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G4TNU > NEWS 19.08.12 09:45l 214 Lines 10701 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 19 Aug 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 19th August 2012
The news headlines:
* Deadlines for consultations at RSGB
* Final days of 2012 International lighthouse and lightship operations
* Changes to GB2RS news readings
The deadline for comments on the Strategy and Governance proposals is
tomorrow, Monday 20 August. Members can make any final comments in
the new "Last Call" topics. The Contest Committee has started a
consultation on proposals for next year's General Contest Rules. For
access and further information on both, please follow the "We need
your Views" link on the RSGB's Home page.
More than 400 lighthouses in almost 50 countries and territories from
Argentina to Wales will be on the air again today, 19 August, for
2012 International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend. Organised by the Ayr
Amateur Radio Group, the event is in its 15th year. Stations will be
on the air until 2359UTC on the 19th.
Some changes are being made to the GB2RS news readings on 80m
affecting listeners in the South of England and Wales. Currently the
news is broadcast at 9am on both 3640 and 3650kHz. Effective in two
weeks time the 3640kHz reading at 9am will be discontinued and a
bulletin comprising of National news, plus regional items for East
Anglia, the South East, South West and Wales will go out at 9am only
on 3650kHz. The 1800hours National reading on 3650kHz will be
discontinued, because there are adequate national readings on 7MHz,
5MHz and 1.99MHz. The RSGB Members' website Broadcast Schedule is
being updated. Incorporating all the regional news in the 30-minute
time slot may put pressure on the news readers, so please show them
some forbearance. If there are some propagation weaknesses in some
areas, the VHF and UHF news schedules remain unchanged. Co-incident
with these changes, Martyn, G3RFX has stood down as a GB2RS news
reader, and he is thanked for his 17-years of dedication to the news
service.
The RSGB Convention early bird bookings have been extended to close
on 3rd September. Highlights of the programme that includes lectures
on the HK0NA DXpedition can be found on the RSGB website. For
bookings, visit www.rsgbevents.org.
The IARU Monitoring System Region 1 newsletter reports on a new burst
radio system that is affecting the amateur radio operations in the
80, 40, 20 and 15m bands. The IARU Region 1 Monitoring System
Coordinator says that the system is active every full hour at plus 1,
plus 2 and plus 3 minutes with 10.4 second bursts of 20kHz width.
Also, the signals appear to come from France. Audio frequency
analysis seems to pin this as being similar to CODAR signals.
Germany's Department of Post and Telecommunications has filed a
complaint with its French counterpart.
On 3 August the ITU updated its Table of International Callsign
Series to reflect a callsign change for Niue Island. In future,
callsigns will be issued with the prefix E6 instead of ZK2. Niue
Island has a population of about 600 and lies approximately 1700
miles northeast of New Zealand. It is a self-governing island and has
been in free association with New Zealand since 1974.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 19 August, the Rugby (Princethorpe) Annual Radio Rally takes
place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PX. Doors
open from 10am to 4pm, and admission is GBP 2. Contact Tony, G0OLS on
07759 684 411 for more details.
On Sunday 26 August the Milton Keynes ARS rally takes place at
Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB.
Doors open at 9.30am and admission is GBP 2. Parking is available on
Sherwood Drive or at the railway station. There will be trade stands
and special interest groups.
On bank holiday Monday, 27 August, Huntingdonshire ARS rally will
take place at St Neots Community College, Barford Rd, St Neots
PE19 2SH. Doors open at 10am and admission is GBP 2. There will be
trade stands, car boot area and a Bring & Buy. Contact Clive, G3NKQ
on 01480 810 473.
Now for the news of special events
South Tyneside Amateur Radio Society will be operating as GB2SJ from
Souter Lighthouse, Coast Road, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7NH today,
19th August.
Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group will be operating GN0LIX/P from
Chaine Memorial Tower in Larne, County Antrim today, 19 August, as
part of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. The
station will be active on 20m, 40m and 10m SSB, conditions
permitting. All QSL will be via the bureau.
A pair of twinned Special Event Stations, GB175PO and TM175PO, will
be running in Dover and Calais to celebrate 175 years of P&O.
Operation starts on 11 August and will be running for 30 days. Both
stations will have the opportunity to work /MM from ferries at
various times during the operation.
Kent Weald Radio Club is operating GB1HA from Friday 24 August until
Sunday 2 September. The event is part of sponsored activities being
held at the Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent, in aid of the air ambulance and
other local charities, and to demonstrate amateur radio to any
visitors. Operations will be on HF and VHF and is open to visits from
the public through to 2 September.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
IZ2WMW will be on the air stroke 9A from Krk Island until 25 August.
Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands. QSL via his home
callsign, direct or by the bureau.
Ron, DL4ME will be on holiday in Tanzania until 3 September. While
there he will operate as 5H3ME mainly on CW.
A YL expedition by Unni, LA6RHA, Chantal, PA5YL, Ruth, IT9ESZ/HB9LFM,
Nicky, MM5YLO, Elaine, 2E1BVS and Denise, MM6ZDW is operating from
Fair Isle until 22 August. GB2YLS will be on the HF bands using SSB
and CW. QSL via MM5YLO either direct or via the bureau.
Mike,DL4ABO will be on the air from Foehr Island until 25 August.
Using the callsign DL4ABO/P he will work on the HF bands in holiday
style. QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.
Mike, VK7FB and Anne, VK7BYL will be on the air from the weather
station and the lighthouse of Tasmania until 25 August. The
lighthouse is in the National Park Tasmania. They will be on the HF
bands with an IC-7000.QSL via VK7FB either direct or via the bureau.
Now the contest news
On 21 August the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place from 1900 to
2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
August is the first month of the new 80m Club Sprint series, which
continues until November. The SSB leg takes place on Thursday 23
August. The whole series is limited to 100 watts output. Running from
1900 to 2000UTC, the exchange is both callsigns, serial number and
name.
The UKµG's Cumulative Contest on Sunday 26th takes place on 5.7GHz,
10GHz and 24GHz. It's the fourth in the series, with the final taking
place next month. Running from 1000 to 1600UTC the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The IRTS 2m Counties Contest takes place the same day, with awards
for the leading non-EI station in each of the six sections of this
2-hour event. These awards often go to stations in GI, but if you
have a good takeoff across the sea to Ireland it's definitely worth a
try. Also, if you're a VHF ‘square basher' and have missing squares
in Ireland, it could be a good afternoon to work some of them.
Running from 1300 to 1500UTC using SSB and FM, the exchange is signal
report and serial number. EI and GI stations also give their county.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 10th to
Thursday the 16th of August, compiled by Neil Clarke on Friday the
17th August.
At the start of the period seven sunspot groups were visible,
however, some decayed and disappeared and others rotated out of view
but by the 15th only two groups were still visible. Solar activity
was moderate on the 11th when the only M class solar flare of the
period took place. In contrast, solar activity was very low on the
12th and the 15th and the remaining days activity was low. Solar flux
levels declined from 125 units on the 10th to 98 by the 16th. The
average was 110 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 16th was
126, that's two units down on last week. X-ray flux levels declined
from B3.6 units on the 10th to B1.7 by the 15th. The average was B2.7
units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet everyday except for the 13th
with an Ap index of 10 units due to a coronal hole disturbance and on
the 16th when the Ap index was 12 units due to a small coronal mass
ejection in association with the M1 solar flare from the 11th. The
average was Ap 7 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw
solar wind speeds increase from a slow 280 kilometres per second on
the 10th to a fast 570 kilometres per second by the 14th. Particle
densities were low everyday except for a brief increase to 30
particles per cubic centimetre during the afternoon of the 12th. On
the quiet days Bz varied between minus 3 and plus 4 nanoTeslas and
between minus a minus 6 and plus 8 nanoTeslas on the most disturbed
day. A few station at high latitudes reported a weak aurora on the
13th, 14th and the 16th on 50 and 144MHz. Occasional and patchy
sporadic-E took place on 50 and 70MHz.
And finally the solar forecast. This week solar activity is expected
to be low at first but could increase to moderate levels later in the
week as previous active regions rotate back into view. Solar flux
levels should increase and by next weekend be in the 120's or the
130's. Geomagnetic activity could be unsettled today due to a small
recurring coronal hole. Activity should then return to quiet levels
for the remainder of the week. MUFs during daylight hours at equal
latitudes should be about 23MHz for the south and 20MHz for the
north. Darkness hour lows should be around 13MHz. Paths this week to
the Middle East should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate of about 22MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate will be around 18MHz. The best time to try
this path will be between 1100 and 1600 hours. Sporadic-E should take
place on some days on the lower VHF bands.
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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