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G4FVG > NEWS 01.09.10 21:23l 255 Lines 13485 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB MAIN news for 5 Sept
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Sent: 100901/1843Z @:GB7COW.#44.GBR.EU #:24259 [220869] FBB7.01.35 alpha
From: G4FVG@GB7COW.#44.GBR.EU
To : NEWS@EU
Hello again,
Here is next Sunday's RSGB news bulletin sent on behalf of Trev/M1CUK, who is
now unable to send his weekly packet bulletins.
In order to maintain Trev's 'service' to fellow packeteers, I am only able to
perform this task until the end of October before I depart on my next
voyage... so if any reader is willing to continue, please feel free to take
over for the benefit of 'packetland'....
73 de Mike G4FVG, Hampshire.
= = = = = = = =
GB2RS NEWS for Sunday 5th September 2010
The news headlines
* Further areas of Pakistan connected by amateur radio
* Come and try amateur radio direction finding near Wellwyn Garden City
* DXpedition to the Isle of Arran
AP2AUM from the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society reports that emergency
communications support has been extended in the past week to include three
more villages. The next stage is to move a repeater installed at Changla and
re-install it at Malakand Heights. This will then be linked to a cross band
repeater at Nowshera, which in turn is connected to the PARS VHF repeater. The
linking of so many repeaters will cause a tail squelch delay but given the
circumstances and lack of proper equipment it cannot be helped. This will be
the first time that the Swat Valley will be connected with the rest of the
country through 2m repeaters.
A come and try ARDF event will be held at Sherrardspark Wood near Welwyn
Garden City on Sunday 12 September. It is being organised in conjunction with
an orienteering event. The session starts at 12 noon. The venue is off the
B197, which runs alongside the A1(M) between junctions 5 and 6. Parking is at
grid reference TL228142. Final details will be posted at www.rsgb.org.uk/radios
port/ardf/
From 18 September, members of Sands Contest Group and Workington Radio Club
along with Brendon Minish, EI6IZ will be visiting the Isle of Arran off the
coast of south western Scotland, operating under the callsign MS0SCG. They
plan to operate on VHF, HF, SSB, CW and data modes. The location is IOTA
island number EU123 and SCOTIA island number CS14.
A new Network Affiliated RAYNET Group is being formed in the mid-Pennine
region of Lancashire. The envisaged operating area will be the boroughs of
Rossendale, Hyndburn and Burnley. Members of the amateur radio community who
are interested in joining are invited to contact mid.pennine.raynet<at>gmail.co
m for further information.
Kettering & District ARS have a Kenwood TM-V71E FM Dual Band transceiver that
has gone missing, presumed stolen on or about 17 August. The serial number is
A9100019. If you have any information about the radio, please either contact
the club or Northamptonshire Police, reference NB12284/10.
Bolton Wireless Club have organised a coach trip to the National Hamfest at
Newark on Saturday 2 October. There are a few places left on the trip, if you
are interested please e-mail boltonwireless<at>gmail.com.
Bromley & District ARS will be running an Advanced course starting in
September, the exact date and day of week to be decided by those enrolling.
The Course will be held on a midweek evening and run for about 16 weeks in
Orpington, London Borough of Bromley. Expressions of interest and questions
can be e-mailed to courses<at>bdars.co.uk.
Bromley & District ARS will also be holding a Foundation Course on Saturday 16
October and Saturday 6 November at the Victory Social Club Kechill Gardens,
Hayes, Bromley. Further details on the website www.bdars.org or by e-mail from
courses<at>bdars.co.uk.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week.
The annual Telford HamFest takes place today, Sunday 5 September, at Telford
Enginuity, Coalbrookdale, Telford, with the sat nav location TF8 7DU. As well
as the varied traders and specialist groups that will be present, a guest
speaker, Nick Miers, from Bletchley Park Code Breakers Centre will be giving a
presentation covering the World War 2 activities at that famous Centre, and
bringing an original German Enigma machine for a hands-on demonstration. The
rally opens at 10:30am, with a talk-in facility on 2 metres and via the local
repeater GB3TF, using the callsign GB4THF. Further information from Martyn,
G3UKV on 01952 255416, or via the group's website www.telfordhamfest.co.uk
A boot sale and open day organised by North Norfolk Amateur Radio Group will
be held at the Muckleburgh Collection military museum, Weybourne, Norfolk on
Sunday 12 September. For one day only, admission to the museum will be free,
it is normally £6. The Radio Hut, restaurant and shop will be open to
visitors. There will also be a sale of surplus equipment from the museum's
stores and from the Group's radio collection. Army surplus CLANSMAN equipment
will also be on sale. Boot sale pitches cost £5. Set-up will be from 8am. Free
public admission from 10am. The Radio Hut, containing the Group's unique
collection of all-service communications equipment will be open all day and
members of the Group will be pleased to welcome visiting amateurs to the hut.
All enquiries to Bob Finch, G0HYZ, on 01263 838198. More details are available
on www.gb2mc.co.uk.
The Gatwick Family Radio Weekend will be held on 11 and 12 September at
Hunters Moon, close to Gatwick on the A217, RH6 0HU, TQ262438. Bring some
vintage-ish radio with you if you can and military vehicles of all radio types
are welcome. There will be special interest groups and plenty to interest the
family including a Saturday night barbecue and large bonfire. More details
from Mike, M1CCF, on 0208 654 2582.
Torbay Annual Communications Fair will take place on 12 September at Newton
Abbot Racecourse, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 3AF. There will be trade stands, a
Bring and Buy as well as an RSGB Bookstall.
Now for the news of special events
It is hoped that the Orkney Wireless Museum amateur radio station will be in
operation from its premises at Kiln Corner, Kirkwall between Thursday 2
September and Wednesday 8 September during the 20th Orkney International
Science Festival. Using the callsign GB2OWM, probable operating periods will
be weekdays and Sunday afternoons between 2.30 and 4.30pm and Saturday morning
between 10am and 12.30pm. Operation will be primarily on HF SSB. More
information can be obtained from Bill, GM3IBU by e-mail to
bill<at>gm3ibu.plus.com.
To celebrate the 497th Anniversary of the Battle of Flodden, GB2BCL will be
active on most HF bands on Sunday 12 September from Barmoor Castle, Lowick,
Northumberland. Event manger Roy, G0AXJ says visitors are welcome to the
station, which will be active from 10am to 7pm situated at the Barmoor Castle
West entrance gate. Talk-in will be available on 2m through GB3BT on
145.700MHz. For more information please contact Roy on 0788 426 2029.
Glasgow and Clyde RAYNET group will be operational over the weekend of 18 and
19 September under the group callsign GM0RAY to raise funds for the British
Wireless for the Blind during the Transmission weekend. The group will be
transmitting from Carman Hill, which is located South of Loch Lomond above the
town of Alexandria. Operation will be on 80, 40, 20 and 17m as well as the 2m
band. For further info contact Paul Lucas on 0776 827 1736.
At the Bentley Priory public open days in Stanmore, NW London, Radio Society
of Harrow will be demonstrating amateur radio, ATV streaming via GB3BH and
displaying some WWII communications equipment. The RAF Amateur Radio Society
will have a stand and also will be running nets using GB1RBP throughout the
main public open day on Saturday 11th. For further information please see
www.bentleypriory.org.
The Appledore & District ARC will operate GB2AC at the open day on 11
September at Arlington Court in North Devon, owned by the National Trust. The
station will be operational on all HF bands.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Ulli, DD2ML and Martina, DD7MR, will operate as 5P5L from Lolland Island near
Denmark, which is IOTA reference EU-029 until 18 September. QSL via DD2ML.
Thomas, OZ/DL4VM, will be on the air, mainly with CW, on 40m, 30, 15 and 6m
from North Jutlandic island, IOTA reference EU-171 between 5 and 17 September.
QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.
George, K3GV/VY2, will be active from Prince Edward Island, which is IOTA
reference NA-029, mostly on 15m and 20m throughout September. QSL via his home
callsign either direct or via the bureau.
Juergen, VO2/NF6J, will be on Battle Island, which is in the Newfoundland
Province South group of islands, until 10 September. QSL via his home
callsign.
Now the contest news
The ever-popular SSB Field Day finishes at 1300UTC today, 5 September. The
event covers the 3.5 to 28MHz bands and the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
Also finishing today, 5 September, on VHF, is the 144MHz Trophy. This finishes
at 1400UTC. Another contest that's on 144MHz is the 5th Backpacker Contest,
which takes place today from 1100 to 1500UTC. It's all modes with an exchange
of signal report, serial number and locator.
Overlapping the two RSGB 2m events taking place on Sunday 5th is the WAB
144MHz QRP Phone Contest. Multipliers are WAB squares and DXCC countries. The
event takes place between 1000 and 1400UTC and the exchange is signal report,
serial number and WAB square.
On 7 September, between 1900 and 2130UTC, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest takes
place. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
The 80m Club Sprint SSB leg takes place on 9 September from 1900 to 2030UTC.
The exchange is serial number and name.
The IARU Region 1 International Amateur Television Contest takes place from
1800UTC on 11 September until 1200UTC on the 12th. Operation is fast scan, on
all bands from 70cm upwards. The video exchange is the callsign and 4 digits.
The phone exchange includes the report, serial number and locator. Details and
full rules are on the web at www.batc.org.uk.
The 2nd 70MHz Contest takes place on Sunday 12th from 0900 to 1200UTC. For
many years this contest typically attracted between 16 and 21 entries, but
last year it shot up to 28. A sign of the times perhaps, with more and more
people in more and more countries coming onto the band. The exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Following the success of the first 75 Baud Sprint and many requests for a
second, BARTG is running a second Sprint 75 on 18 September between 1700 and
2100UTC. On the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10m bands using RTTY 75 Baud only, the
rules and scoring can be found on the BARTG website http://bartg.co.uk/.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 23rd to the 29th of
August, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 30th of August.
Solar activity was at very low levels for the week. No solar flares took place
at all. The solar disc was spotless on the 23rd but on the 24th a large singe
spot rotated into view. Solar flux levels declined slightly from 75 units on
the 23rd to 72 by the 28th. The average was 74 units. The 90 day solar flux
average on the 29th was at the same level as last week at 77 units. X-ray flux
levels varied little day to day and averaged A6 units. Geomagnetic activity
started at quiet levels on the 23rd with an Ap index of 5 units but overnight
into the 24th a coronal hole disturbance arrived. The most disturbed day was
the 25th with an Ap index of 20 units. Quiet conditions returned on the 29th
with an Ap of only 2 units. The average was Ap 11 units. Solar wind data from
the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from a slow 270 kilometres
per second on the 23rd to a fast 710 by the next day. Speeds remained fast
until the 29th when they declined to 430 by the end of the day. Particle
densities increased to very high levels with 82 particles per cubic centimetre
measured late on the 23rd. By the 26th particles had declined to 1 particle
per cubic centimetre where they remained for the rest of the period. Bz during
the disturbance fluctuated between minus 14 and plus 17 nanoTeslas and between
minus and plus 2 nanoTeslas once the magnetic field had quietened down on the
29th.
And now the solar forecast. This week the slightly more active side of the Sun
is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity though, will probably remain
at very low levels but there may be a increased chance of activity increasing.
Solar flux levels are expected to be in the low 80's for most of the week.
Geomagnetic activity should be mostly quiet everyday, saying that, the next
couple of days could be slightly unsettled due to a small recurring coronal
hole. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 21MHz for
the south and 18MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows are expected to be about
10MHz. Paths this week to the east coast of North America should have a
maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 20MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 15MHz.
The best time to try this path will be between 1600 and 2100 hours. Every week
these predications are for a quiet geomagnetic field, any increase in
geomagnetic activity will decrease the MUF by several megaHertz, particularly
on paths that go over or close to the polar regions. Paths over the equator to
the southern hemisphere will be the least effected.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
..... also for this bulletin.
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