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G4FVG > NEWS 25.02.10 01:18l 228 Lines 11674 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB MAIN news 28 Feb
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Sent: 100224/2314Z @:GB7COW.#44.GBR.EU #:64207 [195281] FBB7.01.35 alpha
From: G4FVG@GB7COW.#44.GBR.EU
To : NEWS@EU
Hello to all readers,
With Trev/M1CUK's agreement, I have volunteered to copy/paste the RSGB news
script and this is the GB2RS NEWS for Sunday 28th February 2010.
Please note, to reduce file size, the Local/Club news will follow in a
separate bulletin at GBR.
73 to all
Mike G4FVG at GB7FCR (although using GB7COW as there are forwarding problems
out of FCR at present).
= = = = = = = = = =
GB2RS NEWS
Sunday 28th February 2010
The news headlines
* RSGB secures the use of short form contest calls
* Iceland gains access to 500kHz and 70MHz amateur bands
* Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society e-library documents available
Following long and detailed discussions with the Radio Society of Great
Britain, Ofcom have announced the availability of special short form contest
callsigns for certain amateur full and reciprocal licensees. Ofcom has
considered the request from the RSGB for the use of special contests callsigns
for amateurs who can demonstrate previous regular participation and
achievement in special contests. As a result, subject to availability, Ofcom
has decided to make available 520 callsigns from the limited number available,
to such successful applicants. The callsign will consist of G or M, a regional
locator if applicable, a chosen digit and a chosen suffix letter. For example
G8Z or GW8Z.
Ofcom has amended the application form to enable applications from such
licensees.
Special contests callsigns for Amateur Full Club licensees will continue to be
issued for Clubs under existing arrangements, but from 1 January 2011 the
criteria for licences currently applying to individuals will also apply to
clubs.
Further detail is available in the amended application form, which is
available at on the Ofcom website, just type ofw286.pdf into your favourite
search engine.
On 19 February, The Post and Telecom Administration in Iceland granted a
temporary experimental access to the 4m meter band between 70 and 70.2MHz. The
permit is valid until 31 December. Access is granted on secondary basis with a
maximum bandwidth of 16kHz and a power limit is 100 watts. Icelandic N and G
licensees will need to apply for a special licence. At the same time, they
were also granted temporary experimental access to the 600m band between 493
and 510kHz CW only. Again access is on a secondary basis and the power limit
is 100 watts.
The Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society has made a number of its technical
documents available for download. Included in the collection are a number of
very interesting HF antenna designs and related projects. The files, which are
in PDF format, are available for all to download. You'll find the collection
at www.rsars.org.uk/ELIBRARY/docsants.htm.
The Bury Radio Society is running a Foundation course starting on 16 March.
Anyone interested please contact: Norman, G1HHU on 0752 593 2729 or by e-mail
to g1hhu.norman@googlemail.com for further details.
On 17 and 24 April, Bracknell Amateur Radio Club is running a Foundation
licence course. To book or for more information please contact David, M0XDF by
e-mail at M0XDF@Alphadene.co.uk.
The 9th Intermediate course run by Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society will start
on 18 March. It will be held at the Danbury Village Hall near Chelmsford. The
course costs £75, which covers the room hire, project materials, Intermediate
licence manual and RSGB exam fee. Contact Clive, G1EUC on 01245 224577or by
e-mail at training2010@g0mwt.org.uk.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 28 February, the Rainham Radio Rally will take place at Rainham School
for Girls, Derwent Way, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0BX. Full details from
Trevor, G6YLW, on 0771 7678 795.
Bournemouth Radio Society will be holding its 22nd annual sale on Sunday 7
March at the Kinson Community Centre, Pelhams Park, Millhams Road, Bournemouth
BH10 7LH. Doors open at 9.30am and admission is £1.50 per visitor. All are
welcome. Further details from John, G0HAT on 07719 700 771.
Also on 7 March, the Exeter Radio & Electronics Rally takes places in America
Hall, De la Rue Way, Pinhoe, Exeter EX4 8PW, Doors open at 10.30am and
admission is £2. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and catering on
site. Details from Pete, G3ZVI on 0771 419 8374.
Sunday, 7 March, sees the Cambridge & District ARC Rally opening at 10am from
the Wood Green Animal Shelter, King's Bush Farm, A1198 London Road,
Godmanchester PE29 2NH. Entry is £3 and there will be trade stands, a Bring &
Buy, special interest groups and activities for the whole family. Contact
David, M0GUM, on 01954 203080.
Now for the news of special events
The Newbury & District Amateur Radio Society will be activating GB0VUL next
month to promote awareness and publicity on the plight of the Vulcan Bomber.
The Trust has until the end of the month to raise £300,000. If they fail to
reach this target, the Vulcan will never fly again. Another £350,000 has to be
raised in March for the aircraft to appear at air-shows this year. More
details can be found at www.vulcantothesky.org.
The landmark 365ft mast at Great Baddow, Chelmsford Essex is the last wholly
intact example from the original HF Chain Home radar system that was developed
by Sir Robert Watson-Watt and his team at Bawdsey Manor following the Daventry
Experiment 75 years ago. GB75CH will be on the air from Great Baddow to mark
the birth of British Radar from 11am Friday 26 through to Sunday 28 February.
GB50ATG has been on the air to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British
Amateur Radio Teledata Group. Graeme, G6CSY, will take over the operator's
chair for March. He will be using BPSK 31, BPSK 63 and BPSK125 as well as
QPSK31 QPSK63 and QPSK125. Olivia and Feld-Hell will also be available on
request. Needless to say RTTY is also on the list. Further information can be
found on www.G6CSY.Net/ham. The BARTG Golden Jubilee year runs until the end
of July and full details of the award scheme can be found on the BARTG website
www.bartg.org.uk.
Maritime mobile station G2YC/MM will be QRV from cruise ferry MV Julia on the
Irish Sea between 1 and 4 March as part of the ongoing special event with
GB2EI and EI2GBW celebrating the return of the ferry link between Ireland and
Wales.
On 7 March, listen out for GB4BAR for Brickfields Amateur Radio. It will be on
the air from Binstead.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources.
VP2MCC will be on the air during March, including the British Commonwealth
Contest, from Montserrat. During the contest, contacts will only be with other
British Commonwealth Call areas but outside the contest he will try to work
other countries as a priority. All VP2MCC contacts will be uploaded to Logbook
of the world so do not send a paper QSL if you only want a card for DXCC. QSL
to the home call of G4FAL.
DJ2VO, and three friends plan to activate Burundi, 9U, as 9U1VO, 9UXEV, 9U1RSI
and 9U1KI until 6 March. They will be using CW, SSB and RTTY with four 100
watt stations to vertical and wire antennas. QSL to the operator's home call,
bureau or direct. They will be at the Safari Gate Hotel in Bujumbura.
Tim, NL8F (ex VK4COF) will be on Cocos Keeling Islands, which is IOTA
reference OC-003 from 2 to 10 March. He hopes to get the callsign VK9COF.
After operating from Cocos, his plans are to go to the South Cook Islands
where he will be active as E51COF from 20 to 30 March. Activity is expected on
80 though 10 but mostly on his favourite band, 40m.
Now the contest news
On HF, the data session of the 80m Club Championships is what starts the month
on 1 March from 2000 to 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial
number.
2 March sees the 144MHz UK Activity Contest and Club Championship between 2000
and 2230UTC. All modes can be used and the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
The 144/432MHz Contest takes place on 6 and 7 March from 1400 to 1400UTC. The
weather often makes portable activity a real challenge for this event, but the
hardiest of souls will always find a way of getting on the air from a hilltop,
in spite of snow or gales. The exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
The SSB leg of the ARRL International Contest is also on 6 and 7 March from
0000 to 2350UTC. On the 1.8 to 28MHz the exchange is signal report and
transmitter power. W stations send their State and VE stations send their
Province.
Now the solar factual data for the period from the 15th to the 21st of
February, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 22nd of February.
The latest spacecraft to study the Sun had a trouble free lift-off on the 11th
of February. The latest news from the 'Solar Dynamics Observatory' team is
that "it is in good shape" as the post-launch checkout of spacecraft systems
continues. The first images are expected sometime in April. Meanwhile,
together with SOHO and the STEREO spacecraft we can now see 88 per cent of the
solar surface continuously.
The solar disc had sunspots visible everyday, on the 17th three groups were
visible. However, solar activity was at very low levels except for the 15th
which was low. The largest solar flare of the week was a C1 on the 15th. Solar
flux levels declined slightly from 88 units on the 15th to 84 by the 19th. The
average was 86. The 90 day solar flux average on the 21st was 80 units, that's
one unit up on last week. X-ray flux levels declined from A9.6 units on the
15th to A4.4 by the 21st. The average was A6.2. Geomagnetic activity started
at unsettled levels due to a coronal mass ejection which was associated with
the M8 solar flare which occurred on the 12th. The Ap index was 14 units, the
remaining days activity was quiet and the average was Ap 5 units. Solar wind
data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 280
kilometres per second on the 15th to 550 by the 19th. Particle densities were
low everyday. Bz remained mostly negative on the 15th with variations up to
minus 13 and only plus 2 nanoTeslas. The remaining days saw fluctuations of up
to minus and plus 7 nanoTeslas.
On the 15th a pre-auroral enhancement of HF conditions took place, something
we had not seen for quite a while. Later on the 15th auroral propagation was
reported from mid afternoon until after midnight. Most occurred at high
latitudes but the event extended to parts of Scotland. HF propagation remained
relatively good for the rest of the week, with trans-Atlantic contacts on
24MHz and openings to the eastern Mediterranean, West and southern Africa and
even, occasionally, with North America, on 28MHz.
And finally the solar forecast. This week the slightly more active side of the
Sun is expected to be rotating into view. The sunspot region the produced the
8 M class solar flares on its last rotation could return today or tomorrow if
it as survived its passage on the far side of the Sun. However, the group was
in decay as it rotated out of view. Solar flux levels should be around the 80
mark or even higher if any sizable spots do appear. Geomagnetic activity is
expected to be quiet everyday. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes
should be around 24MHz for the south and 21MHz for the north. Darkness hour
lows should be about 8MHz. Paths this week to Western Australia should have a
maximum usable frequency with a 50 per success rate of around 23MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be around
18MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 0900 and 1300UTC.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
= = = = =
and for this Main news section of the RSGB news
73 Mike G4FVG
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