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G4TNU > NEWS 06.07.11 20:07l 247 Lines 12376 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 10 Jul
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 10th July 2011
The news headlines:
* Olympic tests on 70cm
* Satellite Beginners Workshop
* Railways on the Air 2011
Following the first tests in June, the RSGB has now received an
update that additional tests for the Olympics affecting 70cm will
take place in the Weymouth and Portland area between Wednesday 20
July and Saturday 13 August. These will take the form of spot
frequency telemetry transmissions in the range 431 to 432MHz plus
some more limited activity around 436MHz. All amateurs are requested
to respect these tests and not interfere with them. Information is
also available at www.rsgb.org/olympics.
AMSAT-UK will be holding a Satellite Beginners' Workshop at 4pm on
Friday 29 July to teach newcomers how to get started in amateur radio
space communications. With some satellites you can communicate using
little more than a standard dual-band FM handheld. Others use SSB or
CW and permit intercontinental DX communications using the VHF/UHF
bands. The Beginners' Workshop will be run by Dave, G4DPZ and Carlos,
G0AKI and takes place at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ. Look
for the RSGB GB4FUN vehicle in the car park. Details are on the
AMSAT-UK website www.uk.amsat.org.
Railways on the Air 2011 will take place on the weekend of 24 and 25
September. As last year, the suggested frequencies for the event are
3.65, 7.12 and 14.12MHz, but participants are requested to avoid any
interference with RSGB news reading. Anyone is encouraged to register
if they are working an historic railway site, it doesn't have to be a
famous one or indeed one operating trains, just a site that has a
railway heritage. Registration and general enquiries can are through
the website www.rota.m0php.net.
The National Hamfest will take place at the Newark & Notts Showground
again this year on 30 September and 1 October. The RSGB & Lincoln
Short Wave Club are pleased that the ARRL are attending from the USA
again this year. Joining them will be the German companies
Spiderbeam, Tecadi and Czech company Mastrant as well as all the
major manufacturers and dealers in the UK. Advance tickets are
available from the National Hamfest website,
www.nationalhamfest.org.uk.
In June 2011 the Portuguese administration Anacom assigned 5288.5kHz
in addition to the already authorised frequencies of 5371.5 and
5403.5kHz on a secondary and non interference basis. The special
propagation study permits are being issued for a year.
The first provisional programme for the RSGB Convention is now
available on the RSGB website. Taking place at Horwood House near
Milton Keynes over the weekend 7 to 9 October, the lecture programme
is well underway. You can see the confirmed lectures on a wide range
of subjects from low frequency to light communications, which will be
updated as more talks are confirmed. Check out
www.rsgb.org/rsgbconvention.
The Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society has launched its new website.
All amateurs and anyone with an interest in maritime radio,
especially those who have served or are serving in the Royal Navy,
Royal Marines and other navies throughout the world, are invited to
visit the site at www.rnars.org.uk. The site is under continuous
improvement and visitors are invited to suggest additional features
to enhance the site. This can be done on the home page using the link
under the main photograph.
The team from Wakefield and District Radio Society will be QRV from
the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which is IOTA reference EU 120, off
the Northumberland coast, from 15 to 18 July. They will be using the
callsign GB1HI. Transmission times will vary and, as it qualifies for
IOTA, will utilise the IOTA frequencies between 6 to 80m wherever
possible, plus or minus QRM. As well as SSB it is hoped to do some
data modes. The QSL route is via M0OXO and all information is
available on QRZ.com. Visitors are welcome but please bring your
licence and a club card wherever possible. The team will be sited on
the approach road to the castle.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 10 July, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club's 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.
The McMichael Rally and Boot Sale will take place on 17 July at
Reading Rugby Club, just off the A4 east of Reading. There is free
car parking and admission is GBP 2. Traders and special interest
groups will be in attendance and a car boot sale area is available.
The gates open at 9.30am. Details from Pete, G8FRC on 01189 695697.
QRP in Country will take place on 17 July at Upton Bridge Farm, Long
Sutton, Langport TA10 9NJ. There is still plenty of space available
for those individuals or Clubs who would like to put on a display or
have a stand. The Bath Buildathon team, led by Steve Hartley, G0FUW,
will be supervising construction and George Dobbs, G3RJV will be
attending and commenting on a ‘Show & Tell' display, so please
bring along lots of homebrew things for all to see. Rob Mannion,
G3XFD, Editor of PW, the RSGB and other QRP personalities will be
there. Entry is free and details can be found at
www.walfordelectronics.co.uk.
Northumbria Amateur Radio Club is holding a Bring and Buy sale on 23
July starting at 10am. Everyone is very welcome to come along. If
anyone is interested in selling items details should be forwarded to
the club secretary Roy, G0AXJ by email to
roymccluskey<at>hotmail.co.uk or telephone 0741 2659 150 as soon as
possible. For full details please visit the NARC website,
www.g4aax.org.uk where you will find appropriate links associated
with this event.
Bletchley Park's annual Polish Day takes place on Sunday 17 July. It
will celebrate the important contribution made by three Polish
mathematicians for their work on the breaking of Enigma. Bletchley
Park will also be remembering other Polish contributions and
involvement in World War. The day will include Polish dancing, food
and displays, themed talks and a Spitfire fly-past by the Battle of
Britain Memorial Flight.
Now for the news of special events
Pontefract & District Amateur Radio Society is operating GB0PLF on 10
July from Pontefract Town Centre for the Liquorice Festival. On 16
and 17 July the club will put GB1AVR on the air for the Ackworth
Vintage Rally, operating from Watertower Field, Ackworth.
Borders Amateur Radio Society will be holding a special event station
at Birgham Village Fete, located in the village playpark on 16 July.
Operating on the HF bands and 2m on CW and SSB, the callsign will be
GB4BBR.
Sutton Coldfield Radio Club is hosting a special event station GB4MVF
on 16 July at Middleton Village Fete, Church Lane, Middleton B78 2AW
from 2pm till 5pm. Further information from Rob Bird on 01827 288483.
Visitors are welcome.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Andy, P29CS is at present active as YJ8A on the island of Efate in
the DXCC entity of Vanuatu. This one counts as OC-035 for the Islands
on the Air award programme. He is there until 17 July and QSLs go via
M0URX.
Dmitrij, RW6AML will be on Waya Island, Fiji until 17 July. He will
be active as 3D2ML on both CW and SSB. QSLs go to his home callsign.
Malcolm, GM3TAL is taking part in the Scottish Scouts New Horizons
expedition to Malawi until 25 July and plans to be active as 7Q7MH
from the Malawi National Scout Campsite at Makwawa. Look for activity
on 20, 17, 15, 10 and possibly 6 metres, using CW and SSB. QSL via
G0IAS, direct only. The website for the expedition is at
www.7q7mh.org.
Dante, IK5ASN will be active as 9A8ASN from the island of Cres, which
is IOTA reference EU-136, from 12 to 30 July. He will be on 20 and 40
metres SSB, CW, RTTY and PSK31. QSL via his home callsign, preferably
using the bureau.
Now the contest news
This weekend, it's the IARU HF World Championship, which finishes at
1200UTC today, 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.
Tuesday 12 July is the 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to
2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
13 July sees the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championship take place
between 1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial
number.
Sunday 17 July sees the Low Power Contest taking place from 0900 to
1600UTC. Using the 3.7 and 7MHz bands, CW only, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and power. Also that day, from 1000 to
1600UTC is the 70MHz trophy. Using all modes the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 227th of June
to the 3rd of July, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 4th of July.
For the first six months of 2011 there was only one day when the
solar disc was spotless, that was on the 27th of January.
Solar activity was very low except for the 3rd when the only C class
solar flare of the period took place which increased activity to low.
Solar flux levels varied between 86 and 89 units and the average was
87 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 3rd was 100 units,
that's two units down on last week. The year started with the 90 day
solar flux average at 84 units and then increased steadily to peak at
110 units at the beginning of May. Since then levels have declined
sharply to 100 units. X-ray flux units averaged B1.1 units and varied
little day to day. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day except
for the 1st which increased to unsettled levels with an Ap index of
13 units. This was in response to a small coronal hole. The average
for the period was Ap 6 units. Solar wind data from the ACE
spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 320 kilometres per
second to 450 by the 1st. Particle densities increased to 15
particles per cubic centimetre on the 1st, the remaining days
densities were low. Bz varied between minus 2 and plus 5 nanoTeslas
on the quietest day and between minus 10 and plus 8 nanoTeslas on the
most disturbed day.
VHF Sporadic-E was reported daily up to 70MHz and some locations
enjoyed a good opening to the Caribbean and South America on the
evening of the 30th and a smaller one on the 1st. A few stations
reported a Scottish-type aurora on the afternoon of the 1st.
And now the solar forecast. This week the slightly more active side
of the Sun is expected to be looking our way. Without the appearance
of any large active sunspot groups, solar activity is expected to be
at low levels on some days. Solar flux levels should be around the
100 mark throughout the period. No influence from any coronal holes
is expected this week so geomagnetic activity should be quiet every
day. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around
21MHz for the south and 18MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows are
expected to be around 13MHz. Paths this week to India should have a
maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around
20MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate
will be about 15MHz. The best time to try this path from the UK will
be between 1200 and 1800 hours. Sporadic-E should take place on some
days with openings up to 144MHz possible. As always the favoured
times for Sporadic-E are mid mornings and early evenings, but not
exclusively.
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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