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G4TNU > NEWS 15.07.13 18:35l 218 Lines 10927 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 14 Jul 2013
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 14th July 2013
The news headlines:
* Successful Centenary Day for RSGB
* AMSAT Colloquium next weekend
* RSGB Convention news
The RSGB's Centenary Day on Friday 5 July was well attended during
the day at Bletchley Park and in the evening at Horwood House. The
National Radio Centre was particularly busy and G100RSGB was on the
air throughout the event. Guests who attended the RSGB Centenary
Dinner can download the commemorative photograph that was taken from
the RSGB website at www.rsgb.org/picture. The RSGB would like to
thank all those who attended and the staff and volunteers who worked
so hard to make the day a success.
The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium takes place at the
Holiday Inn, Guildford on 20 and 21 July. The event is open to all.
There will be lectures from Alistair Scott, President of the British
Interplanetary Society and Graham Coomber, G0NBI, RSGB General
Manager plus visits to SSTL integration laboratories & Surrey Space
Centre. Thanks to the British Amateur Television Club, the
presentations will be streamed live to a global audience via their
website at http:/batc.tv. Further information is at
http://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/colloquium-2013/.
The RSGB's Centenary Convention, generously sponsored by Martin Lynch
& Sons, takes place over the weekend 11th –13th October at Horwood
House just a few miles outside Milton Keynes. One of the highlights
of this year's event is the lectures by Joe Taylor, K1JT. He is known
by many for his work on the WSPR weak signal propagation reporting
software and WSJT used for useful for passing short messages via
non-traditional radio communications methods, such as moonbounce,
meteor scatter and other low signal-to-noise ratio paths. Joe will be
speaking on DXing with weak signals, which is a sufficiently broad
title to allow an overview of both HF and EME related applications.
More details on the RSGB Centenary Convention can be found on the
front page of the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org/.
G100RSGB, the special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary
will be operated today and tomorrow by Stevenage & DARS, running 160
to 2m using CW, SSB & FM. The callsign then moves to Region 12. On
Tuesday the callsign is with Braintree ARS who will transmit for two
days on 80 to 6m, 2m and 70cm. On the 18th and 19th the
Cambridgeshire Repeater Group will be at Worts Causeway running 10 to
160m as well as VHF, UHF and microwave bands. Next weekend,
Chelmsford ARS will run the callsign on 80 to 6m as well as 2m and
70cm on SSB and FM. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the
RSGB website, www.rsgb.org.uk, under the Operating drop down menu,
clicking on Centenary Station.
Stockton & District Amateur Radio Group is taking part in a new
event, Historical Bridges on the Air. Their activity takes place at
the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough, Cleveland under the club
callsign G4XXG. Operation is from 19 to 21 July on all HF and VHF
bands. Visitors are welcome at the site. Other participants to listen
for are W6PW from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, W8AGB from the
Mackinaw Bridge in Michegan, K8CJQ from the 2nd Street Iron Bridge in
Allegan and VE3LS from Blackfriars Truss Bridge in Ontario.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The McMichael Rally and Boot Sale is being held today at Reading
Rugby Club, Holme Park Farm Lane, Sonning Lane, Sonning on Thames,
Reading RG4 6ST, just off the A4 east of Reading. There is free car
parking and the doors open at 9.30am, with admission costing GBP 2.
There will be trade stands and a car boot sale. Details from Pete,
G8FRC on 01189 695 697.
Also today, the Stockport Rally is taking place at Walthew House,
Shaw Heath, Stockport SK2 6QS. Doors open at 10am and admission is
GBP 2. More information from Bernard, G3SHF on 01625 850 088 (day).
On Friday 19 July the SSC/AMSAT-UK Cubesat Workshop will take place
at Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH from
9am to 4pm. This marks the start of the AMSAT-UK International Space
Colloquium weekend mentioned earlier. Details are on the AMSAT UK
website, http://amsat-uk.org.
Amateur Radio in the Country takes place next Sunday, 21 July, at
Upton Bridge Farm, Long Sutton TA10 9NJ. It offers amateur radio, QRP
& homebrew in a country setting. Details from Tim Walford, G3PCJ, by
email to walfor<at>globalnet.co.uk.
If you have any rally or event information you'd like to appear in
future editions of the News and in RadCom, please email details to
GB2RS<at>rsgb.org.uk.
Now for the news of special events
The Grimsby club will be running GB4CFF for the Cleethorpes air show
on 27 and 28 July from 8.30am to 5pm on both days. They plan to have
HF, VHF and UHF stations running data SSB and possibly CW. The ATV
section of the club is planning on live feeding the action to the
Grimsby repeater and over the net.
North Cork Radio Group will be activating Fort Mitchell on Spike
Island on 14th July under Castles And Stately Homes On The Air
reference EI019/C. Visits to the Island are by ferry only and details
of this can be found www.spikeislandcork.ie.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Flavio, will be active as 5R8NE from Nosy-Be Island, IOTA reference
AF-057, from 16 to 30 July. Using the 10 to 40m bands, phone only,
the station will be active for the IOTA contest, using an Yaesu
FT-857 and a 10m fishing rod antenna. QSL via IK2DUW.
Thomas, KC0W will be in Haiti until 25 July. He will use the callsign
HH5/KC0W. There has not been a lot of activity from Haiti in recent
years so look out for large pile-ups. Operation will be on SSB and CW
on all bands from 160 to 10m using vertical antennas.
Tony, PY2DY, continues to transmit as SY8APQ from Lesbos Island, IOTA
reference EU-049, until 31 July 31. Using 20 and 15m the QSL route is
direct via PY2DY and Logbook of the World.
Francois, ON4LO is going to activate Fehmarn, which is IOTA reference
EU-128, as DL/ON4LO/P holiday-style from 14 to 25 July. He will be
using the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via his home callsign both direct and
via the bureau.
Bjoern, HB9DTV will be on Pag Island, IOTA reference EU-170, for a
holiday between 13 and 19 July, operating as 9A/HB9DTV on HF using
SSB. QSL via his home callsign both direct and via the bureau.
Now the contest news
The IARU Championship finishes at 1200UTC today, 14 July, using the
1.8 to 28MHz bands. The exchange is signal report and ITU zone, which
for the UK is 27.
The UHF UK Activity Contest takes place on the 16th from 1900 to
2130UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3GHz band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
The data leg of the 80m club championships takes place on the 18th
from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Sunday 21st sees the Low Power Contest taking place between 0900 and
1600UTC; it is the only RSGB contest with a lunch break. There are
two power categories, 10W and 3W, and sections for fixed and portable
stations. That makes four categories, and a trophy is awarded to the
winner of each. Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, CW only, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and power.
The 4m Trophy Contest on Sunday 21st has the potential for some DX
working. Last year 168 stations were recorded in the logs in 31
squares and ten countries. Running from 1000 to 1600UTC the exchange
is signal report, serial number, locator and postcode.
Also on the 21st the UK Microwave Group's 24 to 248GHz contest takes
place from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 5th to
Thursday the 11th of July compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS on Friday
the 12th of July.
Several sunspot groups were visible at first but this declined to
just two by the 10th. These two groups were large and magnetically
complex but despite that no M or X class solar flares took place. In
fact, only a small number of C class solar flares took place. As the
two groups decayed and simplified so the solar flux levels declined
from 141 units on the 5th to 113 by the 11th. The average was 124
units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 11th was 121 units,
that's one unit down on last week. X-ray flux levels declined from
B7.9 units on the 5th to B3.5 by the 9th. The average was B4.6 units.
During the period two geomagnetic disturbances took place. The first
on the 6th was due to a slow moving coronal mass ejection and the Ap
index for the day was 32 units. The second was due to a small
recurring coronal hole and the Ap for the 10th was 30 units and 25 on
the 11th. The average was Ap 19 units. Solar wind data from the ACE
spacecraft saw solar wind speeds decline from 380 to 290 kilometres
per second by the 7th but then increase to 490 kilometres per second
on the 10th during the coronal hole disturbance. Particle densities
were low except for the 5th and the 9th when 32 and 29 particles per
cubic centimetre were recorded respectively. Bz varied between minus
13 and zero nanoTeslas on the 6th and between minus 12 and plus 6
nanoTeslas during the 10th. VHF aurora was report for many hours on
the 6th, the 10th and the 11th, however, only a few contacts were
made from the U.K.
And finally the solar forecast for the coming week. This week the
quieter side of the Sun is expected to rotate into view. Solar
activity is expected to be mostly low with only a small chance of
activity increasing any higher. Solar flux levels are expected to be
slightly above the 100 mark at first but then show a slight increase
towards next weekend. Geomagnetic activity is expected to start at
quiet levels but around midweek activity is expected to increase due
to a recurring coronal hole. MUFs during daylight hours at equal
latitudes should be around 22MHz for the south and 19MHz for the
north. Darkness hour lows should be about 14MHz. Paths this week to
Japan should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent
success rate of around 18MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90
per cent success rate will be about 14MHz. The best time to try this
path will be between 0800 and midday UTC. Sporadic-E is expected to
take place most days but openings on 144MHz will become less frequent
but not totally ruled out.
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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