RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for February 20th 2022.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 20th of February 2022

 

The news headlines:

ARISS to transmit SSTV today

RAYNET deployed during Storm Eunice

A new version of the Syllabus released

 

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station is planning a special SSTV experiment. The first experiment in the series will utilise ARISS approved ground stations in Europe that will transmit these digital SSTV signals. These will be available for all in the ISS footprint when SSTV transmissions occur. The first SSTV experiment is planned for today, 20 February, between 0510UTC and 1200UTC for five ISS passes over Europe. Please be aware that this event depends on ARISS IORS radio availabilities and ISS crew support, so last-minute changes may occur. The ARISS team will employ the ISS Kenwood radio in its cross-band repeater mode, with its downlink on 437.800MHz. Each transmission sequence will consist of a 1-minute 40-second transmission followed by 1 minute 20 seconds pause. The sequence will be repeated several times within an ISS pass over Europe. The ARISS team kindly request that the amateur radio community refrain from the use of the voice repeater during this SSTV experiment on the 20th of February.

Gloucester, Bristol and North Somerset RAYNET groups were deployed at 0500 on Friday the 18th of February as Storm Eunice hit the UK. Thirteen other groups had been put on alert and were on standby ready for deployment as necessary. The RSGB would like to thank all of those groups for helping their local communities.

The RSGB's Examinations Standards Committee and Exam Syllabus Review Group have released the latest version of the Syllabus. New regulations from Ofcom require all UK radio amateurs to comply with the international guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields. Syllabus 2019 version 1.5 includes learning points relating to these new licence conditions. The adoption date for this version is 1 September 2022, meaning that after that date the examinations will include questions on the new EMF-related material at all levels. You can see the updated syllabus on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/syllabus2019

TX Factor is back after a year’s break and the RSGB is delighted to sponsor Episode 28. Bob and Mike get to grips with constructing a digital voice modem using an MMDVM module kit and Raspberry Pi Zero, and Bob reviews the long-awaited ID-52 5W handheld transceiver from Icom. There’s a chance to win a bundle of books from the RSGB in the free-to-enter draw, and you'll find a quick overview of EMF requirements in the middle of the show. You can find out more and see the episode online at txfactor.co.uk

The RSGB's Examinations Standards Committee and Exam Syllabus Review Group have published initial results of the Direct to Full survey and information regarding the next steps. You can see the update on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/direct-to-full.

Since the initial lockdown for the Covid-19 pandemic, Dorking & District Radio Society has been operating a Monday to Saturday net on 144.775MHz from 10 am. The net has now reached the milestone of 600 days. Thanks to all club members, net controllers and visitors to the daily net for its continued success.

The deadline for entries to the RSGB Construction Competition is Tuesday the 1st of March, so you have just over a week left to enter. There are four categories for beginners, software, innovation and construction excellence. A cash prize will be awarded for the winner of each section, with a bonus for the overall winner, who will also be declared the winner of the Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy. If you would like inspiration, the RSGB YouTube channel has an amateur radio construction playlist and you will find details about how to enter the competition on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/construction-competition.

The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park has been open for almost two weeks. Visitor numbers have been running around 50-60% of Bletchley Park footfall, typically 80 to 120 people daily during the week and around 250 at weekends.

And now for details of rallies and events

The Radioactive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall today, Sunday the 20th of February. You can find out more at radioactivefair.co.uk.

The Lagen Valley ARS Rally will take place on the 5th of March at the Hillsborough Village Centre. On the 6th, the Exeter Radio & Electronics Rally will be held in America Hall. Also on the 6th, the Hack Green Bunker Rally will be held at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker.

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

Now the DX news

Brian, GW4DVB will be active as J88PI from Bequia Island, NA-025, from the 24th of February to the 8th of March. He will operate mainly SSB and FT8. QSL direct to his home callsign.

Kamel, 7X2GK will be operating as 7T22ANT from locator JM16KD in Algeria, for the 19th Antarctic Activity Week that runs from the 21st to the 27th of February. QSL via IK2DUW.

Now the Special Event news

W2AN/1BCG will be on the air using the Antique Wireless Association replica of the 1921 transmitter used in the transatlantic test. The QSO party begins on the 26th of February at 2300UTC. AWA operators at the museum site in Bloomfield, New York will begin calling CQ on 1.821MHz using CW. They will listen on or about that frequency for callers. No QSLs are required for a certificate confirming your QSO with W2AN/1BCG. Visit 1BCG.org for more information.

Now the contest news

When operating in any contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following all relevant pandemic-related government rules.

The SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC on Tuesday. Using all modes on the 13, 9, 6 and 3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW only the exchange is your 6-character locator.

On Thursday the 3.5MHz Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW only on the 80m band the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Now the radio propagation report was compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 18th of February 2022.

Last week was pretty subdued in terms of sunspots, but it looks like we missed one of the most impressive space weather events of Solar Cycle 25. A bright, fast-moving coronal mass ejection, or CME, was visible coming off the far side of the Sun on imagery from the STEREO Ahead spacecraft. Had this event been Earth-facing, we could only presume that a large-scale geomagnetic storm may have been triggered. Just how big is hard to judge. Other than that, the Kp index has been in the range of one to three, so nothing too dramatic.

Sunspot-wise, there have been eight active groups but they have all been small and the solar flux index has steadfastly remained in the low 100s.

Unfortunately, it looks like we will have more of the same as NOAA predicts that next week the SFI will be in the range 102-108. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be settled, at least until around Tuesday the 22nd to Thursday the 24th, when the Kp index could rise to five. There is also a large coronal hole that will be Earth-facing by Friday the 18th. As such, this could also trigger an elevated Kp index, perhaps later this weekend.

To check, keep an eye on the Real-Time Solar Wind indicator on solarham.com. If the solar wind speed rises and the Bz swings southwards (negative) we may expect the solar plasma to more easily couple with the Earth’s magnetic field and the Kp index to rise shortly after.

Radio-wise, please note it is the ARRL DX CW contest this weekend. This is a great opportunity to work on much-needed areas for your Worked All States award. And this may be the last good chance to work the US before the summer HF doldrums start in a couple of months’ time.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

I hope that everyone’s antennas survived the gales over the last few days, as the very strong jet stream across the Atlantic is providing plenty of severe weather for the fringes of Europe with damaging gales and plenty of tense moments for big antenna arrays.

The coming week shows little change, with a continuation of the unsettled weather and further windy periods as deepening lows across the country. These will bring some cold air too, and snowfall in some areas may put added stress on the antenna wires and beams. All this means little chance of seeing any Tropo and, like last week, only a chance of aurora, or meteor scatter in the early mornings, to provide variety.

This is a good time to get the locator square count up on the various satellites. QO-100 is always a banker for making QSOs and worth the effort of setting up a small system.

Moon declination is negative again, with shortening Moon windows and lower peak elevation as the week progresses. With the lowest losses as we approach perigee next Saturday, the upside is that if you have a clear low angle of take-off to the horizon, it’s the best period for GHz band EME.

For VHFers, if you also have low site noise you can get a shot at digimode EME without the need for elevation control. QSOs can often be made with the big guns using legal QRO and a single Yagi. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate until Friday, reaching 2,400 Kelvin at Moonset.

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