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G4TNU > NEWS 29.01.12 03:04l 213 Lines 10939 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 29 Jan 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 29th January 2012
The news headlines:
* Logbook of the World to support CQ awards
* Latest news from the World Radiocommunications Conference
* Acting Chairman for ARDC announced
CQ Communications and the Amateur Radio Relay League in the USA have
signed an agreement to begin providing support for CQ-sponsored
operating awards by the ARRL's Logbook of the World electronic
confirmation system. CQ's awards are the first non-ARRL awards
supported by Logbook of the World and will be phased in, beginning
with the CQ WPX award. Amateurs will be able to use Logbook of the
World logs to generate lists of confirmed contacts to be submitted
for WPX credit. Standard Logbook of the World credit fees and CQ
award fees will apply.
RSGB Past President, Colin, G3PSM is attending the World
Radiocommunication Conference 2012 as part of the UK delegation until
17 February. He is posting daily news on the RSGB website at
www.rsgb.org/WRTC-12-news/. Over 3000 participants, representing more
than 150 out of the ITU's 193 Member States are attending the
four-week conference, making it one of the most significant ITU
events. About 100 Observers from among ITU's 700 private sector
members, along with international organisations are also attending.
As notified in the February edition of RadCom, the RSGB is seeking a
new Chairman for the Amateur Radio Development Committee. Until that
appointment is made, Steve Hartley, G0FUW, has been appointed Acting
Chairman, ARDC with immediate effect.
The Chibis-M microsatellite, also known as RS-39, was jettisoned from
the Progress M-13M cargo spacecraft Tuesday 24 January. The satellite
is designed to study atmospheric phenomena such as Terrestrial Gamma
Ray Flashes associated with lightning. RS-39 has CW beacons on
435.315 and 435.215MHz and amateurs are asked to submit reception
reports via e-mail to the Space Research Institute of the Russian
Academy of Sciences at amateur-rs39<at>chibis.cosmos.ru. Each report
will be acknowledged with a special QSL.
The Irish Radio Transmitters Society was founded 1932 and, as part of
the 80th anniversary celebrations, the IRTS will be using the special
callsign EI80IRTS. A certificate will be available to all amateurs
and SWLs with bronze, silver and gold levels for contacting the
station during 2012. The certificate is sponsored by Dundalk Amateur
Radio Society and details can be seen at www.ei7dar.com/ei80irts.html.
You can now read about some of the activities and decisions of the
RSGB Board in a new running log on the RSGB website. Check out
www.rsgb.org/boardprogress/.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The Horncastle Winter Rally will take place today, 29 January, in the
Horncastle Youth Centre, Lincolnshire LN9 6DZ. Doors open at 10.30am
and admission is GBP 1.50. Details from Tony, G3ZPU on 01507 527 835.
Next weekend, 5 February, the 27th Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally
will be held at The Paddocks, Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex
SS8 0JA, which is at the southern end of A130. Doors open at 10.30am.
Details from Dave, G4UVJ, on 01268 697 978 during the evening please.
Also on 5 February, the Radio-Active Rally will take place in the
Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG. Doors open at 10.30am and
there will be trade stands and Bring & Buy. More information from
Simon Chettle, G8ATB, on 01270 841 506.
Now for the news of special events
Listen out for stations taking part in SOS Radio Week in conjunction
with the RNLI. Lots of stations will be on the air fund raising for
the charity. See www.sosradioweek.org.uk/stations/ for details of
those taking part.
Station personnel at 4U1ITU, the amateur radio station at the
International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, have installed a
webcam in the station, allowing anyone with an Internet connection to
view live happenings at the station. 4U1ITU will be signing as 4U1WRC
during the 2012 World Radio Communication Conference that runs until
17 February. The station will revert back to 4U1ITU just in time for
the ARRL International DX CW Contest on 18 and 19 February.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Members of the Buddies in the Caribbean will mount a mini-DXpedition
to Grenada between 1 and 9 February. The team specialises in 100
watts or less low power radios and the Buddipole portable antenna
systems. Modes used will be CW, SSB, and the digital on 10 through to
160 metres. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or regular mail to
operator's home callsign and include a self addressed stamped
envelope if you go the postal route.
JA1XGI will be active from Hawaii as W8XGI/KH6 between 31 January and
4 February just prior to his upcoming trip to Tonga. Operations will
probably be on 6 through to 20 metres with an emphasis on 30, 17 and
12 metres. He is expected to operate mainly CW, with some SSB and the
digital modes. QSL via JA1XGI, direct or by via the Bureau. QSOs will
be uploaded to Logbook of the World.
Laci, HA0NAR is leading a small group that will be on the air as FW0R
from the Pacific islands of Wallis and Futuna until 23 February. QSL
Manager is HA0NAR.
Dennis, WA2USA/4, will be active from St. George Island from 1 to 27
February. More information can be found at: www.wa2usa.com. QSL via
his home callsign either through the bureau or direct.
Now the contest news
The CQWW 160m DX Contest takes place for 48 hours ending at 2200
today, 29 January, using CW only. The UK is CQ Zone 14. USA stations
will send a signal report and their 2-letter State code, while
Canadian stations will send a signal report and their 3-letter
Province code. Accurate logkeeping is a must in this event, because
there are penalties for bad or busted QSOs.
The BARTG RTTY Sprint finishes at 1200UTC today, 29 January. Since
last year it has become an event in the HF Championship, but it is
still adjudicated by BARTG and competing stations need to submit
their entries to BARTG. Single band entries are not allowed and the
contest uses the bands from 3.8 to 28MHz. The contest exchange is
serial number only. Stations who have been placed in the Top 10 of
any BARTG event in the past three years must enter the Expert category
The 70MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 31 January from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on the band, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
The 432MHz AFS contest is the final Super League event of the
2011/2012 season. It takes place for four hours on the morning of the
5th from 0900 to 1300UTC. A French contest coincides with the first
couple of hours, so don't forget to take advantage of the activity by
beaming that way early on. The exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
The European Phase Shift Keying Club's PSK63 Contest takes place next
weekend on 4 and 5 February. Last year there was a big increase in
participation but in several of the categories there were no entries
at all from parts of the UK. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands between
1200 and 1200UTC, the exchange is signal report and serial number
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 20th to
Thursday the 26th of January, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on the
27th of January.
The two large sunspot regions mentioned in last week's report
continued to dominate the solar disc and solar activity. Numerous C
class solar flares took place on a daily basis but the largest event
was a long duration M8 proton solar flare during the morning of the
23rd. Associated with this event were multi-frequency radio emissions
spanning from 25MHz through to 15.4GHz, a fast moving large coronal
mass ejection and a sudden ionospheric disturbance. Solar flux levels
declined from 142 units on the 21st to 126 by the 25th. The average
was 137 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 26th was 143,
that's one unit down on last week. X-ray flux levels varied little
day to day and averaged B5.8 units. Geomagnetic activity started at
quiet levels but during the early hours of the 22nd a coronal mass
ejection arrived from the solar flare of the 19th. The Ap index for
the 22nd was 24 units. This was the first disturbed day since the 1st
of November last year. Then around 1500 hours on the 24th a second,
faster coronal mass ejection arrived associated with the M8 flare
from the 23rd. This disturbance did not last as long but the Ap index
for the 24th was also 24 units. Activity then declined back to quiet
levels by the 26th. The average was Ap 13 units. Solar wind data from
the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 290 kilometres
per second on the 21st to 650 by the 25th. Particle densities
increased to 63 particles per cubic centimetre during the 22nd. Bz
varied between minus 4 and plus 6 nanoTeslas on the quietest day and
between minus 29 and plus 28 nanoTeslas on the 22nd and between minus
18 and plus 29 nanoTeslas during the 24th.
Radio aurora took place on four consecutive days from the 22nd. By
far the strongest was the evening of the 22nd, which lasted into the
23rd, when stations on the south coast could participate. Northern
England and Scotland also had the pleasure of an exceptional visual
aurora, where skies were clear of clouds. Further down the radio
spectrum, the HF bands were badly degraded especially the high
latitude paths. However, they recovered quite rapidly with MUFs back
up to 27MHz or higher with paths to Africa and South America on 28MHz
better than expected considering magnetic levels.
And finally the solar forecast. This week the slightly quieter side
of the Sun is expected to be facing our way. Solar activity should be
low on most days with only a slight chance that activity will
increase to moderate levels. Solar flux levels should be in the 120s
for most of the week. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be quiet
everyday. This week there is only a small chance that any coronal
mass ejections will head our way. MUFs during daylight hours at equal
latitudes should be around 29MHz. Darkness hour lows are expected to
be about 8MHz. 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 28MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate will be about 21MHz. The best time to try this path
will be between 1300 and 1800 hours UTC.
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 Thursday before transmission.
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