RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for April 17th 2022.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 17th of April 2022

The news headlines:

RSGB AGM to be live-streamed

Pop Up YOTA net today

New EMF video

The RSGB AGM is being live-streamed on Saturday at 12 noon. You can still submit a question for the RSGB Board to answer during the event, but you will need to do so before 9 am on Wednesday the 20th of April. Voting in the elections closes at 9 am on Thursday the 21st of April. The Society encourages all RSGB Members to use their vote. Full details of the event can be found on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/agm.

A special Pop Up Youngsters On The Air net will be on the air today, Easter Sunday, at 1400UTC. This Pop-Up net is aimed exclusively at youngsters under the age of 25 and encourages them to call in and have a QSO with fellow youngsters on the air. The net controller for the first hour will be Declan, 2W0KYH who is aged 13. The 2nd hour is with Liam, M7LCB. The net is hosted by the FreeSTAR Amateur Radio network, which is a multi-node system where various digital radio modes are accessible including DMR, D-Star, Fusion C4FM and so on. For full connection details please visit freestar.network or email [email protected].

The RSGB has just released a short video outlining the new EMF regulations and the help and tools the Society provides for radio amateurs. There is a wealth of information and guidance on the RSGB website and the Society hopes that this video will signpost that in a new way. The video is in the ‘Did you know?’ playlist on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB.

The IARU Region Political Relations Committee, in conjunction with the Region’s EMC Committee, has submitted a paper to a recent European Commission Call for Evidence with respect to Solar Energy Strategy. Solar energy systems, which include Solar PV, are a progressive technology whose use is to be encouraged. However, there are certain caveats to be noted in deployment and ongoing use. The IARU concerns are not with solar technology, but with the potential noise pollution from so-called optimisers. The paper that was submitted detailed elements of the ongoing research and monitoring by the EMC Committee in this area. The paper is available on the IARU Region 1 website at iaru-r1.org.

As part of the Commonwealth Games activities, RSGB Special Event Stations will be activated from the four UK Home Nations and three Crown Dependencies. The callsigns will take the format of GB22G followed by the Regional Locator, for example, GB22GE, GB22GI or GB22GD. RSGB affiliated clubs and individual RSGB Members who are Full licensees will be able to book slots to activate a callsign themselves or to supervise operation by others. Further details will be coming soon.

Radio Amateurs of Canada is supporting World Amateur Radio Day on the 18th of April by encouraging amateurs to get on the air and contact as many Canadian stations as possible. RAC official stations will operate across Canada from 0000Z to 2359UTC on the 18th. Look out for these special event stations with callsigns ending in RAC. Those contacting one or more of these stations will be eligible for a special commemorative certificate. Full details are on their website at rac.ca.

The RSGB will be running a special event station at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, starting on the 28th of July. The callsign will be GB22HQ. If you’d like to help operate the station during the Games and talk to visitors about amateur radio, please contact RSGB Region 5 Representative Neil Yorke, M0NKE at [email protected]. Due to the location of the station, operators will only be able to access the Games by train.

The RSGB and ARRL have been celebrating the centenary of the Transatlantic Tests. The Society has just released a video that highlights the fantastic exhibition put on by the National Heritage Centre in Saltcoats, the 1921 message re-enactment by the Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club and also the 160m Transatlantic QSO Party. You’ll find the video on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB

And now for details of rallies and events

Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to [email protected]. We’ll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.

The Cambridge Repeater Group Rally takes place on the 24th of April. The venue is Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Doors open at 9.30 am and admission is £3. There will be a talk in station, trade stands, car boot area and a Bring & Buy. Catering is available on site. More at cambridgerepeaters.net.

Also on the 24th is the Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Exhibition, also known as the Blackpool Rally. It will be held at the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. More details at narsa.org.uk.

The Andover Radio Club Spring Boot Sale is due to take place on the 24th at Wildhern Village Hall, SP11 0JE. It is open at 10 am and is organised by the Andover Radio Amateur Club. Details at arac.org.uk.

Now the DX news

Braco, E77DX will be active holiday style as 8Q7DX from the Maldives, AS-013, until the 27th of April. He plans to operate on the 10 to 80m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World and E73Y.

Michael, DF8AN will be touring the Caribbean until early May. He will be active from Martinique as FM/DF8AN until the 19th of April and again on the 1st and 2nd of May. He will operate as J79MN from Dominica between the 19th and 24th of April. Between the 24th of April and the 1st of May, he will operate from St. Lucia. He will operate mainly CW and digital modes on all bands, including the 6m band. QSLs via DF8AN, direct or via the bureau.

Now the Special Event news

Look out for GB1BB today from about 5 pm to 7 pm local time around 7.170MHz or 3.770MHz as well as 2m FM simplex and via GB3IW. Operators from the Isle of Wight Radio Society will be on the Bramble Bank in mid-Solent for the few minutes that it is exposed by this weekend’s extreme Spring tide. After the event, the club will QSL direct. QSL certificates will show Gold, Silver, or Bronze Awards. Gold for confirmed contacts with GB1BB on HF, VHF, and UHF; Silver for confirmed contacts on any two of those; and Bronze for a confirmed contact on any one band. Details on iowrs.org.

On the 23rd of April Harlow & District Amateur Radio Society will be operating GB0MGY for International Marconi Day.

With the kind permission of the National Trust, Weston super Mare Radio Society will be operating GB0IMD from the Old Fort on Brean Down on the 23rd of April, as part of the International Marconi Day celebrations.

Flight Refuelling ARS will be operating from the club station using GB2FRA to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary. It is intended that the callsign will be used on all the bands and modes that are available from the club shack including 10GHz EME. Operations will run throughout April.

Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society will operate GB5MW between the 3rd and 30th of April to celebrate the society's centenary year. QSL via eQSL.

Now the contest news

On Monday the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs between 1300 and 1330UTC. It is followed by the IRTS 2m Counties Contest from 1330 to 1500UTC. Both use FM and SSB and the exchange is signal report and serial number. Please note that Irish stations will also send their county.

On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championship runs between 1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number.

Thursday sees the 70MHz UK Activity Contest run from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The SP DX RTTY contest runs from 1200UTC on the 23rd to 1200UTC on the 24th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number with polish stations also sending their Region code.

Running from 1900UTC on the 23rd to 2130UTC on the 24th, the First MGM contest uses the 50 and 144MHz bands. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator.

Next Sunday, the 24th, the BARTG Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75 baud RTTY on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is the serial number.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 14th of April 2022.

We had a week with declining solar flux index numbers, but with the ever-present threat of coronal mass ejections. The SFI declined from 101 on Sunday to 96 on Wednesday with the possibility of further falls as the week goes on. A solar filament located near the centre disk of the Sun erupted early Monday morning generating a faint, halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that appeared to be squarely Earth-directed.

A moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm watch was added for the 14th and skywatchers at middle to high latitudes were also put on alert for aurora.

Meanwhile, the quieter geomagnetic conditions earlier in the week saw 10 metres open up to some good DX. Laurie, G3UML reports a long path opening to Australia on 20m CW from 0730 to 0800UTC. He worked two VK2s and a VK3 and listened to VK5QD who was very loud.

Next week NOAA predicts that the SFI may climb again, perhaps into the range of 100 to 110.

Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be generally quiet, but with the ever-present risk of CMEs pushing the Kp index up to perhaps four or five at times. A pair of coronal holes became Earth facing on Thursday as well, which may bring unsettled conditions again this weekend. If the Kp index stays low we can expect MUFs to be near seasonal norms, perhaps with openings up to 21 and even 28MHz at times.

Look out for occasional early-season Sporadic-E openings as well, which could bring short-skip openings into Europe on 10 metres.

And now the VHF and up propagation news

The high pressure over the North Sea and Scandinavia will decline slowly allowing a new area of low pressure over the nearby Atlantic to drift east into southern Britain during the Easter weekend. This will mean that any Tropo benefits, particularly over the Irish Sea and the North Sea will decline during the weekend.

The new low will bring areas of showery rain across the country with a chance of rain scatter propagation. This is likely to be a pattern for much of the following week with low pressure over southern areas and occasionally expanding bands of rain farther north.

The solar activity has continued to provide aurora options, so again worthwhile checking the clusters and Kp index for early signs of auroral activity. It is also a given that random meteor scatter is always available, especially for those who like to be up early in the morning!

The main mode to keep a watch out for during the coming week is Sporadic-E, which is just beginning to make an appearance on 10m and even higher bands using digital modes.

Jet streams are important as potential sources of the atmospheric gravity waves that can contribute to Es. You should look to the jet stream 300hectopascal or hPa upper air charts to see where they are located. Try paths that cross them, especially where they cross mountain ranges like the Alps or Pyrenees. Note a hectopascal equals a millibar.

The Propquest.co.uk website has a set of four 300hPa charts for the current day and from the beginning of May will also contain a daily blog highlighting that day’s prospects.

The Winter minimum of meteor show activity is coming to an end. This week the small daytime April Piscids shower starts on the 20th, and peaks two days later at 2200UTC. This also coincides with the peak of the larger, and currently active Lyrids shower also on the 22nd but earlier at 1300 UTC. With a ZHR of around 18, it should produce some good reflections.

Moon perigee is on Tuesday so path losses are at their lowest. Moon declination is negative again and reaches minimum on Thursday so Moon windows will be short and peak Moon elevation low. 144MHz sky noise is high, peaking at over 3000K on Thursday so combined with the low elevations a poor week for especially VHF EME.

And that’s all from the propagation team this week.