RSGB GB2RS News bulletin for 30th June 2024

GB2RS

GB2RS News

Sunday the 30th of June 2024

The news headlines:

• The IARU HF Championship is coming up
• Learn about the QMX+ transceiver at the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar
• The Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual report

The IARU HF Championship contest will be held between the 13th and 14th of July and there is a great opportunity for you to get involved in a different way this year. During the contest, ‘Headquarters Stations’ represent their countries and the RSGB’s station GR2HQ will be run by a network of about a dozen stations around the UK and islands. This year, the RSGB Contest Committee has introduced a new challenge to encourage individual stations to work the GR2HQ station on each band-mode slot. You will be able to submit your log, including QSOs with GR2HQ, to the RSGB contest robot for the GR2HQ Challenge. If you include your club or group name when you submit your log, each QSO with GR2HQ will count towards an aggregate score for your club or team. There will be two results tables, one for individuals taking part and one for clubs, so your QSOs can contribute to both! Why not encourage your club members to take part in this special challenge whether they are regular contesters or not. By contacting the GR2HQ station you’ll also help the RSGB’s position in the contest – last year the RSGB came third and the Society would love to improve on that result. You can read more in the June RadCom feature on the GR2HQ Challenge and you can see the rules on the RSGB website at thersgb.org/go/gr2hq

The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is on Monday the 8th of July when Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs will give a presentation on the QMX+ multi-mode 160 to 6m transceiver kit design and features. This is a great opportunity to find out more and ask questions live on the night. You can watch on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about the webinar on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars

The Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual report, relating to activities in 2023. Whilst the report shows that in 2023 there were fewer candidates across all licence levels, the number of people taking exams so far in 2024 has increased significantly. Another item in the report relates to the preparations that are being made to release the bank of questions for the Full licence exam. The ESC Chair, Tony Kent, G8PBH says that it has long been recognised that a review of the question bank, particularly at Full level, is well overdue and has been delayed multiple times by things such as the need to revise the syllabus for EMF and the new licence changes. Reviewing the question bank is the next priority of the ESC and the Exams and Syllabus Review Group and will begin on the 1st of September when Syllabus 1.6 is up and running. The ESC and ESRG believe it is better that this review is conducted before the bank is published as this should reduce the workload on the community and the exams teams in making and responding to queries on questions that may be withdrawn. They are hoping to release the questions in January 2025. To see the full ESC report go to rsgb.org/esc and click on the minutes, papers and reports tab on the right.

The team from hi-impact based on the Wirral is planning its first high-altitude balloon launch of 2024. This time, working alongside staff and pupils from Monks Coppenhall Academy near Crewe, they will launch at 11am on Wednesday the 3rd of July 2024, from their usual location in Cilcewydd, near Welshpool in Wales. They will be running a HABduino and encourage all amateurs and short-wave listeners to upload telemetry to SondeHub. The frequency will be 434.650MHz USB, transmitting 50 Baud RTTY, 425Hz Shift and using 7N1 data format. The callsign is MONKS_HAB. Updates will be posted on hi-impact’s Facebook page and on X @hiimpactconsult

This year, the Churches and Chapels on the Air event will take place on Saturday the 14th of September. If you are planning to put your church or chapel on the air, please email John, G3XYF via [e-mail] and he will add you to the list of participants.

And finally, don’t forget that today, the 30th, is Alexanderson Day. The unique Alexanderson alternator, with the callsign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions on 17.2kHz using CW. At 0830UTC, the alternator will be started up and at 0900UTC the first transmission will take place. A second transmission is scheduled for 1200UTC. You can read more about the event and historic transmitter at alexander.n.se

And now for details of rallies and events

Dunstable Downs Radio Club’s annual rally is taking place today, the 30th, at Stockwood Park in Luton. As always, there will be plenty of plots available on the day for £10 each. The fee for car parking will be £4 per vehicle for visitors. Both of the usual entrances for traders and visitors remain unchanged. However, the road that runs along part of Newlands Road on the south side of the park is closed so please plan your route accordingly. For more information visit ddrcbootsale.org

Burton on Trent Amateur Radio Club Mini Rally and Barbecue is set to take place on Saturday the 6th of July. The venue will be The Barley Mow public house, Burton on Trent, DE5 9AP. Ample car parking will be available, and admission will be free. In addition to all the usual stalls, there will be a live demonstration of the Club’s remote access station. For more information phone Barry on 01283 540570 or see the Club’s Facebook page.

Barford Radio Rally is coming up next Sunday, the 7th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB. Doors open at 9am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry is £2.50 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. To read more about the event visit norfolkamateurradio.org or email David, G7URP via [e-mail]

Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is also taking place next Sunday, the 7th, at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. The doors open at 10.30am and admission will cost £3. There will be traders, bring and buy, club stalls, car parking and catering is available on site. Contact Ken, G0FIC on 01209 821073 for more information.

Now the Special Event news

Durham and District Amateur Radio Society is participating as one of the bonus stations in the popular 13 Colonies special event. The special callsign GB13COL has been issued for the occasion and will be active from 1300UTC on the 1st of July to 0400UTC on the 8th of July. The primary focus of the event will be the HF bands, but the station will also be working on VHF and UHF bands, and via satellite, for QSOs using SSB, CW, FM and various digital modes. If you would like to visit the club, or want further information about GB13COL, please contact Ray, G0VLF on 07904196283 or email [e-mail]

Special callsign GX4LMR will be operated by The British Railways Amateur Radio Society from the 5th to the 14th of July to commemorate the first amateur tests on a moving railway train in 1924. Operators plan to concentrate on the 40m band, depending on conditions. QSL via the Bureau.

Now the DX news

Sylvia, OE5YYN is active as OE20SOTA until the 31st of October to mark the 20th anniversary of Austria joining the Summits on the Air programme. For details of a certificate that is available see QRZ.com

A member of the 69th Russian Antarctic Expedition, Igor, RQ8K will be stationed at Progress Station, Antarctica until the end of April 2025. In his spare time, Igor is active as RI1ANE and uses FT8 on the HF bands regularly.

Now the contest news

Today, the 30th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Tomorrow, the 1st, the 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.

On Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Also on Tuesday the 2nd, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 3rd, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest.

VHF National Field Day starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 6th of July and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 7th of July. Using all modes on the VHF bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

On Sunday the 7th, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.

Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 27th of June 2024

We had another lucky week with quite a high solar flux index, low Kp geomagnetic numbers, few solar flares and no coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, of note. In fact, you couldn’t ask for better!

But is that all about to change? With nine active solar regions on the Sun’s surface and the return of old region 3664, now renamed 3723, it would be a brave person to suggest otherwise.

So, let’s take a closer look at the Sun. Of the nine active regions that are visible, four are classed as stable, one is classed as declining and four are classed as growing.

With a solar flux index of 181, there is plenty of UV radiation around. However, we are currently in the summer doldrums so maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, are lower than they are in the Autumn and Winter. In other words, we are not going to see a return to reliable worldwide DX conditions on the higher bands until mid to late September.

There is currently only a 5% chance of a strong X-class solar flare, although a bright coronal mass ejection was observed for a second day off the Sun’s west limb. This was directed away from our planet so shouldn’t affect us.

NOAA predicts that the Kp index could rise due to CME arrivals from an event that left the Sun on the 24th of June. Expect a Kp of 4 or 5, with a reduction in the MUF until the geomagnetic disruption abates. It also predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the region of 190, hopefully with a low Kp index after the ionosphere settles again.

MUFs over a 3,000km path are generally between 18 and 23MHz during daylight and around 18MHz at night. This means that for the next month or so we may expect 14MHz to remain open throughout the night.

And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO

The current week finishes with a return to unsettled weather and cooler air, after a brief taste of summer, particularly in the south of Britain.

There will be lows drifting in from the Atlantic during the coming week, as well as the occasional passing weather front. Although there was some Tropo last week, during the brief period of high pressure, this is unlikely to be repeated in the coming week.

Therefore, we have a continuing random chance of some rain scatter, but you will need one of the many online weather radar displays to track the scatter regions down. Since next week also looks windier, you might have to keep one hand on the rotator!

Meteor scatter is once again down to random events, which means an early start in the shack to capture the higher rates in the early mornings.

The solar conditions continue to keep trying to creep into VHF affairs with a higher Kp index and thoughts of radio aurora, but it's probably not a strong shout.

Now to our last item – Sporadic-E. There is still the broad summer Sporadic-E peak, which extends into the first week of September in a good year, so you have plenty of time. It will not always be there but, in a test analysis of Dourbes data in June 2022, 84% of the days reached 10m, with 18% up to 6m and around 10% to 4m or above. This makes it worth using the 10m band to highlight the regions of activity and then check the 6m beacons in case it strengthens to bring in the higher bands.

Moon declination goes positive again this coming weekend so Moon peak elevation and window lengths will increase. Perigee was on Thursday the 27th so EME path losses are increasing again. 144MHz sky noise is low at the start of the coming week and moderate later. From Friday afternoon on the 5th of July to midday on Saturday, the Moon and the Sun are very close in the sky, meaning high noise for all but the narrowest beamwidth antennas.

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