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G4TNU > NEWS 16.11.11 20:06l 183 Lines 8964 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 20 Nov
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 20th November 2011
The news headlines:
* Logbook of the World processing delay reduced
* New challenge for Spectrum Defence
* Christmas posting deadlines loom for overseas book orders
Following the news item last week on delays uploading to Logbook of
the World. Currently, the processing delay is down to 45 hours. More
than 1 million QSOs have been uploaded in the past five days. If you
have already uploaded a log, there is no need to upload it again as
this will only add to the queue. Please follow guidelines online as
this will allow Logbook of the World to process the backlog at a
faster pace.
Recent news from the MoD in the UK and in Europe underline the
upsurge in demand for lower frequency microwave spectrum for mobile
and broadband use. Our secondary allocations at 2.3 and 3.4GHz lie
within the so-called 'sweet spot' for forthcoming 4G commercial
services and are coming under increasing pressure. The Society and
IARU are fully engaged with this difficult challenge. Spectrum
defence is never easy but we certainly plan on retaining sufficient
access for our own increasing activity and innovation.
The Christmas posting deadlines are fast approaching for overseas
book orders from the RSGB. The first deadline is 1 December for Rest
of the World airmail orders, then 3 December for Western Europe. Air
mail orders to North America and Western Europe must be placed by 8
December. All these dates can be found on the RSGB website within the
RSGB Shop.
The BBC World Service is auctioning off more than 100 lots of audio
and radio equipment that has been decommissioned from its Bush House
studio in London. Included are audio consoles, monitors, microphones
including some very rare Coles ribbon microphones designed to BBC
specifications. Details are available at www.tinyurl.com/BBC-auction.
Bidding closes on 22 November at 1300 hours GMT.
Following the cancellation of the C21A Nauru expedition, Pacific
DXers team members VK4AN, VK4FW, VK4NEF, NL8F, K4ZLE and W5SL now
plan to be active from Tuvalu as T2T until 8 December.
Activation forms for ROC Bunker Month 2012, which will be held in
October 2012, are now being accepted. So why not get planning and
submit a form to www.rocbunkers.co.uk to participate?
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Mayo Radio Experimenters Annual Radio Rally is today, Sunday 20
November, at the Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Doors open at
11am and there will be the usual range of traders, club stands,
demonstrations and extensive catering facilities. Full details are
online at www.ei7mre.org.
Also today, 20 November, the 34th CATS Radio & Electronics Bazaar
will take place at 1st Coulsdon Scout HQ, at the rear of the Council
Car Park, Lion Green Road, Coulsdon, Surrey. Doors will be open 10am
to 1pm and admission is GBP 1. There will be a Bring & Buy. Details
are online at www.catsradio.org.
Plymouth Radio Club Rally is taking place today, 20 November, at Elm
Community Centre, Leypark Walk, Estover, Plymouth PL6 8UE. Doors open
at 10am and admission is GBP 2. There will be trade stands and a
Bring & Buy. More information from Bob Griffiths, G7HNB, on
017523 431 277.
The final rally of the year takes place on 4 December. The Bishop
Auckland Radio Amateurs Club Rally will be held in Spennymoor Leisure
Centre, Co Durham DL16 6DB. Doors open at 10.30am and admission is
GBP 1.50, with accompanied under 14s free. There will be trade stands
and a Bring & Buy. More details from Mark, G0GFG on 01388 747 497.
Now for the news of special events
Newport ARS will be activating the Newport ROC Bunker in Monmouthsire
on Saturday 26 November using callsign GC4EZW. Details are listed on
www.rocbunkers.co.uk and on the ROCBunkers Facebook page.
G4PF and M0GWW will be running a special event station to celebrate
Lancashire Week, using the callsign GB0LD. The NoV runs from 20 to 27
November with the Loyal Toast being read at 9pm on the final day,
which is Lancashire Day. The station will be run from the village of
Hoghton in central Lancashire and will use all bands from 70cm to
160m. More information can be found on QRZ.com.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
VE3EY and VE3TA will be active from Saint Barthélemy between 22 and
29 November using a TO3 prefix callsign. Their operation will include
the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest on 26 and 27 November as a
Multi-Single entry. QSL via their home callsigns.
G3RWF will be active as 5X1NH from Uganda for three weeks, starting
on 23 November. He will concentrate on the low bands. QSL via his
home callsign.
A large multi-national team will be on the air from Nepal from 13 to
25 November as 9N7MD. Activity will be on all bands in SSB, CW and
RTTY. The QSL Manager is IK2VUC and logs will also be uploaded to
Logbook of the World.
Islands on the Air Award enthusiasts will have the opportunity to
work a new one this week as 7Z7AA is on the air until 25 November
from Jabal Al Lith Island in the Red Sea. The IOTA reference number
is AS-191 and QSL info is via 7Z1CQ.
Now the contest news
Tuesday 22 November sees both the 50MHz UK Activity Contest and the
SHF Activity Contest take place, both between 2000 and 2230UTC. On
50MHz, it's all modes with the exchange of signal report, serial
number and locator. For SHF it's the 2.3 to 10GHz amateur bands using
all modes and the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Thursday 24 November is the 80m Club Sprint contest from 2000 to
2130UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is serial number and name.
The CQWW DX CW Contest takes place for the whole 48 hours of 26 and
27 November. With propagation on the upper HF bands improved over
recent years, at times we can expect the CW segments of all the
contesting bands from 3.5 to 28MHz to be very busy indeed. The
exchange is signal report and CQ Zone, which is 14 for the UK.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 7th to the
13th of November, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 14th of
November
The solar disc had numerous sunspot groups visible every day, a lot
were small and quiet. There was, though, one large group that looked
capable of producing major solar flares, but all it could manage was
C class flares. Activity did increase on the 9th when an M class
flare occurred from a smaller region. Solar flux levels declined from
182 units, the highest so far for this cycle, to 155 by the 13th. The
average was 174. The 90 day solar flux average on the 13th was 135,
that's seven units up on last week. X-ray flux levels declined
slightly to end the period at B6.8 units. The average was B7.1 units.
Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day. The most disturbed day was
the 8th with an Ap index of only 6 units. On the 13th the Ap was
zero. The average was Ap 3 units. Solar wind data from the ACE
spacecraft saw solar wind speeds vary between 320 and 480 kilometres
per second. Particle densities varied between 1 and 5 particles per
cubic centimetre. With a quiet magnetic field, Bz only varied between
minus and plus 8 nanoTeslas and not even that on some days. With high
solar flux levels, low Ap figures and the right time of year, MUFs
were at their season high and were well above 30MHz every day, which
provided excellent conditions on all the HF bands to all continents.
And finally the solar forecast. This week, the quieter side of the
Sun is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity should be at
low levels, with only a small chance of activity going any higher.
This, as always, is based on previous solar rotations, but at this
stage of the sunspot cycle that can change during the two weeks it
takes to rotate across the far side of the Sun before coming back
into view again. Solar flux levels should be around the 130's.
Geomagnetic activity should be mostly quiet, however a small
disturbance could take place around midweek due to a small coronal
hole that had almost disappeared on its last rotation. MUFs during
daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 30MHz. Darkness
hour lows should be about 10MHz. 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 27MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate will be about 21MHz. The best time to try
this path will be between 1300 and 1800 hours.
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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