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G4TNU > NEWS 18.05.11 20:05l 272 Lines 13546 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 22 May
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 22nd May 2011
The news headlines:
* RSGB AGM information
* National Club of the Year winners
* Latest 6 and 10 report available
More than 100 RSGB Members and interested parties were at the RSGB
AGM in Derby last weekend. As well as the formal business of the AGM,
visitors took part in a full day of discussions about the RSGB and
amateur radio. The Board has determined that fundamental changes are
needed in the way the Society operates and received a number of
practical comments on the proposed way ahead. A full report of the
AGM appears in the June RadCom, which should arrive with Members
before the end of the month.
Also at the RSGB AGM, the winners of the National Club of the Year
were announced. The annual competition is sponsored by Waters and
Stanton plc. In third place, Bolton Wireless Club received a
certificate and GBP 250 prize money; second place went to Lough Erne
Amateur Radio Club who also received a certificate plus a cheque for
GBP 500. First place went to Reading & District Amateur Radio Club,
who received the trophy, a certificate and a cheque for GBP 1000.
Prizes were presented by RSGB President, Dave Wilson, M0OBW. The 2011
competition will be open for nominations later this year.
The Six and Ten Reporting Club is an informal group of radio
amateurs. They are mostly from the UK and interested in propagation
studies at frequencies around the HF to VHF boundary, mainly the 6
and 10 metre amateur bands. The club produces the Six and Ten Report,
a monthly newsletter, that includes analysis of 28MHz propagation
based on beacon monitoring and analysis of 50MHz activity reports as
well as results of on-going experiments. The latest report from
Martin Harrison, G3USF and the 6 and 10 reporting club has been
published and it is available at http://g7kse.co.uk/6and10.
The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Conference takes place
in Sun City, South Africa in August. The papers to be discussed at
the conference are now available online from the IARU Region 1
website. They can be downloaded from www.iaru-r1.org.
The 21st annual Waters and Stanton Open Day will take place on
Sunday, 29 May. Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood will be in attendance as will
bhi. There will also be an RSGB bookstall. Essex CW Club, who won the
Region 12 Club of the Year award will collect their trophy from
Waters & Stanton who sponsor both the Region 12 trophy and the
national trophy scheme. A prize raffle in aid of Marie Cure Cancer
Care, supported by W&S and their suppliers, will take place on the
day.
Glasgow and Clyde RAYNET Group will be active on the Island of Jura,
which is IOTA reference EU008, from 26 May to 2 June. The group is
providing emergency safety communications for the annual Fell Race on
the 28th. They will also be activating the island on all HF bands
using group callsign GS0RAY/P throughout the week. Reports are most
welcome. For further details please contact group controller, Paul
Lucas, on 07768 271736 or by email to mm3ddq<at>yahoo.co.uk.
The Deutsche Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring an award to celebrate
the 2011 Women's Football World Cup. Both licensed amateur radio
operators and short wave listeners can apply for this award. Between
1 June and 31 July, the special station DL0YLWM and YL district
stations will be on the air. You need to log the appropriate number
of German YL stations to apply for any one of four awards. Full
details at www.darc.ce, search on the website for DL0YLWM.
The 2011 International Museums Weekend special event will take place
on 18 and 19 June as well as 25 and 26 June. Anyone planning to take
part should register their museum via e-mail to
harry.m1byt<at>tiscali.co.uk. Full details of the event can be found
on the International Museums Weekend website at
www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The 1st Leicester RS Grand Clearance and Bring & Buy will be held
today, 22 May, at the Leicester Radio Society HQ in 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.
Also today, 22 May, the Dunstable Downs Radio Club National Amateur
Radio Car Boot Sale will be held at Stockwood Park, Luton LU1 5NR.
Talk in will be on S22 and there is plenty of car parking. Doors open
at 9am and entry is GBP 2.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club
Rally and Boot Sale due to take place today, 22 May, has been
cancelled. The organisers would like to thanks everyone for their
support and hope to see everyone at next year's event.
D-Star Northants and UKIT are organising a D-Star Meet and Greet Day
on Sunday 29 May. This will be held in Northampton at Tetra
Communications, Bunting Road, Northampton NN2 6EE. The event will
include help and advice from D-Star Northants and UK IT. Visitors to
the event will also have the opportunity to visit Tetra
Communications warehouse that will be open for the duration of the
event.
Now for the news of special events
Castles and stately homes on air will take place on the 21st and 22nd
of the month. Information can be found at www.cashota.co.uk.
GB1LC will be active on the evening of the 24th for the 1st Laindon
Cubs who will be gaining their communicator badge. Activity will be
on 2m and HF. Special QSL cards designed by the cubs will be
available for all contacts. For further info please contact G1KOT.
The Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society will run a GB6COD at the open
day in HMS Collingwood on 4 June. 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.
Advanced tickets will be available from Gosport and Fareham Tourist
Information Offices and Portsmouth News Offices from May 2011.
GB0VUL will be on the air promoting and celebrating the continued
flying of XH558, the world's only airworthy Vulcan bomber. The
station will be on the air over the bank holiday weekend of 28 and 29
May, from the Air Training Corps Hall in Newbury. This is the 3rd
consecutive year this call has been run by members of Newbury and
District Amateur Radio Society. More information can be found at
www.vulcantothesky.org.
The Geoparks Communication Weekend will take place over the weekend
28 and 29 May. GB6GEO will be on again this year from Occombe Farm in
Torbay. There will be several other Geopark stations operating around
the world. There is an award available for contacting Geopark
stations. More information on qrz.com.
As part of the Imagineering stand at the Bath and West Show, Weymouth
College are putting on a special event station to demonstrate amateur
radio to visitors. The idea is to particularly allow young people to
send greetings via the HF special event station GB0BAW. If there are
any local amateurs who are planning on visiting the show and would
like to help operate the station that will be on the air for the
duration of the agricultural show between 1 and 4 June, please
contact Rob, G0ECX whose details are on QRZ.com, or telephone on
01305 787120.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
From 22 to 28 May, Japanese operators JA7HMZ, JA7AGO and JA7ZP are
heading to Pohnpei, Micronesia, which is IOTA reference OC-010, for
activity as V63DX, V63GO and V63ZP respectively. They will be on all
bands and modes. QSL via their home callsigns.
TM0Z will be active from Batz Island, which is IOTA reference EU-105,
until 26 May. They will operate SSB, CW, RTTY and PSK on 6 to 80m
with at least four stations. QSL via F5EOT either direct or via the
bureau.
Laci, HA0HW will be active again as SV8/HA0HW from Thassos Island,
which is IOTA reference EU-174 from 26 May to 5 June. He will operate
on the HF bands and 6 metres. QSL via his home callsign preferably
through the bureau.
Henry, TJ3AY has been issued special callsign TJ3IC to be used until
30 May to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the independence of
Cameroon. QSL via F5LGE.
Sam, K0YAK is based at the US Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal and is
active as 9N7AK during his spare time. It is expected that he will be
there until early July. He is using SSB and PSK31 on 10 to 20m and
QSLs should go via his home callsign.
TM0Z will be active from the French island of Batz until 26 May. A
group of 5 French amateurs will be operational on all bands 6 to
160m. The IOTA reference is EU-105.
Three Czech Republic operators will be on the Island of Crete until
28 May and will sign SV9/homecall/P from the main island, which is
IOTA EU- 015. They also plan a few side trips to offshore islands,
which will count as IOTA EU-187.
K6VVA and NI6T will be on the air as K6VVA/6 from Santa Catalina
Island. They plan to work mainly in CW on 15 to 40m from 24 to 26
May. QSL via N6AWD either via the bureau or direct.
Now the contest news
Tuesday 24 May sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest taking place
between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
On the same evening, the SHF UK Activity Contest also takes place
between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using the 1.3 to 10GHz bands, all modes,
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The CQWW WPX CW Contest takes place for the whole 48 hours of the
weekend of 28 and 29 May. This is a follow-on event from the SSB leg
held at the end of March. Expect the CW segments of the bands to be
packed and some pretty big serial numbers to be handed out by the
end, especially if propagation on the upper HF bands is favourable.
Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and
serial number
On 29 May from 1000 to 1200UTC the 3rd 70MHz Cumulative contest takes
place. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
Finally for this week, on 31 May, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest takes
place from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 9th to the
15th of May, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 16th of May.
Sunspots groups were visible every day; all were small and most were
quiet and stable. Solar activity was mostly very low, however,
activity increased to low on the 9th, 12th and the 15th when small C
class solar flares took place. These had little effect on
propagation. Solar flux levels declined from 104 units on the 9th to
91 by the 14th. This is the lowest daily figure since the middle of
March. The average was 95 units. The lower flux levels slowed the
rate of increase on the 90 day solar flux average, which remained at
the same level as last week at 110 units. X-ray flux levels declined
slightly from B2.9 units on the 9th to B1.1 by the 14th. The average
was B1.6 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day, but only
just on some days, for example the Ap index was at 8 units on the
10th and 11 on the 15th. The average was Ap 6 units. Solar wind data
from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 410
kilometres per second on the 10th to 290 by the 14th. Speeds then
increased to 590 kilometres per second on the 15th. Particle
densities were low every day except for the 19th which increased
briefly to 25 particles per cubic centimetre. Bz on the quiet days
varied between minus 2 and plus 4 nanoTeslas and between minus 9 and
plus 11 nanoTeslas during the 14th.
F-layer propagation was up to predicted values. Also strong
Sporadic-E openings within Europe were reported on a daily basis on
28 and 50MHz. Some areas also had 6 metre propagation to West Africa.
Brief openings were reported on 70MHz.
And now the solar forecast. This week solar activity is expected to
be at very low levels. The recent spell of increased levels of
activity that started back in February seems to have come to an end.
Of course, the emergence of a new active region could take place and
with it activity could increase but for now that seems unlikely but
not totally ruled out. Solar flux levels are expected to be around
the 100 mark. Geomagnetic activity should start at quiet levels but
by midweek activity is expected to increase due to a recurring
coronal hole and last until the weekend. On its last rotation the
disturbance lasted 5 days. MUFs during daylight hours at equal
latitudes should be around 22MHz for the south and 19MHz for the
north. Darkness hour lows are expected to be about 11MHz. Paths this
week to India should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate of around 22MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate will be about 17MHz. The best time to try
this path will be between 1000 and 1600 hours. Sporadic-E should take
place on some days with opening up to 50MHz and maybe higher on the
more intense openings.
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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