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G4TNU > NEWS 11.03.12 03:04l 227 Lines 11709 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 11 Mar 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 11th March 2012
The news headlines:
* RSGB Olympics Facilitator appointed
* News on RSGB Consultations
* American hams get CW on 60m
The RSGB has announced that Steve Fletcher, G4RFC, has agreed to
become the RSGB's Olympic Facilitator. Steve will be drawing together
all the information on radio amateur special events associated with
the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Steve wants to hear about your
plans so the RSGB website can show who is doing what, when and where.
The Games are a once off opportunity to demonstrate amateur radio and
at the same time have some fun. Steve can be reached at
g4rfcinfo<at>yahoo.co.uk.
The pilots for the recently introduced consultation processes are now
reaching their conclusion. The Litmus Test on proposals for a Queen's
Diamond Jubilee QSO Party will be offering an amended version to
reflect the consensus that is emerging. The amended proposal will be
available on the RSGB website from Monday 12 March, and the Litmus
Test will remain open for final comments. All are reminded that the
Litmus Test on proposals for a new 5MHz NoV and the consultation on
the Society's draft Spectrum Strategy are also ongoing. All
consultations can be reached by following the "We need your views"
link on the RSGB website home page.
On 5 March, radio amateurs in the USA were allowed to use CW on 60
metres for the first time. G4BUE, operating as N4CJ, and G3VTT
believe they made the first 60 metre CW QSO between the USA and
Europe. At 0501UTC on 5 March, just one minute after USA amateurs
were allowed to use CW on the five 60m channels for the first time at
0001EST, Colin answered Chris' CQ on 5373kHz. They exchanged 549 and
339, later changing it to 569 as QSB took effect. They also exchanged
details that Chris was using 100 watts from his K3 to an inverted vee
at 35 feet and Colin was using 50 watts from an IC-735 to a 120 foot
end-fed wire. A good result for the first EU-USA 60m CW QSO.
The RSGB was surprised to learn, on Friday 9 March, that a number of
amateurs have received a letter telling them that they would be
unable to renew their amateur radio insurance policy after 31 March.
The Society had been in discussions with Bluefin, also known as
Amateur Radio Insurance Services, as recently as 17 February about a
new insurance underwriter taking on the policies. Bluefin have now
advised the RSGB that this deal had fallen through, which is why they
have been forced to advise their clients of the situation. The RSGB
is exploring possible alternative arrangements, and hopes to be able
to make further announcements before the 31 March cutoff.
Everyone, whether you are Irish or not, is invited to a party on St
Patrick's Day. The Irish national society, the IRTS is celebrating
its 80th birthday and, as part of the fun, have organised a 24 hour
contest that begins at noon UTC on St Patrick's Day, 17 March. This
is an everybody works everybody contest .Full rules, including a list
of Irish counties, are available on the IRTS website,
www.irts.ie/CQIR.
The IARU Region 1 Executive Committee is holding its annual meeting
this weekend at the DARC HQ in Baunatal, Germany. The agenda will
include outstanding actions from the 2011 General Conference, WRC-12
and WRC-15, spectrum defence, EMC, Youth, Political Relations,
Development, Working Groups and Member Societies.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Wythall Radio Club Radio and Computer Rally takes place today, 11
March, at the Woodrush Sports Centre, Shawhurst Lane, Hollywood, nr
Birmingham B47 5JW. The venue is on the A435, 2 miles from J3 of the
M42. There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy, with admission
costing GBP 2.50. Contact Chris, G0EYO on 07710 412 819.
The next rallies we have information on take place on 25 March.
The Spring Militaria & Electronics & Radio Amateur Hangar Sale will
he held at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire,
CW5 8AL. Doors open at 10am and there will be, civil, military &
vintage radio equipment, vehicle spares & more. Contact Rod Siebert,
01270 623 353.
The Devon & Cornwall HAMFEST takes place the same date, 25 March, at
The Engine House, Compton Park, Callington PL17 8EA. There will be
trade stands and special interest groups. Compton Park is a peaceful,
simple unspoilt site formerly the site of an old Cornish tin mine,
with the old Cornish steam engine house and the Engine House Tea
Rooms. More information from Dereck, M0YDW, via e-mail to
disco5live<at>btinternet.com.
Now for the news of special events
Two special event stations are taking to the air for St Patrick's
Day, 17 March. GB5SPD will be on the air from County Tyrone and
GB1SPD will be on the air in Omagh. More details on both stations can
be found on qrz.com.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
V5/GI4FUM, V5/GI8MIV, V5/GI4DOH and V5/DM3BJ will be operating from
Namibia from the QTH of Andre, V51B starting on 19 March. The team
will be QRV for CQWW WPX SSB on 24 and 25 March with the callsign
V55B. All QSLs for the operation should go via David, GI4FUM, who is
QTHR.
A large group from Germany and Poland plan to be active from the
Pacific island of Tonga until 24 March. Callsign is A35YZ and QSL
manager is DL7DF.
Willy, ON4AVT will be active as C5AVT from near Banjul, The Gambia
until 20 March. He will operate PSK only, mainly on 15 metres. QSL
via home call, direct or bureau.
John, W5JON will be active as V47JA from St. Kitts, which is IOTA
reference NA-104, until 28 March. He will operate SSB on the 6 to 80m
bands. His wife Cathy will also operate occasionally as V47HAM. All
QSLs via W5JON.
LA2XNA and LA8HGA plan to be active from Svalbard as JW2XNA and
JW8HGA respectively from 16 to 20 March, all bands. JW2XNA will be on
SSB and PSK, while JW8HGA will be on CW. QSL via their home calls
either direct or via the LA QSL bureau.
Now the contest news
The 432MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 13 March from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on the band, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
The following day, 14 March, the CW leg of the 80m club championships
takes place from 2000 to 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and
serial number.
You will need to be up very early if you want to catch the start of
the BARTG HF RTTY Contest at 2am on 17 March. It runs for 48 hours
until 0200UTC on 19 March. Exchange signal report, a serial number
and the time. Please note that although this event is not run or
administered by RSGB, it does count towards the HF Championship.
You can also be Irish for the day by taking part in the CQIR Ireland
Calling event, commemorating the 80th anniversary of IRTS. SSB QSOs
are worth 2 points, while CW QSOs are worth 3. It runs from 1200UTC
on 17 March until 1200UTC on 18 March, using both CW and SSB on all
bands from 3.5MHz to 28MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and Irish county.
Starting at exactly the same time as the IRTS event is the Russian DX
Contest, which runs until 1200 on 18 March. There are lots of entry
categories, mostly for single ops. An interesting twist is that it is
permitted for a single op station to make two single-band entries.
Usually this would be to take advantage of bands that aren't open at
the same time, for example 10m and 80m. Using CW and SSB on the 1.8
to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Russians also send their oblast code.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 2nd to
the 8th of March, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday the 9th of
March.
Warnings were made as recently as last week in this report regarding
a sudden upsurge in solar activity. Well, this happened when a large
active sunspot region rotated into view. Since then this region as
produced 12 M class and 2 X class solar flares during the period,
plus numerous C class flares every day. A second group also produced
an X class flare. The largest flare of the period was an X5/3B proton
flare, which took place early on the 7th. Since then activity has
declined. Coronal mass ejections took place along with some of the
larger solar flares and are headed our way. Solar flux levels
increased from 108 units on the 2nd to 140 by the 7th. The average
was 127 units. X-ray flux levels showed an increase also, from B2.6
units on the 3rd to C1.1 by the 7th. The average was B6.6 units.
Geomagnetic activity started at just unsettled levels but by the
early hours of the 7th activity increased to major storm levels,
though activity did not last long at that level. The Ap index on the
7th was 64 units. Again, by mid-morning the next day another CME
arrived, this time stronger than the previous day. The Ap index on
the 8th was 28 units. However, the Bz remained mostly positive, which
explains the lower Ap figure for that day. The average was Ap 20
units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds
vary between 350 and 500 kilometres per second until the early on the
7th. Particle densities were low but increased on the 7th to 22
particles per cubic centimetre. From around 0900 on the 7th solar
wind speed and particle data was corrupted due to the proton solar
flare several hours earlier. Bz varied between minus 8 and plus 9
nanoTeslas until the 7th when fluctuations to minus 19 and plus 14
nanoTeslas on the 7th and between minus 13 and plus 41 nanoTeslas
during the morning of the 8th. Bz data remained unaffected from the
protons. For anyone wanting regular daily reports, then enter spots
and flares as one word into a search engine. Aurora occurred on 50,
70 and 144MHz extending down to central England during the afternoon
and evening of the 7th. MUFs were depressed by several MHz during
that phase of the disturbance but recovered enough during the 8th for
the 3C expedition to be workable on 28MHz.
And finally the solar forecast. With a very active region already in
view solar activity this week is expected to up to moderate levels on
some days and high levels on the occasional day. Solar flux levels
should decline towards next weekend as the active region nears the
north-west limb and rotates out of view. Levels should be around the
120's by then. Geomagnetic activity could increase around midweek
when a small recurring coronal hole disturbance arrives. However,
there is a good chance that a coronal mass ejection associated with
any large solar flares could increase activity substantially within
24 to 48 hours after a large solar flares takes place. MUFs during
daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 27MHz for the
south and 24MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows should be around
9MHz. A warning though, levels could be much lower on any days when
high geomagnetic activity is taking place. Paths this week to Japan
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 0800 and 1100 hours. This path should be difficult to
work this week.
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 Thursday before transmission.
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