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G4TNU > NEWS 13.07.11 20:19l 216 Lines 10705 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 17 Jul
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 17th July 2011
The news headlines:
* Results of RSGB Survey released
* Error found in Ofcom licensing system
* Dutch to get 500kHz and 70MHz bands
From October to December last year the RSGB ran a major online survey
of amateur radio enthusiasts. The intention was to capture the
current state of the hobby and how it might develop over the next
decade or so. The analysis of the survey has been completed and has
turned up some interesting results. The detailed findings have now
been published and can be downloaded from the RSGB website at
www.rsgb.org/survey/analysis. A short article will appear in the
August RadCom that puts the results in context.
An error has been discovered in the Ofcom licensing system that
appeared to allow the reissue of callsigns. This is being
investigated by Ofcom and will be corrected as soon as possible. Any
incorrect callsigns issued will be revoked and replaced with a
callsign of the correct series.
A recent change of the National Allocation Table in the Netherlands
shows that Dutch amateurs will get a secondary allocation from
501-505kHz until 1 January 2014 and a secondary allocation from
70.0-70.5MHz. The allocations will not start until an update is made
of certain frequency control legislation.
As preparations for the Olympics gather pace, Airwave has announced
that its specialist TETRA Network, Apollo, is ready to provide voice
communications in the London area. This uses UHF spectrum that is
separate from the amateur 70cm allocation, however the scale of the
games is such that additional spectrum may still be needed from the
70cm band on a temporary basis. An example of this is the forthcoming
use of 70cm for telemetry to support sailing test events. As
announced last week, this will occur in the Weymouth and Portland
area between Wednesday 20 July and Saturday 13 August. Further
information can be found on the RSGB website at
www.rsgb.org/olympics.
The lecture programme for the RSGB Convention in October is nearly
full. 60 of the 65 lecture slots have been filled and a new
provisional lecture timetable has been uploaded to the Convention
website, www.rsgb.org/rsgbconvention.
A new free sample edition of RadCom is now available to read online
or download from the RSGB website. The sample RadCom is available in
digital magazine format for reading online, which requires a Flash
plug-in to your browser. For those who would like to save the
magazine to their computer, or do not have Flash installed, a 24
megabyte PDF version is available. The sample is the March 2011
edition.
Crystal Palace Radio & Electronics Club is starting a new Foundation
course. It will take place on four Saturday mornings, commencing on
24 September and ending with the exam on 22 October. Contact Bob on
01737 552170 or email g3oou<at>aol.com for more information or to
join the course.
Production company The Garden is inviting people to get involved in a
new TV programme for Channel 4. They are looking for people with a
wide variety of skills and voices to form a group to help someone at
a crossroads in their life. They said that a radio amateur might be
an interesting person to add to the mix. To find out more please call
Tom Wilde on 0203 465 9079 or email
takepart<at>thegardenproductions.tv. Filming will take place for a
week in August.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The McMichael Rally and Boot Sale takes place today, 17 July, at
Reading Rugby Club, just off the A4 east of Reading. There is free
car parking and admission is GBP 2. Traders and special interest
groups will be in attendance and a car boot sale area is available.
The gates open at 9.30am. Details from Pete, G8FRC on 01189 695697.
Also today is QRP in Country at Upton Bridge Farm, Long Sutton,
Langport TA10 9NJ. The Bath Buildathon team, led by Steve Hartley,
G0FUW, will be supervising construction and George Dobbs, G3RJV will
be attending and commenting on a Show & Tell display, so please bring
along lots of homebrew things for all to see. Rob Mannion, G3XFD,
Editor of PW, the RSGB and other QRP personalities will be there.
Entry is free and details can be found at
www.walfordelectronics.co.uk.
Bletchley Park is today celebrating the important contribution made
by three Polish mathematicians for their work on breaking the Enigma
codes. As part of the annual Polish Day celebrations, Bletchley Park
will also be remembering other Polish contributions and involvement
in World War II. The day will include Polish dancing, food and
displays, themed talks and a Spitfire fly-past by the Battle of
Britain Memorial Flight.
Northumbria Amateur Radio Club is holding a Bring and Buy sale on
Saturday 23 July, starting at 10am. Everyone is very welcome to come
along. To sell items, please forward details to the club secretary
Roy, G0AXJ, by email to roymccluskey<at>hotmail.co.uk, or telephone
0741 2659 150, as soon as possible. For full details please visit the
NARC website, www.g4aax.org.uk, where you will find appropriate links
associated with this event.
Now for the news of special events
Today, 17 July, Pontefract & District Amateur Radio Society is on its
second and final day operating GB1AVR for Ackworth Vintage Rally. The
site is at Watertower Field, Ackworth.
GB6MMR will be on the air today from the McMichael Mobile Rally near
Reading. Operation is on 2m and 70cm.
From 20 until 24 July GB4WP will be operating from the War and Peace
Show at The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent. Activity will be from Top
Band to 2m.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
From 24 July to 2 August an international team of operators will be
QRV from Lord Howe Island, IOTA OC-004, on all bands from 6 to 160m.
This includes the RSGB IOTA contest on 30 and 31 July. The callsign
to listen for is VK9HR. All details can be found at www.vk9hr.com and
you can see equipment preparations in progress by searching for VK9HR
on youtube.com. All team members are linked to the Hellenic Amateur
Radio Association of Australia.
Dave, ZR6DG will be active as C92DG from Tofo in Mozambique until 28
July. His plans are to do two DX sessions a day along with Helge,
ZS6HB. QSL via ZR6DG.
Look for Stefan, DF8HS/P to be active from Fehmarn Island, which is
IOTA reference EU-128, until 29 July. QSL via home call, bureau
preferred.
Eric, SM1TDE will be active holiday style as OH0/SM1TDE from Eckero,
Aland Islands, which is IOTA reference EU-002, from 21 to 24 July.
QSL via the bureau and Logbook of The World.
Now the contest news
Today, Sunday 17 July sees the Low Power Contest taking place from
0900 to 1600UTC. Using the 3.7 and 7MHz bands, CW only, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and power. Also today, from 1000 to
1600UTC is the 70MHz trophy. Using all modes the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
The UHF UK Activity Contest takes place on Tuesday 19 July from 1900
to 2130UTC. Operating on the 23cm band using all modes, signal
report, serial number and locator form the exchange.
On Thursday 21 July from 1900 to 2030UTC it's the RSGB 80m Club
Championships. Using data modes only on the 80m band, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
Next Sunday, 24 July, is the WAB QRO 2m phone contest, which runs
from 1000 until 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and WAB square.
And now the solar factual data for the period from the 4th to the
10th of July, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the 11th of July.
The solar disc had sunspot groups visible every day with up to five
groups on the 8th. Solar activity was very low except for the 7th
when a single C class solar flare took place. Then during a six hour
period on the 8th, as a group emerged, four C class solar flares took
place. Solar flux levels varied little and averaged 86 units, but on
the 10th increased to 91. The 90 day solar flux average on the 10th
was 99 units. That's one unit down on last week. X-ray flux levels
averaged B1.2 units and showed little variation day to day.
Geomagnetic activity was just unsettled on most days for one reason
or another, first a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection on the
4th and the 5th and then a coronal hole disturbance on the 9th and
the 10th. The 7th was the quietest day with an Ap index of 6 units.
The average was Ap 10 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft
saw solar wind speeds vary between 330 and 540 kilometres per second.
Particle densities increased to 22 particles per cubic centimetre on
the 8th and the 9th. The remaining days were low. Bz varied between
minus 4 and plus 3 nanoTeslas on the quietest day and between minus 9
and plus 10 nanoTeslas during the disturbances.
And now the solar forecast. This week solar activity is expected to
be at very low levels but could increase on some days. Solar activity
should be around the 90 mark for most of the week. Geomagnetic
activity should be quiet for at least the next couple of days before
a recurring coronal hole disturbance arrives and when it does it will
last till the weekend. The disturbance should not be too strong; the
Ap index should be in the teens during the second half of the week.
MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 20MHz
for the south and 17MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows are
expected to be about 13MHz. Paths this week to South Africa should
have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of
around 26MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent
success rate will be about 21MHz. Paths going directly over the
equator will not be effected by the coronal hole disturbance and the
best time to try this path will be between 1100 and 1600 hours.
Sporadic-E is expected to take place most days on the lower VHF bands
but the chance of an opening up to 144MHz is now becoming less likely
as the peak of the season as now passed. A new solar activity near
real time service has been launched on Twitter by G0CAS. It can be
found by searching on Twitter for spots and flares, that's without
the spaces.
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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