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G4APL  > NEWS     08.12.19 05:31l 228 Lines 10477 Bytes #999 (0) @ EURO
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Subj: RSGB Main News  - 8 Dec 2019
Path: IZ3LSV<IQ2LB<F1OYP<F4BWT<GB7YEW<GB7CIP
Sent: 191208/0331Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:34788 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G4APL@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : NEWS@EURO


GB2RS Main News for Sunday 8th December 2019

The news headlines:

* GB2RS Christmas schedule
* YOTA month news
* Sweden discontinuing 2.3 & 3.4GHz permits 

Due to the way Christmas and New Year falls there will be no GB2RS 
News script for Sunday the 29th of December. An abbreviated script 
will be prepared for Sunday the 5th of January for those newsreaders 
who are able to read that day. Normal service will resume on the 12th 
of January. The RSGB would like to take the opportunity to thank all 
the GB2RS news reading volunteers for their service to the amateur 
community throughout the year.

YOTA Month is in full swing and thanks to local clubs, schools and 
Scout groups it has already introduced large numbers of youngsters to 
amateur radio. Hilderstone Radio Society used GB19YOTA to give 40 
children aged 7 to 8 the chance to speak to Santa and chat to him 
about what they would like for Christmas. This weekend an event 
hosted by Nick, G4FAL will bring together youngsters to get on the 
air for YOTA Month. Next weekend, the 14th to 15th of December, the 
RSGB's National Radio Centre will host the callsign. The Society's 
Youth Champion and members of the RSGB Youth Team will be there to 
welcome any young people who want to find out more about amateur 
radio, pass greetings messages on the air and try their hand at Morse 
code. Do take young family or club members to take part in this 
event. RSGB Members can download their free Bletchley Park entrance 
voucher from www.rsgb.org/bpvoucher.

Amateurs in Sweden have been able to apply for Temporary Permits to 
allow operation in 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands. Their regulator, the PTS, 
has announced these Temporary Permits will no longer be issued from 
the 1st of January 2020. The reason is 5G. Swedish amateurs are 
presently permitted by their regulations to run a maximum of 100mW 
output in the 2400-2450MHz band. 

Following a tutors' Syllabus 2019 presentation on software defined 
radio earlier in the year, the RSGB has now been able to publish 
three short videos to help tutors teach this aspect of the new 
Syllabus. The presentations were videoed by members of the exam team 
to accompany the PowerPoint slides that have been available on the 
Society's website for several months. The RSGB hopes that the expert 
explanations and commentary by Alan Betts, G0HIQ will be of great 
value to club tutors. The videos can be found at 
www.rsgb.org/syllabus2019-updates.

The UK and other member states have made investments that mean the 
European Space Agency has re-confirmed that all astronauts from the 
class of 2009, including Tim Peake, will return to the International 
Space Station before 2024. The timings will be confirmed by ESA in 
due course.

There's still time to book onto the Introduction to Amateur Radio 
workshop, which will take place on Saturday the 14th of December at 
Bletchley Park. Open to anyone aged 17 or over, it will provide an 
insight into the world of amateur radio through talks, videos and 
demonstrations. Go to www.bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on for more 
information and to book.

For a bit of fun as we approach the festive season, you can use 
sightings of The International Space Station as it orbits the Earth 
to impress friends and family. And if you want to pretend its Santa's 
sleigh practising before the big day, and then again out delivering 
presents on Christmas Eve, then you should be able to if it isn't 
cloudy. You can use an ISS tracker app on your phone or go to 
https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ and sign up for email alerts or text 
messages when the ISS is going to fly overhead.


And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week 

We have no more rallies or events listed for 2019. Please send 
details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to 
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk. 


And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Tev, TA1HZ will be active as 4L/TA1HZ from Georgia between the 13th 
and the 20th of December. He will operate from 4L6QC's QTH, with main 
activity on the lower bands using FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of The 
World, or direct to TA1HZ.

Matt, IZ4YGS will be operating from Sanzule in Ghana until the 28th 
of December. He is using the callsign 9G5GS on all bands from 160 to 
15m using FT8 and SSB. QSL to his home call. 

John, W5JON will return to his home on St Kitts island, OPTA 
reference NA-104, for a few days between the 10th and the 19th of 
December. He plans to be on the air as V47JA. QSL direct and QSOs are 
uploaded regularly to Logbook of The World. 

The annual 6V1A expedition to the island of Goree, AF-045, will take 
place between the 13th and the 15th of December. Activity will be on 
various bands using SSB and CW. QSL via Logbook of The World.


Now the special event news 

On Monday and Tuesday, from 1200 to 1800UTC, GB19YOTA will be 
operated by M0XDX and M0NCG, and Wednesday sees Flight Refuelling ARS 
operating from 1800 to 2359UTC. On Thursday and Friday, the callsign 
moves to Wales under the supervision on GW1YQM from 1800 to 2359UTC 
each day. Next weekend, the 14th and 15th, sees the callsign 
operating from the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park from 
0930 to 1600UTC. A full list of those participating throughout the 
month is on the GB19YOTA page on QRZ.com. 

Please send special event details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk as early 
as possible. We have not received special event station info from 
Ofcom in recent months so you MUST let us know to get your event 
publicised on GB2RS, in RadCom and online. 


Now the contest news

The ARRL 160m contest ends its 42-hour run at 1600UTC today, the 8th. 
It's CW-only and the exchange is your signal report, with US and 
Canadian stations also sending their ARRL or RAC section number.

Today, the 8th, the 144MHz AFS contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. 
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and 
locator.

On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC, 
using FM only. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK 
Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for both contests 
is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 50MHz Machine Generated Mode Activity Contest runs 
from 1900 to 2000UTC with an exchange of a signal report and your 
4-character locator. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 50MHz 
UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for this 
contest is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend the 2nd Machine Generated Mode contest runs for 24 hours 
from 1400UTC on the 14th to 1400UTC on the 15th. Using the 50 and 
144MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and your 4-character 
locator.

Also next weekend, but running for 48 hours, the ARRL 10m contest 
runs from 0000UTC on the 14th to 2359UTC on the 15th. The exchange is 
signal report and serial number, with USA stations sending their 
State code and Canadians their Province code.

The UK Six Metre Group's Winter Marathon and runs until the end of 
January. There are no specific operating modes or periods. Just work 
as many locator squares as you can on the 50MHz band. 


Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO 
on Friday the 6th of December 2019.

We had very settled geomagnetic conditions last week with the Kp 
index not rising above two and often sitting at zero. The solar flux 
index sat at 70/71, reflecting zero sunspots and a blank Sun.

As we approach mid-Winter it is a good time to concentrate on the 
lower bands, with both 80 and 160 metres showing good DX potential 
throughout the night. For short wave listeners, medium wave also 
comes alive with the possibility of DX stations from the USA coming 
in during the early hours. As a start, try listening for station WBBR 
in New York on 1130khz. This is usually one of the loudest 
transatlantic stations to be heard.

And don't forget to look out for DX on forty metres, especially 
around sunset and sunrise.

Next week should see more of the same with NOAA predicting a solar 
flux index of 70, zero sunspots, but a settled geomagnetic Kp index 
of two all week. The critical frequency graphs at Propquest.co.uk 
suggest that 20m will be the main daytime DX band next week, with 
occasional openings on 17 metres.


And now the VHF and up propagation news.

Next Saturday sees the peak of the biggest meteor shower of the year, 
the Geminids. The shower is already under way and is expected to 
reach peak activity at around 1900UTC on the 14th of December. With a 
peak Zenithal Hourly Rate of 120, it promises to produce some 
excellent meteor scatter QSOs. 

Last week saw some good Tropo paths, but the high pressure declined 
mid-week. The forecast charts show no indication of a return of a 
high, so Tropo cannot be promised, other than a brief return of a 
ridge across southern areas at the end of the coming week.  

The rest of the country will be predominantly driven by low pressure 
crossing northern areas from west to east and at times leaving us 
with a cold northwesterly down the North Sea. At this time of the 
year this means that strong convection bringing showers is likely as 
the cold air flows south across the relatively warm sea. These may be 
good for rain scatter, so plenty of opportunities for GHz bands 
operators.

Last week saw a few reports of Sporadic-E, chiefly on digital modes, 
but also a few paths on the more traditional CW or SSB. This is a 
good reminder that there is no month with a zero chance of 
Sporadic-E. In this case, conditions were probably enhanced by strong 
meteor activity. Meteors provide the ionisation as they burn up 
entering the upper atmosphere and this can combine with stronger jet 
streams in the winter months.

The Moon reaches maximum declination on Friday and path losses will 
fall all week. Combined with a generally low 144MHz sky temperature, 
it's a good week for EME.

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


And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain.  Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to  radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.


Our thanks to Andy G4TNU for providing this RSGB feed.
--
g4apl@gb7cip.ampr.org g4apl@gb7cip.#32.gbr.euro
http://www.theskywaves.net http://gb7cip.ampr.org


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