GB2RS News
Sunday the 2nd of October 2022
The news headlines:
RSGB Convention 2022
Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet
Three new CW and FT8 Beacons in Service
Booking for the RSGB Convention ends today, Sunday the 2nd of October, so don’t miss out! You will still be able to buy day tickets at the event, but these will be at a higher price. The programme is available on the RSGB website with summaries of some of the presentations. Information is added regularly to help you make the most of the weekend. In addition to over 50 lectures, there are also RSGB sessions on Sunday where you can meet the Regional Team, the Board of Directors and the Contest Committees. Do go along and hear from these volunteer groups, find out their plans for the coming year and ask any questions you may have. DXCC card checking and new user registrations for Logbook of the World will be available on Saturday only. Full information about the Convention is at rsgb.org/convention.
Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet is the world’s largest radio and digital Scout event. It takes place on the air and online between the 14th and the 16th of October. If you or your club are planning to help a local Scout group get on the air, the RSGB would love to hear about it. Email radcom@rsgb.org.uk and also post the details on the RSGB’s Facebook and Twitter profiles. For more information about the worldwide event go to jotajoti.info.
On Sunday the 25th of September, the Mid Cornwall Beacon and Repeater Group brought into service three new CW and FT8 Beacons. These can be found on 28.215MHz, 40.050MHz and 60.300MHz, each using the callsign GB3MCB. The beacons were constructed by Peter, G8BCG and are located at IO70OJ in mid-Cornwall. They are ideally situated for identifying transatlantic and equatorial Sporadic-E as well as F2 propagation. For further information visit gb3nc.org.uk.
The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is on Monday the 3rd of October when Daimon Tilley, G4USI takes ‘HF on Holiday’. Aimed at everyone, from beginners upwards, Daimon will look at considerations and ideas for those who would like to take HF away with them. Find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars.
The latest edition of RadCom Basics was released on the 29th of September. Each edition of RadCom Basics explores key aspects of amateur radio in a straightforward way. An email alert is sent to subscribers when a new edition of RadCom Basics is published. Topics included in the latest edition include how to start with a tight budget, basic bench fault finding and working towards and claiming awards. For more information visit rsgb.org/radcom-basics.
The RSGB is hosting the Transatlantic Centenary Tests 2022 on the HF bands for the month of December. Unlike those of the 1920s, which consisted of one-way communication, this event will encourage worldwide, two-way communication with UK and Crown Dependency stations. There will be a series of awards available for making QSOs with those who are activating historic RSGB callsigns. The Club Log Team has kindly agreed to provide the supporting infrastructure for this. Taking part is simple and everything you need to know is on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests.
And now for details of rallies and events
The 48th Welsh Radio Rally, due to be held on Monday the 3rd of October at Rougemont School, Newport, has been cancelled as previously publicised.
The RSGB Convention will take place between Friday the 7th of October and Sunday the 9th of October at Kent’s Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Milton Keynes. For more information visit rsgb.org/convention.
National Hamfest will take place on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of October at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. Gates open at 9.30 am and the main hall opens at 10 am. For more information visit nationalhamfest.org.uk.
Now the Special Event News
ZL75WARC will be on the air from New Zealand between the 1st of October and the 31st of December to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Whangarei Amateur Radio Club. A certificate will be awarded for working any three club members on any two modes.
To celebrate its 45th birthday, Haan Amateur Radio Club, in northern Germany, will be on the air from the 1st of October 2022 to the 30th of September 2023 as DR45HAAN. QSL via the DARC bureau.
Now the DX news
IK1TTD will be active from the Maldives, AS-013, as 8Q7TD between Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 17th of October, mainly on 20m. QSL via his home call either directly, via the Bureau or Logbook of the World.
Didier, F6BCW is active from the Marquesas Islands, OC-027, as TX7G until the 15th of October. He will be available on the 80 to 10m HF bands using CW, SSB and possibly FT8 and RTTY. QSL details via QRZ.com.
Graham, MM0GHM will be active portable or mobile from Barra Island in the Outer Hebrides, EU-010, between the 1st and the 8th of October. QSL via MM0GHM directly, via the Bureau and eQSL.
Now the contest news
Today, the 2nd, the RSGB DX Contest will take place between 0600 to 1800UTC. The operation will take place on all of the HF bands, where contest operation is permitted, using CW and SSB. The exchange is a signal report and serial number.
This weekend the 432MHz to 245GHz Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC today, the 2nd of October. At the same time, the IARU 432MHz to 245GHz contest is also taking place. Using all modes, the exchange is the same for both contests, signal report, serial number and locator.
The Worked All Britain DX Contest takes place today, Sunday the 2nd of October, between 0500 to 2300UTC. Using SSB on the 80, 40, 20 and 10m bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked all Britain square.
On Monday, the RSGB Autumn Series CW Contest will take place between 1900 to 2030UTC. Using the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Tuesday sees the 144MHz FM Activity Contest run from 1800 to 1855UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial number and locator.
On Tuesday the Irish Radio Transmitters Society 80m Evening Counties Contest takes place between 1900 to 2000UTC. Using CW and SSB, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Irish stations also exchange their county code.
On Wednesday, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest will take place from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB, the exchange is your six-character locator.
On Wednesday, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest will take place between 1900 to 2100UTC. The exchange is a report and a four-character locator.
The Oceania DX CW contest will start at 0800UTC on Saturday the 8th and run for 24 hours. Using all of the HF bands, where contest operation is permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 30th of September 2022
The HF bands have been really humming this week, making up for the summer doldrums. A lot of this is due to the seasonal change in the ionosphere that results in more monatomic species and fewer diatomic ones.
These are easier to ionise, which is good news for radio amateurs everywhere as the MUF rises.
A quick check shows that all the HF bands up to 10m have been serving up DX, so make the most of it. There have been 10m openings as far as Wyoming and California. The solar flux index has been static at 135, and that may not change too much as we enter next week with the return of old sunspot region 3098, which still appears to be active.
The Kp index reached six on Tuesday due to the impact of a coronal mass ejection on the Sun. This resulted in widespread visible aurora.
Unfortunately, a large coronal hole will become Earth-centric on Friday the 30th, which may result in a high-speed solar wind stream that is expected to reach Earth beginning late on the 30th of September and into the 1st of October.
If the stream’s Bz is pointing south it could result in minor (G1) to moderate (G2) geomagnetic storming. Visible and radio aurora at higher latitudes may be possible heading into the new month as well.
NOAA predicts that the solar flux will remain around the 130 mark, but that the Kp index may elevate to five or even six over the first half of the week.
So we may have seen the best of the DX for the time being, at least until the Kp index recovers.
And now the VHF and up propagation news.
The current period of weather is fairly typical of autumn with a mix of fine, settled ridges of high pressure interrupted by some passages of low pressure with their attendant fronts and bands of showers.
These can be very vigorous systems with scope to bring gales to some areas making this a good time of the year to make those final checks of antenna guys and fixings before winter comes.
In terms of propagation, there will be some active rain bands crossing the country, plus a chance of a few showers. This raises the possibility of some rain scatter on the GHz bands, although less intense than summer events.
The shower part of the story tends to favour the seas around our coasts, but in stronger autumn winds you will need to keep on top of the tracking rate which can be quite brisk.
The occasional periods of high pressure bring a good chance of Tropo at times, especially towards the continent from Biscay and France across to Germany and Poland. There will be some overnight mist and fog, which usually gives a boost to Tropo for part of the day at least.
Other exotic modes, like aurora, are certainly worth consideration after recent examples, plus of course, the chance of some random meteor scatter.
The daytime Sextantid meteor shower is still active through to the 9th of October although we are past the peak.
The Moon is at minimum declination today (Sunday) and at perigee on Tuesday. Path losses will be low and Moon windows will lengthen as the week progresses. 144MHz sky noise is high today, but low from Tuesday.
And that’s all from the propagation team this week.
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