May and the 14th to 16th of June across all the HF bands. Please listen out for the operators and give them a call. Your support will help raise the awareness of men's mental health. For more information see QRZ.com
Poole Amateur Radio Society, supported by the Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society, the British Amateur Television Club and the Flight Refuelling Amateur Radio Society, will be operating GB4PRS to support the RNLI Poole lifeboat festival over the weekend of the 18th and 19th of May. This is a celebration of the RNLI saving lives for 200 years and a full programme of events and visitor attractions has been organised by the RNLI, culminating with a historic ship sail-past on the evening of Sunday the 19th at 4 pm. The free-of-charge event will be open between 11 am and 4 pm and thousands of visitors are expected to visit. The station will be set up on Poole Quay, adjacent to the RNLI HQ. As well as demonstrating the use of radio in emergency situations, the station will also be participating in the SOS Radio Week activity. The station will be contacting other amateur radio stations at various RNLI lifeboat centres around the UK, as well as other lifesaving institutions nationally and internationally. A commemorative QSL card will be available. Anybody with permission to operate adjacent to, or from, a lifeboat station is invited to arrange a scheduled contact and participate in this major RNLI event. For more information, please contact secretary@g4prs.org.uk
Also in support of RNLI SOS Radio Week, the Wirral Amateur Radio Society will be active as GB2HLS on Sunday the 19th of May. The station will be operating from the Hoylake Lifeboat Station, Wirral, CH47 3AL from 10 am to 4 pm. More information is available at tinyurl.com/SOSG3NWR or from Bill, G4YWD on 07804 884 245.
Now the DX news
Ric, DL2VFR is active as SM2/DL2VFR from Holmon Island, EU-135, until the 14th of May using CW and some SSB. He may also be QRV as SM5/DL2VFR from IOTA group EU-084 on the 15th or 16th. QSL via Ric’s home call. QSOs will be uploaded to the Logbook of the World and Club Log.
Three amateurs from Stockport Radio Society are hoping, subject to appropriate weather for the crossing, to activate Great Saltee Island, EU-103, from Tuesday the 14th to Friday the 17th of May using the callsign EJ6KP/P. This will be a daylight activity only as the team is not permitted to stay overnight. Listen out for the operators on the 40, 20 and 15m bands using SSB.
Harold, DF2WO is active as 9X2AW from Rwanda until the 17th of May. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes on the HF and 6m bands. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS.
Now the contest news
Today, the 12th, the 70MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using CW on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Tomorrow, the 13th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 14th, 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.
Also on Tuesday the 14th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 16th, 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 144MHz May Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 18th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 19th of May. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
On Sunday the 19th of May, the 1st 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 9th of May 2024
Disrupted solar conditions continued this week with X-class solar flares aplenty.
Four X-class events on the 8th and 9th of May prompted coronal mass ejections, which could join together to impact the Earth this weekend. We can expect a strong G3 event with the Kp index rising to 6 and the potential for visible aurora in the UK.
It’s hard to be positive about this as HF conditions this weekend, ending today the 12th, are likely to be very disrupted with reduced MUFs and noisy bands.
But do look out for auroral signals, perhaps on the 10m band, and above, and a potential HF band enhancement just as the plasma cloud hits.
The solar flux index hit 227 on Thursday the 9th, which is one of the highest we have had in this cycle. But don’t get carried away as it is forecast to decline.
Meanwhile, conditions have been typical for this time of year, with reduced F-layer propagation on the 10m band, offset by the start of the Sporadic-E season. The lower HF bands are staying open later in the evening, and may even increase to all night on the 20m band, as we head towards June and July.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will drop below 200, but remain at or above 175 all week. After this weekend’s chaotic geomagnetic conditions, we can expect the Kp index to fall to 2, but increase again on the 13th, to perhaps 4.
In the meantime, solar maximum is still predicted to be later this year, although geomagnetic disturbances are likely to increase on the downward part of the cycle. So, buckle up for a rough ride!
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
We end the current week with high pressure over the country and some occasional Tropo paths, especially over surrounding waters. The high will decline from the west as we progress through this weekend.
At the time of reading on Sunday, the transition will be all but complete and low pressure will remain in control for much of the coming week. This means periods of rain, heavy showers or thunderstorms and quite windy weather at times. In terms of propagation, a shift to rain scatter is a good choice for those equipped for the GHz bands for the week ahead.
Recent solar activity continues to offer chances of auroras so remember to monitor the Kp index and check for fluttery signals on the HF bands and raspy signals on VHF. The many clusters and band reports should be a good tool for these conditions.
Lastly, the Sporadic-E season is having a few starting twitches. Earlier in the evening of Wednesday the 8th there was a short opening of about an hour to Scandinavia on 6m CW from a patch in the middle of the North Sea. The positions of the jet streams may not entirely suit further openings in the shorter term but, as the low-pressure moves in next week, things could improve for Sporadic-E paths to Iberia and central Mediterranean.
With the Eta Aquariids peak now past, the next big meteor shower isn’t until July with the Delta Aquariids. But before the Delta Aquariids, we can look forward to the Arietiids in late May.
However, the Eta Aquariids will continue to produce the odd ping or burst. Last week there was plenty of evidence of meteors continuing to burn up after the peak. There may still be the odd one during the coming week together with the usual background sporadic meteor returns.
As the Moon starts to decline this week, the distance between the Moon and Earth is also beginning to increase and with it the path loss increases to a maximum on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th. However, sky noise will remain low all week. The Moon is favourably placed for daytime operation this week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday May 03, 2024
Friday May 03, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 5th of May 2024
The news headlines:
RSGB insurance update
RSGB Legacy Committee Chair appointed
SOS Radio Week is under way
RSGB club insurance, and beacon and repeater insurance, have now been renewed for the year to April 2025. Club insurance certificates can be downloaded from the RSGB website. You will need to log in to obtain your certificate. Beacon and repeater insurance certificates are available for an admin fee of £15 from the RSGB shop. Please allow a couple of days after renewal for your certificate to be dispatched.
The RSGB Board is pleased to announce it has approved the appointment of Richard Horton, G4AOJ to the role of Legacy Committee Chair. 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 sub-Committee of the RSGB Board, considers proposals for grants that can be awarded to projects from the RSGB Legacy Fund. The criteria and application form are available on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/legacy If you have an interesting idea and would like to submit it for funding, you can contact the new Legacy Chair via legacy.chair@rsgb.org.uk
SOS Radio Week is underway. It is an annual event that takes place throughout the month of May to celebrate the work of the volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Independent Lifeboats and National Coastwatch Stations around the British Isles. Between them, members of these organisations save many lives who are in danger along and around the thousands of miles of coastline and further out to sea. This year is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI, and SOS Radio Week is being co-branded SOS Radio Week 200 for those operators who are supporting the RNLI during the event. Participants can operate from home, a public location, or a lifeboat or Coastwatch station, with the appropriate authorisation from the station manager. A commemorative certificate is available to all official stations that record their contacts on the website together with awards for the top individual and club, or group, stations on each band from 160m to 70cm. To read more about the event visit sosradioweek.org.uk
The next in the series of the popular 145 Alive events, to promote the use of 145MHz FM, is coming up on Saturday the 11th of May, from 1pm to 3pm. The event and the supporting Facebook Group was started by Tim, G5TM and from the start of 2024 has been organised by Mark, M0XIC and John, M0XJA. The last successful event took place in January this year, when over 30 nets operated simultaneously across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern and Southern Ireland. Over 900 QSOs took place, with many amateurs operating portable, mobile or from their club or home QTH. If you would like to take part, and find out more about the event and 145 Alive in general, then join the 145 Alive Facebook Group.
Next weekend, the 11th and 12th, lots of amateur radio stations will be taking to the air as part of Mills on the Air Weekend 2024. The event takes place across the UK every May with more than 300 windmills and watermills usually taking part. For more information, to register, and to view a list of registered stations, visit ddars.net/mills.html
Advance notice now that International Museums Weekend will be taking place on the third and fourth weekends in June. This year, those weekends are the 15th and 16th, and the 22nd and 23rd of June. Special event stations will be operating from a wide variety of museums from many different countries. To read more about the event, and to register to take part, visit tinyurl.com/IMW2024
And now for details of rallies and events
Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club’s 40th Annual Radio Rally is taking place today, the 5th of May. The venue is Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen, BT92 0JZ. The event features food and drink, bring and buy, RSGB books, the QSL Bureau, and the usual variety of traders. The doors open at 11 am. Traders are asked to arrive around 9 am. Admission, which includes a ticket for the prize draw, will cost £5 or five Euro. Contact Alan at argault91@gmail.com to arrange a table.
Thorpe Camp Hamfest is also taking place today, the 5th of May at Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire, LN4 4PL. The doors open at 9am for buyers and the entrance fee is £5 per person. The event will finish at 1pm.
The RetrotechUK event will be held on Sunday the 12th of May. The venue will be Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. The doors open at 10.30 am with an entry fee of £10. A fee of £25 applies for early-doors entry at 9 am. This is an annual event organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society. There will be almost 200 dealer stalls, clubs and private sellers. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the wide range of retro equipment. For more information email info@retrotechuk.com and visit retrotechuk.com
Dunstable Downs Radio Club would like to remind everyone that its annual boot sale has been postponed until the 30th of June. This is due to the site being used by BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted to Dunstable Downs Radio Club’s Facebook page and reminder emails will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list, visit ddrcbootsale.org and sign up for email reminders.
Now the Special Event News
Special callsign 9H6HE is in use by the Malta Amateur Radio League to celebrate the swearing-in of Malta's 11th President. Look for activity until the 31st of May on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of the World. Paper QSL cards are not available.
The RSGB National Radio Centre will be operating a special event callsign GB2DAY to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during the Second World War. The station will be active between the 6th and 9th of June. In addition, volunteers will be hosting the special demonstration station GB1SOE on Saturday the 15th of June. Don’t forget that RSGB Members can get free entry to Bletchley Park and the RSGB’s National Radio Centre by downloading a voucher from the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bpvoucher
Now the DX news
Bo, OZ1DJJ is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 9th of May. In his spare time, he operates FT8, RTTY and CW. The station was spotted recently on the 10 and 12m bands using FT8. QSL via OZ0J. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log.
Tom, NL7RR is active on Wake Island, OC-053, until the 15th of May. Look for KH9/NL7RR to be QRV daily at about 0700UTC on or around 14.200MHz. QSL via Logbook of the World, or direct to Tom’s home call. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log.
Now the contest news
Today, the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also, today, the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre-wave Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also today, the 5th, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 40m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain Square.
The ARI International DX Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 4th and ends at 1159UTC today, Sunday the 5th of May. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Italian stations also send their province.
The 432MHz to 245GHz Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 5th of May. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Today, the 5th, the 10GHz Trophy runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using All modes on 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 7th, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 7th, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 8th, 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 8th, 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 9th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Sunday the 12th, the 70MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using CW on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 2nd of May 2024
What a strange week we had. With the solar flux index in the 167 range, falling to 130, conditions should have been reasonable. But the Kp index hit 4, and even 5.33, on the evening of Friday the 26th of April, which meant propagation on Saturday the 27th was truly dire.
Stations taking part in International Marconi Day on the 27th found the 40m band only open to long skip in the morning. This was due to the critical frequency being below 5MHz. The predicted MUF over a 3,000km path fluctuated between 15MHz and 19MHz for the whole day, which meant only 14MHz was open reliably. As a result, QSOs were hard to come by and many stations reported that it was slow going with virtually no signals from outside of Europe.
So what happened? Well, it was a combination of factors. The increased Kp index, due to a fast solar wind, took its toll. And we are now moving to a summer ionosphere, where chemical changes make it harder to ionise. This will mean we should see MUFs dropping as the season progresses, at least during the day. Nighttime MUFs will be higher than in winter.
So it may be that the glory days of 28MHz F2-layer propagation are on hold until Autumn, with only short-skip Sporadic-E on the 10m band to keep us entertained.
F2-layer propagation is still available on the higher HF bands, but it may be patchy.
International Marconi Day station GB0CMS in Caister, Norfolk, reported that its 20m signals were picked up by a reverse beacon network skimmer in Utah, despite not working anyone outside of Europe. Meanwhile, on the morning of the 2nd, Laurie, G3UML was quite surprised to work YJ0CA on Vanuatu on the 15m band using SSB. He also worked 3D2CCC on Conway Reef on the 20m band using CW, and JD1BMH in Japan on the 15m band, also using CW.
Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the 125 range, rising to 175 as the week progresses. Geomagnetic conditions are dependent on coronal mass ejections. We have had eight M-class solar flares in the past three days, and a Kp index of 5 on Thursday the 2nd, which doesn’t bode well for next week. So, keep an eye on solarham.com for current conditions and look for the best HF propagation if the Kp index is low for a day or two.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The weather pattern remains very unsettled for the whole period with areas of low pressure edging north across the UK from the continent.
There will be a risk of thundery weather at times with locally heavy rainfall, which will be good for rain scatter on the Gigahertz bands. Tropo looks to be hard to find as we end the current week dominated by low-pressure systems, but there are signs of high pressure returning after mid-week, but only temporarily.
This could produce some Tropo paths, especially across surrounding waters such as the Irish Sea, English Channel and North Sea.
The nominal summer season of Sporadic-E propagation is upon us and, from May to early September, daily blogs will be provided on the Propquest.co.uk website highlighting the possible Sporadic-E links to the position of the jet streams shown on the upper air charts.
It’s well worthwhile getting into the habit of regularly checking the DX clusters and activity maps, since the early season is usually characterised by a complex jet stream pattern with multiple potential locations for Sporadic-E propagation.
Timewise, it eventually settles into a more traditional behaviour with activity often in two phases, one in the morning and the second in late afternoon, early evening.
As you listen to this report, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower should be peaking. Unfortunately, the best viewing for the shower, which is part of the debris from Halley’s comet, will be in the southern hemisphere.
Nevertheless, this is expected to be one of the best showers this century. For those viewing the shower, a waning Moon means that light levels should be low, making for ideal visual sighting.
For EME, the Moon will be waning all week with the new Moon around the 8th of May. The Moon will be rising in the sky throughout the week, with zero declination on the 5th of May and peaking at its highest in the sky on Saturday the 11th of May.
The lowest additional path loss occurs today and tomorrow, the 5th and 6th, but high Sun noise, with the Moon close to the Sun at new Moon, occurs shortly afterwards. Later in the week, as the Sun 'leaves' the Moon behind, noise levels, at least on the higher bands will fall to around normal.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Apr 26, 2024
Friday Apr 26, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 28th of April 2024
The news headlines:
New mock papers for amateur radio licence exams have been published
A revised amateur radio examination syllabus has been released
The RSGB has released the video review of 2023 by its President John McCullagh, GI4BWM
The RSGB Exam Syllabus Review Group has published a new set of mock papers covering each of the amateur radio licence exams, from Foundation through to Direct to Full. These papers are in addition to those already available. They are each marked as ‘mock exam paper 3’ and you can find them on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/mock-exams
The new amateur radio licence has now been in effect for a few weeks. Changes to the licence conditions have made it necessary to revise the examination syllabus. The RSGB is pleased to release version 1.6 of the syllabus which includes these revisions. Compared to version 1.5 in current use, the only section that has seen major changes is Section 1 – “Licensing and station identification”. In Section 7 – “Operating practices and procedures” – there were some minor changes, for example regarding suffixes. Exams will start using version 1.6 of the syllabus on the 1st of September 2024.
The Society has released the video review of 2023 by RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM. Filmed at the Ofcom Spectrum Management Centre near Baldock in Hertfordshire, the video covers a wide range of very positive activities, events and achievements. The President also talks about the RSGB’s strategic priorities, gaining publicity in the mainstream media, and the important work done by the Society on behalf of all radio amateurs to protect the spectrum. One example is the WRC Conference, where the RSGB Microwave Manager Barry Lewis, G4SJH, led the IARU team responsible for defending amateur use of the 23cm band. You can watch the video on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB
At the April Regional Forum meeting, Regional Representative 10, Keith Bird, G4JED was elected as Chair, and Regional Representative 3, Martyn Bell, M0TEB was elected as Secretary. They will both volunteer in these roles until the 2025 AGM. You can find contact details for both Keith and Martyn on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/regions
The next in the series of the popular 145 Alive events, to promote the use of 145MHz FM, is scheduled to take place on the 11th of May 2024, from 1 pm to 3 pm. The event and the supporting Facebook Group was started by Tim, G5TM and from the start of 2024 has been organised by Mark, M0XIC and John, M0XJA. The last successful event took place in January this year, when over 30 nets operated simultaneously across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern and Southern Ireland. Over 900 QSOs took place, with many amateurs operating portable, mobile or from their club or home QTH. If you would like to take part and find out more about the event and 145 Alive in general, then join the 145 Alive Facebook Group. If you would like to run a net on the 11th of May, contact Mark, M0XIC or John, M0XJA via the Facebook Group.
Mills on the Air Weekend 2024 is coming up on Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of May. The event takes place across the UK every May with more than 300 windmills and watermills usually taking part. For more information, to register, and to view a list of registered stations, visit ddars.net/mills.html
The RAF Air Cadets are pleased to announce that they are running the ever-popular Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise in June on the 60m band. The exercise will take place between the 17th and 21st of June. Subject to your licence conditions, the Blue Ham team hopes that you can put some time aside to join in with the cadets and staff who will be ready to take your calls. The Blue Ham Team will issue you with a participation certificate if you contact 20 or more special MRE callsigns over the period of the exercise. For more information visit alphacharlie.org.uk Please note that only Full licensees may operate on the 60m band.
South Bristol Amateur Radio Club is running a free online Foundation licence course in May. Anyone who is interested in taking part can find out more by emailing training@sbarc.co.uk When emailing, please include your name, postal address and date of birth. Please also indicate which weekday evenings and times you are available. The weekday evening that the course will take place will be decided by majority preference.
MFJ Enterprises has announced in a letter to its customers that it will be ceasing its on-site production at its premises in Starkville, Mississippi on the 17th of May 2024. The news also applies to the sister companies Ameritron, Hygain, Cushcraft and others. MFJ Enterprises has been in business for 52 years and will continue to sell its existing stock after the 17th of May. It will also continue to offer a repair service for out-of-warranty and in-warranty units for the foreseeable future.
And now for details of rallies and events
The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club’s 40th Annual Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 5th of May. The venue will be Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen, BT92 0JZ. The event will feature food and drink, bring and buy, RSGB books, the QSL Bureau, and the usual variety of traders. The doors open at 11 am. Traders are asked to arrive around 9 am. Admission, which includes a ticket for the prize draw, will cost £5 or five Euro. Contact Alan at argault91@gmail.com to arrange a table.
Thorpe Camp Hamfest will also take place on Sunday the 5th of May at Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire, LN4 4PL. Traders are asked to arrive no earlier than 7 am. The doors open at 9 am for buyers and the entrance fee is £5 per person.
The Retrotech UK event will be held on Sunday the 12th of May. The venue will be Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. The doors open at 10.30 am with an entry fee of £10. A fee of £25 applies for early-doors entry at 9 am. This is an annual event organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society. There will be almost 200 dealer stalls, clubs and private sellers. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the wide range of retro equipment. For more information email info@retrotechuk.com and visit retrotechuk.com
Now the Special Event News
Special callsign SZ0WARD is in use by the Radio Amateur Association of Greece in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day until the 30th of April. Look for activity on all bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via the Bureau and Logbook of the World. See sv2rck.gr/SZ0WARD for details of an available award.
Also in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, the special callsign TC3WRD is active until the 30th of April. QSL via Logbook of the World. For details of a certificate that is available, see tadx.org/awards The station was spotted recently on the 40m band using FT8.
Today is the last chance to work special event station GB6WW which is active from Glasgow, Scotland to commemorate the end of the Second World War. If you have made QSOs with GB6WW on three or more bands, you are eligible to apply for an award. To apply for the award, send an email to gb6ww@ft8.me with the details of your contacts. Please include your callsign, dates of QSOs, and the bands on which they occurred. There is no application fee. Once your QSOs have been verified, the PDF award file will be emailed to you.
Now the DX news
Jeff, K5WE and Craig, W5CCP are active as TX7W from Raivavae, OC-114, in the Austral Islands until the 30th of April. They are operating using mainly CW and FT8, with some SSB, RTTY and FT4, on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred but is also available via Logbook of the World, or directly to K5WE. Depending upon a reliable internet connection, logs will be uploaded to Club Log daily, and Club Log's Livestream will be enabled. See k5we.com/tx7w for more information and updates.
Listen out for a group of 13 Camb-Hams which is active from the Isle of Mull, EU-008, as GS3PYE until the 3rd of May. The team is QRV on the 80 to 10m bands as well as via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS. You can read a report of the team’s previous visit to the island in 2015 at tinyurl.com/Mull2015
Now the contest news
The UK and Ireland DX CW Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th and ends at 1200UTC today, the 28th of April. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Ireland's stations also send their district code.
The SP DX RTTY Contest started at 1200UTC on the 27th and ends at 1200UTC today the 28th of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code.
The MGM Contest started at 1400UTC on the 27th of April and ends at 1400UTC today the 28th of April. Using machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your report and four-character locator.
Today, the 28th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75-baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number.
On Monday the 29th, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Wednesday the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.
On Saturday the 4th, the 432MHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2000 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The 432MHz to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 5th of May. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The UK Six Metre Group’s Summer Marathon starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 4th of May and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 4th of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator.
The ARI International DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 4th of May and ends at 1159UTC on Sunday the 5th of May. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Italian stations also send their province.
On Sunday the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also on Sunday the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Wave Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Sunday the 5th, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 40m 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 25th of April 2024
We had another week with plenty of sunspots, and HF conditions were quite good in the second half.
Earlier, the Kp index reached 3 and 4, which didn’t help maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs for short. For example, on Sunday the 21st, the Kp index rose to 4 and the MUF over a 3,000km path remained stubbornly below 21MHz until later in the morning.
This could have been due to a coronal hole on the Sun’s equator, which added to the solar wind. By Wednesday, conditions were nearly back to normal, with a Kp index below 2 and an MUF of more than 24MHz. By Thursday the improvement had continued, giving us an MUF of more than 28MHz by 0900UTC.
There have been many reports of 10m band DX being worked, including Sebastien, FK4AX and Pat, FK8HA in New Caledonia in the Pacific on SSB. Sebastien has just got his licence and is keen to work DX from the UK.
This shows that it is worth keeping an eye on the CW and SSB portions of the 10m band, which can often throw up surprises.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will decline to around 160. The Kp index is predicted to be around 2 to 3, but that may be wishful thinking. With 16 active regions visible on the Sun’s surface on Thursday, anything could happen. Only minor C- and M-class flares have occurred recently but, as we always say, it wouldn’t take much for those to turn into X-class events.
So, make the most of quiet geomagnetic conditions when we have them as, by the time you read or hear this, we could once again have very unsettled conditions indeed.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The cold, unsettled weather will ease its grip over the last few days of this week, ending the 28th of April, but only because the whole area of low pressure is moving across the country this weekend.
Low pressure remains close by for much of the following week and only a hesitant return of high pressure west of Ireland will improve things for western Britain at the end of the week.
The result is a chance of Tropo for western Britain next week, but it will probably be of limited quality since it is likely to form in cold, dry air across any temperature inversion.
The remaining option in such weather patterns is primarily rain scatter for those on the GHz bands. The many online weather radar displays can be used to highlight the areas of heaviest rain.
We are past the peak of the Lyrids meteor shower, but the Eta-Aquarids, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of 50, peaks next Sunday the 5th around 2100UTC. Until then, rely upon random activity which tends to be better around dawn.
The Sun has been more active again recently, so monitor the clusters and Kp index for signs of geomagnetic activity and the chance of an aurora if the Kp index exceeds 5.
Sporadic-E tends to produce a few early examples in May ahead of its June peak. Check the DX clusters during the late afternoon or early evening as openings can be very brief early in the season. Start on the 10m band and, if short skip within Europe is present, move up to the 6m band. Digital modes are more sensitive so check FT8 reports to give clues as to where the chances are greatest.
For EME operators, the Moon is at minimum declination today, Sunday the 28th, meaning we’ll have short Moon windows to start the coming week. Path losses are falling but perigee, when the Moon is at its closest point, is still over a week away. 144MHz sky noise is high this weekend, ending the 28th of April, but falls too low by the end of the coming week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 21st of April 2024
The news headlines:
Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX to continue as RSGB Board Chair
The RSGB has vacancies for Regional Representatives
The Radio Communications Foundation is recruiting new Trustees
The RSGB Board has met for the first time since the Society’s AGM where three Directors were endorsed to serve as Nominated Directors on the Board and one was confirmed as elected unopposed. The new Board has chosen Dr Stewart Bryant, G3YSX to continue in the role of RSGB Board Chair until the 2025 AGM. You can find details of all RSGB Board Directors on the Society’s website and the Board Liaison roles will be confirmed and added to the page in the coming weeks. Go to rsgb.org/board for more information.
At its recent AGM, the RSGB was delighted to confirm the unopposed election of five Regional Representatives. However, there are still vacancies for Regional Representatives in Region 11, which covers England South-West and the Channel Islands, and also Region 12 which is England East and East Anglia. These vacancies will be filled by co-option until the 2025 AGM. If you live in one of these areas and are passionate about amateur radio, keen to support local radio amateurs and clubs, and have the skills to lead a volunteer team of District Representatives in the region, this could be a role for you! To find out more, please contact Tony Miles, MM0TMZ who is the Board Liaison for the Regional Team via mm0tmz@rsgb.org.uk
The Radio Communications Foundation is a small charity dedicated to encouraging people to take up radio as a hobby or, in the case of youngsters, considering an RF-based career. The RCF is proud to sponsor Arkwright Scholars, work with the RSGB and Bletchley Park to deliver radio-building workshops and make grants for various projects around the UK. Further information is available via the RCF website at commsfoundation.org The RCF is now looking to recruit a couple of new Trustees to help it deliver its aims. Applicants should have an interest in radio communications and be prepared to be involved in decisions over grant-making, delivering RCF projects and attracting charity funding. The RCF would particularly like to hear from anyone with links to secondary education in the UK. Expressions of interest and applications should be sent to rcfsecretary@commsfoundation.org preferably by the end of June.
Following the introduction in February of the new Ofcom amateur radio licence conditions, the RSGB has continued to provide information and support to radio amateurs to help them make the most of the changes. This has included updates, club talks and a section of the AGM event focused on those licence changes. Go to the RSGB YouTube channel, choose the AGM recording from the ‘live’ tab and then watch two sections. Firstly, the main Board Q&A begins just after one hour and eighteen minutes into the event and includes some licensing questions from members. Secondly, a section from just before two hours and thirty-three minutes focused entirely on the new licence conditions and included three videos and a full live Q&A with four senior RSGB representatives. The Society has also published a wealth of information on its website which you can find at rsgb.org/licence-review
Nigel Limb, M7FFU, had a motorbike accident in 2015 that left him with permanent brain damage and partially blind in both eyes, but this didn’t stop him from pursuing his childhood dream of obtaining his amateur radio licence. In December 2023 he passed the Foundation Licence exam. In the early 1970s Sue Jacob, GW7YLS was a shortwave listener and interested in amateur radio, but it wasn’t until she retired and discovered that the exams no longer contained Morse code, that she decided to get more involved. Within 18 months she had passed all three licence levels. One of the great things about amateur radio is that it is accessible to everyone. The RSGB is celebrating this by collecting stories of radio amateurs who have passed their Foundation licence, or progressed through the licence levels, and are now discovering new aspects of amateur radio to enjoy. If you’d like to read more about Nigel, Sue and others, go to rsgb.org/student-stories and, if you’d like to share your story with the Society, email comms@rsgb.org.uk and the RSGB will use as many as possible.
A new amateur radio Facebook group has been formed for those who like getting out and about in motorhomes, campervans, and caravans. The group welcomes all radio enthusiasts. To find out more, or to join the group, search for ‘UK Motorhome and Amateur Radio Group’ on Facebook.
SOS Radio Week is an annual event that takes place throughout May to celebrate the work of the volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Independent Lifeboats and National Coastwatch Stations around the British Isles. Members of these organisations save many people between them who are in danger along and around the thousands of miles of coastline and further out to sea. This year is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI and SOS Radio Week is being co-branded SOS Radio Week 200 for those operators that are supporting the RNLI during the event. Participants can operate from home, a public location, or a lifeboat or Coastwatch station, with the appropriate authorisation from the station manager. A commemorative certificate will be available to all official stations that record their contacts on the website together with awards for the top individual and club, or group, stations on each band from 160m to 70cm. Registration for individual and group operators is available via sosradioweek.org.uk
International Marconi Day will take place on Saturday the 27th of April. Once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection with. For more information, and to view a list of the stations that are taking part, follow the “International Marconi Day” link on the gx4crc.com website
And now for details of rallies and events
Andover Radio Amateur Club Boot Sale is taking place today, the 21st, at Wildhern Village Hall, Tangley, Wildhern, Andover, SP11 0JE. The doors open at 10 am for visitors and at 9 am for sellers. Entry costs £2. The fee for a field pitch is £8 and the cost for a table in the hall is £10. For more information visit arac.org.uk
Cambridge Repeater Group Rally was due to take place today, the 21st, at Foxton Village Hall, CB22 6RN. The event has been postponed until Sunday the 14th of July. For more information contact Lawrence, M0LCM on 07941 972 724, email rally2024@cambridgerepeaters.net, or visit cambridgerepeaters.net
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Rally, also known as both the ‘NARSA Rally’ and the ‘Blackpool Rally’, is taking place today, the 21st. The venue is Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool, FY2 9AA. For more details contact Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608, email dwilson@btinternet.com or visit narsa.org.uk
Now the Special Event News
In celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, Martin, OK1RR and Slavek, OK1TN are active as OL1WARD until the 30th of April. They are operating CW only on the HF bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Paper QSL cards will not be available.
DARC special event callsign DA24WARD is active until the 30th of April, also in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the Bureau.
Now the DX news
John, AD8J is active as HR9/AD8J from Roatan Island, NA-057, until the 28th of April. He operates CW, FT4, FT8 and possibly SSB, on the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or direct to John’s home call.
TJ, PE1OJR is active as PJ4TB from Bonaire SA-006, until the 28th of April. He is operating SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.
Michael, GM5AUG and Kevan, 2E0WMG will be active from the Western Isles of Scotland, with a focus on Barra and the Uists from Friday the 26th of April until Saturday the 4th of May. Worked All Britain hunters will be interested to know that the team will also be visiting Fiaraidh NF61, and Eriskay NF80, which have never before been activated. The guys will be active on the 2m, 70cm, and HF bands, as well as the LEO satellites, using CW, FM, SSB, and packet radio.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 23rd, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 24th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.
On Thursday the 25th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The UK and Ireland DX CW Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Ireland stations also send their district code.
The SP DX RTTY Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th of April and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code.
The MGM Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 27th of April and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 28th of April. Using machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your report and four-character locator.
On Sunday the 28th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75-baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of April 2024
Last week saw a welcome return of sunspots but, unfortunately, it also brought unsettled geomagnetic conditions.
By Thursday the 18th the solar flux index was back above 200, hitting 217. Compare that to the previous week’s 131 and you can see that there is a lot more activity. But, with 12 active regions visible, it looks like we could be in for a bumpy ride over the next seven days.
The Kp index hit five on the evening of Tuesday the 16th of April after the interplanetary magnetic field, or Bz, swung southwards, sparking visible aurora in the UK as far south as Dartmoor. This impacted the ionosphere, pushing MUFs over a 3,000km path down, with recovery not showing itself until 0930UTC on Wednesday the 17th.
The 10m band is struggling to open at times, although you may find FT8 still passing weak signals. SSB operators might be better advised to look at the 12 and 15m bands which may provide richer pickings.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to be in the range of 170 at the beginning of the week, falling to between 135 and 140 at the end of the week. The risk of an M-class flare is currently at 75%, with an X-class event at 20%. Despite this, NOAA predicts the Kp index will be around 2 for all of next week. However, there is a chance that a flare and associated CME could scupper that completely.
If we do get a coronal mass ejection, or CME for short, we can expect the Kp index to rise roughly 48 hours after the event, perhaps hitting 5 or more and possibly sparking visible aurora from the UK again.
Overall then, it's good news on the sunspot front, but not so good for geomagnetic activity, which could see MUFs fall if any solar flares and CMEs come to fruition.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The weather is likely to remain unsettled, despite temporary high pressure moving across the country this weekend. This may bring some Tropo, but it’s a cold air high and probably not the best for enhanced VHF conditions, except for localised overnight or early morning temporary lifts.
The rest of the time, there will continue to be an unsettled flavour to the weather so this leads to the possibility of rain scatter on the GHz bands, especially if we get heavy April showers.
This first weekend coincides with the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower which peaks tonight, the 21st and 22nd, so it’s worth checking the usual meteor scatter frequencies. If you are not familiar with meteor rates and variations from day to day, then visit the excellent Radio Meteor Observing Bulletin at rmob.org which gives an hourly display from various locations around the world. You can find many other useful links to meteor scatter resources by searching for ‘meteor scatter’ at rsgb.org
The Sun has woken up a little since last week, and a few auroral flutter signals on the LF bands suggest we shouldn’t give up yet for this spring. As usual, keep a watch for the Kp index going above 5.
The late April period can provide some fleeting early season Sporadic-E events, especially for the 10 and 6m bands. A couple of weak 5MHz Sporadic-E critical frequencies were noted during the late afternoon on Wednesday the 17th on the Dourbes plot shown at propquest.co.uk
For EME operators, Moon declination goes negative again today, the 21st, but path losses are falling as we passed apogee yesterday, the 20th. 144MHz sky noise is low but will rise to moderate by the end of next week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Apr 12, 2024
Friday Apr 12, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 14th of April 2024
The news headlines:
RSGB member interviewed by the BBC about the total solar eclipse
Ofcom releases video about changes to UK amateur radio licensing
World Amateur Radio Day is coming up
On Monday the 8th of April, a total solar eclipse gripped North America as radio amateurs worldwide looked on to see its effect on the ionosphere. This included RSGB Propagation Committee associate member Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL, who was interviewed by BBC news on the topic. The article, which was shared across the world, looked at some of the scientific experiments that took place during the eclipse. You can read the article by searching for “The 4-minute window into the Sun's secrets” on BBC news. The RSGB thanks all the WSPR users who responded to Gwyn’s call to action, got involved and shared their results on the RSGB social media channels.
Ofcom has released a video about changes to the UK amateur radio framework covering licensing and callsign changes. It also gives some insight into the forthcoming Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the changes for callsigns and special event stations. You can watch the video at tinyurl.com/ofcomvid
World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated each year on the 18th of April. The theme for 2024 is “A Century of Connections: Celebrating 100 Years of Amateur Radio Innovation, Community and Advocacy.” The global event covers all of the IARU regions and runs from 0000UTC on Thursday the 18th of April to 0000UTC on Friday the 19th of April. All radio amateurs are invited to take to the airwaves to show their skills and capabilities to the public. You can read more about the event at tinyurl.com/iaruward
During May, the RSGB’s Photo Friday feature on social media will highlight radio amateurs who are taking advantage of the new licence conditions. You could be an individual who is discovering different things to enjoy with the new power levels, or who is encouraging friends and family to get on the air under your supervision. You could be a club involved in special events and outreach to the public. In whatever way you’re making the most of the new licence conditions, the RSGB wants to hear from you! Send a photo and a short description to comms@rsgb.org.uk and the Society will share as many stories as possible.
On the 11th of April, BBC Radio 4 Feedback presenter Andrea Catherwood looked at why the Long Wave frequency is being shut down by the BBC. She interviewed RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM, and in the final programme, a brief clip was used in which John gave his opinion on the possible impact for some listeners. You can listen to the Feedback show on BBC Sounds, by searching for “Feedback and Long Wave” on the BBC website. The feature starts at 19 minutes and 55 seconds, with the RSGB President featuring at 22 minutes and 18 seconds.
This year Dennis, G7AGZ is running special event station GB0CHC again in support of Cornwall Hospice Care. This is Dennis’ 33rd year of fundraising for the charity. The station will be active until the end of April on all bands from 80m to 70cm using SSB, FM and DMR. If you would like to support the cause, search for GB0CHC on the justgiving.com website
The Cornish Radio Amateur Club has re-launched its sought-after Cornish Award Certificate. The award has been around since the 1960s and is given to amateur radio stations based outside of the County of Cornwall who have contacted 20 Cornish-based amateur radio stations. The new award allows the use of HF, VHF and UHF bands using any mode including FM, SSB, CW, and now digital modes such as FT8. Proof in the form of copies of logbook entries showing the 20 stations worked, dates, times and modes is required to qualify. The new award applies to contacts made on or after the 1st of January 2024, and the certificate will be emailed in PDF format. More information can be found via the “Cornish Award” link at gx4crc.com
A reminder now that International Marconi Day is coming up on the 27th of April. Once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection with. For more information, and to view a list of the stations that are taking part, follow the “International Marconi Day” link on the gx4crc.com website
And now for details of rallies and events
Yeovil Amateur Radio Club’s 38th QRP Convention will be held on Saturday the 20th of April at Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA. The doors will be open from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and admission will be £3. The event will feature talks, traders, a bring-and-buy area, club stalls and a café. For more information, see yeovil-arc.com or email derekbowen1949@talktalk.net
Andover Radio Amateur Club Boot Sale is due to take place on Sunday the 21st of April at Wildhern Village Hall, Tangley, Wildhern, Andover, SP11 0JE. The doors open at 10 am for visitors and at 9 am for sellers. Entry will cost £2. The fee for a field pitch is £8 and the cost for a table in the hall will be £10. For more information visit arac.org.uk For table bookings email admin@arac.org.uk
Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will take place on Sunday the 21st of April at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridgeshire, CB22 6RN. The doors will open at 9.30 am for visitors and at 7.30 am for traders. The event will be a car-boot sale. The rally will feature talk-in, trade stands, clubs, bring and buy, RSGB books, a free marshalled car park and a burger van. For more information contact Lawrence, M0LCM on 07941 972 724, email rally2024@cambridgerepeaters.net, or visit cambridgerepeaters.net
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Rally, also known as both the ‘NARSA Rally’ and the ‘Blackpool Rally’, will take place on Sunday the 21st of April. The venue will be Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool, FY2 9AA. For more details contact Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608, email dwilson@btinternet.com or visit narsa.org.uk
Dunstable Downs Radio Club would like to remind everyone that its annual boot sale has been postponed until the 30th of June. This is due to the site being used by BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted to Dunstable Downs Radio Club’s Facebook page and reminder emails will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list, visit ddrcbootsale.org and sign up for email reminders.
Now the Special Event News
Special event station 5P0WARD will be active from Denmark on the 18th of April to mark World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via Logbook of the World or via OZ1ACB. For more information, including details of awards that are available, visit QRZ.com
Special callsign ER30ARM is active to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Amateur Radio Society of Moldova, ER1KAA. Look for activity until the 30th of April. The station was spotted recently on the HF bands using CW and FT8. QSL via the Bureau, directly, and Logbook of the World.
Now the DX news
Willy, ON4AVT is active as 6W7/ON4AVT from Warang, Senegal until the 16th of April. He operates using mainly FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. He will also be QRV on the QO-100 satellite. QSL via Club Log's OQRS.
Bernhard, DL2GAC is active as H44MS from Malaita, OC-047 in the Solomon Islands until the 25th of April. He is QRV on the 160 to 6m bands using SSB and some FT8. QSL via Bernhard’s home call or the Bureau. He will upload his log to Club Log and Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 16th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 17th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Thursday the 18th, 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.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 11th of April 2024
The Sun is still looking a little bare, but the solar flux index has climbed back to 131, as of Thursday the 11th, with four active regions. The promise is that things will improve, especially as we will soon see the return of active region 3615, which was the source of numerous M-class and one X-class flare on its last rotation.
Things have been a little sparse on the higher HF bands, with only FT8 being audible or visible on the 10m band at times. Having said that there has been some good FT8 DX to be worked on the 10m band, including Angola, Malawi, China, Japan, Taiwan and the Solomon Islands.
During the recent solar eclipse event there were also a lot of US stations on the 10m band using WSPR. These included Bob, K6XX in Santa Cruz, California, who was copiable in the UK at around 1850UTC. This just shows how effective WSPR is as a mode on an otherwise quiet band.
There have been some early signs of Sporadic-E on the 10m band using digital modes, including some brief openings to Scotland from eastern UK. We can expect these to improve as we head towards May.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 140 to 150 range with a maximum Kp index of three. If this is correct it means that HF conditions will be roughly the same as last week.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The weather patterns are showing signs of change after being stuck for quite some time, and the main beneficiary will be VHF operators seeing a chance of Tropo returning to the bands.
The initial unsettled weather over the UK, with high pressure fixed over the continent, will take us through to the middle of the coming week.
Thereafter, a high will develop to the southwest of Britain midweek and drift northeast across the country, although some models take the high on a more southerly track. In either event, there should be some useful Tropo in the south and possibly northern areas too. This may be limited to southwestern areas for Tuesday's 23cm UK Activity Contest, but will hopefully be more supportive of the 4m UK Activity Contest on Thursday.
Meteor scatter is worth a look next week since we are approaching the 21st and 22nd of April peak of the Lyrids shower at the end of next weekend.
The quieter solar conditions have taken aurora down the table, but it's still good practice to watch out for if the Kp index goes above five.
Gigahertz-band rain scatter certainly drops down the league table next week as high pressure probably takes over.
As we said earlier, the next big thing is the start of the 2024 Sporadic-E season, which slowly comes to life during April for the 10 and 6m bands, especially on digital modes, whereas the real shift up in gear often comes during May. As mentioned last week, it’s worth updating your list of beacons in your rig’s memory while it’s still quiet.
For EME operators, Moon declination is at maximum this weekend, ending the 14th, so there will be long Moon windows. We are past perigee, so path losses are rising again. 144MHz sky noise is moderate this weekend then low for the rest of the week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Apr 05, 2024
Friday Apr 05, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 7th of April 2024
The news headlines:
The RSGB 2024 AGM is approaching
Don’t forget about the RSGB’s new ‘Join a friend’ referral scheme
The next Tonight@8 webinar is taking place tomorrow, the 8th of April
Are you an RSGB member? Have you voted on the AGM resolutions? The deadline for voting is 9 am on Thursday the 11th of April. Online voting is available 24 hours a day, so make sure you use your vote before then. Registration for asking a question live via Zoom has now closed but there is still time to submit a written question in advance – this is the only way for members to ask a question during the formal part of the meeting. During the later Q&A sessions, written questions will be answered before any are asked via YouTube live chat. The AGM itself includes the results of the voting, the Honorary Treasurer’s report, a video review of the year by the RSGB President, as well as announcements of trophies and construction competition winners. There will also be a presentation by Ofcom Group Director, Spectrum, David Willis who will talk about “Making amateur radio licensing fit for the future”. After this presentation, there will be a live Q&A session on the new licence conditions with four senior RSGB representatives. Be part of this important annual event and take the opportunity to ask questions of the Board and about the licensing conditions. The RSGB AGM will take place at 10 am on Saturday the 13th of April on YouTube – be part of it! Find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/agm
Don’t forget that the RSGB has launched a new opportunity to get even more out of your RSGB membership. If you recommend a friend who hasn’t been an RSGB member during the last 12 months, you will both receive £10 cashback when they become a member paying by direct debit. Whether you’re an individual RSGB member or an affiliated club, you can sign up as many friends as you like. Membership of the RSGB gives you a range of fantastic benefits so why not encourage others to join? Members have access to RadCom, exclusive online resources, RSGB award schemes and contests, as well as advice from the Society’s specialist committees. The RSGB’s representation to Ofcom and its ability to defend the spectrum nationally and internationally is more powerful through strength in numbers. Go to the special RSGB 'Join a friend' web page to find all the information you’ll need to take advantage of this offer, including a link to the online form at rsgb.org/join-a-friend
The latest Tonight@8 webinar is taking place tomorrow, Monday the 8th of April. Whitham Reeve will be looking at high-frequency aurora reflections observed at Anchorage in Alaska in the United States of America. The presentation will include an overview of early investigations and concepts that underlie the observations of aurora reflections and instrumentation. It will also include a selection of spectrum images from 2020 showing aurora reflections. Watch this live presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars
Are you making the most of the new amateur radio licence conditions already? Or are you still discovering what has changed and how it applies to you? The RSGB website has a range of resources about the Ofcom consultation, the new licence conditions and where to find help and guidance. You’ll find videos, summaries and links to Ofcom’s documentation. This is also a good time to revalidate your licence. Go to rsgb.org/licence-review to find out more and remember to be part of the RSGB AGM if you have a question you’d like to ask.
A reminder that registration is open for Maritime Radio Day 2024 which takes place annually on the 14th and 15th of April. The event is held to commemorate the almost 100 years of wireless telegraphy service for seafarers which ended with the closure in the UK of Portishead Radio on the 30th of April 2000. Commencing at 1200UTC on the 14th of April, and finishing at 2300UTC on the 15th of April, this event is a great opportunity to have a QSO with ex-Marine Radio Officers and Coast Station professionals who exchange details of their previous ships and coast stations. The mode of operation is CW and all of the HF bands are used, including the WARC bands. A certificate of participation will be issued to everyone who submits results. Amateur licence holders are invited to register to take part in Friends of Maritime Radio Day. Shortwave listeners may also submit logs. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/MRD24
Lots of stations are on the air today to join in with this year’s Airfields on the Air event. Amateurs are invited to contact as many of the stations as possible. To learn more about the event, and read a list of registered stations, visit tinyurl.com/2024AOTA
Tomorrow, the 8th, a total solar eclipse will head toward the UK from the west. While not visible over the UK, it will likely affect transatlantic VLF and HF radio propagation. RSGB Propagation Committee associate member Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL has a particular interest in the effect of reduced ionisation during the eclipse on second and third hops on 15 to 10m paths from the UK to North America. He encourages occasional WSPR users to dust off their transmitters to operate on those bands from today, the 7th, through to Tuesday the 9th of April, not just on the 8th, to provide results on undisturbed days.
And now for details of rallies and events
Holsworthy Spring Rally is being held today, Sunday the 7th of April, at Holsworthy Livestock Market in Devon. The doors open to traders from 8 am, and to the public from 10 am. Wheelchair access, catering and free parking are available. For more information email m0omc@m0omc.co.uk
Yeovil Amateur Radio Club’s 38th QRP Convention will be held on Saturday the 20th of April at Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA. The doors will be open from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and admission will be £3. The event will feature talks, traders, a bring-and-buy area, club stalls and a café. For more information, see yeovil-arc.com or email derekbowen1949@talktalk.net
Andover Radio Amateur Club Boot Sale is due to take place on Sunday the 21st of April at Wildhern Village Hall, Tangley, Wildhern, Andover, SP11 0JE. The doors open at 10 am for visitors and at 9 am for sellers. Entry will cost £2. The fee for a field pitch is £8 and the cost for a table in the hall will be £10. For more information visit arac.org.uk For table bookings email admin@arac.org.uk
Now the Special Event News
Special event station GB0WYT will be active from RAF Wyton during the Airfields on the Air event on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of April. This is the 12th year that a special event station has marked the event. The callsign will again be operated by RAF Air Cadet Communication Staff and club members from the Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society. This year, due to restrictions, the activity will be run from a site just west of the main runway at Wyton. Operators will be active on the HF bands, subject to working conditions, using CW, phone, RTTY, PSK31 and FT8. FM and SSB will also be in use on the 2m band.
Lots of special event stations are on the air today for Autism Awareness Week. For more information, including a list of callsigns that will be active, visit the GB2AA page on QRZ.com
Now the DX news
A team of amateurs is active from Vanuatu, OC-035, until the 11th of April. Operators will be QRV on the 40 to 6m bands using SSB, CW and FT8. QSL via OQRS. QSOs will be uploaded to ClubLog. Watch the YJ0VK page at QRZ.com for updates.
A team of UK amateurs is about to set off on an expedition to the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides. The IOTA reference for the location is EU008. The team will be on the island on the afternoon of Sunday the 14th of April and is expected to be operating by the evening. The last day of operation will be the 20th of April. Operators expect to be active using CW, FT8 and SSB on most bands from 160 to 10m as well as the 2m band. The team has a portable station and hopes to activate each of the following Worked All Britain Squares: NM 15, 16, 25, and 26. More details are available on GB0SIC’s QRZ.com web page.
Now the contest news
FT4 International Activity Day started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 6th and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 7th of April. Using FT4 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.
The SP DX Contest started at 1500UTC on Saturday the 6th and ends at 1500UTC today, Sunday the 7th of April. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code.
Today, the 7th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also, today, the 7th, the Worked All Britain Data Contest runs from 1000UTC to 1400UTC and from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8, FT4, JS8, RTTY and PSK on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Club and multi-operator stations can only score points in either one of the operating periods. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 17th of April. The full rules are available on the Worked All Britain website.
On Monday the 8th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 9th, 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.
Also on Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using All modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 10th, 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 11th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 4th of April 2024
Looking at the Sun on Wednesday the 3rd of April, you might be forgiven for thinking we are near sunspot minimum!
With a near-total lack of sunspots and a solar flux index of 112, the solar disk was looking pretty bare. Compare that with just two weeks ago when the solar flux index was sitting at 209 on the 23rd of March.
But never fear, there seems to be some activity coming up. Two active regions, AR3627 and AR3628, have just rotated into view, but in the meantime make the most of the geomagnetically-quiet conditions.
10m propagation is still holding up, although you may find that the band opens a little later in the morning and shuts earlier in the afternoon. The 4X6TU and VK6RBP IBP beacons were both audible at 0945UTC on Thursday the 4th, while China, Japan, Mongolia and Thailand were copiable on 10m FT8, even with a lowish solar flux index.
Higher HF band propagation from the UK has moved from favouring North America to north-south paths, notably to South Africa and South America.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will rise a little, perhaps starting at around 135 and finishing at around 150. Geomagnetic conditions should be reasonably quiet with a maximum Kp index of 3, unless we get a coronal mass ejection that could send it soaring.
As always, keep an eye on solarham.net for current conditions.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
There have been reports of trans-equatorial QSOs on 144MHz from Southern Africa to the Southern Mediterranean, but here in the UK we can only dream due to our northerly location.
The next period of weather is unfortunately shaping up to be the same as most of the recent ones, dominated by low-pressure systems driving active weather fronts across the British Isles.
It means that Tropo conditions seem unlikely to feature much through to the end of the coming week. Rain scatter for the GHz bands remains the mode of choice with help from some heavy April showers. Meteor scatter options are still best with random meteors before dawn, but we are getting closer to the April Lyrids shower later this month, so not long to wait now.
The solar conditions have subsided a little recently, but we remain in scope for further activity, especially since April can be one of the more active months for Aurora. Watch out for fluttery signals on HF or VHF bands, use the various clusters, or save the frequency of one of the northern beacons in your rig’s memory.
This is a good time to suggest updating your list of favourite beacons on the 10, 6, 4 and 2m bands since they’ll be useful for the upcoming sporadic-E season too.
It’s a good time to take an early look at the sporadic-E prospects before it gets properly busy.
Some background rules which may help are to use propquest.co.uk to see where the jet streams are since Sporadic-E propagation is often associated with turbulence in regions of jet stream activity. Then look for a relatively low Kp index. The other main rules are related to timing. Usually, there are two windows of opportunity, one in the morning and a second in the late afternoon or early evening. However, at the beginning of the season, these are approximate.
Sporadic-E starts on the lower bands like 10m and, if strong enough, will gradually extend to the higher bands. The 10 and 6m bands are probably the ones to check this month.
For EME operators, Moon declination goes positive again on Sunday, which is also Moon perigee, its closest point to Earth, so we’ll see lengthening Moon windows, increasing elevation and low path losses. 144MHz sky noise is low until Monday’s total solar eclipse, then moderate for the rest of the week.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Friday Mar 29, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 31st of March 2024
The news headlines:
Chris Whitmarsh, G0FDZ’s lifetime achievement award
The RSGB 2024 AGM is coming up
The RSGB is providing regular updates on its strategic priorities
Congratulations to Chris Whitmarsh, G0FDZ who has been presented with an RSGB Lifetime Achievement Award by RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM and RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX. Chris is the only amateur in the UK to have had a two-way QSO on every single amateur band for which we are licensed. Chris has been Vice President of Cray Valley Radio Society for over 20 years, and members of the club turned out in force to see the presentation and celebrate his achievement.
A reminder that this year’s RSGB AGM will take place at 10 am on Saturday the 13th of April. It is being held online to ensure as many members as possible can watch and take part. The formal business of the meeting will include the results of members’ votes on the resolutions, including the endorsement of three Nominated Directors. RSGB members are encouraged to vote on all the resolutions. This year you can ask the RSGB Board a question in one of three ways: by submitting it in advance via an online form; registering to ask a question live on video via Zoom; or asking via the YouTube live chat during the event. There are deadlines for submitting questions via the online form or Zoom so make sure you don’t miss those! Find out more on the RSGB AGM web pages at rsgb.org/agm
At the Discussion with the Board session at the RSGB Convention last year, President John McCullagh, GI4BWM committed the Board to giving regular updates on work being done to fulfil the RSGB’s strategic priorities. Since the beginning of this year, a monthly report has been shared in RadCom and on the RSGB website. These reports have covered a range of activities and achievements involving both staff and volunteers. The Board is committed to continuing this regular communication so look out for the updates in RadCom each month. If you’ve missed any this year, you can find them all on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/strategy-updates
Are you aged 18 to 30? Are you passionate about all things radio? Are you ready for exciting experiences, making new friends and shaping the future of amateur radio? Why not apply to be part of the RSGB YOTA team going to the YOTA Czechia summer camp this year? You can find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/yota-camp You’ll be able to read about the experiences of previous teams and download an application form for the Czechia event. The closing date for applications is the 15th of April for the Team Leader and the 22nd of April for Team Members.
The March 2024 edition of RadCom Basics is now available on the RSGB website for members to read. RadCom Basics is aimed at new licensees or anyone who enjoys reading about the fundamental principles behind the many facets of amateur radio. This edition includes articles which cover: the checking and testing of components; working on the 160 and 80m bands with limited space; the importance of antenna radials; what it’s like to take up portable operating; and a guide to clean transmissions. To read RadCom Basics visit rsgb.org/radcom-basics
At its recent meeting, the CEPT Frequency Management Working Group confirmed that Barry Lewis, G4SJH, in his IARU role, would continue as Chair for a further three-year period, having first been appointed in 2019. The meeting also noted updates to T/R 61-01 that facilitate the temporary operation in a fellow member’s country, for Georgia joining the scheme, as well as editorial changes to accommodate Australian licence changes and Canadian provincial prefixes. Barry has also continued his work in CEPT on the 23cm band, following the outcomes from WRC-23. IARU and RSGB volunteers are also starting ITU WRC-27 preparations, where further bands and topics are of concern to amateur radio.
Please note that RSGB HQ will be closed for the bank holiday on Monday the 1st of April. Please continue to send all of your news and updates to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for the GB2RS News is 10 am on Thursday before the Sunday broadcast.
And now for details of rallies and events
Holsworthy Spring Rally will be held on Sunday the 7th of April at Holsworthy Livestock Market in Devon. The doors open to traders from 8 am, and to the public from 10 am. Wheelchair access, catering and free parking will be available. For more information email m0omc@m0omc.co.uk
Yeovil Amateur Radio Club’s 38th QRP Convention will be held on Saturday the 20th of April at The Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA. The doors will be open from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and admission will be £3. The event will feature talks, traders, a bring-and-buy area, club stalls and a café. For more information, see yeovil-arc.com or email derekbowen1949@talktalk.net
Now the Special Event News
Special event station GB0WYT will be active from RAF Wyton during the Airfields on the Air event on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of April. This is the 12th year that the station has put on a special event station for the event. The callsign will again be operated by RAF Air Cadet Communication Staff and club members from the Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society. This year, due to restrictions, the activity will be run from a site just west of the main runway at Wyton. Operators will be active on the HF bands, subject to working conditions, using CW, phone, RTTY, PSK31 and FT8. FM and SSB will also be in use on the 2m band.
Special event station OE100RADIO is active until the 31st of December to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular radio transmissions in Austria in 1924. The station was heard recently on the 40m band using CW. QSL via the Bureau.
Now the DX news
Felipe, CE3SX will be active as CB0ZIX from Juan Fernández until the 4th of April. He will be QRV almost exclusively on the 6m band using SSB and FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World. Traditional QSL cards will not be available.
Thaire, W2APF is active as VP2MDX from Montserrat, NA-103, until the 11th of April. He is operating CW, SSB, FT8 and FM on the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to W2APF.
Now the contest news
The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 30th of March and ends at 2359UTC today, the 31st. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Monday the 1st, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330 UTC. Using FM and SSB on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their country.
Also on Monday the 1st, the IRTS 2m Counties Contest runs from 1330 to 1500 UTC. Using FM and SSB on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their country.
On Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is the report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.
On Wednesday the 3rd, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.
The FT4 International Activity Day starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 6th of April and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 7th of April. Using FT4 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report.
The SP DX Contest starts at 1500UTC on Saturday the 6th and ends at 1500UTC on Sunday the 7th. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code.
On Sunday the 7th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Sunday the 7th, the Worked All Britain Data Contest runs from 1000UTC to 1400UTC and from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8, FT4, JS8, RTTY and PSK on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Club and multi-operator stations can only score points in either one of the operating periods. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 17th of April. The full rules are available on the Worked All Britain website.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 27th of March 2024
What a tumultuous time we had last week. Active region 3614 produced an X1.1 solar flare and coronal mass ejection, or CME, in the early hours of the 23rd of March. This impacted Earth’s geomagnetic field sending the Kp index to 8 on the 24th of March.
There were simultaneous flares from active region 3614 and the larger region AR3615.
The solar wind speed reached more than 850 kilometres per second at the height of the geomagnetic storm, peaking at 880 kilometres per second.
The CME started to impact the Earth early in the afternoon of the 24th and, according to Digisonde data, its full effects on the ionosphere started to be felt by 1540UTC.
The large AR3615 sunspot cluster continues to evolve as it moves into the Sun’s southwest quadrant. Moderate flaring will remain likely in the short term with a lower chance for another strong X-class flare, although it is around the side of the Sun and is not considered a threat today, Sunday the 31st.
All this was not good news for HF propagation, which saw maximum useable frequencies over a 3,000km path plummet on the 24th to less than 18MHz. The ionosphere didn’t fully recover until two days later, with the MUF struggling to get above 18MHz on the 25th.
It wasn’t until the afternoon of Wednesday the 27th that we saw the 10m band behaving normally again with the Kp index back in the range of 1 to 3.
So, this is what can happen if we have an X-class flare and associated CME. We can expect more of the same to come.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain high at around 175 to 190. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast from the 3rd to the 5th of April when the Kp Index could rise to 4.
But keep an eye on solarham.net for a near real-time guide to current solar conditions.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The period leading up to the Easter Weekend, and the following week shows up on the forecast charts as dominated by low pressure, feeding several periods of rain and showers across the country.
This unfortunately means that Tropo is again off the menu of weather-related VHF propagation.
Of course, wet weather is usually very supportive of rain scatter propagation on the GHz bands and this prolonged period of rain or showers will give the UHF and SHF operators something to occupy their time.
Meteor scatter prospects are once again just random, which tends to be better in the hours just before dawn. We can start to look forward to the April Lyrids, which are active in the second half of April with a peak around the 22nd. It’s worth checking out the operating conventions and frequencies now so that you can be ready.
Strong aurora has been reported recently, with a Kp index of 8, and a quick listen for fluttery signals on the 80m or 40m bands is often a good clue if you don’t have access to the Kp index at the time.
The main mode of interest for the coming months is Sporadic-E and some early propagation is possible, mainly on digital modes on the 10m or 6m bands, but probably very fleeting.
During the summer Sporadic-E season, it's well worth checking the propquest.co.uk graphs to see what is occurring and get an idea of how it may relate to jet stream weather patterns by cross-checking with the Sporadic-E blog upper air charts.
The Sporadic-E Probability Index, or EPI, maps are also potentially useful to see how the favourable regions change with time. In the current pre-season period, it’s more typical to find trans-equatorial propagation, or TEP, as an exotic mode offering paths to the south into South Africa and possibly into South America.
For EME operators, Moon declination reaches minimum on Easter Monday, so we’ll see short Moon windows with low elevation. Path losses are falling all week and 144MHz sky noise is moderate, rising to a peak of more than 3,000 Kelvin on Easter Monday before returning to low levels.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
Friday Mar 22, 2024
Friday Mar 22, 2024
GB2RS News
Sunday the 24th of March 2024
The news headlines:
New RSGB ‘Join a friend’ referral scheme launched
The RSGB’s Planning Advisory Committee seeks volunteers
The RSGB’s 2023 Committee reports are available
The RSGB has just launched a new opportunity to get even more out of your RSGB membership. If you recommend a friend who hasn’t been an RSGB member during the last 12 months, you will both receive £10 cashback when they become a member paying by direct debit. Whether you’re an individual RSGB member or an affiliated club, you can sign up as many friends as you like. Membership of the RSGB gives you a range of fantastic benefits so why not encourage others to join? Members have access to RadCom, exclusive online resources, RSGB award schemes and contests, as well as advice from the Society’s specialist committees. The RSGB’s representation to Ofcom, and its ability to defend the spectrum nationally and internationally, is more powerful through strength in numbers. Go to the special RSGB 'Join a friend' web page at rsgb.org/join-a-friend to find all the information you’ll need to take advantage of this offer, including a link to the online form.
The RSGB Planning Advisory Committee would like additional volunteers to join its advisory panel. Volunteers deal with queries from members about problems they face in getting planning permission for masts and antennas. These enquiries can be for support in making an application to the local council or in submitting an appeal. If you have a relevant professional background, not necessarily as a planner, or have some knowledge of how the planning system works, please get in touch. The Committee Chair will be happy to give you more information about what is involved and how you can help other radio amateurs. Find out more about the Committee on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/pac and then email John Mattocks, G4TEQ via pac.chairman@rsgb.org.uk to arrange a chat.
The April edition of RadCom contains the annual reports of the RSGB Committees, Honorary Officers, Teams and Groups. These reports give an overview of activities for the many important areas of the Society that support and develop amateur radio. You can also read them on the RSGB website if you go to rsgb.org/vlt and choose the committee reports section in the menu on the righthand side. The RSGB thanks all its many volunteers who give their time to support the Society and the amateur radio community.
Leicester Radio Society has launched an Amateur Radio Clubs on the Air activity this weekend, the 23rd and 24th. The aim of the activity is to encourage amateur radio clubs and societies to get on the air and operate. You can read details about an award that is available to both licensed amateurs and shortwave listeners by visiting the G3LRS page at QRZ.com
For more information, contact Sandra, G0MCV on 07930 274 044.
International Marconi Day is coming up on Wednesday the 27th of April and, once again, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club is organising and running the event. Lots of amateur radio stations will be operating from sites that Marconi operated from or had a personal connection with. For more information, and to view a list of the stations that are taking part, follow the ‘International Marconi Day’ link on the gx4crc.com website.
This week, please send all your news and updates to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by 10 am on Wednesday the 27th of March. The GB2RS News will be compiled a day earlier than usual, due to the Easter bank holidays, and will be available for download on Thursday the 28th of March.
And now for details of rallies and events
Dover Amateur Radio Club Rally is taking place today, the 24th of March, at Saint Radigunds Community Centre, Poulton Close, Dover, CT17 0HL. The doors are open from 10 am to 2 pm and the entrance fee is £3. Tables cost £15 each with a maximum of two tables per vendor. For more information visit darc.online/rally
The Ripon Rally is also taking place today, the 24th of March. The venue is Great Ouseburn Village Hall, Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn, York, YO26 9RL. Lots of parking is available adjacent to the venue. Traders are welcome from 7 am and tables cost £10 each. The doors open for visitors from 10 am and entrance is £3 per person. Visit radars-g4sjm.club for more information.
Holsworthy Spring Rally will be held on Sunday the 7th of April at Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworth, Devon. The doors open to traders from 8 am, and to the public from 10 am. Wheelchair access, catering and free parking will be available. For more information email m0omc@m0omc.co.uk
Dunstable Downs Radio Club boot sale was due to be held in May. It has been postponed until the 30th of June due to the site being used by BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted to Dunstable Downs Radio Club’s Facebook page and reminder emails will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list, visit ddrcbootsale.org and sign up for email reminders.
Now the Special Event News
Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the first amateur radio association in Romania's Arad County, a series of special callsigns, including YR95AR, will be active until the 31st of May. The event is being organised by Radioclub Admira, YO2KBQ which is the successor of the club that was established almost a century ago. See QRZ.com for more information.
Christian, OE5CCN is active as OE24BI until the 30th of June from the city of Bad Ischl, one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the Bureau and Logbook of the World. Recently, the station was heard on the HF bands using FT8.
Now the DX news
Gerard F5NVF, Luc F5RAV and Abdel M0NPT are active as TY5C from Cotonou, Benin until the 29th of March. They are operating CW, SSB and FT8 on various bands, including 6m, and will also be QRV via the QO-100 satellite. QSL directly to F5RAV or via Logbook of the World.
Peter, DC0KK is active as 4S7KKG from Sri Lanka, AS-003, until the 30th of March. He operates FT8, FT4, RTTY, and sometimes CW, on the 20 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS, or directly to his home call.
Now the contest news
On Tuesday the 26th, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 27th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator.
On Thursday the 28th, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 30th of March and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 31st of March. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 21st of March 2024
As we said last week – what a difference a month makes. Only in this case, what a difference a week makes!
On Friday the 15th, the solar flux index, or SFI, was at 129 and the Sun did not look very spotty at all. This week it’s all changed. On Thursday the 21st, the solar flux index stood at 176 with seven active regions visible.
For HF propagation forecasts, the golden rule is to use smoothed sunspot numbers, or SSN for short, rather than a daily figure – that is, sunspot numbers averaged over the past 12 months.
The current SSN is 129, which equates to a solar flux index of about 144. Perhaps the daily figure of 176 has the psychological effect of giving us confidence that the bands will be open!
A moderately strong M7.4 solar flare was observed around active region 3615 at 0736UTC on the 20th of March. The region continues to rotate into a better Earth-facing position and will remain a threat for additional solar flares above the M5.0 threshold.
If a flare leads to a coronal mass ejection or CME, we could expect a disturbed ionosphere roughly 48 hours later, depending upon the solar wind speed.
Also, a large coronal hole on the solar equator became Earth-facing on Thursday the 21st. A coronal hole is a lower-energy area on the Sun with open magnetic field lines that let solar plasma escape. This may lead to a geomagnetic disruption this weekend, ending today the 24th, with increased Kp numbers and a lowering of the maximum usable frequency.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI will be in the 155 to 165 range. Geomagnetic conditions are hard to predict, due to coronal hole effects and CMEs, but NOAA puts the Kp figure at two to three. If we get a CME, this could easily rise to five or more.
Finally, we are now at the equinox which means that auroras are more likely due to the Russell-McPherron effect. The equinox is also a good time for north-south HF paths. Also, note that the HF bands are staying open for longer with the 4U1UN beacon in New York, the YV5B beacon in Venezuela, and the 4X6TU beacon in Israel audible on 14.100MHz around 2230UTC last week.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
It’s not good news for weather-related propagation with a total absence of high pressure on the charts again and a resulting lack of Tropo for the majority of the coming week.
But Tropo is not the only mode to be affected by the weather, rain scatter is too.
This has been a player quite often recently and, as we move into the spring, the characteristic ‘April showers’ can be very useful for rain scatter. Their effectiveness is related to the sixth power of the raindrop diameter, so the larger drops in heavier ‘April showers’ can be increasingly valuable on the GHz bands. Many good online weather radar displays are available to allow you to track them for maximum benefit.
Other promising mentions should go to Aurora which, as we said earlier, can be more likely around this time of the year when the Earth’s magnetic field is more favourably coupled to the solar wind. Meteor scatter is a lesser option and rests with random chance activity as we are still some way off from any major meteor showers.
Sporadic-E and related Trans-Equatorial Propagation, or TEP, in the shorter term during the next month or so, will soon be a major player. For TEP between Europe and southern Africa, check clusters around the middle part of the day. Although usually favouring stations in southern Europe, it can occasionally turn up for UK operators, particularly for those located in the southern half of the country.
As for Sporadic-E, the new season is starting to wake up, so the usual maxim of checking clusters is the best advice, starting with the 10m band and working up to the 6m band. The traditional morning and late afternoon ‘windows' are less reliable in early-season events, so just check anyway if you’re in the shack.
For EME operators, Moon declination is still positive, but going negative again this coming Monday. Path losses are at their maximum due to apogee on Saturday the 23rd. 144MHz sky noise is low but rising to moderate by the end of the coming week, reaching more than 1,000 Kelvin on Sunday the 31st.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
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