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G4TNU > NEWS 02.08.26 01:24l 279 Lines 13737 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 02 Aug 2026
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 2nd of August 2026
The news headlines:
* Exciting opportunities within the RSGB Regional Team
* RSGB Examinations Standards Committee publishes annual report
* Changes to the Youth Committee
An exciting volunteer opportunity has arisen to lead the RSGB
Regional Team following the decision by George Crawford, GM1DSV to
stand down as Regional Forum Chair once the right candidate is
appointed. The RSGB would like to express its thanks to George who
will be focusing his time on serving Region 1 as its Regional
Representative. The role of Regional Forum Chair is ideal for someone
who is passionate about amateur radio, teamwork and empowering
volunteers. This is a standout volunteer opportunity for someone who
wants to make a meaningful impact across all regions, support our
dedicated Regional and District Representatives, and strengthen the
connection between members, volunteers and the wider organisation.
The RSGB is also looking for a Regional Forum Secretary to support
the smooth running of activity behind the scenes. This is a fantastic
volunteer opportunity for someone who thrives on coordination,
communication and teamwork, and wants to play a key role in
supporting the Regional Team Chair and the entire Regional Forum.
Find out more about both roles, along with details of how to apply,
by going to rsgb.org/volunteers You can use the same link to find
out about District Representative roles in various regions around the
country.
The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee, or ESC, has published its
annual report, relating to activities in 2025. The report shows that,
although overall candidate numbers in 2025 decreased a little
compared with 2024, they remain about 20% higher than predictions
based on the extrapolation of pre-2019 trends. The ESC believes that
this is largely due to the increased accessibility of training
courses and examinations online. The ESC noted that the initial
feedback received from candidates on the publication of the Full
level question bank has been very positive. However, a few months of
exam data are needed before the full impact of the measure can be
assessed, and then consideration given to rolling it out at other
levels. You can read the report by going to rsgb.org/esc and
choosing the ‘Minutes, papers and reports' tab on the righthand side
of the web page.
RSGB Board Director and Board liaison for the Youth Committee Nathan
Nuttall, MM9OCC has announced that the RSGB Youth Chair Chris Aitken,
MM0WIC has stepped down from his role as Chair. Chris, who is a
teacher at Wick High School, has secured an ARISS contact for his
school and will be using his time to focus on activities surrounding
this. The current RSGB Youth Vice-Chair Leon Shaw, M0VUF will step up
as Chair and the RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts Sam McCutchion, M0UEL
will take on the Vice-Chair position. Sam will continue in his role
as Scout Champion until a suitable replacement can be found.
The RSGB is preparing to launch a new Training and Development Lead
pilot role to help rebuild structured engagement with trainers,
support new licensees, and strengthen the wider training environment.
This 12‑month pilot will focus on listening, mapping, evidence
gathering and supporting the training community. Some initial
information was outlined in the August RadCom strategy update and
more details will be shared in August, including how trainers and
providers can get involved.
The July 2026 issue of RadCom Basics is now available in the RSGB
mobile and web app for members to enjoy. RadCom Basics is aimed at
newcomers to amateur radio and those who enjoy refreshing their
skills and knowledge. The July issue includes articles on DMR for
beginners, RF connectors and dummy loads. The full collection of
RadCom Basics back issues can be found in the RSGB app or via
rsgb.org/radcom
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
Today, the 2nd, Part 1 of the 2026 British Amateur Television Club
Convention 2026 is taking place at Midland Air Museum, Rowley Road,
Coventry, CV3 4FR. The event is running from 10am to 4pm and includes
show-and-tell, test-and-fix-it and bring-and-buy elements. There are
comprehensive test facilities available for all bands from 144MHz to
24GHz. Non-members are welcome. For more information, visit
batc.org.uk/events
Also today, the 2nd, the Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day
from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff,
near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one
of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the
world. For more information, visit becg.org.uk/events
Also today, the 2nd, Finningley Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking
place at the Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road, Sandtoft,
Doncaster, DN8 5SX. The doors are open from 10am. Entrance costs
GBP 5 per person but under-16s will be admitted free of charge. For
more information, visit g0ghk.com
Kings Lynn Amateur Radio Club Rally is also taking place today, the
2nd, at Gaywood Community Centre, Gayton Road, King's Lynn PE30 4EL.
The doors open at 9am and the entrance fee is GBP 2.50. For more
information, email rally.klarc<at>gmail.com or call 0770 907 4951.
On Sunday the 9th of August, Flight Refuelling Amateur Radio Society
Hamfest will be taking place at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground,
Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA. The doors will be open from
9am to 3pm. Car-boot and field traders are welcome from 7am.
Admission costs GBP 5 and includes parking. Talk-in will be on
145.550MHz. For more information visit frars.co.uk
Now the Special Event news
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the Croatian Flora and Fauna
Amateur Radio Club is active as 9A44FF until the 31st of December.
For information about an award that is available for working the
station, visit QRZ.com
Special callsign LZ75HSC is active to celebrate the 75th anniversary
of the Radio Telegraphy Highspeed Club. The club was founded in 1951
and to date membership has grown to include more than 1,400 operators
spanning every continent. For more information, visit
highspeedclub.org
Now the DX news
Rafal, SQ4O is a member of the 50th Polish Antarctic Expedition to
the Henryk Arctowski [ARC-TAWF-SKEE] Station on King George Island,
South Shetland Islands, AN-010. He will be working there until
October. In his spare time, he will be operating as HF0PAS on the HF
bands using CW and SSB. Rafal is also active on the 6m band using FT8.
Jan, DL4XT is active as 4K/DL4XT from Azerbaijan until Saturday the
8th of August. Look out for activity using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 20
to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS and QRZ.com
Now the contest news
Today, the 2nd of August, the RSGB 432MHz Low Power Contest runs from
0800 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode.
The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon started on the 2nd of May and
ends today, Sunday the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 6m band,
the exchange is your four-character locator.
On Tuesday the 4th of August, the RSGB 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 4th, the RSGB 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 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest
runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is
report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 5th, the
RSGB 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.
The RSGB Machine Generated Mode Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday
the 8th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 9th of August. Using
machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your
report and four-character locator.
The Worked All Europe DX CW Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the
8th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 9th of August. Using CW on the
80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal
report and serial number.
On Sunday the 9th, the UK Microwave Group 24GHz Trophy Contest runs
from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 1.2cm band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 30th of July 2026.
We've had quite a reasonable period of HF propagation over the past
seven days. The solar flux index remained quite high and conditions
have been quite stable, apart from a geomagnetic disturbance on
Thursday the 23rd of July that saw the Kp index rise to 5.33.
The solar flux index has been in the 140s and 150s, which bodes well
for HF. There have been reliable openings up to at least the 15m
band. We are still around eight weeks away from the start of better
Autumnal HF conditions, but it is looking promising.
At the time of writing there were nine active regions visible on the
Sun, bringing a solar flux index of 143 and a sunspot number of 123.
However, for software prediction purposes you are better off using
August's current smoothed sunspot number of 84.
The sunspots we do have are mostly clustered around the Sun's
equator, which is quite normal for this point in the solar cycle. We
normally associate high-latitude sunspots with the beginning of a new
cycle, which is still many years away.
Paul, GM4ULS reported a contact suddenly vanishing on 5MHz SSB around
1530UTC on Sunday the 26th of July. This was caused by a sudden
ionospheric disturbance, or SID, due to an M-class solar flare. A SID
usually sounds like someone has just ‘switched off' the ionosphere,
although recovery can be quite quick.
DX to be worked next week includes E51KEE on the Cook Islands;
YS/WE9G from El Salvador; C6AYM in the Bahamas; T2JK in Tuvalu;
UK/SP9DLM from Uzbekistan and OX3LX working from Greenland. The
Arctic Legends team is now operating as RI0BU from Uedineniya
[OO-YEH-DEE-NYE-NEE-YAH] Island until Friday the 7th of August.
The higher bands, such as 15 and 10m, currently favour north-south
paths, for example UK to South Africa and South America. The 20m band
should be more usable for paths to North America.
NOAA predicts that the Sun's activity may decline slightly in the
coming week. A solar flux index in the range 120 to 130 is predicted.
A geomagnetic disturbance is forecast for Tuesday the 4th of August,
with a predicted Kp index of 4. This should recover over subsequent
days, back to a more usual 2 to 3.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The current spells of very hot weather have set their own agenda for
radio conditions when it comes to tropo.
We have a tick for the high pressure, but the extreme temperatures
have meant that the tropo-producing temperature inversions seldom
survive the daytime heating over the land. It is only coastal
stations that remain in the lift conditions during the daytime.
The weather forecast models for the coming period suggest that the
weather pattern is trying to become more unsettled but, as in recent
weeks, it seems to take a while to materialise in some parts of the
country.
However, it will bring two changes for radio activity. One is
slightly cooler weather and some showery rain, so there is a chance
of rain scatter. Secondly, there will perhaps be less reliable tropo
as the high pressure weakens. Some potential tropo paths probably
remain from the fragmented elements of high pressure, but it may be
rather hit and miss.
Meteor scatter is worth checking out during the next few weeks with
two smaller showers, the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha
Capricornids peaking at the end of July before the lead-up to the
Perseids in mid-August. The solar conditions are still in play for
the effects of coronal mass ejections from the Sun and the potential
for auroras. So that's another mode to keep on the list.
Lastly, a mention for Sporadic-E which continues through August and
produced daily North American openings for many last week. Jet
streams are often the driving force for turbulence in the lower
atmosphere, and can influence the location of Sporadic-E. In the
coming week they will probably not help greatly due to a very weak
pattern over Europe. It's still worth checking out during the two
usual windows of activity in the mid-morning and late afternoon.
For EME operators, Moon declination is increasing again with
consequent northern hemisphere increases in Moon window length and
peak Moon elevation. Path losses will decrease as the week progresses
towards perigee on Monday the 10th of August. 144MHz sky noise is low
to moderate all week.
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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