RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 25th 2019.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 25th August 2019

The news headlines:

Syllabus 2019 candidate & tutor information

145MHz Russian EME Contest

Join the W1AW 150th birthday celebration

As the introduction of Syllabus 2019 approaches, the RSGB has a range of materials to help candidates and tutors prepare. The Reference Data Booklets for each level of exam are now on the website and the Exam Secrets book, referred to by Board Director Mike Bruce, M0ITI in his recent RadCom article, has been updated to include new material on software defined radio and digital matters. The instructor’s version of the Practical Assessment Record Sheets can be downloaded from the RSGB website and we now have a good stock of the printed candidate versions at HQ. To see and download the booklets and instructor PARS, go to www.rsgb.org/exam-forms

The 145MHz Russian EME Contest is intended to encourage worldwide activity on 2m moonbounce and support VHF activity in remote regions in Russia and around the globe. Each different DXCC country and each Russian region form a multiplier. The contest runs for 48 hours ending at 2359UTC today, the 25th. Use digital modes and CW only on the 2m band. The full rules and scoring system are at https://tinyurl.com/y4gtxdgn

The Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday Celebration runs from the 31st of August to the 8th of September. It commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL co-founder – and first President – Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW. The objective is to work as many participating stations as possible. W1AW and all ARRL members will append /150 to their callsigns during this event. Stations will exchange a signal report and their ARRL/RAC Section. A total of 84 multipliers are available. DX stations will send a signal report and the letters DX instead of their Section. All bands except 60, 30, 17, and 12m can be used. Contacts may be made on CW, phone and digital modes. Incentives are available for using different modes, operating portable, and using social media, among others. Logs will be scored, and downloadable certificates will be available. See www.arrl.org for further details.

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 this year. 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, for weekend packages or day tickets, go to www.rsgb.org/convention. Early Bird discounts have been extended until the 1st of September.

There were almost 400 entries in the last IARU Region 1 50/70MHz contest. Congratulations to GM4ZUK/P in IO86RW for 11th place and to G8X in IO80HV for placing 24th in the Single Operator 50MHz section. G8T in JO01KJ was 10th in the 50MHz multi operator section and G0VHF/P in JO01PU was placed 11th. Provisional results for this very popular contest are available at www.iaru-r1.org

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

Today, the 25th, is the second day of 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.

Today, 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.

Today, the 25th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will take place at the 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.

Next Saturday, the 31st, the Telford Hamfest Buildathon takes place in the evening. Contact Martyn on 01952 255 416.

On Sunday the 1st of September, the Telford Hamfest and G-QRP Convention takes place at Harper Adams University, near Telford, TF10 8NB. See www.telfordhamfest.org.uk for more information.

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

YP0F will be active from Fericirii Island, IOTA reference EU-191, from the 27th of August to the 1st of September. A team of four will operate SSB, CW and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via YO9RIJ.

The VIC Amateur Radio Contest DX Club will be active as 4U500M between the 1st and the 30th of September to mark the 500th anniversary of the first voyage around the globe under the lead of Ferdinand Magellan. This activity counts for Austria for DXCC and for the Vienna International Centre for the CQ DX Marathon. QSL via UA3DX, direct or bureau.

K9HZ will be active from his J68HZ station on St Lucia until the 4th of October. He will operate on the 40 to 6m bands and QSLs go via his home call.

Francesco IV3TMM will be on the air as 9U3TMM from Bujumbura in Burundi from the 31st of August to the 17th of September. Look for him on the 60 to 6m bands on SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.

Members of the Russian Robinson Club will activate Sledge Island in Alaska, NA-210, from the 28th of August to the 2nd of September. The callsign to be used is KL7RRC/P. QSL info is via Club Log OQRS.

Now the special event news

Special event station GB8NCI will be on the air today, the 25th, for the second day from 10am to 8pm. 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 

On the 31st of August and the 1st of September, the Radio Club of Binche will activate ON44WAR to commemorate the sacrifice of the Belgian Resistance in WWII, especially those of the Refuge B 40 in Waudrez. On the hour, for 30 minutes, a Whaddon MK VII Paraset will be used to make CW transmissions on the 7MHz band. The following half hour will be SSB transmissions on the 7MHz band. QSL via ON7RY; more information is at www.on7ry.be

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.

Today, 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.

On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend the UK and Ireland Contest Club DX contest runs from 1200UTC on Saturday to 1200UTC on Sunday. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands the exchange is signal report, serial number and District code.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 23rd of August

The last seven days have seen quiet geomagnetic conditions but, equally, zero sunspots and a solar flux index of around 67. Nevertheless, the Lighthouses on the Air event last weekend saw UK stations finding people to talk to, even if real DX was a little thin on the ground.

Saturday the 17th saw numerous short-skip openings on 40m that were probably due to Sporadic-E. Path lengths of less than 150 miles were reported by GB0HL in Norfolk, which meant UK stations were able to talk to others around the country on seven megahertz. This was at a time when the critical frequency, as reported by the Chiltern Digisonde, was only 4.1MHz.

Make the most of any potential Sporadic-E openings on HF as the season is fast coming to an end. But it will be replaced by better Autumnal F2 layer conditions so it is not all bad news. As the ionosphere cools there will a shift towards more monatomic rather than diatomic species, and these are easier to ionise. As a result we can expect MUFs to rise in late September or early October.

Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain around 67-68 and geomagnetic conditions will remain settled until the 1st of September, when the K index could rise to five due to material from another solar coronal hole impacting the Earth’s magnetic field. Therefore, after a potential pre-auroral enhancement, expect MUFs to be adversely affected for a couple of days next weekend.

And now the VHF and up propagation news

Microwave bands rain scatter was the main player last week, but it's looking like we start the period with some high pressure controlling the weather pattern over the UK. This could herald the return of useful Tropo conditions. This Tropo period should probably last until midweek as temperatures gradually rise to high-summer values before a breakdown, with a chance of thunderstorms from mid-week. It often happens that in very hot weather, the Tropo tends to favour sea paths and night-time over the land. The last part of the coming week appears to be heading towards lower pressure with showery weather and cooler conditions, but it should offer some more chances for rain scatter from any big cumulonimbus thunder clouds.

Sporadic-E is showing up on 10m on most days, but getting harder to find on 6m. It's not done yet, but be guided by the clusters and beacons and you should be able to make use of any that does crop up.

One minor meteor shower, the Aurigids, peaks a week today with a Zenith Hourly Rate of six.

With the Moon reaching peak declination this Tuesday, and perigee coming up on Friday, it’s a good week for EME with long daytime Moon windows and lowest path losses.

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