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G4TNU > NEWS 07.04.13 01:20l 275 Lines 14197 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 07 Apr 2013
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 7th April 2013
The news headlines:
* Spectrum Pressure Continues
* STRaND-1 Signal Reports Requested
* GJ100RSGB goes on air this week
The Ofcom 4G auction has now concluded and raised GBP 2.4bn. However
inexorable demand now requires further spectrum for 5Gand one of the
topics for WRC-15 is additional spectrum for mobile broadband. Ofcom
is consulting on potential bands for this, largely within the 400MHz
to 6GHz range, with a deadline of 29 April. The RSGB is liaising with
Ofcom in order to enhance their familiarity with amateur microwave
activity and protect ATV and narrowband users. The recruitment of
Noel Matthews, G8GTZ from BATC to RSGB-ETCC for ATV matters adds to
our volunteer base for the effort involved. A background article on
‘Spectrum Release' was featured in the January edition of RadCom
and is now available as a download on the RSGB band plan web page.
Dr Chris Bridges, M0GGK, from the Surrey Space Centre, has advised
that the amateur radio beacon on their STRaND-1 CubeSat became
intermittent over the Easter weekend. Both DK3WN and ST2NH have
reported that no signals have been heard since Sunday. Radio amateurs
are asked to listen for STRaND-1 over the next few days and report
any positive results, by e-mail, to C.P.Bridges<at>surrey.ac.uk.
Listen for a 9k6 bps AX.25 signal around 437.568MHz, plus or minus
the Doppler shift.
G100RSGB, the special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary
stays in Region 11 this week. GJ100RSGB will be on the air today,
Sunday 7, and Monday from Jersey with Jersey ARS running the station
from La Moye Signal Station. They are planning to use the 10m to 160m
bands as well as 2m and 70cm. On Tuesday, Dartmoor Radio Club take
over with a station running on the 80, 20, 15 and 6m bands as well as
2m and 70cm. Wednesday and Thursday is the turn of Appledore & DARC
with HF and VHF from Northam. On Friday, Poldhu ARC is running the
station from the Marconi Centre in Mullion using the 20 and 40m
bands. Next weekend, 13th and 14th, Torbay ARS are running the
callsign from Newton Abbott and plan to be on air for 24 hours on the
13th. They will have an HF station on the air running SSB, digimodes
and FM. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the website,
www.rsgb.org.uk.
The RSGB Centenary dinner will take place at Horwood House in the
evening of 5 July, the anniversary day. As well as this being a
voluntary black tie event to recreate the dinners held in the early
days of the Society, it is intended to re-create a menu based on one
of these early dinners, including a souvenir menu card. Tickets and
overnight accommodation are still available, although numbers are
limited and are selling quickly. Visit the RSGB shop for your tickets
and don't forget we are planning to re-create the early days with a
commemorative photograph.
Eddie Bennett, G3ZJO, may now hold a QRP distance record for a micro
power transmission using a Raspberry Pi microcomputer as a
transmitter. He used the 10 milliwatts of RF that can be generated
from the Raspberry Pi computer board to be heard at over 2000km on
the 7MHz band as the Pi can be made to operate as a WSPR mode
transmitter. Among the stations who received his WSPR signal on 40m
was LA9JO in JP99 at a distance of 2124km. Details of how you could
try this is available at tinyurl.com/raspberry-pi-transmitter.
OE13M is an official International Marconi Day station and will be on
the air from 0000UTC on 19 April to 2400UTC on 21 April, although
only contacts made on 20 April are valid for the IMD award. Run by
the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation and the Documentary Archives
Radio Communications /QSL Collection, you can QSL via OE1WHC. Details
are on QRZ.com.
The RSGB's Centenary AGM will take place at the IET, Savoy Place,
London on the 20th April at noon. If you are intending to attend, it
would be appreciated if you could let the RSGB know by filling in the
very short form at www.rsgb.org/attendagm.
A new 70cm beacon based upon the Next Generation Beacon platform has
come to the airwaves from Denmark. The OZ7IGY beacon on 432.471MHz
became operational on 30 March and is expected to remain very stable
in frequency as the transmitter is locked to a GPS receiver. The
transmission sequence is timed to start at 00 second sending PI4
followed by a short pause then CW ID sending callsign and locator.
It's then is in carrier only mode until next cycle begins. The beacon
joins its counterparts on 6, 4 and 2 meters operating from the same
location and running the same transmission sequence. All four use the
PI4 digital modulation system that was specifically designed to work
with beacons and propagation studies in mind. You can download the
PI-RX to decode PI4 at tinyurl.com/pirx-beacon-software.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will be held at Foxton Village
Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN today, 7 April. Doors
open at 10am and admission is GBP 2. There will be trade stands and a
Bring & Buy. More details can be obtained from M0LCM on 01223 711 840.
Also today, 7 April, the Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association
Exhibition will take place in the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre,
Blackpool FY2 9AA. Doors open at 10.30am, 10.15 for disabled visitors
and there will be trade stands, special interest groups a Bring & Buy
and an RSGB bookstall. More information from Dave, M0OBW on
01270 761 608.
Finally for today, 7 April, the South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio
Rally will be held at the Scout Activity Centre, Woodhouse Park,
Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4LX. Doors open at 10am and there will be a
Bring & Buy at this rally. More details from Mike, M1DPB, on
07806 310 095.
A WW2 Air Forces Radar Reunion will be held at Blackpool from Friday,
12 April to Monday 15 April. Operators, mechanics, filter room and
airbourne radar visitors welcome. Day visitors are also welcome. For
further details please contact Jim Ward, G0DGG, 17Valley Walk,
Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 3TA.
There are no rallies next weekend, 13 and 14 April. The West London
Radio and Electronics Show, also called the Kempton Rally, will take
place on 21 April as will the RADARS rally and surplus equipment sale
in Ripon. More details next week
Now for the news of special events
As part of its 100th anniversary events, Northampton Radio Club is
operating a special event station at a model exhibition weekend at
Windmill Primary School in Raunds, Northamptonshire today, 7 April.
As well as there being an exhibition of model boats and hovercrafts,
helicopters, aircraft and trains, Northampton Radio Club will be
operating HF, VHF, UHF and D-Star. Everyone is welcome to attend and
further information including the school address can be seen at the
clubs' website at www.nrc1913.clubbz.com.
From 9am on Friday 12 April to 5pm on 13 April, Sheffield Amateur
Radio Club will be operating as GB5SWW for Sheffield Wireless Worlds
from the Sheffield Hallam University Cantor Building in the centre of
Sheffield. The station is part of an exhibition of art and film by
Esther Johnson, a talented artist, film maker and Reader in Media at
the Hallam University. GB5SWW hopes to be active on all bands from
80m to 10m as well as D-Star and the local 70cm repeater GB3US. QSL
cards should go via the GB sub bureau or direct to G3PHO with
appropriate return postage and SAE. The exhibition features radio
memorabilia, QSL cards and two interesting films screened at
intervals throughout the period. Entry to the exhibition is free.
Cleddau ARS will be operating a special event station, GC0SYG/MM,
from on-board the Stena Europe Irish Sea ferry in memory of the 101st
Titanic remembrance weekend from 0200UTC on 13 April to 2359UTC on 14
April. The ferry will travel between Fishguard in Wales and Rosslare
in Eire and the station will operate on 40m and 20m primarily using
CW and SSB with and some PSK31. Spots will be made via clusters.
The Radio Society of Harrow will be running GX3EFX and displaying
period radio equipment at the 1940's Family Experience Weekend on 13
and 14 April at the Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey Hall Drive, WD23 2ES.
A CW only special event station, GB4RPI, will be on the air from 11
April. Operation will be on Top Band, 80m, 40m, 30m and 20m to
commemorate those who lost their lives in Trident Tragedy at Staines
in 1972. Details are on qrz.com.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
A team of 15 German operators will be active as 5W0M from Le Lagoto,
Samoa until 18 April. Operation will be on the 6 to 80m bands using
CW, SSB and RTTY plus 2m EME. They plan to have four stations active
simultaneously. QSL HF and 6m via DL4SVA, direct or by the Bureau and
EME QSOs to DL9MS.
CT1FTR is now active from the Sudan as ST2FT operating both the HF
and VHF bands using a Yaesu FT-857 and a loop antenna. QSL via CT1FTR.
Paul, 2E1EUB will be operational as 2M1EUB from the eastern side of
Scotland in the Cairngorms National Park until 13 April. Activity
will be on 160, 80, and several satellites as well as 2m SSB. Check
out QRZ.com under 2M1EUB for more information.
Rob N7QT will be on the air from St Lucia in the Caribbean until 16
April. Using the callsign J6/N7QT with battery power and lightweight
antennas.
Chris, GM3WOJ and Keith, GM4YXI are operating as VK9CZ on Cocos
Keeling until 13 April. They are active on all bands from 10 to 160m
using SSB, CW and some RTTY. QSL manager is N3SL and logs will be
uploaded to Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
The SSB leg of RoPoCo takes place on the 80m band today, 7 April,
from 1900 to 2030UTC. Both RoPoCos are HF Championship events, with
the maximum output power limited to 100 watts. The exchange is signal
report and the full postcode received.
In the 3-hour 1st 70MHz contest taking place from 0900 to 1200UTC
today, 7 April, there are no multipliers. It's a straight race to
accumulate as many kilometres worked as possible. The exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The CW/SSB leg of the SPDX Contest runs for 24 hours until 1500
today, 7 April. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands. Work Polish stations
only, giving them a signal report and serial number. Expect a signal
report and a single-letter province code in return.
9 April sees the 432MHz UK Activity Contest take place from 1900 to
2130UTC. Using all mode the exchange is signal report, serial number
and locator.
The SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships takes place on 10 April
from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is the usual signal report and
serial number.
The EU Spring Sprint takes place on 13 April from 1600 to 2000UTC
using the 3.5 to 14MHz bands. You should exchange callsigns, serial
number and name. There's no need to exchange a signal report.
The First 50MHz Contest is on Sunday 14th. This event has multipliers
for countries, Postcodes and locator squares, which means continually
turning the beam and searching for new multipliers if you want to be
successful. Running from 0900 to 1200UTC and using all modes the
exchange is signal; report, serial number, locator and postcode.
Now the solar report for the period from Friday March 29th to
Thursday the 4th of April, compiled by Martin Harrison, G3USF, on
Friday April 5th.
Solar activity was again very low. During the entire period only four
small C-class flares were reported and these had no impact on
propagation. The solar flux level rose from 105 on the 39th to 129
on the 4th to average 116 over the week – an increase of 20 points
on the previous week. However, the 90-day average dropped one point
to 114. The X-ray flux rose steadily to average B2.6. The weel began
with the geomagnetic field was at minor storm level. This was the
result of a high-speed coronal wind stream that sent the Ap index for
the 29th to reach 23 units. That was enough to trigger bright Arctic
auroras and radio auroras at 50 and 144MHz lasting several hours on
the afternoon an early evening of the 29th. But, as so often happens,
these were almost wholly restricted to stations at high latitudes.
HF propagation was below par for much of the day as a result. The
disturbance died down during the 30th and, for the rest of the period
geomagnetic activity stayed low, with the daily Ap in single figures.
Solar wind speeds recorded by the ACE spacecraft reached 540km/second
during the disturbance on the 29th, then declined to 274km/second on
the 3rd of April. Particle densities were generally low. Bz –
that's the interplanetary magnetic field - varied between plus and
minus 4 nanoTeslas on quiet days and between minus 10 and plus 8
nanoTeslas during the disturbed days.
Now the forecast for the coming week. Solar activity is expected to
remain low or very low, with only occasional flares, mostly of modest
C-class dimensions. There are no indications of any highly active
areas currently on the far side of the Sun rotating into view. Solar
flux levels appear likely to fall back from the level of recent days
but are expected to remain above the 100mark. Geomagnetic activity
should stay low. MUFs at equal latitudes will be around 24MHz in the
south and 21MHz in the north. Darkness lows will stay in the region
of 10MHz. Paths to Japan should have a maximum usable frequency of
about 25MHz, where there should be a 50 per cent chance of a contact.
There should be a 90 per cent success rate at the Optimum Working
Frequency of 20MHz. The path should be its best between 1000 and
1300UTC.
And that's all for another 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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