RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for March 20th 2022.

GB2RS News

Sunday the 20th of March 2022

 

The news headlines:

COVID closes the RSGB National Radio Centre
British Summer Time starts on the 27th
Events to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

 

Unfortunately, it will be necessary to close the RSGB National Radio Centre for a week, starting on Monday the 21st of March. A number of NRC volunteers have Covid and the Society doesn’t have enough available volunteers to welcome the hundreds of people who visit each week. The RSGB hopes to re-open the Centre on Monday the 28th of March. Please check the RSGB and NRC websites for updates before travelling.

In the UK the clocks go forward 1 hour at 1 am on the last Sunday in March, which is the 27th of March in 2022. This is known as British Summer Time or BST. The clocks don’t change again until the 30th of October. If you are entering contests, please check the times.

The RSGB is offering a wide variety of amateur radio activities to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. From special event stations to an innovation competition, a radio tournament and an operating award, the Society hopes there is something for everyone. You can read an outline of each of the activities now and further details will follow shortly. Take a look at the April issue of RadCom or the Society’s website at rsgb.org/jubilee.

The RSGB Legacy Fund, thanks to the generosity of donors, has significant financial resources available to encourage and develop amateur radio. The Legacy Committee, which is a subcommittee of the RSGB Board, considers proposals for grants to be given to projects from the Legacy Fund. The RSGB is seeking members to join the Legacy Committee, preferably with experience in grant applications or experience within the charitable sector. For more information or an informal chat, contact RSGB Board Chair, Ian Shepherd, G4EVK via the email [email protected].

Now in its twentieth year, SOS Radio Week celebrates the work of the volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, National Coastwatch Institution and, in 2022, the many independent lifeboat and rescue organisations around our coasts. SOS Radio Week 2022 starts at 0000 UTC on the 1st of May and concludes at 2359 UTC on the 31st of May to coincide with the RNLI’s own Mayday fundraising month. Participants are encouraged to become an official Registered Station and make as many contacts as possible, mentioning the reason for the event during their contacts. For further details please visit sosradioweek.org.uk where you can also register to take part.

The RSGB is delighted to be planning an in-person convention again on the weekend of 7-9 October. The Society will also live stream some of the presentations in a new hybrid event format. Please share your suggestions for topics and speakers you'd like to hear at the event by completing the RSGB’s very short survey. The deadline for responses is Thursday the 31st of March. You can find the survey at thersgb.org/go/survey.

 

And now for details of rallies and events

The Callington ARS Rally takes place on the 27th of March. It will be held in Callington Town Hall.

A date for your diary. The National Hamfest will take place on the 14th and 15th of October at the Newark Showground NG24 2NY.

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

 

Now the DX news

Gianpi, IK1TTD will be active as 3A/IK1TTD from Monaco between the 25th and 27th of March. Main activity will be during the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest. QSL via his home call, direct or via the bureau.

Helmut, DF7EE will be active again as CT9/DF7EE from Madeira, AF- 014, from the 22nd of March until the 1st of April. This includes participation in the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest as CQ3W. QSL for both callsigns via Logbook of The World and Club Log's OQRS.

Alex, DD5ZZ will be active again as OA7/DD5ZZ until approximately mid-May, including an entry in the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest. He will be operating on the 10 to 40m bands. QSL via his home call and Logbook of The World.

 

Now the Special Event news

Celebrating twenty years of the Summits on the Air programme, GB20SOTA will be active from a Welsh SOTA summit until the 26th of March. QSL via the bureau, or direct to M1EYP.

Frans, PC2F will be active as PF01MAX until the 20th of November, over the twenty-two Grand Prix weekends of this year's FIA Formula One World Championship. QSL via PC2F either direct or via the bureau, Logbook of The World and eQSL

DARC is the German IARU Member Society and their Special Event Team will activate DA22WARD until the 30th of April in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day on the 18th of April.

 

Now the contest news

This weekend the BARTG HF RTTY Contest ends its 48-hour run at 0159 UTC on the 21st. Using the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is serial number and time in UTC.

The all-mode SHF UK Activity Contest takes place on Tuesday between 1930 and 2230 UTC. Using the 1.2 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Thursday, the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 2000 to 2130 UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next weekend the CQ WPX Contest runs from 0000 UTC on the 26th to 2359 UTC on the 27th. Using SSB only, on the 1.8 to 28 MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and serial number. CQ Amateur Radio magazine has said it will not accept competitive entries in any of its sponsored contests by amateur radio stations in Russia, Belarus or the separatist Donbas region of the Ukraine. Future events will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the situation at that time.

 

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

Well, what a mixed week of solar activity we have just had. Last week, we forecast that we could expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions over the last weekend but we didn’t expect to see the Kp index hit six.

Sunday the 13th saw ground-based magnetometers hit hard with at least 15 hours of unsettled conditions when the Kp index fluctuated between five and six. This was caused by a full halo coronal mass ejection or CME, that was observed coming off the Sun on Thursday the 10th. This had a strongly negative Bz component so more easily coupled with the Earth’s magnetic field.

The net result was a decline in MUFs, reports of visible aurora in Scotland and complaints about HF conditions with the ensuing G2 geomagnetic storm.

Saturday wasn’t too bad with lots of contacts being made during the early part of the Commonwealth Contest. Twenty-metre contacts with the New Zealand ZL6HQ station were also possible from the UK, although signals were very fluttery. The short path to ZL goes through the North pole auroral zone so it is not surprising that the signals were affected, despite the Kp index being down to one, from five, during the late morning.

The solar flux index held firm at 125 on Saturday but was already declining and was down to 107 by Thursday.

So, after last weekend’s onslaught, what do we have in store for next week?

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre thinks that the solar flux will again decline, from a predicted 115 on Saturday down to 95 on Friday the 25th. The geomagnetic conditions prediction has the Kp index rising to four on Sunday but it may then decline to two by Wednesday the 23rd. The risk of an Earth-facing coronal mass ejection seems to have declined with the decrease in solar activity. So, for once, it looks like a good thing!

 

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

High pressure will dominate the weather charts over the next week or more, centred a long way east over Poland and the Baltic but with a strong ridge extending west towards the British Isles.

These large highs are usually associated with a marked temperature inversion and this is a good omen for extensive tropo. This works best if there is moisture below the inversion, so misty low cloud or fog will be a good indicator for better conditions.

When the forecast is for dry sunny weather, this usually means that the Tropo may not be so reliable. Paths across the North Sea to northern Europe and into the Baltic region are worth extra attention. 

It’s a good time to get together a list of beacons from the region, either from the RSGB website or www.beaconspot.uk and check the various clusters for signs of activity.

We are nearly there for the Sporadic-E season, but not quite yet. Aurora and meteor scatter are still worth a look though.

The Moon will be waning throughout this week with the lowest declination on Friday/Saturday. However, the path loss is also at a minimum this week, so conditions should be good until the 23rd when the Moon moves into the noisier part of the sky, for several days.

The early part of the week should provide opportunities for stations with fixed or limited elevation adjustment, due to the low elevation of the moon.

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