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G4TNU > NEWS 16.08.20 00:32l 250 Lines 12503 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 16th of August 2020
The news headlines:
* Thanks for massive lockdown efforts
* Latest RSGB Convention Online info
* X Factor 26 is bumper episode
In this month's RadCom, RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB
thanks all the staff and volunteers who have pulled together to cope
with the challenges of the last four months. He highlights the
successes we should celebrate – such as helping 1,500 people take
their first steps into amateur radio in just four months via remote
invigilation Foundation exams – as well as the opportunities we all
have to develop amateur radio in the future. You can also read the
editorial online at https://tinyurl.com/rsgb-success-story. Practical
Wireless this month features a look at how the RSGB is supporting new
and returning radio amateurs. From the Beyond Exams range of
resources through to the Tonight <at> 8 webinars and a new Facebook
group, there is a lot on offer. You can read the Practical Wireless
article on the RSGB website by going to www.rsgb.org/gota2c and
looking in "Get on the Air to Care in the Media", under the
"Newspapers" section.
With the Covid-19 pandemic changing the face of rallies and
conventions around the world, the RSGB Convention 2020 is going
online. You will be able to enjoy some excellent lectures. On
Saturday the 10th of October, the RSGB will be putting on two streams
online for everyone to enjoy. The first stream is An introduction
to… and the second stream is Learn more about.... You can find more
information at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention. The first two lectures are
The Small Station by Joe Chester, M1MWD and QRO Magnetic Loop
Antennas with Rael Paster, M0RTP. In the small station, Joe M1MWD
says that most of us don't have the good fortune to own several acres
of land on which to erect tall towers for beam antennas and have just
one or two transceivers and an ATU on the corner of a table. But
there is lots of fun to be had operating even the most modest radio
station and he'll look at how to get the best from limited equipment,
or space. In his talk, Rael, M0RTP says that a transmitting magnetic
loop antenna offers the amateur a compelling option for getting on
the air and having access to all the HF bands when restricted for
size and height of the antenna system at your QTH. He will cover DIY
construction tips, tricks and traps for QRO operation and will
provide an overview on how to remotely tune a magnetic loop. Find out
more at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention.
Running slightly behind schedule, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a
bumper Summer edition of TX Factor is now available. Episode 26 is
packed full of pre-lockdown features including a very relaxed tea and
biscuits interview with Tim Kirby, GW4VXE as he speaks of his big
passion for VHF and UHF operating. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR take
the lid off Bob's Icom IC-7300 and fit a Radio Analog PTRX-7300 RF
interface module. Coupled with an inexpensive SDR receiver like the
SDR Play RSP1A and your computer, this board gives you a proper
panadapter display so you can use your mouse to click and pounce on
the signals you want to hear. Bob also gets his hands on one of the
very first Icom IC-705 all-mode QRP SDR transceivers to arrive in the
UK and gives a comprehensive review of all its wonderous
capabilities. TX Factor is viewable on all devices from smartphones
to smart TVs and is available at www.txfactor.co.uk, or search for TX
Factor on YouTube. TX Factor is sponsored by the RSGB and Martin
Lynch and Sons.
Tim, G4YBU and Richard, G8ITB have planned a Summits on the Air
Activity Weekend to be held on the 22nd and 23rd of August. The
objective is to activate as many of the 15 summits in the Southern
SOTA region of England. The event is for everyone. Bands and modes
are down to the equipment that any particular operator owns, but it
is suggested that 2 metres and 40 metres are very popular both on FM
and SSB. Most of the summits in the Southern SOTA region are within
easy driving distance of major towns and are a short walk to the
summit itself; some actually have a car park within the activation
area. For a detailed summit list see the SOTA website,
www.sotadata.org.uk.
International Lighthouses and Lightships Weekend is still going ahead
this year on the 22nd and 23rd of August. Participation will
dependent on local circumstances and government rulings regarding
border and national parks closures, social contact and so on. Wirral
ARS will be operating using GB2BHL but operation will be from the
club premises. Moray Firth ARS will also be taking part, using the
callsign GB0CSL for Covesea Skerries Lighthouse. The station will be
run from individual club members homes. Details of this are at
www.mfars.club.
The GQRP club has released a detailed agenda for its Online
Convention 2020, taking place on the 5th and 6th of September. The
online event, which replaces the club's annual GQRP convention, is
open to existing members. There is a special rate for non-members
that will include GQRP Club membership until January 2022. The
two-day event comprises a series of online presentations and
knowledge-sharing meetings where people can share ideas. For more
information, and to view the full event schedule, see
www.gqrp.com/convention.htm
[Note to Newsreaders: if you read aloud the URL at the end of the
next item, please highlight the way they spell "meter"]
The Netherlands IARU member society, VERON, is encouraging amateurs
to use digital amateur television, DATV, in the 2m band on the 22nd
of August between 1200 and 1600UTC. Using either 144.600 or
145.300MHz, signals should be DVB-S or DVB-S2 and have a Symbol rate
125k. Details are at www.veron.nl/nieuws/datv-experiment-2-meter/.
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.
Fort Purbrook ARC will put GB1PF on the air from member's homes until
the 17th of August. They will operate using CW, SSB and data across
the HF/VHF/UHF bands. More information is on QRZ.com.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, the RSGB has organised
a VJ Day amateur radio marathon on the HF bands and 6m using SSB, CW
and digital modes. Three special UK callsigns GB75PEACE, GB1945PE,
GB1945PJ will be on the air until the 31st of August. See
www.rsgb.org/ve-vj-marathon.
August sees two GB80 Special Event Stations on the air, marking the
critical role that radar played in the Battle of Britain 80 years
ago. GB80BRS will be operated to commemorate Bawdsey Radar Station in
Suffolk, where radar was developed in the late 1930s. This was the
location of the world's first operational radar station. Activity
will be on 80 to 10m using SSB, CW and FT8. GB80CH, Chain Home, will
be operated from Chelmsford in Essex.
And now the DX news
Commemorating the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli during
World War I, special event stations TC3GP and TC3GS will be active
until the 23rd of August. QSLs via YM3KCN.
Giorgio, YI/IU5HWS is with the military in Iraq and will be operating
on 40, 20 and 10 metres until the end of November.
Now the contest news
There are no RSGB HF contests this month, as August is the month of
the traditional summer holiday. That said, there is some doubt about
going anywhere on holiday at present thanks to the current Covid-19
precautions! Please remember to check before the contest for new
rules due to lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around
the world. The RSGB strongly advises obeying your own national and
local government's advice first and foremost, especially in the
instance of local lockdowns.
RTTY operators can participate in the Scandinavian Amateur Radio
Teleprinter Group contest. The first sessions were on Saturday but
today, the 16th, it runs between 0800 and 1600UTC. The exchange is
RST and serial number. Multipliers are DXCC entities and call areas
in VK, VE, JA and W. See sartg.com/contest/wwrules.htm for full
information.
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 the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 14th of August.
Sunspot region 2770 will have just about rotated out of view by the
time you hear or read this. After a promising start it quickly faded
away, but there is more hope as active region AR2771, belonging to
Cycle 25, is forming in the Sun's southeast quadrant. A secondary
bright plage region is also now turning into view off the southeast
limb, although it appears to be spotless for now. This is very
encouraging as we think it shows that Sunspot Cycle 25 is ready to
get under way. On Thursday the solar flux index was 74 with a sunspot
number of 24.
Please note that on Propquest.co.uk, the feed from the Chilton
ionosonde has been down for a few days, but if you switch to FF051
Fairford you'll find that feed is working.
Daytime critical frequencies have generally been in the range 4 to
5.3MHz, which means that 40m remains unsuitable for close-in NVIS
contacts around the UK. You may find 60m or 5MHz more reliable for
inter-UK working. But critical frequencies are generally staying
higher just after sunset, which can be good news for stations chasing
DX. The charts suggest that 14MHz is remaining open to contacts over
3,000km until nearly local midnight.
Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain at around
72, with the largest Kp index being two. This reflects the fact that
there are no Earth-facing coronal holes at present, although this can
change without much notice. Active region 2771 could develop further,
as could the plage area in the southeast quadrant. But it really is
guesswork at this point.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The weather pattern is changing into something much more unsettled
generally, and not just in isolated instances of severe thunderstorms
as we've seen recently. Tropo conditions were good in some parts as
last week came to an end. It's easy to get Tropo over sea paths at
this time of the year and, whilst there could still be some
opportunities across the North Sea early next week, most areas will
be in the realm of low pressure, so no more Tropo.
The Sporadic-E season has had a little boost by the recent meteor
input from the Perseids so it's still worth looking at the usual
times, mid-morning and late afternoon to early evening. The season
can last into early September, so there's still time.
Rain scatter should be the mode of choice this coming week, with a
slow-moving area of low pressure over the country bringing thundery
showers and spells of heavy rain to many places. It's a good time to
use one of the many radar displays available online to track the
heavy rain cells and try some GHz band rain scatter.
Mid-August is a good time for meteor scatter, so keep that on the
list as the Perseids meteor shower declines. Opinion was that this
year was not a vintage one, with many reporting poorer performance
than last year. That said, the meteorscan.com website showed hourly
rates at over 100 around 0600 on the 12th and 13th.
The Moon was at peak declination yesterday and path losses are
falling as we approach perigee on Friday, so it's a good week for
EME. 144MHz sky temperatures are low.
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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