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G4TNU > NEWS 30.06.11 00:08l 222 Lines 11269 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 03 Jul
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 3rd July 2011
The news headlines:
* Spectrum Management responses to DCMS
* South of England news reading
* Malta gets 500kHz
In the past ten days, the Society has responded to the Department of
Culture, Media and Sport on a consultation seeking opinion on the
release of 500MHz of spectrum by 2020 and an open letter that seeks
to review communications for the digital age. Both responses from the
Society can be seen at
www.rsgb.org/spectrumforum/consultations/index.php.
It was announced recently on GB2RS that the South of England news
reading on 3640kHz would have to terminate due to a lack of
newsreaders. However, some members have now come forward offering to
read for the 0900 LSB schedule. One of the volunteers is Alison,
G8ROG, who is the RSGB Regional Manager for London and the Thames
Valley. Accordingly, Alison will set up a net on 3640kHz, plus or
minus QRM, this Sunday, 3 July, at 0900 local time and invite
volunteers to call in. She will hold a second net at 0900 on the
following Sunday, 10 July. Volunteers are asked to join one of the
nets, when propagation can be checked out and a news reading rota
drawn up. Full details of the GB2RS News Service can be found in the
Members' Only section of the RSGB website. RSGB members who wish to
offer their services are asked to complete the form at the Volunteers
tab and send it to the GB2RS News Manager, Gordon Adams, G3LEQ, whose
details appear on the document. Hopefully, we may soon be able to
announce a re-instatement of this service for 80 metres listeners in
the South.
We have heard that Maltese radio amateurs may apply for a temporary
permit for 500kHz operation. The permit is operational until the end
of 2011 but could be extended if approved by WRC next year.
Application forms and the National Frequency Plan many be viewed at
www.mca.org.mt.
Advance notice now. West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club is organising a
new event this year. The GI HF Conference will take place on Saturday
20 August in the Technology Education Centre, Omagh, BT78 1FA.
Registration will be from 11am. Speakers will include Carlos Eavis,
G0AKI, from the RSGB, speaking on IOTA and Paul O'Kane, EI5DI,
speaking on DXpeditions and SD Logging. Check out
http://wtarc.co.uk/GIHFConference.aspx for more details.
Students at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey are working on a
CubeSat amateur radio satellite that will host a linear transponder
for SSB and CW amateur radio communications. Dubbed TURKSAT-3USAT,
the bird will carry a 50kHz bandwidth 2m to 70cm linear transponder,
a beacon and telemetry downlink. Planners hope to launch this new
bird into a Sun synchronous orbit of around 680km sometime in early
2012.
The ARRL Headquarters will be closed in observance of Independence
Day on Monday 4 July. There will be no W1AW bulletin or code practice
transmissions that day. League Headquarters will reopen Tuesday 5
July at 8am Eastern Daylight Time.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Barford Norfolk Radio Rally will be held on 3 July at Barford
Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB, 9 miles south west of
Norwich, close to A11 and A47. Doors open at 9am and admission is
GBP 1.50, with children admitted free. There will be trade stands and
a Bring & Buy.
AMSAT-UK will have a presence at the first ever UK Space Conference
being organised by the UK Space Agency. It takes place at the
University of Warwick on 4 and 5 July. Further details of the event
are at http://tinyurl.com/UKSpace2011.
Next Sunday, 10 July the Cornish RAC 48th Mobile Rally will take
place at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. Doors open at
10.30am and admission is GBP 2. There will be trade stands and a
Bring & Buy. Details from Steve on 01209 844939.
Now for the news of special events
Worcester Radio Amateurs Association will be operating from the
Stourport-on-Severn Steam Rally over the weekend of 8 to 10 July. The
steam rally itself is an established and popular attraction and
always attracts a good crowd. A warm welcome will be extended to all
visitors. The website address for the rally is
www.stourportvintagesteamrally.co.uk.
Pontefract & District Amateur Radio Society is operating a number of
special event stations. Until 8 July, GB0PLF will be on the air for
the Pontefract Liquorice Festival. The station is located at Carleton
Community Centre, leading up to the festival. On 9 July, GB0PH will
be on the air for Pontefract Heritage. The station will be located at
Pontefract Castle for a fun day at the Castle, organised by
Pontefract Heritage Group. Then on 10 July, GB0PLF will be on the air
again, with a new NOV to operate in Pontefract town centre on the
actual day of the Liquorice Festival.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Marcelo, PY2FN will be active as PY0FO from Fernando de Noronha,
which is IOTA reference SA-003, until 9 July. He will operate CW only
on 6 to 160m. Please QSL via his home callsign, either direct, via
the bureau or Logbook of the World.
ZR6DG and ZS6HB will be active as C92DG from the Timbavati Game
Reserve in Tofo between 14 and 28 July. Their operation will be on
the HF bands only. QSL via ZR6DG.
Eric, K9GY will be active from Afghanistan for the next year using
the callsign T6MO. His most likely times of operation are given as
0130-0430, 0630-0830 and 1130-1730UTC. QSLs go via his home callsign.
John, F4FUC will operate as J28UC from Djibouti starting in July. He
hopes to be there till 2013 and will be using vertical and dipole
antennas on 40-10m.
Howard, WB4WXE will be on the Caribbean island of St Lucia until 15
July. He will operate using the call J68HS and asks for QSLs to be
sent via his home callsign.
Now the contest news
This weekend will be busy on the VHF bands because VHF NFD takes
place until 1400UTC today, 3 July. Apart from the various sections
for portable stations of differing powers and complexities, as of
2009 there is also the Sweepers section. This was introduced to
encourage fixed stations to work the portables and expanded in 2010.
As a non-participating fixed station there's no reason why you
shouldn't call CQ while the contest is in progress, because there
will be a whole band of people looking for QSOs, especially during
the quieter hours. The third 2m Backpackers runs for the last three
hours of VHF NFD and continues for an hour after it ends.
The 5th Polish Straight Key Contest also takes place today, 3 July
from 1800 to 2000UTC. It is straight key only contest and open to all
amateurs. The rules, in English, can be found at www.sp5ppa.org.
Monday, 4 July, sees the CW leg of the 80m Club Championships take
place from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial
number.
The following day, 5 July, it's the 144MHz UK Activity Contest from
1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend, it's the IARU HF World Championship from 1200UTC on the
9th to 1200UTC on the 10th. The UK HQ station GR2HQ will be active
and looking for as many QSOs as possible on as many bands and modes
as possible with as many people as possible. You don't have to be
taking part in the contest to call GR2HQ; the operators will be
delighted to work you and also pass you around the bands and modes,
to help you work towards one of the free certificates that are
available. The exchange is signal report and ITU zone, which for the
UK is 27.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 20th to the
26th of June, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 27th of June.
The solar disc had sunspot groups visible every day. Most groups were
small and quiet, however, one group produced the only C class solar
flare of the period on the 21st. This was a long duration flare and
associated with the flare was a coronal mass ejection. Solar flux
levels remained around the mid 90s all week and the average was 94
units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 26th was 102, that's two
units down on last week. X-ray flux levels averaged B1.8 units and
varied little day to day. Geomagnetic activity was just at unsettled
levels most days. The Ap index on the 23rd was 18 units which was the
most disturbed day. This was the result of a coronal hole and the
effects from the coronal mass ejection from the 21st. The average was
Ap 10 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind
speeds increase from 370 to 700 kilometres per second by the 23rd.
Speeds then declined to 490 kilometres per second by late on the
26th. Particle densities were low throughout but did increase to 10
particles per cubic centimetre on the 21st and the 22nd. Bz varied
between minus 9 and plus 8 nanoTeslas on the most disturbed day and
between minus and plus 4 nanoTeslas on the quieter days. Probably HF
propagation was slightly below predicted levels due to the continued
unsettled geomagnetic conditions. Radio aurora was reported on the
22nd and 23rd, but was confined to high latitudes and it was not the
best week that we have had for Sporadic-E.
And now the solar forecast. First, for the benefit of those you read
this on the internet at the RSGB website from a Friday onwards, the
forecast covers the period from the Sunday the date of broadcast on
GB2RS to the following Saturday. This week the quiet side of the Sun
is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity should be at very
low levels on most days. Solar activity and sunspot numbers over
recent weeks have been in decline. How long will this quiet phase
last before the next upsurge in activity takes place, who knows, but
when it does end the chances are there will be very little warning.
Solar flux levels are expected to decline and be in the 80s for most
of the week. Geomagnetic activity should be quiet for the next couple
of days before a weak coronal hole disturbance arrives around midweek
and lasts till the weekend. On its last rotation the most disturbed
day saw an Ap index of 14 units. This coronal hole developed back in
March and this is its fifth rotation. MUFs during daylight hours at
equal latitudes should be around 20MHz for the south and 17MHz for
the north. Darkness hour lows should be about 13MHz. Paths this week
to South America should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate will be around 27MHz. The optimum working frequency
with a 90 per cent success rate will be 21MHz. Even though the path
will be open earlier the best time for the highest MUFs will be
between 1700 and 2100 hours. Sporadic-E is expected to take place on
most days with opening up to and including 144MHz are still possible.
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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