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G4TNU > NEWS 22.06.11 16:05l 210 Lines 10649 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 26 Jun
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 26th June 2011
The news headlines:
* Foundation Syllabus changes on 1 July
* AMSAT-UK at the UK Space Conference
* Distance learning advanced exam
The syllabus of the Foundation examination changes on 1 July. A new
question on etiquette and dealing with abuse will be added, making 26
questions in total, with a pass mark of 19. Details were posted last
year on the RCF examinations website, www.commsfoundation.org/rce.
AMSAT-UK will have a presence at the first-ever UK Space Conference
being organised by the UK Space Agency. It takes place at the
University of Warwick on 4 and 5 July. AMSAT-UK has been sponsored to
have a small stand in the exhibition area and will be among some very
illustrious company. The stand will be displaying FUNcube models and
demonstrating the educational outreach possibilities. AMSAT-UK will
be presenting short papers in the educational and CubeSat streams
during the event. Further details of the event are at
tinyurl.com/UKSpace2011.
Following the successful conclusion of their distance learning course
with the Advanced exam, the Bath Radio Classes are planning to do it
all over again. There have been a number of enquiries already, so the
next virtual course will start in the week beginning 18 July. The aim
is that students will sit the exam on Monday 5 December, either in
Bath or at their local exam centre. There are no fees for the classes
but students will need a copy of the RSGB Advance! textbook and will,
of course, need to pay the exam fee of GBP 37.50. Each week, students
will receive guided reading instructions and revision questions to
test recollection and/or understanding. Tutors will mark e-mailed
answers and will provide worked answers in return. Tutors will also
provide points of clarification on request. The material is
supplemented by additional exercises and video demonstrations on
YouTube. Further details can be had from Steve Hartley, G0FUW, who is
QTHR, listed on QRZ.com and can be emailed via
G0FUW<at>tiscali.co.uk. Steve would also like to hear from anyone
that would be interested in becoming a remote tutor as he is trying
to build up a network of mentors that can help share the workload,
which is moderate. However, more hands will make light work and add
some resilience into the system.
Edward Rippon, M0EPR is interested in starting up the Nottingham
RAYNET group again. The group will be primarily for emergency
communications. There will be training events taking place around
Nottingham, providing communications for local authorities and for
local events, horse trails, fun runs and the Santa train. The group
will also promote amateur radio within the community. If you are
interested, please contact Edward Rippon on 0797 449 1299 or email
m0epr.sarc<at>yahoo.com.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 26 June, the West of England Radio Rally will be held in the
Cheese & Grain, Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE. There will
trade stands and an RSGB bookstall. Contact Shaun, G8VPG, on
01225 873 098.
The Bangor and District ARS rally is to be held on Saturday 2 July in
Donaghadee Community Centre. Starting at 12 noon, admission is GBP 2
and there are plenty of attractions including special interest
groups, Bring and Buy and a good selection of radio and computer
traders. Ian White, GM3SEK, of RadCom fame, is giving a presentation
on Ferrite Cores and Baluns. More information, and a map, is
available at www.bdars.com.
The 2nd Stockport Rally will take place on Saturday 2 July at Walthew
House, Shaw Heath, Stockport SK2 6QS. Doors open at 10am, admission
will be GBP 1 and there will be trade stands as well as catering
available. Details from Bernard, G3SHF, on 01625 850088, daytime &
weekends.
The Barford Norfolk Radio Rally will be held on Sunday 3 July at
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB. It's 9 miles
south west of Norwich, close to the A11 and A47. Doors open at 9am
and admission is GBP 1.50, with children admitted free. There will be
trade stands and a Bring & Buy.
Now for the news of special events
Central Lancs ARC will be activating Hoghton Tower today, 26 June.
This stately home, located in Preston, Lancashire, has been the
ancestral home of the De Hoghton family since William the Conqueror.
For more details go to www.cashota.co.uk.
Eden Valley Radio Society will be operating as GB2SAS from the Solway
Aviation Society museum open day at Carlisle airport on Saturday 2
July. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Solway Aviation
Society and the 50th birthday of the museums' Vulcan bomber.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Preston ARS is planning to run an IOTA station from St Kilda island
on 28 to 30 June. This all depends on sea conditions as they will be
travelling by their own boats. The callsign they plan to use is
GS4SK. Further information will be available on QRZ.com.
A large team of operators will be active as BY1RX/4 from Furong
Island, which is IOTA reference AS-160, from 2 to 9 July. They will
operate CW, SSB and RTTY from four stations on 160 to 6m. QSL via
BA4TB. More information at www.qrz.cn/as160.
PY2FN will be operational as PY0FO from Fernando de Noronha between 2
and 9 July. Activity will be on 160 to 6m, CW only. Logs will be
uploaded to Logbook of the World. QSL via his home callsign, direct
or via the bureau.
Paul, 2E1EUB will be active as 2M1EUB/P from the Isle of Harris and
Lewis, Western Scotland on the AMSAT Oscar 7 satellite and others
that may be in view from 2 July for 14 days. Check out qrz.com for
more details.
Now the contest news
The fourth 70MHz Cumulative contest takes place today, 26 June from
1400 to 1600UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
On 28 June there is the 50MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to
2130UTC, on all modes. Signal report, serial number and locator form
the exchange.
Also on 28 June is the SHF UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
The real action on VHF begins with VHF NFD on 2nd and 3rd July. Apart
from the various sections for portable stations of differing powers
and complexities, as of 2009 there is also the Sweepers section. This
was introduced to encourage fixed stations to work the portables and
expanded in 2010. As a non-participating fixed station there's no
reason why you shouldn't call CQ while the contest is in progress,
because there will be a whole band of people looking for QSOs,
especially during the quieter hours. The third 2m Backpackers runs
for the last three hours of VHF NFD and continues for an hour after
it ends.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 13th to the
19th of June, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 20th of June.
First this week in the solar news are the latest smoothed monthly
sunspot numbers, which for September, October and November are 19.6,
23.2 and 26.5 respectively. Recent media reports of studies released
in the United States have suggested that the solar cycle may have
gone into hibernation and that cycle 24, currently under way, may
prove to be the last normal one for some time. These projections
should not be taken as conclusive, but if they prove correct they
point to dismal prospects for HF operators later this decade. Perhaps
the best conclusion for the time being is that we would be wise to
make the most of cycle 24 as it moves towards maximum in a couple of
years time.
The solar disc had several sunspot groups visible every day. Solar
activity was very low on the 18th and increased to moderate on the
14th when a M1 class solar flare took place. On the remaining days
activity was low when C class occurred. Solar flux levels initially
increased from 87 units on the 13th to 104 by the 17th, but as the
two largest sunspot groups decayed flux levels declined back to 99
units by the 19th and the 20th. The average was 99 units. The 90 day
solar flux average on the 19th was 104, that's one unit up on last
week. X-ray flux levels varied little day to day and averaged B2.5
units. Geomagnetic activity was mostly quiet but on the 17th
increased to unsettled levels with an Ap index of 11 units. The cause
of this was a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection from the M1
flare on the 14th. The average was Ap 6 units. Solar wind data from
the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 580 kilometres
per second on the 14th to 380 by the 19th. Particle densities were
low throughout. Bz varied no more than minus 8 and plus 7 nanoTeslas
for the period. Sporadic-E occurred on most days, notably the 17th
when there was a strong 50MHz opening to the south-east United States
and the Caribbean. There was a smaller opening to the north-east US
and Newfoundland on the 18th. Two metres opened to Portugal, Morocco
and the Canary Islands on the evening of the 17th.
And now the solar forecast. This week the slightly more active side
of the Sun is expected to be rotating out of sight. Solar activity at
best is expected to be at low levels but on some days may decline to
very low levels. Solar flux levels should decline and be around the
90 mark by next weekend. However as previously stated, it would only
take one large active sunspot group to change all that. Geomagnetic
activity could be slightly unsettled today due to the effects of a
coronal hole. If not, then activity should be quiet every day unless
an Earth directed coronal mass ejection takes place. MUFs during
daylight hours at equal latitudes should be 21MHz for the south and
18MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows are expected to be around
13MHz. Paths this week to Australia 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 should be
about 15MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 0700 and
1000 hours. Also, during the late evening the long path good be open
with slightly higher MUFs.
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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