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G4TNU > NEWS 15.04.12 01:05l 252 Lines 12967 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 15 Apr 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 15th April 2012
The news headlines:
* Amateur band restrictions during the Olympic & Paralympics Games
* World Amateur Radio Day
* Volunteer for the Training and Education Committee
The RSGB attended a meeting on 5 April at Ofcom for a briefing on
Ofcom's spectrum management proposals for the amateur services for
the period 28 June to 23 September 2012. The proposals have yet to
receive final drafting revision and approval within Ofcom, before
publication on their website. The Society will augment this publicity
to help ensure that members are aware of the limitations and the
importance of restricting our operating during the Olympic period.
Unfortunately, some of the current draft became more widely
circulated than was intended during the process of internal
consultation. It contains some information that may not be included
in the final version. Members are asked to await the formal
announcement from Ofcom. The Society will be preparing full coverage
of the restrictions that cover 70cm and the two lower microwave
bands. This will include the concessions, still being worked upon,
for contests during this period.
On 18 April it is World Amateur Radio Day and also the 87th
anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union.
This year's theme for the World Amateur Radio Day is Amateur Radio
Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space, in remembrance the
launches of OSCAR 1 in December 1961 and OSCAR 2 in June 1962. There
will be several special event stations from IARU Member Societies
active on different dates during April including 6H6IARU, 3G73IARU
and LZ1WARD. The Portuguese national society will have CR6IARU on the
air until 19 April, QSL via CT1REP. The Polish national Society is
running an award for World Amateur Radio Day, details can be found at
http://suchacz.eu/articles.php?article_id=42.
RSGB Members will by now have seen the announcement about the new
Training & Education Committee and the appointment of Steve Hartley,
G0FUW, as Chair. Steve now needs to recruit a committee to be Chair
of and is seeking volunteers. If you feel you have something to offer
and are willing to spend some time on moving things forward, please
contact Steve with a brief note about yourself, what you feel you can
add to the mix and any specific aspect of the new committee you would
be particularly interested in. You can e-mail Steve via
hartley_steve<at>hotmail.com. There are a number of projects on the
'to do' list so please do not be shy in putting your hand up. Without
wishing to exclude anyone, Steve would be especially interested to
see younger members, female members and those from ethnic groups
coming forward to represent the Society as a whole.
Since the start of April, prior to a full allocation, Canadian
amateurs have been invited by their regulator to apply for a special
interim developmental licence for 5MHz under the VX9 callsign series.
The channels and conditions are identical to the current USA 60m
allocation. Following discussions, the regulator will publish a
consultation document for radio amateurs in the official Canada
Gazette. At the successful conclusion of this consultation period the
current 60m allocation will be made generally available as part of
the requisite Canadian amateur radio licences. In the meantime, the
offer of an interim special developmental licence is meant to provide
for early access to the 60m channels available. The first to receive
one of these licences was Russ Hemphill, VE3FI, who was issued with
the call VX9GHD.
Belgium's national society, UBA, reports on plans to allow Belgian
Foundation licence holders to run 50W on the HF bands instead of the
current 10W. Belgian Foundation holders are currently permitted 50W
only on 144 and 430MHz. UBA says via its website that taking into
account the so called 3dB rule, which would permit the use of a
standard 100 watt transceiver. The full proposal in electronically
translated English is online at tinyurl.com/Belgium50wFoundation.
The RSGB AGM will take place on 21 April at the Swan Hotel, Bedford.
Full details are in the April RadCom. The hotel would like some
indication of the numbers who will be having lunch on the day of the
AGM. Lunch will be soup and a sandwich and will cost GBP 8. To
register your intent, please visit www.rsgb.org/agmlunch and submit
your name and callsign.
A new online Software Defined Radio located in Sweden and set for
reception of the amateur radio 75, 60, 40 and 20m bands is now
available via the internet. Located in the city of Mora and
maintained by SM4JLX, the system is made up of three Soft66lite
receivers and a bandpass filter. You need both Java and JavaScript
enabled for the WebSDR to work properly. You can hear it online at
tinyurl.com/sweden-sdr.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 15 April, the 50th NARSA Blackpool rally will take place the
Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. There will be
trade stands, a Bring & Buy as well as special interest groups and a
RSGB book stand. Doors open at 10.30am. More details can be obtained
from Dave, M0OBW on 01270 761 608.
Also today, 15 April, the Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will be held
at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton. Doors open at 10am and
admission is GBP 2. There will be trade stands and a Bring & Buy.
Details from Lawrence, M0CLM on 01223 711 840.
The 28th Yeovil QRP Convention takes place on 22 April in Digby Hall,
Hound Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA, which adjoins the central
shopping car park. Doors open 9.30am and there will trades stands, a
Bring & Buy as well as a lecture programme. Contact Derek, M0WOB on
01935 414 452 for more details.
On 22 April the West London Radio & Electronics Show will take place
at Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury on Thames,
Middlesex TW16 5AQ. There is free car parking and doors open at 10am.
There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and special interest
groups. Details from Paul, M0CJX on 08451 650 351.
The Radio Security Service Reunion will take place at Bletchley Park
on 22 April. Starting at 11am, all are welcome to this event
commemorating the 1,500+ radio amateurs who monitored German signals
in WWII. There will be lectures and a vintage equipment exhibition.
The National Radio Centre is also open for visitors until 4pm.
Now for the news of special events
Today, 15 April, is the final day of operation for many stations
commemorating the centenary of the loss of RMS Titanic in 1912. A
list of the stations we have heard about is on the RSGB website.
On 18 April the Polish National Society will put HF87WARD on the air
for World Amateur Radio Day. QSL via eQSL.cc and WFF LogSerach. For
those who want to send card direct, please send a SASE to Polish Club
Flora & Fauna, Suchacz, Wielmozy 5b, 82-340 Tolkmicko, Poland.
International Marconi Day takes place on 21 April. Details of the
many stations taking part can be found at www.gb4ind.com.
North Cork Radio Group will be activating Mizen Head Visitors Centre
for Marconi weekend. The callsign, EI0IMD, will be on the air from 20
to 22 April.
Oxford and District Amateur Radio Society will be operating from the
Museum of the History of Science in the centre of Oxford with the
call sign GB4MHS on 21 April. The museum is the home of the Marconi
Collection of his original experimental and production wireless
equipment. Other events during the day include a talk by Brian Hawes,
G2KQ, on Wireless at the time of the Titanic, sending Morse code and
an auction of Marconi memorabilia. For details and times see
www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/events.
Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society will be at Sandford Mill for
International Marconi Day on 21 April from 10am to 5pm.
Ripon and District ARS are organising the first Inns and Pubs on the
Air weekend. Using GB2TH they will be operating from the base of the
Tan Hill Inn on 21 and 22 April. The location is the highest licensed
premises in Great Britain at 1732 feet ASL. If you have a local
licensed meeting place that has a history attached to it and would
like to operate for the weekend then please email
ipa<at>waylock.co.uk.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Alan, VK4WR and Graeme, VK4FI will be active as E51BKM and E51GMH
respectively from Aitutaki, South Cook Islands until 27 April. They
will operate CW and SSB, mainly on 6 to 40m. QSL via their home
callsigns, direct only.
Wim, ON4CIT and Paul, ON4BEC will be active as TO3X from St
Barthelemy, IOTA reference NA-146, from 16 to 30 April. They will be
using 6 to 40m, mainly SSB and RTTY with some CW. QSL via ON4CIT,
direct or via the bureau, and Logbook of The World.
Members of the Macclesfield and District Radio Society will be active
as GS4MWS/Pp from Colonsay, IOTA reference EU-008, from 15 to 21
April. QSL via M0PAI.
Now the contest news
The First 50MHz contest takes place from 0900 to 1200UTC today, 22
April. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number,
locator and postcode.
On Tuesday 17 April the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place from
1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
The data leg of the 80m club championships takes place on 19 April
from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
The SSB leg of the EU Sprint Contest takes place on Saturday 21 April
from 1600 to 2000UTC. Using the 3.5 to 14MHz bands, the exchange is
both callsigns, serial number and name.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 6th of
April to Thursday the 12th, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday
the 13th of April.
Most days only saw two small visible sunspot groups and with it solar
activity was mostly at very low levels. On the 6th, 7th and the 9th
activity did just manage to increase to low levels, when a small C
class solar flare took place on those days. Solar flux levels
declined from 99 units on the 7th to 93 units later in the period.
The average was 95 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 12th
was 114 units. That's three units down on last week. It's hard to
believe that at the start of the year the level was at 145 units.
X-ray flux levels showed little variation day to day and averaged
B1.3 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day except for a
small disturbance on the 7th this was due to a sustained period of
the Bz remaining southward. During the evening of the 12th when a
coronal hole disturbance arrived. The Ap index was 14 units on the
7th and 12th and in single figures on the remaining days. The average
was Ap 7 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar
wind speeds vary between 290 and 380 kilometres per second but during
the 12th speeds increased to around 610 kilometres per second,
heralding the start of coronal hole disturbance. Particle densities
were low every day except for a brief increase to 31 particles per
cubic centimetre during the 11th. Bz varied between minus and plus 3
nanoTeslas on the quiet days and between minus 8 and plus 7
nanoTeslas on the 7th. MUFs tended to be a shade down on predicted
values on most days. The Lyrids meteor shower will be active from the
16th, peaking shortly after dawn on the 22nd. Normally, the second
half of April sees the start of the summer sporadic-E season for the
northern hemisphere. Therefore, occasional openings could take place
during the coming week.
And finally, the solar forecast. This week, solar activity looks set
for another quiet week with solar activity at very low to low levels.
There is though a slight chance that activity could increase later in
the week. Solar flux levels are expected to be slightly below the 100
mark but could rise towards next weekend. The effects of a coronal
hole disturbance should have just passed and for most of the coming
week geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly quiet. MUFs during
daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 24MHz for the
south and 21MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows should be about
19MHz. Paths this week to India should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 23MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be
about 18MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 1100 and
1600 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 Thursday before transmission.
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