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G4TNU > NEWS 27.07.11 19:06l 248 Lines 12677 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 31 Jul
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 31st July 2011
The news headlines:
* Slovakian amateurs gain 5MHz band
* Will 800MHz 4G signals interfere with TV?
* Islands On The Air contest active now
Slovakian amateurs have been given access to the 5MHz frequency
allocation for experimental purposes. OM stations can use the band
from 5.2585 to 5.2615MHz with a maximum power of 100W ERP. Licences
are valid for 1 year.
Ofcom has extended the period for consultation on proposals for
technical licence conditions for the award of 800MHz and 2.6GHz
spectrum. The new closing date for responses to this consultation is
11 August 2011. Whilst not strictly related to amateur radio, there
is an EMC concern. The new 800MHz 4G signals will fall within the
bandwidth of masthead preamps and TV tuners, adding to an already
complex mixture for TVI complaints.
This weekend sees amateurs around the world involved in the Islands
on the Air contest. Until 1200UTC today you can expect to hear some
unusual island stations on the air. Many will be using their own
callsigns outside the contest hours. Operation is in the 3.5, 7, 14,
21 and 28MHz bands. All radio amateurs in the British Isles are
automatically operating from an island and so will be keenly sought
by others overseas who are taking part in the contest.
Following a request from a club, the graphs from the RSGB Survey are
now available as a PowerPoint presentation. This means it is now
possible to show the results to a group, with the presenter using the
original PDF file as their presentation notes. The files can be
downloaded at www.rsgb.org/survey.
Starting today, 31st July, a GB2RS news reading for the South of
England is being re-introduced on 3640kHz at 9am local time. A team
of five news readers will take turns with this schedule each Sunday.
They will read the National news plus regional news for the South
East, East Anglia and the South West. At around 9.30 the reader will
seek reception reports during an after-news net, which may QSY to a
nearby working frequency. On-air reception reports will be very
welcome.
AMSAT-UK has made available a free PDF of the Spring 2011 edition of
their newsletter, OSCAR News. It contains reports on four UK CubeSat
projects currently being developed. There is also news of new South
African CubeSats and details of the telemetry on ARISsat-1, currently
scheduled to be deployed from the International Space Station on
Wednesday 3 August. A printed copy of OSCAR News is posted to members
each quarter. Read the Oscar News PDF at www.uk.amsat.org, just
follow the new and renewing members tab.
With only a few weeks to go to the International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend on 20 and 21 August, a total of 290 entries have
been received, but many more are expected before the event. So far
this year 13 Lightships are entered, mainly from Belgium, England,
Germany and the USA. There's also one each in the Netherlands, Sweden
and Wales. Since 1998, the event has attracted more than 440
entrants, from some 50 nations. More information is at www.illw.net.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
This weekend, 30 and 31 July, the AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium takes
place in the Holiday Inn, Guildford, postcode GU2 7XZ. There is a
wide ranging lecture programme, which will also be streamed at
www.batc.tv. RSGB Amateur Radio Manager Carlos, G0AKI will be on site
with GB4FUN. Details at www.uk.amsat.org.
Horncastle Summer Rally will take place today, Sunday 31 July, in the
Horncastle Youth Centre, Willow Road, Horncastle, Lincolnshire
LN9 6DZ. Doors open at 10.30am and admission is GBP 1.50. Information
can be obtained from Tony, G3ZPU on 01507 527835.
King's Lynn ARC Rally & Car Boot will take place on 7 August at
Gaywood Community Centre, PE30 4DZ. Doors open at 10am and admission
is GBP 1.50. There will be trade stands and a car boot area. Details
from Ray, G3RSV, on 01553671307.
The Lorn Radio Amateur Rally will be held on 7 August at Crianlarich
Village Hall, Crianlarich, near Oban, postcode FK20 8QN. Doors open
at 10am and there will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy. Details
from GM0ERV by e-mail to stewart.mciver<at>btinternet.com.
Now for the news of special events
Hull & District Amateur Radio Society and RAFARS are setting up a
special event station at a veterans weekend today, 31 July, held at
East Park, Holderness Road, Hull. GB2VET will be on the air, using
HF, VHF & UHF and D-Star. There will also be a display of vintage WW2
radio equipment.
Pontefract & District Amateur Radio Society is operating a GB0YD for
Yorkshire Day on 1 August. Operated from the Club's shack with the
Yorkshire flag flying from the mast, they intend to talk at all
amateurs –whichever side of the Pennines they are located.
GB2SAH is the special event callsign operated by members of the
Felixstowe & District ARS in conjunction with the Suffolk Aviation
Heritage Group. On 31 July the station will be operating from the
Suffolk Aviation Heritage Group's display centre at Kesgrave,
Suffolk, as part of the Military Heritage Weekend. The station will
use both military and amateur radio equipment as well as making good
use of the impressive communications towers on the site.
On 1 August, MI0RYL will be activating Scrabo Tower, Newtownards on
the HF bands, propagation allowing. The site is at Locator io74dn and
is being activated as part of the Castles and Stately Homes on the
Air Programme.
On 3 August, MW6GWR will be activating Graig Fach Goch, an Iron Age
hill fort, as part of the Castles and Stately Homes on the Air
Programme. The hill fort is at an elevation of roughly 675ft.
On 7 August a few amateurs in the Morecambe Bay area are putting a
special event station on for the Heysham Classic Car Rally. They are
trying to show the fun of amateur radio to a new audience. So if
you're in the Morecambe area, please feel free to drop in or contact
them on air. They will be operating 2m and HF between 10am and 4pm.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Ian, G4FSU will be active again as OH/G4FSU from Emsalo Island, which
is IOTA reference EU-097, until 10 August. He will be making an entry
in the RSGB IOTA Contest. QSL via his home callsign either direct or
via the bureau.
NQ6K will be active as stroke VY0 from Devon Island in the Canadian
High Arctic until 5 August. The crew will be primarily using 20, 15
and 10 metres running PSK31 and RTTY and possibly SSB. Other bands
will also be used depending on propagation. Please see
www.devon2011.nq6k.org for current frequency updates and contact
information.
EA3QS, IZ4AKS, IW3SQY, IZ8GCE and IT9YVO will operate as TY1KS from
Benin from 5 to 14 August, on all bands, with three Elecraft K3s and
two Elecraft KPA500 solid state amplifiers. They will focus on the
lower bands and digital modes due to the high demand for those from
Benin. They will also be on SSB on the higher bands, especially
during trans-equatorial propagation openings. QSL via IZ8IYX.
Axel, DL7VEA will be active as OZ7VEA from Bornholm Island, which is
IOTA reference EU-030, until 5 August, including a 12-hour entry in
the IOTA Contest. QSL via DL7VEA, bureau preferred.
Now the contest news
Over the years, Islands On The Air has become the RSGB's flagship
contest. These days it attracts over 2000 entries worldwide. Casual
participants are likely to pick up some new countries and serious
entrants will make thousands of QSOs in the 24 hours, although there
are also 12-hour sections for single-op stations. The IOTA Reference
is part of the exchange; the one for mainland Britain is EU-005. All
the IOTA references can be found on the internet at
www.logiciel.co.uk/iota/shtlist/europe.html. Operations start at 1200
on the 30th, although some of the island DXpeditions will be using
their own callsigns during testing in the days leading up to the
contest. Using the bands 3.5 to 28MHz on CW or SSB, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and IOTA reference.
2 August sees the 144MHz UK Activity Contest taking place from 1900
to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
The first weekend of the month is definitely one for low power
enthusiasts. The action on Saturday 6th begins with the fourth 2m
Backpacker Contest from 1100 to 1500UTC. Overlapping with the final
hour is the144MHz Low Power Contest from 1400 to 2200UTC. In each of
them you exchange the usual information, but also the first two
letters of your postcode. Single letter postcodes are padded out to
two letters, see the RSGB Yearbook or www.rsgbcc.org for a full list.
Also on 6 August, the 12-hour European HF Championship takes place.
QSOs within Europe are the only ones that count for points. Exchange
a signal report and a two-digit number corresponding to the year in
which you were first licensed. There are CW only, SSB only and mixed
mode sections for high and low power stations.
The 432MHz Low Power Contest takes place on 7 August from 0800 to
1200UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial
number, locator and the first two letters of the postcode.
Also on 7 August is the 2nd RoPoCo event. It's a 90-minute Sunday
morning event from 0700 to 0830UTC. You really need to be on your
toes to do well, because the rolling exchange of postcodes (PC) is a
real challenge. This is the CW leg, the SSB leg having taken place in
April.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 18th to the
24th of July, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 25th of July.
The period started with eight sunspot groups visible, most were small
and stable. However, one of these groups produced the only C class
solar flare, which lifted activity to low levels on the 18th. The
remainder of the period saw activity at very low levels. Solar flux
levels declined from 102 units on the 18th to 86 by the 24th. The
average was 95 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 24th was
also 95 units, that's two units down on last week. X-ray flux levels
declined from B2.4 units on the 18th to B1.4 by the 24th and the
average was B1.9 units. Due to a recurring coronal hole geomagnetic
activity was at unsettled levels from the 19th to the 22nd. The most
disturbed day was the 20th with an Ap index of 19 units. The only
quiet day was the 24th with an Ap index of 4 units. The average was
11 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind
speeds increase from 360 kilometres per second on the 18th to 750 by
the 21st. Speeds then declined to 400 kilometres per second by the
24th. Particle densities were low except for a brief increase to 13
particles per cubic centimetre on the 18th. Bz varied between minus 8
and plus 10 nanoTeslas during the disturbance and between minus 4 and
plus 6 nanoTeslas on the quietest day.
And now the solar forecast. This week the quiet side of the Sun is
expected to be rotating out of view. Even today an active region
could be rotating into view over the Sun's south east limb. Solar
activity is expected to be very low to low for most of the week.
Solar flux levels should be on the increase and be in the high 90's
or even slightly above the 100 mark, a lot will depend on the active
region mentioned above. Slightly easier to forecast is the
geomagnetic activity, which is expected to be unsettled today and
maybe tomorrow, and again by next weekend. Both disturbances are the
result of recurring coronal holes. However, the midweek period should
be at quiet levels. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes
should be around 19MHz for the south and 16MHz for the north.
Darkness hour lows are expected to be about 12MHz. Paths this week to
the east coast of North America should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 17MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate should be
about 13MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 1900 and
2300 hours. The path will probably open earlier but levels will
consequently be lower. Sporadic-E is expected to take place on some
days.
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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