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G4TNU  > NEWS     15.12.10 17:10l 232 Lines 12205 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 19 Dec
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T:From: G4TNU@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU <g4tnu@gb7ipf.ampr.org>
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 19th December 2010

The news headlines

* Authors sought for Radio Communication Handbook 
* RSGB Survey to close in under two weeks 
* New Worked All Britain award for 2011

Mike Dennison, G3XDV, is coordinating the editing and production of a 
new edition of the Society's flagship publication, the Radio 
Communication Handbook. He is looking for one or more people who are 
able to revise and update the chapters on HF Receivers and HF 
Transmitters/Transceivers. A royalty fee is paid based on the size of 
the contribution and the number of books sold. If you are interested 
or need further information, contact Mike by e-mail to 
mike.dennison<at>ntlworld.com.
 
On the 1 October, the RSGB launched a major survey of the UK amateur 
radio and listening community. We want to know how you pursue your 
hobby, your interests from QRP to moon bounce, what bands you work 
on, are you a contester? All the information that is necessary to see 
which way the hobby is moving in the 21st Century. The survey is 
web-based and takes about 15 minutes to complete. You have until 31 
December to go online at www.rsgb.org/survey to complete the survey. 
If you know of a fellow amateur or listener who doesn't have computer 
access, please think about lending them a hand to complete the online 
survey.

Worked All Britain is introducing a new award for the year 2011 only. 
For the new Coastal and Tidal award you need to work as many WAB 
squares containing tidal water as you can. Valid squares are those 
shown as containing tidal water on an Ordnance Survey map. The basic 
award is for 50 squares on HF or 10 on VHF, rising in increments to 
400 squares for the Diamond award. More details and a spreadsheet of 
valid squares are available on the WAB website at 
www.worked-all-britain.co.uk. All contacts must be made in the 2011 
calendar year.

The United Kingdom Six Metre Group has launched an initiative to UK 
radio clubs and societies, to keep them informed regarding operating 
on 50MHz. A bi-monthly newsletter will be e-mailed to club 
secretaries, who have registered to receive it, containing a wide 
variety of information including practical operating tips 
specifically targeted at the large number of operators who have not 
previously experienced the enhanced F2 propagation expected during 
the sun spot cycle peak in 2012. Any club secretaries who have not 
already registered to receive the newsletter can do so at 
www.uksmg.org/phplist.
 
There is good news for amateurs in Spain for 2011. Traditionally the 
country has very restrictive allocations in the microwave bands. The 
Spanish Government has granted a broad one-year permit for operation 
in the 2.3, 5.7GHz and 10GHz bands, with only 2.3GHz needing specific 
prior notice of use. The permits are all aligned with the DX sections 
of the IARU Region 1 bandplan.

Mold and District Amateur Radio Club in Flintshire, North Wales will 
start an Advanced exam course on 19 January. The exam will be on 
6 April. If you are an Intermediate licensee and are interested please
contact Steve Studdart, GW7AAV or Keith Williams, GW4OKT. E-mail 
addresses are correct on QRZ.com. Further Foundation and Intermediate 
exam courses will be run during the year.

The RNLI fundraising event, SOS Radio Week, starts on 22 January and 
many amateur radio clubs and individuals have already signed up. 
Another big name on the UK amateur radio scene has offered a prize 
for those who take part. Everyone who operates during event will put 
in to a draw to win a new Wouxun KG-679E 2m hand-held transceiver. 
Simply visit the website at www.sosradioweek.org.uk and view the 
register page. All monies raised are donated to the Royal National 
Lifeboat Institution.

This is the last GB2RS broadcast of 2010. There will be no news 
readings on 26 December or 2 January. But we will be back in the New 
Year, bringing you the all the latest amateur radio news. 
Transmissions re-start on Sunday 9 January. We would like to take 
this opportunity to send warm season's greetings to all our listeners 
and wish everyone a prosperous New Year.
 
Now for the news of special events

On Monday 27 December, a radio beach party is planned at Titchfield 
Haven. A group plan to operate from 40m to 2m on various modes from 
this excellent radio transmitting site on the English Channel near 
Southampton. Significant DX can be worked from there. The locator 
square is IO90JT and the address is Cliff Road, HillHead, Fareham 
PO14 3JT. Once on Cliff Road, look for the large antennas that will 
be used! A marquee will be provided for shelter and some BBQ food 
will be available. However due to the outdoor nature of the event, if 
there is severe weather on the 27th, it may be delayed until the 
28th. Confirmation of the event will be e-mailed to anyone interested 
on 26 December. To register interest, e-mail Richard, M0UOO, whose 
address is m0uoo<at>rjbprojects.co.uk. Alternatively call Rob, M0RZF 
on 145.500MHz in the South Hampshire area during Boxing Day.

Coventry Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB4BLC from the QTH 
of G8GMU during January. The home of G8GMU is open to the public, 
promoting amateur radio & Lions Clubs International. The official 
opening by the Mayor of Nuneaton & Bedworth, Councillor Don Navarro, 
will take place on 2 January. Greetings messages will be exchanged on 
80m SSB, using 3.650MHz as there is no GB2RS news on this day. 
Further information from G8GMU on 0247 636 4235 or by e-mail to 
brlean<at>freenetname.co.uk.

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

Andy, AB7FS is active as E51AND from Rarotonga, which is IOTA 
reference OC-013, in the South Cook Islands until 1 January. He runs 
100 watts into a vertical and/or long wire. QSL via his home call.

Five operators will be active as S21FGC from Dhaka, Bangladesh until 
21 December. They plan to be QRV on 160 through to 10m CW and SSB, 
with emphasis on the 160, 80 and 40 metres bands using CW. QSL via 
JH1AJT.

John, K8LJG will be active as K8LJG/4 from Amelia Island, which is 
IOTA reference NA-138) until 4 January. He will operate SSB and CW on 
or around the IOTA frequencies. QSL via his home call.

Now the contest news

The UKF UK Activity Contest takes place on 21 December from 2000 to 
2230UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3 and 2.3GHz bands, the exchange is 
signal report, serial number and locator.

Over the festive period between 26th and 29th December, the Christmas 
Cumulatives take place for a couple of hours each day. Activity is on 
50, 70, 144 and 432MHz each day, so lots of band hopping is called 
for to make a good overall score. If you can get on the air between 
1400 and 1600UTC, the exchange is signal report, serial number and 
locator.

28 December sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest taking place between 
2000 and 2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, 
serial number and locator.

Into 2011 now. Monday 3 January sees the first 80m Club Championship 
CW round between 2000 and 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and 
serial number.

The following day, the 4th, the UK Activity Contest and Club 
Championship takes place between 2000 and 2230UTC. Using all modes 
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The ARRL RTTY Roundup takes place for 30 hours over the following 
weekend, 8-9th. There are single- and multi-op categories. Oddly 
enough you can use a variety of datamodes in this event, not just 
RTTY. Work everyone and send a signal report and serial number. USA 
stations will send a signal report and their 2-letter State code, 
while Canadian stations will send a signal report and their 3-letter 
Province code.

Now the solar factual data for the period from the 6th to the 12th of 
December, compiled on 13th of December by Neil Clarke, G0CAS

First this week, an update on the latest smoothed monthly sunspot 
numbers for March, April and May. These are 12.3, 14 and 15.5 
respectively.
 
This week is a review of this year's solar activity and propagation. 
Sunspot minimum took place in November 2008, when the smoothed 
sunspot number was 1.7. By January this year, this had increased to 
9.3. The rise continued month after month and by May, which is the 
latest available, had increased to 15.5. There is a suggestion, even 
a rule of thumb, that the quicker the rise from sunspot minimum to 
maximum the higher the peak of the cycle will be. Well so far, after 
19 months from minimum, the rate of climb is slower than average. 
Going on this evidence alone, it looks like the maximum will be below 
average. In fact, the latest forecast is for a maximum to take place 
in spring 2013 with a maximum smoothed sunspot number of around 90. 
The average for all the cycles is around 115. This equates to a 
smoothed solar flux figure of about 140 units at maximum. This year 
there were only 12 per cent of days that were spotless, compared with 
72 per cent for 2009.
 
On occasions solar activity increased to moderate levels. The largest 
solar flare of the year was a M8 on the 12 February. Solar flux 
levels varied between 69 units and a high of 96 units, which occurred 
back in February. The 90 day solar flux average increased from 75 
units right at the beginning of the year to 83 by 12 December. 
Geomagnetic activity was mostly quiet but, on occasions, activity 
increased. The majority of the disturbances were caused by coronal 
holes, which are a more common during the declining phase of the 
solar cycle and around sunspot minimum. Normally, the daily Ap index 
would vary between 12 and 25 units for the most disturbed day during 
the disturbances. However, the most disturbed period was on the 5th 
and the 6th of April when the Ap reached 49 and 46 units. This was in 
response to a long duration B7 solar flare and a full halo coronal 
mass ejection that took place on the 3rd of April.
 
Propagation was mostly as expected but there were some days when 
forecasted levels were exceeded. This usually happened when solar 
flux levels were in the high 80s and during a quiet spell for 
geomagnetic activity. Openings on 28MHz have taken place during the 
last few months to all continents. The LF bands saw their seasonal 
peaks during January and again in recent weeks, which once again 
brought some very good morning openings to the Far East and the 
Pacific. Sporadic-E was very good for the first half of the summer 
season with some really good DX worked on all bands, even up to 
144MHz. The second half of the season was not as productive. Several 
auroral opening made it down to the south of England but, as 
expected, stations much further north faired better. Some long spells 
of weather influenced by high pressure saw some tropospheric opening 
to the continent.
 
On the 2nd of December it was the fifteenth anniversary on the launch 
of the SOHO spacecraft. Recently it was announced that SOHO will 
continue working till at least to the year 2014. This year saw the 
launch of the Solar Dynamic Observer, which is taking images of the 
Sun in detail that has never been seen before.
 
Well that's it for this year. I would like to on behalf of all the 
members of the propagation studies committee like to wish all GB2RS 
news readers and listeners a peaceful and happy Christmas and good DX 
for 2011. Also, seasons greetings go to all the staff from where 
information is received to produce this weekly report, without which, 
it would be impossible to compile. For those that would like to keep 
up to date on a near daily basis over the two week break can do so by 
visiting http://spotsandflares.lefora.com/ which is updated by Neil, 
G0CAS. See you all on the 9th of January for a forecast for 2011.

And that's all for this week 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  gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
09:00 on the Tuesday before transmission.


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