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G4TNU > NEWS 12.01.25 09:43l 251 Lines 12532 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 12 Jan 2025
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 12th of January
The news headlines:
* There are opportunities in the RSGB's Regional Team
* World Thinking Day on the Air is coming up in February
* Are you interested in an exciting opportunity to volunteer
with the amateur radio maker community?
If you're looking to get involved in a different side of amateur
radio this year, have you thought about becoming a volunteer RSGB
Regional Representative for your area? There are eight Regional
Representative posts available for nomination in this year's RSGB
elections. This rewarding role will give you the opportunity to
represent the views of members in your region to the Board, as well
as supporting and advising the District Representatives located
within the Region. Regional Representatives are also members of the
volunteer Leadership Team, have the opportunity to contribute to the
Society's strategy and policy development, as well as to its
implementation. If you think this sounds exciting, and you are a
confident communicator who has experience in managing people, then go
to rsgb.org/election and read the candidate pack now. You'll also
find details about how to apply, alongside information on other
roles, including the RSGB President and two Elected Board
Director vacancies. The closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC
on the 31st of January. So, act now and use your expertise to make an
impact on amateur radio in your region.
On the 15th of February, Girlguiding members will celebrate World
Thinking Day on the Air. The aim of this event is to encourage
Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units,
using amateur radio as the means of communication. On this day,
Crawley Amateur Radio Club and RSGB volunteers will be hosting
special event callsign GB1SCG, which relates to Sussex Central
Guides. Girlguiding members of all ages will have the opportunity to
celebrate by communicating via the amateur bands. If you or your
amateur radio club are planning to work with a local Girlguiding
group for World Thinking Day on the Air, please get in touch via
comms<at>rsgb.org.uk so the RSGB can promote your event.
As part of the RSGB's ongoing strategy to take amateur radio to new
and diverse audiences, it is delighted to advertise a new volunteer
role. This is an opportunity for someone to be an advocate for
amateur radio within the maker community. The spirit of
experimentation, curiosity and learning is common to both groups and
the RSGB would like to foster greater crossover between the amateur
radio and modern maker communities. This crossover would be centred
around hackspace and makerspaces, as well as larger events, but would
also encourage individuals from each community to inspire and learn
from each other. This role is intended to help take amateur radio to
a new audience with an emphasis on how the licence would support
other hobbies, rather than the promotion of traditional amateur radio
activities. To carry out this role you'll need to be open to working
with different communities, be proactive and organised, and be able
to build a team and help it to work to achieve goals. To find full
details of the role go to rsgb.org/volunteers and if you're
interested in applying or being part of a wider team, contact RSGB
Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX via g0mgx<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB is recruiting volunteers for two roles that are fundamental
to the delivery of the Society's Convention. The Convention Chair
will be someone who understands the advantages of both online and
in-person events. The successful applicant will have an awareness of
all aspects of amateur radio and will contribute to shaping the RSGB
Conventions of the future to suit the changing amateur radio
audience. A second opportunity to be part of the Convention team is
as the Society's Lecture Coordinator. This role is part of both the
Convention and Tonight<at>8 teams and requires someone who is
proactive and collaborative. The applicant will need to bring ideas
for presentations that educate and inspire radio amateurs to try
something new, learn more about interesting topics and expand their
knowledge of amateur radio. To find out more about either of these
roles, and how to apply, go to rsgb.org/volunteers
Don't forget that the next event in the popular 145 Alive series will
take place on Sunday the 26th of January 2025. It will run from 12pm
to 3pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares
across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the
event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all
you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more
information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page.
Please send details of all your news and events to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on
Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.
And now for details of rallies and events
The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place on the
26th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen.
The doors open at 10am and admission is GBP 3. Hot refreshments and
ample free car parking will be available. The cost for a table is
GBP 10. To book, please contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069
or email m5zzz<at>outlook.com
On the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society
RadioActive Rally will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market
Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10am
to 3pm and admission will cost GBP 5. Hot food, refreshments and free
car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick,
2E0VGF via info<at>radioactivefair.co.uk
The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of
February from 10am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire,
WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per
trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note,
the price remains as it has been for several years at GBP 10 per
table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk
On the 1st of March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual
Rally will be held at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch
Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30am. For more details visit
lvars.uk
Now the Special Event news
The South African Radio League, or SARL, is enjoying its 100th
anniversary in 2025. To celebrate the occasion, the SARL Centenary
Marathon QSO Party began at 0000UTC on the 1st of January and will
run until 2359UTC on the 31st of December 2025. Throughout the year,
the League, with the aid of its members and associated clubs, will be
on the air using special event callsign ZS100SARL, as well as the
permanent callsigns ZS6SRL and ZS9HQ. For details of a number of
awards that will be available, and for more information, go to
tinyurl.com/SARL25
The Deutsches [DOI-SHAH] Museum in Munich, one of the largest science
and technology museums in the world, celebrates its 100th anniversary
in 2025. Special callsign DL100DM will be active throughout the year
from the amateur radio station which is part of the Museum's
permanent electronics exhibition. QSL via DL8FA. More information is
available at QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Thierry [TEA-AIR-EE], TK1CX is active in Cameroon until February
2025. In his spare time, he is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12
and 10m bands. He operates mainly using FT8 with a solar power
supply. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via EA5ZD.
Don, KW7R is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands in the
northwestern Pacific Ocean. He is there on a work assignment until
September 2025 and, in his spare time, he operates CW and FT8 on
various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
Today, the 12th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m Datamodes
Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80 and
40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from
1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs
from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 16th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from
2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Saturday the 18th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m SSB
Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using SSB on the 80 and 40m bands,
the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 9th of January 2025.
First, let's take a look at last week's solar activity. As predicted,
the solar flux index declined to the 160s. We had one X-class solar
flare on the 4th and there have been 11 M-class flares since then.
The net result was that the ionosphere was unsettled from the 4th to
the 6th of January with the Kp index hitting 5 on the 4th. Following
this, the Kp index was at 4 on the 5th and 6th of January.
There were reports of visible aurora over the UK on Saturday the 4th,
but it was nothing like the record-breaking aurora in April 2024.
There were coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, over this period but they
were mainly facing away from Earth. Maximum usable frequencies, or
MUFs for short, held up over this period, although the shorter days
meant that the MUF over a 3,000km path didn't stay above 28MHz for
long after sunset. MUFs plummeted to below 10MHz by 1800UTC on Sunday
the 5th.
The message is clear – get your high-band DXing done by sunset!
Next week it looks like the Sun is going into hibernation. The main
sunspots will be disappearing over the western limb, leaving it
looking a little bare. As a result, NOAA predicts that the solar flux
index will remain low until the 16th when it is predicted to climb
into the 200s once again.
Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast from the 16th to the
20th of January with a predicted maximum Kp index of 4. There are
currently no coronal holes to worry about.
So, in conclusion, this weekend ending the 12th looks set to be
reasonable for HF operating, barring any X-class solar flares and
accompanying CMEs. We predict that MUFs over 3,000km will be above
28MHz from around 0900UTC to 1500UTC.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO.
We are in the middle of a proper winter cold spell at the moment, and
we are about to see a large high coming over the country.
This high is building in cold air and it means sharp frosts and
perhaps some fog, so there's a chance of patchy tropo at times.
Conditions may further improve as the high slips south after this
weekend ending today the 12th. This may allow milder, moister
Atlantic air in from the west to improve the refractive index
contrast across the inversion, which could lead to tropo.
The solar conditions have remained interesting and produced a few
aurora alerts, so we can probably benefit from watching the Kp index
during the coming week.
Meteor activity has passed its early January peaks, and we are now
sliding back into random meteor activity as our best options. These
tend to be better just before dawn. There is just one minor shower
this week. The Gamma Ursae-Minorids is active from the 10th to the
22nd of January and peaks on the 18th.
We have mentioned Sporadic-E quite a lot recently but, with the
passing of the meteor activity, the chances of it occurring reduce
considerably. Although limited activity may enhance the lower bands,
it probably won't feature in the usual high HF and VHF bands.
The Moon reaches maximum declination this weekend, ending today the
12th. Moon windows are long and peak Moon elevations are high. Path
losses are also high and increasing all week. 144MHz sky noise is low
all week.
And that's all from the propagation team.
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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