RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 20th 2019.

GB2RS NEWS

Sunday 20th October 2019

The news headlines:

New talk on WUSAT-3 goes online

Apply for GB19YOTA now

Results of Convention Construction Comp announced

A new video has been released on YouTube of a talk that was given to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, which was part of the RSGB Convention. Given by Professor Julia Hunter-Anderson, the talk is on the WUSAT-3 CubeSat project and highlights potential uses of satellites for wildlife tracking. You can watch it at tinyurl.com/GB2RS-1020-A

Have you applied to host the callsign for this year’s Youngsters on the Air Month in December? It is a great opportunity to encourage youngsters to get on the air and to learn more about the practical side of the hobby. The RSGB has the callsign GB19YOTA and we’re looking for individuals, radio clubs, schools, Scout, Guide and Cadet groups to activate the callsign or host a station. Operations can be on HF, VHF and or UHF using all modes. Each day will be split into three operating slots, midnight to 1159UTC, 1200 to 1759 UTC, and 1800 to 2359UTC. You can also just operate for a few hours if you wish. All Full licensed RSGB Members or Affiliated clubs can register to host the callsign. Such stations can be operated by Foundation and Intermediate licence holders provided they are supervised by an appropriate Full licence holder. The aim of the event is to get operators aged 26 or below on the air. To find out more go to www.rsgb.org/yota-month and to apply to host the callsign please email [email protected] with your full name and callsign, your RSGB Membership or affiliation number, plus your preferred dates and operating times.

The 2019 RSGB Construction Competition, generously sponsored and supported by Martin Lynch & Sons, was very well supported with a larger number of entries this year. We’d like to thank all the judges for their time and expertise and the entrants who took the trouble to bring their projects to the Convention. Judges’ Merit awards went to Russell Tribe, G4SAQ, for his Low Earth Orbit Satellite Antenna Tracking Controllers and to David Holman, M0YDH, for his Digital Amateur TV system. The Judges’ Technical Merit award went to Dean Brice, G0UIL, for his Bluetooth Satellite Antenna Controller. The winner of the Innovation category was Mike Willis, G0MJW, for his Dual Band Feed System. The Construction category was won by John Quarmby, G3XDY for his Solid State Amplifiers for 2m, 70cm and 23cm and the Software category winner was Heather Lomond, M0HMO, for her Software DATV receiver. Kevin Ayriss, G8MXV won the Supporting and Encouraging Beginners category with his Magnetic Loop Antenna Controller. He is also the overall winner of the 2019 RSGB Construction Competition, receiving the Pat Hawker G3VA trophy.

The predtest.uk website, supported by the RSGB, is currently without a site developer, consequently a volunteer is sought. Website management skills, as well as Ubuntu and Python knowledge are prerequisites. Presently two items need addressing; the site requires refactoring and the OS needs updating to the newest release, which in itself has some Python prerequisites. Replies to Gwyn Williams, G4FKH at [email protected] please.

SAQ, the world heritage radio station, is to transmit on UN-Day, the 24th of October. The transmission will be on 17.2kHz CW. The startup of the transmitter will be around 1630UTC and the transmission of the message will be at 1700UTC. No QSL cards will be send out for this transmission and no List of Reports will be constructed, but they do accept shorter Listeners Reports by email to [email protected].

The Royal Signals ARS would like to contact those people who joined the RSARS at the National Hamfest on the 28th and 29th of September. Please contact the membership secretary by email to [email protected].

The Homebrew Heroes Award Program has announced its first annual recipient, Hans Summers, G0UPL. This annual award recognises persons, groups or organisations who help define the frontiers in amateur radio technology through the long-standing tradition of homebrew construction. The formal video presentation is available at the Award Program website, homebrewheroes.org. A longer audio feature interview is available in Episode 308 of the ICQ Podcast at icqpodcast.com.

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

Today, the 20th of October, the Galashiels Rally will take place in Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 3JX. Doors open 11am for disabled visitor and 11.15am for the general public. There will be traders and a Bring & Buy. Refreshments will be available on site.

There are no rallies in the diary for next weekend, the 26th and 27th of October.

Plymouth Radio Club would like to inform people that this year’s rally, planned for November, will not be held. The club would like to thank all those who have supported them over the years.

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

Yosuke, JJ1DQR will be active as 3W9QR from Da Nang in Vietnam from the 23rd of October to the 1st of November. QSL via JJ1DQR.

Geri, DK8KW will be active as 3W9KW from Hanoi in Vietnam until the 26th of October. He will operate QRP CW and possibly SSB, depending on conditions. QSL via DK8KW.

A group will be active as CQ9A from Madeira, IOTA reference AF-014, until the 26th of October. They will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 80 to 6m bands, with special attention on 60m. QSL via Club log’s OQRS, Logbook of The World, or via EA1AP.

Jay, AA4FL will be active holiday style as J6/AA4FL from St Lucia, NA-108, until the 28th of October. QSL J6/AA4FL via Logbook of The World, or direct to his home call.

Kenji, JA4GXS will be active as JA4GXS/0 from Sado Island, AS-206, from 0800UTC on the 26th of October until 2200UTC on the 27th. He will operate CW and FT8 on the 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via his home call, direct or via the bureau.

Jaap, PA7DA will be active as P4/PA7DA from Aruba, SA-036, until the 31st of October. He will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via PA7DA.

Now the special event news

Hartlepool ARC will be running Jamboree on the Air special event station GB0TVS on behalf of Tees Valley Scouts today, the 20th of October. The station will operate from the Hartlepool Scout Centre, Brierton Lane, just off the A689. Activity will be on HF, VHF and UHF, and all visitors will be welcome.

GB100GP will be on the air from Gilwell Park today, 20th of October, and will have over 250 youngsters visiting the station over the weekend to take part in a variety of activities. They will be active on HF and locally on 145MHz with voice and SSTV.

Please send special event details to [email protected] as early as possible so we can give you free publicity. It is a licensing condition that stations using a UK special event callsign must be open to the public.

Now the contest news

The Worked All Germany contest ends its 24 hour run at 1500UTC today, the 20th. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with German stations also sending DOK.

Today, the 20th of October, the 50MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on 6m only, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Today, the 20th, the 2nd RoLo contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW only on the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and the rolling postcode.

Also today, the 20th, the UK Microwave Group 24-76MHz contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday it’s the 80m Autumn Series from 1900 to 2030UTC. This time it’s data only and the exchange is signal report and serial number.

Next weekend it’s the CQ World Wide DX SSB contest, running for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 26th to 2359UTC on the 27th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and your Zone, which for UK operators is 14.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 18th of October.

The solar minimum continued last week with zero sunspots being recorded. The good news was that geomagnetic conditions were quite settled with a maximum Kp index of three recorded. Most of the week it was between zero and two, which meant that the HF bands were performing to seasonal averages.

Rsgb.org/propquest shows that maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path are regularly exceeding 21MHz and reaching as high as 24MHz at times. This would bode quite well for the CQ Worldwide CW contest next weekend – when more than 35,000 amateurs are expected to take to the airwaves – if it were not for the bad news coming up!

Next week NOAA predicts the sun will remain spotless and with a solar flux index of 68. However, a large solar coronal hole was rotating to be Earth-facing on Friday, which means we may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend. We can expect the Kp index to rise to at least four, bringing noisy bands and lowered maximum usable frequencies after a potential HF enhancement. The ionosphere should settle again early next week.

NOAA then predicts a further geomagnetic disturbance from the 24th to the 27th, thanks to another coronal hole that is returning into view again after a 27-day solar rotation. This may coincide with CQ Worldwide, so it is anyone’s guess as to how propagation will be.

And now the VHF and up propagation news.

The majority of this weekend and throughout next week will be dominated by low pressure, so it once again looks like the weather will continue to give us rain scatter conditions for the GHz bands. With the SHF UKAC coming up on Tuesday, this is good news for those higher bands.

For the rest of us relying upon Tropo, there is little comfort, although there is a hint of a temporary, but rather weak, ridge of high pressure over the British Isles early next week. The models imply it’s a one-day wonder, probably on Monday, so keep alert to the charts to track its progress.

Of course, other modes are available, such as aurora, EME and meteor scatter, so it will pay to look at the clusters to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

This weekend sees the second leg of the 50-1296MHz ARRL EME contest, so it’s a good time to try the mode at moonrise and moonset if you have a big terrestrial system. The Moon is at maximum declination today and perigee is just a week away so conditions will be good, helped by low and falling sky noise on VHF.

There are two meteor showers this week. The big Orionids shower, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of 20, peaks on Monday. The much smaller Leonis Minorids, with a ZHR of two, peaks on Thursday.

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