RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 18th 2019.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 18th August 2019

The news headlines:

IARU prepares for key CEPT meeting

YOTA 2019 finishes this weekend

146MHz band gets extra year

The final CEPT Conference Preparatory Group meeting prior to WRC-19 takes place from the 26th of August. Most of its papers are now available, including on current hot topics in the 6m, 2m and 23cm bands, where RSGB volunteers have been working hard to support the IARU. In summary, at 50MHz IARU hopes that the European Common Proposal for WRC-19 will be supported, with as many administrations as possible signing the optional footnote to allow amateurs Primary access on a national basis in the lower part of the band. The 144-146MHz band is subject to the French proposal for a WRC-23 agenda item for aeronautical use. IARU and its Member Societies have been busy in recent weeks. IARU has submitted a paper to the meeting that includes background on amateur usage and regulatory concerns. It also includes a basic technical analysis showing the impracticality of such a proposal and believes there are much more appropriate parts of the spectrum for such an application. Turning to 23cm, there has been concern about a few cases of interference from amateur signals to the Galileo navigation system, specific to its E6 sub-band at 1260-1300MHz. It is IARU’s firm view, and stated in the paper it has submitted, that this should be properly studied within CEPT, rather than proposed as an agenda item for WRC-23. IARU experts will be present in the CEPT meeting to explain on these topics and other agenda items of interest, including other microwave bands and wireless power. You can read more at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19 

The ninth annual Youngsters on the Air Summer Camp comes to a close this weekend. Special callsign LZ19YOTA will be on the air during the event, hosted by the Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs. QSL LZ19YOTA via the bureau to LZ1BJ. The experiences of the British team are at www.rsgb.org/yota2019.

Ofcom has agreed to extend for a further year the Notice of Variation (NoV) for 146-147MHz to encourage radio amateurs to experiment and test new communications schemes and systems. The current NoVs expire on 31 October 2019. Any Full licence holder may apply for an experimental NoV for the 146-147MHz band: go to www.rsgb.org/nov for details. In the last year, 578 NoVs were issued for this segment.

In Australia, Roland, VK4FB and Stefan, VK4CSD completed what is being claimed as the world’s first FT8 contact on 122GHz. The distance spanned during the 11th of August contact was 92.08km. The received signals were –17dB on one end and –20dB on the other.

The RSGB Convention takes place in Milton Keynes from the 11th to the 13th of October. The Buildathon on Saturday evening is a little different. Presented as an alternative to the Gala Dinner, those attending the Buildathon get a hot & cold buffet and an evening of surface mount construction. The event includes the food and also the SMD Sudden 2, a 40m direct conversion receiver made and supplied by Kanga Products UK. All necessary equipment will be provided and there’s a helpful team of volunteers to assist you through the build. For more info, to book your Buildathon place, weekend packages or day tickets, go to www.rsgb.org/convention. Early Bird discounts have been extended until the 1st of September.

The G5RP Trophy is an annual award to encourage newcomers to HF DXing. If you are an established HF DXer and want to recommend someone to be awarded the G5RP Trophy for 2019, now is the time to send in your nomination. Your nominee should be an up-and-coming HF DXer who has made rapid progress in the last year and has some real achievements to show. Please send your nominations to Ian Greenshields, G4FSU, by e-mail to [email protected] to arrive no later than Friday the 6th of September.

The ATU African Preparatory Meeting prior to WRC 19 takes place between the 26th and the 30th of August. ATU is one of the four Regional Telecommunications Organisations in Region 1 and the IARU will be present at the meeting. The IARU has particular interest in the 50MHz, 5 and 47GHz issues being discussed. There is no evidence yet that the 144-146MHz and 1240-1300MHz band issues being considered in CEPT will be discussed in the African Preparatory Meeting but the IARU will be prepared should this happen.

Six News issue 140 is now available for UK Six Metre Group members to download from the website. Go to www.uksmg.org for more details.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

Today, the 18th of August, the Rugby ARS Rally will take place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PY. Admission is £3 and the NGR for sat navs is SP395710. Doors open from 10am to 4pm, with traders having access from 8.30am. There is a car boot area. Catering is available on site. Details from Steve, G8LYB on 0795 685 5816.

Next weekend, on the 24th and 25th, the Montrose Air Station open Day and Radio Rally will take place at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, Waldron Road, Broomfield, Montrose DD10 9BD. It is an indoor event and tables are available to sell your own equipment. The event opens to the public from 10am. Minor catering will be available. Details from Ewan, MM0BIX on 01674 676 740.

Next Sunday, the 25th, the Torbay Annual Communications Fair will be held at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10am, with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30am. The indoor event has plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy and catering will be available on site. Details from Pete, G4VTO on 01803 864528.

Next Sunday, the 25th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will take place at MKARS, Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley MK2 2HX. Entry is £3 per person. There is free parking and on-site catering. Doors open from 9am. Additional information is at www.mkars.org.uk/rally

On Bank Holiday Monday, the 26th, the Huntingdonshire ARS Annual Rally will be held at Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Talk in will be on 145.550MHz by GX0HSR. Gates open at 9am for the public and entry is £3. There is free car parking, an RSGB Bookstall, Bring & Buy and indoor and outdoor stands. Catering is provided on site. Contact Malcolm, M0OLG via [email protected] for details.

Now is the time to let us know your rally and event plans for 2020. To get your event into RadCom, onto GB2RS and on the RSGB website, please send details as early as possible to [email protected] – the earlier you tell us the better. We need to know four months in advance to get your info into RadCom, and do our best to give you free publicity for as many months as possible.

And now the DX news from 425 DX News and other sources

Thor, DK7RD, Paul, G4PVM and Col, MM0NDX will be active as MS0INT from the Shiant Isles, IOTA reference EU-112, between the 23rd and the 25th of August. Plans are to operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, or via M0SDV.

Michael, DL2GMI will visit Bernhard, H44MS / DL2GAC on Malaita, OC-047, in the Solomon Islands from the 23rd of August to the 3rd of September. He plans to be active as H44MI on 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6m using SSB and FT8. QSL via Logbook of The World or via his home call, either direct or via the bureau.

Alessandro, IZ1AZA will be active as OY/IZ1AZA from the Faroe Islands, EU-018, between the 21st and the 26th of August. He will operate SSB and CW on the 40 and 10m bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, Logbook of The World, or via his home call.

Michele, IW7EGQ will be active as SV8/IW7EGQ from Zakynthos Island, EU-052, between the 20th and the 28th of August. QSL via M0OXO’s OQRS.

Now the special event news

Two local clubs are taking part in the bicentennial commemoration Peterloo Massacre incident in Manchester, which happened on the 16th of August 1819. South Manchester Radio Club is running GB200PLM for the next three weeks, for which you can find information via www.smrcc.org.uk. Oldham ARC is organising a special event, GB2PL, to take place during a picnic and unveiling of a memorial stone. They’ll be using on UHF, VHF and some HF from about 11am today, the 18th of August. QSL via the bureau and eQSL.

Special event station GB8NCI will be on the air from 10am to 8pm on the 24th and 25th of August. Operating from the National Coastwatch Institution station in Exmouth, Devon, it’s celebrating the 25th anniversary of the NCI. There will be an open house and the public will be invited to view the radio station and, where appropriate, pass a greetings message under supervision. SSB and CW will be mainly on 40m, 20m and 2m, together with other HF bands if conditions allow. Locator is IO80HO. Region 11 Regional Representative Dean, G0UIL and District Representative DR117 Tony, M0THJ will be coordinating and operating on both days, helped by a member of the Exmouth ARC and an NCI Watchkeeper who holds an amateur licence.

British Inland Waterways on the Air 2019 takes place over the August bank holiday, the 24th to 26th of August. The event is open to all amateurs who are boaters, cyclists or who otherwise use the canals, rivers, towpaths or riverbanks for work or recreation. If you are interested in registering your station for the event or for more information, please visit www.nharg.org.uk/biwota 

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

Just a reminder that August is the month of the traditional summer holiday, so there are no RSGB HF contests this month.

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.

Next Sunday, the 25th, the UK Microwave Group High band contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 16th of August.

We had more of the same last week with zero sunspots, but no geomagnetic disturbances. The good news is that there appear to be no Earth-facing coronal holes coming around the Sun, although there are significant holes around the solar polar regions.

The tool at Propquest.co.uk has been showing an interesting phenomenon over the past week. It appears that the critical frequency, and therefore maximum useable frequency, have been increasing after sunset. This means that the higher HF bands, such as 20 or even 17m, may be staying open longer. It also means that 80m is often open for UK contacts after dark, at least until nearly midnight. Daytime DX is still a little harder to come by as D-layer absorption still reigns supreme, but it is worth looking for greyline contacts around sunset.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be at 67 and the geomagnetic K index will be at two. This means we can expect 20 or perhaps 17m to be the highest bands in use, other than contacts via Sporadic-E, which is now declining as we head towards September.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The recent run of unsettled weather has produced some heavy thundery downpours in places and some nice rain scatter propagation across the UK on the microwave bands. This weekend is looking like more of the same, but as pressure builds again in the south it’ll change to Tropo as the preferred mode for paths into the continent. Northern Britain will however remain nearer the low pressure and provide a few further options of rain scatter.

Sporadic-E is putting in the odd appearance on 10m, 6m and 4m, but getting very hard to find now. Next week should start with the best chances with a jet stream over the near continent, but this will probably weaken later, so focus on the first half of the week.

As we move away from the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, don’t feel all is over, as it’s a broad peak and always worth exploring meteor scatter propagation if you haven’t tried it yet.

The Moon was at apogee yesterday so EME path losses are at their highest this weekend. They will fall as the week progresses and with declination going positive again late on Monday, Moon windows will lengthen and the Moon’s peak elevation will increase all week.

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