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G4TNU > NEWS 26.08.12 02:08l 273 Lines 13999 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 26 Aug 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 26th August 2012
The news headlines:
* RSGB sticks to its views on EMC Directive
* Has 2O12L broken a world record?
* RSGB Convention bookings and programme details
Members may have seen recent press commentary about the RSGB's
position on the proposed European powerline telecommunications
standard. Whilst protecting to a large extent the amateur HF bands,
this standard, if approved, would legalise high levels of wideband
emissions elsewhere in the HF spectrum, in direct contravention of
the European EMC Directive. The European Commission's own EM
Consultant supports the RSGB view that the Standard would not comply
with European Law.
Sadly the International Amateur Radio Union has taken the view that
support for the standard represents protection for the amateur bands
The RSGB has concerns that this is a narrow view, and that setting
aside the requirements of the EMC Directive is not only improper, but
bodes ill for the future protection of the Spectrum and for the
integrity of the standardisation process.
The RSGB position is now being challenged by the Chair of the CENELEC
Committee charged with developing the standard, who argues that there
is no current standard. This is simply not the case, as the
Commission itself has confirmed that the exiting CISPR22 standard
applies to PLA devices. That it fails to allow the high emission
levels which PLT manufacturers say they need is the real issue. You
can read more at www.rsgb.org/pla
The team at 2O12L, the special event station for the London Olympic
and Paralympic Games, believe that they have now broken the world
record for the number of contacts by a Special Event Station. It is
believed the record was made by DQ2006X during the 2006 World Cup,
their total made between 13 May and 16 July 2006 was 47,790 contacts.
At 2142UTC on 21 August, 2O12L made contact number 47,791. The team
would like to thank the thousands who have joined the pile-ups to
contact 2O12L and now they look forward to hitting their overall
target of 60,000 QSOs. 2O12L goes QRT on 9 September after the
Paralympic Games' closing ceremony so there is plenty of time to work
the station or get more band-slots.
The RSGB Convention early bird bookings have been extended to close
on 3rd September. Highlights of the programme includes lectures on
the HK0NA DXpedition, T32C on Christmas island, Peter Hart, G3SJX on
HF transceivers and Ian White, GM3SEK on ways to make your station
better amongst many more. Details can be found on the RSGB website.
For bookings, visit www.rsgbevents.org.
Following the success of the Worked All Britain's Follow The Torch
event, the group would like to remind potential claimants that claims
for the award must be received by the Awards Manager, Darran
Chappell, G0BWB by 31 August. Claims may be made via the post, or via
email and payment made via PayPal. Full details are on the website
www.worked-all-britain.co.uk.
Further to our announcement last week concerning those who listen to
GB2RS at 0900 hours on 80 metres. This is to confirm that the reading
on 3640kHz is being discontinued after today. Next Sunday, 2
September, and thereafter, there will be one 0900 hours reading for
listeners in the South of England covering East Anglia across to the
South West and also Wales. The 1800 hours National bulletin on
3650kHz will also be discontinued. An update of the GB2RS Broadcast
schedule can now be found in the Members' Area of the RSGB website.
Sad news now as we learned that QST Managing Editor Joel Kleinman,
N1BKE, died in a house fire on Saturday, 18 August. Our thoughts are
with his family, friends and many colleagues at the ARRL during this
difficult time.
Finally, next weekend, 1 and 2 September is the ever-popular RSGB SSB
Field Day. Participants have 24 hours in which to make as many QSOs
as possible, taking in as many countries as they can. There are Open
and Restricted categories, with antenna arrangements for the latter
now the same as they are for CW NFD. Good luck to all participants.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 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.
Tomorrow, on 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.
Telford & District ARS will be holding their Amateur Radio Hamfest at
Enginuity, Coalbrookdale, Telford, next Sunday, 2 September. Doors
open at 10.30am and admission is GBP 3 with accompanied children
free. There will be new and second hand radio equipment, antennas and
parts as well as a Bring and Buy. Refreshments will be available on
site and there are two pubs nearby. Rally goers can obtain reduced
admission to the Enginuity Museum for a real hands-on experience.
There will be a special illustrated talk at 11.30am on Light
Communications, be seated early as space is limited. For more
information, speak to Martyn on 01952 255 416.
Now for the news of special events
Kent Weald Radio Club is operating GB1HA 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.
GB1SKC will be on the air for Churches and chapels On The Air,
organised by WACRAL, on Saturday 8 September.
Hinckley Amateur Radio Electronics Society will be running a special
event station at the Shackerstone Family Festival on 1 and 2
September. Directions for this event are on
www.shackerstonefestival.co.uk/, with the nearest postcode being
CV13 6NB. Any club or individual is welcome to attend and operate and
any help with the running of these events setting up etc would be
gratefully received. Contact is Vinny, M0TAV on 07947 330 700.
On Saturday 1 September, Ballymena Amateur Radio Club will be running
a special event station, GB150WCB, in conjunction with 150 years of
West Church, Ballymena. They will be on the air between noon and 5pm
on VHF and HF. A special QSL card will be available via the bureau.
Visitors will be very welcome, come and join in the celebrations.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
CT1FJZ is expected to be working in Angola for one year. Look for him
to be active as D2FJZ, mainly on the weekends and limited times
during the weekdays. Activity will be on 10 through to 80 meters SSB.
QSL to his home callsign, by the bureau or direct.
A special event station with the callsign SU30ASR will be on the air
from Alexandria in Egypt until 2 September. QSLs go via SM5AQD.
Paul, ZD9KN, will be on the air using SSB only on 10 through to 160m
from Gough Island using an FT-2000 and dipoles until 31 September.
The log will be uploaded to the Logbook of The World within one year.
QSL direct via IZ0UIM.
Kevin, KL7/KJ4OAP, Nathaniel, KL7/W2NAF and Ethan, KL7/K8GU plan to
become active on 6 through to 40m from Adak Island until 12
September. QSLs via homecalls.
Now the contest news
The UK Microwave Group's Cumulative Contest takes place today, Sunday
26th, on the 5.7GHz, 10GHz and 24GHz bands. 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 also takes place today, the 26th, 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. Like most contests, the goal is to work as many stations as
possible (in this case CW stations only). Each station may be worked
once per band.
The 50MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 28 August between 1900
and 2100UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
Also on 28 August at 1900 to 2130UTC, the SHF Activity Contest takes
place. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
Next weekend, 1 and 2 September, it's the RSGB SSB Field Day from
1300 to 1300UTC. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal
report and serial number.
The 144MHz Trophy Contest takes place for 24 hours on the 1st and
2nd., from 1400 to 1400UTC. It is hotly contested in the Open
category, but there are four other categories and three of them are
for single ops, so there are opportunities for all to strive to do
well. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Overlapping the last three hours of the 144MHz Trophy Contest, and
then continuing for one hour on its own, the fifth and final 144MHz
Backpacker contest takes place on Sunday 2nd. In the Backpackers
there are two permitted power levels, 3W and 10W. The exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
As we enter the autumn there are lots of international contests, the
first being the All Asian DX SSB that takes place for the entire 48
hours of the 1st and 2nd. The exchange in this event is quite
different to the exchange in SSB Field Day with which it coincides,
so it can be handy for those teams taking part in SSB Field Day to
have a suitable exchange at hand, perhaps the average age of those
present to give to All Asian participants. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz
bands the exchange is signal report and age, although ladies are
allowed to give 00.
The IARU 144MHz Contest takes place at exactly the same time as the
RSGB 144MHz Trophy, 1400 to 1400UTC. The exchange in these two
contests are the same and all those who submit a log for the RSGB
event will be automatically entered for the IARU event, unless they
specify otherwise.
The CW Open is a new event run by the American-based CW Operators'
Club. On the weekend of 1st – 2nd it consists of three 4-hour
sessions, spread over the course of twenty hours. The sessions are
adjudicated separately, so you don't have to enter all three, you can
work the same stations in each session and you can work singly or as
a member of a team. For more information, and full rules, go to
www.cwops.org/cwopen.html.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 17th to
Thursday the 23rd of August, compiled by Neil Clarke on Friday the
24th August.
The period started with three visible sunspot groups. A new group
approaching the north-east solar limb produced six M class solar
flares on the 17th and the 18th when solar activity was at moderate
levels. By the 18th this group had rotated into view but by then
solar flares had stopped taking place. Solar activity declined to
very low levels for the remainder of the week. Solar flux levels
varied little day to day and the average was 96 units. The 90 day
solar flux average on the 23rd was 124 units, that's two units down
on last week. X-ray flux levels averaged B2 units. Geomagnetic
activity started at unsettled levels due to a recurring coronal hole
but by the 21st activity declined to quiet levels. The most disturbed
days were the 18th and the 20th with an Ap index of 13 units on both
days. The average was Ap 10 units. Solar wind data from the ACE
spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 340 kilometres per
second on the 18th to 620 by the morning of the 20th. Speeds then
returned to around 350 kilometres per second by the 22nd. Particle
densities were low except for a brief increase to 20 particles per
cubic centimetre late on the 18th and early on the 19th. Bz varied
between minus 12 and plus 13 nanoTeslas during the disturbance and
between minus 3 and plus 2 nanoTeslas on the quietest day.
And finally the solar forecast. This week the active side of the Sun
is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity may not be as high
as the last rotation but activity could still increase to moderate
levels on some days. Solar flux levels should increase and be in the
120's later in the week. Geomagnetic activity could be ‘unsettled'
today but activity should then decline to quiet levels for the
remainder of the week. An Earth directed coronal mass ejection is
unlikely this week. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes
should be around 23MHz for the south and 20MHz for the north.
Darkness hour lows should be about 12MHz. Paths this week to
Australia should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent
success rate will be around 25MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate of about 20MHz. The best time to try this
path will be between the hours of 0800 and 1100. With the summer
Sporadic-E season coming to an end soon openings will become less
frequent now but are still possible 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 Thursday before transmission.
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