GB2RS NEWS
Sunday 12th May 2013
The news headlines:
· 2.4GHz band call for input
· New EME record on 24GHz
· Moonbounce planned for G100RSGB
Ofcom has published a call for inputs relating to spectrum use by licence exempt devices in the 2,400MHz band. This band is close to radio spectrum in the 2,300MHz band, which the Ministry of Defence plans to release for new civil uses. The MoD has therefore commissioned work to audit licence exempt uses in the 2,400MHz band, in particular to identify the full range of possible uses of this spectrum. The call for inputs introduces two audit reports that explore licence exempt use in the 2,400MHz band. It also invites stakeholders to identify any other uses that may need to be considered to understand any technical coexistence. In addition to licence exempt use, the 2.4GHz band is also a secondary allocation for the amateur services, including ATV repeater outputs and satellite downlinks. The Ofcom consultation is at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/2400-mhz.
Rex Moncur, VK7MO, has completed a Earth Moon Earth QSO with the OK1KIR EME Team in the Czech Republic at a distance of some 10,180 miles, to claim the new world EME record on 24GHz. VK7MO used a 1.14m dish and 10 watts and OK1KIR used a 4.5m dish and 22 watts.
G100RSGB, the special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary will be operated by Fort Purbrook Radio Club today, 12 May, using the 40, 20, 4 and 2m bands as well as 70cm. On Monday, Horsham ARC will put the callsign on the air from Ifield, running 10 to 160m as well as 2m. On Tuesday, the Isle of Wight RC will operate on the HF bands plus 6m, 2m and 70cm from Ryde. Then on 16th and 17th, the callsign moves to Corsham with the North Wiltshire DX Group, running a mostly CW station on 10 to 80m. The UK Microwave Group will put the station on the air in Andover running CW, SSB and digital including EME on the 18th and 19th. They will mainly use the 3cm band but some activity will be on the 23cm to 12mm bands. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the website, www.rsgb.org.uk under the Operating drop down menu, clicking on Centenary Station.
According to the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System newsletter, Spanish GPS buoys are a new threat to the 28MHz band. You can find their bursts between 28 and 28.5MHz transmitting in F1B with 51 baud and about 300Hz shift. They were observed and measured by DK2OM and HB9CET and found to be in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal. The Portuguese Monitoring System informed the Portuguese authorities.
There is still time to apply for funding from the Radio Communications Foundation for projects to promote the benefits of radio to the general public. The Foundation meets on 15 May to consider small projects that would benefit from funding. Send details, by e-mail, to . All decisions on whether to provide financial support are made by the Trustees and there is no certainty that any project proposed will receive funding.
We have received news on a change of address for the Spanish QSL Bureau. If you send bulk QSL cards to Spain, they should now go to URE, PO Box 55055, 28053 Madrid, Spain.
And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week
We have no details of rallies taking place this weekend.
On 19 May, the 30th National Amateur Radio Car Boot Sale will be held at Stockwood Park, Luton. Full details can be found on the website www.ddrcbootsale.org.
Also on 19 May the Wolverhampton ARS table top sale will be held at The Electric Club, St Marks Road, Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton WV3 0QH. Doors open at 10am and admission is by donation. There will be an RSGB bookstall. More information from Vaughan, M0VRR by e-mail to .
Members of the RSGB team will be attending the Dayton Hamvention between 17 and 19 May at the Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio, USA. There will be an RSGB bookstall and RSGB General Manager Graham Coomber, G0NBI will present a talk on the first 100 years of the RSGB to Hamvention visitors and also to participants in the DXers Dinner.
Now for the news of special events
GB4PEN is a CW-only special event running until 24 May to remember the loss of the Penlee Lifeboat. Full details on QRZ.com.
Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be active for Mills on the Air on 12 May from Duloe Windmill, near St Neots, using the callsign GB2DWM.
South Tyneside Amateur Radio Society is operating GB2CWM from Cleandon water tow on 12 May using the HF and VHF bands.
For the 6th consecutive year, Cray Valley RS will be activating GB6MW in support of National Mills Weekend from Meopham Windmill, Wrotham Road, Meopham Green, Kent DA13 0QA. The station will be on the air using the HF bands as well as 2 and 4m bands from around 10.30am to 5pm today. Guided tours of the mill will be provided by the Meopham Windmill Trust. Further details from www.cvrs.org.
On the 16 and 17 May, Lincoln Short Wave Club is operating GB70DAM in memory of the air crew and German civilians killed during the 617 Squadron’s raid on the great Ruhr dams of Germany. The station will be on RAF Scampton’s bomb dump where Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bomb was delivered on 16 May 1943. The station will operate from 3pm on the 16th until 3pm on the 17th using 40 and 80m, band conditions permitting. A limited edition QSL card will be available, details on QRZ.com.
GB70BOA and GB70WA will be on the air between 20 and 27 May to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. Operations using all modes will take place on 10 to 80m bands as well as on 144 and 432MHz. A special commemorative QSL card will be available. More details can be found on line at tinyurl.com/cmvdvq8.
And now the DX news compiled from 425 DX News and other sources
HD2A and HC2AQ will be active from Galapagos Islands, IOTA reference SA-004, from 15 to 20 May as HD8A. Operations will be on all of the HF bands. QSL via HD2A.
OY1CT will be active from the Faroe Islands, IOTA reference EU-018, during May with special call OW75FOC. He will be operating on the HF bands only. QSL via Carsten Thomsen, OW75FOC, Kvivik, Faroe Islands or as directed on the air.
UA4WHX is currently operational portable CP1 from Bolivia. QSL via UA4WHX.
ZL2AGY will be active from Rarotonga Island, IOTA reference OC-013, until 29 May as E51FOC and E51AGY. QSL via his home callsign.
Between 18 and 30 May, five members of the Sands Contest Group from Morecambe will be visiting the island of Samos for a holiday and DXpedition. This is IOTA reference EU-049 or locator KM37JK. Using the callsign SZ8S, operation will be from the Radio House at Zervou Point above Samos town, kindly loaned to the group by the Aegean Radio Association. QSL information is on QRZ.com.
Camb-Hams will be operating GS3PYE/P from the Isle of Mull, which is IOTA reference EU-008, until 16 May. Thirteen operators will be active on all bands and many modes from 2m to 160m. They will also be active on 472kHz for the first time. The HF bands will be covered by five simultaneous stations, while the 6m, 4m and 2m stations will have a great take-off towards the UK and Europe from the island’s south-east coast in IO76 square.
Now the contest news
Today, 12 May, the 70MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and postcode.
On Tuesday, the 14th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest takes place between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The data leg of the 80m Club Championships takes place on Wednesday from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number.
Next weekend the 144MHz May Contest runs from 1400UTC on the 18th to 1400UTC on the 19th. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and postcode.
On Sunday 19th, the first 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
And now the solar factual data for the period from Friday the 3rd to Thursday the 9th of May, compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS, on Friday the 10th of May.
Numerous sunspot regions were visible every day. A few were large enough to produce solar flares every day. Solar activity increased to high when a M5 class solar flare took place on the 3rd and a M1 class flare on the 5th when activity was at moderate levels. The remaining days activity was at low levels, with C class solar flares taking place. Solar flux levels declined from 148 units on the 3rd to 127 by the 8th. The average was 135 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 9th was 117 units, that's two units up on last week. X-ray flux levels declined from B6.5 units on the 3rd to B4.3 by the 8th. The average was B5.6 units. Geomagnetic activity was quiet every day except for the 7th, when activity increased slightly to unsettled levels due to a small coronal hole. The Ap index for the 7th was 12 units. The average was Ap 8 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 330 kilometres per second on the 4th to 600 by the morning of the 6th. Speeds then gradually declined to 420 kilometres per second by the end of the period. Particle densities were low except for a brief increase to 45 particles per cubic centimetre on the 6th. Bz varied between minus 7 and plus 11 nanoTeslas on the 6th during the weak disturbance and between minus 4 and plus 1 nanoTeslas on the quietest day.
And finally the solar forecast for the coming week. This week solar activity is expected to be low, however, there is a reasonable chance of activity increasing on the occasional day. Solar flux levels are expected to be around the 120s but could increase towards next weekend. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be quiet every day. However, if a coronal mass ejection heads our way then activity would increase. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 23MHz for the south and 20MHz for the north. Darkness hour lows should be about 12MHz. Paths this week to India should have a maximum usable frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 22MHz. The optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 17MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 1100 and 1600 hours UTC. Sporadic-E is expected to take place on some days up to 70MHz. In any intense openings propagation is possible on 144MHz.
And that’s all for this week from the propagation team.
Next, the Local News:
Please note that details of all RSGB-affiliated clubs and societies
can be found on the RSGB website, including email addresses
and website links where known.
[Note to Newsreaders: Please read the local news items appropriate to the service area of your transmission.]
NEWS FOR THE MIDLANDS
We start with news that Northampton Radio Club is arranging an intensive Foundation training course weekend shortly for anyone interested in becoming involved in amateur radio. Further information can be obtained from Bob, M0HAF at email address . Additional Foundation and Intermediate courses can also be arranged on Thursday nights as required.
Now for clubs that have several events this week. Lincoln Short-Wave Club is taking part in Mills on the Air today as GB5EM from Ells Mill. On Tuesday it’s the 432MHz UK Activity Contest. Wednesday sees shack activities plus a quiz and social night at the BSA Club. Dambusters special event station GB70DAM will be on the air on Thursday and Friday. The club net is on Thursday on 145.375MHz from 8pm as usual. The Saturday surgery and mentoring commences at 9am in the shack. For more information contact Pam Rose, G4STO, on 01427 788 356.
Wythall Radio Club is holding its holding club net on 145.225MHz from 8pm today and next Sunday. Tuesday sees a Morse class from 7.45pm, followed at 8.30pm by a committee meeting. The shack social is on Friday from 7.30pm. Details from Chris, G0EYO, on 07710 412 819.
Friskney and East Lincolnshire Communications Club is running a club net on Monday from 7.30pm on 144.165MHz USB, vertical polarisation. On Wednesday from 8pm there is a M3+M6 club net on GB3FR. Friday sees a club net on GB3FR from 8pm. Contact the FELCC Information Line on 07554 362 020 for more information.
Northampton Radio Club has its weekly club net on Monday from 8pm on 145.4625MHz. The club meeting is on Thursday, and this week features an archery evening. Contact Nigel, G6MKJ, via for further information.
South Birmingham Radio Society is holding a committee meeting on Monday. There’s a coffee morning in the club room on Tuesday from 11am, and Thursday sees training classes with Dave Murphy, G8OWL. On Friday there’s an open evening in the club room. Contact Mick Cleary, G7RRP, on 07595 696 359.
Sutton Coldfield Amateur Radio Society has a club meeting and is on the air on Monday at Warmley Rugby Club from 7.30pm. Tuesday sees the 4m on the air evening on 70.475.00MHz from 7 30pm. More information from Robert Bird, by email to .
Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society has its club net on Monday on 145.275MHz FM. On Wednesday it’s the 80m Club Championship DATA from 7 to 8.30pm. For more information contact Peter D Rivers, G4XEX, on 01858 432 105.
Midland Amateur Radio Society is planning social events on Monday and running training classes. Next Sunday there’s a table top sale at the Electric Club, Wolverhampton WV3 QQH. Details from Norman, G8BHE, on 07808 078 003.
Worcester Radio Amateurs Association is having a talk on Tuesday by Eddie Humphries on the adventures of the radio constructor. Saturday sees the start of the Jem Carvill radio weekend and next Sunday it’s the Scouts BBQ at County Hall. Details from Rich Moles, M0UVA, via email to .