RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for December 8th 2019.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 8th December 2019

The news headlines:

GB2RS Christmas schedule

YOTA month news

Sweden discontinuing 2.3 & 3.4GHz permits

Due to the way Christmas and New Year falls there will be no GB2RS News script for Sunday the 29th of December. An abbreviated script will be prepared for Sunday the 5th of January for those newsreaders who are able to read that day. Normal service will resume on the 12th of January. The RSGB would like to take the opportunity to thank all the GB2RS news reading volunteers for their service to the amateur community throughout the year.

YOTA Month is in full swing and thanks to local clubs, schools and Scout groups it has already introduced large numbers of youngsters to amateur radio. Hilderstone Radio Society used GB19YOTA to give 40 children aged 7 to 8 the chance to speak to Santa and chat to him about what they would like for Christmas. This weekend an event hosted by Nick, G4FAL will bring together youngsters to get on the air for YOTA Month. Next weekend, the 14th to 15th of December, the RSGB’s National Radio Centre will host the callsign. The Society’s Youth Champion and members of the RSGB Youth Team will be there to welcome any young people who want to find out more about amateur radio, pass greetings messages on the air and try their hand at Morse code. Do take your young family or club members along to take part in this event. RSGB Members can download their free Bletchley Park entrance voucher from www.rsgb.org/bpvoucher.

Amateurs in Sweden have been able to apply for Temporary Permits to allow operation in 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands. Their regulator, the PTS, has announced these Temporary Permits will no longer be issued from the 1st of January 2020. The reason is 5G. Swedish amateurs are presently permitted by their regulations to run a maximum of 100mW output in the 2400-2450MHz band.

Following a tutors’ Syllabus 2019 presentation on software-defined radio earlier in the year, the RSGB has now been able to publish three short videos to help tutors teach this aspect of the new Syllabus. The presentations were videoed by members of the exam team to accompany the PowerPoint slides that have been available on the Society’s website for several months. The RSGB hopes that the expert explanations and commentary by Alan Betts, G0HIQ will be of great value to club tutors. The videos can be found at www.rsgb.org/syllabus2019-updates.

The UK and other member states have made investments that mean the European Space Agency has re-confirmed that all astronauts from the class of 2009, including Tim Peake, will return to the International Space Station before 2024. The timings will be confirmed by ESA in due course.

There’s still time to book onto the Introduction to Amateur Radio workshop, which will take place on Saturday the 14th of December at Bletchley Park. Open to anyone aged 17 or over, it will provide an insight into the world of amateur radio through talks, videos and demonstrations. Go to www.bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on for more information and to book.

For a bit of fun as we approach the festive season, you can use sightings of The International Space Station as it orbits the Earth to impress friends and family. And if you want to pretend its Santa’s sleigh practising before the big day, and then again out delivering presents on Christmas Eve, then you should be able to if it isn’t cloudy. You can use an ISS tracker app on your phone or go to https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ and sign up for email alerts or text messages when the ISS is going to fly overhead.

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

We have no more rallies or events listed for 2019. Please send details of your 2020 rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected].

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

Tev, TA1HZ will be active as 4L/TA1HZ from Georgia between the 13th and the 20th of December. He will operate from 4L6QC's QTH, with main activity on the lower bands using FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of The World, or direct to TA1HZ.

Matt, IZ4YGS will be operating from Sanzule in Ghana until the 28th of December. He is using the callsign 9G5GS on all bands from 160 to 15m using FT8 and SSB. QSL to his home call.

John, W5JON will return to his home on St Kitts island, OPTA reference NA-104, for a few days between the 10th and the 19th of December. He plans to be on the air as V47JA. QSL direct and QSOs are uploaded regularly to Logbook of The World.

The annual 6V1A expedition to the island of Goree, AF-045, will take place between the 13th and the 15th of December. Activity will be on various bands using SSB and CW. QSL via Logbook of The World.

Now the special event news

On Monday and Tuesday, from 1200 to 1800UTC, GB19YOTA will be operated by M0XDX and M0NCG, and Wednesday sees Flight Refuelling ARS operating from 1800 to 2359UTC. On Thursday and Friday, the callsign moves to Wales under the supervision on GW1YQM from 1800 to 2359UTC each day. Next weekend, the 14th and 15th, sees the callsign operating from the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park from 0930 to 1600UTC. A full list of those participating throughout the month is on the GB19YOTA page on QRZ.com.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible. We have not received special event station info from Ofcom in recent months so you MUST let us know to get your event publicised on GB2RS, in RadCom and online.

Now the contest news

The ARRL 160m contest ends its 42-hour run at 1600UTC today, the 8th. It’s CW-only and the exchange is your signal report, with US and Canadian stations also sending their ARRL or RAC section number.

Today, the 8th, the 144MHz AFS contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC, using FM only. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for both contests is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday the 50MHz Machine Generated Mode Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC with an exchange of a signal report and your 4-character locator. It is immediately followed by the all-mode 50MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange for this contest is signal report, serial number and locator.

Next weekend the 2nd Machine Generated Mode contest runs for 24 hours from 1400UTC on the 14th to 1400UTC on the 15th. Using the 50 and 144MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and your 4-character locator.

Also next weekend, but running for 48 hours, the ARRL 10m contest runs from 0000UTC on the 14th to 2359UTC on the 15th. The exchange is signal report and serial number, with USA stations sending their State code and Canadians their Province code.

The UK Six Metre Group’s Winter Marathon and runs until the end of January. There are no specific operating modes or periods. Just work as many locator squares as you can on the 50MHz band.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 6th of December 2019.

We had very settled geomagnetic conditions last week with the Kp index not rising above two and often sitting at zero. The solar flux index sat at 70/71, reflecting zero sunspots and a blank Sun.

As we approach mid-Winter it is a good time to concentrate on the lower bands, with both 80 and 160 metres showing good DX potential throughout the night. For short wave listeners, mediumwave also comes alive with the possibility of DX stations from the USA coming in during the early hours. As a start, try listening for station WBBR in New York on 1130khz. This is usually one of the loudest transatlantic stations to be heard.

And don't forget to look out for DX on forty metres, especially around sunset and sunrise.

Next week should see more of the same with NOAA predicting a solar flux index of 70, zero sunspots, but a settled geomagnetic Kp index of two all week. The critical frequency graphs at Propquest.co.uk suggest that 20m will be the main daytime DX band next week, with occasional openings on 17 metres.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

Next Saturday sees the peak of the biggest meteor shower of the year, the Geminids. The shower is already underway and is expected to reach peak activity at around 1900UTC on the 14th of December. With a peak Zenithal Hourly Rate of 120, it promises to produce some excellent meteor scatter QSOs.

Last week saw some good Tropo paths, but the high pressure declined mid-week. The forecast charts show no indication of a return of a high, so Tropo cannot be promised, other than a brief return of a ridge across southern areas at the end of the coming week.

The rest of the country will be predominantly driven by low pressure crossing northern areas from west to east and at times leaving us with a cold northwesterly down the North Sea. At this time of the year, this means that strong convection bringing showers is likely as the cold air flows south across the relatively warm sea. These may be good for rain scatter, so plenty of opportunities for GHz bands operators.

Last week saw a few reports of Sporadic-E, chiefly on digital modes, but also a few paths on the more traditional CW or SSB. This is a good reminder that there is no month with a zero chance of Sporadic-E. In this case, conditions were probably enhanced by strong meteor activity. Meteors provide the ionisation as they burn up entering the upper atmosphere and this can combine with stronger jet streams in the winter months.

The Moon reaches maximum declination on Friday and path losses will fall all week. Combined with a generally low 144MHz sky temperature, it’s a good week for EME.

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