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G4TNU > NEWS 14.09.25 02:40l 245 Lines 11808 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 14 Sep 2025
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 14th of September 2025
The news headlines:
* RCF Trustee, Andy Webster, G7UHN on inspiring the next
generation of radio amateurs
* The RSGB LoRa balloon to be launched this week
* Will Richardson, 2E0WYA has been co-opted to the RSGB Board
as Vice Chair
Radio Communications Foundation Trustee, Andy Webster, G7UHN will be
at this year's RSGB Convention to deliver a fascinating lecture on
using radio technology to engage and inspire non-radio amateurs. In
particular, he will look at this within Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths education settings, using the subject to
connect with young people. Matthew Phillips, G6WPJ will also be at
the Convention where he will be discussing the use of low-power
software-defined radio to rejuvenate medium- and short-wave
broadcasting. These are two of nearly 50 speakers who will be
delivering engaging and topical presentations for Convention
attendees. If this isn't enough to entice you, visit the Convention
web pages via rsgb.org/convention where you'll find details on
workshops, a drop-in session on the UK Meteor Beacon Project, and
information on the AMSAT-UK Colloquium. In addition to the usual
GB3HQ operation that will run throughout the event, at this year's
Convention a special 145 Alive net will be hosted by GB3HQ from 12pm
to 3pm on the Saturday. You will be able to join the net or simply
check in on the day and all callers will be recorded in the log. The
Convention takes place at Kents Hill Conference Centre between the
10th and 12th of October.
Only a few days remain until the RSGB LoRa balloon is launched. If
you haven't already heard about the event, you still have time to
take part. Go to rsgb.org/lora-balloon and download a detailed guide
to help you build and code your LoRa tracker board. You can also find
a link to a video in which Fraser, MM0EFI demonstrates the process.
The balloon launch takes place on Saturday the 20th of September at
approximately 11am BST. The challenge is open to all radio amateurs
but, to be eligible to win one of the two available prizes, you must
be an RSGB individual member or an affiliated club.
The RSGB Board is pleased to announce that it is co-opting Will
Richardson, 2E0WYA to the Board to serve until the 2026 RSGB AGM. He
will also serve as the Board Vice Chair. Will has significant senior
management skills and experience and will be a great asset in helping
the Board to move forward with the RSGB strategy.
The Autumn term is starting at schools and colleges around the
country and the RSGB Outreach Team is continuing its DMR project to
help young people get on the air. If you are a teacher who would like
to take your amateur radio licence and set up a school club, there is
support in place to help you. In collaboration with the Radio
Communications Foundation, the RSGB is offering to pay the licence
exam fee for nine teachers to help get you and your school club
started. In addition, once you have your licence you can apply for a
free DMR kit on loan for three months to help set up your club. If
you are a teacher interested in starting a school radio club, please
email RSGB Youth Chair Chris Aitken, MM0WIC via
youthchampion.school<at>rsgb.org.uk
The RSGB regrets that the RSGB National Radio Centre will be closed
on Tuesday the 23rd of September. Volunteers from the Centre will be
delighted to welcome you every other day that week. Don't forget that
RSGB members can visit the world-famous Bletchley Park estate and the
RSGB National Radio Centre for free. Download your voucher by going
to rsgb.org/bpvoucher
The Thirteenth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will take place at
the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland on
Saturday the 1st of November from 10.30am to 5pm. An interesting
programme of speakers has been arranged and microwave test facilities
will be provided. There will be an opportunity to buy components and
microwave-related items. An optional dinner will be held in the
evening at a local hotel. Further information and online registration
is available at gmroundtable.org.uk The event has a maximum capacity
of 50 people and there are only eight places left. So, book now to
avoid disappointment.
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
On Saturday the 20th of September, Dover Amateur Radio Club Rally
will take place at St Radigunds Community Centre, Poulton Close,
Dover CT17 0HL. The doors will be open from 10am to 2pm and the
entrance fee is GBP 3.
East Midlands Ham and Electronics Rally is also coming up on Saturday
the 20th. The rally will be held at Beckingham Village Hall,
Southfield Lane, Beckingham, DN10 4FX. The doors will be open from
9.30am to 3pm. For more information and trader bookings visit
emerg.uk/rally
Now the Special Event news
The Brazilian Amateur Radio Broadcast League is active with special
callsign PV203BR until tomorrow, the 15th. Listen for activity on all
bands and modes and via satellite. QSL via Logbook of the World.
The Dutch Lighthouse Hunt event is running until the 30th of
September. Members of the Dutch Radio Group are using 11 special
callsigns, each representing a different lighthouse in the
Netherlands. For more information and details of awards that are
available for working the stations, visit the PA01LH page at QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Chas, NK8O is active again as 5H3DX from Tanzania until the 21st of
September. He operates CW, FT4 and FT8 on the 30 to 10m bands. QSL
via Logbook of the World, eQSL or directly to Chas.
Harold, DF2WO is active as 9X2AW from Rwanda until the 27th of
September. He usually operates CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on various bands
including 6m and via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and
Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
Today, the 14th, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from
0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Today, the 14th, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200
to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Also today, the 14th, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300
to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal
report and serial number. EI and GI stations also give their county.
The IRTS 2m Counties Contest is also running today, the 14th, from
1300 to 1500UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also give their
county.
Tomorrow the 15th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to
2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Tuesday the 16th, the RSGB 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 Thursday the 18th, the RSGB 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.
On Sunday the 21st, the RSGB 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs
from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Also on Sunday the 21st, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group
Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 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 11th of September
As of Thursday the 11th of September, it looked like someone had
thrown a switch on the Sun to turn off all new sunspots! Unless there
is a big change, there will be no sunspots visible on the Sun's
surface today, the 14th.
It is clear that we are no longer at solar maximum.
A bigger problem is a large coronal hole on the Sun's surface, which
is rotating to be Earth-facing. It is on the Sun's equator so is
ideally placed for maximum disruption to the Earth. A high-speed
solar wind stream should reach Earth by the 14th of September, and
geomagnetic storming may be possible at higher latitudes. Expect
maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, to drop and trans-polar paths to
be affected once the Kp index rises.
HF is now starting to improve as we head towards mid-September. By
1000UTC Propquest shows that the MUF over a 3,000km path can be as
high as 31MHz, as long as the Kp index stays low. This should
continue to improve as we head into October.
The best DX last week continued to be T30TTT in Western Kiribati
[KIRIB-ASS], this time on the 40 and 17m bands using FT8. 9J2FI in
Zambia also put in an appearance on the 17m band using FT8. TZ4AM in
Mali was spotted on the 15m band using SSB. For Morse enthusiasts,
HC5AI in Ecuador was working on the 15m band using CW, according to
the CDXC Slack chat group.
NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start the coming week at
125 but then gradually improve to reach 145 by the end of the week.
As mentioned earlier, the Kp index is set to reach 4 or 5 between the
14th and 16th of September due to the coronal hole.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The present spell of unsettled weather is likely to remain the main
driver of weather-related propagation modes for the next week.
Low-pressure systems are following the jet stream across the Atlantic
and over the UK, which is a typical track for this time of the year.
This means that we should expect to experience the odd example of
rain scatter for the GHz operators, and occasional strong winds will
start to test that we have our antennas in good order after the
quieter weather during the summer.
This is not to say that there won't be any Tropo but we will have to
look for it carefully. In a mobile weather pattern such as this, the
periods of high pressure tend to act as separators between the lows
and, as a result, they usually move with similar speed. This makes
them short-lived and thus not particularly good at establishing
strong inversions for Tropo. There are two low-grade possibilities.
One is around Tuesday the 16th as a weak transient ridge moves across
the country. The second will be as another weak ridge moves across on
Friday the 19th.
The meteor scatter situation is still pretty much in a random
activity state, although there was a minor shower of the Epsilon
Perseids, which peaked on the 9th and may have a few left in the
tail-off. However, in general, it's more realistic to assume we're
dealing with random activity. Aurora, on the other hand, has been
putting in an appearance lately, so keep watching the Kp index for
values climbing above 5.
Now for an update on EME. Today, the 14th, marks the Moon's maximum
declination – its highest point in the sky. Perigee, when the Moon
is at its closest point to Earth, was passed on September the 9th, so
path losses are increasing. Sky noise is low and will remain so until
the 20th to 22nd when the new Moon is very close to the Sun.
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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