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G4TNU > NEWS 07.09.14 23:45l 301 Lines 15188 Bytes #999 (0) @ GBR
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 07 Sep 2014
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday 7 September 2014
The news headlines:
* Encouraging Youth
* Churches and Chapels on the Air
* UK and US Licence Examinations
The RSGB Board has approved the formation of a new committee to
provide a focus for its young members and to help promote amateur
radio amongst the younger sections of society. The new committee will
be known as the Youth Committee. Members of the Youth Committee must
be under 26 years of age and be members of the Society (which
includes Junior and Student members) and applications for membership
of the committee are now invited. Details of how to apply are on the
RSGB website, click on About Us and scroll down to Volunteers.
Churches and Chapels on the Air takes place on Saturday 13th
September, between 10am and 4pm. There is still time to take part and
send details to John, G3XYF via email to g3xyf<at>btconnect.com. A
list of the participating station can be found on the CHOTA tab at
www.wacral.org.
As has become a tradition, both UK and USA exams will be available at
the RSGB Convention in October. The UK exams will be hosted by the
RSGB Training & Education Committee and Paul Steed, G0VEP, will be
hosting the USA exams. UK Foundation and Intermediate will be held on
Saturday 11 October and the Advanced on Sunday 12 October. Candidates
intending to sit the Foundation and/or Intermediate exams must have
completed the relevant Practical Assessments before the exam. It is
not intended to provide the Practical Assessments at the Convention
but some help may be available in the run up. Bulk buy discounts will
apply to anyone sitting more than one exam at the Convention. Anyone
wishing to book their place should contact Carol Meredith at the RSGB
HQ Exam Department by 19th September. Candidates wishing to sit the
American exams need to have a mailing address in the USA and the
appropriate fees. Anyone wishing to sit these exams should contact
Paul via Paul.Steed<at>ntlworld.com If anyone has any general
questions about the exams at the convention, or needs help arranging
practical assessments, please contact Steve Hartley, G0FUW, via
tec.chair<at>rsgb.org.uk
Asteroid mission Hayabusa 2, with a planned launch this December,
will also carry the amateur radio satellite Shin'en 2. It will be
among the first amateur radio satellite go into orbit outside the
influence of the Earth's gravity. The relatively small satellite will
be put into an elliptic orbit around the Sun and travel to an orbit
between Venus and Mars. It was built in Japan by students and carries
a Mode J linear transponder for amateur radio communications along
with CW and WSJT beacons. The satellite will operate on 437.505MHz
for its CW beacon and 437.385MHz for the WSJT telemetry. The
inverting CW and SSB transponder will uplink on 2m from 145.940 to
145.960MHz using Lower Sideband. The downlink will use 435.280 to
435.260MHz on upper sideband.
TX Factor, the television show for radio amateurs, is now available
in a version especially for French speakers. Episode 1 is now
available with French subtitles thanks to the work of F6FVY, F8BXI
and F8GQH. That team plans to do the same with the rest of the show's
episodes. To view the TX Factor with or without the French sub titles
go to www.txfactor.co.uk.
International Air Ambulance Week will be on the air from 27th
September to 5th October. More details about the event can be found
at www.radio-amateur-events.org/ including a list of the stations
registered. An award certificate can be obtained for 5, 10 and 15
stations worked/ heard.
The RSGB Convention takes place between the 10th and 12th October and
will be held at the Kent's Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes.
It is, once again, sponsored by Martin Lynch & Sons, whom the RSGB
thank for their continued support of the event. The provisional
lecture schedule is available on the RSGB website. Select the
‘About Us' drop down menu on the www.rsgb.org main site for
Convention details. This year is a truly international event with
Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, Bob Allphin, K4UEE and Carl, K9LA, travelling
from the States, Paul O'Kane, EI5DI, Alex Artieda, HB9DRI, Verner
Topse, OZ5TG from Europe and Eric Swartz WA6HHQ of Elecraft fame and
Harold Kramer, WJ1B from the ARRL via the internet. These speakers
will provide a wide range of topics from transatlantic 2m beacon and
weak signal communications to the moving story of amateur radio at
the 2013 Boston marathon. Weekend packages are still on offer, see
www.rsgbevents.org and day tickets will be available on the door.
Durham and District ARS has received reports of deteriorating signal
strength and reduced coverage of GB7PB. In response they have resited
and replaced the repeater's antenna with a commercial aerial and
replaced the coaxial cable with a superior grade of coax. Signal
reports would be most gratefully received in order to establish if
signals and coverage have been improved. Send your report, by e-mail,
to GB7PB<at>OUTLOOK.COM and please include your callsign, location or
locator and signal report.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
The British Amateur Television Club Convention takes place this
weekend at the Everest Academy, Basingstoke. There will be lectures,
demonstrations and surplus ATV equipment for sale. The BATC bi-Annual
General Meeting is on Sunday afternoon. For more information see
www.batc.org.uk
The Halton & District Radio Amateurs Rally that would have taken
place on 14 September was cancelled due to lack of support from
traders. The organisers would like to ensure that visitors don't make
an unnecessary journey
The TARS 50th annual Communications Fair takes place on 14th
September at Newton Abbot Race Course, Devon TQ12 3AF. The event is
indoors and there will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy as well as an
RSGB bookstall. Doors open at 10am and admissions is GBP 2. Details
from Mike Dixon on 01803 557 941.
The West Kent ARS Radio & Electronics Fair will be held at Tunbridge
Wells Grammar School for Boys, St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
TN4 9XB on 14th September. Doors open at 10am and admission is
GBP 2.50. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB
Bookstall. Contact Dave, G4OTV, by e-mail to rally<at>wkars.org.uk
for more information.
The Five Bridges Cluster and the Angel club are jointly hosting a
Workshop for Examination Invigilators at 7.30pm on Monday 15th
September. All current and potential exam invigilators are welcome to
discuss best practice. The meeting will be held at Whitehall Road
Methodist Church Hall, Bensham, Gateshead NE8 4LH. Details from Nancy
Bone, G7UUR on 07990 760920.
If you have any rally or event information you'd like to appear in
future editions of GB2RS News, in RadCom and on the RSGB website,
please e-mail details to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk
Now for the news of special events
Northampton Radio Club are hosting GB0TRN today, the 7th, at Delapre
Park from 11am today to late afternoon on 7MHz, 14MHz, 18MHz and
21MHz depending upon conditions. SSB and Morse will be used. The
event is to promote the use of amateur radio in conjunction with a
public opening of The Northampton Society of Model Engineers club
premises and their Model Railway Tracks. Members of the public will
be able to take passenger rides.
WW1USA will be on the air today, 7th September, to commemorate the
Battle of the Marne. More information is available at www.WW1USA.org
or on QRZ.com.
1940s themed event GB0BIB, for Baston in the Blitz, will be operating
on 7th September from Baston in Lincolnshire. It will be operational
on 80, 40 and 2 metres.
Throughout September, Pontefract and District ARS will be remembering
those who fought in the Battle of Britain by using the callsign
GB4BOB.
Leicester Radio Society will be running GB0APS from the Abbey Pumping
Station for their Seaside Special Steam Day on Sunday 7th September.
Orkney Wireless Museum will put GB2OWM on the air from its premises
at Kiln Corner, Kirkwall until 10th September. Look for them on
weekdays and Sunday afternoons between 2 and 4.30pm, operation will
be primarily on HF SSB.
The Royal Engineers Association Radio Branch will be running GB1WWR
in remembrance of World War One from Fort Amherst in Chatham, Kent
from the 12th to 14th September. This is the Corps Memorial and
Veterans weekend.
PA70OMG will be on the air from 12th to 21st September to commemorate
Operation Market Garden by paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne division
on 17th September 1944.
On 13th September Dorking and District Radio Society will be active
during the Heritage Open Day at National Trust, Polesden Lacey near
Leatherhead in Surrey. There will be an exhibition entitled
Communications in the Trenches with displays of the equipment that
would have been used. In contrast, visitors will be able to see
modern communications equipment being used at the special event
station, GB0NT; activity will be on the HF bands as well as 2m. Skeds
with other participating stations would be particularly welcome,
please contact Garth at G3NPC<at>swansons.org.uk.
Many stations will be on the air on 13th September for Churches and
Chapels on the Air. Amongst them is Martin G7MRV who will be
operating GB0SML for St. Marys Lead from the tiny church of St Mary's
near Towton, North Yorkshire, Activity will be mostly HF,
particularly 40m SSB, with a 10m WSPR beacon also running. Derby &
Districts ARS will operate GB1SOC from St Osmund's Church, Derby.
Pentland Firth Radio Hams will be running GB0 SBC from Scarfskerry
Baptist Church, which is the most northern church on the British
mainland. Activity will be mainly on 20m and 40m. GB2HTl will be on
the air from Holy Trinity Church, Lamorbey, Sidcup run by Cray Valley
Radio Society.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
Today, the 7th, the newly formed UK Island group will be signing
M0UKI/P from the rare Farne Islands, EU-109. The team members will be
on the air with two stations. QSL via M0OXO.
PA3EWP, PA1AW, PA9JO and PB5X will be active stroke LX from
Luxembourg from 10th to 17th September. Operations will be on 10 to
80m with four stations using all modes. QSL via PA1AW.
DF1YP will be active stroke F O from Moorea Island, OC-046, in French
Polynesia between 12th September and 8th October. His operation will
be holiday style, mainly on 20m on SSB. QSL via his home callsign,
direct or by the bureau.
HA0HW will be on the air from Thassos Island, EU-174, as SW8WW
between 12th and 22nd September. He will operate mainly CW, with some
SSB and RTTY on the HF bands and on the 6m band. QSL via his home
callsign, direct or via the HA Bureau.
YO2MSB will be active stroke 3A from Monte Carlo, Monaco until 12th
September. QSL via his home callsign direct, via the bureau or
electronically using eQSL.
Now the contest news
The 144MHz Trophy Contest runs for 24 hours ending at 1400UTC today,
the 7th. There are five sections to choose between, depending on how
much time you can devote, whether you're at home or away, and single-
or multi-op. The last three hours of the 144MHz Trophy coincides with
the first three hours of the fifth and final 144MHz Backpackers'
Contest, which continues for one hour afterwards, 1100 to 1500UTis signal report and age, although ladies can give 00 as an
answer.
Tuesday sees the 432MHz UK Activity Contest run from 1900 to 2130UTC.
Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator.
Wednesday the 10th is the SSB leg of the 80m Club Sprint Contest.
Running from 1900 to 2000UTC the exchange is both callsigns, serial
number and name.
On the 13th and 14th, is the SSB leg of the Worked All Europe
Contest. Running from 000UTC on the 13th to 2359UTC on the 14th the
contest is on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands. The exchange is signal report
and serial number and EU stations work non EU stations only.
The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO Phone contest takes place next
Sunday, 14th September, from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is signal
report, serial number and WAB square. Entries need to be with the
contest manager by 5th October. Full details of the rules and
logsheets may be obtained from the WAB website
www.worked-all-britain.org.uk or from the contest manager Tony
Beardsley, G3XKT by e-mail to aebbooks<at>ntlworld.com.
Now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 29th of
August to Thursday the 4th of September, compiled by Neil Clarke,
G0CAS on Friday the 5th of September.
Solar activity was low with numerous C class solar flares taking
place everyday, these got stronger as a couple of sunspot regions
rotated into view. Solar activity increased to moderate levels on the
3rd and the 4th once these regions rotated fully into view. The
largest solar flare was a M2 class which occurred on the 3rd. Solar
flux levels increased from 120 units on the 29th to 138 by the 3rd.
The average was 129 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 4th
was 130, that's one unit up on last week. X-ray flux levels increased
from B3.5 units on the 29th to C1.2 by the 2nd. The average was B7.2
units. Geomagnetic activity was unsettled everyday, except for the
4th, which was quiet, the most disturbed day was the 29th with an Ap
index of 20 units. The cause of this prolonged disturbance was a very
slow moving coronal mass ejection and in the latter days of the
period possibly a weak coronal hole disturbance. The average was Ap
13 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind
speeds vary between 350 and 490 kilometres per second. Particle
densities were low everyday. Bz varied between minus 9 and plus 8
nanoTeslas on the most disturbed day and between minus 5 and plus 4
nanoTeslas on the quietest day.
Now the solar forecast for the coming week. This week at least two
active sunspot regions will have already rotated into view. Solar
activity is expected to be moderate on some days. Solar flux levels
are expected to increase and be in the 140's for most of the week.
Geomagnetic activity is expected to be quiet most days, there is a
slight chance though that an Earth directed coronal mass ejection
could head our way. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes are
expected to be around 23MHz. Darkness hour lows should be about
10MHz. Paths this week to South Africa should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 31MHz. 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 1000 and
1600 hours UTC.
And that's all from the propagation team for another week.
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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