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G4TNU > NEWS 25.03.12 01:03l 205 Lines 10251 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 25 Mar 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 25th March 2012
The news headlines:
* AROS Coordinator appointments
* Questions for the RSGB AGM
* British Legion Special Event
Following the vacancy advertised in RadCom and the RSGB website,
Keith Bassett, G7NBU has been appointed as the new AROS Coordinator.
Mario Brashill, G2DPA has been appointed as a deputy. Together they
bring significant experience and skill to the Amateur Radio
Observation Service with its broad challenges of investigating
matters that might bring the amateur services into disrepute, The
Board would like to thank the other candidates who applied for the
position and also John Rogers, M0JAV for his temporary role in
managing AROS whilst the vacancy was filled.
For those unable to attend the RSGB AGM on 21 April in Bedford, it is
now possible to table a question for the meeting. Whether you would
like to ask a question at the AGM or the afternoon discussion session
you can now submit the question online. The questions will be tabled,
subject to available time, and you will receive a personal reply
after the AGM. To place your question, go to www.rsgb.org and click
on the appropriate heading under RSGB Articles and Statements. If you
are able to attend and wish to stay for lunch, you can also register
an interest at www.rsgb.org.
The British Legion was founded on 1 July 1921 and members of South
Derbyshire and Ashby Woulds Amateur Radio Group are planning a
special event station to mark the event. They are looking for other
amateur radio groups to join in. Any club that is interested should
contact Jacqui, 2E0JQY by e-mail to m3jqy<at>netcom.co.uk.
On 9 March the RSGB learnt that Bluefin, also known as Amateur Radio
Insurance Services, was leaving the amateur radio insurance market.
The RSGB has no direct involvement with amateur radio insurance and
this announcement was unexpected. The RSGB is aware that other
brokers are interested in offering amateur radio insurance and hopes
that an announcement on a new insurance provider might be made by 31
March when Bluefin ceases to take on new business. Any developments
will be announced on the RSGB website www.rsgb.org.
The Hermes SDR project that was detailed in RadCom in May 2010 by
Phil Harman, VK6APH and Steve Ireland, VK6VZ is one step closer to
fruition. There is now an interest list so that the number of boards
to be manufactured can be determined. Hermes is a Direct-Down
Conversion receiver, a Direct-Up-Conversion 500mW transmitter and a
gigabit Ethernet interface all on one board. Also on board is an
RF-quiet switch-mode power supply, which allows Hermes to run from a
single 13.8V DC source. You can register your interest at
www.hansdr.com.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Spring Militaria & Electronics & Radio Amateur Hangar Sale will he
held today, 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 also takes place today, 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.
The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Annual Rally will take place on 1
April at The Share Holiday Village, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh
BT92 0EQ. Doors open at 11.30am. There will be trade stands and a
Bring & Buy. Details from Iain on 02866 326 693.
Also on 1 April the South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio Rally will be
held in the Scout Activity Centre, Woodhouse Park, Almondsbury,
Bristol BS32 4LX. Doors open at 10am. There will be trade stands as
well as a Bring & Buy. Talk in is on S22. More details from Stan
Goodwin, G0RYM on 07833 517 370.
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
Hartwig, DL7BC will operate as TO7BC from the Indian Ocean island of
Mayotte until 6 April. QSLs go via his home callsign.
An international team will activate the callsign E51M from the North
Cook Islands from 28 March to 10 April. They will operate on all
bands, 6 to 160m, using CW, SSB and RTTY. The QSL manager is DJ8NK.
Kevin, 2E0WMG/P, will be active in SSB on 10 to 80m from Lundy
Island, which is Worked All Britain square SS14, from 27 to 31 March.
QSL via his home callsign either via the bureau or direct.
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.
Nine operators from the Verona DX Team will be active from the
Franciscan mission at Cumura, Guinea-Bissau until 6 April. The
operation will concentrate on 144MHz EME using the callsign J52EME,
but a couple of stations will be active on 10 to 80 metres using the
callsign J52HF. There will also be 6m activity. HF activity will
concentrate on RTTY and CW. QSL via I3LDP, direct or via the bureau.
Now the contest news
This weekend is the SSB leg of CQWW WPX. The 48 hour contest finishes
at 2359UTC today, 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.
The 50MHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 27 March from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on the band the exchange is signal report,
serial number and locator.
Also on 27 March the SHF UK Activity Contest take place from 2000 to
2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
At 90 minutes in duration it may be a short contest, but make no
mistake, the 1st RoPoCo contest on 1 April is quite challenging. The
maximum permitted power is 100 watts with no QRP or high power
categories and the basic format is that in your first QSO you send
your full postcode and for all subsequent QSOs you send the postcode
you received in your previous QSO. If you receive a postcode that you
know is erroneous, for example a corrupted version of your own
postcode, record it as received and give it to your next QSO partner
as is. Provided you are not the person to introduce an error, you'll
get points for the QSO, because it is the accuracy of the exchange
that is important. This all takes place on the 3.5MHz bands from 1900
to 2030UTC.
Activity on 70MHz continues to grow with the 1st 70MHz contest taking
place on 1 April from 0900 to 1200UTC. Last year 156 stations took
part from six different call areas. It's a race to accumulate as many
kilometres worked as possible, with no multipliers. Using all modes
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 16th to
the 22nd of March, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday the 23rd
of March.
This week was much quieter than recent weeks. Most of the sunspots
groups visible were small and mostly quiet. However, some groups did
produce several C class solar flares and on the 17th an impulsive M1
solar flare took place which had very little effect on propagation.
Solar flux levels varied little and averaged 101 units. The 90 day
solar flux average on the 22nd was 122, that's three units down on
last week. X-ray flux levels for the period averaged B2.1 units with
very little daily variation. Geomagnetic activity started at
âactive' levels with an Ap index of 21 and 22 units on the 16th and
the 17th respectively. Activity then declined to quiet levels for the
remainder of the period. The average was Ap 11 units. Solar wind
speeds declined from 720 kilometres per second on the 17th to 360 by
the 22nd. Particle densities were low throughout the period. Bz
during the disturbance varied between minus and plus 7 nanoTeslas and
on the quieter day between minus and plus 3 nanoTeslas. MUFs tended
to fall short of expectations during the past week. For seasonal
reasons north-south HF paths held up reasonably well but east-west
paths were relatively poor.
And finally the solar forecast. During the second half of the week
the return of old region 1429 which produced 14 M class and 2 X class
solar flares on its last rotation is expected to rotate into view.
Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate at first but could
then increase to higher levels later in the week. Solar flux levels
should increase from around the 110 mark to into the 130's by next
weekend. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly quiet but a
slight increase around midweek could take place due to a small
coronal hole. Any Earth directed coronal mass ejections would
increase activity. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes
should be about 26MHz for the south and 23MHz for the north. Darkness
hour lows should be around 9MHz. Paths this week to the Middle East
should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success
rate of about 25MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent
success rate will be around 20MHz. The best time to try this path
will be between 1000 and 1600 hours.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team. 73 de Neil,
G0CAS.
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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