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G4TNU > NEWS 06.09.20 00:33l 273 Lines 13661 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 06 Sep 2020
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 6th of September 2020
The news headlines:
* Latest RSGB Convention information
* Anyone lost a trailer mast?
* GB2RS Newsreader stands down after 40 years
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 How to get the most out of your
dealer for your part-exchange with Martin Lynch, G4HKS. After over 42
years in the amateur radio business, Martin knows a thing or two
about trade-in values for equipment and accessories and he'll explain
the best method of achieving the most for your part exchange or
outright sale. In the Learn more about… stream, William Eustace,
M0WJE will look at DSP: Underlying Concepts. Digital signal
processing is built into most new radios for the amateur market,
while tools like GNURadio have enabled amateurs to assemble signal
processing systems with little or no code and William plans to give
an easily-understood explanation. You can find out more at
www.rsgb.org.uk/convention.
We received news from the Warwickshire Police Rural Crime Team
regarding a trailer-mounted Strumech mast they believe may be stolen
property. If you think you know where this tower belongs and can
identify the mast, please contact PC Craig Purcell either by text,
call or WhatsApp on 0779 059 7820.
After more than forty years as a GB2RS newsreader for the north east,
Martin, G3USF has decided to retire. The RSGB would like to thank him
for his many years of service to the amateur radio community. Eddie,
G0VVT is standing in to keep the news readings going in the future.
The RSGB's autumn Tonight <at> 8 webinar series starts this Monday,
the 7th of September with Portable adventures with Summits on the Air
by James, M0JCQ. Join live and ask questions on the Society's YouTube
channel or via the special BATC channel. On the RSGB website you can
find further information about the webinar series, presenters and
resources to help you explore each topic more fully at
www.rsgb.org/webinars.
The popular event Churches and Chapels On The Air will still take
place this year, despite Covid-19 restrictions. On Saturday the 12th
of September, operators will be a mix of individual activities nears
churches as well as operating from home. Activity is usually 10am to
4pm and mainly on the 80, 40 and 20m bands using SSB. Contact John,
G3XYF via jhwresdell<at>gmail for more details.
The RSGB has updated some of its web pages to reflect online remote
invigilation exams and online training processes whilst physical
meetings are still restricted. The Student Information section on the
Society's website has full Candidate Instructions for the remote
invigilation exams, information about how to book your exams as well
as a new page listing the online training providers that we are aware
of. If your club is providing online training at any licence level
and is not listed, please send full details to exams<at>rsgb.org.uk
and the RSGB will add you to the new web list. For details of all the
licence levels visit the Student Information web page at
https://tinyurl.com/rsgb-student-information.
The Portable Operations Challenge is a new kind of HF contest. It
will take place on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of October. The aim
of the challenge is to create a level playing field for small
portable stations against the large contest stations by using
handicapping algorithms similar to that used in golf. Participants
choose their own 8-hour contiguous time window within the 48-hour
weekend. Find out all you need to know at foxmikehotel.com/challenge.
ARISS has announced the activation of an FM cross band repeater on
the International Space Station. It has a downlink frequency of
437.800MHz. This followed the successful installation of the first
element of the ARISS InterOperable Radio System. It enables new,
exciting capabilities for amateur radio operators, students and the
general public including a higher power radio, voice repeater, APRS
capabilities and a SSTV system. Further details are at
https://amsat-uk.org.
In the news item about the GB2RS Podcast last week there was an
error. It's not approaching twenty thousand downloads, it's actually
approaching two hundred thousand downloads. Our apologies to all
those involved in this highly successful method of distributing GB2RS.
The RSGB Morse Proficiency testing service continues to operate
during this time of limitations on face-to-face meetings. Many of the
scheme's Assessors are experienced in offering online testing. This
means there's always an opportunity for anyone to obtain a
Certificate of Competency, without leaving their home, by using an
online sound and video program such as Skype. Full details of the
Scheme can be found in the RSGB Yearbook or on the Operating section
of the RSGB website. If you want more information or to submit a Test
application this can be done using email to
morse.tests<at>rsgb.org.uk.
Don't forget any nomination for the G5RP Trophy need to be in by 25th
September. If you are an established HF DXer and want to recommend
someone, send your nominations to Ian Greenshields, G4FSU by email to
hf.manager<at>rsgb.org.uk.
The RSGB 2020 Construction Competition is also 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.
OE SOTA Day is a popular annual Summits on the Air event, organised
by the Austrian SOTA Association and will still take place on
Saturday 19 September, but with no social meeting. It will be a
festival of SOTA activations to mark the end of summer in Europe. The
day should offer a very good opportunity for chasers to amass a large
number of points and unique summits worked. For more information
about the SOTA scheme, please visit www.sota.org.uk.
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.
Three RSGB contests take place over this weekend, the 5th and 6th
September. SSB Field Day runs for 24 hours until 1300UTC today, 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 today, the 6th. Its exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator. The 5th 144MHz Backpacker contest runs from 1100
to 1500UTC today, 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 All-Asian DX Contest ends its 48 hour runs at 2359UTC today, 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 ends its 24 hour run today, 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 today, the 6th, from
1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is signal 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.
It's time to decide if you or your club would like to take part in
the Autumn Series of 80m Contests, which start with an SSB event on
Monday the 7th September. These are 90-minute contests that have
boosted scores for Foundation and Intermediate entrants and rules
designed to encourage newcomers. Running from 1900 to 2130UTC, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC.
It is followed from 1900 to 2130UTC by the all-mode 432MH UK Activity
Contest. The exchange for both is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On Thursday the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC.
Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
The WAE DX SSB contest runs for 48 hours next weekend from 0000UTC on
the 12th to 2359UTC on the 13th. Using SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz
contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Note
the EU stations only work non-EU stations.
The UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC on the 13th.
Using all modes on the 24 to 248GHz bands, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Also on the 13th, the IRTS 70cm Counties contest runs from 1300 to
1330UTC. This is followed by the IRTS 2m Counties contest from 1330
to 1500UTC. Both use SSB and FM only and the exchange is signal
report and serial number with EI and GI stations also giving their
county.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Friday the 4th of September.
This last week was characterised by unsettled geomagnetic conditions
caused by an incoming high-speed stream for a solar coronal hole. We
warned of this in last week's report, but in view of the small size
of the coronal hole, we didn't really expect its effects to be quite
so severe.
The solar material impacted the Earth on Friday the 28th of August,
pushing the Kp index to five. Unsettled conditions then persisted
through until at least Wednesday, with the Kp index peaking at four
on Tuesday the 4th. Ionospheric HF conditions were adversely
affected, with maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path
struggling to get much above 14MHz at times. But by Thursday the Kp
index was down to one and the ionosphere was recovering. At the time
of writing, there are large coronal holes at the Sun's poles, but any
solar material may not be Earth-directed.
NOAA predicts the Sun will remain spotless next week, with a maximum
solar flux index of 70. The good news is it has the Kp index at two,
which could bode well for better HF conditions over the next seven
days.
On another note, the website Propquest.co.uk has a new NVIS tab on
the foF2 graphs tab for a closer look at the prospects for inter-G
nets on the lower HF bands.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
This will probably be the final mention of Sporadic-E in the bulletin
for this summer season. The coming week might offer some good
opportunities from the jet streams, the main source of the turbulence
that produces atmospheric gravity waves, so don't rule Sporadic-E out
just because it's September.
With a low Kp index you might be able to get the odd FT8 path out of
it, and even a chance of CW or SSB if you're really lucky.
Propquest.co.uk shows the daily jet stream maps and now we also have
the Sporadic-E Probability Index, a single graphic to look at for
hints of where the paths may occur.
We had some decent Tropo over the last week, but it has temporarily
suspended for now. Towards the end of Sunday a new high will build in
from the Atlantic and, for much of the coming week, there should be
some Tropo chances as high pressure dominates. It's looking like
reverting to low pressure and wet weather by next weekend. The models
are showing some heavy rain in some areas, so there is a potential
for strong GHz bands rain scatter events.
Finally, autumn usually produces better chances of auroral
propagation, and with the recently disturbed conditions, keep a check
on the Kp index. Anything above four should attract attention. Aurora
produces a very garbled distorted sound to SSB, so CW is best but
wide-tone digimodes such as JT4G should work well. Beam north-east to
the north-northwest and you could work stations via backscatter on 6m
or 2m.
Moon declination is positive again, meaning longer Moon windows.
Today, Sunday the 6th, the Moon is at apogee so EME path losses are
at their highest. 144MHz sky temperatures are moderate all week.
Just one small meteor shower this week, peaking on Wednesday, the
September Epsilon-Perseids with a Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) of just
five.
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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