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G4TNU > NEWS 16.03.11 18:46l 275 Lines 14343 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 20th March 2011
The news headlines:
* News from Japan
* G4FSU appointed as HF Manager
* GB4FUN supporter, silent key
After the 8.9 earthquake that struck near Sendai, Japan at 0546UTC on
11 March, Japan has been rocked by tsunamis and power outages caused
by trouble at a nuclear power station. Some 55,380 houses/buildings
were damaged by the earthquake and 3,000 houses washed away by the
tsunami. The RSGB has sent a message of support to the JARL who,
although based in Tokyo, has still felt the quakes but has suffered
no damage. Sadly, the Yaesu factory in Fukushima has been damaged.
Thankfully, no staff were injured, although it will take a week or
two to get the factory up and running as it is just 60km from the
nuclear power station. Sadly, many of the subcontractors used by
several of the manufacturers in Japan are based near the coast; it is
unclear what has happened to these businesses.
The Japan Amateur Radio League HQ station, JA1RL, along with other
amateurs throughout the island nation, is maintaining the effort to
support the disaster relief operation. JA1RL continues to operate as
an emergency traffic centre on 7.030MHz as well as 2 metres and 70cm.
While 3.525, 7.030, 7.043 and 7.075MHz have been mentioned as in use,
it's wise to keep those and all of the Centre of Emergency
frequencies clear of normal and non-urgent traffic. In less damaged
areas, the electric power supply is being restored gradually and
local amateurs have started to establish stations at shelters.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this situation.
Following the decision by John, G3WKL to step down as HF Manager and
the post being advertised in RadCom, the Board has approved the
appointment of Ian Greenshields, G4FSU to this honorary position.
Apart from a having a very successful career as an RF and microwave
communications engineer, Ian is well versed in radio spectrum
matters. This is on account of his role, since 2005, of Secretary to
the IARU Region 1 HF Committee. Recently, the IARU has appointed him
as a Technical Consultant that will require regular involvement in
ITU and CEPT matters. Ian's other amateur radio interests include
managing the speaker programme for the HF Convention between 2003 and
2009, and HF DXing and contesting.
The RSGB has been saddened to hear of the death of Waters & Stanton's
long time service engineer Michael Wheaton, G4ZPE. Michael, known as
ZIPY, was a larger than life character who was involved in amateur
radio for many years. He was involved in the fitting out of GB4FUN
Mark 1 and gave much of his time to stripping the vehicle when the
current GB4FUN was commissioned. Those involved with the GB4FUN
project remember Michael as a true gentleman and outstanding man who
always assisted with kit and repairs for GB4FUN. Our condolences to
his family, he will be sorely missed by all his friends, RSGB staff
and work colleagues at Waters & Stanton.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, the posting
of the April RadCom has been delayed. Copies will go into the post on
21 March, for delivery around 25 March. Our apologies for the
inconvenience to Members.
There is a reunion of ex-members of the Radio Security Service on
Sunday 17 April in the Mansion at Bletchley Park. It will include an
illustrated lecture on how radio amateurs helped to win the war. More
than a thousand amateur volunteers listened on the short wave bands,
in secret in their own homes, for illicit signals in the UK. What
they uncovered were the transmitters of the German Secret Service
operating all over Europe and beyond. Beside penetrating the most
secret aspects of the service they also learnt about spies sent here,
some of whom were 'turned' to work under the supervision of radio
amateurs, notably Ronnie Reed, G2RX. More can be learned at
http://secretlisteners.org.
Early notice now of an event that may be of interest to UK
Intermediate students and any keen home brew enthusiast. The Torbay
Amateur Radio Society will be hosting a Buildathon on Sunday 5 June
in Newton Abbot, Devon. The project will be a 'Manhatten-style' 40m
Sudden receiver with VFO by G3RJV. The Bath Buildathon crew will be
providing tools and test equipment, assisting and mentoring any
student who needs guidance. Enquiries to Pam Halliwell via the Torbay
ARS website www.tars.org.uk/.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The 27th Yeovil QRP Convention will take place today, 20 March, in
Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA. The venue is
adjoining the central shopping car park. Doors open at 9.30am and
talk-in is provided on S22. There will be trade stands, lectures and
a Bring & Buy. CP, TS, LEC, B&B, C, DIS. Contact Derek, M0WOB,
01935 414 452.
For an unusual day, the Northern Ireland Bunker will be open to the
public on Saturday 26 March from 11am till 4pm, at 60 Derrylettiff
Road, Portadown. This bunker has been restored by Allistair, 2I0ROC.
More details can be found at www.nibunker.co.uk or by contacting
Allistair on 0792 116 7775.
The Spring Militaria & Electronics & Radio Amateur Hangar Sale will
take place on 27 March at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker,
Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AP. Doors open at 10am and admission is
GBP 2.50. Visitors will find civil, military and vintage radio
equipment plus vehicle spares and more. Contact Rod Siebert on
01270 623353.
Now for the news of special events
The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club will be putting GB0BB on
the air again today, 20 March, from Fort Paull in East Yorkshire. The
station will celebrate the 6th anniversary of the Blackburn Beverley
XB259 aircraft. Operators and guests are welcome. See qrz.com for
details of the event.
John Taylor, G3OWO is celebrating his 50 years in radio communication
with GB5OWO. He will be active on all bands from 160m to 70cm from
his home in Preston, Lancashire until 28 March. John will be using as
many modes as possible with the emphasis on PSK31 & CW. More
information and photographs can be found on QRZ.com.
Until 3 April, GB8HBW and GB0CMR will be on the air celebrating 85
years of Hospital Radio in the UK. GB8HBW will be operating in the
Newbury area and GB0CMR is in Hinckley for Castle Mead Radio.
On 21 March, the Namibian Amateur Radio League celebrate its 21st
birthday. At the same time Namibia will celebrate 21 years of its own
independence. To commemorate these two events the NARL has been
issued the special event callsign V521NAM. All amateurs in Namibia
are allowed to use the special event callsign on 19 to 21 March but
they will be required to send in their logs so the NARL QSL Bureau
can send out special QSL cards to all worked stations. All incoming
QSL's should be via sent via the bureau or electronically using
e-qsl. More on this special event operation is on the web at
www.qsl.net/narl. (NARL)
North Cork Radio Group will be active EI1NC/P from the Old Governors
House at Cork City Gaol and Radio Museum on 20 March. The Gaol houses
the restored 6CK radio broadcast studio in addition to an audio
visual dedicated to Marconi and his Irish connections along with a
wide collection of nostalgic artefacts from the golden age of Irish
radio.
Paul Robinson 2E1EUB will be active on the amateur radio satellites
from Scotland signing 2M1EUB/P for a week starting Sunday, March 20.
He will be operating from his van that he's spent all winter
setting-up. Weather permitting he hopes to be on the mountains rather
than below them. He will start from grid square IO87RJ in East
Scotland and will be travelling around the surrounding area. More
information on QRZ.com.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
VE3ZIK will be once again active portable 9A from Croatia until 30
March. He also plans to be active in the Russian DX Contest, the CQ
WPX SSB Contest and mentions that there is a good chance he will be
on from Vrana Lake as well. QSL via DK8ZZ, via the bureau, Logbook of
the World, eQSL or direct. E-mail Bureau requests for QSLs can go to
ve3zik<at>gmail.com.
A0SC, UA0SE, UA0SW and RZ0SR will be working from Senegal until 28
March. During RDXC and WPX contests they will be active as 6V7D.
Before and after they will use 6W/home calls. They will be working on
all HF bands and all modes. QSL for 6V7D via UA0SE otherwise, QSL via
their home callsigns.
Joe, 9N7WL, Ernst, 9N7AN, Georg, DL4SVA and Franz, DL9GFB plan to be
active from Nepal in a period stretching from mid-March to
early-April 2011. Beginning 16 March, Ernst, 9N7AN will commence solo
activity from Kathmandu, with the main part of the DXpedition
starting on 26 March once the rest of the team arrive in Nepal. They
will operate all bands/modes until 8 April.
Kevan, 2E0WMG and Jonathan,G0DVJ will be on the air from Lundy Island
from 21 to 26 March. For QSL details see QRZ.com.
Stefan, DL7AOS will be active as 5P5K from Roemoe Island from 20
March until 1 April. He will work in holiday style mainly in SSB on
the usual IOTA frequencies. QSL via his home callsign either via the
bureau or direct.
Now the contest news
On 22 March, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest takes place from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
Also on 22 March, the SHF UK Activity Contest takes place between
2000 and 2230UTC. Using all modes the on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the
signal report is signal report, serial number and locator.
On 24 March, the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships takes place
between 2000 and 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial
number.
Next weekend, 26 and 27 March, the CQWW WPX SSB contest takes place
between 0000 and 2359UTC. On the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 7th to the
13th of March, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 14th of March.
Four hundred years ago on the 9th of March 1611, a German student
named Johannes Fabricius spotted black spots on the sun's surface
through his newly invented telescope. Though he was not the first to
observe sunspots, he was the first to publish a scientific paper on
the subject several months later. This publication opened a door to
four more centuries of solar research, which is still ongoing. He
wrote, "Several weeks of observations suggested that neither clouds
nor planets nor stars caused the dark spots on the sun." He came to
the conclusion that the spots were a phenomenon of the sun itself and
that they moved in the same direction at a fairly constant speed,
disappearing off one edge and reappearing approximately two weeks
later on the other. Johannes Fabricius unfortunately died in 1616 at
the young age of 29, so he barely saw even the early stages of
sunspot research. But four centuries after his sighting, the legacy
of the sunspot mystery he discovered lives on.
Solar activity was high on the 7th, 8th and the 9th. On the remaining
days, activity was moderate except for the 11th and the 13th that
were low. The largest solar flare of the period was an X1 on the 9th.
Eighteen M class solar flares took place along with numerous C class
solar flares. The solar disc for the first few days was dominated by
four large sunspot groups but this reduced to two by the end of the
period. Solar flux levels increased to peak at 155 units on the 8th,
the highest level since July 2004. Levels then declined to 113 by the
13th. The average was 134 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the
13th was 93, that's three units up on last week. X-ray flux levels
started the period at C1.7 units but declined everyday to B3.8 by the
13th. The average was B8.3 units. Geomagnetic activity started at
quiet levels but at around 0600 on the 10th the arrival of a magnetic
disturbance was detected at the ACE spacecraft. This first storm
seems to be related to a coronal mass ejection from a large solar
flare that took place on the 7th. The Ap index was 20 units.
Following on from this, a coronal hole disturbance arrived the next
day and the Ap index on the 11th was 40 units. This disturbance
continued into the next day when the Ap was 13 units. The average was
Ap 14 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind
speeds increase from 320 kilometres per second on the 8th to 600 by
the morning of the 12th. Particle densities were low except for the
10th and the 11th when an increase to 22 particles per cubic
centimetre occurred. Bz on the quiet days varied between minus 6 and
plus 3 nanoTeslas. During the 11th variations to minus 13 and plus 12
nanoTeslas took place. Interestingly, the Bz remained negative from
0500 on the 7th to 0230 on the 9th, that's a continuous 45 and a half
hours. The magnetic field was weak so no aurora occurred.
And now the solar forecast. During this present increase in solar
activity, one of the largest regions is due to return into view
around the middle of this week. Therefore, solar activity could
increase as the week progresses. Obviously, much will depend on how
active this region is on its return. Solar flux levels should also
increase and could be up to the 120's. Provided that no coronal mass
ejections heads our way then geomagnetic activity is expected to be
quiet for most of the week. 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
Australia should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent
success rate of around 27MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90
per cent success rate will be about 21MHz. The best time to try this
path will be between 0800 and 1200 hours.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.
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 gb2rs<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Tuesday before transmission.
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