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G4TNU > NEWS 20.09.20 14:07l 191 Lines 9048 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 20 Sep 2020
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 20th of September 2020
The news headlines:
* Mainstream media features amateur radio
* Antenna modelling and ionoscatter at Convention
* 2020 ITU Radio Regulations now available
As part of its continuing Get on the air to care campaign with the
NHS, the RSGB has been working with the BBC recently to highlight
amateur radio in a number of ways. BBC Radio Surrey and Sussex ran an
interview with RSGB Board Director Stewart Bryant, G3YSX last week;
BBC Radio Somerset aired an interview that included RSGB General
Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB this week; and BBC TV Points West shared
the story of ten-year-old Caitlin, M6XTT who passed her Foundation
exam via remote invigilation recently after being tutored by her
grandfather Don, G3XTT during lockdown. You can find out more and
listen to each of the interviews on the Society's media pages at
www.rsgb.org/gota2c-media.
During the online RSGB Convention for 2020, you will be able to enjoy
some excellent lectures. On Saturday the 10th of October, the RSGB
will be presenting two online streams for everyone to enjoy. In An
introduction to… we will have Antenna modelling with MMANA-GAL with
Steve Nichols, G0KYA. He will look at the free MMANA-GAL package and
give hints and tips on how to use it, complete with some examples. In
the Learn more about… stream, Palle, OZ1RH will look at Ionoscatter
on 50 and 144MHz. In this lecture ionoscatter is examined more
closely to evaluate its possibilities for QSOs on 50 and 144MHz. You
can find out more at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention.
The 2020 edition of the ITU's 2020 Radio Regulations, which will come
into force on the 1st of January 2021, is now available as a free
download. Go to https://tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0920A to get your copy.
Like the RSGB Convention, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2020 will also be
online this year. Taking place on Sunday 11th of October, there will
be a lecture stream from 11am to 4pm. You can find out more at
www.amsat-uk.org/colloquium. The registration URL is
https://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020.
The UK Six Metre Group AGM takes place at 1700UTC on the 27th of
September, via videoconference. It's followed by a talk by Peter
Lund, JW7QIA on of recent 50MHz and 70MHz operations from Svalbard.
More at www.uksmg.org.
Mike Meadows, G4GUG has a passion for amateur radio that has led to a
new University of the Third Age, or U3A, online group being set up.
You must be a U3A member to take part. The RSGB is working with U3A
to help support this special amateur radio interest group. For more
details, email janine.aldridge<at>u3a.org.uk
The RSGB 2020 Construction Competition is open for entries. There are
four categories, including one specifically for people who are new to
amateur radio. But hurry, the deadline for entries is the 25th of
September. For more details, including how to enter, see
www.rsgb.org/construction-competition.
Are you heading for university this year? Several students who passed
their remote-invigilation amateur radio exams are off to university
in the next few weeks. If you would like to let others know which Uni
you are attending, perhaps with the aim of setting up an amateur
radio club, send your name, email and university to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk and we'll print the list in RadCom. UK
University Amateur Radio also aims to help co-ordinate university
clubs, see ukuar.org.
A new attended propagation beacon has gone on the air. Operating on
3.510, 7.015, 14.015 and 10.110MHz, the power will be 20 or 25 watts.
There is no timetable for transmissions and further information is on
the QRZ.com page of M1EDF, including details of details the unusual
construction.
The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee has published its 2020
report that looks back on activities during 2019. You can read it on
the ESC page on the Society's website: https://tinyurl.com/esc-reports
Now the special event news
Since the change of regulations applying to special event stations in
the UK, many activations are now able to go ahead. UK amateurs would
like to thank Ofcom for their help in making this happen.
Members of the Royal Air Force ARS will be operating GB80BOB until
the 28th of September to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the
Battle of Britain. Details are at www.rafars.org/GB80BOB/ and on
QRZ.com.
Now the contest news
Please remember to check before the contest for new rules due to
lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world.
The RSGB strongly advises obeying your own national and local
government's advice first and foremost, especially in the instance of
local lockdowns.
Today, the 20th, the 70MHz AFS Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC.
Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
The BARTG Sprint 75 contest takes place today, the 20th, from 1700 to
2100UTC. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is serial
number.
On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes in the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday it's the data leg of the 80m Autumn Series, running from
1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend, the CQ World Wide DX RTTY contest runs for 48 hours
from 0000UTC on the 26th to 2359 on the 27th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz
contest bands, the exchange is signal report and Zone, which is 14
for the UK.
On Sunday the 27th, the UK Microwave group contest runs from 0600 to
1800UTC on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands. Using all modes, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Also next Sunday, the 27th, the PW 70MHz contest runs from 1200 to
1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 18th of September.
We had another uninspiring week with zero sunspots. However, there
was DX to be had, with many Chiltern DX Club members reporting
openings on 17 and 15 metres for well-equipped stations. Clive,
GM3POI reported hearing India, Japan, Lebanon and South Africa on 17
metres and South Africa, Kenya, Oman and Kuwait on 15 metres. This
was no doubt due to seasonal changes in the ionosphere and a very low
Kp index, reflecting settled conditions.
The Sporadic-E season in the Northern Hemisphere has now finished so
10 metre openings are now few and far between. Tony, G4CJC in his 10
metre band report said that it was an "appalling week" on 28MHz.
The good news is that NASA and NOAA reported that Solar Cycle 25 has
begun. During a media teleconference on the 15th of September, an
international panel of experts found that the sunspot number hit rock
bottom in December 2019. Since then, it said sunspot counts have been
"slowly increasing", with solar maximum expected in 2025.
Nevertheless, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain
pegged at 70 next week, with quiet geomagnetic conditions and a
maximum Kp index of two. However, things become more unsettled next
weekend when the Kp index may rise to four or five due to the return
of a coronal hole and its associated high-speed solar wind stream.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
It seems that we are continuing to show a strong hand for Tropo,
since high pressure remains close by for much of the time until the
end of the coming week. A small blemish this first weekend is the
risk of some isolated showers over southern England with possible GHz
bands rain scatter options. With similar results, we also have a weak
cold front moving south midweek. Otherwise, it's high pressure
predominating in the second half of the week and offering further
Tropo opportunities.
With negative Moon declination, visibility windows will shorten as
the week progresses, reaching a minimum on Thursday. Last Friday's
perigee means that path losses will steadily climb throughout the
week. 144MHz sky temperatures are close to 3,000K on Wednesday and
combined with the low Moon, EME conditions will be poor midweek.
However it's a good week to increase your satellite DXCC and square
counts between the Tropo events. There are plenty of LEO sats to
choose from plus of course, QO-100 available 24/7.
There is one meteor shower this week – the daytime Sextantitds. It
has a radiant in the constellation of Sextans and is active until the
9th of October with the peak occurring on the 27th of September. The
source of the meteor shower is asteroid 2005 UD.
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.
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