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G4TNU > NEWS 16.09.12 01:05l 219 Lines 11121 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 16 Sep 2012
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 16th September 2012
The news headlines:
* Final hours of the Contest General Rules Proposals
* Request for proposals to fund a radio propagation-related project
* RSGB Convention draft lecture programme revealed
The consultation on Contest General Rules proposals is in its final
hours, closing at 2359 BST today, 16 September. It is open to all
RSGB members. Full details appear at
www.rsgb.org/pages/?id=contest-general-rules-proposals.
The RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee is inviting proposals to
fund a radio propagation-related project, up to a maximum of
GBP 1,000. The PSC was recently bequeathed GBP 1,000 by the late
Charlie Newton, G2FKZ, who died earlier this year. Charlie was an
active member of PSC and also helped educate other amateurs about
propagation matters through talks and lectures. He was also the
author of the book Radio Auroras, which is viewed as a definitive
guide to this type of propagation. His bequest was made to help fund
propagation-related research and the PSC is looking to hear from any
person or group who might have a detailed proposal for how the money
could be used. Full written proposals, including details, costings
and likely timescales, should be submitted to PSC chairman Steve
Nichols, G0KYA by email to steve<at>infotechcomms.co.uk by 31
December 2012.
The draft lecture programme for the RSGB Convention on 12 to 14
October has been released. It is available online at
www.rsgb.org/rsgbconvention and also appears in the October edition
of RadCom. The Partners Programme for the RSGB Convention has a day
trip planned for Saturday 13 October. This will include a visit to
Oxford, including one of the colleges where participants will have
the chance to experience matriculation day, seeing freshers dressed
in their black gowns. Other highlights will be the Sheldonian theatre
and Bodleian library area, finishing with some retail therapy at the
Covered Market. Tickets for all aspects of the RSGB Convention on 12
to 14 October are still available, including weekend packages.
Details are online at www.rsgbevents.org.
Members of Sands Contest Group will be activating the Isle of Man,
IOTA reference EU-116, from 23 to 29 September. The group will use
the club call MT0SCG and will be active on most HF bands using SSB
and datamodes. The base location is next to a small beach, close to
the town of Ramsey at the NE end of the island, locator IO74UH. The
group is likely to activate at least one SOTA summit during the week,
probably on 2m FM.
This year's D-Star QSO Party runs from 0000UTC on Friday 21 September
to 2359UTC on Sunday 23rd. The goal of the D-Star QSO Party is to
communicate through as many D-STAR repeaters as possible throughout
the world. All operators who submit an approved log will be eligible
for the prize draw with winners randomly selected for each prize. For
more information on this year's event go to
www.icom.co.jp/world/d-starparty2012/.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
Today, 16 September, the Torbay Annual Communications Fair will be
held at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 3AF. There
will be trade stands and Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall.
Doors open from 10am and admission is GBP 2. Details from Mike Dixon
on 01803 557 941.
Next weekend, on Saturday 22 September, the Fog on the Tyne Rally
will be held in Whitehall Road Methodist Church Hall, Bensham,
Gateshead NE8 4LH, organised by Angel of the North ARC & South
Tyneside ARS. Entry is GBP 1.50 and the doors open at 10.30am. There
will be trade stands and plenty of car parking available in the
school next door. More details from Nancy Bone, G7UUR on
01914 770 036, evenings only please.
The Great Northern Hamfest takes place at the Barnsley Metrodome,
Queens Road, Barnsley on Sunday 23 September. The post code for those
with a satnav is S71 1AN. Follow the large brown Metrodome signs from
the A roads into town. There will be trade stands, special interest
groups and clubs, disabled facilities, family attractions, prize
draw, free parking and extensive catering facilities including a
licensed bar and restaurant. Doors open at 11am. For more information
contact Ernie G4LUE on 01226 716 339.
Now for the news of special events
GB5IFC will be on the air until 17 September to celebrate the 51st
International Federation of Railway Radio Amateurs Congress at
Sheffield.
To celebrate the 39th Ryder Cup, GB39RC will be operational from
Verulam Golf Club in St Albans until 30 September. Operation will be
on 10, 15, 20 and 40m using mostly CW and RTTY. Full details of the
QSL route is given on QRZ.com.
South Lancs Amateur Radio Club will be on the air from the site that
was Bickershaw & Abram Station that closed 48 years ago, using the
callsign GB1BAS. On the air from 0000UTC on 22 September until 1400
on 23 September, they plan to use the 80, 40, 20, 10, 2m and 70cm
bands.
Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be operating special event
station GB0NVR at the Nene Valley Railway, Wansford, near
Peterborough on 22 and 23 September for Railways on the Air. This
will coincide with NVR's Steam Gala when both the 50163 Tornado and
71000 Duke of Gloucester locomotives are scheduled to appear.
On Sunday 23 September, GB50WVR will be taking part in Railways on
the Air weekend from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in West
Yorkshire. Direct QSLs should go to s via Pam, 2E1HQY who is QTHR.
More information can be found on QRZ.com.
Preston Amateur Radio Society will be activating GB0LMR for Railways
on the Air. Starting on the evening of Friday 21 September and
running through to Sunday 23rd, the station will be located at the
miniature railway on Worden Park, Leyland. The highlight of Sunday
will be when RSGB President Dave Wilson, M0OBW visits to meet the
Mayor, and have a ride on one of the trains with Alex Sorley, M6CDA.
At 10 years old, Alex is the youngest licensed member of the club.
Due to bad weather earlier in the year, the Leyland Festival had to
be postponed and it is now on at Worden Park on these dates. If you
require further information you can consult the website for Railways
on the Air and also QRZ.com. There will be a talk-in station on 2m.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
DL3JH, is active as DL3JH/6Y5 from Jamaica until 22 September. His
operation should be on all of the HF bands using CW and SSB. QSL via
his home callsign only.
Members of the Black Country DX & Contest Group will be on the air as
MS0OXE from Tiree Island until 21 September. The station plans to use
SSB, CW and RTTY on 10 to 80m using a HexBeam. QSL via M0URX either
via the bureau, direct or Logbook of the World.
Robert, W3BTX and Roy, W3TEF, will be active from Aruba using P49T
until 21 September. QSL via W3BTX either via the bureau or direct.
Now the contest news
The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO Contest takes place today, Sunday
16 September, from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is signal report,
serial number and WAB square. Full details of the rules and also log
sheets can be obtained from the WAB website,
www.worked-all-britain.co.uk or from the contest manager, G3XKT,
e-mail aebbooks<at>ntlworld.com.
The 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place on 18 September from 1900
to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial
number and locator.
On Sunday 23rd, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200
to 1600UTC. It has Low Power, that's 10 watts in this contest, and
Open sections. Scoring is 1 point per contact, multiplied by the
number of Locator squares worked. Using all modes on the 4m band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. As this is the
80th anniversary year of Practical Wireless, expect a good turnout.
The BARTG Sprint 75 takes place on the same day. Available sections
are Single Operator Expert and Single Operator All Band. Running from
1700 to 2100 and using bands from 3.5 to 28MHz, the exchange is the
serial number.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 7th to
Thursday the 13th of September, compiled by Neil Clarke on Friday the
14th of September
Six sunspot groups were visible on the 7th but this was down to three
by the 13th. Solar activity increased to moderate levels on the 8th
and 9th when a single M1 class solar flare took place on both days.
Solar activity was low on the remaining days with occasional small C
class solar flares taking place. Solar flux levels declined from 133
units on the 7th to 99 by the 13th. The average was 115 units. The 90
day solar flux average on the 13th was 123, that's one unit down on
last week. X-ray flux levels declined from B7.1 units on the 8th to
B3.1 by the 13th. The average was B4.9 units. Geomagnetic activity
was quiet every day. The most disturbed day was the 8th, with an Ap
index of 10 units. The average was Ap 6 units. Solar wind data from
the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 440 kilometres
per second on the 8th to a slow 260 kilometres per second on the 11th
and the 12th. Speeds then increased on the 13th to 450 kilometres per
second, which are the first signs of an expected coronal hole
disturbance arriving. Particle densities were low except for a rise
to 25 particles per cubic centimetre on the 12th. Bz varied between
minus 7 and plus 11 nanoTeslas on the 12th and between minus 3 and
plus 2 nanoTeslas on the quietest days. Though well past the summer
seasonal peak, occasional Es events took place on both 50 and 70MHz.
And finally the solar forecast from Sunday the 16th of September.
This week the quiet side of the Sun is expected to be looking our
way. Solar activity is expected to be low, with only C class solar
flares taking place and only a small chance of any larger flares.
Solar flux levels should be just below the 100 mark today but from
midweek levels should start to increase. Geomagnetic activity could
be unsettled at first due to the after effects from a coronal hole
disturbance that is just coming to an end and then be mostly quiet
for the remainder of the week. MUFs during daylight hours at equal
latitudes should be about 24MHz for the south and 21MHz for the
north. Darkness hour lows should be around 10MHz. Paths this week to
South Africa should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per
cent success rate of around 30MHz. The optimum working frequency with
a 90 per cent success rate will be about 24MHz. The best time to try
this path will be between 1100 and 1600 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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