RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for July 26th 2020.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday the 26th of July 2020

The news headlines:

Over 400 remote-invigilation Intermediate exams booked

July’s RadCom Basic’s free to all

Tokyo Ham Fair cancelled

Since bookings opened on the 13th of July, the RSGB is delighted that over 400 people have booked a remote-invigilation Intermediate exam, with over 250 registering on the first day! These exams take place from the 12th of August and we wish the candidates well with their studying and the exam.

With more than 1000 remote-invigilation Foundation licence students having passed, the RSGB is making the July edition of RadCom Basics a special free-to-everyone edition. With many radio amateurs world-wide still affected by national lockdown restrictions, RadCom Basics is an opportunity to introduce elements of the hobby to newcomers in bite-sized pieces. To read the July copy of this bi-monthly online publication, go to www.rsgb.org/radcom-basics.

The Japanese national society, JARL, has announced that the Tokyo Ham Fair, due to be held on the 31st of October and the 1st of November has been cancelled due to coronavirus. In 2019, 42,000 people are reported to have visited the event that usually takes place in August, it was moved to later in 2020 because of the expected Olympic and Paralympic Games during the summer.

The objective of the AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party is to encourage all radio amateurs to make contacts via satellites during northern hemisphere summer. Whether you are a seasoned operator or a newcomer, all are welcome. Although points are given per QSO, this isn’t a contest. The QSO Party will be supported by an online leader-board that will be available from the start of the event, which runs from 0000UTC on the 1st of August until 2359UTC on the 22nd of September. Prizes will be awarded to the leading entries, full details at https://amsat-uk.org.

The RSGB’s Tonight @ 8 webinars continue on Monday the 27th of July with a presentation by Dom Smith, M0BLF on Getting started on QO-100. You can watch the livestream and ask questions on both the RSGB YouTube channel or the special Tonight @ 8 channel on the BATC website. The webinar series takes a break in August then will be back on the 7th of September with James Stevens, M0JCQ who will be talking about Portable adventures with Summits on the Air. You can find out more about all the webinars via the RSGB website at www.rsgb.org/webinars.

NZART, the New Zealand National Amateur Radio Society, has published an update on its 60m band page indicating that the current New Zealand 60m trial period, which was due to have been concluded on the 24th of July has been extended for a further three months until the 24th of October. Go to www.nzart.org.nz/info/60m/ for more information.

The European Space Agency has released a new video ‘How to get pictures from the International Space Station via Amateur Radio’ that features radio amateur David Honess, 2E0XDO. It also has a collection of tutorial videos explaining how to receive ISS Slow Scan TV pictures for different computers and mobile devices. Go to https://tinyurl.com/gb2rs-iss to find out more.

The RSGB has uploaded two more 2019 Convention lecture videos to its YouTube channel. In the first one, Richard Banester, G4CDN talks about 2m Ionoscatter and using digital modes to open up paths that are usually unworkable. The second presentation is by Dean Pesnell from the Solar Dynamics Observatory who explains more about the Observatory and how studying the Sun helps us understand the Earth and amateur radio. Go to www.youtube.com/theRSGB to watch these presentations.

Now the special event news

Since the change of regulations applying to special event stations in the UK, many activations are now able to go ahead. UK amateurs would like to thank Ofcom for their help in making this happen.

August sees two GB80 Special Event Stations come on air marking the critical role that radar played in the Battle of Britain 80 years ago. GB80BRS will be operated to commemorate Bawdsey Radar Station in Suffolk, which was where radar was developed in the late 1930s and was the location of the world’s first operational radar station. Operation will be on 10m to 80m bands, SSB, CW and FT8. GB80CH will be operated from Chelmsford in Essex, which has the most complete surviving radar tower from the Battle of Britain. The BAE Systems Great Baddow Amateur Radio, club with amateur colleagues in local clubs will be operating across the HF+6m bands.

And now the DX news

Tony, OH1TD is active again from his summer QTH on Korpo Island, EU-096, until September. QSL via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau.

Now the contest news

Please remember to check before the events for new rules due to lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world. The RSGB strongly advises obeying your own government’s advice first and foremost.

Today, the 26th, the UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes in the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

The RSGB’s Islands On The Air contest ends its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today, the 26th. It’s CW and SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands and the exchange is signal report, serial number and your IOTA reference. Mainland Britain is EU-005, mainland Ireland is EU-115, while smaller islands have differing references. A full list can be found at www.qrz.com/i/iota.html. The IOTA contest has been scaled back this year, with no portable entries being accepted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday the sixth FT4 series contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using the 3.5MHz band only the exchange is your 4-character locator.

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

The fourth 144MHz Backpacker contest takes place on Saturday the 1st of August but with single operator entries only. Running from 1400 to 1800UTC, it’s all mode with the exchange of signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on the 1st of August, the 144MHz Low Power Contest runs from 1400 to 2000UTC. Again this is single operator only entries. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and first two letters of your postcode.

The Worked All Britain 144MHz Low power phone contest takes place next Saturday, the 1st of August from 1400 to 1800UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB square for UK stations. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 11th of August. The maximum power for this contest is 10 watts input to the antenna. Mobile and portable entries are allowed but no club or multi-operator entries. Full details from www.worked-all-britain.org.uk.

Next Sunday, the 2nd, the 432MHz Low Power Contest is single operator only from 0800 to 1200UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and first two letters of your postcode.

The UK Six Metre Group’s Summer Marathon runs until the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 50MHz band, the exchange is your 4-character locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 24th of July.

We had quite a quiet week with the Sun with zero sunspots and a settled geomagnetic field. The solar wind speed was slow, between 280 and 330km per second, and its magnetic field was weak, with no significant negative deflections in its important North-South Bz direction. Therefore, the resultant geomagnetic activity was settled.

On the 21st a sunspot appeared around the Sun’s limb. Now classified as sunspot group 2767, on Thursday it contained one sunspot, but its simple uni-polar magnetic signature suggests it is non threatening.

We do expect the Kp index to rise on Friday the 24th due to the arrival of a coronal hole high speed stream. Modest magnetic enhancement is also forecast for the 25th of July with the possible arrival of a slow CME from the 19th.

Expect a possible pre-aurora enhancement followed by the potential for suppressed maximum usable frequencies over the weekend and into early next week.

HF conditions have been generally lacklustre, but Laurie, G3UML reports that WH6FXL and WA6QDQ/KH6, both in Hawaii, were both quite readable signals on 20m SSB at 0800 on Wednesday. Tom, GM4FDM reports working two JAs on 17m using his newly-erected dipole. The 10m UK Net group on Facebook also reported an FT8 opening to Japan on Monday as well.

This just goes to show that you shouldn’t just write off the Summer as being no good for DX.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain in the high 60s with the Kp index between two and three. This generally suggests that HF conditions will remain similar to last week. Expect Sporadic-E openings on 10 metres to continue, although not at the rate that we had earlier in the month.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

A series of low-pressure systems passing close by northern Scotland and various fronts crossing the country mean that there are likely to be few opportunities for Tropo this week. High pressure is displaced to the south over France so any Tropo will be mostly likely from southern England into the continent or across Biscay to Spain. That brings rain scatter on the GHz bands onto the agenda for many regions of the UK at some time or other during the coming week.

Sporadic-E still warrants a mention, but it is becoming more elusive as we move towards August. It's not a 'no chance', but it will need some strategy for being in the right place at the right time. The best options will be to monitor 10m or 6m mid-morning and again late afternoon or early evening. Paths on FT8 will prove good indicators of which direction might deliver as the Es develops.

With the Moon declination negative and falling further as the week progresses, Moon visibility windows will shorten and peak elevation will be just 32 degrees today and falling, leading up to minimum declination a week today.

Perigee was yesterday, Saturday the 1st, so path losses are now increasing. 144MHz sky noise peaks at 2,500 Kelvin on Friday, so low noise preamps won’t help you that day.

The Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower has a broad peak from the 26th to the 31st with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of 25, so look for enhanced meteor scatter activity in the coming week. In Europe, the shower radiant is above the horizon at night or in the early mornings.

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