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G4TNU > NEWS 27.04.11 17:07l 256 Lines 13122 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 01 May
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 1st May 2011
The news headlines:
* Radio Spectrum for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
* Talk in for the RSGB AGM in Derby
* Two more operations approved for DXCC
As expected, the RSGB has been approached by Ofcom to help determine
sections of the 70cm amateur band that could be released for a
limited period around the London 2012 Games next year. As a secondary
user of the band, we as radio amateurs have no specific rights to any
of those frequencies. Rather than just imposing changes, Ofcom has
approached the Society in the spirit of cooperation to work together
to solve the problem. The RSGB intends to work constructively on this
matter to reach agreement with Ofcom on the segments that can be
released on a temporary basis. Ofcom has given clear and unambiguous
assurance that the segments used will be returned once the London
2012 Games are over. The RSGB is looking closely at how the spectrum
is used in the designated geographical areas in and around London,
Weymouth and South Essex in order to minimise the impact. We will be
responding to Ofcom shortly. The RSGB's response is being coordinated
within the RSGB Spectrum Forum by Murray Niman, G6JYB.
Arrangements have been made for a talk-in station for those attending
the RSGB's AGM in Derby on 14 May. It will be available on 145.550MHz
from about 8am through to 12 noon and the callsign will be G2DJ, Golf
2 Delta Juliet. If you are planning to attend the AGM by bus from
Derby, the information on the hotel's website that was printed in
RadCom seems to be a little out of date. The local services are run
by Trent Barton and their website at www.trentbarton.co.uk is most
helpful. Check out the V2 service, which looks to be the one that
stops closest to the Menzies Mickleover Court Hotel. Tickets for the
amateur radio dinner on Saturday evening are still available from the
RSGB online shop.
Two operations on Tristan Da Cunha and Gough have been approved for
DXCC credit. The two are the 2010 ZD9AH operation and the 2010 and
2011 ZD9T operation. If you had these operations rejected in a recent
application, please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk. Updates
will be posted in Logbook of The World accounts as well as online on
the daily listings.
May 2011 will be the month for chasing castles and stately homes on
air. The weekend of the 21st and 22nd will be the international
castles weekend from 1am on the 21st to 11pm on the 22nd. For UK
stations, information can be found at www.cashota.co.uk as well as
links to regional activity.
The planned operation of ARISSat-1 on 11 and 12 April from inside the
International Space Station as part of the commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight was, unfortunately, not
successful. It appears that no terrestrial station reported hearing
transmissions.
The Group for Earth Observation is holding its annual symposium at
the National Space Centre, Leicester next Saturday, 7 May. Doors open
for registration at 9am and both members and non-members are welcome.
There is a charge of GBP 12 for admission, which includes a
car-parking pass and a free ticket for entry to the National Space
Centre exhibition areas. There will be a number of presentations on
weather satellites and their reception, live imaging, demonstrations
help and problem solving. Members of the renowned Dutch Satellite
Workgroup will be in attendance. More details from www.geo-web.org.uk.
Early notice of a forthcoming event that may be of interest to UK
intermediate students and any keen home brew enthusiast. The Torbay
Amateur Radio Society will be hosting a Buildathon on Sunday 5 June
in Newton Abbott, Devon. The project is a Manhatten-style 40m Sudden
receiver with VFO. The Bath Buildathon Crew will be providing tools
and test equipment, as well as assistingon the day. Enquiries to Pam
Halliwell via the Torbay website www.tars.org.uk.
The Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society will run a Special Event
station at the open day in HMS Collingwood on Saturday 4 June. The
callsign to be used is GB6COD, Collingwood Open Day. The station will
be operational on all amateur bands from 1.8MHz to 440MHz. The
Society headquarters station will be open for viewing from 9.30am to
6pm on the day. A number of demonstrations will be taking place using
amateur radio and amateur television. The open day will feature the
Royal Navy Field Gun Competition. Additional attractions will include
a display from the Royal Marines Band, Collingwood, a free fun fair
and much more. Advanced tickets will be available from Gosport and
Fareham Tourist Information Offices and Portsmouth News Offices from
May 2011.
Could any members or clubs planning to take part in this year's Mills
on the Air over the weekend 14 and 15 May to please register their
details on the Denby Dale ARS on the website www.g4cdd.net or get in
touch with Gerald, G3SDY via e-mail to g3sdy<at>sky.com as soon as
possible.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Dambusters Hamfest will take place today, 1 May, at Thorpe Camp
Visitor Centre, Coningsby, Lincs LN4 4PE. Entry is GBP 3 and under
12s are free. There is also free parking and overnight camping is
available. The doors open at 10am and there will be an RSGB
bookstall.
Monday 2 May sees the Dartmoor Radio Rally take place at Tavistock
College, Crowndale Rd, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8DD. Doors open at
10.30am and there will be trade stands and a bring & Buy. More
details can be obtained from Peter, M1AYI on 01822 860277.
On Sunday 8 May, the Magnum Radio Rally will take place at the Magnum
Leisure Centre, Harbourside, Irvine, Ayrshire, KA12 8PP. There will
be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and special interest groups. Doors
open at 10.30am and admission is GBP 4. Details from Helen, MM0HLN,
on 0787 332 7597.
Advanced notice now of the 1st Leicester RS Grand Clearance and Bring
& Buy that will be held at the Leicester Radio Society HQ, Groby
Road, Leicester. There is approximately GBP 2000 of donated radio
equipment for disposal as well as a Bring & Buy. Doors open 10am to
4pm. Details of equipment available and further details from Alex on
0753 120 1640.
Now for the news of special events
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival will still be taking place
today and tomorrow, 1 and 2 May. Moray Firth Amateur Radio Society is
celebrating this event by running three Special Event stations,
GB3SWF will be located at Strathisla distillery in Keith, GB2SWF will
be at the Craigellachie Distillery and GB4SWF will be at Cragganmore
Distillery. A commemorative QSL card will be sent to all stations
that contact the club during the weekend.
Sands Contest Group is running a special event station to celebrate
the Royal Wedding. Weather permitting they hope to run four stations
using the callsign GB4HRH. They will be on air between 10am and 5pm
today, 1 May. All QSL cards should be sent as EQSL. Details are
available on QRZ.com.
On Sunday 8 May, the Whitton Amateur Radio Group will be presenting
amateur radio to the public using the special event callsign GB2IKE
in Bushy Park as part of an open day called Chestnut Sunday at Bushy
Park, located in-between Teddington and Hampton Court Palace in
Middlesex. Whitton Amateur Radio Group has the Royal Parks to thank
for allowing the station to be situated in the park and it is likely
that these will be the first radio transmissions from this location
since the base was operational in WW2.
Ballymena ARC will be participating in the Steam Traction Rally, at
Shanes Castle, Antrim on 1 and 2 May. They will be putting on
displays of amateur radio for the public as well as activating the
castle as part of castles and stately homes on the air Northern
Ireland. The club will be using callsign GN4KPT, utilising all modes
and bands.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Francois, ON4LO will be active on 10 to 40m SSB as F/ON4LO/P between
22 April and 4 June. He plans to operate from a few lighthouses
during his trip. QSL via his home callsign, direct or bureau.
Look for Noel, OO4O to be active as OZ/OO4O from Fyn Island, which is
IOTA reference EU-172, on 1 to 6 May. He will operate mainly SSB on
the HF bands. QSL via the Belgian QSL bureau to ON4APU and LoTW.
Phil, F4EGS will be active again as TT8PK from N'djamena, Chad
between 15 April and 15 June. He will be QRV in his spare time. Last
year he operated mainly CW on 10 to 80m. QSL via F4EGS, direct or via
bureau.
Members of the Camb-Hams will be activating the Isle of Arran between
1 and 8 May. They will be operating as GS3PYE/P and GS6PYE/P.
Activity will be on all bands from 70cm to 160m. For VHF, the island
lies in IO75.
Now the contest news
The action this week begins on the 2nd with the SSB leg of the 80m
Club Championships between 1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange, as usual,
is signal report and serial number.
Then on the 3rd it's the 2m UK Activity Contest between 1900 and
2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
On the following weekend there are three RSGB events, but with
distinct overlaps. The biggie is the 432MHz-234GHz Trophy contest on
7-8th, which is the event in which the really serious UHF/microwavers
get their kicks. Running for 24 hours from 1400 to 1400, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
If you're not equipped for umpteen bands or don't want to spend 24
hours contesting, the 432MHz Trophy contest is a separate event that
runs for the first eight hours of the 432MHz-234GHz Trophy may be of
interest. Running from 1400 to 2200UTC and using all modes, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The 10GHz Trophy contest takes place on the Sunday, coinciding with
the last eight hours of the 432MHz - 234GHz Trophy.
Italian events dominate the non-RSGB scene. On 7-8th, The ARI
International DX Contest takes place for 24 hours. Work everyone
using CW, SSB and RTTY exchanging a report and serial number. Instead
of a serial number, Italian stations give a 2-letter Province code
and there are 110 of them to collect as multipliers. Single-op
single-mode entries are allowed, but not single band.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 18th to the
24th of April, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 25th of April.
Solar activity was low everyday except for the 22nd when two M1 solar
flares took place. Small sudden ionospheric disturbances took place
but no coronal mass ejections; therefore their effect on propagation
was minimal. Solar flux levels increased slightly from 111 units on
the 18th and the 19th to 119 by the 23rd. The average was 115 units.
The 90 day solar flux average on the 24th was 106, that's three units
up on last week. X-ray flux levels hovered around the B4 mark for
most of the week but increased to B8.4 on the 22nd. The average was
B4.6. Geomagnetic activity started at unsettled levels with the Ap
index at 10 units on the 18th and 16 units on the 20th. The average
was Ap 8 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar
wind speeds increase from 320 kilometres per second to 570 by the
20th. Speeds then gradually declined. Particle densities increased to
41 particles per cubic centimetre on the 18th but then declined for
the rest of the period. Bz varied between minus 12 and plus 13
nanoTeslas on the 20th which was the most disturbed day and between
minus and plus 4 nanoTeslas when the field was quiet.
And now the solar forecast. This week the quieter side of the Sun is
expected to be facing our way. Solar activity should be at low levels
on some days. Solar flux levels are expected to around the 110 mark
for most of the week. Geomagnetic activity should be at quiet levels
all week but a coronal hole disturbance could commence right at the
end of the forecast period and certainly at the start of the
following week. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should
be around 23MHz for the south and 20MHz for the north. Darkness hour
lows are expected to be around 11MHz. Paths this week to the Middle
East should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent
success rate of about 25MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90
per cent success rate of around 19MHz. The best time to try this path
will be between 1100 and 1600 hours. If any double hop Sporadic-E
openings take place on 28 and 50MHz then the Middle East could be
worked by that mode, but it could be just a bit too early in the
season for that.
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
10:00 on the Tuesday before transmission.
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