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G4TNU > NEWS 30.08.20 01:33l 227 Lines 11064 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 30 Aug 2020
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 30th of August 2020
The news headlines:
* Could you join the RSGB Board?
* Latest Online RSGB Convention news
* 20,000 downloads for GB2RS Podcast
Following recent changes to the RSGB Board of Directors, and the
continuing effects of the ongoing pandemic, the RSGB is looking for
Members to be considered for possible appointment to the Board. For
more details about the Board, the essential personal attributes
needed to be a Board Director and how to apply, see the RSGB website
at www.rsgb.org/volunteers.
During the online RSGB Convention for 2020, 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. In An
introduction to… we will have the magic of six metres by Chris
Deacon, G4IFX. Join him to learn what makes the 6m band so special,
how to get started – and how to get the best out of it. In the
Learn more about… stream, Olof Lundberg, G0CKV will speak about
having fun with HF contesting. There are so many factors that
influence contest results – contesting rarely takes place on an
even playing field. The most fair competition might well be with
yourself and Olaf will go through some ways to improve your scores
and enjoy your contesting experience. You can find out more at
www.rsgb.org.uk/convention.
As the GB2RS Podcast approaches twenty thousand downloads, two
additional ways to receive the podcast have been added. Amazon
Podcasts and Audible will carry the RSGB broadcast each week in
addition to Apple, Bluberry, Stitcher and others who have been
carrying the program for some time. A podcast is a short audio
program that can be heard on a PC, smartphone or home audio device.
It provides a way to publicise UK amateur radio even when listeners
are out of range of the HF & VHF news readers. The GB2RS Podcast has
been read by Jeremy, G4NJH for over 12 years. See
https://rsgb.org/main/gb2rs/gb2rs-podcast for details.
Fred, M3CTW will celebrate his 100th birthday on the 1st of September
and we wish him many happy returns. He is still active on the air and
a recent contact told us that Fred speaks with the fluency of a much
younger person and operates his radio in an excellent manner.
The media is still interested in the continuing growth of amateur
radio and the RSGB is enjoying sharing stories with them, such as the
interview with ten-year-old William, M7WHB that was featured in the i
newspaper. The Society has also collected some great descriptions
from new licensees who tell us why they are interested in amateur
radio and what they're keen to discover within the hobby. You can
read all of these in the different parts of the Get on the air to
care section of our website at www.rsgb.org/gota2c.
The G5RP Trophy is an annual award to encourage any RSGB Member who
has recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. If
you are an established HF DXer and want to recommend an someone to be
awarded the G5RP Trophy for 2020, send your nominations to Ian
Greenshields, G4FSU by email to hf.manager<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive
no later than the 25th of September.
The G-QRP club has released a detailed agenda for its Online
Convention 2020, which takes place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th
September. Details of the agenda and how to sign up can be found at
www.gqrp.com/convention.htm.
The RSGB 2020 Construction Competition is open for entries. There are
four categories, including one specifically for people who are new to
amateur radio. The deadline for entries is the 25th of September. For
more details, including how to enter, see
www.rsgb.org/construction-competition.
International Air Ambulance Week will take place between the 5th and
the 13th of September. It covers two weekends, giving amateurs a
great chance to get involved and support the event. A free series of
Awards will be available for those who support the event. Go to
www.radio-amateur-events.org/IAW/Registration.htm.
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.
Members of the Royal Air Force ARS will be operating GB80BOB from the
1st to the 28th of September to commemorate the 80th anniversary of
the Battle of Britain. Due to Covid-19, Ofcom are allowing this call
to be operated from homes. A list of operators and postcode locations
will be displayed on the RAFARS website. A special QSL card is
available. Details are at www.rafars.org/GB80BOB/ and QRZ.com.
Now the contest news
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.
Today, the 30th, The UK Microwave group's High Band contest runs from
0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7 to 10GHz bands, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the 144MHZ FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC.
It is followed by the all mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest at 1900 to
2130UTC. The exchange is the same for both: signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club contest runs from 2000 to
2100UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is your
4-character locator square.
Three RSGB contests take place over next weekend, the 5th and 6th
September. SSB Field Day runs for 24 hours from 1300UTC on Saturday
the 5th until 1300UTC on Sunday the 6th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz
contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The
144MHz Trophy is also 24 hours but ends at 1400UTC on the 6th. Its
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The 5th 144MHz
Backpacker runs from 1100 to 1500UTC on the 6th. Using all modes, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Sadly, the HF
and VHF Contest Committees have come to the conclusion that the
Government guidance on Covid-19 does not yet allow the restart of
multi-operator sections in RSGB contests. The rules for all RSGB
Contests can be found at www.rsgbcc.org.
The CW Open for 2020 takes place on the 5th of September. There are
three sessions: from 0000 – 0359, 1200 – 1559 and 2000 –
2359UTC. The exchange is signal report and your name.
The All Asian DX contest runs from 0000UTC on the 5th to 2359UTC on
the 6th. Using SSB on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is
signal report and age, with YLs sending 00.
The IARU Region 1 Field Day runs from 1300UTC on the 5th to 1300UTC
on the 6th. Using SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO Contest is on Sunday the 6th from
1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is be report, serial number and WAB
square. The contest runs concurrently with part of the RSGB contest
and RSGB serial numbers will be accepted. Due to Covid-19, no
multi-operator entries are allowed. See
http://wab.intermip.net/default.php for details.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 28th of August.
It was a quiet week, with zero sunspots and relatively quiet
geomagnetic conditions and a maximum Kp index of three. After the new
sunspots appeared over the past few weeks it did look like Solar
Cycle 25 was getting under way. But it now looks like we may have to
wait a little longer, languishing at solar minimum for the next
couple of months.
It was not all bad news though. Laurie, G3UML reports good conditions
on 20m SSB. He worked A25 Botswana and ZS3 South Africa, plus Ross,
ZL1WN in New Zealand via the long path. Laurie said signals from the
Middle East were also strong.
A series of narrow coronal holes are now beginning to partially face
Earth. An elevated coronal hole stream should begin to move past
Earth by Saturday 29th August, which could lead to an elevated Kp
index and visible aurora at higher latitudes.
Other than that there is little to see on the STEREO Ahead spacecraft
imagery. Barring surprises, this suggests the Sun will remain quiet
from Monday.
NOAA has the solar flux index at 70-71 for the next seven days. The
elevated Kp index over the weekend may cause MUFs to decline, but
next week should see the ionosphere settle back down to a Kp maximum
of two and normal HF conditions.
Maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path should remain similar
to previous weeks. Expect 20 metres to be the DX band of choice, with
some openings on 17m at times. There is always the chance of DX
appearing on 15, 12 and even 10 metres, but these openings are likely
to be short-lived and infrequent.
The good news is that next week we move into September, which should
see a return to higher MUFs and better DX as the month progresses.
This will also be a good time to work North-South paths, such as the
UK to South Africa and South America.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This period of more changeable weather is going to be hard to break
and it looks like any weak ridges between the lows will be transient
affairs. They are therefore unlikely to feature highly as Tropo
events, although the odd temporary lift is possible. The nature of
unsettled weather, like the spell we're in now, is such that the late
summer sunshine can easily produce showers or even thunderstorms.
These are very good for rain scatter and for most of the period from
this weekend to next, a weather front or heavy showers may not be far
away. So we're entering another potentially productive period for the
GHz rain scatter enthusiasts.
We are running out of time to mention Sporadic-E, so this may be the
penultimate week. Clutching at straws perhaps, but there are some
good jet streams in periods of unsettled weather and the next week
will continue to look promising from a weather perspective, even
though events are likely to be thin on the ground.
Moon declination is at a minimum today, but goes positive again on
Friday, meaning Moon windows are getting longer. EME path losses are
still rising, with apogee a week today. 144MHz sky temperatures are
low all week, but the low Moon elevations mean that the noisy horizon
will be in antenna beamwidths for the first part of the week.
Just one small meteor shower this week, the Aurigids, peaking on
Monday with a Zenith Hourly Rate of six.
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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