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M1CUK > NEWS 03.04.10 13:42l 245 Lines 11508 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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GB2RS NEWS for Sunday 4th April 2010
The news headlines
* Major improvements to amateur licences in Bahrain
* QSL Sub Manager changes
* International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend Planning underway
Licensing of the amateur services in the Kingdom of Bahrain has taken a
major step forward with the release of new regulations by the
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. New additions for General Class
licensees include 135.7 - 137.8kHz with a power limit of 10W, an
extension of the 160m band changing the upper limit of 1850kHz to
2000kHz, the inclusion of the 40m band extension up to 7200kHz plus the
30m band. Above 30MHz new additions include 50-52MHz and improved access
to bands at 430MHz and above. With the exception of the segment
50-50.5MHz, which is Primary, all new allocations have been granted on
a secondary basis. Permitted power to the antenna on all bands except
136kHz is 1500W. A new Intermediate Class licence has also been
introduced that permits operation at 28MHz and above with power output
to the antenna of 100W.
Aeronautical Mobile, Maritime Mobile, Mobile and Portable operations are
also permitted within the terms of the new licence. The IARU say that
congratulations should be offered to those who negotiated these new
regulations. Negotiations continue for the use of other bands in use
within Region 1.
Phil Yates, G7BZD, the hard-working QSL sub manager for a number of
groups, is downsizing his workload and handing over two sub groups, G4C
and G4Y, to other volunteers. G4C and G4Y been combined with adjacent
groups as part of a rationalisation. G4B and G4C are now handled by
Benny Tonkin, G7DUC. The G4Y and G4Z groups will be handled by Tony
Roberts, G4ZIB. Members' envelopes and outstanding cards have already
been transferred. Contact details can be found in the members' area of
the RSGB website and both existing managers, G7DUC and G4ZIB, are listed
in the RSGB 2010 Yearbook.
A total of 100 registrations have been received so far at the website
collecting entries for the 2010 International Lighthouse and Lightship
weekend. The event is planned for the weekend 21 and 22 August. This
will be the 11th annual outing of this event sponsored by the Ayr Radio
Group.
Registrations to date are from 19 countries. To register, or to check
out the lighthouses already registered, visit the official website at
www.illw.net.
AMSAT North America will be supporting the Boy Scouts of America 100th
Anniversary Jamboree by dedicating an AO-51 VHF UHF FM repeater in space
for the event. From Friday 16 April at 1500UTC until Sunday 18 April at
1900UTC, an AO-51 repeater will be allocated for Jamboree use. The
frequencies used will be 145.880MHz uplink and 435.150MHz downlink. The
mode will be narrowband FM and no tone access will be required. All
regular AO-51 users are requested to give priority to Jamboree stations
or QSOs with Jamboree stations.
The 2010 International Museums Weekend special event will again be a
double-weekend and will take place on 19 and 20 June plus 26 and 27
June.
Radio amateurs are encouraged to participate in this event by setting up
stations in their local museums. Harry, M1BYT, who is organising the
event, asks that all those intending to take part should register their
museum via e-mail to harry.m1byt<at>tiscali.co.uk. Full details of the
event can be found on the International Museums Weekend website at
www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw.
Bob, GM0DEQ is currently working up a 24 hour island activity challenge
for June 2010. Further details can be found at www.gdram.com.
Southport and District ARC will be holding its next Foundation course on
5 and 6 June. Anyone interested should please contact Don Atkins, M1BUL
by e-mail to m1bul<at>sadarc.org.uk.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The amateur radio get-together on 3 and 4 April at Harlaxton, near
Grantham, has been cancelled due to bad weather. Organiser Jim, M0JHW,
hopes to re-arrange the event in May.
Sunday 11 April is a busy weekend for rallies: there are three taking
place around the UK.
The Cambridgeshire Repeater Group Annual Rally is at Foxton Village
Hall,
Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. There will be trade stands, a
Bring & Buy as well as lectures. Entry is available from 10am and will
cost £2. Contact Laurence, M0LCM, 01223 654880.
The Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Exhibition takes place
at Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool. There is plenty of car
parking on site and there will be the usual trade stands, bring & Buy,
special interest groups and Morse tests available. Doors open at 10.45
for disabled visitors and 11am for other visitors. Details from Dave,
M0OBW, on 01270 761 608.
Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Annual Rally is at The Share Holiday
Village, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh BT92 0EQ in Northern Ireland. Access
is also available from Erne/Shannon Waterway. Doors open at 12 noon, and
there will be the usual trade stands and bring & buy. Details from Iain
on 028 66326693.
Now for the news of special events
Preston Amateur Radio Society is running GX3KUE/P from the 400 year old
Bank Hall at Bretherton, near Preston, on 4 April. Bank Hall appeared on
the BBC programme Restoration. The club will be on 40 or 80m depending
on band conditions.
Over the Easter weekend of 3 to 5 April, Marches ARS will be running
GB2CAM from Chirk Airfield. The station celebrates the opening of the
Chirk Airfield Museum for the 2010 season. The Chirk Airfield and Museum
is a family run aviation facility located approximately half way between
Oswestry and Wrexham adjacent to the A5. They plan to be active on HF
from 80 to 10m, although the actual bands used will depending on
propagation conditions as well as 6m, 2m and 70cm. Further details from
Dave, MW0AYM on 01691 777242.
GB0LAD will be on the air for the United Nations' International Landmine
Awareness Day on 4 April. Operating from the Carpetbaggers Aviation
Museum, the station will be using the 80 to 20m bands using SSB, CW and
Digimodes.
On Monday 5 April, Friskney & East Lincolnshire Communications Club will
be helping to activate GB0BS, this is the Boston and Rural Boy Scouts
based at Butterwick. They will be running HF, PSK and 2m from 9am to 5pm
on the day. If you hear them please give them a call.
On 10 April, GB100GLD will be on the air to commemorate the first
recorded SOS message from the Lizard Wireless Station.
Over the weekend 10 and 11 April, GB2NOR will be on the air as part of
the Norbreck Amateur Radio Rally in Blackpool.
On 11 April, GB4AFS will be on the air from the Norbreck Rally for the
Air Formation Signals.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources.
FR/F4EGZ will be on the air from Reunion Island until 19 April. QSL to
his home callsign of F4EGZ.
There will be a YL expedition to Greenland in September. Using the
callsign OX6YL the operators will use CW and SSB. Keep an eye on their
QRZ.com listing.
SP2JMB will be active from Mauritius between 7 and 14 April as 3B8SC.
His
operation will be on all of the HF bands operating CW only. QSL via his
home callsign.
Now the contest news
On Monday 5 April the 80m Club Championships CW leg takes place. Times
are 1900 to 2030UTC and the exchange is signal report and serial number.
The 144MHz UK Activity Contest takes place between 1900 and 2130UTC on 6
April. All modes may be used and the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
If you can only spend a few hours in the shack on Saturday 10th, maybe
you would enjoy entering the European CW Sprint between 1600 and 2000.
The contest exchange is both callsigns, a serial number and name, but no
RST.
On Sunday 11th, the International Vintage Contest sounds rather
different. In this event, which is promoted by the Rimini district of
the Italian National Society RAI, entrants are required to use
commercial equipment that was built between 1950 and 1980 (or homebrew
equipment of any age), and computers are not permitted for the sending
of CW. The event takes place between 0800 and 2100 using CW, SSB, AM and
the exchange is signal report and locator.
Sunday 11 April sees the First 6m Contest taking place. Once again,
don't hold your breath in anticipation of any Sporadic-E propagation.
This is borne out by the fact that hardly anyone was worked outside of
the British Isles in 2008 or 2009, whereas several participants enjoyed
European DX in 2007. The event takes place between 0900 and 1200UTC and
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the solar factual data for the period from the 22nd to the 28th of
March, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 29th of March.
The solar disc had spots visible every day. Initially solar activity was
very low but on the 23rd a large group emerged close to the north-east
limb. The group produced several C class solar flares during the 26th
and the 27th which increased activity to low. Solar flux levels
increased from 82 units on the 22nd to 88 by the 27th. The average was
86 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 28th was 83 units, that's
one unit up on last week. X-ray flux levels increased slightly and
averaged A4.9 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet everyday with the Ap
index at only 2 units on the 22nd and the 23rd. The average was Ap 4
units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds
increase from a slow 270 kilometres per second on the 23rd to 440 by the
26th. Particle densities were low except for brief increase to 22
particles per cubic centimetre around midday on the 25th. Bz varied
between minus 2 and plus 3 nanoTeslas on the quieter days and between
minus 8 and plus
10 nanoTeslas on the 25th which was the most disturbed day. Further
activities have taken place on the Solar Dynamics Observatory and all of
the various teams are reporting that everything is in good shape in
preparation for the first images which are due in several weeks time.
And finally the solar forecast. This week solar activity is expected to
be very low to low. As warned previously, particularly while the Sun is
in its present level of activity large sunspot groups can and do appear
with very little warning. Trying to predict up to two ahead is at times
a real nightmare. Solar flux levels should be around the 80 mark, given
no large groups appear, but if any do then levels could be around the 90
mark.
Geomagnetic activity is somewhat easier to forecast and is expected to
be
mostly quiet, however, around midweek a mild disturbance could taker
place. 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 10MHz. Paths this week to Japan should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 21MHz. The optimum
working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 17MHz.
The best time to try the path will be between 0800 and 1200 hours.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
==== and this Main news packet bulletin
73
Trev,
SysOp gb7fcr.#16.gbr.eu
E-Mail trev@gb7fcr.co.uk
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