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G4TNU > NEWS 09.12.12 02:33l 165 Lines 7859 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 09 Dec 2012
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GB2RS NEWS for Sunday 9th December 2012
The news headlines:
* GB2RS News during the holiday season
* Distance learning for the Advanced exam
* Successful contact from Cuba to Spain on FO-29
There will be no GB2RS news readings on 23 or 30 December this year.
Normal service will be resumed on Sunday 6 January 2013.
The Bath Based Advanced Distance Learning team are busy enrolling for
the next course, which starts in January. The course will run for
twenty weeks, aiming for the July exam. The course works by the team
e-mailing weekly work packages. Students submit answers to practice
questions and other assignments to an e-tutor. Worked answers are
provided to those who submit work. There is no charge for the
training or the tutor support, but all students pay a deposit which
is refunded to those who actively take part in the learning. Those
that do not regularly submit work agree to donate their deposit to a
radio charity. The pass rate for those completing the course has been
over 90% at every sitting so far, so it seems to work. Past students
have studied in France, Kenya, Croatia and all over the UK. For more
details, please contact Steve Hartley, G0FUW, who is in the RSGB
Yearbook, on QRZ.com and can be contacted via email to
g0fuw<at>tiscali.co.uk.
Radio amateurs in Cuba face a number of challenges but recently
Hector, CO6CBF, successfully completed a transatlantic contact
between Cuba and Spain using the FO-29 amateur radio satellite. You
can read more at www.uk.amsat.org/?p=11766.
The MSF 60kHz time and frequency signal broadcast from Anthorn Radio
Station will be shut down on Thursday 13 December from 1000 to
1400UTC. The interruption to the transmission is required to allow
maintenance work to be carried out in safety. The time signal is used
by radio controlled clocks to set the time, so during this
maintenance period such clocks may not function correctly.
The address for the Canadian QSL bureau has changed. All QSL cards
for Canada should be sent to RAC National Incoming QSL Bureau, Box
51, Saint John, NB E2L 3X1, Canada.
The RSGB will close for the Christmas and New Year holiday at close
of business on 21 December. It will re-open at 08.30am on 2 January.
Last orders from the RSGB Shop for Christmas delivery will be 11am on
20 December.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The final rally of the year takes place today, 8 December. The South
Lancs Winter Rally will be held in the Bickershaw Labour Club,
Bickershaw Lane, Bickershaw, Wigan. Doors open at 10am for the public
and entry is GBP 1.50. There will be a talk-in station and a Bring &
Buy as well as special interest groups. More details from Allan,
2E0RAG on 07533 970 841.
The first rally of the 2013 will be the Red Rose Winter Rally on 13
January in the George H Carnell Leisure Centre.
Now for the news of special events
5G12ITD is on the air until 16 December in Morocco to commemorate UN
Day for Tolerance. They will be active all bands and all modes. QSL
via RW6HS.
Ian, M0IAA will be operating GB1WH from 11 to 18 December. The
station is on the air to raise awareness and funds for Wakefield
hospital. Ian is hoping to work as many stations as possible. More
details are on QRZ.com.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
H44RK will be active as 5W0RK from Samoa between 8 December and 3
March. Operations will be on 10 to 20 metres using SSB and the
digital modes. The IOTA reference is OC-097. QSL via NR6M.
W8YCM will be on the air as W8YCM/6Y5 from Jamaica, IOTA NA-097,
until the New Year. He's been heard on the 10 to 17m bands using SSB.
QSL via his home callsign.
Zorro, JH1AJT will be in Cambodia until 17 December. He will use the
callsign XU1A and be on the air on all bands from 10 to 160m using CW
and SSB. QSLs go via the JA bureau.
Haru, JA1XGI will be active from the island of Yap in Micronesia,
IOTA OC-012, until 12 December. His call is V63XG and he will be on
the 6 to 40m bands using CW, SSB and digital. QSL to his home
callsign.
Norman, 5B4AIF will be active as E51E from Aitutaki in the South Cook
Islands from 10 December to 5 January. The IOTA reference for the
island is OC-083. He will operate SSB and RTTY and possibly some QRS
CW, on the 6 to 160m bands. QSL via EB7DX and Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
The 48 hour ARRL 10m Contest finishes at 2359UTC today, 9 December.
Everyone works everyone in this CW and Phone event. The ARRL event
has numerous entry categories, so please check the rules online to
find an appropriate one for you. The exchange is signal report and
serial number, although W, VE and XE stations will send their State
or Province code too.
Tuesday 11 December sees the 432MHz UK Activity Contest taking place
between 2000 and 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 30th of
November to the 6th of December compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on
Friday the 7th of December.
Three small new sunspot groups appeared during the period. Solar
activity was low and only small occasional C class solar flares took
place. These had very little effect on propagation. In total only 9 C
class solar flares took place during the period. Solar flux levels
declined from 111 units on the 30th to 96 by the 4th and the 5th. The
average was 100 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 6th was
120 units, that's three units down on last week. X-ray flux levels
also declined, from B3.4 units on the 30th to B1.2 by the 6th. The
average was B1.8 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day, the
Ap index on the 5th and the 6th was only one unit. The most disturbed
day was the 2nd with an Ap index of 7 units. The average was Ap 3
units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds
vary between 290 and 460 kilometres per second. Particle densities
were at elevated levels during most days with 23 particles per cubic
centimetre on the 30th, 40 on the 2nd and 22 on the 4th. Only the 5th
and the 6th were levels below 10 particles per cubic centimetre. As
expected with a quiet geomagnetic field, Bz showed only modest
fluctuations throughout the period.
And finally the solar forecast for the coming week. This week the
active side of the Sun is expected to be rotating into view. Solar
activity is expected to be low, with only C class solar flares taking
place. There are no indications that activity would increase any
higher than moderate levels on the occasional day. Solar flux levels
should increase and be in the 120's for most of the week. Geomagnetic
activity should be quiet today but then a small recurring coronal
hole is expected for the next couple of days. However, the
disturbance is expected to be very weak. Activity should then decline
to quiet levels for the remainder of the week. MUFs during daylight
hours at equal latitudes should be around 25MHz for the south and
22MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows should be around 8MHz. Paths
this week to South America 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.
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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