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G4TNU > NEWS 18.03.12 03:04l 202 Lines 10364 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 18 Mar 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 18th March 2012
The news headlines:
* RSGB AGM next month in Bedford
* Birthplace of radio becomes a city
* Optical marking soon for amateur exams
The RSGB AGM will take place on 21 April at the Swan Hotel, Bedford.
Full details are in the April RadCom. The hotel would like some
indication of the numbers who will be having lunch on the day of the
AGM. Lunch will be soup and a sandwich and will cost GBP 8. To
register your intent, please visit www.rsgb.org/agmlunch and submit
your name and callsign.
Chelmsford, acknowledged as the birthplace of radio and home to the
Marconi Company for many years, is one of three new cities created to
mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This year also marks the 100th
anniversary of the establishment by Marconi of the first purpose
built radio factory in New Street, Chelmsford in 1912. New Street is
marked with blue plaque noting the historic significance.
New software will shortly be introduced to handle the administration
of amateur radio exams. The design of the software that was
commissioned includes optical marking technology. This will greatly
improve the speed, accuracy and cost-effectiveness of the overall
administration of the examination process. Optical marking will cover
all three levels of examination. It will be used for marking the
Advanced exam and for validating local marking at Foundation and
Intermediate levels. For candidates, optical marking will mean
recording their answers on a separate answer sheet. The timescale for
introduction of optical marking will be announced once the software
has been proven and tested. The RCF will give one months notice of
its introduction so that candidates can be advised of the new answer
process. Further details will be in the March tutors' newsletter.
The RSGB is aware that repeater and beacon keepers are frustrated by
the lack of progress on the issuing of a number of NoVs. Applications
for NoVs going back several years remain outstanding. It appears that
some delays have been due to changes in staff in the Licensing
Centre; the RSGB has worked with Ofcom to help overcome these
problems and offer advice as necessary. As a result, NoVs for
repeaters in Primary amateur bands such as 2 metres are now being
issued with little delay. This is also the situation with internet
gateways and datacomms where, following considerable efforts by the
ETCC, delays have now been resolved. Frequency clearances in those
bands where the amateur service is secondary have been subject to
considerable delay and these delays are likely to continue. To read
all the details and learn how the RSGB is working with Ofcom to solve
these delays, go to www.rsgb.org.
The AMSAT/TAPR Banquet on Friday night, 18 May, is one of the main
AMSAT activities during the 2012 Hamvention at Dayton. Howard Long,
G6LVB will be the featured speaker for the evening event. Howard will
be talking about his FUNcube Dongle, the 64–1700 MHz software
defined receiver. For anyone going to the Dayton Hamvention this
year, Banquet tickets are $30 each and available from
www.amsat-na.com.
The source of some mysterious weak signals on 29.684MHz with an 81.9
Baud and 130Hz shift has been located. The signals came from the
Spanish coastal area and were audible across all of Europe – but
only during band openings and then only by directional antennas. It
turns out the source of transmissions is Datawell buoys. These buoys,
produced in the Netherlands, are used for measuring water
temperatures and wave heights. They are designed to transmit with 75
milliwatts on frequencies between 27 and 40MHz. Datawell has been
informed them that the transmissions on the amateur service 10 metre
band are illegal.
And now for the details of forthcoming rallies
The Spring Militaria & Electronics & Radio Amateur Hangar Sale will
he held on 25 March at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker,
Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AL. Doors open at 10am and there will be,
civil, military & vintage radio equipment, vehicle spares & more.
Contact Rod Siebert, 01270 623 353.
The Devon & Cornwall HAMFEST takes place the same date, 25 March, at
The Engine House, Compton Park, Callington PL17 8EA. There will be
trade stands and special interest groups. Compton Park is a peaceful,
simple unspoilt site formerly the site of an old Cornish tin mine,
with the old Cornish steam engine house and the Engine House Tea
Rooms. More information from Dereck, M0YDW, via e-mail to
disco5live<at>btinternet.com.
Now for the news of special events
The Medway Amateur Receiving & Transmitting Society will be on air
from Tuesday 27 March to Saturday 31 March, activating Fort Amherst
in Chatham Kent. This is part of their 90th birthday celebrations and
they will be using special callsign GB5MW. More details can be found
at www.cashota.co.uk or www.g5mw.org.uk.
And now the HF DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
A large group from Germany and Poland plan to be active from the
Pacific island of Tonga until 24 March. They are using the callsign
is A35YZ. QSL via DL7DF.
David, GI4FUM will be carrying a Blackberry and a 3G iPad2 on the
DXpedition to Namibia. They should be on the air on 19 March. The
group will be happy to arrange skeds, just e-mail gi4fum<at>arrl.net.
The DXpedition will be operating from the station of Andre, V51B in
Oranjemund, locator JK81FK. V5/GI4FUM and V5/GI8MIV should operate
SSB, PSK31 and RTTY. V5/GI4DOH will operate CW and V5/DM3BJ will
operate PSK31 and RTTY.
Retu, OH4MDY will be active as XV2RZ from Vietnam until 16 April. He
says that this time he will pay special attention to digital modes.
QSL via his home callsign, direct only. He will upload his log to
Club Log.
Esteban, XQ7UP will be on the air from Patagonia until 25 March. He
will operate mainly SSB, RTTY and PSK31 and will participate in the
CQ WW WPX SSB Contest. QSL via his home callsign.
Now the contest news
The Russian DX Contest runs until 1200UTC today, 18 March. There are
lots of entry categories, mostly for single ops. An interesting twist
is that it is permitted for a single op station to make two
single-band entries. Usually this would be to take advantage of bands
that aren't open at the same time, for example 10m and 80m. Using CW
and SSB on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and Russians send their oblast code.
The 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes lace from 2000 to 2230UTC on 20
March. Using all modes on the band, the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
On 22 March it's the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships from 2000
to 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend is the SSB leg of CQWW WPX. Taking place from 0000UTC on
24 March until 2359UTC on 25 March. Everybody works everybody,
exchanging a report and serial number. Expect the contesting bands to
be congested and some pretty large serial numbers to be exchanged
across the 1.8 to 28MHz bands.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 9th to
the 15th of March, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday the 16th
of March.
Solar activity varied between low and high. The large sunspot group
mentioned in last weeks report only rotated off the solar disc on the
15th. Before then, 5 M class solar flares took place, all producing
coronal mass ejections and sudden ionospheric disturbances. The
largest flare was a M8, which took place on the 10th. Numerous C
class solar flares occurred every day, and there were some from other
groups as well. Solar flux levels declined from 149 units on the 10th
to 111 by the 15th. The average was 130 units. The increase in solar
flux levels did nothing to the 90 day solar flux average, which
remained unchanged at 125 units on the 15th. X-ray flux levels
declined from B8.8 units on the 9th to B4.7 by the 15th and the
average was B6.1 units. Geomagnetic activity was up to major storm
levels at times, when one coronal mass ejection after another
arrived. The most disturbed day was the 9th, with an Ap index of 94
units. Other disturbed days were the 12th with an Ap of 37 and the
15th with an Ap index of 38 units. The quietest day was the 14th,
with an Ap of 8 units. The average was Ap 31 units. Solar wind data
from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase to 650, 770
and 800 kilometres per second on the 9th, 12th and the 15th
respectively. Particle densities increased to 52 particles per cubic
centimetre during the 12th. Bz on the disturbed days varied between
minus and plus 20 nanoTeslas. For much of the period a stable high
pressure system led to some excellent tropo openings, right through
the VHF and UHF bands into the microwave range. For UK operators the
opening favoured mainly the Low Countries, Germany and Switzerland
but on 2 metres contacts were reported as far as Hungary. Auroral
propagation also took place most days. Unfortunately, at HF, MUFs
were at times substantially depressed due to the stormy periods.
And finally the solar forecast. This week the quiet side of the Sun
is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity is expected to be
at low levels most days. Solar flux levels should be around the 100
mark or slightly higher. Geomagnetic activity could be slightly
unsettled today but then decline to quiet levels for the remainder of
the period. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be
around 27MHz for the south and 24MHz for the north. Darkness hour
lows should be about 9MHz. 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 25MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90
per cent success rate will be about 20MHz. The best time to try this
path will be between 1500 and 1900 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 Thursday before transmission.
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