RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for February 2nd 2020.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 2nd February 2020

The news headlines:

New IARU Region 1 website live

RSGB Operating Awards QSL Checking Service

GB3RS at the NRC due for maintenance on the 11th

Earlier this week the new IARU website went live with new material added. Also live is the new IARU Region 1 website at its normal address of iaru-r1.org. Please take a moment to explore the new Region 1 site and also remember that if you link to that site from your own website, you will need to update the hyperlinks to reflect the new page addresses. Don, G3BJ, IARU Region 1 President, said, “Thanks go to the many content owners in Region 1 who have reviewed and updated their content as part of the process and to Marko, 9A8MM, the webmaster”.

The RSGB is now offering a QSL card checking service for RSGB award applicants. When submitting your award application, you will have the option to request a QSL card check. The RSGB Awards Manager will arrange for your cards to be checked in person, please do not send cards to RSGB HQ. Did you know that clubs can apply for the RSGB HF and VHF/UHF awards? Your club may apply under its club callsign for any award for which it has met the criteria. For more information, see www.rsgb.org/awards

Due to essential maintenance, the Radio Room at the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed to visitors on Tuesday the 11th of February. Whilst the NRC itself will remain open to visitors, it means that the station GB3RS will be ‘off-air’ and hence will be unavailable for any visiting radio amateurs to operate. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. The work should be completed by mid-afternoon and hence GB3RS may be on-air later in the day but, by closing for the day, we are allowing for any over-run needed to complete the work.

On the 30th of January at 1400UTC, AMSAT Argentina deployed a WSPR / APRS drifting Buoy on the South Atlantic Seas. The WSPR beacon will run 900mW on 14095.6kHz with the callsign LU7AA. The APRS beacon, callsign LU7AA-11, will initially be on Argentina's APRS frequency of 144.930MHz but will change frequency to 145.825MHz so that it can be digipeated by the amateur packet radio satellites. The release was 100km offshore Mar del Plata coast, seeking east aiming currents and winds. The objective is to track Sea currents and conduct HF, VHF and satellite ultra-QRP propagation tests. AMSAT Argentina, LU7AA, would appreciate WSPR stations receiving and reporting of the 20m beacon. Further information and pictures at http://amsat.org.ar?f=buoy

The RSGB has released another selection of lectures from the 2019 RSGB Convention for Members to enjoy. Ian White, GM3SEK revisits and updates his popular 2015 Convention lecture Clean up your shack; Richard Banester, G4CDN looks at 2m weak signal ionosphere scatter and Tony Canning, G2NF asks Urban QRM; What can I do? Head to www.rsgb.org/videos to view them.

During the month of February, the Polish national society PZK will have 14 different special event stations on the air to mark the 90th anniversary of PZK and the 95th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union. Six of the stations will have 90PZK in their callsigns, two stations will have 2020PZK and six stations will have 95IARU in their callsigns. Prefixes will be 3Z, HF, SN, SP, SQ and SO. A free downloadable award will be available to European station who make seven QSOs on either phone, CW or digital modes. Full details available on 90.pzk.org.pl

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

Today, Sunday the 2nd of February, the 36th Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally will take place at Cornelius Vermuyden School, Dinant Avenue, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 9QS. Talk in will be on 145.550MHz. There is free car parking and easy level ground floor access to two large halls. Doors open at 10 am, or 9.45 am for disabled visitors. Admission is £3, with children under 10 free. Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available, as well as bacon butties. There will be radio, computing and electronics traders. More details from Tony, G0JYI, via email to [email protected].

If you happen to be holidaying in Florida soon you may be interested in the 74th Orlando Hamcation on the 7th to the 9th of February. Held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park, in Orlando, there will be trade stands, a flea market, a swapmeet, US Licence exams & more. Go to www.hamcation.com for details.

Next Sunday, the 9th of February the Harwell Radio and Electronics Rally will be held at Didcot Leisure Centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 8AY, that’s about 3 miles from the A34 Milton Interchange. Doors open 10 am to 3 pm and admittance is £3 with under 12s free. Talk in will be on 145.550MHz, using G3PIA and there is free car parking. Local and national traders, as well as Special Interest Groups and an RSGB Bookstand, will be in attendance. Home-made refreshments are available all day. Details from [email protected] or 01235 816379.

Please send details of your rally and event plans as soon as possible to [email protected] – we give you valuable publicity online, in RadCom and on GB2RS, all for free.

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

Nando, IT9YRE and Mike, K9AJ will be on the air as CB0Z from the 3rd to the 5th of February to activate the new IOTA reference Alejandro Selkirk Island, IOTA SA-101. Activity will be on the 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15m bands using CW, SSB and possibly FT8. QSL via IT9YRE.

A DXpedition to Cocos Island will take place until the 9th of February using the callsign TI9C. The operators will be Mark, XE1B and Frank, HK5OKY and they plan to be on all bands from 160 to 6m on SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.

A large group of operators will be operating as 5I5TT from Zanzibar Island, IOTA AF-032, from the 4th to the 18th of February. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB and RTTY with four stations active. QSL via I2YSB.

A German DXpedition team will be on the air from El Salvador until the 13th of February. They will be using the callsign HU1DL. The usual prefix for El Salvador is YS so the HU prefix will attract added attention to the expedition. They will be active on all bands from 160 to 6m on CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.

Matteo, IZ4YGS will be operating as 9G5GS from Sanzule in Ghana from the 1st to the 26th of February. Activity will be on the 160 to 20m bands using FT8 and SSB. He also plans some activity on QO-100. QSL direct to home call.

Russell, G5XW will be operating holiday-style as C5XW in the Gambia until the 7th of February. Activity will be mainly SSB on the 40 to 17m bands and possibly some CW. QSLs go via the RSGB bureau

Now the special event news

On Wednesday the 5th of February GB0GLS will be on the air from Gilnahirk Listening Station, BT5 7SL. Operations run from 10 am to 6 pm. There is no parking on Gilnahirk Road, but the organisers plan to have a field available for parking. Details on qrz.com

Members of the Kuwait Amateur Radio Society are operating as 9K59NLD during February to mark Kuwait's National and Liberation Day. QSL via 9K2RA.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible to get your event publicised here on GB2RS, in RadCom, and online.

Now the contest news

Today, Sunday, the 2nd of February, the 432MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Monday the 80m Club Championships runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB only the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC, it is followed from 2000 to 2230 by the 144MHz UK Activity Contest where all modes may be used. The exchange for both contests is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday, the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only the exchange is your 4-character locator.

Next weekend the CQ WW WPX Party runs from 0000UTC on the 8th to 2359UTC on the 9th. It’s RTTY only on the 3.8 to 28MHz bands. The exchange is signal report and serial number.

The PACC Contest runs from 1200UTC on the 8th to 1200UTC on the 9th. Using CW and SSB on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands the exchange is signal report serial number with PA stations also sending their Province.

On Saturday the 8th the 1st 1.8MHz contest of the year runs from 1900 to 2300UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and District.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 31st of January.

We had a new sunspot group last week, but don’t get too excited – region 2757 was from the old Cycle 24. We know this because it was close to the Sun’s equator and had the older magnetic configuration. As you read or hear this, the spot will be rotating out of view off of the Sun’s eastern limb. A new plage region belonging to upcoming Cycle 25 also appeared high in latitude on the southwest limb but didn’t amount to anything.

The Kp index peaked at three last week, possibly due to a minor geomagnetic storm triggered by a coronal mass ejection from sunspot group 2757. But otherwise, with the solar flux at 74, it was business as usual!

There was DX to be had. Andy, M0NKR reports working 7Z Saudi Arabia, 9W West Malaysia, HS0 Thailand and 4S7 Sri Lanka on 40 metres. He also reports working 8P Barbados, SO Western Sahara and FJ Saint Barthelemy on 17 metres.

SO1WS at the Sahrawi Amateur Radio Club has been very active on 17m, so keep an eye on the cluster for their current operating frequency.

Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be around 74, declining to 71 as sunspot 2757 disappears from the Earth-facing solar surface.

Geomagnetic conditions will be mainly settled with a maximum Kp index of three.

Expect to see openings up to the 18MHz band, with the 14MHz band being more reliable. The 21MHz band and higher are still not really playing ball, other than for FT8 contacts with Germany being spotted on 10 metres on Thursday.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The coming week’s weather has a continuing unsettled flavour, especially in the north, but with a hint of a brief ridge of high pressure passing across southern areas around mid-week. This means that it's mostly GHz Bands rain scatter on offer this weekend and into the beginning of next week, but again this appears to be mostly for northern parts of the country.

As the high builds later on Tuesday and through Wednesday we could see some Tropo conditions extending to the south into the continent and across Biscay towards Spain, perhaps. This is a relatively brief period of high pressure and may not have enough time to build a strong inversion with moisture trapped beneath the inversion as required for a good lift.

The upper air charts for the coming week provide a significant chance of a strong jet stream in the upper atmosphere over or near the UK. This is the sort of pattern that can produce Sporadic-E in the summer season and may just tip the balance in winter if it goes in our favour. Take a look for digital mode activity on 10m for a “heads up.”

With Moon declination still rising, reaching maximum on Thursday, it's a good week for EME. With just over a week to perigee, path losses are falling. 144MHz sky noise is highest on Wednesday, falling to its lowest on Saturday.

There’s a small meteor shower in progress, the Alpha-Centaurids, reaching its peak on Saturday. Due to the southern declination of its radiant, the best time is before dawn when the radiant lies highest above the horizon.

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