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G4TNU > NEWS 19.07.20 12:03l 205 Lines 10043 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 19 Jul 2020
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 19th of July 2020
The news headlines:
* Over 1000 online exams passed
* Ofcom publishes EMF consultation responses
* Covid-19 cancels National Hamfest
The RSGB is delighted to announce that recently the 1,000th person
has passed the Foundation exam via remote invigilation.
Congratulations to them and everyone else who has joined amateur
radio via this exam process. To celebrate, the Society has launched a
new web page to share the stories of just some of these successful
candidates. Go to www.rsgb.org/gota2c-licensee-stories to read what
attracted them to amateur radio and what they are hoping to do next.
Ofcom has published the responses to the EMF consultation on their
website. A link can be found on the RSGB's EMF webpage at
http://rsgb.org/emf. The RSGB would like to thank the 255 of you who
took the time to respond either individually or on behalf of your
organisation. The majority of all responders were against the
proposals. Now that ICNIRP guidelines 2020 have been published, the
RSGB is preparing updated guidelines and advice as to how to operate
your stations within these guidelines. These will be published on the
EMC pages of the website later this year. This guidance is being
prepared by a group of experts from the amateur community including
the editors of the IEEE Standard for Safety Levels for Human Exposure
to EMF fields.
It is with much regret that the organisers of the National Hamfest
have cancelled the 2020 event. This was due to be held on Friday the
25th and Saturday the 26th of September. In consideration of their
primary responsibilities to the health and welfare of volunteers,
traders and visitors they have decided that this cancellation is the
right decision. The environment in which the event is held presents
unique and very difficult challenges in protecting social distancing,
preventing handling of equipment and controlling numbers in a
confined area. Arrangements are in hand for returning to the Newark
Showground on the 24th and the 25th of September 2021 and they look
forward to seeing you there.
Registrations for this year's popular International Lighthouse
Lightship Weekend appear to have been largely unaffected by the
current Covid-19 pandemic. The event will take place this year on the
22nd and 23rd of August. By mid-July, more than 200 entries had been
received. New this year is Corsica, registered as lighthouse FR0030,
and two lighthouses in Ghana will be on the air for the first time.
All participants are urged to observe local COVID-19 safety
guidelines. Find out more at https://illw.net.
The Reverse Beacon Network will gain 15 new nodes, thanks to the
Yasme Foundation. These will be added in regions where there is a
need for reception reports to support amateur radio operation and
where those reports will also have scientific value for geophysical
research. The Yasme Foundation was assisted in this effort by
supporting grants from Amateur Radio Digital Communications and by
scientific advice from HamSCI researchers. Node locations will be
available after a final list of hosts is available.
Despite the closure of many amateur radio events, you can still visit
the online QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo on the 8th and 9th of August.
Attendance is free and registration is now open. There will be around
70 speakers over the weekend including Ward Silver, N0AX speaking on
Grounding and Bonding; Glen Johnson, W0GJ talking DXpeditions and
John Portune, W6NBC on building slot antennas. Go to
www.qsotodayhamexpo.com to learn more and register.
Now the special event news
Since the change of regulations applying to special event stations in
the UK, many activations are now able to go ahead. UK amateurs would
like to thank Ofcom for their help in making this happen.
To commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the FT8 Digital Mode Club,
special event stations will be on air during the FT8DMC Activity Days
until the 31st of July. All stations will bear the FTDMC or FTDM
suffix. An FTDMC Anniversary Award can be earned by working the FTDMC
and FTDM stations and collecting points applicable for various award
classes. See www.ft8dmc.eu for more details.
And now the DX news
Joe, K5KUA will participate in the IOTA Contest next weekend from his
home QTH on Galveston Island, NA-143. He will operate mainly CW with
some SSB. QSL direct or bureau and Logbook of The World.
Now the contest news
Please remember to check before the events for new rules due to
lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world.
The RSGB strongly advises obeying your own government's advice first
and foremost.
Today, the 19th, the Low Power Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC.
This is CW only on the 3.5 to 14MHz contest bands, with an exchange
of signal report, serial number and power. This is the only RSGB
contest with a lunch break, so please check the rules.
The 70MHz Trophy contest also takes place today, the 19th. It runs
from 1000 to 1600UTC. It's all mode and the exchange is signal
report, serial number, locator and postcode.
On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Thursday it is the data leg of the 80m Club Championships between
1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to
1800UTC. Using all modes in the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
The RSGB's Islands On The Air contest takes place over the weekend of
the 25th and 26th of July. The exchange is signal report, serial
number and your IOTA reference. Mainland Britain is EU-005, mainland
Ireland is EU-115, while smaller islands have differing references. A
full list can be found at www.qrz.com/i/iota.html. The IOTA contest
has been scaled back this year, with no portable entries being
accepted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Running from 1200UTC on the
25th to 1200UTC on the 25th, it is CW and SSB only on the 3.5 to
28MHz contest bands.
The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon runs until the 2nd of
August. Using all modes on the 50MHz band, the exchange is your
4-character locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 17th of July.
Last week a coronal mass ejection caught space weather experts by
surprise, sending the Kp index up to four for around nine hours on
Tuesday. The stream had a strong southward component in its Bz field,
which meant it could more easily couple with the Earth's magnetic
field. The weak CME passage was enough to generate aurora at higher
latitudes. Otherwise, the Sun was relatively quiet with zero sunspots
and a solar flux index of 68-69 all week. Ten metre Sporadic-E has
become less prevalent this week, with Thursday showing mostly weak
openings to Mauritania, Spain, Sicily and Corsica.
Next week NOAA still predicts more of the same with a solar flux
index of 68 and zero sunspots. There are signs of coronal holes on
the Sun's surface, which could result in unsettled geomagnetic
conditions at times due to high-speed solar wind streams. The STEREO
Ahead spacecraft's extreme ultraviolet view shows signs of a hot spot
on the Sun, which will rotate into view over the next week. This
could be the precursor of a sunspot, but only time will tell.
Meanwhile, daytime F2-layer maximum usable frequencies are still
exceeding 20m, with occasional openings on 17m. Sporadic E openings
still occur virtually daily with openings up to 10m. Night-time
F-layer MUFs occasionally exceed 20m, especially up to around
midnight.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This weekend we have developing high pressure over southern Britain,
and it should provide some good Tropo opportunities, especially
across the Channel and over Biscay into Spain and down the west coast
of Africa. It's also worth noting that the Mediterranean is in
full-on summer mode with strong ducts over the sea from most of the
usual holiday destinations, for example EA6 to IS0. These Tropo
conditions should last into the middle of the week. After that, the
models seem to suggest a return to more unsettled conditions as a
front moves south bringing rain and heavy showers, some thundery,
particularly in the south, and this weather type will last into the
following weekend. So, there should be some strong rain scatter
conditions on the GHz bands in the second half of the week.
There have been some very strong Sporadic-E events all the way up to
2m during the last week. The traditional components like jet streams
make a strong showing on the upper air charts, so I would expect to
see further Sporadic-E popping up next week, so check the bands mid
morning and early evening. With the Moon at peak declination today
and path losses falling as we approach perigee next weekend, it's a
good week for EME. Although 144MHz sky noise is low all week, the
exception is Monday afternoon when the Sun and Moon are close in the
sky. There are no major meteor showers this week, so keep looking
around local dawn for the best random contacts.
And that's all from the propagation team this week.
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 radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
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