Podcasts about 28mhz

GB2RS News Sunday, the 25th of May 2025 The news headlines: Apply to become the RSGB's new CW Champion The Tonight@8 series continues in June with Morse code Could you be the RSGB's new STEM Champion? As part of the RSGB's ongoing strategy to take amateur radio to new and diverse audiences, it is seeking to appoint a volunteer CW Champion. Whilst the need for a CW test has been removed from the licensing requirements, there is still a strong interest in the mode. Recent communications and activity involving Morse have received high levels of interest, and the Society would like to do all it can to encourage and promote CW within the hobby. This new role will take the lead with activities including managing RSGB web content relating to Morse code and contributing to the GB2CW broadcasts. The volunteer will also be tasked with building a team of enthusiastic individuals who can support CW-related activities undertaken by the Society. This role is intended to help take Morse to new audiences with an emphasis on learning and development to further the skills of RSGB members. Read the full role description, as well as details of how to apply, by going to rsgb.org/volunteers The next webinar in the Tonight@8 series is on Monday, the 2nd of June. The RSGB's Morse Test Coordinator, Eric Arkinstall, M0KZB, will lead the webinar and will be joined by a panel of Morse experts, including RSGB Morse Assessor and GB2CW broadcaster Michael Topple, GM5AUG. The presentation will include an introduction to Morse, how to start learning the code, the different types of Morse keys and the Achilles heels that can occur when learning Morse. There will also be a panel discussion on how they each became interested in the mode and how they overcame any problems they have encountered along the way. Find out more about this and future webinars on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Would you like to become the RSGB STEM Champion? This new volunteer role is part of the Society's strategic plans to encourage more young people into STEM careers and to demonstrate the contribution that amateur radio can make to those careers. The focus of the role will also be to develop and strengthen the Society's relationship with the STEM Learning organisation. The Champion will need to work closely with licensed STEM Ambassadors, attend STEM events to promote amateur radio, and support radio amateurs who would like to become STEM Ambassadors. The STEM Champion will work closely with the Board Liaison, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML and members of the RSGB Outreach team. To make the most of the role, you will need to have the right skills and experience. This includes being a STEM Ambassador with involvement in the STEM sector, and also being proactive, enthusiastic, organised and willing to find new ways to achieve the role's objectives. For full details of this challenging but rewarding role and how to apply, see the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers Staff and volunteers from the RSGB had a successful time at the Dayton Hamvention last weekend. The event was a brilliant opportunity to engage with radio amateurs from around the world and resulted in 134 people joining the RSGB or renewing their membership. These included ARRL First Vice President, Kristen McIntyre, K6WX and ARRL CEO, David Minster, NA2AA, as well as Phil Karn, KA9Q and many more who took advantage of the new RSGB Digital Membership. Members of the RSGB team are always delighted to hear how much the Society's publications, videos and other content are appreciated by radio amateurs in other countries. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.   And now for details of rallies and events The Durham and District Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place today, the 25th, at Bowburn Community Centre, Bowburn, County Durham. The doors are open from 10.10 am to 2.30 pm, with disabled visitors gaining access at 10 am. Entry costs £3. There is a bring-and-buy sale, trade stands, special interest groups, an RSGB bookstall and catering available on site. For more information, phone Michael, G7TWX, on 07826 924 192 or visit the sdars.org.uk  website. Spalding and District Amateur Radio Society's annual radio rally is set to take place on Sunday, the 1st of June. The venue will be Spalding Rugby and Football Club, Centenary Park, Drain Bank North, Spalding, Lincolnshire. There will be free car parking available, traders, on-site catering and a bar. For more information, visit sdars.org.uk Mendips Radio Rally will take place on Sunday, the 8th of June at Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall, Church Lane, Farrington Gurney. The doors will be open from 9.30 a,m and free parking and refreshments will be available on site. For more details, contact Luke on 07870 168 197. Now the Special Event news Special event station YO160ITU is active throughout the month of May to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the ITU. See QRZ.com for details of diplomas that are available for working the station. The North West Group, MN0NWG, is running special event station GB0AEL until the 31st of May to commemorate the anniversary of Amelia Earhart's transatlantic flight. In May 1932, Earhart became the first woman to fly nonstop and alone across the Atlantic. She left Harbor Grace in Newfoundland and landed 15 hours later in Northern Ireland. QSL via MI0HOZ directly or via the Bureau. Now the DX news Frank, PH2M is active as PJ4M from Bonaire, SA-006, until the 29th of May. He is operating mainly FT8 and some SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. There may also be some 6m band work, if conditions allow. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS, or Frank's home call. Remo, HB9SHD is active as V51/HB9SHD, while touring Namibia, until the 15th of June. He is operating using SSB and digital modes on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Don, KW7R, is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands. He is there on a work assignment until September. In his spare time, he operates using CW and FT8 on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide WPX CW Contest started at 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 24th of May and ends at 2359 UTC today, Sunday, the 25th of May. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today, the 25th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0600 to 1800 UTC. Using all modes on the 3 and 6cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 27th, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 3 and 13cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the 29th of May, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number.    Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 22nd of May 2025 A high-speed solar wind, originating from a massive coronal hole, took its toll on HF this past week. During the weekend of the 17th and 18th, the Kp index was above four for nine of the three-hourly recording periods. Unfortunately, the feed from the Dourbes Digisonde failed over this period, so we can't comment on what effect this had on maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs for short. Later in the week, geomagnetic conditions improved, despite the coronal hole still being Earth-centric, and the Kp index fell to more reasonable levels, sometimes in the ones and twos. An M3.2 solar flare was observed at 08:21 UTC on the 19th of May. The source was located off the northeast limb, so perhaps we can expect more as it turns to become more Earth-facing. Unfortunately, the solar flux index also fell to lower levels, reaching 119 by Thursday, the 22nd. In fact, on that day, it had been below 120 for more than seven days. But all is not lost, as a solar flux of more than 100 is usually enough to keep the HF bands open. MUFs over a 3,000km path have generally reached 21 MHz and have often peaked at 24 MHz at times. It is quite normal for the F2-layer MUF not to reach 28MHz due to a change in the ionospheric chemical make-up in the summer – the so-called summer doldrums. However, Sporadic-E may keep 10m alive, so don't write the band off. Propagation, at the moment, favours paths into the southern hemisphere, although each band can have different characteristics at different times. A quick play with the propagation tool at tinyurl.com/propcharts  will show you what we mean. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around 120 until the 27th of May, after which it could rise to 140 by the end of the month. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the period from the 28th of May to the 2nd of June. This could see the Kp index peak at five or six with corresponding drops in the MUF and DX. As we are now on the downward portion of this solar cycle, we may expect more geomagnetic disturbances from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The long run of fine settled weather seems to have drawn to a close. We have a period of changeable and, at times, wet and windy weather to deal with over the coming week. I doubt we will see much, if any, Tropo except perhaps towards the end of the week as some models show a new high building as we move into June.  Before then, the various fronts and showers will bring several spells of rain and a much greater chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands than recently. The solar conditions have again provided weak auroral events, with fluttery signals on the HF bands being a good indicator, since the bright evenings and early dawns leave little chance of any visual clues. As usual, the measure to follow is the Kp index. So, look out for values of Kp going above five to generate interest. Meteor scatter is declining as the last of the Eta Aquariids play out, following a long tail from the peak on the 6th of May. Meteors also make up the content of Sporadic-E because, as they burn up, they produce long-lived metallic ions that can be focused into thin layers of Sporadic-E. There are some less well-known meteor showers in June. So, next week there may be more to say. In the meantime, random meteors and declining Aquariids will have to suffice. Now, on to Sporadic-E. This is beginning to be the primary mode in these summer weeks. It is sensible to check during main operating windows in the morning, late afternoon and early evening. Ideally, we require meteor input, a low Kp index, plus some weather triggers to set up atmospheric gravity waves which produce the right wind shear in the E region. Jet streams are usually the best clues for where Sporadic-E might form.  Use the daily Sporadic-E blog on the Propquest website to get an insight of the current day's weather patterns – see propquest.co.uk   If you have very limited time and have still not worked Sporadic-E, just checking 50MHz in the late afternoon will ensure that you make a start this year. EME path losses are still falling as the Moon reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth, on the 26th of May. Moon windows and peak elevation are again rising, reaching a maximum on the 29th of May. 144MHz sky noise is low and remains low as the week progresses. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 16th of February 2025 The news headlines: The RSGB has announced its Scout, Cadet and Girlguiding Youth Champion Listen out for stations operating for World Thinking Day on the Air New resources and ideas have been added to the RSGB British Science Week web pages The RSGB is delighted to announce that Samuel McCutchion, M7UEL will be the RSGB's Scout, Cadet and Girlguiding Youth Champion. Sam brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the role having been part of the Scouts from a young age in Beavers and then working his way up to Network. He then progressed to become an Assistant Section Leader. This knowledge will help the RSGB Youth Team to engage and offer amateur radio support to not only the Scouts but also the Cadets and Girlguiding. If you'd like to congratulate Sam on his role, or if you have any ideas you think would be useful to share, email him via youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk  Lots of amateur radio stations are on the air this weekend and next weekend for World Thinking Day on the Air. Listen out for them and encourage the young Girlguiding members. You can find details of some of the active stations via rsgb.org/thinking-day  but, if your station isn't listed, please share details on the RSGB social media channels. The event aims to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication.   Have you visited the RSGB's British Science Week web pages yet? Two new worksheets have recently been added to inspire you to get involved and showcase amateur radio to new audiences. The activities were designed by the RSGB Outreach Team to fit in with this year's British Science Week theme of ‘Change and adapt'. If you'd like to deliver these activities to schools or youth groups, the Society has sample lesson plans, risk assessments and a guide to contacting your local school available on its website. Remember that British Science Week isn't just for younger audiences, it is open to all. If you're looking for ideas to get your friends and family involved or a local community group, go to rsgb.org/bsw  and visit the British Science Week resources page. There is a wealth of ideas available, from looking at the history of radio communications to building a sustainable system using only solar panels. If you have an activity planned for British Science Week, let the RSGB know by emailing the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  Details of events taking place will be shared on the Society's website.  The deadline for the RSGB Construction Competition is Saturday the 1st of March, which means you have less than two weeks left to submit your entry. The judges will be considering entries in six categories: beginners, construction excellence, innovation, software, antennas and outreach. To find out how to submit your application go to rsgb.org/construction-competition  The results of the competition will be announced during the 2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting on the 12th of  April.  If you are passionate about amateur radio and have some spare time to support fellow radio amateurs, why not become an RSGB District Representative? There are currently 12 vacancies across the United Kingdom, including in Belfast, Cambridgeshire and Lancashire. To find out if there is a vacancy in your region go to rsgb.org/volunteers  and then get in touch with the Regional Representative of the district with the vacancy. Amateur radio operators are reminded to take care when operating on the WRC-15 secondary amateur allocation at 5MHz. The UK still has no access to the full WRC-15 allocation. Despite requests, this seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Whilst the UK is fortunate to have more generous licence conditions, these mustn't be put at risk by irresponsible operating in violation of the licence conditions, particularly in the 5358 to 5362kHz gap where there is no UK allocation. The RSGB website has detailed advice for operators, both for SSB and digital modes, on its rsgb.org/5mhz web page. Please take care not to transmit outside of the UK segments even if you hear other amateurs transmitting. Remember that signals heard may be coming from amateurs in other countries with different allocations. The RSGB ARDF Committee is pleased to announce the return of the British ARDF Championships in 2025. The Championships will be held as a three-day festival in early April 2025. Entries open on the 1st of March and will remain open right up until the event itself. Further information and updates can be found at tinyurl.com/ARDF25 Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk On the 2nd of March, the Exeter Radio Rally is taking place at a new venue. The event will be held at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE, from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information phone Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk Now the Special Event news Daren, 2E0LXY is hosting a special amateur radio event to raise funds for the Sheffield Children's Hospital today, the 16th. He will be operating on the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands using FT8. He will also be active on the 2m and 70cm bands using FM. DMR users can talk to Daren via Brandmeister talk group 23530. More information, including how to donate, is available via Daren's QRZ.com page. Special callsign S5701DX is running during February in memory of Slavko, S57DX who became a Silent Key last February. The station has been heard recently using CW and SSB on the HF bands. For more information visit QRZ.com From the 1st to the 28th of March George, MM0JNL will once again be activating special event station GB0GTS. This year the station is active in support of the Great Tommy Sleepout. This national challenge aims to raise funds and awareness for all former UK service personnel who are living homeless. More details are available at QRZ.com and rbli.co.uk Now the DX news Bob, NC6Q is active as HP1TT from Panama until tomorrow, the 17th.  He is operating CW and some SSB on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL directly to NC6Q. Datta, VU2DSI is operating from Lonar Lake in India from the 20th to the 24th of February 2025. This unique location was formed by the impact of a meteor around 550,000 years ago. The station will be active on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. More information can be found at QRZ.com Claudio, HB9OAU is active as D44OA from Sal Island, AF-086, Cape Verde until Tuesday the 18th. He is operating using CW and SSB on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and Club Log.  Now the contest news The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15th and runs until 2359UTC today, Sunday the 16th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmit power. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province. On Tuesday the 18th, the RGSB 1.3GHz Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 20th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 20:00 to 22:30 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The CQ 160m DX Contest starts at 22:00 UTC on Friday the 21st and ends at 22:00 UTC on Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province. The REF Contest starts at 06:00 UTC on Saturday the 22nd and ends at 18:00 UTC on Sunday the 23rd of February. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13th of February 2025 Two large coronal holes on the Sun's surface have been spraying solar material towards Earth, pushing the Kp index to a high of 4.67. The solar wind speed has been consistently higher than 500 kilometres per second and, with a south-pointing interplanetary magnetic field, the plasma has flooded into Earth's magnetic field. There have been a few aurora warnings, but these have only been minor. As a result, the ionosphere has not been too badly affected and daytime maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path have generally remained above 28MHz, with the odd dip towards 24MHz. Coronal mass ejections have not made an appearance and there were only three M-class flares between the 9th and 13th of February. Meanwhile, the solar flux index fell to the 150s and 160s last week. Recent HF DX has included the V73WW DXpedition on the Marshall Islands, which has been worked from the UK, including on the 40, 30 and 20m bands using CW. The TX7N DXpedition to Marquesas Island in French Polynesia has just finished. It wasn't an easy path, but it was worked from the UK on all bands from 30 to 12m using FT8, CW and SSB. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could rise a little, to be in the 180 to 190 range. Once Earth is free from the effects of the current coronal hole stream, we may expect the Kp index to retreat, perhaps to a maximum of 2. So, DX next week could be quite reasonable but, as always, keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The lingering high pressure just to the east of the UK is holding weather fronts over western Britain for the time being with any tropo benefits confined to eastern areas and being marginal at best.  During the coming week, changes will be slow but gradually a more determined push on the Atlantic fronts may bring them over most areas, except the extreme southeast of the country. This will make rain scatter more accessible although the models suggest that the fronts are likely to become weaker. So, they will not be especially useful by the time they reach the southeast. Sporadic-E is in its quiet season now, as are the meteor scatter prospects, with no major showers in attendance until the spring Lyrids in late April. Perhaps this quieter time is a chance to do some operating housekeeping. For example, you could update a list of nearby repeaters and beacons to help you track developing openings. Or maybe you could consider trying a new mode or band. Perhaps you could learn to use digital modes for meteor scatter. Maybe consider joining the increasing numbers trying CW on the 2m band. Moon declination went negative again on Saturday the 15th and path losses are rising as the Moon moves away to apogee, its furthest point from Earth, on Tuesday the 18th. 144MHz sky noise is low for most of the coming week but goes high for the weekend of Saturday the 22nd. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 9th of February 2025 The news headlines: A new RSGB web page focuses on emerging technology An upcoming talk at Bletchley Park Museum aims to widen awareness of the radio spectrum and radio transmission Remember to share your British Science Week ideas The RSGB has launched a new web page on how emerging technology can be used in amateur radio. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3D printing offer the opportunity to broaden the definition of amateur radio. They can also increase appeal and attract a more diverse audience. For existing radio amateurs, they offer the opportunity for progression through learning new skills. You'll also find links to two RSGB Convention presentations, including the newly released talk on 3D printing by Tom Wardill, 2E0JJI. Go to rsgb.org/emerging-technology  to learn more. The Society will be adding more technologies to the web page in the coming months and would love to hear from you if you are involved in amateur radio in any of these areas. Share your stories via comms@rsgb.org.uk  On Saturday the 29th of March, the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator, Martyn Baker, G0GMB, together with Andy Webster, G7UHN from the Radio Communications Foundation, will be delivering a talk in the Fellowship Auditorium at the Bletchley Park Museum. The presentation will introduce people to the radio spectrum and how to get to grips with the fundamentals of radio transmission. The session is being delivered as part of the RSGB's ongoing strategy to promote amateur radio to wider audiences. The Society is pleased to announce that RSGB members who would like to attend the talk can benefit from a 10% discount, reducing the price to £14.40. To find out more about this talk, go to the ‘What's on' section on the Bletchley Park website via bletchleypark.org.uk  If you'd like to visit the Bletchley Park museum after the talk, don't forget that RSGB members can gain free entry by downloading a voucher from the RSGB website via rsgb.org/bpvoucher British Science Week is less than a month away and the RSGB would love you to use your interest, expertise and enthusiasm for amateur radio to get people involved. The annual event takes place between the 7th and 16th of March and celebrates science, technology, engineering and maths. Perhaps you love going portable and could take a local rambler group on an activation with you, or maybe you're a member of ‘Men in Sheds' and could deliver a soldering demonstration for them. The Society wants to make amateur radio accessible and inclusive for everyone. All ideas are welcome, both big and small. Whatever you are planning, send your ideas to the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  The RSGB will continue to share resources and ideas for how to get involved via rsgb.org/bsw  A competition has been launched for RSGB Regions 6 and 7 in Wales that will take place throughout March. The aim is to encourage both individual RSGB members, as well as Affiliated Clubs in Wales, to build their own resonant 21MHz antenna and make as many QSOs as possible on the 21MHz band during the month. There are four categories to enter, with certificates issued to the top three stations in each of the categories. A club trophy is also available. To view the full competition rules and to access the submission form, go to tinyurl.com/walescomp  Don't forget that Girlguiding groups will be taking part in World Thinking Day on the Air activities over the weekends of the 15th and 22nd of February. The event aims to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. A list of stations that have provided the RSGB with details of their callsign can be found by going to rsgb.org/thinking-day  If you'd like to be added to this list, please email comms@rsgb.org.uk And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 9th, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair is taking place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors are open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission costs £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking are available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk Now the Special Event news A series of special event stations is active until the 31st of March to celebrate the city of Chemnitz, one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2025. All QSOs will be uploaded to eQSL, Logbook of the World, Club Log and the DARC Community Logbook. Paper QSL cards will not be issued. For more information about the event, including details of a certificate that is available for working the stations, visit 2025c.de Special callsign A9100IARU is in use by the Bahrain Amateur Radio Society to mark the 100th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union. The callsign will be active for five days during each month of the 2025 year. The station was spotted recently using FT4 on the 10m band. QSL via EC6DX. British Railways Amateur Radio Society is continuing to run special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel. Operation is mainly focused on 40m but there may be additional activity on the 10m band using SSB. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the special event stations, visit QRZ.com A team of operators from DARC is active until the 27th of April using special callsign DA0IARU. The station is operating to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IARU. The special event team has been in existence for around five years and is led by Ric, DL2VFR. Now the DX news Thierry, TK1CX is active from Cameroon until the end of February. He is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. He operates mainly using FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via EA5ZD. Przemo, SP3PS is operating as C5SP from The Gambia until around the middle of March. He operates using SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via SP3PS. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th and runs until 2359UTC today, the 9th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 8th and runs until 1200UTC today, the 9th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province. On Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 80m Club Championship data leg runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 13th, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The ARRL International DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15th and runs until 2359UTC on Sunday the 16th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmit power. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Wednesday the 5th of February 2025 Last week went pretty much as predicted. The solar wind from a large coronal hole impacted the Earth on Saturday the 1st of February, pushing the Kp index to four. The hole was so large that the geomagnetic disturbance lasted until the early evening on Sunday. Once the solar wind speed had dropped, things got back to normal and the Kp index has been in the range of 1 to 2 ever since. The event appeared to have had little effect on HF propagation, with maximum usable frequencies over a 3000km path remaining above 28MHz during the daylight hours. So it looks like we dodged a bullet. At the time of writing, we have had 21 M-class flares in three days. A solar flare measuring M8.8 was detected around active region 3981, peaking at 0358UTC on the 3rd of February. This was the strongest flare yet from this region in terms of peak X-Ray flux. However, the flare itself was impulsive and was not the source of a coronal mass ejection. Over the next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could fall slightly to be in the 180 to 200 range. Make the most of the good propagation as we may be entering a period of unsettled geomagnetic conditions again from the 10th to the 17th of February. NOAA predicts that the Kp index could rise to a maximum of 5 on the 13th but is likely to be in the range of 3 to 5 over the seven days. Part of this may be down to another coronal hole which became Earth-facing on the 6th of February. There is also a good chance that we could get an X-class eruptive flare from active regions 3981 or 3978, which could result in a coronal mass ejection. We recommend you keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO High pressure during the second half of last week brought some useful tropo conditions. As this week, ending today the 9th comes to a close there are some wintry showers along North Sea coasts, which may produce some snow and rain scatter. However, this may be weakened by the nearby high pressure.  By the end of this week, ending today the 9th, there will be a change of weather pattern as the high, having now migrated to Scandinavia, leaves room for Atlantic weather systems to encroach from the west during the coming week. This could bring rain scatter possibilities to the western side of the country. These should be more useful than the eastern coast ones at the end of last week since the rain will probably be heavier and the fronts slow-moving. This time of year is something of a desert for Sporadic-E propagation although look out for lesser events as a result of jet streams. You can track these on the Propquest website. Keep a look out for auroras during the week beginning tomorrow, the 10th. The likelihood of M-class flares is around 85%, while the chance of X-class flares is approximately 20%. So keep an eye on the Kp index for any potential solar events that could cause auroras. Next week, there are no major meteor showers. The next significant meteor shower, the Lyrids, will become active in April. Keep checking the pre-dawn period for random meteors. Moon declination reached a maximum yesterday, Saturday the 8th. Path losses are still low but will increase throughout the coming week. This means that this weekend, ending today the 9th, should produce good activity for EME, especially on the GHz bands with long Moon windows and high peak Moon elevation. 144MHz sky noise is moderate this weekend, ending today the 9th, but falls to low for the rest of the coming week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 2nd of February 2025 The news headlines: The RSGB's Tonight@8 webinar tomorrow will focus on fault-finding and basic electronics in construction projects Peter Bowyer, G4MJS to take on new role as RSGB Board Vice Chair Don't forget to keep track of the RSGB's strategy updates Tomorrow's Tonight@8 webinar will help you navigate basic fault-finding and electronics within your construction projects. Lee Aldridge, G4EJB will use his many years of experience working in telecoms and electronics to help you understand what to do when you've built a project, but it doesn't work. Go to rsgb.org/webinars to find out more. Join the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. You can also read more from Lee in the latest edition of RadCom Basics on pages 16 to 24. The RSGB has announced that Peter Bowyer, G4MJS is to take on the new role of RSGB Board Vice Chair. The current Board Chair, Stewart Bryant, G3YSX said that the role of RSGB Board Chair has always been a busy one and, as the RSGB has taken on more commitments, the demands of this position have continually grown. Being able to share those duties is in the best interests of both the Society and the incumbent, and he is grateful to Peter for volunteering for this new role. Contact details for Peter and other RSGB Board Directors are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/board  As we start a new year, the RSGB would like to highlight that it shares regular updates on its strategy both in RadCom and online. The latest update by General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB reflects on the year ahead and discusses how best the Society might achieve a clear direction for 2025. Read this and previous strategic updates on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/strategy-updates  The RSGB exams team is pleased to announce the publication of a revised version of Syllabus Version 1.6. This update is known as Version 1.6b. The revisions address feedback received from the community since the publication of Version 1.6a. The companion document summarises the changes made to the syllabus which include moving some material from Licensing, in Section 1, to the more appropriate Section 7 which focuses on Operating. There are no significant changes to the number and content of learning points. Version 1.6b will be in effect for exams held from the 1st of April 2025.  The RSGB's weekly news broadcast GB2RS is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. As part of the celebrations, a special callsign GB70RS is active throughout the year. The callsign is being operated by radio amateurs who help to deliver GB2RS each week and could include Newsreaders and RSGB Headquarters staff. You can listen out for operators on all modes and all bands, with activity taking place at any time, although you are particularly likely to hear them before and after the GB2RS broadcasts. Find out more via the GB70RS page at QRZ.com  If you'd like to learn more about the weekly news service, and other celebratory activities taking place this year, watch January's Tonight@8 webinar, which is available on the Society's YouTube channel.   The January 2025 edition of RadCom Basics is now available on the RSGB website for members to read. RadCom Basics is aimed at new licensees and amateurs who want to refresh their skills and knowledge. Among others, this edition includes articles that provide advice on constructing a kit, options for installing a suitable 40m band antenna in a small garden, and a discussion on what you need to power a portable station. To read RadCom Basics visit rsgb.org/radcom-basics RSGB Headquarters will be closing at 12 pm on Friday the 7th of February as RSGB staff will be attending the funeral of their colleague Gillian Coull. To allow time for preparation of the GB2RS News script, the deadline for the GB2RS News broadcast on Sunday the 9th has been brought forward. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by 10 am on Wednesday the 5th of February. And now for details of rallies and events On Sunday the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place on Saturday the 1st of March at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk Now the Special Event news Special callsign HB20SOTA is in use throughout 2025 by the Swiss SOTA Group to celebrate its 20th anniversary. For more information, and to read details of a certificate that is available for working the station, visit tinyurl.com/hb20sota Special callsign OF60AP is in use throughout 2025 by members of the Central Uusimaa Radio Amateurs Association, OH2AP. The station is operating to celebrate the club's 60th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station visit tinyurl.com/OF60AP2025 Now the DX news Giovanni, IZ2DPX is active from ZD7DPX from St. Helena Island, AF-022, until tomorrow the 3rd of February. He is operating SSB and digital modes on the HF bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly to IK2DUW. Aldir, PY1SAD is active as 8R1TM from Georgetown, Guyana until the 8th of February. He is operating CW, SSB and digital modes across a variety of bands and via satellite. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com, or directly to Aldir's home call. Now the contest news Today, the 2nd, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 3rd, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 5th, The United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Saturday the 8th, the Worked All Britain 1.8MHz Phone Contest runs from 1900 to 2359UTC. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain area. Also on Saturday the 8th, the RGSB 1.8MHz Contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th of February and runs until 2359UTC on Sunday the 9th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 8th of February and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday the 9th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. PA stations also send their province.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 30th of January 2025 Last week was pretty unremarkable as far as the Sun goes, but it looks like that is about to change. The seven days preceding Thursday the 30th were characterised by reasonably settled geomagnetic conditions, with a maximum Kp index of 3.67 and a solar flux index that fell from 205 on the 24th, to the 170s by the 30th. During this period there had been only four M-class solar flares and no X-class events. Over the next few days, things could change. Two large coronal holes near the Sun's equator threaten to upset the quiet conditions. As the solar material flows out it could cause the Kp index to rise, perhaps to 4, with reduced maximum usual frequencies and noisy conditions. But this will depend upon its associated Bz or interplanetary magnetic field. If it is south-pointing it will couple more easily with the Earth's magnetic field, allowing plasma to flow in, and the Kp index will rise. However, if it is north-pointing we may see very little effect at all. So, keep an eye on Solarham.com for real-time updates and look for increased solar wind speed as the main indicator of the approaching solar material. If the Bz does point south we may expect unsettled conditions and possible aurora today, the 2nd. Meanwhile, three sunspot groups are rotating into an Earth-facing position in the Northern Hemisphere on the Eastern side of the Sun. We have already seen an M-class flare from one of them. These could boost the solar flux index but could also be a source of solar flares and coronal mass ejections over the coming week. Strangely, NOAA does not seem to think they will, as its predicted solar flux index over the next seven days is in the 150 to 160s range. It does agree with our prediction of unsettled geomagnetic conditions, although with a projected Kp index of 5 today, the 2nd, falling to 4 over the next three days. We will just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, maximum useable frequencies over a 3,000km path are still exceeding 28MHz from around 0830 to 1600 UTC. As the month moves on, we can expect the amount of daylight to increase, so this period may be extended. Make the most of 160 and 80m as the optimum time for these bands has now passed. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The tail end of the previous week saw a few weak weather features as lows and a front brushed past. However, from this first weekend of February, there will be a trend to higher pressure, which will offer up some tropo opportunities at times during the coming week.  There is a chance of the occasional decaying front drifting down the country but, for most of the next week, it'll be a tropo story, if anything. 50MHz has been quiet again as we await the return of maybe the last Spring equinox-style propagation of this cycle around mid-March. Meteor scatter is once again mostly down to random activity although there is one minor shower, the Capricornids-Sagittariids, which peaked yesterday, Saturday the 1st of February.  Rain scatter may be somewhat rarer due to the mainly high-pressure pattern.  Some auroral propagation is not without hope in view of the large coronal hole, which crossed the Sun last week. Keep a lookout for high Kp values, and keep an ear open for watery signals on the LF bands as a good sign of potential activity on the higher bands. Moon declination goes positive again today, the 2nd. With perigee having passed late yesterday, the 1st, this means that the upcoming week will be good for EME. This is especially true on the GHz bands if you have a clear view of the horizon. 144MHz sky noise is low, rising to moderate next weekend. One final note: there have been some access problems with the data feeds for the Propquest website. Hopefully, these are temporary and have fixed themselves by the time you hear this broadcast. The other data plots such as jet stream charts should continue to update so there is plenty to look at on the other pages. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of January 2025 The news headlines: The RSGB has announced the details of the amateur radio activity that it provided for the British Science Week 2025 Community Pack Nominations encouraged for the role of RSGB President The next Tonight@8 webinar will focus on fault finding in construction projects The RSGB is delighted to announce details of the amateur radio activity that the Society provided for the British Science Week 2025 Community Pack. The RSGB Outreach Team, working with the RSGB Comms Team, submitted two activities on this year's theme of ‘Change and adapt' and one was chosen for the Community Pack. This activity was created by John Hislop, G7OHO and tested by RSGB School Youth Champion Chris Aitken, MM0WIC, and other members of the Outreach Team with various groups and ages. It uses amateur radio to find out if people in different countries are seeing changes in their weather patterns. It is a simple activity that is also designed to get people on the air. Community or youth groups will need access to a Digital Mobile Radio repeater and assistance from a radio amateur, which is why the RSGB is asking for the support of the amateur radio community to make this as effective as possible! You can find the RSGB activity and other resources on its website at rsgb.org/bsw so take a look and get ready to be involved! You can also find the full set of this year's activity packs at britishscienceweek.org  To ask questions or suggest an activity, contact the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  The RSGB President is a prestigious and important role. Each President has the autonomy to shape the duties and activities they carry out to best match their view of the role. Former Presidents have spoken of the unique insight it has given them into the hobby, and the fulfilment they have felt from the role. Read more from the current and some previous Presidents by going to rsgb.org/president  If you believe you can advocate for amateur radio, that you have the necessary understanding of how the RSGB works, and are someone who can relate to and talk engagingly with a wide range of people, then why not apply to be the next RSGB President? Nominations are now open in the RSGB 2025 elections and full candidate packs can be found via rsgb.org/election  Applications are strongly encouraged from radio amateurs of all different backgrounds and identities. Every new volunteer who joins the RSGB is an opportunity to bring a different perspective, which the Board is eager to embrace. Remember that the closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31st of January. So, if you'd like to rise to the challenge and be the Society's next President, act now.   Have you ever spent time constructing a project, only to find it doesn't work? If so, the next Tonight@8 webinar on Monday the 3rd of February is one to put in your diary. Lee Aldridge, G4EJB will present a basic fault finding and electronics session that will look at the requirements of construction, as well as the pros and cons of different types of construction. He will also look at what to do when you've built a project, but it doesn't work. This will include looking at your method, understanding some simple circuits and basic use of a digital multimeter, your expectations, as well as checking and testing. Lee has nearly 35 years experience of working in telecoms and electronics and will be known by many as the former RadCom Basics Editor. Find out more about this discussion by going to rsgb.org/webinars  Watch the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. Today, the 26th, the 2m band is full of transmissions from operators taking part in 145 Alive. The event is running from 12 pm to 3 pm and there are nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page. Have you been involved in inspiring newcomers to amateur radio? Do you have a knack for introducing and explaining the fundamental principles of our wonderful pastime to the uninitiated? If so, have you considered writing for RadCom Basics? Tim, G5TM, the RadCom Basics Editor, welcomes all suggestions. If you have ideas for future articles, email radcombasics@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB is looking for an assistant editor to join the team that produces its suite of RadCom publications. The successful candidate will be involved in everything from magazine production and sub-editing to writing articles and planning content. More information is available on page 83 of the February 2025 issue of RadCom and via rsgb.org/careers  If you are interested in applying for the role, email radcom@rsgb.org.uk  And now for details of rallies and events The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place today, the 26th, at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking are available. For more information contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com On Sunday the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10am to 3pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of February from 10am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk Advance notice now that the 13th Scottish Microwave Round Table will be held on Saturday the 1st of November 2025 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife, Scotland. There will be an optional dinner in the evening at a local hotel. Further updates will be posted on the gmroundtable.org.uk website in June or July 2025. To find out more email Colin via gm4hwo@gmail.com Now the Special Event news The Straight Key Century Club's Straight Key Month is currently underway. The annual on-air event commemorates the Club's founding in 2006 and celebrates the original instruments of early radiotelegraphy including straight keys, bugs and ‘cootie' keys. Listen out for the K3Y callsign which is being aired from the ten USA call areas. Information on the event and QSL instructions can be found at tinyurl.com/K3Y2025 A large multi-national team is active as TX7N from Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands, OC-027, until tomorrow, the 27th. The team is operating using CW, SSB and digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of the World. For more information and updates visit tx7n.com British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running special event stations GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel. Operation will be mainly focused on 40m but there may be additional activity on other bands. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the special event stations visit QRZ.com  Now the DX news Dwight, VE7BV is active as TG9BBV from Guatemala until the 28th of January. He is operating using mostly CW and SSB on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Dwight's home call and Logbook of the World. Ralf, DB4REB is active as CN2REB while on holiday in Morocco until the 30th of January. He is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on various bands. Ralf is hoping to work some Parks on the Air sites along the coast during his visit. QSL via eQSL or directly to Ralf's home call. For more information and updates visit QRZ.com Felix, DL5XL is active as DP1POL from a German research station in Antarctica, AN-016, until the 25th of February. He is operating mainly using CW on the HF bands. There may also be some digital mode and SSB activity. QSL via DL1ZBO. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Now the contest news The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group RTTY Sprint started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 25th and runs until 1200UTC today, the 26th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. The CQ 160m DX Contest started at 2200UTC on Friday the 24th and runs until 2200UTC today, the 26th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province. On Tuesday the 28th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13, 9, 6 and 3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 29th, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon began at 0000UTC on Sunday the 1st of December and ends at 2359UTC on Friday the 31st of January. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator. On Sunday the 2nd, the RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 23rd of January 2025 This week, ending today the 26th, has looked a lot like a repeat performance of two weeks ago. The majority of the sunspots are in the western hemisphere with very few in the eastern side. This means that the solar flux index could drop over the coming week unless there are sunspots ready to rotate into view to replace those being lost. A look at the STEREO Ahead spacecraft imagery suggests that there are indeed sunspots over the Eastern limb, so all may not be lost. Overall, the Sun has been fairly quiet. There were no X-class flares and only five M-class flares from the 19th to the 23rd of January. The Kp index has also been relatively low, only peaking at four for one three-hour period on the 20th of January. As a result, with the solar flux index in the 200s, HF conditions have been quite good. The maximum usable frequency over a 3,000km path has been consistently over 28MHz, from around 0830 to 1600 UTC. However, the 20, 17, 15 and 12m bands, seem to be carrying most of the DX at the moment. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the mid-200s. Geomagnetic conditions are also predicted to be good until the end of the month, but a Kp index of 5 is forecast for the 31st of January, and this could last for a few days. So, we urge you to make the most of the conditions now, before geomagnetic storming, if it occurs, makes a mess of HF as we enter February.  And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather pattern is being driven by a very strong winter jet stream across the Atlantic Ocean. This gives scope for rapid development of deep lows and consequent gales and damaging winds. On Friday the 24th of January, the first big storm hit the northwest of Britain. We may find that the next low in the series is heading for southern Britain tomorrow, the 27th.  This all makes tropo unlikely for much of the week ahead since it stays unsettled through most of the period but with the smallest hint of higher pressure trying to return from Thursday. Rain scatter will probably be worth some consideration on the GHz bands while meteor scatter remains driven by random activity rather than any major showers. There have been further aurora alerts over the last week and it's always worth keeping the Kp index in view to monitor any possible chances for aurora. High figures, above a Kp index of 4, are a good trigger point to get interested. Moon declination reaches a minimum in the northern hemisphere today, the 26th, when Moon windows are at their shortest and peak Moon elevation is at its lowest. Path losses are now falling as we passed apogee on Tuesday the 21st. 144MHz sky noise is high, reaching over 3,000 Kelvin today, the 26th, before dropping to moderate until Wednesday when the Moon and Sun are very close in the sky for the whole Moon pass. After this, it drops to a low for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 19th of January 2025 The news headlines: The RSGB is an official partner for this year's British Science Week Nominations are open for two RSGB Elected Board Director roles Don't forget to update your club's RSGB Club Finder information The RSGB is delighted to announce that it is an official partner for this year's British Science Week, run by the British Science Association. The RSGB Outreach Team worked with the RSGB Comms Team to offer an amateur radio-related activity, and this will feature in the British Science Week Community Pack. This links with the Society's strategic priority of Growth and its desire to reach new audiences. The Society is very excited that amateur radio will be featured for the first time in this important national STEM campaign. Full details of the RSGB activity will be shared during the next week when all the packs are officially launched. This year's event runs from the 7th to the 16th of March with the theme of “Change and adapt”. It is not just for young people and the RSGB has a range of additional activity ideas you could try with your community, friends and family too. The RSGB hopes its ideas and resources will encourage you to get out there and inspire others. Find out more at rsgb.org/bsw  and look out for further announcements this week. If you have an idea or a plan to get people involved or would like some advice and support, please contact the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  If you're an RSGB member, have excellent leadership skills and would like to contribute to the amateur radio community, how about becoming an RSGB Board Director? Nominations are now open for applicants to stand for two Elected Board Director roles. The existing Board is looking for Directors who have specific skills to replace outgoing Directors. It would love to see applications from those who have expertise in spectrum matters and with building positive relationships with other organisations. The Board is also looking for people who are passionate about continuing its important outreach activities, as well as its ongoing work in developing practical skills amongst the amateur radio community. The Society is encouraging candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to stand for election and wants to ensure that the voices around the table understand and reflect the community it aims to serve. Find out more about these roles, as well as other opportunities in the RSGB 2025 Elections, by going to rsgb.org/election. The closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31st of January 2025, so act now and ensure you take this opportunity to help shape the future of amateur radio.   If you're a member of an RSGB-affiliated club or society, the RSGB is encouraging you to visit rsgb.org/club-finder and check that your organisation's details are up to date. The RSGB Club Finder allows people to search for local amateur radio groups. Those people could want to join your group, find out more about amateur radio before taking their Foundation licence exam or perhaps need support for British Science Week activities. Updating your listing is easy. Just log into your club's Membership Services account at rsgb.org/members and go to the ‘UK Club Finder' section. The form includes a section called ‘Meeting details' where you can add helpful information about disabled access, as well as details about both physical and online meetings. The Society will update Club Finder with any new data between 4 pm and 6 pm every Friday. If you wish your update to appear before the weekend, please ensure you update your details before 3 pm on Fridays. Any questions on the process can be sent to membership@rsgb.org.uk  Ofcom has announced a consultation which seeks to simplify the licensing of amateur radio visitors to the UK from a specified list of countries. The consultation also covers the proposed simplification of other wireless equipment usage. Ofcom says: “We propose to introduce a new licence exemption for short-term use of radio amateur equipment by radio amateurs visiting from countries that are not covered by the CEPT Recommendation but with whom the UK has a bilateral reciprocal agreement.” The deadline for responses to the consultation is 5 pm on the 28th of March 2025. You can read the Ofcom consultation document at tinyurl.com/ofcom-uwtle Have you revalidated your licence recently? Ofcom requires that radio amateurs revalidate their licence at least every five years, although confirming annually is recommended. For more information on the process go to rsgb.org/licensing  and select ‘Licence Revalidation' from the right-hand menu. The web page provides further information on the process, a link to the Ofcom portal, as well as a handy video guide on the process from Ofcom. Make sure you keep your details up to date and add a diary reminder to renew each year.  Have you made a New Year's resolution to learn CW? If so, you might be interested in Essex CW Amateur Radio Club's CW for Beginners training. The next course starts on Thursday the 6th of February. It will take place via Skype from 7 pm. If you are interested in taking part, email Andy, G0IBN via g0ibn1@yahoo.com Lots of operators are on the air, until the end of January, with stations taking part in the World-Wide Award. If you have been listening to the HF bands, you will have heard lots of stations using callsigns with a WWA suffix. Points are awarded for working these stations using a variety of modes. For example, two points are awarded for a contact made using a digital mode and ten points are awarded for making a CW contact. To qualify for the award, you need a minimum of 100 points. To read more about the World Wide Award visit hamaward.cloud/wwa And now for details of rallies and events The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place on the 26th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. The cost of a table is £10. To book, contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com On the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society RadioActive Fair will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk Now the Special Event news HI59UD is a special callsign in use by the Dominican Amateur Radio Union, the second-oldest amateur radio club in the Dominican Republic. The station is active to celebrate the 59th anniversary of its foundation. Look for activity on the HF bands, using SSB and digital modes, until the 25th of January. For information about a certificate that is available for working the station visit QRZ.com Special callsign PA25MC will be on the air for just one day on Thursday the 23rd of January. The station will be active to introduce Dutch Marines to the world of amateur radio. Operators will be using SSB on the HF bands. The event is organised and supported by PI4VBD, the club station of the Royal Netherlands Army Signal Regiment. More information is available at QRZ.com Now the DX news David, VE3VSM/HR9 is active from Roatan Island, NA-057, off the north coast of Honduras, until the 25th of January. He is operating CW and FT8 on the 30 and 20m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or David's home call. Jeff, VA3QSL is active as FG/VA3QSL from Guadeloupe, NA-102, until the 26th of January. Following this, he will be active as PJ7/VA3QSL from Sint Maarten, NA-105, between the 27th of January and the 16th of February. The final leg of his Caribbean tour sees him operating as FS/VA3QSL from St. Martin, NA-105, between the 16th of February and the 4th of March. He will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, directly to Jeff's home call, or via the Bureau. Now the contest news Tomorrow, the 20th, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 2000 to 2200UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 21st, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The CQ 160m DX Contest runs from 2200UTC on Friday the 24th until 2200UTC on Sunday the 26th of January. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CW Zone. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province. The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group RTTY Sprint runs from 1200UTC on Saturday the 25th until 1200UTC on Sunday the 26th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 16th of January 2025. It looks like the lull in sunspot activity is coming to an end as the solar flux index rose to 174 on Thursday the 16th, after a week in the 150s and 160s. The Sun was fairly bare, but there are now signs of more sunspot activity rotating into view. There have been no X-class flares in the past seven days and only one M-class event. This has meant that the Kp index has been low, thanks to a lack of associated coronal mass ejections. There were four during one three-hour period on the 13th of January. As a result, HF conditions have not been too bad with daytime maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs for short, over 3,000km regularly exceeding 24 and even 28MHz at times. However, nighttime MUFs are still in the doldrums, often struggling to get above 5MHz over a 3,000km path. This will no doubt change as we head towards spring. DX on the bands recently has included S01WS in Western Sahara and UP7WWA in Kazakhstan, both on 28MHz CW. Closer to home we have had GB200LB celebrating the bicentenary of the invention of the Braille code and GB1GKA commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Portishead Radio receiving station, callsign GKA, at Highbridge, Somerset. Both of these stations were active on the 20, 17, 15 and 10m bands using CW. At the other end of the bands, Kev, VK6LW, has been heard on 1822kHz from Western Australia at his sunrise at 2112UTC, as has Robert, DU7ET, in the Philippines at 2200UTC. January is a great month for top-band contacts. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 160 to 175 range. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be good with a maximum Kp index of 3. Watch solarham.com for news of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which could easily send the Kp index higher and the MUFs lower. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The current spell of high pressure has served us well with some good tropo paths around the edge of the high into Spain and Portugal and even beyond to Madeira. This has shown how effective long maritime ducts can be around the edge of areas of high pressure.  On the 16th of January, the Atlantic was taking over the agenda and low pressure near Scotland was pushing a weakening front into north-western Britain as the high retreated east into Europe. The rest of the coming week has other lows bringing some rain or showers – especially to the north-west of the UK where it will become quite windy again. On Wednesday the 15th, weather models suggested a small high may return to the southern part of the country. We are in a rather unsettled weather period with some limited rain scatter potential for the GHz bands. Meteor scatter is also a bit thin with just a possibility of scatter via the Gamma Ursae Minorids, which peaked yesterday, the 18th. However, the number of meteors is at a very low rate and so is not a great option. Next, we move on to aurora and there continue to be examples of alerts suggesting minor events. Generally, though, spring is usually a better time, so there's still a while to wait. Saturday the 11th of January brought a welcome out-of-season Sporadic-E opening to Poland, and then the Balkans, on 50MHz lasting around three and a half hours from 1200UTC. Another good piece of news is the return of ionosonde data for the propquest.co.uk website after a few missing days. This is a timely opportunity to thank all those who maintain the professional data sets that allow us amateurs to see what the bands are doing. Moon declination is positive, going negative this Sunday. Moon windows will shorten, and peak Moon elevations fall. Path losses continue to increase as we approach apogee on Tuesday. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team.

GB2RS News Sunday the 12th of January The news headlines: There are opportunities in the RSGB's Regional Team World Thinking Day on the Air is coming up in February Are you interested in an exciting opportunity to volunteer with the amateur radio maker community? If you're looking to get involved in a different side of amateur radio this year, have you thought about becoming a volunteer RSGB Regional Representative for your area? There are eight Regional Representative posts available for nomination in this year's RSGB elections. This rewarding role will give you the opportunity to represent the views of members in your region to the Board, as well as supporting and advising the District Representatives located within the Region. Regional Representatives are also members of the volunteer Leadership Team and have the opportunity to contribute to the Society's strategy and policy development, as well as to its implementation. If you think this sounds exciting, and you are a confident communicator who has experience in managing people, then go to rsgb.org/election and read the candidate pack now. You'll also find details about how to apply, alongside information on other roles, including the RSGB President and two Elected Board Director vacancies. The closing date for all vacancies is 2359UTC on the 31st of January. So, act now and use your expertise to make an impact on amateur radio in your region. On the 15th of February, Girlguiding members will celebrate World Thinking Day on the Air. The aim of this event is to encourage Girlguiding members to make friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. On this day, Crawley Amateur Radio Club and RSGB volunteers will be hosting a special event call sign GB1SCG, which relates to Sussex Central Guides. Girlguiding members of all ages will have the opportunity to celebrate by communicating via the amateur bands. If you or your amateur radio club are planning to work with a local Girlguiding group for World Thinking Day on the Air, please get in touch via comms@rsgb.org.uk  so the RSGB can promote your event.  As part of the RSGB's ongoing strategy to take amateur radio to new and diverse audiences, it is delighted to advertise a new volunteer role. This is an opportunity for someone to be an advocate for amateur radio within the maker community. The spirit of experimentation, curiosity and learning is common to both groups and the RSGB would like to foster greater crossover between the amateur radio and modern maker communities. This crossover would be centred around hackspace and maker spaces, as well as larger events, but would also encourage individuals from each community to inspire and learn from each other. This role is intended to help take amateur radio to a new audience with an emphasis on how the licence would support other hobbies, rather than the promotion of traditional amateur radio activities. To carry out this role you'll need to be open to working with different communities, be proactive and organised, and be able to build a team and help it to work to achieve goals. To find full details of the role go to rsgb.org/volunteers and if you're interested in applying or being part of a wider team, contact RSGB Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX via g0mgx@rsgb.org.uk  The RSGB is recruiting volunteers for two roles that are fundamental to the delivery of the Society's Convention. The Convention Chair will be someone who understands the advantages of both online and in-person events. The successful applicant will have an awareness of all aspects of amateur radio and will contribute to shaping the RSGB Conventions of the future to suit the changing amateur radio audience. A second opportunity to be part of the Convention team is as the Society's Lecture Coordinator. This role is part of both the Convention and Tonight@8 teams and requires someone who is proactive and collaborative. The applicant will need to bring ideas for presentations that educate and inspire radio amateurs to try something new, learn more about interesting topics and expand their knowledge of amateur radio. To find out more about either of these roles and how to apply, go to rsgb.org/volunteers  Don't forget that the next event in the popular 145 Alive series will take place on Sunday the 26th of January 2025. It will run from 12 pm to 3 pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more information visit the 145 Alive Facebook page. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place on the 26th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. The cost of a table is £10. To book, please contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com On the 9th of February, the Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society Radioactive Rally will take place at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DG. The doors will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and admission will cost £5. Hot food, refreshments and free car parking will be available. For more information contact Patrick, 2E0VGF via info@radioactivefair.co.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk On the 1st of March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will be held at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk Now the Special Event news The South African Radio League, or SARL, is enjoying its 100th anniversary in 2025. To celebrate the occasion, the SARL Centenary Marathon QSO Party began at 0000UTC on the 1st of January and will run until 2359UTC on the 31st of December 2025. Throughout the year, the League, with the aid of its members and associated clubs, will be on the air using special event callsign ZS100SARL, as well as the permanent callsigns ZS6SRL and ZS9HQ. For details of several awards that will be available, and for more information, go to tinyurl.com/SARL25 The Deutsches Museum in Munich, one of the largest science and technology museums in the world, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. Special callsign DL100DM will be active throughout the year from the amateur radio station which is part of the Museum's permanent electronics exhibition. QSL via DL8FA. More information is available at QRZ.com Now the DX news Thierry, TK1CX is active in Cameroon until February 2025. In his spare time, he is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. He operates mainly using FT8 with a solar power supply. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via EA5ZD. Don, KW7R is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. He is there on a work assignment until September 2025 and, in his spare time, he operates CW and FT8 on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World.   Now the contest news Today, the 12th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m Data modes Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 16th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 18th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m SSB Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 9th of January 2025. First, let's take a look at last week's solar activity. As predicted, the solar flux index declined to the 160s. We had one X-class solar flare on the 4th and there have been 11 M-class flares since then. The net result was that the ionosphere was unsettled from the 4th to the 6th of January with the Kp index hitting 5 on the 4th. Following this, the Kp index was at 4 on the 5th and 6th of January. There were reports of visible aurora over the UK on Saturday the 4th, but it was nothing like the record-breaking aurora in April 2024. There were coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, over this period but they were mainly facing away from Earth. Maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs for short, held up over this period, although the shorter days meant that the MUF over a 3,000km path didn't stay above 28MHz for long after sunset. MUFs plummeted to below 10MHz by 1800UTC on Sunday the 5th. The message is clear – get your high-band DXing done by sunset! Next week it looks like the Sun is going into hibernation. The main sunspots will be disappearing over the western limb, leaving it looking a little bare. As a result, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain low until the 16th when it is predicted to climb into the 200s once again. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast from the 16th to the 20th of January with a predicted maximum Kp index of 4. There are currently no coronal holes to worry about. So, in conclusion, this weekend ending the 12th looks set to be reasonable for HF operating, barring any X-class solar flares and accompanying CMEs. We predict that MUFs over 3,000km will be above 28MHz from around 0900UTC to 1500 UTC.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. We are in the middle of a proper winter cold spell at the moment, and we are about to see a large high coming over the country. This high is building in cold air and it means sharp frosts and perhaps some fog, so there's a chance of patchy tropo at times. Conditions may further improve as the high slips south after this weekend ending today the 12th. This may allow milder, moister Atlantic air in from the west to improve the refractive index contrast across the inversion, which could lead to tropo. The solar conditions have remained interesting and produced a few aurora alerts, so we can probably benefit from watching the Kp index during the coming week.  Meteor activity has passed its early January peaks, and we are now sliding back into random meteor activity as our best option. These tend to be better just before dawn. There is just one minor shower this week. The Gamma Ursae-Minorids are active from the 10th to the 22nd of January and peak on the 18th. We have mentioned Sporadic-E quite a lot recently but, with the passing of the meteor activity, the chances of it occurring have reduced considerably. Although limited activity may enhance the lower bands, it probably won't feature in the usual high HF and VHF bands. The Moon reaches maximum declination this weekend, ending today the 12th. Moon windows are long and peak Moon elevations are high. Path losses are also high and increasing all week. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team.

GB2RS News Sunday the 5th of January The news headlines: The GB2RS News service is the subject of tomorrow's Tonight@8 webinar The RSGB 2025 election process has begun Don't forget to report YOTA activity!  The news team and all the staff at RSGB HQ would like to wish our newsreaders, listeners and online readers a very happy New Year. We would like to remind everyone that we always welcome your news, by email, to radcom@rsgb.org.uk and the deadline is 10 am sharp on Thursday mornings. And now, on with the news. The first RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2025 will be live tomorrow, Monday the 6th of January. During the presentation, you will get a behind-the-scenes insight into the RSGB's GB2RS News service which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The team of presenters include GB2RS News Manager, Steve Richards, G4HPE and also RadCom Managing Editor Ed O'Neill, M0TZX who will explain how a team of people produces and shares the weekly GB2RS news script. You'll also hear from the Society's Operating Awards Manager Lindsay Pennell, GI3KME who has details about a series of special GB2RS awards for you to chase. Pete Sobye, G0PNM will give you a newsreader's perspective of the weekly broadcast. Find out more about this fascinating discussion and the presenters by going to rsgb.org/webinars Watch the presentation live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat.  What are your goals for 2025? Could you spare some time and share your expertise to make a difference within the amateur radio community? The RSGB 2025 elections process has begun, and nominations are open for a range of volunteer roles. The RSGB's President John McCullagh, GI4BWM will reach the end of his second year as President at the AGM and so will stand down. There are also two Elected Board Director vacancies. The Board is looking for people with specific skills to fill these roles. The current President is one of the few at the Board level with extensive experience in spectrum matters and negotiating with the authorities – so that skills gap needs to be filled. Outreach has been an important focus over the last year for the Society and it would like to support the current activities and expand on them. These developments will include encouraging practical skills amongst the amateur radio community and also building links with other organisations. Building those relationships will require someone with drive and determination but also tact and diplomacy. There are eight further posts available for RSGB Regional Representatives, ranging from Region 1 in Scotland to Region 11 in the southwest. For more details about the roles as well as application forms and candidate packs, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election  December 2024 saw a wide range of individuals, clubs, schools and universities encouraging youngsters to get on the air and try amateur radio as part of YOTA Month 2024. The RSGB National Radio Centre also hosted the callsign over several evenings and weekends. If you were involved with Youngsters on the Air Month and would like your activity to be included in the RSGB's special RadCom feature, remember that you need to email your photos and a short report to comms@rsgb.org.uk by this Tuesday, the 7th of January.  Do you like making things? Or are you interested in creating software for use in amateur radio? Have you thought about entering the RSGB's Construction Competition? This annual competition is judged online to allow RSGB members from the UK and across the world to participate and demonstrate their creativity. In line with the Society's strategic priority of growth, there will be a new Outreach category this year in which members are encouraged to submit a project that can be reproduced in a school or public environment. The other five categories are beginners, construction excellence, innovation, software and antennas. The winner of each section will receive a cash prize, with a bonus for the overall winner. The deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2025. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/construction-competition    And now for details of rallies and events The Lincoln Shortwave Club Winter Radio Rally is taking place on the 26th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road in Market Rasen. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. The cost of a table is £10. To book, please contact Steve Burke, M5ZZZ on 07777 699 069 or email m5zzz@outlook.com The Red Rose Winter Rally is due to take place on the 23rd of February from 10 am at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2PJ. Please note that the maximum number of five-foot tables per trader has had to be reduced from six to five. On a brighter note, the price remains as it has been for several years at £10 per table. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk On the 1st of March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will be held at Hillsborough Village Centre, 7 Ballynahinch Road, BT26 6AR. The doors open at 10.30 am. For more details visit lvars.uk The Exeter Radio Rally will take place on the 2nd of March at The Kenn Centre, EX6 7UE from 10 am. Traders and catering will be available on-site. For more information contact Pete, G3ZVI by phone at 07714 198 374, or by email to g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk  Now the Special Event news Today, the 5th, is the last chance to work special callsign OZ400POST. The station is active to celebrate the anniversary of Denmark's postal service which was originally established on Christmas Eve in 1624. Visit QRZ.com to read about awards that are available for working the station. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Portishead Radio, callsign GKA, receiving site at Highbridge, Somerset, special callsign GB1GKA will be operated until the 31st of January. The operation will be mainly focussed on CW, but some SSB activity is planned. The station will be active on all bands from 40 to 10m.  British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running a special event station GB0LMR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel. The operation will be mainly focussed on the 40 and 10m bands. QSL via the Bureau. More information about the station is available at QRZ.com In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the GB2RS News service, a special callsign GB70RS has been on the air since the 1st of January. Listen out for operators on all modes and all bands. QSL via the Bureau, eQSL or Logbook of the World. For more information, please visit the GB70RS page at QRZ.com Now the DX news Brian, GW4DVB is operating from St Kitts as V4/G4DVB until tomorrow, the 6th of January. The station is active using multiple modes on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL directly to Brian. More information is available at QRZ.com Ralf, DB4REB is active as CN2REB from Morocco until the 30th of January. He is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on various bands. QSL via eQSL, or directly to Ralf's home call. More information is available at QRZ.com Now the contest news The ARRL RTTY Roundup started at 1800UTC on Saturday the 4th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 5th of January. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. USA stations also send their state and Canadian stations send their province. Tomorrow, the 6th, the IRTS 80m Daytime Counties Contest runs from 1700 to 1800UTC. Using SSB and CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their county. On Tuesday the 7th, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 7th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 8th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 8th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 9th, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 11th, the Worked All Britain 1.8MHz Phone Contest runs from 1900 to 2300UTC. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. On Sunday the 12th, the RSGB Affiliated Societies 80 and 40m Data modes Contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 2nd of January 2025. We started the new year with a bang, or more precisely a Kp index of 8 and widespread visible aurora. This was caused by a partial halo coronal mass ejection, associated with an eruption in the Sun's southeast quadrant on the 29th of December. The strong G3 to severe G4 geomagnetic storm peaked at about 1800UTC on the 1st of January as the solar wind speed moved past Earth at just above 500 kilometres per second. It then subsided as the Bz component settled into a north-pointing position. HF propagation suffered as a result with the maximum usable frequency down for the rest of the evening. By the morning of the 2nd of January, things had improved and maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path were back above 28MHz. The solar flux index remained above 200, which no doubt helped, but we are in rocky times from a space weather point of view. A large coronal hole became Earth-facing on Friday the 3rd of January which will no doubt cause some geomagnetic disruption today, the 5th, as the Kp index rises. NOAA predicts the solar flux index may decline this week, possibly ending in the 160s to 170s. Geomagnetic conditions may also be in for a rough ride around the 10th and 11th when the Kp index is forecast to reach 4. From a radio point of view, January is a peak time for low-band DXing. The nights are long and dark so make the most of the 160 and 80m bands. You may also get DX during the late afternoon on the 40m band. During the daytime keep an eye on the 10m band, which may throw up the odd, interesting DX station while the solar flux index remains high.  And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. To start the year the main feature is low pressure over the country but, in the depths of winter, it's good to remember that snow and rain both provide scattering opportunities for the GHz bands. There is a glimmer of tropo hope for the end of the coming week, around the 11th and 12th, as high pressure builds over northern Britain. This will be a cold-air high which tends not to be the best for tropo, but it's worth a look nonetheless. The solar conditions provided an aurora on New Year's Day with a brief index of 8 during the afternoon. With other disturbances possible, it is worth keeping up to date with solar conditions and prospects for geomagnetic storms on spaceweather.com  This is one propagation mode where CW is so much easier to copy under the difficult conditions of aurora. Meteor scatter propagation is driven by the Quadrantids in the first week of January. It peaks on the 4th but spans the period up to the 12th. This is a productive shower with an hourly rate of 120. Since it's the last major excitement until the late April Lyrids, make the most of it before we're reduced to chasing random meteor activity during the rest of winter. We have previously mentioned the chance of out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation in mid-winter and we still have the next week to keep alert, especially in view of the Quadrantids adding fuel into the E region. The ionised trails of the meteors provide long-lived metallic ions, which is the material that gets focussed into Sporadic-E if we are lucky. The Moon starts the weekend with a negative but rising declination, going positive today, the 5th, so Moon windows continue to lengthen. Path losses are low with perigee on Wednesday. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 3rd of November   The news headlines: RSGB President honoured by RAYNET-UK Watch the RSGB November Tonight@8 live webinar Encourage youngsters to get on the air during December At the recent RAYNET-UK AGM, the Brian Tindill Shield was awarded to RSGB President John McCullagh MBE, GI4BWM for his outstanding contribution to amateur radio and RAYNET in Northern Ireland. It highlighted in particular his outstanding contribution to providing emergency radio coverage during his voluntary service with RAYNET. The latest RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is tomorrow, Monday the 4th of November. Mike Griffiths will present ‘Listening to the Enemy' which looks at the experience of Scouser Harry Griffiths, G2DFH and his move to the St Erth receiving station in Cornwall. Like many other radio amateurs, Harry was drafted into the military during World War II specifically for his radio skills. During this live presentation, Mike will look at what Harry's experience was like as he started to work for MI6 and the mysterious Radio Security Service. Watch this interesting webinar live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Youngsters on the Air month is fast approaching and the RSGB would love you to take part in this annual event. Special callsign GB24YOTA will be active throughout December. Whether you are an individual, club, school or social group, this is a fantastic opportunity to host the callsign to get youngsters active on the amateur bands. The Society would love to see scouts, guides and cadet groups taking part too. Follow the lead of the two new RSGB Youth Champions and register now. Look for GB24YOTA on QRZ.com to check availability and then visit rsgb.org/yota-month  to find out how to secure your slot. Operating slots get booked up quickly, so don't delay. The Society is aiming to have the callsign hosted every day during December this year to enable more youngsters to have a taste of amateur radio, so be part of this great goal! The Society is currently looking to recruit an RSGB member to be the Company Secretary. This volunteer position plays a key role in the Society's governance and provides vital support in running Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting. Stephen Purser, GW4SHF took on the role temporarily after the previous Company Secretary stepped down. The Board is grateful to Stephen for stepping in at short notice last year and is keen to find a good candidate to take the role forward. If you feel you have the necessary skills to fulfil this important role, would like more information or to discuss what is required, please email gm.dept@rsgb.org.uk  in the first instance. The Board Chair will then contact you for a chat. If you email to apply for the position, please include a current CV. In line with all volunteer roles, the Board welcomes applications from people with diverse backgrounds. For full information please go to rsgb.org/volunteers Jamboree on the Air, or JOTA as it is also known, was very busy with large numbers of stations and callsigns active across the weekend. The RSGB would like to thank everyone who contacted the Society with details of their stations so they could be added to the RSGB website. It was great to see so many local clubs and societies, as well as individual radio amateurs, working with scouting groups to deliver a brilliant event for scouts across the country. Don't forget that there will be a report on JOTA in RadCom. If you'd like to be included, please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 15th of November. If you have ever considered progressing your licence from Foundation to Intermediate, the Bath Based Distance Learning team has a great track record with passes well above the national average. The next Intermediate level course will run from January to May 2025. To take part in the course, all applicants must complete some pre-course work using BBDL systems. The closing date for applications is the 6th of December 2024. The team will also be running a Full licence course starting in August 2025. For further information on either of these please contact Steve, G0FUW via g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk Do you have some spare time to support fellow radio amateurs? Are you passionate about the future of amateur radio? Do you support the work of the RSGB? The Society currently has several volunteer vacancies within the Regional Team and would love to hear from you if you'd like to fill one of the roles. This week the RSGB is highlighting two vacancies in Region 9 for District Representatives to cover Oxfordshire and West London. If you live in one of those areas and are interested in getting involved, please contact the Region 9 Representative Ron White, G6LTT via rr9@rsgb.org.uk  If you live in a different part of the country you can see all the other Regional Team vacancies on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers The 19th International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 Conference is being held in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 4th to the 8th of November. The RSGB will join the conference remotely, represented by Spectrum Forum Chair, Murray Niman, G6JYB. There will be a special event station in operation from the conference using the call sign HS19IARU. For more information go online and search for “IARU Region 3 Conference 2024”. The ARRL has awarded a Special Recognition to the team representing the IARU at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in 2023. The ARRL extended its appreciation to the team and said that their outstanding contribution and results have benefited the amateur radio service worldwide. The team includes RSGB Microwave Manager Barry Lewis, G4SJH and RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Holsworthy Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 3rd of November at Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy in Devon. There are traders, a bring-and-buy area and catering. The venue has disabled access, free parking and entry is £3 per person. The doors open to traders from 8am and to the public from 10am. For more information email Chris, M0KNF at boltonbicycles@gmail.com The Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will be on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided, and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Online booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com  Now the Special Event news George, MM0JNL is active as GB0GTS until the 18th of November to raise awareness of homeless military veterans in association with The Great Tommy Sleepout organised by The Royal British Legion Industries. The station will be operating on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB. There may also be some activity on the 2m band. George will operate at least one full night ‘roughing it' outside as part of the Great Tommy Sleepout. More details are available at QRZ.com Special callsign GB200LB will be active from the 4th to the 31st of January 2025 to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the Braille code. More information to follow. Now the DX news Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until the 11th of November while doing volunteer work at a local school. In his spare time, he will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via IK2GZU. Now the contest news The RSGB 144MHz CW Marconi Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 2nd of November and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 3rd of November. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The International Police Association Radio Club invites all radio amateurs around the world to take part in its contest which takes place every year on the first complete weekend in November. This year, the CW section occurred on Saturday the 2nd of November from 0600 to 1800UTC. The SSB section takes place today Sunday the 3rd of November from 0600 to 1800UTC. More information about the contest and the award programme are available at iparc.de Tomorrow, Monday the 4th of November, the RSGB 80m Autumn Series DATA Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band only, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday, the 5th of November, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 5th of November, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 6th of November, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 6th of November is the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour contest which runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 6th of November the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 9th of November, and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 10th of November. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday 31 October 2024. Last weekend's CQWW SSB contest showed just how good autumnal HF conditions can be. Many contestants worked more than 100 countries or DX entities on each and every HF band. With a solar flux index of 238 on Saturday and 246 on Sunday, plus low Kp indices all weekend, it was about as good as it could get. There were two three-hour periods where the Kp index hit four and 4.33, but it was otherwise in the ones and twos. An X-class solar flare occurred on Saturday the 26th at around 07:15 hrs UTC, but this had little effect and the MUF over a 3,000km path was back above 28MHz quite quickly. The rest of the week saw numerous M-class and C-class solar flares occur and a Kp index that did get up to four at times, but once again the MUF remained above 28MHz during daylight for most of the time. Interestingly, there have been times when the critical frequency over the UK has hit 14MHz, making 20m almost a local chat band via Near Vertical Incidence Sky Wave or NVIS communications! These openings may be short-lived so make the most of them should they occur. Nighttime critical frequencies have generally been around 4.5-6MHz, meaning a MUF over a 3,000km path over 14MHz in the first half of the night and around 10-12MHz in the second half. The solar proton flux has been above the 10MeV warning threshold but is now falling as of Thursday 31st. This may improve signals that pass through the polar regions, such as the UK to the far west of Canada and Alaska, and the UK to Japan. Next week NOAA predicts that the SFI will start at around 240, but perhaps fall to around 195-200 as the week progresses. ESA predicts that the solar wind speed could increase around November 4th and could cause disruption. As always, we are at the mercy of solar flares and CMEs, which could disrupt HF propagation, so we recommend keeping an eye on solarham.com for daily updates.  And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The Autumn Equinox period continued to bring F2-layer propagation to 50MHz with almost daily morning openings to VK and JA and afternoon openings to the Americas for some. Stations in the far South and West of the island were favoured. Side scatter in the Indian Ocean brought the JAs on a 90-degree beam heading, an effect noted at previous sunspot maxima. The autumn is typically a time for quiet settled weather, a season of mist, and this is where we are going for the period through to the end of next week. It's worth a couple of reminders of how it all works since, although it's likely to be pretty much the same ‘big picture' of dominant high pressure, there will be subtle differences. Firstly, there are two types of high pressure; one that builds in warm air and the other in cold air. The warm air version is the current offering, and this means quite cloudy conditions at times with moist air below the temperature inversion and very dry air above the inversion. Second, the quality of the ducting is determined by the change of the refractive index across the inversion and a large part of the refractive index change comes from a contrast of moisture, so signs of cloud and/or fog moisture are good omens for a lift. We may swap over to a cold air high later next week, which could lessen the Tropo quality. Meteor scatter prospects are on hold pending the Leonids meteor shower, which peaks mid-November. A dominant high pressure means that rain scatter is not likely to be a big player for the GHz bands next week. There is a possible heads-up for aurora since the solar conditions still offer chances for the Kp index to rise – anything over Kp=4 is worth a longer look – and don't forget that ‘watery' signals on the lower HF bands such as 40m and 80m are also a good sign. For EME operators, Moon declination reaches a minimum (that is, maximum negative declination) next Tuesday when the Moon only reaches nine degrees peak elevation and is only above the horizon for six hours between 1200 and 1800hrs. Path losses, on the other hand, are falling all week. 144MHz sky noise is moderate to high, peaking at more than 3,000 Kelvin on Tuesday the 5th before dropping back to moderate levels. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 27th of October The news headlines: The RSGB releases a snapshot video of the exciting Girlguiding ISS contact You can listen to the Chair of the RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee on the latest episode of the ICQ podcast The RSGB has begun releasing presentations from its 2024 Convention On the 5th of October, in her first official engagement as Girlguiding Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh joined 100 excited Brownies, Guides and Rangers in making a live amateur radio contact with the International Space Station. The event was organised by The Radio Society of Great Britain and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS as it is usually known, in collaboration with the UK Space Agency, Girlguiding Surrey West and Brooklands Museum's Innovation Academy programme. The aim was to promote the engagement and involvement of girls and young women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Everyone had a fantastic day and after the contact, the girls enjoyed a variety of STEM activities including making Snail Morse keys, playing Morse battleships, learning about the CubeSat Simulator and making stomp rockets. The RSGB has created a short video snapshot of the day which you can see on its YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB – take a look! The latest episode of the ICQ Podcast is available to listen to online and features RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair, Steve Nichols, G0KYA. During episode 441 Martin Butler, M1MRB talks to Steve about propagation and how the sunspot cycle has taken off to impact conditions positively. They also discuss Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, which is also known as HamSCI, a collective that enables university researchers to collaborate with radio amateurs in scientific investigations. To access the interview, select episode 441 at icqpodcast.com and listen from 1 hour and 35 minutes. The RSGB 2024 Convention weekend brought together hundreds in person and thousands via the livestreams. As well as the ‘Convention in a nutshell' video released last week, the Society has now published two of the main presentations. The first is the keynote speech about the future of amateur radio licensing and education by Rafal Lukawiecki, EI6LA. The second looks at inspiring the next generation by the RSGB's two new Youth Champions Chris Aitken, MM0WIC and Rhys Williams, M0WGY. You will find both presentations, as well as the full two days of live stream content, in the RSGB 2024 Convention playlist on the Society's YouTube channel. Remember to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss additional presentations when they're published. There is also still time to share your feedback about the in-person event or the live stream, but the feedback forms will close at the end of this month. Head over to rsgb.org/feedback if you attended the event, or rsgb.org/livestream-feedback if you watched via the livestream. Let the team know what you enjoyed! If you are thinking of taking an amateur radio exam before Christmas, there are two important dates you need to be aware of. The last date you can take an exam at a club, whether online or on paper, is Friday the 13th of December. If you want to take an exam online at home, the last date you can do that is Friday the 20th of December. The RSGB Exams Team will, where possible, post-out exam results before HQ shuts over Christmas and New Year. Exams will resume on Monday the 6th of January 2025 and the booking system will be available over the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. You can book online on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/exampay On Friday the 18th of October the RSGB, Mill Hill School and a team of radio amateurs in New Zealand took part in a special celebration to mark the centenary of the first successful two-way trans-global communication between radio amateurs in the UK and New Zealand. The original contact between Frank Bell, 4AA in New Zealand and Cecil Goyder, 2SZ in Mill Hill School in North London was re-enacted at the school on a wavelength as close as possible to the original. Members of Goyder's family watched the re-enactment and chatted to pupils. As part of wider celebrations for the day, the school put on activities including a build-a-radio workshop. Students at the school showed significant interest in amateur radio, with several students signing up to be part of a new radio club that will be set up by the school's physics teacher. The overall event was led by RSGB Life Vice-President Don Beattie, G3BJ who said that he was delighted by the success of the event and that it had allowed pupils to learn how ground-breaking that first radio contact was with New Zealand. Call sign G2SZ was operational for four days surrounding the centenary, during which operators achieved approximately 1,250 contacts. To find out more about this unique celebration go to www.gb2nz.com and search for ‘GB2NZ re-enactment' on the RSGB website. The Memorial Day QSO Party is an activity providing participants with an opportunity to honour amateur radio operators who are now Silent Key. The event is being sponsored and managed by the First Class CW Operators' Club and is open to all licensed amateurs. The event begins at 0900UTC on the 1st of November 2024 and ends at 0859UTC on the 2nd of November. More information is available at g4foc.org or by emailing mdqp@g4foc.org or michelecarlone@yahoo.it Ofcom has notified stakeholders that the next release of its licensing service will be delayed due to issues that have arisen during software development. According to the Ofcom website, the delays have impacted Phases 2 and 3 of the planned changes to the amateur radio licensing framework. Phase 2 includes changes to new Intermediate callsigns, special event station rules and restrictions on the number of callsigns an individual may hold. Revised plans are expected to be published soon. You can read the update on the Ofcom website via tinyurl.com/OFCOMOCT24 Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Galashiels Rally is taking place today, the 27th of October at the Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors will be open from 11 am. The admission fee is £3 and there will be refreshments, traders and a bring-and-buy area to enjoy. For more information contact rallyqueries@galaradioclub.co.uk or visit galaradioclub.co.uk The Holsworthy Radio Rally will be taking place on Sunday the 3rd of November at Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy in Devon. There will be traders, a bring-and-buy area and catering. The venue has disabled access, free parking and entry will be £3 per person. The doors will be open to traders from 8 am and to the public from 10 am. For more information email Chris, M0KNF at boltonbicycles@gmail.com The Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT will be going ahead on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided, and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Online booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com  Now the Special Event news George, MM0JNL is active as GB0GTS until the 18th of November to raise awareness of homeless military veterans in association with The Great Tommy Sleepout organised by The Royal British Legion Industries. The station will be operating on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB. There may also be some activity on the 2m band. George will operate at least one full night ‘roughing it' outside as part of the Great Tommy Sleepout. More details are available at QRZ.com Special callsign SX80FF will be used from various locations, including Crete as SV9/SX80FF until the 31st of October. The purpose of the activity is to honour the 80 fallen Greek firefighters and aerial firefighting crews who lost their lives in the line of duty. The station was spotted recently on the 60m band using FT8. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL and QRZ.com logbook. Paper QSL cards will not be available. Now the DX news A team of operators is active as YJ0VV from Efate, OC-035, Vanuatu until the 29th of October. The team is operating SSB, CW and digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands with two high-power stations and a selection of seven antennas. QSL via K4NHW directly or via the Bureau. QSOs will be uploaded to Clublog and Logbook of the World. Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until the 11th of November while doing volunteer work at a local school. In his spare time, he will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or  via IK2GZU. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 26th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 27th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.  Tomorrow, the 28th, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Wednesday the 30th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100 UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The RSGB 144MHz CW Marconi Contest starts at 1400 UTC on Saturday the 2nd and ends at 1400 UTC on Sunday the 3rd Of November. Using CW on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The International Police Association Radio Club invites all radio amateurs around the world to take part in its contest which takes place every year on the first complete weekend in November. This year, the CW section will take place on Saturday the 2nd of November from 0600 to 1800 UTC. The SSB section will take place on Sunday the 3rd of November from 0600 to 1800 UTC. More information about the contest and the award programme are available at iparc.de  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 24th of October 2024 Last week's solar conditions couldn't have been much better. We had a week of high solar flux indices, relatively calm geomagnetic conditions and, other than an X-class solar flare, not much else to report. The solar flare originated from active region 3869 and reached a strong X3.3 in the early hours of October 24th. This event was associated with a coronal mass ejection, or CME, based on solar dimming following the event, but because the flare location was located off the east limb, it was directed mostly away from Earth. Once again, all the sunspots are in the southern hemisphere, but activity appears to be growing. This could spell trouble over the next week. This weekend, the 26th and 27th, the CQ Worldwide SSB contest is taking place and conditions should be excellent, with a combination of high solar flux and autumnal HF conditions. Maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, are generally higher than 28MHz from dawn until dusk. Nighttime MUFs over 3,000km are still just above 14MHz, although you might get better results by dropping down to 10MHz if the 20m band doesn't work for you. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may rise again, perhaps hitting 185 as we enter November. However, this current bunch of sunspots, which are rotating to be Earth-directed next week, appear more active and we could see more solar flares and CMEs, which could throw a spanner in the works. A solar flare could impact the ionosphere by increasing D-layer absorption, for up to an hour or so, and possibly launch a coronal mass ejection. If a CME hits the Earth, expect the MUF to plummet, at least for a day or two until the ionosphere recovers. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The Autumn Equinox period brought some amazing ionospheric propagation to 50MHz on Thursday last week with stations in the UK working morning paths to VK, JA, DS and XV among others. Typically for 50MHz DX, the skip zones were sharp and moved rapidly. Stations even a few kilometres apart experienced very different signals and paths. Those with a low noise floor had a huge advantage as signals were generally weak in the UK and only good for FT8. However, some reports of a VK station at +5 bucked this trend. Next week will offer some reasonable Tropo conditions, although not without some occasional interruptions from weak frontal systems, especially in the far southwest and the far northwest of Britain. It's not clear if these represent good rain scatter options, but they are more likely to temporarily curtail any Tropo for a while. The solar conditions continue to feed the occasional aurora alert our way, so it's always good to monitor the Kp index for signs of it increasing above 4. It won't always go on to produce a radio aurora, but it's worth keeping an eye on things. The meteor scatter prospects continue to be elevated by the decline of the Orionids, which peaked on Tuesday the 22nd, and the Taurids, which are a very low-rate shower, but technically cover a broad period into December. The Leonids are the next major shower, but that doesn't peak until mid-November. Lastly, looking at the out-of-season Sporadic-E prospects, there are always days with minor enhancements of the critical frequency of the Sporadic-E layer, as shown on the propquest.co.uk graphs. Certainly, there are stronger jet streams available in the autumn and winter, but other elements of Sporadic-E are not so favourable. It's usually a very marginal outcome at best, but good enough for the 10 or 6m bands and mostly for digital modes such as FT8.  It could well be that trans-equatorial propagation, or TEP, is a more fruitful venture. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive, but falling, going negative on Tuesday the 29th. Path losses are rising, reaching a maximum at apogee on the morning of Wednesday the 30th. 144MHz sky noise is low until Friday the 1st of November when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 20th of October The news headlines: The RSGB welcomes your feedback on its 2024 Convention Today is the last chance to get involved with JOTA 2024 The RSGB is looking for Youth Champions The RSGB's 2024 Convention took place last weekend and brought together hundreds in person, as well as many more from across the globe who watched via the livestream. The Society is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, but if you did attend the Convention and haven't yet completed the feedback form, please go to rsgb.org/feedback and share your thoughts. If you watched the livestream the Society would also love to hear your feedback. Please visit rsgb.org/livestream-feedback and let the team know what you think of the online event. The feedback forms will be closed at the end of October. The live streams for both days will remain available for everyone to watch, so if you'd like to catch up on the selection of presentations that were aired, go to the RSGB website and search for ‘Convention 2024 Livestream'. As well as talks from the weekend, you'll find exclusive special interviews and pre-recorded videos. Today, the 20th, is the last day of Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the Scout Association. The Society has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. The list is available by going to rsgb.org/jota and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air' link on the right hand side of the page. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag @theRSGB and also use #JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. If you're not involved with a JOTA station do listen out and encourage the young operators on the air. There will be a report in RadCom so please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 15th of November. Following the recent appointment of two Youth Champions for schools and universities, the RSGB is keen to expand the team. The Society is looking for a Youth Champion for scouts, guides and cadets, and another to lead activities and create resources to support young people once they have gained their Foundation licence, motivating them to try new things within amateur radio. The four Youth Champions will work closely as a team, as well as with the RSGB Board Liaison, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML and the RSGB Outreach Team. Together, the Youth Champions will also create a youth team and run a net or sked to involve all youngsters. Do you have what it takes to engage with young people and support them on their amateur radio journey? Another part of each Youth Champion's role is to give input and support for current activities, such as promoting and participating in Youngsters on the Air Month each December. If you are proactive, experienced at managing your own time efficiently, a good leader who can build relationships and mentor young people, and you are passionate about growing the number of young people involved in amateur radio, then one of these roles could be for you! Take a look at the youth activities on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/youth and see some of the great things that are happening already. If you're interested in being part of the team, contact Youth Board Liaison Ben Lloyd, GW4BML via gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk The date has been confirmed for the Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. It will be going ahead on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided, and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. The programme is now confirmed and, at the moment, 43 people have booked to attend the event. There are only 7 places left so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Online booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com  Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Part 2 of the British Amateur Television Club Convention for Amateur TV 2024, also known as CAT 24, is taking place on Saturday the 26th of October. The online event will run from 10 am until 3 pm and will feature talks about ATV-related topics. For more information visit batc.org.uk/live Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group's Rally is also taking place on Saturday the 26th of October at Elim Pentecostal Church, North Road, Carrickfergus. The doors will be open from 11.30 am and refreshments will be available. More information, including contact details, is available on the Group's Facebook page. The next Essex CW Boot Camp is scheduled to go ahead on Saturday the 26th of October. The event is an opportunity to meet your friends and enjoy a day of CW activities, tea, coffee and cakes. If you are interested in attending and have not yet registered, email info@essexcw.org.uk For more information about the event visit essexcw.uk The Galashiels Rally is taking place on Sunday the 27th of October at the Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors will be open from 11 am. The admission fee is £3 and there will be refreshments, traders and a bring-and-buy area to enjoy. For more information contact rallyqueries@galaradioclub.co.uk or visit galaradioclub.co.uk Now the Special Event news Special event station PF16F is active to say farewell to the F-16 fighter aircraft, or Fighting Falcon. After 45 years of service, from 1979 to 2024, the F-16 will retire from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Members of Radio Club Limburg will be operating the callsign until the 30th of November 2024 and hope to work as many amateur radio operators across the world as possible. For more information about the station visit rclb.nl/pf16f As part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the world's first trans-global two-way radio communication, special callsign GB2ZL has been active at times from the UK. This is in addition to the main UK activity from GB2NZ, G2SZ and others. On Tuesday the 15th of October, the GB2ZL station, operated by Chris GM3WOJ from near Inverness, made a remarkable QSO with the ZL4AA team located just North of Dunedin. The ZL4AA station was operated by Dave ZL4DK, Mike ZL4OL and Stephen ZL4BN. This QSO, on the 40m band, long path at 0721UTC, was made using CW. 559 reports were exchanged each way and the operators at both ends were thrilled to make the contact. At each end of the QSO was an 80-year-old all-valve military transceiver from New Zealand, the iconic ZC1. These radios date from 1944, just 20 years after the first UK to New Zealand QSO. For more information about the station and the ZC1 transceiver visit the GB2ZL page at QRZ.com 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. Details of a certificate that is available for working the station are available at QRZ.com Now the DX news Harold, DF2WO is active as 9X2AW from Rwanda until the 22nd of October. He is operating using CW, FT4 and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. You might also catch Harold operating via the QO-100 satellite. When possible, he also hopes to be QRV on the 6m band. QSL via OQRS. Stephane, F5UOW is active as FR/F5UOW from Reunion Island, AF-016, until the 28th of October. He is operating using CW only on the 17 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World only. Now the contest news The Worked All Germany Contest started at 1500UTC on Saturday the 19th and ends at 1500UTC today, the 20th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today the 20th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 22nd, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 24th, the RSGB Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday the 26th and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday the 27th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 17th of October 2024 The past week has been characterised by a low geomagnetic Kp index and excellent conditions on HF, including the 10m band. With a solar flux index between 168 and 195, and a Kp index that never rose above 4, conditions have been better than the previous week, which suffered from the bad effects of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. This came as NASA, NOAA and the International Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which should continue for the next year. The announcement was not unexpected, and the exact period of maximum activity won't be known for some time. But it was a wake-up call for radio amateurs to get on the bands and make the most of the conditions! NOAA anticipates additional solar and geomagnetic storms during the current solar maximum period and during the declining phase of the solar cycle. The solar flux index fell from its 200-plus highs to be in the 160 to 195 range last week. But this was still more than enough to keep the ionosphere running. Maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path have been consistently over 28MHz during daylight, falling to around 11MHz overnight. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre thinks the solar flux index will rise into the 200s again, but we may also get some geomagnetic disturbances, namely on the 22nd and 23rd when the Kp index might rise to around 4. Meanwhile, October can be one of the best months for HF propagation with good 10m band openings to Australasia in the morning and North and South America in the afternoon. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current unsettled spell of weather seems likely to continue into next week and is not atypical at this time of year. We should expect a more changeable pattern around the autumn as the main polar front jet stream migrates south across the UK into its winter state over the Mediterranean. That said, there may well be some brief interludes when the extended region of high pressure across Europe influences conditions over the British Isles, more specifically the southeastern corner. This is shown by some models around midweek for potential Tropo from southeastern England into the continent or across the North Sea to northern Europe and southern Scandinavia. The obvious mode to result from this unsettled weather will be rain scatter and it is probable that the GHz bands will enjoy this period of weather. Meteor scatter in October has a few showers to maintain interest. The Orionids and the Taurids are both active during the coming week. In fact, the Orionids, associated with the comet Halley, peak on Monday and Tuesday. Just a final note about Sporadic-E, which is ‘out of season'. Remember that there are no ‘zero Sporadic-E months' and recent indications have tended to show the response of raised critical frequencies of the Sporadic-E layer occurring around the middle of the day on the propquest.co.uk NVIS graphs. You may also see peaks earlier in the day around dawn, which is the peak time for meteor input. Beware, it is easy to get hooked on out-of-season Sporadic-E hunting! For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising. Path losses are rising again after the perigee on Thursday the 17th. So, we have increasing peak Moon elevations and longer Moon windows until Tuesday the 22nd. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 13th of October The news headlines: The RSGB 2024 Convention is taking place this weekend Two new volunteer Youth Champions have been appointed by the RSGB Celebrations are underway to mark the first trans-global two-way radio communication The RSGB Convention has been in full swing this weekend. If you haven't been able to attend, the RSGB has provided a packed live stream on each day and those live streams are available for anyone to view. Full of presentations, interviews and videos to inspire you, this is another way to enjoy your Convention, in your way. Either go directly to the RSGB YouTube channel or head over to rsgb.org/livestream to see the programme of presentations and the links to the livestreams. The RSGB is delighted to announce the appointment of two new volunteer Youth Champion roles. Chris Aitken, MM0WIC will be the RSGB's School Youth Champion and Rhys Williams, M0WGY/AJ6XD will be the University Youth Champion. Chris is a Computing Science teacher at Wick High School, Caithness. Since 2023, Chris has been running the Wick High School Radio Club, GM0WHS, providing students with a wide range of experiences in amateur radio. He has four students who have passed their Foundation licence exam and are now taking on leadership roles within the club and assisting the latest cohort in their studies. He is also a member of the RSGB Outreach Team. You can contact Chris via youthchampion.school@rsgb.org.uk  Rhys represented the RSGB at the Youngsters on the Air Camp in Prague this year. He sent back daily reports on his activities which you can still see on the website under the summer camps tab at rsgb.org/yota  He is starting a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Oxford and is keen to help the RSGB support the growth of amateur radio in universities across the UK. You can contact Rhys via youthchampion.uni@rsgb.org.uk  Ben Lloyd, GW4BML is the Board Liaison for youth activities. He said that he welcomes Chris and Rhys to their new youth volunteer roles and looks forward to working closely with them in the future to attract and grow RSGB youth membership. He explained that the three of them have already had some positive conversations and shared some good ideas, which they will be putting into place over the coming months. This week marks the centenary of the world's very first trans-global two-way radio communication. On the 18th of October 1924 Frank Bell, 4AA, from New Zealand, and Cecil Goyder, 2SZ, from North London, changed how we communicate forever by making contact on amateur bands. To commemorate this historic contact, special callsigns will be active, and awards and QSL cards will be available for those who make contact with these special stations. GB2NZ and ZM100DX have already been active since the start of the month. Starting tomorrow, until the 20th of October, calls reflecting Goyder's callsign, G2SZ, and Bell's, ZL4AA, will be active. This will include activity here in the UK from Mill Hill School in North London which is the original location from which Goyder made his contact. On Friday the 18th of October, radio amateurs will also be recreating and re-enacting the first contact between Goyder and Bell. It is hoped that the QSO will be made on a wavelength close to that used in 1924. To find out more about this unique celebration go to gb2nz.com YOTA Month is just around the corner, and the RSGB is looking for volunteers to host the GB24YOTA callsign throughout the month of December. As in previous years, schools, clubs, guide and scout groups and also individuals are invited to host young radio amateurs whilst they operate with the callsign. Each day during the month has been split into a number of operating slots that you can book. In recent years, this system has allowed many more youngsters to get on the radio throughout the month. You can see the operating calendar by visiting QRZ.com and searching for GB24YOTA. Operators should be below the age of 26. Those who do not hold a Full amateur radio licence should be supervised by an appropriate Full licensee whilst operating. The RSGB is pleased that previous activators have already reached out to book their operating slots but there are still many more up for grabs! To book an operating slot or for more information about YOTA Month, please email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk During last month's Hamfest in Newark, the ICQ Podcast team spoke with RSGB President John McCullagh GI4BWM, RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant G3YSX and RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas M1ACB. Listen to Episode 440 of the podcast series to hear them discuss some of the many events that the Society is currently involved with. This includes the recent Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contact, which Girlguiding and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh took part in, as well as the RSGB Convention. The second part of the interview, which features the Chair of the RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee, Steve Nichols, G0KYA will be aired during upcoming Episode 441. Visit icqpodcast.com to listen to episode 440 now. The RSGB has been delighted with the number of responses that it has received in response to its call for Jamboree on the Air participation, which is taking place between the 18th and 20th of October. The Society has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. The list is available by going to rsgb.org/jota and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air' link on the right hand side of the page. If you are planning to get involved with JOTA and would like to be added to the list, please get in touch via comms@rsgb.org.uk with a summary of your station name, callsign and any other relevant information. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag @theRSGB and also use #JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. If you're not involved with a JOTA station do listen out for them on the air and encourage the young operators. And now for details of rallies and events The Dartmoor Autumn Radio Rally is taking place today, the 13th. The venue is Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton in Devon. The usual bring-and-buy area, trader stands, refreshments and free parking are available. The doors are open from 10 am and admission costs £2.50. For more information visit dartmoorradioclub.uk or email 2e0rph@gmail.com Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally is also taking place today, the 13th, at Driffield Showground in East Yorkshire. The doors are open from 10 am. For more details visit hornseaarc.com or contact Les, 2E0LBJ on 01377 252 293. The Mexborough and District Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place on Saturday the 19th of October at The Place, Castle Street, Conisborough, Doncaster. The doors will be open from 10 am to 4pm but traders can gain entry from 8am. Light refreshments will be available and the rally will feature a bring-and-buy sale. The cost for booking a table is £5. To book please email madarsrally@gmail.com  The date has been confirmed for the Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. It will be going ahead on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. The programme is now confirmed and, at the moment, 35 people have booked to attend the event. There are 15 places left so please book as soon as possible. Booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com  Now the Special Event news Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of Radio Beograd in 1924, members of the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club, YU1ANO, in Serbia, are active as YT100RB and YU1924RB until the 30th of November. For details of a certificate that is available for contacting these stations, see yu1ano.org Special callsign HB50VC is active until the 31st of December to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Swissair Amateur Radio Club, HB9VC. QSOs will be uploaded to the Logbook of the World. QSL cards will not be provided. You can download a certificate for working this special event station from tinyurl.com/HB50VC-24 Now the DX news The PX0FF Dxpedition team is active from Fernando de Noronha, SA-003, until the 21st of October. The team is working on the 160 to 6m bands, including the 60m Band, using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via DJ4MX, ClubLog, OQRS and Logbook of the World. A team of amateurs will be active as C91BV from Mozambique from the 17th to the 24th of October. Operators will be working on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via EB7DX. For more information about the DXpedition, see QRZ.com Now the contest news On Tuesday the 15th, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 16th, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 17th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Germany Contest starts at 1500 UTC on Saturday the 19th and ends at 1500 UTC on Sunday the 20th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 20th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 9th of October 2024 What a difference a week makes when it comes to HF propagation! This last week has been characterised by solar flares, coronal mass ejections, or CMEs for short, and an elevated Kp index. Put together, this has resulted in dire conditions on HF, reminiscent of a solar minimum. A visible aurora was seen from the UK once again after the Kp index hit 7.33 on the 8th of October. Numerous CMEs have hit the Earth and the solar proton flux has risen, resulting in a moderate S2 radiation storm as particles blasted away from the flare site. This means poor trans-polar paths until the solar wind abates and the storm settles. Maximum usable frequencies have been badly affected and struggled to get much past 14MHz over a 3,000km path on the 8th of October. Geomagnetic storms were also forecast for Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th. That's a shame as, before the CMEs hit, HF had been humming with a lot of DX on the 28MHz band and many five-watt beacons romping in from the USA. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may drop back into the 170s, but it's anyone's guess as to how geomagnetic conditions will pan out. We have had three X-class solar flares over the past week and on Wednesday the 9th the probability of another X-class solar flare was estimated at 30% and an M-class event at 75%. So, it may be a case of ‘batten down the hatches' on HF until the storm conditions pass. This is not uncommon at this point in the solar cycle and unsettled conditions are likely to continue as we move along the downward portion towards the solar minimum.  And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather is probably going to flip into high-pressure mode a couple of times during the coming week. The first of these will be today, the 13th, and through the first half of next week. However, by Wednesday the next change back to low pressure should be with us, closely followed by another attempt to build high pressure later in the week.  This offers something for everyone with prospects for rain scatter on the GHz bands and the possibility of Tropo. The prospects for meteor scatter are also good with October offering several useful meteor showers. While 50 and 70MHz are the best for the mode, look at 144.360MHz in MSK144 digimode. Or, if it's a shower peak, 144.200MHz, the SSB meteor scatter calling channel, to see what's around. The solar conditions continue to behave like a solar maximum and, with several recent powerful flares and CMEs to stir things up, we should continue to check the bands for signs of aurora.  The recent RSGB CW 80m Autumn Series Contest on Monday the 7th of October was about as auroral as it gets with a strong flutter on signals and a challenging hour and a half for participants – so not just an effect for VHF.  The RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest coming up next week on Tuesday the 15th may be on the changeover from high pressure to low. Tropo might be limited to eastern areas for paths across the North Sea to northern Europe. For EME operators, Moon declination is still negative but will rise to positive by Tuesday night. Path losses are falling towards a minimum at perigee on Thursday the 17th. So, we have increasing peak Moon elevations and longer Moon windows with the lowest loss for the coming week. 144MHz sky noise is low for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 29th of September   The news headlines: There is still time to book tickets for the RSGB 2024 Convention The RSGB is helping to promote JOTA activities in October The RSGB has responded to a recent Ofcom Consultation concerning the 2.3GHz band   With just two weeks until the RSGB Convention, this year's event is the place to go if you are interested in anything and everything to do with amateur radio. There will be a host of expert speakers presenting on topics ranging from Sporadic-E and how to use AI to write amateur radio applications, to panel debates on amateur radio modes and presentations on inspiring the next generation of radio amateurs. The presentation summaries and speaker biographies are now available on the RSGB speaker page. AMSAT-UK has started to release news of its presentations too and you can see those on the RSGB's Convention programme. There really is something for everyone. If you haven't already bought your ticket, be sure to secure it by Monday the 7th of October when the online booking process will close. Buying tickets before the event will save you up to £5 off the usual 'on the day' ticket prices. Due to demand, the RSGB has also arranged an extra introduction to microcontroller programming workshop that will take place on the Sunday morning. There are still some tickets available for Saturday's Gala Dinner too. To book your tickets for any part of the weekend or to find out more about the programme go to rsgb.org/convention Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA, is taking place between the 18th and 20th of October. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the groups within the Scout Association. Some groups have already shared details of activities that will be taking place over the weekend and the RSGB plans to compile and share a list of these on its comms channels. If you are part of a Scouting group and are planning to get involved with JOTA then please get in touch via comms@rsgb.org.uk with a summary of your station name, callsign and any other relevant information. The RSGB has responded to a recent Ofcom Consultation which would see new users sharing spectrum within the 2.3GHz amateur band. Whilst the new devices may be limited to indoor use, the RSGB has taken the opportunity to highlight concerns regarding the weak signal 2320MHz segment. In addition, the RSGB has also indicated its wish to review the current restrictions that apply to this band that date back to 2013, when it was subject to Public Sector Spectrum Release. The response and background information can be found in the Spectrum Forum web pages at rsgb.org/spectrum-forum The October edition of RadCom includes an article about the very first two-way radio communication between the UK and New Zealand, something that Sir Edward Appleton, radio physicist and Nobel laureate, later described as “probably the most dramatic moment in the history of the development of the short waves.” The contact was between two radio amateurs, one in Mill Hill School, London and the other on a sheep farm in New Zealand. Centenary celebrations will be taking place in New Zealand and at Mill Hill School, and special event callsigns will be active from today until late October. GB2NZ and ZM100DX will be active each day during that period and, for the week of the centenary, the near-actual callsigns used in 1924, G2SZ and ZL4AA, will be active from the 14th to the 20th of October. A commemorative certificate will be available for those who make contacts with the event stations. For more information on the Goyder-Bell award, and to find out more about the centenary celebrations, go to gb2nz.com Lots of amateur radio stations are on the air this weekend for the Railways on the Air event. The occasion marks the anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger railway journey which took place on the 27th of September 1825. The first passenger train ran on a line in the North East of England from Darlington to Stockton. Activity will be centred around 3.65, 7.15 and 14.25MHz. For more information visit rota.barac.org.uk The September 2024 issue of RadCom Basics is now available on the RSGB website for members to read. RadCom Basics is aimed at new licensees or anyone who enjoys reading about the fundamental principles behind the many facets of amateur radio. This issue includes articles on antenna building, home construction and getting fit with amateur radio. If you haven't already, you can subscribe to receive updates about RadCom Basics via the RSGB Membership Portal. RSGB members can read RadCom Basics by going to rsgb.org/radcom-basics The September 2024 issue of RadCom Plus, the online magazine for the more technically minded radio amateur, has been published. The first article was written by RSGB Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, and is an introduction to using AI to write computer software. Next, is a contribution from Tony Preedy, G3LNP about how to make an efficient magnetic loop antenna. The third article, by Andy Talbot, G4JNT dives into the interesting, but perhaps unfamiliar, mathematics behind the encoding algorithms used in digital data programs which we all use. The final article is the fourth in the continuing series by Barry Chambers, G8AGN about his pioneering experiments at 30THz. RSGB Members can read past and present issues of RadCom Plus via rsgb.org/radcom-plus Don't forget to listen out for all the 145 Alive activity which is taking place today, Sunday the 29th. Operators will be active from 1pm to 4pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. For more information contact Mark Savage, M0XIC via the 145 Alive Facebook page.   And now for details of rallies and events On Saturday the 5th of October Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is holding a surplus equipment sale in aid of club funds. The venue will be Cwmduad Community Centre, Cwmduad, Carmarthenshire, SA33 6XN. The doors are open for traders from 8am, and for visitors from 10am. Disabled access will be available from 9.30am. The entrance fee for visitors will be £2. For more information, or to book a table, email G0JLX@mail.com The 49th Welsh Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 6th of October at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, NP18 2YE. Traders can gain access from 7am and the doors will be open for visitors from 9.30am. The entrance fee is £3 per person and free parking will be available. For more information email Mike Rackham, GW4JKV via welshradiorally@gmail.com or phone 07976 368 250.   Now the Special Event news Today, the 29th, the British Railways Amateur Radio Society will be active with special callsign GB1FRT on behalf of the Furness Railway Trust in Preston. Operation will be on the 40m band using SSB. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the station, visit brars.info  and QRZ.com During October and November special callsign PZ5JT will be back on the air from Surinam during the jungle training of the Royal Dutch Army and Marines. The station is operated by personnel from the signal regiment and will operate on the 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. In-service military L3Harris radios from different locations will be in use and the operators will welcome your call. To read more about this station visit QRZ.com   Now the DX news John, W5JON is active as V47JA from Saint Kitts, NA-104, until the 1st of October. He is operating using SSB and FT8 on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to W5JON. Vlad, OK2WX is active as 5H1WX from Mafia Island, AF-054, Tanzania until the 6th of October.  He is operating using CW, SSB and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via I8KHC. More information, including a detailed QSL policy, is available via tinyurl.com/5H1WX2024   Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28th and ends at 2359UTC today, the 29th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Today, the 29th, 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. On Tuesday the 1st, the RSGB 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 1st, the RSGB 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 2nd, the RSGB 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 2nd, the RSGB 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. On Wednesday the 2nd, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The Oceania DX SSB Contest starts at 0600UTC on Saturday the 5th and ends at 0600UTC on Sunday the 6th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The RSGB October 432MHz to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 5th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 6th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The IARU 432MHz to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 5th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 6th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 5th of October, the RSGB 2.3GHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on 2.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Saturday the 5th of October, the RSGB 1.3GHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 25th of September 2024 Solar activity is back to moderate levels with an M3.7 solar flare detected on the 22nd of September. Newly assigned AR 3835 in the southeast quadrant is the main source and the event looks to have thrown a stream of plasma into space. The latest model suggested a possible passage near our planet by the 25th and it looks like the prediction was correct. The Space Weather Prediction Centre issued a G1 geomagnetic storm watch and visible aurora may be likely at very high latitudes. Expect maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs for short, to decline if the Kp index is above 4 or 5. Other than a large number of C-class solar flares in the past five days, this was the biggest eruptive event to occur. The solar flux index had declined to 172 on Wednesday the 25th but is unlikely to decrease much further. Note that nearly all the sunspots are in the Sun's southern hemisphere at the moment. Meanwhile, daytime MUFs over a 3,000km path are now consistently over 28MHz under quiet geomagnetic conditions. This is good news for fans of the 10m band. Night time MUFs over 3,000km are around 14 to 16MHz, so it looks like we may soon lose the 24-hour DX openings on the 20m band, which are prevalent in the summer months. Increasing solar proton flux at the moment means paths over the Arctic Circle may be compromised. Daytime critical frequencies remain over 8MHz and often reach nearly 11MHz, so NVIS communications around the UK on the 40m band remain commonplace but may disappear later in the evening. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will increase next week but may not reach the 200s. Keep an eye on solarham.com  for daily updates.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The present run of unsettled weather has become firmly established and, although many parts of the country have not seen the torrential rain and flooding of last week, there will be some rain at times in most parts of the country during the first week of October. There are a couple of brief periods in the models when a weak ridge of high pressure is due to cross southern areas, but these are not seen as great for Tropo. The week beginning Monday the 30th of September sees at least two major lows pass close to northern Britain. One occurs as this weekend draws to a close and there may be another one later in the week. These types of changeable patterns are notorious for problems with detailed predictions beyond a few days, although the general weather type is well forecast. Just a reminder that strong wind events at the end of a long summer can be a big shock to antennas, so now is a very good time to check that all is well in the guying department. Having discounted Tropo as an option, the obvious choice will be rain scatter on the GHz bands, but some of these events may produce very fast-moving echo sources. So, it could be quite a challenge although last week saw plenty of good rain scatter conditions. Meteor scatter is again largely dependent upon random meteors with just a couple of lesser showers, the Kappa Leonids and Sextantids, which see out the end of September. The auroral situation continues to provide some excitement, and the autumn months are a good time of the year for such things. For EME operators, Moon declination is still positive until Tuesday evening, so Moon visibility windows are shortening. Path losses are high with apogee next Wednesday the 2nd of October. Thursday the 3rd sees near-eclipse conditions when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky meaning high noise with wider beam width antennas. 144MHz sky noise is, in general, low for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week

GB2RS News Sunday the 22nd of September The news headlines: The RSGB Convention is just three weeks away The RSGB has announced that routine bookings for paper exams will cease Take advantage of group activity opportunities at the RSGB National Radio Centre The RSGB Convention is just three weeks away and there is a fantastic programme planned. Whatever your amateur radio interests or experience there will be something for you. In addition to the presentations, you could take part in a workshop to learn more about microcontroller programming – spaces are limited so make sure you book soon if you want to be part of that event. There will also be an EMF and EMC Clinic, contest forums and a chance to find out more about a wide range of amateur radio special interest groups. The social side of the Convention is important too, whether you're catching up with friends over coffee or enjoying the Gala Dinner on Saturday evening. Day or weekend tickets for the Convention are still cheaper if you buy in advance rather than on the door, and the deadline for advance tickets is Monday the 7th of October. To find out more about the programme, the speakers and to book your tickets, go to the RSGB Convention web pages at rsgb.org/convention The RSGB has announced that from the 29th of November it will stop taking routine bookings for paper exams. Currently 97% of amateur radio licence examinations are taken online using the TestReach platform, either at home under remote supervision or in a club setting. Following the implementation of Syllabus v1.6 on the 1st of September 2024, the new examination question bank will only be maintained online. Generating paper exams will involve significant additional work for the RSGB Examinations Department, with the associated costs. You will be able to apply for a paper exam on the grounds of special educational needs in the same way that you can currently request special requirements such as extra time or a reader. To do that you need to email the Exams Department via exams@rsgb.org.uk  To read the full details of the changes, including the three important dates you need to know, please go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org  and search for ‘Exam Announcements'. Do you work with young people at a school, or perhaps with a youth group such as the Scouts, Guides or Cadets? Are you looking for an activity that provides hands-on learning opportunities for them? The RSGB National Radio Centre currently has availability for two private evening visits in December as part of the Society's activities for Youngsters on the Air month, or YOTA month as it is often called. Sessions typically last two hours and include an introduction to amateur radio, before the youngsters are split into smaller groups to complete a variety of activities. These can include Morse code, VHF communication using handhelds, shortwave radio communication and satellite communication. The group size is limited to a maximum of 12, and there must be one adult accompanying every four students. If you'd like to find out more about this unique learning opportunity, email the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk The next Bletchley Park 1940s weekend is taking place at the moment. If you are visiting for the event, make sure you drop into the RSGB National Radio Centre where you'll be able to see a number of World War Two receivers on display. Don't forget that RSGB members can get free entry to Bletchley Park, which also includes admission to the RSGB National Radio Centre. You can access this fantastic offer by logging into the RSGB membership portal via rsgb.org/members  and selecting ‘Visit Bletchley Park'. Don't forget that National Hamfest 2024 is coming up on the 27th and 28th of September and promises to be an unforgettable celebration of all things amateur radio. As always, the traders and manufacturers are lining up to bring you the best in amateur radio equipment and accessories. Many exhibitors will be offering exclusive deals, making it the perfect time to upgrade your gear or add new items to your shack. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit nationalhamfest.org.uk  Railways on the Air weekend usually takes place on the weekend closest to the 27th of September. This date celebrates the anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger railway journey which took place on the 27th of September 1825. The first passenger train ran on a line in the North East of England from Darlington to Stockton. Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club coordinates the event and this year it will take place over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of September. For more information visit rota.barac.org.uk The next event in the popular 145 Alive series takes place on Sunday the 29th of September. The event will run from 1 pm to 4 pm and there will be nets operating in most Maidenhead Squares across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. To take part in the event, which is designed to promote FM activity on the 2m band, all you need to do is call in and make contact with others. The organisers are looking for more net controllers. For more information contact Mark Savage, M0XIC via the 145 Alive Facebook page. On Monday the 7th of October the RSGB's Tonight@8 live webinar will be with Ian White, GM3SEK who will give a presentation entitled ‘Aircraft Scatter, the Hitch-Hikers Guide'. Aircraft scatter is about bouncing VHF and UHF radio signals off high-flying aircraft – effectively ‘hitching a ride' with someone else's plane to extend your everyday working range up to 800km. For example, if you are one of the hundreds who get involved in the monthly UK Activity Contests on the 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands, you will already be using aircraft scatter routinely and it will be responsible for some of your best QSOs. So how does aircraft scatter work? And if it's so useful, why haven't we heard more about it? Join the webinar live at 8pm on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about this and other webinars on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/webinars Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week And now for details of rallies and events Weston super Mare Radio Society Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, the 22nd. The venue is The Campus Community Centre, Worle, Weston super Mare, BS24 7DX. For further information and to book a table email westonradiosociety@gmail.com On Saturday the 5th of October Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is holding a surplus equipment sale in aid of club funds. The venue will be Cwmduad Community Centre, Cwmduad, Carmarthenshire, SA33 6XN. The doors are open for traders from 8am, and for visitors from 10 am. Disabled access will be available from 9.30 am. The entrance fee for visitors will be £2. For more information, or to book a table, email G0JLX@mail.com The 49th Welsh Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 6th of October at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, NP18 2YE. Traders can gain access from 7am and the doors will be open for visitors from 9.30am. The entrance fee is £3 per person and free parking will be available. For more information email Mike Rackham, GW4JKV via welshradiorally@gmail.com or phone 07976 368 250. Now the Special Event news Today, the 22nd, Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club is active with the callsign GI5LOW from Blacks Farm in Tandragee to celebrate the G-QRP Club's 50th anniversary. The callsign will be active from around 9am and the station is operating using all modes on the HF bands and FM on the 2m and 70cm bands. Also, from 2pm, Philip, MI0MSO will be giving a talk on, and practical demonstration of, programming a LoRa board as a tracking unit on 433MHz. During the annual Railways on the Air weekend on the 28th and 29th of September the British Railways Amateur Radio Society will be operating using the callsign GB1FRT on behalf of the Furness Railway Trust in Preston. Activity will be on the 40m band using SSB. QSL via the Bureau. To read more about the station visit brars.info  and QRZ.com Now the DX news Today, the 22nd, is the last chance to work Harald, DF2WO who is active as XT2AW from Burkina Faso. He is QRV on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB and FT4. You might also be able to catch him via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and Logbook of the World. Listen out for members of Guisborough and District Amateur Radio Club who are active from the Isle of Lewis using their Club callsign MS0NYM. The station will be active from today, the 22nd, to Saturday the 28th of September. Operators will be available on a variety of bands using CW, FT8 and phone. Now the contest news Today, the 22nd, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 24th, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 25th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 26th, the Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 29th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Sunday the 29th, 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.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 19th of September 2024 It was a topsy-turvy time for HF propagation last week with a declining solar flux index and geomagnetic disturbances thanks to coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, from the Sun. The solar flux index declined to the mid-160s, and the Kp index had a couple of excursions to more than 7. These were due to CMEs and the second, which occurred on Tuesday the 17th, was associated with the X4.5 solar flare on Saturday the 14th. Luckily, it was 0300UTC when the CME hit the Earth, so only die-hard UK DXers were affected. With a G4 geomagnetic storm raging, the maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path fell to less than 6MHz, but did manage to recover to 8.45MHz by dawn. The rest of Tuesday was subdued with the maximum useable frequency never really getting above 21MHz. This is why the advice is often to avoid DXing when the Kp index climbs high, as the upper HF bands will likely be closed. By comparison, on Thursday the 19th the Kp index was 2.67 and the maximum useable frequency over 3,000km was above 28MHz again. NOAA puts the risk of another X-class flare at 10%, and an M-class event at 55%. So, we are not out of the woods yet. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre says the solar flux index may decline slightly but could then rise to be in the 232 to 240 range. Geomagnetic storming is predicted for the 26th to the 29th, when the Kp index could rise to 5. Meanwhile, autumnal HF conditions should soon be kicking in with better propagation to North America. If the solar flux stays high, we can expect excellent 28MHz propagation, perhaps to the mid-west and Pacific states. North-South HF paths, such as the UK to South Africa and South America, should also be good around the equinox period. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The last week of Tropo gave us good conditions across the North Sea and up and down the country on the VHF and UHF bands.  It is very likely that there will be a big change of weather type over this weekend, ending today the 22nd, to a much more unsettled pattern with low pressure dominating during the coming week. In fact, there will be a sequence of lows, fronts and showery interludes to set the template for next week. This means that rain scatter is a good candidate for propagation on the GHz bands, which could be useful on the evening of Tuesday the 24th during the SHF UK Activity Contest. Meanwhile, tropo takes a back seat for a while. The solar activity continues to be of interest and, again, the message is to monitor the Kp index to keep one step ahead of events in case any aurora spring up. Meteor scatter is mainly down to random activity, although the daytime Sextantids peaks on Friday the 27th of September, but with a low zenith hourly rate of 5. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching +29 degrees next Tuesday, so Moon visibility windows will continue to lengthen. Path losses are increasing as we passed perigee last week. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, dropping back to low next Thursday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 15th of September The news headlines: The RSGB is looking for its next Youth Champion Success for an RSGB member at the IARU ARDF Championship Today is the last chance to book early bird tickets for the RSGB Convention The RSGB is looking for its next volunteer Youth Champion. This could be one role or split between people who focus on different aspects of it. The Youth Champion will work closely with RSGB Board Liaison Ben Lloyd, GW4BML and the RSGB Outreach Team to ignite interest and develop links with schools, universities, Scouts, Guides and the general public. They will also help to support current young amateurs and motivate them to try new things within amateur radio after they gain their license. This role needs someone proactive, good at building relationships with young people, and passionate about inspiring the next generation of radio amateurs. For the full role description go to rsgb.org/volunteers  and if you would like to apply or find out more, contact Ben Lloyd via gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk The 24th IARU Region 1 ARDF Championships in Bulgaria saw an RSGB member on the podium. David Williams, M3WDD took the silver medal position in the M60 category of the 144MHz Classic five-transmitter race at the Championships held at Primorsko, Bulgaria earlier this month. David had come so very close to winning being only 14 seconds behind the winner Jozef Simecek of Slovakia. There were four races altogether. The week of competition started with the Sprint race on 80m followed the next day by the 2m five-transmitter Classic race for the M60 category in which David did so well. A well-earned rest day followed and after that came the 80m five-transmitter race. The week ended with the Foxoring event, a combination of direction finding and orienteering, again using the 80m band. You can see the results in full, and read more about ARDF, at rsgb.org/ardf Don't forget that the RSGB Convention early bird price ends today, Sunday the 15th of September. There's a range of great presentations planned, a fantastic microcontroller workshop to take part in, as well as all the fabulous social opportunities to enjoy like the Gala Dinner. Go to rsgb.org/convention to find out more and book your tickets. Have you ever tried LoRa? Or Node Red? Have you used the Raspberry Pico for coding or played a Morse game with an Arduino? These are just some of the great activities on the RSGB's website that are available for National Coding Week which begins this Monday, the 16th of September. Whether you fancy doing something different for a club night or would like to sample something new just for fun, there's an activity to inspire you! You could even try combining your love of amateur radio with the software interests of a young family member. The RSGB is offering nine activities this year so head over to rsgb.org/coding  and get involved. The next Bletchley Park 1940s weekend is taking place on the 21st and 22nd of September. If you are visiting for the event, make sure you drop into the RSGB National Radio Centre where you'll be able to see several World War Two receivers on display. Don't forget that RSGB members can get free entry to Bletchley Park, which also includes admission to the RSGB National Radio Centre. You can access this fantastic offer by logging into the RSGB membership portal via rsgb.org/members and selecting ‘Visit Bletchley Park'. Don't forget that National Hamfest 2024 is coming up on the 27th and 28th of September and promises to be an unforgettable celebration of all things amateur radio. As always, the traders and manufacturers are lining up to bring you the best in amateur radio equipment and accessories. Many exhibitors will be offering exclusive deals, making it the perfect time to upgrade your gear or add new items to your shack. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit nationalhamfest.org.uk  And now for details of rallies and events The Broadcast Engineering Museum near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire is new and a work in progress, so it only opens a few days each year. Today, from 11 am to 4 pm, the Museum is having an open day. The Museum contains a vast collection of historic broadcasting equipment and memorabilia, some restored and working, on display in a former RAF sergeants' mess. Free parking is available on-site. For more information email contactus@becg.org.uk or visit becg.org.uk The British Vintage Wireless Society is holding a swap meet and auction today, the 15th at the Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. Stallholders can gain entry from 9 am. Admission for visitors will be available from 9.30 am for £8. The auction starts at 12.30 pm and hot and cold refreshments will be available all day. For more information visit bvws.org.uk or email Jeremy Owen, G8MLK at secretary@bvws.org.uk The  East Midlands Ham and Electronics Rally is taking place on Saturday the 21st of September. The venue will be Beckingham Village Hall, Southfield Lane, Doncaster, DN10 4FX. The doors will be open for visitors from 9.30 am until 4 pm and admission will cost £3 per person. Disabled access will be available from 9.15 am. For more information, including booking and contact details, visit g0raf.co.uk/rally Weston Super Mare Radio Society Radio and Electronics Rally will take place on Sunday the 22nd of September from 10 am. The venue will be The Campus Community Centre, Worle, Weston super Mare, BS24 7DX. For further information and to book a table email westonradiosociety@gmail.com Now the Special Event news To celebrate the G-QRP Club's 50th anniversary special callsign G5LOW, and all its regional variants, will be QRV until the 30th of September. In addition, several overseas stations will be joining in with the event. For more information, including details of commemorative certificates that will be available for chasers, visit tinyurl.com/GQRP50 Advance notice now that during October and November, special callsign PZ5JT will be back on the air from Surinam during the jungle training of the Royal Dutch Army and Marines. The station is operated by personnel from the signal regiment and they will be working on the 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. Operators will be using in-service military L3Harris radios from different locations and will welcome your call. Now the DX news Carl Gorse, 2E0HPI will be operating from multiple locations for the Parks On The Air scheme around the Lancashire area from tomorrow, the 16th, to Friday the 20th of September. He will be using Yaesu FT-857d and Xiegu G90 transceivers with 20W. Listen out for Carl on all bands from 160 to 10m using FT4, FT8 and SSB.  Maxim, OH7O will be active as 3D2YY from Viti Levu, OC- 016, on Fiji until the 19th of September. He will operate mostly SSB and some slow CW on the 40 to 10m bands, and possibly the 80m band, from different locations around the island. See QRZ.com for more information. Now the contest news Today, the 15th, the 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Europe DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 14th and runs until 2359UTC today, Sunday the 15th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today, the 15th, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using All modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, today, the 15th, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Irish stations also give their county. The IRTS 2m Counties Contest is also taking place today, the 15th, from 1300 to 1500 UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Irish stations also give their county. Also today, the 15th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. Tomorrow, the 16th, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 17th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 19th, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 22nd, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 12th of September 2024 Last week showed that HF conditions are improving as we head into the autumn. With a solar flux index still above 200, there was plenty of DX available to work. CDXC members reported working VP6WR on the Pitcairn Islands, KH8T on American Samoa and 3D2USU on Fiji, which is not a bad catch for early September. A little closer to home, 9A168TESLA in Croatia has been popping up for short periods celebrating the 168th anniversary of the birthday of electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla. Watch DX Summit closely for operating times. The daylight maximum useable frequency, or MUF, over 3,000 kilometres remains above 28MHz on the whole, although a raised Kp index tends to reduce this. Geomagnetic conditions remained relatively calm with the Kp index below 3 all week. That changed on Thursday the 12th as material from a coronal mass ejection, or CME passed the ACE spacecraft in the early hours. The solar wind speed increased to more than 500 kilometres per second and the Bz swung south. On Thursday the 12th, the Kp index was 5 and the Met Office Space Weather department was forecasting potentially unsettled conditions for this weekend, ending today the 15th. At the same time an X-class flare occurred, with lowered MUFs due to increased D-layer absorption. Two large coronal holes on the Sun's surface are also now Earth-facing and threaten to add to the solar wind this weekend. According to NOAA's predictions, the solar flux index should stay in the 210 to 225 range next week, although a large number of spots are about to rotate off the Sun's visible disk. This may be compensated by an active region that's about to rotate into view. This has been emitting C-Class and lower-level M-flares and could potentially be the same region that produced several energetic eruptions off the far side of the Sun over the past week. Time will tell. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The heavy showers at the end of last week produced some good rain scatter, but no QSOs in the UK were noted due to the showers not coinciding with GHz contests and few suitable home stations were active to take advantage of them. After a gradual build-up of pressure over this weekend, ending the 15th, high pressure is suggested by most models during the coming week. However, there is some uncertainty about the position of the high.   Currently, models are favouring the north of Britain and this means that in the south, although still on the edge of high pressure, there could be a brisk northeasterly breeze, which may weaken the inversion prospects. It's not clear if the Tropo will be functioning in time for the 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest today, the 15th, but should be helpful for the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 17th and the 70MHz UK Activity Contest on Thursday the 19th. Solar conditions are still likely to offer the chance of the occasional elevated Kp index, which is a good sign of possible aurora. It will be interesting to see how things evolve this weekend, ending the 15th, as a series of expected CMEs are due to reach Earth.  The amateur bands between 10m and 2m are the ones to check as well as looking out for ‘watery' sounding signals on the HF bands. Remember it doesn't have to be dark for radio aurora, so don't wait for dusk before checking. Meteor scatter is mainly down to random activity in the coming week. However, with the September Epsilon Perseids stream still active until the 21st, having peaked on the 9th, conditions may be slightly enhanced. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative but rising and going positive again on Wednesday the 18th. Moon visibility windows will continue to rise while path losses decrease as we approach perigee on Wednesday the 18th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate for the whole of next week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 8th of September The news headlines: Book your RSGB Convention tickets now There are several vacancies in the RSGB's Regional Team Remember to call in to the CHOTA stations on Saturday The RSGB Convention is just five weeks away and an exciting programme of presentations and practical activities is being prepared. The early bird price for day tickets ends on the 15th of September and this year there won't be any extensions to that date! As well as three streams of presentations across the weekend there will be an introductory workshop on microcontroller programming. This workshop is part of the Society's aim to widen the programming skills in the amateur radio community and to introduce people to something new. On Saturday morning RSGB experts will give an EMC and EMF update presentation, followed by an informal EMC and EMF clinic in the afternoon. The RSGB HF and VHF contest forums will take place on Sunday. Throughout the weekend there will be opportunities to talk to RSGB representatives and to members of many special interest groups who could inspire you to try a different aspect of amateur radio. The RSGB 2024 Convention – your convention, your way. To book your day tickets and to book for the workshop, go to rsgb.org/convention The RSGB has 13 regions, each covered by a Regional Representative and a team of District Representatives. This volunteer team is an important link to clubs and a potential source of support and information for individual radio amateurs. There are several vacancies in the Regional Team and this month we're highlighting two regions. In Region 5 there is an opportunity for someone to volunteer as a District Representative covering Gloucestershire, Hereford and South Worcestershire. There are also two vacancies in Region 13 for District Representatives to cover Leicestershire and Rutland, and also North Lincolnshire. If you're interested in supporting local radio amateurs and clubs in those areas, please contact the appropriate Regional Representative. You can find their details by going to our website at rsgb.org/regions and clicking on the region in which you live. Next Saturday, the 14th, lots of amateur radio stations will be on the air to take part in the Churches and Chapels on the Air event, also known as CHOTA. The event will take place from 10 am to 4 pm and operation will be focused on the 80, 40 and 20m bands. To see the list of churches and chapels taking part visit the ‘CHOTA' tab on the World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs and Listeners website at wacral.org Several changes have been made to the RSGB contest trophies process, for logistical and resource reasons. For example, instead of engraving each trophy, the winner will be presented with a quality certificate at the Trophy Presentations on Sunday morning at the RSGB Convention. For each award, a high-quality photograph will be taken of the winner with their trophy, and that photo will be available for the winner if they would like it. RSGB HQ will now administer all trophies for the AGM event. The full changes are shown in the updated trophy policy on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/trophies  If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the RSGB Trophy Manager Mike Franklin, G3VYI via trophy.manager@rsgb.org.uk Over the course of a year, radio amateur Maggie laquinto, VK3CFI attempted to make contact with Russian cosmonauts on the Mir space station. Maggie used her amateur radio skills and equipment to monitor the orbit of the space station and listen to the frequencies that it used. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Maggie relayed crucial information to cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev. In a recent BBC programme, Maggie's son Ben laquinto speaks to Megan Jones. You can listen to the programme by searching for ‘The woman who spoke to the space station' on the bbc.co.uk website.  And now for details of rallies and events Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally is taking place today, the 8th, at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. The doors are open from 9 am to 8 pm and there is no admission fee. Sellers can gain access from 8 am. For more information email Zane, M1BFI via m1bfi@outlook.com or phone 07711 214 790. The Broadcast Engineering Museum near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire is new and a work in progress, so it only opens a few days each year. The next open days are coming up on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of September from 11 am to 4 pm. The Museum contains a vast collection of historic broadcasting equipment and memorabilia, some restored and working, on display in a former RAF sergeants' mess. Free parking is available on-site. For more information email contactus@becg.org.uk or visit becg.org.uk The British Vintage Wireless Society is holding a swap meet and auction on Sunday the 15th of September. The venue will be the Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. Stallholders can gain entry from 9 am. Admission for visitors will be available from 9.30 am for £8. The auction starts at 12.30 pm and hot and cold refreshments will be available all day. For more information visit bvws.org.uk or email Jeremy Owen, G8MLK at secretary@bvws.org.uk Now the Special Event news To celebrate Malaysia Day, special callsign 9M61S is active until the 16th of September. Operators will be working on the HF bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. For more information see QRZ.com Special callsign DL250CDF is active until the 30th of September to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of painter Caspar David Friedrich, an icon of the German Romantic movement. The station is operating on the HF bands using CW, digital modes and SSB. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the Bureau, eQSL and Logbook of World. For details of a certificate that is available visit tinyurl.com/DL250CDF Now the DX news Bob, ZL1RS is active as E51EME from Rarotonga, OC-013, in the South Cook Islands until the 15th of September. He is focusing on operating FT8 on the 6m band, with 6m EME using Q65-60A as a secondary activity. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of the World. See QRZ.com for more information and updates. Bernard, DL2GAC is active as H44MS from Malaita, OC-047, in the Solomon Islands, until the 15th of September. He operates SSB and some FT8 on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Bernard's home call, directly or via the Bureau. QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log and Logbook of the World. Now the contest news The All Asian DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 7th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 8th of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and your age. SSB Field Day started at 1300UTC on Saturday the 7th and ends at 1300UTC today, the 8th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 144MHz Trophy Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 7th and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 8th of September. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 8th, the Worked All Britain 2m QRO Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Also today, the 8th, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 10th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855 UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 10th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 11th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 11th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also on Wednesday the 11th, the Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 12th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 15th, the 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1200 UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Europe DX SSB Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday the 14th and runs until 2359UTC on Sunday the 15th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 15th, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700 UTC. Using All modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Sunday the 15th, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Irish stations also give their county. The IRTS 2m Counties Contest is also taking place on Sunday the 15th from 1300 to 1500 UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Irish stations also give their county. Also on Sunday the 15th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, the exchange is your serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 5th of September 2024 Last week was underlined by continued high solar flux indices and excellent 10m band propagation to CY9C on Saint Paul Island near Newfoundland. The DXpedition, which has now ended, was often at S9+ on 28MHz up to two hours after sunset. This may be a sign that better autumnal HF conditions are just around the corner and bodes well for the rest of the year. The average sunspot number has now exceeded 200 for the first time in 23 years. This puts it significantly better than Solar Cycle 24 and it looks like there is more to come. Propquest.co.uk reports that maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path are now often above 28MHz, so look out for DX on the 10m band. This will improve as the month goes on. September is a good month for north-south paths and paths to North America will improve as we head into October. So, get your higher HF band antennas sorted out, as this autumn could be fun! During the week just past, there were 21 M-class flares, but no X-class events. The Kp index has been under 5 all week, which no doubt helped HF propagation flourish. Large coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, did occur on the 1st and 3rd of September, but these appear to be related to far-side events, well beyond the northwest limb and were directed away from Earth. But that active region is now rotating into view so buckle up for potential Earth-directed CME activity. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre suggests that the solar flux index will remain in the 240 to 250 range. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for today, the 8th of September but, as we always say, keep an eye on solarham.com for up-to-date solar information as things are likely to change each day. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The slightly enhanced Tropo conditions were welcome for the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on the 3rd of September. However, in the coming week, the opposite is now the case for many parts of the country as low pressure is set to dominate the weather charts. There may be some weak ridges of high pressure nearby or even over northern Britain this weekend, but it is not looking great. If pressed for a direction, it looks better across the North Sea to northern Europe and southern Scandinavia in the first part of the week. Much of next week will have low pressure in control, and it will be worth looking for rain scatter on the GHz bands. The solar side of things means that we should be alert to the chance of aurora if the Kp index rises. The autumn is often a good time of the year for these. It will be useful to monitor the Kp index, especially if you hear any signals sounding ‘watery' on the HF and LF bands. It's always worth a reminder that the Sporadic-E season does not drop off a cliff at this time of year.  That said, it does become very infrequent and restricted to lower bands or digital modes under the influence of jet streams.  The southward paths to Iberia and the western Mediterranean look most promising next week for an out-of-season chance Sporadic-E event. There is one small meteor shower this week. The September Epsilon-Perseids peaks with a low zenithal hourly rate of five tomorrow, the 9th. This shower produced unexpected outbursts in 2008 and 2013, but modelling indicates that 2024 activity should be nothing unusual. For EME operators, Moon declination is now negative and falling further, reaching minus 29 degrees next Wednesday. Moon visibility windows continue to fall, as will peak Moon elevation, while path losses are decreasing after apogee. 144MHz sky noise increases from moderate today, the 8th, reaching over 2,500 Kelvin next Wednesday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 1st of September The news headlines: RSGB collaborates on a special contact with the International Space Station The RSGB's Tonight@8 webinar autumn programme starts tomorrow, the 2nd The RSGB is getting ready for National Coding Week We are delighted to announce that the Radio Society of Great Britain and ARISS, in conjunction with Girlguiding Surrey West and Brooklands Museum including the Innovation Academy, have been collaborating on a special event due to take place on Saturday the 5th of October. Girlguiding President, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a planned contact with the International Space Station as part of a visit to promote the engagement and involvement of girls and young women in science, technology, engineering and maths. Further details of the contact and the event will be announced in late September. The RSGB's autumn Tonight@8 programme starts this Monday, the 2nd of September. Brian Coleman, G4NNS will give an update on the Meteor Beacon Project which is a cooperation between the worlds of amateur radio and astronomy. The first phase of this project was completed in May 2022 when the UK meteor beacon GB3MBA went on the air from the Sherwood Observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society. It enabled studies of meteor events over the UK using simple equipment and made possible a range of STEM projects featuring radio and astronomy. The second phase of the project, which Brian will describe in the presentation, is to develop a network of receivers streaming their data via a central server for detailed studies of individual meteor events. You can watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or a special BATC channel. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars The RSGB is getting ready for National Coding Week which begins on the 16th of September. This national event is in its 11th year and encourages people of all ages to try coding, or programming as it is also called. During the next few days, the RSGB's Outreach Team will release two new coding activities for you to try on your own, with members of your local club, or at a school or other youth group. These are in addition to the seven activities the Society shared last year. This is a great opportunity to see how coding can link with your usual amateur radio activities, or for you to try something new. If you are planning an activity or an event or would like some support, please email the RSGB National Coding Week Coordinator Nigel Thrower, G3YSW via ncw@rsgb.org.uk  You can find the coding activities on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/coding The British Science Association has announced that applications for kick-start grants will open on the 17th of September 2024. The grants are provided to help schools in challenging circumstances to deliver events and activities as part of British Science Week. To find out more visit the British Science Week website and enter ‘Grant applications for British Science Week 2025' in the search box located in the top right-hand corner. If you need some inspiration on how to get involved, the RSGB is already planning for the March event. You can go to rsgb.org/bsw to find out more, as well as to view activity ideas and lesson plans from previous years. If you'd like to get involved or have any questions, you can email the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator, Ian Neal, M0KEO at bsw@rsgb.org.uk RSGB Members can ensure that they are the first to hear about the Society's online webinars and events by registering to receive updates by email. Simply log into the RSGB members' portal, select the ‘Manage Preferences' tab and click the online events option. By selecting this preference you'll be kept up to date on events such as the Tonight@8 webinars, which are already shaping up to have a brilliant programme for the Autumn. Keep an eye on your mailboxes for more news about these soon. Don't forget that the popular Churches and Chapels on the Air event, also known as CHOTA, is taking place on Saturday the 14th of September. Lots of stations will be on the air from 10 am to 4 pm so please give them a call. The operation will be focused on the 80, 40 and 20m bands. To see the list of churches and chapels taking part visit the ‘CHOTA' tab on the World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs and Listeners website at wacral.org The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park, or NRC, will be closed for one day on Monday the 16th of September to allow time for some minor decorating and cleaning. Don't forget that RSGB members can gain free entry to Bletchley Park and the NRC by downloading a voucher from rsgb.org/bpvoucher And now for details of rallies and events Telford Hamfest is taking place today, Sunday the 1st of September at Harper Adams University near Newport, Shropshire. The doors open at 10.15 am and admission is £5. Children up to the age of 16 will be admitted free of charge. Free parking, catering, an RSGB bookstall, and a bring-and-buy area are available on site. For more details visit tdars.org.uk or email John, M0JZH at hamfest@tdars.org.uk The Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 8th of September at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. The doors will be open from 9 am to 8 pm and there is no admission fee. Sellers can gain access from 8 am. For more information email Zane, M1BFI via m1bfi@outlook.com or phone 07711 214 790. The Broadcast Engineering Museum near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire is new and a work in progress, so it only opens a few days each year. The next open days are coming up on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of September from 11 am to 4 pm. The Museum contains a vast collection of historic broadcasting equipment and memorabilia, some restored and working, on display in a former RAF sergeants' mess. Free parking is available on-site. For more information email contactus@becg.org.uk or visit becg.org.uk Now the Special Event news Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is taking part in Churches and Chapels on the Air again this year with special event station GB2SCC. The station will be operating on Saturday the 14th of September from 0900 to 1500UTC on the 40 and 17m bands using SSB. Operators will also be available for VHF and UHF FM calls. For more information see QRZ.com Austin, M0MNE, who is a marine engineer in the Merchant Navy, will be operating special callsign GB0MND on the HF Bands and flying the British Red Ensign from the seafaring town of South Shields, home of the world's longest-operating marine training college. This is to commemorate Merchant Navy Day on the 3rd of September and the merchant seafarers all over the world who work tirelessly, day in and day out, keeping global trade afloat. The station will operate from the 3rd of September until World Maritime Day on the 26th of September. On the 3rd of September, Austin will be concentrating on SSB and CW on the 40, 20 and 15m bands. During the rest of the month, he will be working on all bands using SSB, CW, FT8, and digital modes such as Olivia, Domino, Hell and SSTV. More information about the station and Merchant Navy Day is available via QRZ.com Callington and District Amateur Radio Society will activate Special Event Station GB0EKF for the annual Esedhvos Kernow Festival of Cornish Culture which this year is being held in Callington, Cornwall on Saturday the 7th of September. Listen out for GB0EKF on the local repeaters, HF bands and via the QO-100 satellite. Now the DX news Domenico, IK1MNF is active as IK1MNF/IA5 from Isola d'Elba, EU-028, until the end of September. He is operating using SSB on the 20 to 6m bands. QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log and Logbook of the World. Yann, F1SMB is active as FO/F1SMB from French Polynesia until the 15th of September. His main QTH will be Tahiti, OC-046, with a side trip to Fakarava, OC-066. Usually, he operates FT8 and SSB on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL to F1SMB directly or via the Bureau, Logbook of the World or eQSL. Now the contest news The UK and Ireland Contest Club DX SSB Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 31st of August and runs until 1200UTC today, the 1st of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Ireland stations also send their district code. The Worked All Britain DX Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 31st of August and ends at 1200UTC today, the 1st of September. The exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square, where applicable. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 11th of September. Visit the Worked All Britain website for more information and to read more on the rules for the contest. Tomorrow, the 2nd, the Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 3rd, 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 3rd, 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 4th, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 4th, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also, on Wednesday the 4th of September, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. SSB Field Day runs from 1300UTC on Saturday the 7th to 1300UTC on Sunday the 8th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 144MHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400UTC on Saturday the 7th to 1400UTC on Sunday the 8th of September. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 7th, the CWops CW Open takes place in three four-hour sessions between 0000 and 2359UTC. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and name. The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 7th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 8th of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and your age. On Sunday the 8th, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers Contest takes runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Sunday the 8th, the Worked All Britain 2m QRO Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using AM, FM and SSB on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 29th of August 2024 We had a good week for HF propagation, at least until we had a Kp index of 5.67 on Wednesday the 28th. This was caused by the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field moving into a south-pointing position. Luckily, it didn't last long and geomagnetic conditions were back to normal by Thursday. The solar flux index remains above 200 with no sign of it dropping. But solar flare activity has not diminished either with 16 M-class flares over the past seven days and more than 60 C-class events. There remains a 55% chance of a further M-class flare and a 10% chance of an X-class event. Tuesday the 27th saw some good activity on the upper HF bands with the 10m band opening up at times. VK has been heard on 28MHz in the mornings, which bodes well for the coming months. The top DX choice this week has been CY9C on Saint Paul Island near Newfoundland. The team is active on all bands until the 5th of September using CW, SSB, FT8, Super Fox and RTTY. VOACAP Online shows that the 20 and 17m bands offer the best chance for a contact and are open from 0900 to 2000 UTC. The 30m band is another strong contender from 2000 to 1000 UTC. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start at around 250 but could end the week at 275. As always, it estimates the Kp index will be at 2 all week, but this will depend upon coronal mass ejections, so keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates. If a solar flare and associated coronal mass ejections do occur, expect the Kp index to rise after about 48 hours, with a lowering of the maximum useable frequency. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The autumn season usually brings thoughts of Tropo since areas of high pressure can often be a feature of this time of year. Most models predict that there will be high pressure moving in to offer Tropo conditions today, the 1st. Thereafter, the models differ, and some bring low pressure over the country for much of the coming week, while others maintain a high-pressure story and the continuation of Tropo. This is potentially useful for the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday and Wednesday and, if it lasts, the 144MHz Trophy Contest next weekend along with the Backpackers contest on Sunday the 8th. With the uncertain feel of the forecast at the moment, we may find rain scatter is the main option on the GHz bands. Meteor scatter is again reduced to non-shower random events with just a minor shower, the Aurigids, peaking on the 31st of August. This shower has produced brief unexpected outbursts with a zenithal hourly rate of around 30 to 50 per hour in 1935, 1986, 1994 and 2019. Random meteor flux is at its annual maximum in September with relatively good rates, especially during morning hours. Pre-dawn is the best time to try. The solar conditions continue to provide chance auroras. Keep one eye on the Kp index and lock the frequency of some northern European beacons into your rig's memory. Lastly, it's the nominal end of the 2024 summer Sporadic-E season and the daily blogs on Propquest have finished. However, some years can produce surprise Sporadic-E events during the first week of September. Moon declination starts the weekend still high but falling, going negative again on Thursday the 5th. So, Moon visibility windows will also fall, as will the peak Moon elevation. Moon apogee is also next Thursday so path losses are still increasing. 144MHz sky noise is low until Monday but, shortly after moonrise that day, the Sun and the Moon become close in the sky and continue to be until after moonset on Tuesday. This means sky noise will be very high, especially at VHF, due to wide antenna beamwidths.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of July 2024   The news headlines: Two new Directors have been co-opted to the RSGB Board The RSGB welcomes two new Regional Representatives The RSGB National Radio Centre is looking for volunteers   When Paul Nichols, M0PVN resigned as an RSGB Director in May, it created a vacancy on the Board. The Board decided that it was in the Society's interests to expand the Board to nine people to help implement the Society's strategic priorities. Under Article 37 it has co-opted Peter Bowyer, G4MJS and Peter Ransom, M0SFZ as Directors to serve until the 2025 AGM. Peter Ransom recently passed his Full licence so that he could build and tinker with RF equipment, to add to his ongoing interest in writing amateur radio software and designing his own PCBs. He has a passion for technology and communication and has had a career that combines technical expertise with strategic vision. He hopes to use that knowledge and experience to help the Board to ensure that the Society remains relevant to the amateur radio community. Peter Bowyer has been in and around IT all his career and currently helps organisations with their Agile development strategies. He has been licensed for 45 years, but says he is still learning new things. He's an avid contester, having served on the VHF Contests Committee, he has written a column for RadCom and is a past chair of the UK Six Metre Group. The RSGB welcomes them both to the Board. The RSGB is delighted to announce the co-option of two Regional Representatives. Peter Lowrie, MI5JYK is based in Region 8 and Brian Woolnough, M5ADQ in Region 12. They will serve in these roles until the RSGB 2025 AGM. You can see contact details for either of them, or any member of the Regional Team, on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/regions There is so much happening at the RSGB National Radio Centre that it needs to expand its team of volunteers! The NRC has a fabulous set-up and you'll be given full training on using the GB3RS radio station. You should enjoy meeting people and be able to volunteer for one or two days per month as part of a friendly and dedicated team. NRC volunteers also enjoy numerous benefits associated with volunteering at Bletchley Park. For more information, please email NRC Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk From the 27th of July to the 3rd of August, the Essex International Jamboree is welcoming around 10,000 scouts and guides, including 2,000 supporting volunteers from around the world, to Boyton Cross near Chelmsford. As part of the programme, amateur radio station GB24EIJ will be running a wide range of communications and electronics activities. The organising team intends the station to be active on the HF, VHF and UHF bands, using various modes. To read more about the Essex International Jamboree visit eij.org.uk The Broadcast Engineering Museum near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire is new and a work in progress, so it only opens a few days each year. The next open days are coming up on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of September from 11am to 4pm. The Museum contains a vast collection of historic broadcasting equipment and memorabilia, some restored and working, on display in a former RAF sergeants' mess. Free parking is available on site. For more information email contactus@becg.org.uk or visit becg.org.uk Don't forget to book your tickets for National Hamfest 2024 which is taking place on the 27th and 28th of September. There is still a chance to secure early-bird ticket discount, but this is only available until the 31st of August. National Hamfest promises to be an unforgettable celebration of all things amateur radio. As always, the traders and manufacturers are lining up to bring you the best in amateur radio equipment and accessories. Many exhibitors will be offering exclusive deals, making it the perfect time to upgrade your gear or add new items to your shack. For more information, and to purchase your tickets, visit nationalhamfest.org.uk  Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events   Today, the 28th, Wiltshire Radio Summer Rally is taking place at Kington Langley Village Hall, Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ. The event is running from 9am to 1pm, admission is £3 and indoor tables cost £10. To take part in the car boot sale, a car-sized pitch costs £10 and a van-sized pitch is £15. Hot and cold refreshments are available on site. For more information email Chairman@Chippenhamradio.club Part 1 of the British Amateur Television Club Convention for Amateur TV 2024, also known as CAT 24, will take place on Sunday the 4th of August from 10am to 4pm. The venue will be Midland Air Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry, CV3 4FR. The Convention provides opportunities for amateurs to meet, take part in show-and-tell activities, use test and fix equipment, and enjoy a bring-and-buy event. For more information follow the ‘Events' tab at batc.org.uk King's Lynn Amateur Radio Club's 34th Great Eastern Radio Rally is taking place on Sunday the 4th of August. The Rally will be held at Gaywood Community Centre, Gayton Road, King's Lynn in Norfolk. The doors open at 9am and admission will cost £2.50. Traders are welcome from 7am. An outdoor pitch will cost £8, and indoors it will be £10 per table. Car parking is free. There will be trade stands, a bring-and-buy area and catering will be available on site. For further information and reservations email rally.klarc@gmail.com Now the Special Event news Special event station TM67JO is active to celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympic Games which began on Friday the 26th of July. The operators include F1LFL on SSB, F5PZT using FT8 and FT4, and F5TFW on CW. QSL to F1LFL via the Bureau or directly. For more information about the special event station, which will be operating until the 11th of August, visit QRZ.com Marking the 25th anniversary since Poland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, special callsign HF25NATO is active until the 31st of August. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. Only 100 limited edition QSL cards will be distributed. These will be issued first-come, first-served so call in quick! For details of a certificate that is available visit tinyurl.com/hf25nato Now the DX news Jeff, W7BRS is active as VK2/W7BRS from Lord Howe Island, OC-004, until the 1st of August. He is operating using CW, SSB and FT8 on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS. A team of five UK operators will attempt to activate MM0UKI from the Flannan Islands, EU-118, in August. The uninhabited island group is 20 miles west of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. It is the 6th most wanted IOTA location in Europe and the 2nd in the UK, after Rockall. The team consists of Rockall DXpedition veteran Nobby G0VJG, John G4IRN, Paul G4PVM, Mike GM5AUG and Jamie M0SDV. The trip is weather dependent and departure to the island is planned for the 1st of August, with the 2nd being a contingency day. Activity will be on the 40 to 6m bands, using SSB and CW from three stations. Operating will continue until the first available weather window for departure on the 4th of August or thereafter. The QSL Manager for the trip is Charles, M0OXO. Now the contest news The IOTA Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th and finishes at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 28th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and IOTA reference. Today, the 28th, 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. On Saturday the 3rd of August, the 4th 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and two-letter postcode. Also on Saturday the 3rd, the 144MHz Low Power Contest runs from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and two-letter postcode. On Sunday the 4th, the 432MHz Low Power Contest runs from 0800 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and two-letter postcode. On Saturday the 3rd, the EU HF Championship runs from 0000 to 2359UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and the last two digits of the first year you were licensed. The Worked All Britain 144MHz SSB Low Power Contest will take place on Saturday the 3rd of August from 1400 to 1800UTC. The maximum power allowed for this contest is 25W. The exchange is report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. Entries need to be with the contest manager by the 13th of August. Full rules for the contest are available on the Worked All Britain website. The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon started on Saturday the 4th of May and ends on Sunday the 4th of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 25th of July 2024 We had yet another week of high sunspot numbers and low geomagnetic disturbances, but will it last? We dodged a bullet last week after a weak coronal mass ejection, or CME, on Tuesday the 23rd failed to generate a geomagnetic storm. This was from a faint halo CME observed on Sunday, which was much weaker than expected when it hit Earth. A further M2.4 flare, near the eastern limb on Tuesday, produced a coronal mass ejection, but that was directed away from Earth. So, we ended the week with a Kp index that never rose above 2, despite up to 19 M-class solar flares occurring. Our luck must run out some time! The main HF DX this week has been the K8R DXpedition on American Samoa. This has been workable on all bands from 20 to 10m, especially using FT8. They have been trialling a new Super Fox mode on FT8. If you are interested in using this mode, you will need the latest version of the WSJT-X software. Daylight maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path have reached more than 24MHz, with 28MHz available at times on some paths. This will, no doubt, improve as we head towards the autumn. Nighttime MUFs over a similar path length have exceeded 14MHz and often reached 18MHz at times. Make the most of the nighttime openings as they will die off as we head towards the end of the summer. Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the range of 165 to 175 and the Kp index will be a maximum of 2 all week. As ever, this will be dependent on any solar flares and associated CMEs. A CME could easily push the Kp index up and the MUF down. Four sunspot groups have just rotated into view so keep a close eye on them on solarham.com  At least one is classed as “growing” and could be a contender for trouble over the next week by way of solar flares and CMEs. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The area of high pressure which develops over this weekend will bring the prospect of Tropo conditions at the start of the new week. The high will drift slowly east towards Denmark by midweek but could still provide the chance of Tropo conditions across the North Sea until Wednesday. Meanwhile, a weather front will reach northwest Scotland on Monday and edge slowly south whilst a small thundery low develops near the southwest of Britain. This combination will bring a gradual transition to more unsettled weather with a chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands for the second half of the week. The Delta Aquariid meteor shower is active from the 12th of July to the 23rd of August. With no noticeable peak, it is expected to reach its maximum rate of 25 per hour on or around the 30th of July. We should have more than just random meteors to use for meteor scatter operation, so it's worth trying meteor scatter on the VHF bands. Also, given clear skies and darkness over the next few weeks, it's worth having a look out for them with the naked eye or photographically. This extra input of meteors may well improve the prospects for Sporadic-E, which have perhaps seemed a little less than enthusiastic recently. Meteor debris from meteor showers, or random meteors, provides the fuel for Sporadic-E. These ionised trails in the E region above 100km can be affected by wave motion caused by jet streams much lower down at around 10km. Fortunately, there are a number of useful jet streams on the forecast charts for next week with a slight preference for paths to Scandinavia and eastern Europe. Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching maximum on Thursday the 1st of August, so Moon windows are long with high peak Moon elevation. We passed perigee on the 24th so path losses are on the increase. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 7th of July 2024   The news headlines: A revised Direct to Full examination syllabus has been released The RSGB has announced its representative for the 2024 YOTA camp The RSGB British Science Week Time challenge is an opportunity for constructors The new amateur radio licence has now been in effect for a few months and changes to the licence conditions have necessitated revision to the examination syllabus. Tony Kent, G8PBH, who is the RSGB Examinations Standards Committee Chair, has announced that he is pleased to release version 2.0 of the Direct to Full syllabus, including these revisions. Compared to the version in current use, the only section that has seen major changes is Section 1: “Licensing and station identification”. Section 2: “Operating practices and procedures” has seen some minor changes, for example with regard to suffixes. The RSGB will begin examining to version 2.0 of the syllabus on the 1st of October 2024. It will not be taking any bookings for Direct to Full examinations to take place in September. You can find the syllabus on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/direct-to-full The RSGB is pleased to announce that it will be represented at this summer's Youngsters on the Air camp by Rhys Williams, M0WGY / AJ6XD. The event, which is organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club, will be held between the 16th and 23rd of August 2024 in Prague, Czechia. Rhys is currently studying aerospace engineering at Cambridge University and is going on to do a PhD in engineering at Oxford University from September. He says he has found a lot of joy in the building aspect of amateur radio and enjoys contesting with his university amateur radio club. Find out more about Rhys and this inspirational annual YOTA camp on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/yota-camp Are you looking for your next construction challenge? Then the RSGB British Science Week Time challenge could be for you. The task is to provide a method of either measuring the frequency of a radio frequency source or signal or providing a time reference to a radio operator or radio system. You must use readily available components, materials or other resources. The activity is open to all ages and is divided into three categories: under 18 or still in school; under 21 or an undergraduate up to the age of 23; and a category with no age restriction. You can enter as an individual or as a group. The winner of each category will win a prize of £150 with the winners being announced at this year's RSGB Convention in October. The deadline for entries is the 1st of September. You can find out more, including how to enter, by visiting rsgb.org/bsw and selecting the ‘Time-related challenge' link under the BSW24 header. Don't forget you can get involved in the new GR2HQ Challenge next weekend, the 13th and 14th of July, as part of the IARU HF World Championship contest. You can take part as individuals but also benefit your club, so why not encourage your club members to take part whether they are regular contesters or not? 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. 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. 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 TX Factor has released its latest episode in which there is a look at the IC-R15 communications receiver, the latest offering from Icom. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR discuss how best to configure the Anytone BT-01 Bluetooth microphone with the Anytone AT-D578, which will be a boon for mobile operating. Finally, there is the second part of a feature on operating via the QO-100 satellite with the Groundstation 2 from DX Patrol. Watch this and previous episodes on the TX Factor website at txfactor.co.uk or on its YouTube channel. A reminder that the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is tomorrow, 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  And now for details of rallies and events Barford Radio Rally is taking place today, the 7th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Norwich, NR9 4AB. The doors open at 9 am 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 radio@dcpmicro.com The Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is also taking place today, the 7th, at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. The doors open at 10.30 am and admission costs £3. Traders bring and buy, club stalls, car parking and catering are all available on-site. Contact Ken, G0FIC on 01209 821073 for more information. Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will take place next Sunday the 14th, at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridgeshire, CB22 6RN. The doors open at 9.30 am for visitors and at 7.30 am for traders. The event features a car boot sale, talk-in, trade stands, clubs and a bring-and-buy area. A free marshalled car park and burger van will be available on site. For more information visit cambridgerepeaters.net and click on the Rally tab. Also on Sunday the 14th, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Summer Rally is taking place at Rasen Festival Hall, Caistor Road, LN8 3HT. The doors open at 10 am and entry will cost £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. More information, including contact details, is available via tinyurl.com/LSWC2024 The McMichael Radio and Electronics Rally and Car Boot Sale is also taking place on Sunday the 14th of July. The venue will be Reading Rugby Club, Holme Park, Sonning Lane, Reading, RG4 6ST. The doors open at 9 am for visitors and at 8 am for traders. Refreshments and ample parking will be available. For more information visit mcmichaelrally.org.uk  Now the Special Event news Special callsign OR100LGE is used by members of Liege Radio Club, ON5VL throughout 2024 to celebrate the Club's 100th anniversary. Look for activity on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via ON6YH. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log. SK100FRK is the special callsign in use by the Falu Radio Club, SK4AO to celebrate the 100th anniversary since it was founded. The station will be active until the end of 2024 and details of an available award can be found at QRZ.com  Now the DX news Bo, OZ1DJJ is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 16th of July. He is QRV on the 6 and 4m bands, as well as on the HF bands, often using FT8. QSL via OZ0J. Zsolt, HA8PX is active as S79/HA8PX from Mahe, AF-024, in the Seychelles until Wednesday the 10th of July. He operates mainly CW, but also some SSB and FT8, on various bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly.  Now the contest news VHF National Field Day started at 1400 UTC on Saturday the 6th of July and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 7th of July. Using all modes on the VHF bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 7th, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 10th, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 11th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The IARU HF World Championship starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 13th of July and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 14th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and ITU zone. On Sunday the 14th, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 4th of July 2024 After a rough spot last weekend, the Sun has since behaved itself, allowing HF propagation to get back to normal. To recap, the Kp index hit 7.67 on Friday the 28th of June, thanks to incoming plasma from a coronal mass ejection. For a time, it looked like we might have a repeat performance of the 10th of May when the Kp index hit 9 and there was a visible aurora across the UK. This time around, however, conditions calmed down again and 24 hours later the Kp index was back to 2.33. Since then, the Sun has remained calm with only two M-class and zero X-class flares, and the Kp index is back in the 1 to 3 range. This means that the ionosphere has had a chance to build up and we have been seeing MUFs over a 3,000km path exceeding 21MHz and often reaching 24MHz. That's pretty good considering we are in the Summer HF doldrums. An analysis of the Sun's active sunspot regions shows that two are growing, five are declining and one is stable. WSPRNet.org shows that signals have been getting to the UK from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Far East on the 15m band, while 28MHz is still mainly open to short-hop Sporadic-E contacts across Europe. The solar flux index has declined over the past week and was sitting at 167 on Thursday the 4th of July. Next week, NOAA predicts it will remain around the 170 mark, with quiet geomagnetic conditions. However, solar flares and coronal mass ejections remain hard to predict so keep an eye on Solarham.com and Propquest.co.uk for a real-time view of solar and geomagnetic conditions. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather sequence to the end of next week is much like an autumn pattern in that the story is all about areas of low pressure, showers and weather fronts. None of this suggests that Tropo will be a feature of the weather. In fact, high-pressure systems simply do not appear on the charts at all. We can leave rain scatter on the list and, since it is technically summer, or meant to be, there is a lot of energy in any showers. Indeed, some may be heavy and thundery and are probably good rain-scatter candidates. Meteor scatter, in the absence of major showers, is most likely around the dawn period when random meteors tend to be more prevalent. The solar conditions continue to offer much variability and it is always worth checking for elevated Kp index values, which can be a signal for aurora to occur. As a general guide check the bands when Kp reaches 5 or higher. The Sporadic-E season continues, although recently there have been some higher-than-ideal Kp indices, which unlike for aurora need to be at lower values, say below a Kp index of 3, for ideal Sporadic-E conditions. The other ingredient that tends to promote Sporadic-E is the presence of jet streams in the upper atmosphere around 10 to 15km up. It is believed that these can generate atmospheric gravity waves that can propagate up to the E region at 110km where they become part of the process for making Sporadic-E. This unsettled autumn-like weather is providing plenty of jet streams, so it continues to be worth checking for Sporadic-E. A quick look at the upper air pattern suggests that paths towards Scandinavia and the Baltic may be productive, and perhaps to Iberia later next week. Moon declination is close to maximum positive this coming weekend so Moon peak elevation will be high. Moon apogee is on Friday the 12th so EME path losses continue to increase. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of April 2024   The news headlines: New mock papers for amateur radio licence exams have been published A revised amateur radio examination syllabus has been released The RSGB has released the video review of 2023 by its President John McCullagh, GI4BWM The RSGB Exam Syllabus Review Group has published a new set of mock papers covering each of the amateur radio licence exams, from Foundation through to Direct to Full. These papers are in addition to those already available. They are each marked as ‘mock exam paper 3' and you can find them on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/mock-exams  The new amateur radio licence has now been in effect for a few weeks. Changes to the licence conditions have made it necessary to revise the examination syllabus. The RSGB is pleased to release version 1.6 of the syllabus which includes these revisions. Compared to version 1.5 in current use, the only section that has seen major changes is Section 1 – “Licensing and station identification”. In Section 7 – “Operating practices and procedures” – there were some minor changes, for example regarding suffixes. Exams will start using version 1.6 of the syllabus on the 1st of September 2024. The Society has released the video review of 2023 by RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM. Filmed at the Ofcom Spectrum Management Centre near Baldock in Hertfordshire, the video covers a wide range of very positive activities, events and achievements. The President also talks about the RSGB's strategic priorities, gaining publicity in the mainstream media, and the important work done by the Society on behalf of all radio amateurs to protect the spectrum. One example is the WRC Conference, where the RSGB Microwave Manager Barry Lewis, G4SJH, led the IARU team responsible for defending amateur use of the 23cm band. You can watch the video on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB At the April Regional Forum meeting, Regional Representative 10, Keith Bird, G4JED was elected as Chair, and Regional Representative 3, Martyn Bell, M0TEB was elected as Secretary. They will both volunteer in these roles until the 2025 AGM. You can find contact details for both Keith and Martyn on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/regions The next in the series of the popular 145 Alive events, to promote the use of 145MHz FM, is scheduled to take place on the 11th of May 2024, from 1 pm to 3 pm. The event and the supporting Facebook Group was started by Tim, G5TM and from the start of 2024 has been organised by Mark, M0XIC and John, M0XJA. The last successful event took place in January this year, when over 30 nets operated simultaneously across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern and Southern Ireland. Over 900 QSOs took place, with many amateurs operating portable, mobile or from their club or home QTH. If you would like to take part and find out more about the event and 145 Alive in general, then join the 145 Alive Facebook Group. If you would like to run a net on the 11th of May, contact Mark, M0XIC or John, M0XJA via the Facebook Group. Mills on the Air Weekend 2024 is coming up on Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of May. The event takes place across the UK every May with more than 300 windmills and watermills usually taking part. For more information, to register, and to view a list of registered stations, visit ddars.net/mills.html The RAF Air Cadets are pleased to announce that they are running the ever-popular Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise in June on the 60m band. The exercise will take place between the 17th and 21st of June. Subject to your licence conditions, the Blue Ham team hopes that you can put some time aside to join in with the cadets and staff who will be ready to take your calls. The Blue Ham Team will issue you with a participation certificate if you contact 20 or more special MRE callsigns over the period of the exercise. For more information visit alphacharlie.org.uk  Please note that only Full licensees may operate on the 60m band. South Bristol Amateur Radio Club is running a free online Foundation licence course in May. Anyone who is interested in taking part can find out more by emailing training@sbarc.co.uk When emailing, please include your name, postal address and date of birth. Please also indicate which weekday evenings and times you are available. The weekday evening that the course will take place will be decided by majority preference. MFJ Enterprises has announced in a letter to its customers that it will be ceasing its on-site production at its premises in Starkville, Mississippi on the 17th of May 2024. The news also applies to the sister companies Ameritron, Hygain, Cushcraft and others. MFJ Enterprises has been in business for 52 years and will continue to sell its existing stock after the 17th of May. It will also continue to offer a repair service for out-of-warranty and in-warranty units for the foreseeable future. And now for details of rallies and events The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club's 40th Annual Radio Rally is due to take place on Sunday the 5th of May. The venue will be Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen, BT92 0JZ. The event will feature food and drink, bring and buy, RSGB books, the QSL Bureau, and the usual variety of traders. The doors open at 11 am. Traders are asked to arrive around 9 am. Admission, which includes a ticket for the prize draw, will cost £5 or five Euro. Contact Alan at argault91@gmail.com to arrange a table. Thorpe Camp Hamfest will also take place on Sunday the 5th of May at Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire, LN4 4PL. Traders are asked to arrive no earlier than 7 am. The doors open at 9 am for buyers and the entrance fee is £5 per person. The Retrotech UK event will be held on Sunday the 12th of May. The venue will be Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. The doors open at 10.30 am with an entry fee of £10. A fee of £25 applies for early-doors entry at 9 am. This is an annual event organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society. There will be almost 200 dealer stalls, clubs and private sellers. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the wide range of retro equipment. For more information email info@retrotechuk.com and visit retrotechuk.com Now the Special Event News Special callsign SZ0WARD is in use by the Radio Amateur Association of Greece in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day until the 30th of April. Look for activity on all bands using SSB, CW and digital modes. QSL via the Bureau and Logbook of the World. See sv2rck.gr/SZ0WARD for details of an available award. Also in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, the special callsign TC3WRD is active until the 30th of April. QSL via Logbook of the World. For details of a certificate that is available, see tadx.org/awards The station was spotted recently on the 40m band using FT8. Today is the last chance to work special event station GB6WW which is active from Glasgow, Scotland to commemorate the end of the Second World War. If you have made QSOs with GB6WW on three or more bands, you are eligible to apply for an award. To apply for the award, send an email to gb6ww@ft8.me with the details of your contacts. Please include your callsign, dates of QSOs, and the bands on which they occurred. There is no application fee. Once your QSOs have been verified, the PDF award file will be emailed to you. Now the DX news Jeff, K5WE and Craig, W5CCP are active as TX7W from Raivavae, OC-114,  in the Austral Islands until the 30th of April. They are operating using mainly CW and FT8, with some SSB, RTTY and FT4, on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred but is also available via Logbook of the World, or directly to K5WE. Depending upon a reliable internet connection, logs will be uploaded to Club Log daily, and Club Log's Livestream will be enabled. See k5we.com/tx7w for more information and updates. Listen out for a group of 13 Camb-Hams which is active from the Isle of Mull, EU-008, as GS3PYE until the 3rd of May. The team is QRV on the 80 to 10m bands as well as via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. You can read a report of the team's previous visit to the island in 2015 at tinyurl.com/Mull2015 Now the contest news The UK and Ireland DX CW Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th and ends at 1200UTC today, the 28th of April. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Ireland's stations also send their district code. The SP DX RTTY Contest started at 1200UTC on the 27th and ends at 1200UTC today the 28th of April. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. SP stations also send their province code. The MGM Contest started at 1400UTC on the 27th of April and ends at 1400UTC today the 28th of April. Using machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your report and four-character locator. Today, the 28th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75-baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. On Monday the 29th, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Wednesday the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Saturday the 4th, the 432MHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2000 UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The 432MHz to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 5th of May. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 4th of May and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 4th of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. The ARI International DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 4th of May and ends at 1159UTC on Sunday the 5th of May. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Italian stations also send their province. On Sunday the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Sunday the 5th, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Wave Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 5th, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 40m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain Square. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 25th of April 2024 We had another week with plenty of sunspots, and HF conditions were quite good in the second half. Earlier, the Kp index reached 3 and 4, which didn't help maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs for short. For example, on Sunday the 21st, the Kp index rose to 4 and the MUF over a 3,000km path remained stubbornly below 21MHz until later in the morning. This could have been due to a coronal hole on the Sun's equator, which added to the solar wind. By Wednesday, conditions were nearly back to normal, with a Kp index below 2 and an MUF of more than 24MHz. By Thursday the improvement had continued, giving us an MUF of more than 28MHz by 0900UTC. There have been many reports of 10m band DX being worked, including Sebastien, FK4AX and Pat, FK8HA in New Caledonia in the Pacific on SSB. Sebastien has just got his licence and is keen to work DX from the UK. This shows that it is worth keeping an eye on the CW and SSB portions of the 10m band, which can often throw up surprises. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will decline to around 160. The Kp index is predicted to be around 2 to 3, but that may be wishful thinking. With 16 active regions visible on the Sun's surface on Thursday, anything could happen. Only minor C- and M-class flares have occurred recently but, as we always say, it wouldn't take much for those to turn into X-class events. So, make the most of quiet geomagnetic conditions when we have them as, by the time you read or hear this, we could once again have very unsettled conditions indeed. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The cold, unsettled weather will ease its grip over the last few days of this week, ending the 28th of April, but only because the whole area of low pressure is moving across the country this weekend. Low pressure remains close by for much of the following week and only a hesitant return of high pressure west of Ireland will improve things for western Britain at the end of the week. The result is a chance of Tropo for western Britain next week, but it will probably be of limited quality since it is likely to form in cold, dry air across any temperature inversion.  The remaining option in such weather patterns is primarily rain scatter for those on the GHz bands. The many online weather radar displays can be used to highlight the areas of heaviest rain. We are past the peak of the Lyrids meteor shower, but the Eta-Aquarids, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate of 50, peaks next Sunday the 5th around 2100UTC. Until then, rely upon random activity which tends to be better around dawn. The Sun has been more active again recently, so monitor the clusters and Kp index for signs of geomagnetic activity and the chance of an aurora if the Kp index exceeds 5. Sporadic-E tends to produce a few early examples in May ahead of its June peak. Check the DX clusters during the late afternoon or early evening as openings can be very brief early in the season. Start on the 10m band and, if short skip within Europe is present, move up to the 6m band. Digital modes are more sensitive so check FT8 reports to give clues as to where the chances are greatest. For EME operators, the Moon is at minimum declination today, Sunday the 28th, meaning we'll have short Moon windows to start the coming week. Path losses are falling but perigee, when the Moon is at its closest point, is still over a week away. 144MHz sky noise is high this weekend, ending the 28th of April, but falls too low by the end of the coming week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 17th of March 2024 The news headlines: The RSGB's 2024 AGM is coming up British Science Week is drawing to a close Changes to examination fees are coming soon This year's RSGB AGM will take place at 10 am on Saturday the 13th of April and will be held online to ensure as many members as possible can watch and take part. The formal business of the meeting will include the results of members' votes on the resolutions, including the endorsement of three Nominated Directors. The President will give a video review of 2023 and the Society will announce the recipients of its annual awards and trophies, as well as the winners of its construction competition. At the end of the meeting, there will be a recorded presentation on “Making amateur radio licensing fit for the future” by Ofcom Group Director, Spectrum, David Willis. This will be followed by a live Q&A on the new licence conditions, with four senior RSGB representatives answering your questions: President, John McCullagh, GI4BWM; Board Chair, Stewart Bryant, G3YSX; General Manager, Steve Thomas, M1ACB; and Spectrum Forum Chair, Murray Niman, G6JYB. You can find more information about the candidates, voting and how to ask the Board a question on the RSGB AGM web pages at rsgb.org/agm British Science Week is drawing to a close and lots of exciting activities have been going on. Radio amateurs across the country have been encouraging young people to explore and understand our hobby and there have been some wonderful ways of incorporating the theme of “Time” into amateur radio activities. The RSGB would like to thank those who have shared ideas and resources, promoting the magic of radio communications with young people. There will be a report in the June issue of RadCom to showcase the activities that have happened and to inspire people to get involved next year! Perhaps you ran a construction day, set up and operated a radio station in a school or achieved a QSO with GB3RS at the RSGB National Radio Centre. Whatever you've been doing, please send your reports, with separate high-resolution photographs, to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 21st of April 2024. The RSGB would welcome feedback about what worked well, what you learned and how the Society could develop its British Science Week activities next year. Please email the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO at bsw@rsgb.org.uk to share your thoughts. Early in February the RSGB announced that the fees for Foundation, Intermediate and Full level examinations would increase from the 1st of May 2024. You can now use the online booking system to book an exam before the 1st of May at the current price or select exam dates from the 1st of May at the new prices. Please ensure you make the correct date selection, as booking errors that need to be changed may incur an administration fee as outlined in the exam terms and conditions. To book an exam, go to the Student Information section of the RSGB website and choose the option to book and pay for your exam from the right hand menu. The RadCom Contesting column has new editors! The RSGB Contest Committees will be overseeing the column and have planned a schedule of topics. Some will be written by members of the three contesting committees, and some by others who can share their experiences. As well as information about various aspects of contesting, the committees hope that the column will feature a contesting tip of the month, a featured UK contester, as well as a contest of the month. Once each issue is published, the column content will be shared on the RSGB website to provide a useful resource about contesting. You can see a list of the planned topics at rsgb.org/radcom-contesting  The committees are keen to hear from people who would like to be involved, so if you would like to suggest a missing topic or offer to write something for the column, please email ContestClub@rsgbcc.org And now for details of rallies and events Callington Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, the 17th. The rally is being held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7BD. The doors will be open from 10 am. Entry is £2 each and there is no charge for those under the age of 16. A comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies are present along with a bring-and-buy stall and the usual catering service. The venue has excellent disabled access and toilets, and there is ample car parking nearby. More details, including a list of items currently registered for sale at the huge bring-and-buy stand, are available at callingtonradiosociety.org.uk Grantham Amateur Radio Club Radio and Electronics Rally is also taking place today, the 17th. The venue is Grantham West Community Centre, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire. The doors are open from 9 am to 1.30 pm and entry for buyers is £3. Those under the age of 16 will be admitted for free. Ample free parking is available. For more information visit garc.org.uk/rally In Wales, the Pencoed and District Amateur Radio Club Rally is taking place today, the 17th. The event is being held at Sarn and Bryncwils Social Club, Sarn, Bridgend, CF32 9NY. The entrance fee is £2 but there is no charge for those under the age of 16. Doors open to the public at 10 am and refreshments are available. Disabled access is available via a chair lift. For more information contact Leuan Jones at 07791 709 691. The Dover Amateur Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 24th of March at Saint Radigunds Community Centre. The doors will be open from 10 am to 2 pm and the entrance fee will be £3. Tables cost £15 each with a maximum of two tables per vendor. For more information visit darc.online/rally The Ripon Rally will also take place on Sunday the 24th of March. The venue will be Great Ouseburn Village Hall, Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn, York, YO26 9RL. Lots of parking will be available adjacent to the venue. Traders are welcome from 7 am and tables cost £10 each. The doors open for visitors from 10 am and entrance is £3 per person. For more information visit radars-g4sjm.club Now the Special Event News HI180RD is on the air to celebrate the 180th anniversary of the Dominican Republic declaring its independence from Haiti in 1844. Listen for activity on all bands and modes until the 30th of April. Around 25 operators from five radio clubs will be part of the event. For details of an available certificate, visit QRZ.com A special event call sign EI80MB is active until the 31st of May 2024 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the rescue of 168 German seamen who were rescued from the waters of the Bay of Biscay after a battle between British and German naval forces in 1943. The men were carried out by a small Irish coaster called ‘Kerlogue' which had the callsign EIMB. The rescue took more than ten hours. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or via EI6AL. Now the DX news Nobby, G0VJG is active as 5H3VJG from Zanzibar Island, AF-032, in Tanzania until the 20th of March. He is operating mainly using SSB and with some CW and FT8. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS. QSOs will be uploaded to the Logbook of the World and Club Log. Gerard, F2JD is active as HR5/F2JD from Copan, Honduras until the 21st of March. He is operating CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the HF bands. QSL via F6AJA directly or via the Bureau. Now the contest news On Monday the 18th, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group HF RTTY Contest started at 0200UTC on Saturday the 16th and ends at 0200UTC on Monday the 18th. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and time. On Tuesday the 19th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using All modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 19th, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and county code. On Thursday the 21st, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 14th of March 2024 What a difference a month makes. We've gone from a solar flux index up to almost 200, to one that is down in the 120s. Over the past week, we have had only two M-class solar flares, which means we have had limited coronal mass ejection activity and therefore low Kp indices. Last weekend's Commonwealth Contest saw UK amateurs making plenty of HF contacts, some with Australia, but everyone agreed that HF propagation was a little lacklustre. There is a daily chance of moderate-class solar flares from AR 3607, the largest sunspot region, but all remaining spots remain mostly small and simple. The solar wind speed has been quite high with sporadic periods of a south-pointing Bz field. This is what has pushed the Kp index to three, but this isn't a big threat to HF. There is a slight chance of unsettled intervals caused by a weak coronal hole near the south centre of the solar disc coupled with the fast solar wind. NOAA reports that active region 3590 has been detected on the far side of the Sun using helioseismology. This may mean that it will still be active and a threat when it returns in a week or so. This region was the source of the X6 solar flare on the 22nd of February – the largest so far in solar cycle 25. Next week, commencing the 18th of March, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 120 to 130 range, although the US Air Force predicts it could reach 150. Geomagnetic conditions are likely to be mainly settled with a maximum Kp index of two or three.  So, this is a reasonable forecast for HF propagation, which should remain open up to 28MHz during daylight hours. This is also a good time for north-south paths, such as the UK to South Africa, and the UK to South America. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The continuing theme of unsettled weather will produce further spells of rain and heavy showers and once again provide some rain scatter options on the GHz bands. Another thing to mention is that, as we move towards the latter part of the month, the intensity of showers becomes greater due to the additional warmth improving the effectiveness of the rain scatter process. It is very hard to find any traditional Tropo until we get well into the coming week. It may occur on Thursday the 21st when a high will develop a ridge from Biscay across southern Britain and the near continent. This should provide a chance of Tropo for the final few days of the coming week. Unfortunately, this is not in time for the UK Activity Contest on 1.3GHz on Tuesday the 19th, but the 70MHz UK Activity Contest on Thursday the 21st may be luckier. The north of Britain may start to see the next low bringing rain over that weekend, so although it has an early exit from any Tropo, at least being well north gives Scottish stations a head start for any aurora, which tends to favour the spring months. Meteor scatter remains in the random territory – try just before sunrise for best results. But with the next major shower being the Lyrids in late April, we have a while to wait for an uptick in activity. Lastly, a brief mention of Sporadic-E. It has popped up with some weak events on the Dourbes plots on Propquest, but the main season is still a little way off. Maybe check next month for a heads-up on the lower bands like 28 and 50MHz. Of course, digital modes will get a head start, so best to check the clusters and chatrooms for signs of fleeting activity. Some UK stations reported 50MHz trans-equatorial propagation to Africa last week, so check for that. For EME operators, Moon declination reaches a maximum on Sunday, but path losses are starting to increase again. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, falling to low on Wednesday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 3rd of March 2024 The news headlines: The Calling Notice for the RSGB's 2024 AGM is now online New HF beacon list released by the RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is coming up The Calling Notice for the RSGB's 2024 AGM is now online. The Notice includes the resolutions and information about the three Nominated Directors who are being put forward for endorsement by RSGB members. You can also read the minutes of last year's AGM. Voting opens on Wednesday the 13th of March. On that same day, you will be able to submit a question for the RSGB Board via a web form or register to ask a question via video on Zoom. For more information go to the Society's website at rsgb.org/agm The RSGB's Propagation Studies Committee has released a new HF beacon list, with the 10m band listings completely revamped. The old list, which was started by Martin Harrison, G3USF Silent Key, had been added to over the years but was getting out of date. The only way to make it more accurate was to start again. The Propagation Studies Committee made use of the Reverse Beacon Network which wasn't available when the list was originally created, plus listeners' contributions from around the world. The new beacon list can be found at rsgb.org/beacons Have you wondered what happens at a VHF National Field Day? Would you like to take part in one? In this month's Tonight@8 webinar, on Monday the 4th of March, the RSGB offers two different perspectives. Firstly, RSGB VHF Contest Committee member Richard, G4HGI will talk about how the RSGB VHF Contest Committee uses the VHF Survey and other tools to formulate the rules and calendar for all VHF Contests, with specific emphasis on VHF National Field Day. Secondly, three members of the Lothians Radio Society, GM3HAM will explain how they organise and operate these hilltop events within the Scottish borders. The club has made a short, professional film capturing their 2023 VHF National Field Day weekend. They will show clips of that and of an old cinema film to show how this looked from a technical standpoint at much earlier club competition events in the 1970s. This will be a great evening so put it in your diary and be inspired! You can watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or a special BATC channel. Go to rsgb.org/webinars to find out more. The RSGB has made two safeguarding announcements. Firstly, the Society's safeguarding policy has been revised in line with modern practices and you can find it on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/policies  Secondly, if your club relies on the RSGB's affiliated club insurance for activities that may have a safeguarding requirement, it is important that you are aware of the conditions in Section 10 of that insurance. You can find the insurance details in your club portal on the RSGB website. The Radio Society of Harrow is running a one-day classroom-style Foundation course on Saturday the 23rd of March at its venue in Watford. If you know anyone who would like to join the course, please tell them to email Brian, G3YKB at g3ykb@yahoo.co.uk  There will be an optional extra session on the morning of the 24th. Following complaints from some members, the RSGB has investigated a problem with the non-delivery of RadCom on Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It seems that following changes at Royal Mail, the labelling requirement for these copies was incorrectly applied by the printers and these copies didn't go through the postal system correctly. The Society is sorry that this error has occurred and apologises for any inconvenience caused. It has, of course, asked its printers to ensure that there is no repetition of this problem, and the printer has paid for the two missing copies to be sent to each RSGB member in those areas. If your RadCom doesn't arrive in future, please email the RSGB membership team via membership@rsgb.org.uk so they can send a replacement and track any wider problems. Those who enjoy constructing and operating with low-power devices will be interested to know that a QRP conference is taking part in Rennes in the northwest of France on the 18th of May 2024. The event will include lectures and demonstrations and will be an ideal opportunity for the exchange of information between like-minded amateurs. The organisers are putting together a programme of speakers and are looking for contributors on every aspect of low-power design, construction and operation. To read more about attending and contributing to the event, visit tinyurl.com/QRPCONF You may need to set your web browser to translate the web page from French to English.  And now for details of rallies and events The Exeter Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 3rd of March from 10 am to 1 pm. The event is being held at America Hall, Pinhoe, EX4 8PX. For more information, contact Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk The Hack Green Radio Surplus Hangar Sale will take place on Sunday the 10th of March. The venue will be Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AL. The event will include the sale of electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. For more information email coldwar@hackgreen.co.uk  or visit hackgreen.co.uk Callington Radio and Electronics Rally will take place on Sunday the 17th of March. The rally will be held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7BD from 7.30 am until 2 pm. The doors will be open from 10 am. Entry will be £2 each but there will be no charge for those under the age of 16. A comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies will be present along with a bring-and-buy stall and the usual excellent catering service. The venue has excellent disabled access, toilets and ample car parking nearby. Tables are still available at £5 for the large size and £3 for the smaller ones. Booking is essential, so please contact Alastair, M0KRR via email at alastair.kerr1@btinternet.com or by phone at 01503 262755. Grantham Amateur Radio Club Radio and Electronics Rally will be held on Sunday the 17th of March. The venue will be Grantham West Community Centre, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire. The doors will be open from 9 am to 1.30 pm and entry for buyers will be £3. Those under the age of 16 will be admitted for free. There is a cost of £5 per table for sellers. Traders must book and pay in advance. The event will feature an RSGB book stall, hot and cold refreshments and a prize raffle. Ample free parking will be available. To reserve tables, contact rally@garc.org.uk  For more information visit garc.org.uk/rally Pencoed and District Amateur Radio Club Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 17th of March. The venue will be Sarn and Bryncwils Social Club, Sarn, Bridgend, CF32 9NY. Doors open for traders at 8 am and tables cost £15. The entrance fee will be £2 but there will be no charge for those under the age of 16. Doors open to the public at 10 am and refreshments will be available. Disabled access is available via a chair lift. To book your tables please contact Leuan Jones at 07791 709 691.  Now the Special Event News Members of the Newfoundland-based Grassroots Amateur Radio Club, VO1GRC are active as VO1TAP until the 18th of March. QSL via Logbook of the World and eQSL. The callsign commemorates the anniversary of the USS Truxtun and USS Pollux naval disaster that occurred off the coast of Newfoundland on the 18th of February 1942. Members of the Zurich City Police Radio Amateur Club, HB9SP are active on the HF bands as HB20SP throughout 2024 to celebrate their club's 20th anniversary. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, Club Log and QRZ.com  Please do not send any cards via the Bureau.  Now the DX news Uwe, DL8UD is active as V31KO from Belize, in Central America, until the 6th of March. He is operating using SSB, CW and FT8 on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via DL8UD directly or via the Bureau. A group of intrepid amateurs is active as part of the H40WA DXpedition to Temotu Province, OC-065, in the Solomon Islands until the 7th of March. Listen for activity, from up to six stations, on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via M0URX's OQRS page. Now the contest news The 144 and 432MHz Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 2nd of March and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 3rd of March. Using all modes on the 2m and 70cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 3rd, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000UTC to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the microwave bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 3rd, The Worked All Britain 80m Contest runs from 1800 to 2200UTC. Please note that this is an SSB-only contest, and the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain area. All entries need to be with the contest manager by the 13th of March. Full Contest rules are available on the Worked All Britain website at worked-all-britain.org.uk The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 2nd of March and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 3rd of March. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmitter power. American stations send their state and Canadian stations send their province. On Monday the 4th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Commonwealth Contest starts at 1000UTC on Saturday the 9th of March and ends at 1000UTC on Sunday the 10th of March. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. HQ stations also send ‘HQ'. On Tuesday the 5th, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 5th, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 6th, 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 6th, 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. Also on Wednesday the 6th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 29th of February 2024 Active region 3590, which was the large sunspot group that threatened us with solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, has now moved to the Sun's limb and is no longer a threat. Region 3590 was potentially dangerous but ultimately wasn't too bad. Yes, we had flares, but they were only minor C-class and M-class events. Three recent CMEs, which will all probably miss Earth, but with a risk of some glancing influence, are most likely to have arrived by this weekend, ending the 3rd of March. However, old active region 3576 will begin to turn into view off the southeast limb by the end of today, the 3rd. The Kp index rose to 4.67 during one three-hour period on Tuesday the 27th of February, but the disturbance was short-lived and HF propagation wasn't too badly affected. Speaking of which, there have been some good HF openings to the Pacific area over the last week. Spotted have been 3D2AG in Fiji on the 17m band, VK on the 10m band, and the H40WA Temotu DXpedition to the Solomon Islands. This latter DXpedition has mostly been spotted on FT8 Fox and Hounds mode in the UK. The maximum usable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path still remains above 28MHz during daytime, with MUFs over 14 to 15MHz at night. So, as we head into March and towards the spring equinox, HF is still looking good. Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the range of 165 to 170. The Kp index is predicted to be two all week, but that is suspect and dependent on coronal mass ejections – or a lack of them. At this point in the cycle, anything could happen. With six or seven active regions visible, the risk of a flare and CME remains relatively high. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The overall weather pattern remains very unsettled with further active lows and weather fronts crossing the country. There will also be periods with stronger winds and it may be cold enough for some wintry weather, especially over northern hills. The upshot of all this is that Tropo will once again be a rarity, but rain scatter may offer some comfort to those on the GHz bands. Later in the coming week, high pressure will strengthen over Norway and this will produce quite strong winds over the North Sea and eastern UK and perhaps encourage paths to the east, but it's probably marginal at best in terms of Tropo. The prospects for aurora and meteor scatter are not especially reliable, but it was encouraging to hear of some digital activity on the 6m band earlier in the week to South Africa and Lesotho. This was probably the result of Trans Equatorial Propagation or TEP, as suggested in last week's news. The spring period is a fairly good time to listen for TEP, timed between the decay of the southern hemisphere summer Sporadic-E season and the start of the northern hemisphere summer Sporadic-E season. It's well worth checking for similar activity during March for paths to the southern hemisphere via TEP. Signals can be strong enough for SSB or CW modes, so it is not exclusively for digital modes. For EME operators, Moon declination drops to a minimum on Tuesday. Path losses are past their peak now and falling until perigee on Sunday the 10th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate to high, reaching a peak of over 2,500 Kelvin on Tuesday the 12th. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 18th of February 2024 The news headlines: Ask the RSGB Board a question during the Society's 2024 AGM Get involved with British Science Week Registration is now open for Maritime Radio Day 2024   Over the last few years, the RSGB has been developing the way in which the Board can be asked questions at the Society's online AGMs. Last year people were able to ask questions via the YouTube live chat as well as submitting written questions in advance. This year, in response to members' feedback, there will be an opportunity to ask a question on video via Zoom. The RSGB Board will still take written questions in advance and will also answer as many questions on the day via the live chat as possible, depending on the time. The RSGB AGM will be held on Saturday the 13th of April and you can find more information about how to take part on the Q&A subpage of the RSGB AGM web section at rsgb.org/agm The RSGB has a collection of resources to help you get involved with British Science Week, which runs from the 8th to the 17th of March this year and has the theme of ‘Time'. If you already have something planned, please let the RSGB know. This will be useful for others to see and might inspire them! There are already several events for British Science Week on the RSGB website. Some of these are open to everyone, so please show your support for them. If you're going on the air, tell everyone when to listen out for you by sending the RSGB dates, times, bands and modes. The RSGB's British Science Week coordinator is Ian Neal, M0KEO and you can contact him via bsw@rsgb.org.uk  Please send Ian the resources you'd like to share and your event details including the times you'll be on the air. All details are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bsw Registration is now open for Maritime Radio Day 2024 which takes place annually on the 14th and 15th of April. The event is held to commemorate the almost 100 years of wireless telegraphy service for seafarers which ended with the closure in the UK of Portishead Radio on the 30th of April 2000. Commencing at 1200UTC on the 14th of April, and finishing at 2300UTC on the 15th of April, this event is a great opportunity to have a QSO with ex-Marine Radio Officers and Coast Station professionals who exchange details of their previous ships and coast stations. The mode of operation is CW and all of the HF bands are used, including the WARC bands. A certificate of participation will be issued to everyone who submits results. Amateur licence holders are invited to register to take part in Friends of Maritime Radio Day. Shortwave listeners may also submit logs. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/MRD24 There are less than two weeks to go until the deadline for the RSGB Construction Competition. There are six categories to enter this year: Antennas; Beginners; Most creative and/or elegant PCB Design; Construction Excellence; Innovation; and Software and Systems. To enable members from across the country, and even the world, to enter, entries will again be judged over the internet rather than in person. Special recognition will be given to entries submitted by radio amateurs under the age of 24, and to those who have just gained their Foundation licence. A cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each section, with a bonus for the overall winner, who will also be declared the winner of the Pat Hawker G3VA Award. You can find out more, including how to enter, on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/construction-competition  Don't forget, the deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2024 so get your entry in before it's too late. Many amateur radio stations have been on the air this weekend, in conjunction with The Guide Association, to celebrate World Thinking Day on the Air. The aim of World Thinking Day on the Air is to encourage Guides to make friendships with members of other units, using amateur radio as the means of communication. If you, or your club or society, were on the air during the event don't forget to send your pictures and stories to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  Please send your reports in by the 23rd of March. And now for details of rallies and events The British Vintage Wireless Society Biggleswade Swap meet and AGM will take place on Sunday the 25th of February. The venue will be The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. A bring-and-buy stall will be available with a 10% commission on sales going to the British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum. Stallholders can gain entry from 9 am. The doors open to the public at 9.30 am and admission will be £8. For more information visit bvws.org.uk or email secretary@bvws.org.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally will take place on Sunday the 25th of February. The venue will be St Joseph's Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Access for exhibitors will be available from 8.30 am and the event will be open to the public from 10 am. Hot and cold refreshments will be available. Further details can be found via West Manchester Radio Club's website at wmrc.co.uk  Send enquiries to Les, G4HZJ via lesjackson@ntlworld.com or phone 07796 264 569. The Exeter Radio and Electronics Rally will take place on Sunday the 3rd of March from 10 am to 1 pm. The event will be held at America Hall, Pinhoe, EX4 8PX. For more information contact Pete, G3ZVI on 07714 198 374 or email g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk  Now the Special Event News Today is the last chance to work Francois, F8DVD who is active as TM21AAW to promote the 21st Antarctic Activity Week. He is QRV from his home QTH in France. QSL via Logbook of the World, his home call or the Bureau. Listen out for members of Radio Club Jean Bart, F6KMB who are active today, the 18th, as TM6C during the traditional Dunkirk Carnival. Operators will be working on the HF and VHF bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via F6KMB. Celebrating the Scandinavian CW Activity Group's 50th anniversary, special callsign SC50AG is active on the HF bands during February. All QSOs will be confirmed via the Bureau and Logbook of the World. Now the DX news Antonio, IK7WUL is active as TY2AA until Tuesday the 20th of February while on a humanitarian mission to Benin. In his spare time, he operates SSB on the HF bands. QSL via IZ8CCW and Logbook of the World. Chuck, KG9N is active as V26CV from Antigua, NA-100, until Tuesday the 20th of February. He is operating mainly using CW and SSB on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or his home call.  Now the contest news The ARRL International DX Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 17th and ends at 2359UTC today, the 18th. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmitter power. American stations send their state and Canadian stations send their province. On Tuesday the 20th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 22nd, the 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ 160m DX Contest runs from 2200UTC on Friday the 23rd to 2200UTC on Sunday the 25th. Using SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. American stations send their state and Canadian stations send their province. The French HF Championship, also known as the REF Contest, starts at 0600UTC on Saturday the 24th and ends at 1800UTC on Sunday the 25th. Using SSB on the HF bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. French stations send their department number or overseas territory prefix. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 15th of February 2024 We had an interesting week with the threat of a major coronal mass ejection at any time with so much sunspot activity. In the end, it pretty much amounted to nothing, with the highest Kp index only reaching 4.33 on February 11th. That's not to say we didn't have solar activity. Far from it, as the solar flux index reached 208 on the 12th and has been consistently above 180 all week. We also had high proton levels as the positively charged particles streamed past Earth. This was the result of an eruption early on Monday morning from beyond the southwest limb. This may have affected HF signals going over the poles. Otherwise, we had numerous low-level solar flares to contend with, but none of them were stronger than M-class and so of little consequence. So where did this leave us in terms of HF propagation? All in all, not bad with maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs for short, over 3,000km consistently above 28MHz in daylight hours. Daytime MUFs were peaking above 33MHz according to the Dourbes ionosonde. Looking further ahead, we are now heading towards the equinox period, so we can expect MUFs to fall from their winter highs. The good news is that we can expect north-south paths to improve. The equinox is traditionally a better time for auroral conditions. If you want to work the USA on 28MHz you still have a couple of months left to do so, but expect transatlantic propagation conditions to decline by the time April arrives. The good news is that propagation to South Africa, South America and the Caribbean may improve. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may reduce and be in the range of 155 to 165. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet but, as always, keep an eye on solarham.net for a near real-time update as the risk of a coronal mass ejection, or CME, remains high. To recap, an Earth-facing CME could increase the Kp index, reduce MUFs and generally give poor HF propagation for up to a day.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The basic weather pattern remains unsettled with a series of frontal systems crossing the country during the period. This leaves little room for any Tropo other than the occasional transient ridge of high pressure between successive weather systems. It does however give plenty of scope for rain-scatter enthusiasts to try their luck on the GHz bands. The solar conditions continue to give hope for an increased geomagnetic Kp index, which would be a good signal for potential aurora if it goes above 5 as evidenced in visual displays over northern Britain last Tuesday night, the 13th and 14th of February. As usual, the other propagation modes can still surprise us, even though this is not strictly the best time of year. The large number of satellites in operation means that QSOs can be guaranteed even with simple hand-held equipment. So, have a look at the AMSAT-UK pages and the RSGB website for details and give it a go! Also, a reminder that the best time for random meteor scatter QSOs is around dawn and that the high solar flux could see some 50MHz openings if the Kp index remains low, especially for the far South and West of the UK.   For EME operators, the moon reaches peak declination today, Sunday the 18th, so activity should be higher with high peak moon elevations and long moon windows. Path losses are moderate but rising and 144MHz sky noise is moderate, but falling after Monday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

  GB2RS News Sunday the 11th of February 2024 The news headlines: The outcome of the RSGB 2024 Board and Regional Team election process RSGB challenge for British Science Week announced RSGB Spectrum Forum updates The RSGB has announced the outcome of its 2024 Board and Regional Team election process. These results come into force at the RSGB 2024 AGM and, until that time, the current Regional Representatives remain in their roles. The announcement also contains news of the Nominated Directors put forward for endorsement by the RSGB membership next month, as well as two co-options to the RSGB Board, effective until the AGM. For full details of the announcement and the candidates go to the RSGB AGM web page at rsgb.org/agm The theme of British Science Week this year is Time. Both time and the closely related concept of frequency, are of vital importance to radio communications. The RSGB has announced a new challenge for British Science Week linked to this theme. The challenge has categories for every age group and the winner of each group will win a prize. The deadline for entries is the 1st of September and the results will be announced at the RSGB Convention in October. The challenge is as follows: “Using readily available components, material or other resources, provide a method of either measuring the frequency of a radio frequency source or signal or providing a time reference to a radio operator or radio system”. For more details about the challenge, as well as activities to inspire you and resources to help you take part in British Science Week, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bsw A busy year has seen several online Spectrum Forum meetings. Two meetings held in January considered the Ofcom notice period for ‘representations' and areas where band plan adjustments would be needed, as well as more regular items such as annual group reports. The RSGB website now has these details online. The RSGB's reply to Ofcom has been added to its special focus page on the Ofcom licence review. Along with other recent representations, this will enable Ofcom to finalise the new licence later this month. The RSGB Spectrum Forum pages have also been updated with the January 2024 group reports and meeting notes, which included the discussions on the provisional changes. To read more, visit rsgb.org/spectrumforum As previously announced by the RSGB Examinations Standards Committee Chair, Tony Kent, G8PBH, the amateur radio licence examinations will need to change to reflect the changes to the licence conditions announced by Ofcom. The scale of the licence changes will have a significant impact on Section 1 of the syllabus, ‘Licensing', and a small impact on Section 7, ‘Operating'. Ofcom is currently reviewing representations and will publish its final decision, including the final version of the licence, before the 21st of February. The new licence will come into effect before work on the syllabus and examination question bank is completed. The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee has gained approval from Ofcom to continue to examine the current licence conditions for a period of six months following the publication of the new licence. This will allow trainers time to update their courses in line with the new syllabus, and allow candidates that have started their training under the current licence conditions to complete their courses and take the exam. It is expected that examinations of the new licence conditions will begin on the 1st of September 2024. For full details, see the exam announcements page on the RSGB website. The first amateur radio station on the moon, JS1YMG, is now transmitting. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, landed its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon on the 19th of January 2024. The JAXA Ham Radio Club, JQ1ZVI secured the JS1YMG callsign and has been transmitting Morse code on 437.41MHz since the 19th of January. The probe uses 1W to a UHF antenna, with circular polarisation, and is transmitting what is described as "matters related to amateur business." Radio amateurs have been busy analysing JS1YMG's signal. You can read more about this story on Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ's blog at destevez.net The RadCom team is looking for authors who are interested in antennas. So, if you are passionate about the theory, design and construction of antennas, and would like to contribute to the magazine, please email radcom@rsgb.org.uk And now for details of rallies and events The MIDCARS Radioactive Rally is being held today, the 11th, at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, CW5 5DG. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £5. There will be a wide variety of trader stalls covering every aspect of amateur radio. Raffles will be held throughout the Rally. Refreshments and snacks will be available in the hall, and parking is immediately adjacent to the venue. The British Vintage Wireless Society Biggleswade Swapmeet and AGM will take place on Sunday the 25th of February. The venue will be The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JH. A bring-and-buy stall will be available with a 10% commission on sales going to the British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum. Stallholders can gain entry from 9 am. The doors open to the public from 9.30 am and admission will be £8. For more information visit BVWS.org.uk or email secretary@bvws.org.uk The Red Rose Winter Rally will take place on Sunday the 25th of February. The venue will be St Joseph's Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Access for exhibitors will be available from 8.30 am and the event will be open to the public from 10 am. Hot and cold refreshments will be available. Further details can be found via West Manchester Radio Club's website at wmrc.co.uk  Send enquiries to Les, G4HZJ via lesjackson@ntlworld.com or phone 07796 264 569. Now the Special Event News In celebration of World Radio Day, a special callsign AO100RADIO will be on the air from Spain until the 29th of February. For more information see QRZ.com The Royal Netherlands Army Signal Regiment is celebrating its 150th anniversary on the 14th and 15th of February. Cadets, servicemen, amateurs and veterans will be on the air for 36 hours with all kinds of historical and in-service radios. Operators will be using the callsign PI4VBD on all bands using SSB and CW. Special event station OL80CLAY will be active from the 12th of February to the 30th of June 2024 from near Prague. Operation Clay took place 80 years ago and was a cover name for an operation executed during World War II in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia by Czech paratroopers trained in England. Their task was to gather intelligence data from Northeast Moravia, send it to London by radio, and cooperate with the local resistance groups. The station will be active on all radio amateur bands. CW will be the main mode of operation, but there will also be activity on SSB, FM and possibly digital modes. Every first QSO will be answered by a special QSL card sent via the Bureau. SWL reports sent via the Bureau to OK2PXJ, or via email, will also be acknowledged. For more information see QRZ.com Now the DX news Francis, F6BWJ is active as FM/F6BWJ from Martinique, NA-107, until the 11th of March. He will operate CW on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or via the Bureau to his home call. Gerard, F2JD is active as HR5/F2JD from Copan, Honduras until the 21st of March 2024. He will operate CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the HF bands. QSL via F6AJA, directly or via the Bureau. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 13th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 13th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 14th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using PSK63 and RTTY on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Wednesday the 14th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 14th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 15th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ Worldwide WPX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 10th and ends at 2359UTC today, the 11th. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 10th and ends at 1200UTC today, the 11th. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Dutch stations send their province. The ARRL International DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 17th of February and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 18th of February. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and transmitter power. American stations send their state and Canadian stations send their province. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 8th of February 2024 A large sunspot region has been turning into an Earth-facing position and now looks like it could be threatening. Active region 3576 has already emitted a couple of low-class solar flares but could be poised for even more. An M5.1 solar flare was detected around region 3575 on the 7th of February as well. Updated imagery shows that an associated coronal mass ejection, or CME, was likely however, due to the location near the Sun's south-west limb, it was directed mostly away from Earth. The solar flux index remained high this week, hitting 190 on the 6th before dropping to 188 on the 8th. Geomagnetically, the Sun has been behaving itself with a maximum Kp index of only three on Sunday the 4th. But all eyes will be on active region 3576 next week as it could upset the apple cart. Meanwhile, daylight maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path remain more than 28MHz, which is good for HF. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to be in the range of 160 to 170. Geomagnetic conditions are also predicted to be settled with a low Kp index. However, as we said earlier, that could all change if we have a violent solar flare and associated coronal mass ejection from region 3576 or any of the many other sunspots. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO Unsettled weather describes the pattern for the coming week, including some colder weather mixed in to provide snowfall for some areas, particularly in northern areas. This characteristic weather type will mean little chance of Tropo during the period. Other propagation modes of interest might be even harder to find unless you are thinking of rain scatter, which could be useful for a few suitably-equipped stations on the GHz bands. Other modes, such as meteor scatter or aurora, are also looking a bit thin. There is always the chance of some random activity, unlike Sporadic-E which is in its late winter lull that usually lasts until April for the 10 and 6m bands. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative and rising, going positive on Monday the 12th. So there will be higher peak Moon elevations and longer Moon windows throughout the week. Path losses were at their lowest at perigee on Saturday the 10th. 144MHz Sky noise is moderate to low. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 4th of February 2024 The news headlines: The RSGB is seeking resources for British Science Week New RSGB Tonight@8 webinar coming up RSGB District Representative opportunities in Region 5 The RSGB is collecting resources to help you get involved with British Science Week, which runs from the 8th to the 17th of March. The theme this year is ‘Time'. If you have any resources and are willing to share them, please send them in. The RSGB has provided some already, including an example risk assessment and some lesson plans. You can also get advice about how to contact your local school or college to offer help. The Society would like to add to its resource base, so please share your ideas. If you already have an event planned, please let the RSGB know. This will be useful for others to see. Let the RSGB know whatever you're planning so it can be added to the web page. If you're going on the air, tell everyone when to listen out for you by sending dates, times, bands and modes. Send your information to the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO at bsw@rsgb.org.uk and to see all the resources go to rsgb.org/bsw  The RSGB's next Tonight@8 live webinar is this Monday, the 5th of February. Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL will be giving a presentation called “Propagation at HF: What can we learn using digital modes WSPR and FST4W?” Gwyn is an associate member of the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee and will present some new and exciting research. You can watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. For more information about the presentation go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Do you live in RSGB Region 5? Region 5 covers the West Midlands area of England, from Staffordshire to the Welsh borders and down to Gloucestershire. The RSGB is looking for three volunteers to take up the roles of DR52 for Central and East Birmingham; DR53 for Shropshire, North Worcestershire and West Birmingham; and DR54 for Gloucestershire, Hereford and South Worcestershire. If you live in one of those areas and would like to promote amateur radio and support the local amateur radio community, please get in touch with the Regional Representative Neil Yorke, M0NKE via rr5@rsgb.org.uk – he will be delighted to hear from you! The RadCom team is looking for a VHF/UHF columnist. James Stevens, M0JCQ has recently retired from this role following the birth of another child. The RSGB thanks James for his work on the column and wishes him well for the future. If you are interested in this opportunity to contribute to RadCom, please email radcom@rsgb.org.uk HamCation is one of the world's largest annual gatherings of radio amateurs. This year it starts in Orlando, Florida on Friday the 9th and runs until Sunday the 11th of February. The event's website contains lots of information including details of forums, speakers, prizes and a special event station. You can read all about it via hamcation.com  And now for details of rallies and events The Canvey Rally is being held today, Sunday the 4th of February, at Cornelius Vermuyden  School, Dinant Avenue, Canvey, Essex, SS8 9QS. For more information contact Richard Stanley at 07725 551 263 or email g7oed@icloud.com  The MIDCARS Radioactive Rally will be held on Sunday the 11th of February at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, CW5 5DG. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £5. There will be a wide variety of trader stalls covering every aspect of amateur radio. Raffles will be held throughout the Rally. Refreshments and snacks will be available in the hall, and parking is immediately adjacent to the venue. The Red Rose Winter Rally will take place on Sunday the 25th of February. The venue will be St Joseph's Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Access for exhibitors will be from 8.30 am. The event will be open to the public from 10 am. Hot and cold refreshments will be available. Further details can be found via the West Manchester Radio Club's website at wmrc.co.uk  Send enquiries to Les, G4HZJ via lesjackson@ntlworld.com or phone 07796 264 569.   Now the Special Event News Today, the 4th, is the last chance to work the special call sign TM26PVJ. The station is active, on the HF bands, for the 26th festival celebrating the ‘Opening of the Yellow Wine'. This year, the festival is taking place at Arbois in the Jura region of France. QSL via F8GGZ. VI100MB is the special call sign for the Manly-Warringah Radio Society, VK2MB, in Australia, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its formation. The station is active until the 25th of February. QSL via Logbook of the World and eQSL.  Now the DX news Keith, G3WRO is active as 8Q7WR from the Maldives, AS-013, until the 6th of February. He is operating SSB on the 40 to 10m bands, and possibly also on the 80m band. QSL via Keith's home call.  Michel, F5LRL is active as CN2DX from near Kenitra, Morocco until the 10th of February. He will operate CW and SSB on the 40 to 10m bands. He is also using FT8 on the 6m band. QSL via EA5GL.  Now the contest news Today, the 4th, the 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday the 5th, the 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 6th, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 6th, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 7th, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 7th, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 7th, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Saturday the 10th, the First 1.8MHz Contest runs from 1900 to 2300UTC. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Also on Saturday the 10th, the Worked All Britain 1.8MHz Contest runs from 1900 to 2359UTC. Please note that this is an SSB-only contest, and all entries need to be with the contest manager by the 20th of February. See worked-all-britain.org.uk for full details of the rules. The CQ Worldwide WPX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 10th of February and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 11th of February. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The PACC Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 10th of February and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 11th of February. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Dutch stations send their province.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 1st of February 2024 We had another week of relatively calm geomagnetic conditions with a maximum Kp index of three. The solar flux index declined from 172 on the 24th to 135 on the 30th. Nevertheless, that is still enough to support propagation on the 10m band, with the maximum usable frequency over a 3,000km path generally being between 29 and 36MHz during daylight. Solar activity has been at low levels with only minor C-class flares and one M-class flare detected. Active region 3559 is now located behind the west limb of the Sun and out of direct view. New active region 3567 in the northeast quadrant is showing the most promise as it appears to be in a growth phase. There is currently a 25% chance of a moderate M-class flare, according to the latest NOAA and SWPC update. Earlier in the week, we had a period of moderate S2-level radiation storming. Proton levels streaming past Earth, following a solar flare early on Monday morning, increased but this has now declined. A minor coronal hole also became Earth-facing on the 2nd of February, so we may still expect some disruption today, Sunday the 4th. The 10m band is still romping along, with beacons along the eastern seaboard of the USA coming alive in the afternoon. This weekend, the 3rd and 4th, sees the 10-10 International Winter SSB Contest, so there should be plenty of stations to work on 28MHz. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may rise again, perhaps to 150 today Sunday 4th, and up to 165 a week later. We may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions on the 5th and 6th, with the Kp index predicted to rise to three.   And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO This week, ending the 4th of February, saw high pressure to the south of Britain and fronts over northern areas. For some stations in the southern half of the country, there could be useful Tropo conditions for the 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest taking place today, the 4th. Unfortunately, the frontal activity over the north will move south on Tuesday to remove any chance of these better conditions lasting into the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 6th of February. The period from mid-week onwards looks dominated by low pressure with rain or showers and generally flat VHF and UHF prospects unless you are set up for rain scatter. Other propagation modes like meteor scatter, aurora or Sporadic-E seem likely to remain in the background for the coming week. For EME operators, moon declination is negative and falling to a minimum on Tuesday the 6th. Path losses are also decreasing since their maximum at apogee on Monday the 29th. But with the low peak moon elevations, only eight degrees on Tuesday, moon windows will be short. 144MHz sky noise is moderate to very high all week going over 3100 Kelvin on Tuesday the 6th. Friday and Saturday see the moon and sun very close together, so Sun noise in antenna beamwidths will be an issue. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 21st of January 2024 The news headlines: British Science Week is approaching Updates on the RSGB's Strategic Priorities RSGB election deadline reminder   This year's British Science Week runs from the 8th to the 17th of March with the theme of Time. This event is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of amateur radio in your local area. The RSGB has some great activity ideas you could try at your local school, Scout or Guiding group or local youth club. Go to the web page at rsgb.org/bsw and click on the activity titles to find everything you need to know to be able to run that activity. Several radio clubs from across the UK have already planned outreach activities for British Science Week and the RSGB hopes its resources will inspire you to get involved too! RSGB volunteer John Hislop, G7OHO has provided these ideas but the Society would love to add other activities to enthuse young people about wireless communication. If you have an amateur radio activity on the theme of Time that you'd like to share, or if you'd like to get involved but aren't sure how to start, please direct enquiries to the RSGB British Science Week contact, Ian Neal, M0KEO. Ian's contact details will soon be available at rsgb.org/bsw At the Discussion with the Board session at the RSGB 2023 Convention, the RSGB President, John McCullagh, GI4BWM confirmed that the Board would keep members updated regularly on progress with the new strategic priorities. Two updates have now appeared in the January and February issues of RadCom and they are also available to read on the RSGB website. These updates highlight some important activities and achievements as well as new plans, so the Society encourages every member to take the time to read them. Go to rsgb.org/strategy and choose the ‘Strategy priorities updates' option from the righthand list. Further updates are being prepared so do check back regularly or look out for them in each RadCom. You can also watch the Discussion with the Board Convention session on the RSGB's YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB The deadline for applications for the one elected RSGB Board Director position and eight Regional Representative roles is Wednesday the 31st of January. Amateur radio needs a strong and active national society so don't leave it to everyone else, step forward for one of these roles and play your part in the future of the RSGB. You'll find guidance and candidate forms on the RSGB elections web page at rsgb.org/election as well as contact details if you want an informal chat before standing for election. A reminder that the RSGB is looking for four licensed radio amateurs to help raise the profile of wireless communication amongst young people across the UK. We have had a good response, but we'd still like to hear from prospective volunteers in Northern Ireland and Wales. These volunteer Youth Country Representatives will represent the RSGB at externally organised events and will plan and deliver outreach activities. If you have plenty of ideas, a passion for getting young people involved in amateur radio and experience of running small-scale events, we would be very keen to hear from you. The deadline is Friday the 16th of February. For full details, see rsgb.org/volunteers and for an informal discussion, please email RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML at gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk GB2RS began broadcasting via the Es'hail-2 amateur satellite in May 2021. Every Sunday at 0800UTC you can hear the latest RSGB news on the dedicated narrow-band QO-100 transponder frequency of 10489.855MHz. This has proved so popular that, by the kind permission of AMSAT-DL, from the 4th of February 2024 we're introducing a second reading at 2100UTC. This will suit our international audience in the western lobe of the footprint. The existing team of three Newsreaders is looking for another volunteer to join them. If you are an RSGB member with a good QO-100 facility and would be interested in broadcasting the news, please contact the GB2RS Manager, Steve, G4HPE at gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk for further details. During February, the RSGB's Photo Friday focus on social media is all about clubs. If you'd like your club to be included, let the RSGB comms team know what you've been up to and who's been involved and share all the brilliant things you've been doing. Email comms@rsgb.org.uk by the 31st of January with a brief summary of the activity and some photos, and please make sure that everyone in the photo is happy to have their face on social media! Chris Deacon, G4IFX has been awarded a PhD from the University of Bath after completing research on propagation. His thesis was entitled: “Radio propagation through ionospheric Sporadic-E”. This part-time work over many years involved looking at Sporadic-E on the 6m band, including making novel measurements of signal amplitude, phase, derived Doppler, polarisation and potential time delay to discover the nature of sporadic-E propagation at VHF frequencies. The RSGB Propagation Studies Committee congratulates Chris on this fantastic achievement. You can find out more by searching for Chris' name on the University of Bath research portal at researchportal.bath.ac.uk  Chris has done a number of presentations about propagation at RSGB Conventions over the years, which you can see on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB And now for details of rallies and events The Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 28th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors will be open from 9 am and admission is £2. Ample free car parking and hot refreshments will be available. The tables cost £10 each. At 2 pm, after the Rally, there will be a used equipment auction. Items for the auction will be booked from 1 pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for tables and details via m5zzz@outlook.com or 07777 699 069. The Canvey Rally will be held on Sunday the 4th of February at Cornelius Vermuyden School, Dinant Avenue, Canvey, Essex, SS8 9QS. The Rally is expected to be the usual hive of activity with plenty of traders on site. For more information contact Richard Stanley at 07725 551 263 or email g7oed@icloud.com  The MIDCARS Radioactive Rally will be held on Sunday the 11th of February at Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, CW5 5DG. The doors open at 10 am and admission is £5. There will be a wide variety of trader stalls covering every aspect of amateur radio. Raffles will be held throughout the Rally. Refreshments and snacks will be available in the hall and parking is immediately adjacent to the venue. Now the Special Event News A team of German amateurs is operating a special event call sign DM24EHF until the 28th of January. The EHF suffix stands for European Handball Federation. The 16th edition of the European Men's Handball Championship is being hosted in Germany from the 10th to the 28th of January. QSL via the bureau, or directly to DL2VFR. The Straight Key Century Club's Straight Key Month is currently underway. The annual on-air event commemorates the Club's founding in 2006 and celebrates the original instruments of early radiotelegraphy including straight keys, bugs and ‘cootie' keys. Listen out for the K3Y callsign which is being aired from the ten US call areas. Information on the event and QSL instructions can be found at skccgroup.com/k3y “Discovering Marconi” is an international amateur radio diploma organised by the ARI Radio Club of Fidenza in Italy. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian scientist in 1874, this award aims to delve deeper into the thought, vision, capacity and character of Guglielmo Marconi. More details of special callsigns and award rules can be found at arifidenza.it Now the DX news Chris, WA7RAR will be active as 8P9CB from Barbados, NA-021, until the 25th of January. Most of his operations will be portable at various locations, especially Parks on the Air sites. He will be QRV on the 20 to 10m bands using CW and SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to WA7RAR. Listen out for Bob, V4/N4RF who is active from Saint Kitts, NA-104, until the 25th of January. He will operate mainly CW, with some FT8 and SSB. QSL via Logbook of the World is preferred but is also available directly via his home call. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 23rd, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The CQ 160m DX Contest starts at 2200UTC on Friday the 26th and ends at 2200UTC on Sunday the 28th. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. American stations send their state and Canadian stations send their province. The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group RTTY Sprint starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 27th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 28th. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is a serial number. The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon began on Friday the 1st of December 2023. The contest will run until the 31st of January 2024. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of January 2024 We had yet another week with good solar conditions which, at this point in the cycle, is good news. The solar flux index remained in the 170s to 180s range and the Sun is currently peppered with spots. The Kp index never got above 3.33 and that was only for one three-hour period on January the 16th. We were also lucky with solar flares in that we only had minor C-class flares to contend with. An eruption was observed beyond the west limb on January 14th. The event generated a fast-moving coronal mass ejection or CME, but it was directed away from our planet. Daytime MUFs over 3,000km remain high at more than 28MHz. At night this reduces to around 6.9 to 9.5MHz, meaning only the 40m band is mainly open to DX, if at all. HF-wise, this is the best time for low-band DXing, such as 40m band contacts with New Zealand around sunrise, and overnight QSOs on the 80m band with the USA. Other DX being worked by members of CDXC includes XU7AKU in Cambodia on 40m CW in the early evening; V31XX in Belize, VP9KF in Bermuda, on 30m CW around 1000UTC; and E20AX in Thailand on 40m CW around 0930UTC. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may remain in the 160 to 170 range with a maximum Kp index of 2. As always, take that Kp prediction with a pinch of salt as a single Earth-facing coronal mass ejection could send it sky-high with an accompanying lowering of the MUF and generally poor conditions. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The main theme of the VHF and up propagation options is that we have three distinct phases coming up. The first phase is set to end today, the 21st. This will be the final blast of the cold northerly wind, which may produce some rain scatter near coasts from snow showers. It is probably not especially useful for Tropo, even inland, except perhaps for local overnight temporary short-distance enhancements due to surface cooling and night frosts. Phase two is the transition to very unsettled, wet and windy weather, which starts to arrive during this weekend, ending the 21st, and generally sets the pattern for much of the coming week. Maybe it will be a rain scatter option for the GHz bands, but the main radio consideration will be wind potentially damaging antennas, particularly in the south. Phase three will be the introduction of a weak ridge of high pressure over southern Britain in the second half of the coming week and the following weekend. This could bring some more productive Tropo to southern parts of the UK, especially into the last weekend of the month. Other propagation modes are available but don't seem to be elevated beyond chance occurrences for meteor scatter or aurora. There is a vanishingly small chance of Sporadic-E, as we are in the minimum period for this sort of propagation until after Easter. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching a maximum on the 23rd. Path losses increase all week until apogee on Monday the 29th. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate this coming week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 17th of December 2023 The news headlines: Ofcom document on changes to amateur radio licensing released YOTA month continues WRC-23 concludes Earlier this week, Ofcom released a document titled “Updating the Amateur Radio Licensing Framework”. The document states that amateur radio licences will be changing in 2024 and provides details of the changes that are planned. These include adjustments to the overall licensing framework and rules in a number of areas including callsigns, technical parameters, licence format, terms and conditions. To read the document in full, as well as a range of associated documents and resources generated by the RSGB and Ofcom, visit rsgb.org/licence-review Youngsters on the Air month is well underway with some great activity from a range of schools, universities and radio societies. If you'd like to get involved, you can listen out for special callsign GB23YOTA and make these young operators feel welcome on the air. Today, the callsign is being operated between 9 am and 6 pm under the supervision of RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML. Young members of the Hereford Amateur Radio Society, and other local youngsters, will be getting on the air. Later this week, on Thursday the 21st of December between 6 pm and midnight, Ben will also be helping a fully licensed young radio amateur activate a SOTA summit. They will be working the 160m and 80m bands with the YOTA callsign. On Saturday the 23rd of December, Tommy M7OMY, supervised by M0BOY, will be back on the air for the duration of the day and night. There is still time to get involved with Youngsters on the Air month – just email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to book a slot or ask for further information. Following four weeks of deliberations, the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference concluded in Dubai on Friday the 15th of December with the signing of the ‘Provisional Final Acts' and a closing ceremony. The numerous changes don't formally take effect until the 1st of January 2025 and preparations are already underway to agree the agenda for future WRC events. The RSGB's special focus pages have the final news report and photos. To view these, visit rsgb.org/wrc-23  The results will be reviewed by the Spectrum Forum after the Christmas break, alongside IARU and domestic changes. The UK Meteor Beacon project is now in its second phase, and both phases have been supported by the RSGB Legacy Fund. At the RSGB 2023 Convention, Brian Coleman, G4NNS outlined the plan for the second phase. A network of receivers will be developed, streaming their data via a central server for detailed study of individual meteor events. This is a cooperation between the ‘worlds' of amateur radio and astronomy. You can now watch Brian's presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB  The RSGB Legacy Fund supports a wide range of amateur radio projects. You can find out more and download an application form on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/legacy The RSGB election process has begun and there are eleven roles to fill. These include eight Regional Representatives covering a wide range of regions, as well as an elected Director and two Nominated Directors. Bob Beebe, GU4YOX is the new Chair of the Nominations Committee and he is keen to see people volunteer. He says that being a Director of the RSGB is a great opportunity to contribute to the future direction of the Society and the RSGB needs the best people to come forward to play their part. If you don't feel you can volunteer, do you know someone who would make a good Director? Do you know someone committed to amateur radio, in touch with the leading thinking in amateur radio today, and capable of contributing to the Society's work in a team environment? If so, ask them to stand for election or as a Nominated Director. Find out more about the RSGB election process, and all the available roles, on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election Following feedback from the amateur radio community, the RSGB's Learning Team is launching a revised Discovery Scheme in the New Year. This will be a revamp of the Individual Scheme from the Beyond Exams initiative and consists of three levels of participation. The ‘Explorer' level is aimed at newcomers to amateur radio and will run from January to March 2024. The ‘Adventurer' level, which will run from April to June 2024, is targeted at those who have been involved with amateur radio for a while and wish to progress. Requiring more significant experience, the ‘Master' level will run from July to December 2024. For more information, contact Beyond Exams Coordinator Mark Burrows, 2E0SBM​ via be.coordinator@rsgb.org.uk As the 2023 year draws to a close, we'd like to take the opportunity to thank all the newsreaders who read the RSGB news on a variety of platforms for their service to their fellow amateurs throughout the year. We respectfully ask amateurs to check carefully before using 145.525MHz on a Sunday as there are many GB2RS broadcasts throughout the day on this frequency. Thank you to all those who listen on Sunday mornings, and the other times that the news is read, to those who call in afterwards to speak to the newsreaders, and to everyone who listens via various other platforms. RSGB HQ will be closed for Christmas and New Year from 4.30 pm on Friday the 22nd of December until 8.30 am on Tuesday the 2nd of January 2024. Next Sunday, the 24th of December, the GB2RS News script will be prepared as usual and read at the discretion of individual news readers. There will be no GB2RS broadcast on Sunday the 31st of December 2023 but many newsreaders will be holding informal nets in their usual broadcasting slots. During the holidays, if you need information about amateur radio, exams or RadCom you'll find lots of pages on the RSGB website at rsgb.org The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. There will be reduced hours on New Year's Eve when the Centre will be closing at 2 pm. Following the seasonal closures, the RSGB National Radio Centre will also be closed for essential maintenance works between the 2nd and 5th of January 2024. Outside of these times, volunteers look forward to welcoming visitors as usual. Remember that RSGB Members can download a free entry voucher for Bletchley Park from the RSGB website at rsgb.org/bpvoucher GB2RS News on the Isle of Man is delivered by a team of four Newsreaders and is widely heard thanks to the extensive GB3IM UHF repeater network. Please note that, from the 7th of January 2024 onwards, the transmission is moving to the new time of 4 pm. For a complete list of GB2RS broadcasts, please download the Broadcast Schedule from rsgb.org/gb2rsschedule And now for details of rallies and events The Sparkford Wireless Group Tabletop Rally, in aid of the RAIBC, will take place on Thursday the 28th of December from 9.30 am to 1 pm. The event will be held at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel near Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Entry is £3 and free parking and refreshments will be available. For more information, email Bob via wjh069@gmail.com The Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 28th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors will be open from 9 am and admission is £2. Ample free car parking and hot refreshments will be available. Tables cost £10 each. At 2 pm, after the Rally, there will be a used equipment auction. Items for the auction will be booked in from 1 pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for tables and details via m5zzz@outlook.com or 07777 699 069. Now the Special Event News Celebrating Christmas and the New Year, special callsign PH23XMAS will be active until the 28th of December. Following this, special callsign PH24HNY will be active from the 28th of December to the 31st of January. For more information, visit QRZ.com Listen out for members of Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society who are active during December using special callsign GB5XMS. The station is active on the HF bands using CW, data and SSB. Now the DX news Harald, DF2WO is active as XT2AW from Burkina Faso until the 19th of December. He operates all modes on the HF and 6m bands and via QO-100. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS and Logbook of the World. Gab, HB9TSW has been active as Z68BG from the Slatina Air Base in Kosovo since the 5th of December. He is operating CW only in his spare time until the 19th of December. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via his home call. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 19th, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 21st of December, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 14th of December 2023 We had a fairly settled time last week with only the solar wind and some solar flare activity to contend with. Sunspot region 3514 produced a moderately strong M5.8 solar flare on the 14th of December. This event was responsible for a coronal mass ejection, or CME, but that was directed to the west and missed the Earth. The problem with the solar wind is that its Bz has mostly been pointing south, which means it more easily couples with the Earth's magnetic field allowing solar plasma to flood in. The result was that the Kp index mostly remained high, with the index hitting three or four across the midweek period. While not excessive, this has affected HF to an extent, although the daytime MUF over 3,000km has remained above 28MHz on most days. What you may find is that the higher bands are now closed until later in the morning and that they close earlier in the afternoon as well. This is partly due to the time of year and partly due to the lower solar flux index we are experiencing. The solar flux index improved slightly over the past week, ending at 135 on Thursday, having been in the 120s earlier. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the range of 125 to 140. It is predicting unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 16th to the 19th of December, with a maximum Kp index of five. Now for a propagation forecast. Santa's broadcasting arm, Santa Radio OF9X, is active again from near the Arctic Circle on all amateur radio bands, using CW, SSB and FT8, until the end of the year. The activity is organised by the Radio Club of Pusula, OH9W and Radio Arcala, OH8X. Keep an eye on DXSummit.fi to find out where they are operating. So far, they have been spotted on the 160, 40, 20, 12 and 10m bands. The Proppy prediction chart shows that anywhere between 10MHz and 28MHz is fair game during daylight, while 7MHz and below will work better at night. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO As expected, the return of a significant region of high pressure developing over the continent as this week ends will bring some enhanced Tropo conditions from the southern UK into the continent and across Biscay to northern Spain. It is also possible that the traditionally preferred policy of beaming around the edge of a high for DX paths will make looking east into northern Germany, Poland and the Baltic a fair prospect, but only until around Tuesday the 19th when a cold front moves south and breaks the path. This is a pity since it will be before Tuesday's 1.3GHz Contest and Thursday's 70MHz UK Activity Contest, which look like missing the best conditions. The second half of the coming week will be dominated by low pressure to the north of Britain and a series of fronts and showery troughs driving south, bringing much colder air with a risk of wintry weather. It will also become very windy at times. This removes Tropo from the picture, but rain scatter may be worth considering, although the shower echo regions will be moving briskly. Use online rain radar displays to help you. The other modes of meteor scatter and aurora are worth leaving on the list with the remains of the December Geminids still with us. Don't forget that out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation often appears in the period from mid-December to mid-January, so check the 10 and 6m bands periodically for activity. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative but rising, going positive on Wednesday the 20th. Path losses are at a minimum at perigee, the Moon's closest point – this was on Saturday the 16th. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 10th of December 2023 The news headlines: 23cm recommendation approved at WRC-23 RSGB Examinations Standards Committee report published RSGB Elections process begins   The third week of the WRC-23 World Radiocommunication Conference has seen the approval of a new footnote to the 23cm amateur band at 1240 to 1300MHz under Agenda Item 9.1-b. This draws attention to the recently released ITU-R Recommendation 2164 that provides guidance to avoid interference to radio navigation satellite services, or RNSS, such as Galileo. This is a major landmark after four years of hard work which started after WRC-19 and now lays out the basis for guidance and next steps. IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH said that the addition of a footnote that provides guidance to administrations in the event of interference to the RNSS is a good regulatory outcome for amateurs and the primary users of this band. You can read more on this story at tinyurl.com/RecRNSS  The IARU team continues its work on other WRC issues including the development of agendas for future conferences. The RSGB special focus page provides regular updates and additional detail. You can find the page at rsgb.org/wrc-23  The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee has published its annual report, covering the operation of the amateur radio exams during the calendar year of 2022. You can read the report on the RSGB website. Go to rsgb.org/esc and click on Minutes, Papers and Reports in the righthand list. If you are keen to see amateur radio, and the RSGB, continue to thrive over the coming years, this is the time to volunteer for an RSGB Board or Regional Team role. This year the Society is looking for one elected Board Director, two Nominated Board Directors and eight Regional Representatives. You can find candidate packs, forms and further details on the Society's website at rsgb.org/election If you're interested but unsure, please read the information set out on the elections web page first and then have an informal chat with the RSGB Company Secretary. Email Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at company.secretary@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB Board is delighted to announce that Bob Beebe, GU4YOX has been appointed as the new Nominations Committee Chair. The Board would like to thank Stephen Purser, GW4SHF for his work in this role over a number of years, and it is pleased that he will continue in his other role as Company Secretary. You can find out more about the Nominations Committee on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nomcom and you can email Bob via nominations.chair@rsgb.org.uk Don't forget that the last of the RSGB's Tonight@8 webinars for 2023 is at 8 pm tomorrow, Monday the 11th of December. It focuses on amateur radio construction and the RSGB Construction Competition. Jenny Curtis M7JNY, Colin Murray GM4EAU, and David Law G0LBK will talk about the projects they worked on and why they decided to submit them to the RSGB Construction Competition in recent years. Watch live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars EIRSAT-1 launched on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA at 1819UTC on Friday the 1st of December 2023. 'EIRSAT-1' stands for 'Educational Irish Research Satellite'. A team of students at University College Dublin, with support from academic and professional staff, has designed, built, tested, and will operate, Ireland's first satellite, a 2U CubeSat. It has a downlink on the IARU coordinated frequency of 437.100MHz. For more information about the project visit eirsat1.ie The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon is underway. The objective is to work as many four-digit grid squares as possible, between 0000UTC on the 1st of December 2023 and 2359UTC on the 31st of January 2024, on the 6m band. Logs can be submitted until 12 February 2024. For more information visit uksmg.org It is now the second week of Youngsters on the Air month. Special callsign GB23YOTA has already been operated by a range of schools, universities and radio societies. The RSGB National Radio Centre is active today Sunday the 10th of December using GB23YOTA between 9 am and 5 pm. On Monday the 11th of December Hilderstone Radio Society will be on the air with St Peter-in-Thanet School in Kent between 12 pm and 6 pm. Mallaig High School will be hosting the special callsign for the second time this month between 12pm and 3pm on Thursday the 14th of December. Tommy M7OMY, who was involved with Youngsters on the Air month in 2022, is back again this year and will be operating GB23YOTA supervised by M0BOY for the whole of Saturday the 16th of December. Remember to listen out for all these young operators on the air and help make them feel welcome in the world of amateur radio. If you'd like to get involved and operate GB23YOTA, there is still time. Email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest or ask for further information.  And now for details of rallies and events The Sparkford Wireless Group Tabletop Rally, in aid of the RAIBC, will take place on Thursday the 28th of December from 9.30 am to 1 pm. The event will be held at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel near Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Entry is £3 and free parking and refreshments will be available. For more information, email Bob via wjh069@gmail.com The Lincoln Short Wave Club Winter Radio Rally will take place on Thursday the 28th of January at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors will be open from 9 am and admission is £2. Ample free car parking and hot refreshments will be available. The tables cost £10 each. At 2 pm, after the Rally, there will be a used equipment auction. Items for the auction will be booked from 1 pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for bookings and information via m5zzz@outlook.com or 07777 699 069. Now the Special Event News On Thursday the 14th of December, from 1700UTC, lots of special event stations from The Netherlands will be on the air. The callsigns in use will follow the format PA01MIL with each station having a unique combination of numbers in the callsign. The operators will be arranged into teams – each team containing two military personnel and one amateur. The stations will work on the HF bands using SSB. The objective of the event is to promote amateur radio so please do give them a call. Special callsign SX25GTC is in use until the 15th of December to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Greek Telegraphy Club. Listen for CW activity on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. See QRZ.com for information about certificates that are available. Now the DX news Burkhard, DL3KZA is active as YB9/DL3KZA from Lombok Island, OC-150, until the 18th of December. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. The V6EU team is active from Chuuk Island, OC-011, in Micronesia until the 16th of December. The team will operate on the 160 to 10m bands using SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8. QSL via DL2AWG. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 12th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 12th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The ARRL 10m Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, Saturday the 9th and ends at 2359UTC today, the 10th. Using CW and Phone on the 10m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. American, Canadian and Mexican stations also send their state or province code. On Wednesday the 13th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 13th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 14th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Stew Perry Top Band Challenge runs from 1500 UTC on Saturday the 16th to 1500 UTC on Sunday the 17th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 7th of December 2023 We dodged a bullet last week as a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole sped past the Earth. Although the wind speed was often in excess of 600 kilometres per second, its Bz, or magnetic field, was pointing north. The net result was that most of this passed harmlessly away from Earth and the Kp index remained around three. Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 130 by Thursday, which is quite a difference from the 194 we had on the 23rd of November. Solar activity last week reached moderate levels thanks to multiple low-level M-class solar flares detected around active region 3513 in the northeast quadrant. This region also produced frequent C-class flares. Daytime MUFs over a 3,000km path mostly remained over 28MHz, while nighttime MUFs over a similar path length remained around 10MHz. As we head towards mid-winter, we may expect these nighttime MUFs to drop, with the result that the 80m band closes down for short-skip early on in the evening – the curse of the inter-UK 80m Club Championship contests! However, the 80m band may still be open over long distances and we are now entering the best time of year for low-band DXing. Keep an eye on the top end of the 80m band, around sunrise, for transatlantic signals. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may recover a little and be in the range of 130 to 150. Geomagnetic conditions will depend upon coronal mass ejections but are predicted to be good, with a peak of Kp4 on the 12th of November. There is a slender coronal hole on the Sun that could cause the Kp index to rise this weekend, ending the 10th, due to its associated solar wind stream. However, it shouldn't be too bad and any poor HF conditions are likely to be short-lived. Finally, NOAA has updated its progression forecast for Solar Cycle 25. It now predicts that this cycle will peak somewhere between January and September 2024 with a solar flux index of around 167 to 201. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The present spell of unsettled weather at the end of the first week of December will run into the first half of next week. This brings a limited chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands, but there is a strong signal in the models for a major change of weather patterns for the middle of next week.  This will be the arrival of high pressure around Wednesday the 13th that will probably last into the following weekend, although there is some model variation in how quickly it will move away. The main result is that, although it begins as a cold air with high pressure with frosts, it will probably develop surface temperature inversions, which will be useful for Tropo. Towards the end of next week, as the centre of the high drifts east, it will allow more moist air at the surface and produce stronger ducting potential as well as develop an upper-level inversion for longer DX paths into the continent. The evening of the 14th of December sees the peak of the biggest and most reliable meteor shower of the year. The Geminids have the potential for a zenithal hourly rate of 150. The higher 50MHz and 144MHz activity usually provide the best chances, and a reasonably quiet QTH with 100W and a beam will bring you plenty of digimode QSOs. QSOs are even made by EME-class stations on the 70cm band and strong, long reflections on the lower bands can allow SSB QSOs if you're persistent enough. That said, MSK144 and FSK441 digimodes will be the most reliable. Aurora remains a possibility, but the isolated out-of-season sporadic-E blips on the Propquest NVIS plots last month have quietened down for now. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative, falling further and reaching its minimum on Thursday the 14th. Path losses are falling towards a minimum at perigee on Saturday the 16th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate until the 12th and 13th when the Moon and Sun are close in the sky. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 12th of November 2023 The news headlines: RSGB Construction Competition RSGB 2023 Convention videos RSGB QSL Bureau    Now the nights are drawing in, don't forget about the RSGB Construction Competition. To enable members across the country, and even the world, to take part, entries will again be judged over the internet rather than in person. This year two new categories have been introduced so there are six categories you can enter: Antennas; Beginners; Most creative and/or elegant PCB Design; Construction Excellence; Innovation; and Software and Systems. Special recognition will be given to entries submitted by radio amateurs under the age of 24, and to those who have just gained their Foundation licence. A cash prize will be awarded for the winner of each section, with a bonus for the overall winner, who will also be given the Pat Hawker G3VA Award. The deadline for entries is the 1st of March 2024 and you can find out more, including how to enter, on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/construction-competition The RSGB has released three presentations from its 2023 Convention. The first is the keynote speech in which Colonel John Doody talks about his life in the RF Spectrum during the last 60 years and asks, “Is this a life for you?”. The second presentation is by the RSGB President, John McCullagh, GI4BWM who talks about his experience of 50 years of RSGB membership and explains the wide range of services that are offered to members. He finishes with an overview of the four strategic priorities that the RSGB Board has set until the 2024 AGM. The third presentation is the Discussion with the Board session that was hosted by Don Beattie, G3BJ who has been both an RSGB President and President of IARU Region 1. This builds on the four strategic priorities, includes questions from those attending this discussion forum and answers from the Board Directors. Although the three presentations are separate, the presentation by the RSGB President was immediately before the Board session at the Convention and is referred to in that discussion. You can find all three on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB The RSGB QSL Bureau is pleased to advise that a replacement QSL sub-manager is now in place for the  M1, M3, M5, M6 and M7 QSL sub-groups. Ann Eastwood, M7ERT has kindly volunteered to take on all five busy groups. Members can again send 2nd Class stamped, C5-sized collection envelopes to the new address. Contact details are available from the RSGB website. Please remember to number each envelope and indicate your callsign and membership number in the top-left corner as usual. Essex CW Amateur Radio Club's activity week runs from Monday the 13th of November to Sunday the 19th of November 2023. This is a friendly non-contest style event to encourage both experienced and new Morse operators. Slow speed operators are especially welcome. Whilst the objective is to contact as many radio amateurs as possible in a week, it is hoped that QSOs go beyond just an exchange of signal reports and become longer chats. Anyone who works at least 25 other stations qualifies for a free PDF award certificate. The stations worked don't have to be Essex CW Amateur Radio Club members. So, please dust off your key or paddle and get on the air! Listen out for Essex CW club callsigns GX1FCW and GX8CW during the event. More information, and a list of preferred frequencies, can be found at essexcw.uk Please send details of your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursday before the Sunday broadcast. And now for details of rallies and events The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society Winter Rally will take place on Saturday the 18th of November. The venue will be St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, Lancs, OL12 7QR. The doors open from 10am and entry will be £3. The usual traders, caterers and plenty of free parking will be available. All proceeds from this rally will go to a local charity. Last time £1000 was given to the Rochdale Springhill Hospice. For more information, please contact Dave Carden, G3RIK on 01706 633 400 or email dave@cardens.me.uk The Coulsdon Amateur Transmitting Society Bazaar will take place on Sunday the 19th of November. The venue will be Oasis Academy, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, CR5 1ES. Doors open for the public from 10am to 2pm and the entrance fee will be £3. Traders, bring and buy, club tables and car parking will be available. Tables cost £12, with additional tables priced at £8. Please forward general enquiries to bazaar@catsradio.org.uk The Wiltshire Winter Radio Rally will take place on Saturday the 25th of November from 9am to 1pm. It will take place at Kington Langley Village Hall and Playing Field, Kington Langley, Wiltshire, SN15 5NJ. Depending on the weather, there may be a small car boot section. Entry costs £3. There is no charge for under 16s. For further information please contact chairman@chippenhamradio.club Now the Special Event News Special callsign HB8DELOY is in use by members of the Swiss Air Force Museum's Radio Club, HB4FR, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur two-way contact between Leon Deloy, 8AB and Fred Schnell, 1MO in November 1923. Listen for activity until the 31st of December. QSL via HB9ACA, preferably via the bureau. RAF Waddington Amateur Radio Club is operating Special Event Station GX3LQS/P from the 17th to the 19th of November. The event is being held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the RAF receiving its first Typhoon on the 18th of December 2003. To help commemorate the event, members of the former RAF Coningsby Amateur Radio Club will be putting GX3LQS/P on the air from various locations during November and December. Some former club members, supported by RAF Waddington Amateur Radio Club, will be operating the callsign from RAF Binbrook from the 17th to the 19th of November. For more details visit QRZ.com Now the DX news Ken, LA7GIA and Shani, HA5DDX are active as 7O8AD and 7O8AE respectively, from Socotra Island, AF-028, in Yemen until the 16th of November. The team plans to have up to three stations working on the 160 to 10m bands and will operate using SSB, CW and FT8. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. A team of amateurs is active as TJ9MD from Cameroon using CW, FT8 and SSB. QSL direct to IK2VUC or via Logbook of the World. For more information visit mdxc.support/tj9md Now the contest news The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 11th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 12th of November. Using RTTY only on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today, the 12th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 14th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 14th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 15th, the Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 16th, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 18th, the second 1.8MHz Contest runs from 1900 to 2300UTC. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and District Code.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 9th of November 2023 Last week was characterised by very unsettled geomagnetic conditions which took their toll on the high-frequency bands. The Kp index hit seven on the 5th of November, sparking visible aurora all over the UK. This also caused auroral conditions on the bands with many people commenting on the auroral flutter on the lower HF bands and hearing auroral-type signals on the 10m band. Unfortunately, these conditions didn't improve very quickly, and the upper bands were badly affected as the subsequent geomagnetic storm continued. By late afternoon on the 6th, HF began to return to normal with MUFs over a 3,000km path hitting more than 28MHz again. The solar flux index, at this point, was 146, with eleven C-class flares being detected on Monday, but nothing worse. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions continued on and off until the morning of Thursday the 9th when the Kp index finally got down below four and stayed there. A quick check of the 10m band on Thursday afternoon revealed the W1AW CQ practice transmissions on 28.0675MHz, plus two to ten-watt beacons audible from Gibraltar, Italy, Greece and the Eastern seaboard of the USA. The band was open, but not exactly humming! Also on Thursday, the data feed to Propquest.co.uk failed, resulting in a lack of graphs for the F2-layer critical frequency and extrapolated MUFs. Let's hope it returns quite quickly. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be around 150 and the Kp index will be around 2 or 3. If that is the case, we can expect conditions to be a little better. But, as always, a coronal mass ejection could soon put an end to the fun with an increased Kp index and decreased MUFs. And now the VHF and up propagation news The current spell of unsettled weather is likely to continue for another week at least, with some fairly strong weather systems possible, which could bring gales and heavy rain. With fast-moving systems it's pointless, with such a long lead time, to try and nail down the exact timings of each individual system. Once again, Tropo will not be a big player in VHF/UHF operating this week, except perhaps over this weekend, the 11th and 12th, as a transient weak ridge crosses the country. You might still see the odd 'spike' of higher E-layer critical frequencies on the propquest.co.uk NVIS charts when it comes back online. Lately, these have been during the mid-morning period so maybe give the 10m and 6m bands a cursory check during the coming week. It's not entirely clear why the bands have been so reliable during the recent week, but may be a response to meteor input. We are approaching the peak of the Taurids meteor shower over the 12th and 13th of November. This is followed by the much larger Leonids towards the end of next week on the 17th and 18th of November. This also means that it's worth listening for some meteor scatter signals throughout the next week or so. There was a nice auroral opening on 6m up to 2m late in the afternoon on the 5th of November, with the planetary Kp index reaching 6 to 7. This produced rare visual aurora sightings down to the south coast. Auroral CW and SSB signals sound  ‘watery' on the LF bands and very raspy and whispery on HF and VHF. For EME operators, Moon declination is negative and falling again, reaching a minimum on Thursday the 16th. Path losses continue to fall and 144MHz sky noise is low, apart from Monday the 13th when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky. From Wednesday, it rises to a high of 2,900 Kelvin on Thursday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 5th of November 2023 The news headlines: • Exam funding for youngsters • Tonight@8 webinar • RSGB affiliated club Course and Exam Finder map The Radio Communications Foundation, or RCF, is a small charity that seeks to promote radio engineering and amateur radio. Last year, several teachers identified the cost of Foundation exams as a barrier for some young people. The RCF Trustees considered how they might help. Funding exams for every youngster was seen to be unaffordable, and unnecessary, in many cases. As a start, and to help those with the greatest need, the Trustees have agreed to fund 60 Foundation exams each year. The funding will be available to anyone who is under the age of 21, in full-time education and needs help with the exam fee. Fifteen exams will be funded every three months. The first batch of 15 exams will be funded in January 2024. If any of the allocated funds are not used, they will be rolled over to the next quarter. No money will change hands as the RCF Trustees will simply make the bookings and pay the RSGB. In time, there will be a simple online application form. In the meantime, anyone seeking funding should send their details to rcfsecretary@commsfoundation.org with a supporting statement from a parent or guardian about why they would benefit from an RCF-funded exam. Details of their interest in amateur radio, and how they have trained, or are training, for the Foundation exam will also help the Trustees make their decisions. If the scheme proves to be successful, and amateurs continue to donate to the RCF, there may be scope for increasing the number of exams funded each year. Further details about the RCF, and how to donate, can be found at commsfoundation.org Don't forget to be part of the RSGB's Tonight@8 webinar tomorrow, Monday the 6th of November. Colin Summers, MM0OPX will give an entry-level talk aimed at newcomers to amateur radio. He will touch on antennas generally but will focus on the end-fed half-wave antenna including details of construction, transformers and performance. Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars The RSGB-affiliated club Course and Exam Finder map has been relaunched this week. All affiliated clubs were invited by email to submit information about the courses and exams that they run. The replies that were received are now on the RSGB website. If you use the search function and it doesn't show any results, you will need to widen your search area. If your club provides training or holds exams and it isn't shown on the map, please go to rsgb.org/examupdate and complete the form. If you need any help, you can email exams@rsgb.org.uk  Additional information will be uploaded each week, so please submit any changes before 3 p.m. on Fridays. The RSGB is delighted to welcome Elaine Richards, G4LFM as the new volunteer RSGB Archivist. Elaine is a former RadCom Managing Editor and was keen to continue to oversee the RSGB archives when she retired from her RadCom role last year. If you would like more information about an old amateur radio photo or document or want to check something in the RSGB archives, you can contact Elaine via archivist@rsgb.org.uk Thank you to everyone who bought raffle tickets at the RSGB Convention last month to raise money for the DXpedition Fund. The Fund has already made donations to expeditions such as Bouvet, Swains, Rockall and Tuvalu this year. If you're planning a DXpedition to a rare destination and would like to apply, go to the RSGB website and search for ‘DXpedition Fund'. And now for details of rallies and events Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 5th of November. The venue is Limavady United Football Club, Rathmore Road, Limavady, BT49 0DF. Several traders are in attendance and there is a bring-and-buy stand. The doors open at 11 am and car parking is available on site. For more information visit bushvalleyarc.org or email bushvalleyarc@gmail.com Holsworthy Radio Rally is also taking place today, Sunday the 5th of November. The venue is Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 6DH. There are traders, a bring-and-buy area and catering available. Access for traders is available from 8 am. The doors open to the public at 10 am. See m0omc.co.uk for more information and contact details. A final reminder now that the 2023 Scottish Microwave Round Table, or GMRT, will be held between 10.30 am and 5 pm on Saturday the 11th of November. Please email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com for more information. The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society Winter Rally will take place on Saturday the 18th of November. The venue will be St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, Lancs, OL12 7QR. The doors open from 10 am and entry will be £3. The usual traders, caterers and plenty of free parking will be available. All proceeds from this rally will go to a local charity. Last time £1000 was given to the Rochdale Springhill Hospice. For more information, please contact Dave Carden, G3RIK on 01706 633 400 or email dave@cardens.me.uk The Coulsdon Amateur Transmitting Society Bazaar will take place on Sunday the 19th of November. The venue will be Oasis Academy, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, CR5 1ES. Doors open to the public from 10 am to 2 pm and the entrance fee will be £3. Traders bring and buy, club tables and car parking will be available. The tables cost £12, with additional tables priced at £8. Please forward general enquiries to bazaar@catsradio.org.uk Now the Special Event News The ONZ Oostkust Radioclub, ON6HC is active on all bands and modes as OR79CLM until the 12th of November. The special callsign's suffix stands for Canadian Liberation March, the annual event that celebrates the liberation of the Belgian town of Knokke on the 1st of November 1944. QSL via the bureau. For more information, and details of an available certificate, visit onz.be The Amateur Radio Union of Serbia, YU1SRS, hosted the 26th IARU Region 1 General Conference between the 1st and 4th of November. Special callsign YT26IARU was issued to mark the occasion and may be operated until the 31st of December by the hosting Society, as well as by the Conference amateur radio station. QSL via Logbook of the World. Now the DX news Pierre, VK3KTB and Alexey, VE1RUS are active again as VY0ERC from the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, NA-008, until the 22nd of November. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS. Philippe, F1DUZ is active as FG4KH from Guadeloupe, NA-102, until the 7th of November. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via F1DUZ. Now the contest news The 144MHz CW Marconi Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th of November and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 5th of November. Using CW on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday the 6th, the Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 7th, the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 7th, the 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 8th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 8th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 9th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 11th, the Club Calls 1.8MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 2000 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your affiliated society information. The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 11th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 12th of November. Using RTTY only on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 12th, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 2nd of November 2023 The last two weeks have not been too bad for HF propagation, but not particularly good either. The solar flux index hit lows of 119 on the 22nd of October and 121 on the 24th, but subsequently recovered and stood at 159 on Thursday the 2nd of November. This at least allayed the fears of some amateurs that Solar Cycle 25 was over! But, as the solar flux index rose, geomagnetic conditions became slightly unsettled. The maximum Kp index was 4.67 on the 29th of October but has subsequently recovered to between 1 and 3. This didn't affect HF too much with the daylight maximum useable frequency over 3,000km remaining steadfastly over 28MHz all week, even hitting 43MHz on Thursday the 2nd. As a result, the bands have been humming with lots of DX being worked. Phil, GU0SUP reports working Jan, E51JAN on the North Cook Islands on 12m FT8 Fox and Hound mode at around 1630UTC. He said that, as it was almost dark, he didn't expect to hear anything, but had a good copy on him at 190 degrees, so gave him a call. He came straight back. Phil said that this was a big surprise, and he is not sure how it worked. It was quite a skewed path, with pretty much no copy on the real headings, short or long path. He also worked YJ0TT Vanuatu on 10m at 0843UTC that morning, and later at 1741UTC on 20m FT8 Fox and Hound mode. As Phil said: “Two new DXCCs in one day!” So, the moral of the story is to keep on trying – you never know what you will work! Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will decline slightly to the 130s. A bigger problem is a massive coronal hole, which is rotating into an Earth-facing position. This could cause the Kp index to rise, possibly on Sunday the 5th or Monday the 6th.  NOAA also predicts a geomagnetic disturbance on November 9th when the Kp index could rise to four. Otherwise, it suggests fairly settled conditions and a general Kp index of two. As always, keep an eye on solarham.net for up-to-date information. And now the VHF and up propagation news The current spell of unsettled weather with areas of low pressure, strong winds and rain or showers will probably remain over the coming week to the 12th of November. This again suggests that Tropo will not be a feature of VHF/UHF operating and perhaps there are just a few weak options for rain scatter to lift the mood.  Since comments last week about out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation, we are still getting weak Sporadic-E signals on the graph plots on propquest.co.uk which peaked at 5.35MHz at Dourbes on Wednesday the 1st of November, at 1700UTC. This may have been enough to produce paths on 6m band data modes. Favoured times of day for these chance events are typically around 10 a.m. or 5 p.m. Meteor scatter prospects are still good since the decaying Orionids are probably lingering up until the 7th, and we approach the peak of the Taurids around the 12th of November. The week after, we'll be looking forward to the November Leonids. So if you've not tried meteor scatter yet, this may be a good time to read up on modes, frequencies and operating techniques. Lastly, a brief mention of aurora, which is always possible given a decent coronal hole event like last week. So keep a check on the Kp index for larger values above, say, 5. For EME operators, Moon declination is at maximum this weekend, meaning long Moon windows and high Moon elevation. Path losses are at their highest over the period due to apogee on Tuesday the 6th and 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 29th of October 2023 The news headlines: RSGB Convention videos Amateur radio exam dates Tonight@8 webinar   The RSGB has released its first video from the 2023 Convention. RSGB General Manager and Convention Chair, Steve Thomas, M1ACB, talks to RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM and IRTS President Enda Broderick, EI2II. The two Presidents discuss their views on the opportunities, challenges and great things happening in amateur radio at the moment. You can see this video on the RSGB YouTube channel or its website at rsgb.org/convention While other videos from this year's Convention are being prepared, the Society is releasing a bumper collection of presentations from its 2022 Convention, which previously had only been available for members to view. You can see these at youtube.com/theRSGB in the playlist called RSGB 2022 Convention. The topics range from VHF transverters and VHF contesting to RadCom HF predictions and also using the right tools to work more 144MHz DX. There is bound to be a presentation that you will enjoy and find inspiring, so take a look! If you are thinking of taking an amateur radio exam before Christmas, there are two important dates you need to be aware of. The last date you can take an exam at a club, whether online or on paper, is Wednesday the 13th of December. If you want to take an exam online at home, the last date you can do that is Wednesday the 20th of December. The RSGB Exams Team will, where possible, post exam results before HQ shuts over Christmas and New Year. Exams will resume on Wednesday the 3rd of January 2024 and the booking system will be available over the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. You can book online at rsgb.org/exampay Don't forget to be part of the RSGB's Tonight@8 webinar on Monday the 6th of November. Colin Summers, MM0OPX will give an entry-level talk aimed at newcomers to amateur radio. He will touch on antennas generally but will focus on the end-fed half-wave antenna including details of construction, transformers and performance. Watch this live presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Youngsters on the Air Month is taking place in December. This means you have just over one month to think about how you, your club, school, or social group can get involved and help youngsters to get active on amateur bands. It could be giving a demonstration at a local school or youth club or helping a young person to send a greetings message. You can also listen out for the GB23YOTA callsign and make a QSO with a young radio amateur on the air. The RSGB has applied for Ofcom approval for special call sign GB23YOTA, which will be active for the duration of the month. A full list of GB23YOTA operating slots can be found on QRZ.com. These slots will be first-come, first-served, so check your calendars and reserve your place as soon as possible. To find out more about YOTA month and to see what has taken place in previous years visit rsgb.org/yota-month  You can also email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest, or simply ask for further information.  A reminder now that the 2023 Scottish Microwave Round Table, or GMRT will be held between 10.30 am and 5 pm on Saturday the 11th of November. The event will take place at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife in Scotland. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged. Microwave test facilities will be provided, and the event will be an opportunity to purchase components and microwave-related items. The cost is £12 and this includes a buffet lunch. A dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Full information and online registration are available at gmroundtable.org.uk/about  Please email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com for more information.   And now for details of rallies and events Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society Surplus Equipment Sale will take place on Saturday the 4th of November. The venue will be Cwmduad Community Hall. The doors will open at 8 a.m. for sellers. Visitors are welcome from 10 am. There will be a £2 entry fee per person and light refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Andy, GW0JLX via 07768 282 880 or email g0jlx@mail.com Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 5th of November. The venue will be Limavady United Football Club, Rathmore Road, Limavady, BT49 0DF. Several traders will be in attendance and there will be a bring-and-buy stand. Car parking is available on site and the doors will open at 11 am. For more information visit bushvalleyarc.org or email bushvalleyarc@gmail.com Holsworthy Radio Rally will also be taking place on Sunday the 5th of November. The venue will be Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a bring-and-buy area and catering available. Access for traders is available from 8 a.m. The doors open to the public at 10 a.m. See m0omc.co.uk for more information and contact details.   Now the Special Event News Tom, VK2WN will be active as AX37EUDXF until the 30th of November to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the European DX Foundation. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL and Club Log's OQRS. On the 10th of October 1923 the BBC, then the British Broadcasting Company, opened its seventh transmitter and based it in Aberdeen. Using the callsign GB2BD, the BBC Amateur Radio Group and Aberdeen Amateur Radio Society are celebrating 100 years of broadcasting from the north-east of Scotland on the 3rd and 4th of November 2023. The date chosen for this event falls between the start of transmissions and the centenary of the first Gaelic broadcast by the BBC.   Now the DX news Yuri, VE3DZ will be active as HQ9A from Roatan Island, NA-057, Honduras until the 31st of October, including an entry in the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest. Outside of the contest, he will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via his home call. He plans to upload his log to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Kou, JP1IHD will be active again as JD1BQP from Chichijima, AS-031, until the 2nd of November, including an entry in the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest. QSL via the bureau to JD1BQP, or direct only to JP1IHD. He will upload his log to Logbook of the World and Club Log.  Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28th of October and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 29th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Wednesday the 1st of November, the Silent Key Memorial Contest runs from 0600 to 0859UTC. Using CW only on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is a signal report and a Silent Key callsign. Also on Wednesday the 1st of November, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1st of November, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 1st of November, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The 144MHz CW Marconi Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th of November and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 5th of November. Using CW 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 26th of October 2023 It was not a good week for the ionosphere with the Solar Flux Index, or SFI, falling to less than 130, plus some disturbed geomagnetic conditions as well. On Wednesday the 24th, the SFI fell to 121, while the following day the Kp index hit 4.33 thanks to a coronal mass ejection from a filament eruption. Minor to strong geomagnetic storms continued on Thursday afternoon and evening with a warning that Aurora sightings may have been possible in the north of the UK that evening. So, does this mean that Solar Cycle 25 is over? Most definitely not! NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has just issued a revised prediction for solar activity during Solar Cycle 25, saying solar activity will increase more quickly and peak at a higher level than that predicted by an expert panel in December 2019. The updated prediction now shows Solar Cycle 25 peaking between January and October of 2024, with a maximum sunspot number between 137 and 173. Meanwhile, the critical frequency remained relatively high at around 11 to 12MHz around lunchtime, which still gives a maximum usable frequency, or MUF, for paths over 3,000km of more than 28MHz. October remains a good month for higher-band HF propagation with many reports of contacts into the Pacific on the 15, 12 and 10m bands. The bad news is that this weekend's CQ World Wide SSB Contest could be hit by poor geomagnetic conditions later on. Two large coronal holes on the Sun recently rotated into an Earth-facing position which could mean a raised Kp index and reduced MUFs. A coronal hole is a cooler, less dense region of the Sun with open magnetic field lines that allow solar plasma to flood out. We expect the solar material to hit the Earth today, the 29th, either in the afternoon or evening, perhaps continuing into Monday, with an associated warning of aurora as the Kp index rises. Looking to next week, NOAA predicts the SFI will increase, perhaps hitting the 140 to 145 mark by the end of the week. The ionosphere may also remain unsettled until around Wednesday the 1st of November, although the rest of the week should be better. And now the VHF and up propagation news This autumnal weather pattern is keeping up its attack on the UK during the coming week.  This means that low-pressure systems will remain in control and it's unlikely that Tropo will get much of a look-in! That leaves rain scatter as the best of a bad bunch with heavy rain, especially any heavy showers around the coasts, being the most likely to offer good reflection points for GHz band operators. The remaining options for propagation are aurora, which is not entirely out of the question since we have a large coronal hole navigating its way into a favourable position, as was mentioned earlier. There are many websites and widgets that show the latest Kp value and it's definitely worth adding one to your favourites list. The other mode of possible interest is that of meteor scatter and, although we have just passed the peak of the Orionids, it came along just right for the 6m Affiliated Societies Contest on Sunday the 22nd of October, when some out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation made a welcome appearance with paths to Italy, Sardinia and Spain being reported. The slow decay of the Orionids means that we still have the coming week to enjoy the remnants until early November. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising this week with lengthening Moon windows and increasing Moon elevation. Path losses start low but are increasing. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, peaking at 500 Kelvin on Wednesday the 1st of November. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 22nd of October 2023 The news headlines: RSGB 2023 Convention ARISS contact with St Peter-In-Thanet CE Junior School Tonight@8 webinar The RSGB's 2023 Convention took place last weekend and brought together hundreds of amateurs in person as well as many more across the world who watched the livestream. RSGB General Manager and Convention Chair, Steve Thomas, M1ACB said that in addition to the usual varied programme of lectures, he was delighted as Convention Chair to have led the team that introduced new aspects to the weekend, such as the all-day drop-in Buildathon on Saturday which encouraged people to enjoy making something for themselves, and also to learn how to run a similar event at their local club or group to help others develop practical skills. The RSGB Convention saw presentations about taking amateur radio into schools, young radio amateurs travelling to YOTA camp, as well as the usual mix of fascinating technical talks about many aspects of amateur radio today. There were also more RSGB Committees and Groups at the Convention to highlight the important work that the RSGB does through its volunteers. Steve said that the Convention planning team is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, but he encourages anyone who attended the Convention to complete the feedback form if they haven't already done so - go to rsgb.org/feedback and share your thoughts. The Society will share a small number of Convention presentations on YouTube over the coming weeks and will provide many more for members to view as part of the benefit of RSGB membership. In addition, you will be able to watch a series of special interviews that were recorded over the weekend. The interview with the RSGB and IRTS Presidents has been released this week and you can see it on the RSGB YouTube channel and also on the RSGB Convention web page at rsgb.org/convention  Children at St Peter-In-Thanet CE Junior School in Broadstairs, Kent had an ‘out of this world' experience this week, with an ARISS contact between the school and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, KI5WSL on board the International Space Station. It was an exciting and inspiring day for all involved. RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX attended the event and met ESA reserve astronaut Meganne Christian, who encouraged the children to ‘dream big'. The event, which featured on local BBC and ITV news programmes that evening as well as BBC Radio Kent, can be watched on the ARISS YouTube channel. The RSGB polled its Facebook group for new and returning licensees, which showed that basic introductions to contesting and antennas were the top two topics of interest. In October the RSGB ran a Tonight@8 webinar which covered an introduction to contesting, and in November it is focusing on antennas. On Monday the 6th of November, Colin Summers, MM0OPX will give an entry-level introduction to antennas generally, including a focus on end-fed half-wave antennas, transformers, construction and performance. Join the presentation and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. To find out more about this, and other RSGB webinars, go to rsgb.org/webinars Today is the last day of Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the Scout Association. There are many stations active over the weekend so please listen out for the young operators on the air. Some groups have shared details of callsigns that are active over the weekend and the RSGB has compiled a list on its website – go to rsgb.org/jota and choose the “JOTA Stations on the Air” link on the right hand side of the page. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag the RSGB and also use the hashtag JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. There will be a report in RadCom so please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 14th of November. A reminder that the RSGB National Radio Centre will be closed to the public from Saturday the 28th of October until Sunday the 5th of November inclusive because Bletchley Park will be hosting the first global summit on Artificial Intelligence. Please note that this closure period includes an additional two days than was previously announced by Bletchley Park. For information about the closure, please see the Bletchley Park website at bletchleypark.org.uk Today, the 22nd, is the second day of the RAF Air Cadets Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise. Cadets are contacting radio amateurs on the shared section of the 5MHz band. A Blue Ham participation certificate is available to those who contact 15 or more special Cadet callsigns during the exercise. Just search online for ‘Exercise Blue Ham' to find out more. There is just over one week of UK Bunkers On The Air 2023 to go, and what a month it has been so far! Activators have reported multiple pile-ups and higher-than-expected levels of hunters. Due to the popularity of the event, the organisers have decided to continue with a rolling programme from the 1st of November. Look out for new bunker references and challenges in the New Year. All activators who submit an activator tracker will be entered into a prize draw. To view the rules and information visit bunkersontheair.org And now for details of rallies and events The Galashiels Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 22nd of October at the Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors open at 11 a.m. Entrance is £2.50, although under-16s will be admitted free of charge. Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Rally will take place on Saturday the 28th of October. The venue will be Elim Pentecostal Church, North Road, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. The doors will open for vendors at 9 a.m. and for everyone else at 11.30 a.m. Refreshments will be available. There will be a bring-and-buy stall, and everyone is very welcome to attend. The Essex CW Boot Camp will take place on Saturday the 28th of October. The venue will be 3rd the Witham Scout & Guide HQ, Powers Hall End, Witham, Essex, CM8 2HE. The doors open at 8.30 am for registration. Entrance is £10 and this includes free drinks and cakes. Advance registration is advised as places are limited. For more information email g0ibn1@yahoo.com or phone 0745 342 60 87 Now the Special Event News Members of ARI Pordenone and ARI Belluno will be active as II3RDV until the 31st of October. The special callsign is active to mark the 60th anniversary of the Vajont Dam disaster. On the 9th of October 1963, a massive landslide plunged into the reservoir, causing a 250m-high mega-tsunami. QSL via IV3EHH. “Amateur Radio” magazine, the official journal of the Wireless Institute of Australia, will reach 90 years of continuous publication this month. To mark this milestone, the Wireless Institute of Australia has obtained the special event call sign VK90AR. The callsign will be in use until the 31st of December and may be used by any member of the Wireless Institute of Australia as well as any affiliated club. QSL via Logbook of the World and OQRS. Now the DX news Today, the 22nd, is the last chance to work The Radio Club de Provins, F6KOP which is active as TO8FH from Mayotte, AF-027. A large team is operating CW, SSB and digital modes, as well as QO-100, on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS, or via F5GSJ. See the TO8FH Facebook page for more information and updates. Harald, DF2WO is active as XT2AW from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso until the 26th of October. He operates all modes on the HF bands, the 6m band and via QO-100. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS. Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 22nd of October, the 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Germany Contest started at 1500UTC on Saturday the 21st of October and ends at 1500UTC today, Sunday the 22nd of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send their DOK reference. On Tuesday the 24th of October, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 25th of October, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 26th of October, the Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CW World Wide DX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28th of October and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 29th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 19th of October 2023 We had a quieter week, with both lower sunspot numbers and better geomagnetic conditions. The Solar Flux Index was at 135 on Thursday the 19th, down from 156 the week before. Let's hope this is a temporary lull in Solar Cycle 25's progression. We had no M-class or higher flares to contend with and the Kp index was generally below 3 all week. Only on Thursday did things start to become a little more unsettled as the Kp index climbed to 3.67 in the morning, with warnings that worse may be to come due to a coronal mass ejection on the 16th of October. So, the earlier part of the week was best for HF propagation with many stations reporting DX contacts including T2C, a German DXpedition to Tuvalu, and YL2GM's one-person DXpedition to Tristan da Cuhna. It's nice to see DX opening up, especially on the higher bands. Propquest.co.uk reports that, generally, the maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path remains above 28MHz during daylight hours so make the most of the 10 and 12m bands. The maximum usable frequency, or MUF, is the highest radio frequency that can be used for transmission between two points on the Earth by reflection from the ionosphere. Next week NOAA predicts that the Solar Flux Index will rise to around 145 all week while geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be stable with a Kp around 2 to 3. But, as always, watch out for coronal mass elections and their impact. And now the VHF and up propagation news We are struggling to find anything optimistic regarding Tropo in this unsettled spell of weather and again it may well be down to rain scatter to provide the entertainment. Once out of the summer thunderstorm season, the results are rarely as good, even though you'll be spoiled for choice! There will be a transient weak ridge over some eastern areas on Tuesday, but only acts as a separator between the lows and is not expected to be effective for Tropo. Incidentally, in this fairly typical spell of unsettled autumnal weather, strong winds and heavy rain can be a notable feature and put stress on antennas and coax, so make a note of any weak points and use the next fine spell to put things right! What propagation remains is the usual stop-gap pair of modes – meteor scatter and aurora – both of which could be worth checking during the coming week. A reminder that the Orionids shower, active from the 2nd of October to the 7th of November, peaks today, the 22nd, with an average Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR, of around 20. For EME operators, Moon declination reached minimum on Friday the 20th so the following week will see lengthening Moon windows. Next Thursday's perigee means path losses are at their lowest this week. 144MHz sky noise starts high but falls throughout the coming week remaining low to moderate. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 8th of October 2023 The news headlines: RSGB 2023 Convention New Intruder Watch Coordinator 2m band NoV extension   With just one week to go until the RSGB 2023 Convention, your time is running out to book packages or pre-book day tickets. The deadline is midnight today, Sunday the 8th of October, so head over to rsgb.org/convention and follow the booking links. You will still be able to buy day tickets at the Convention so do go along and enjoy not only the fantastic presentations in the RSGB programme and AMSAT-UK Colloquium but also the fun of catching up with other radio amateurs in person. If you live too far away to attend in person, there will be a live stream of some Convention content each day over the weekend. This year you will need to register in advance to watch that livestream, so reserve your free slot soon. You can find out more details about the live stream on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/livestream The RSGB is delighted to welcome Vaughan Ravenscroft, M0VRR as its new Intruder Watch Coordinator. There were a number of applicants for this volunteer role and the Society would like to thank them all for their interest and enthusiasm. Thanks must also go to Richard Lamont, G4DYA for his hard work and dedication to this important role over the last five years. You can contact Vaughan via iw@rsgb.org.uk Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146 or 147MHz NoV for a further year. It is available on a non-interference basis and the NoV is subject to a 30-day notice period of change or withdrawal. Full licence holders can apply for the 146 or 147MHz NoV on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nov The RSGB's news service, GB2RS, is one of the largest volunteer groups in the Society. Every Sunday, right across the UK, over 100 readers broadcast the latest mix of amateur radio stories, propagation forecasts, contesting and DX information, together with local club activities. There are plenty of ways to tune in, on-air and on the web. Have a look at rsgb.org/gb2rsschedule where you can download the full list of transmissions. Recently, a new broadcast for north Wales has been introduced. Brian, GW6VEI and Hugh, GW0WWQ transmit from the Denbigh area on 80m at 10.30 am local time with excellent regional coverage. Another new recruit, Sean, M0OEG is now delivering the news twice each Sunday via GB3EG in Wigan. One Newsreader recently reached an outstanding personal milestone. On 3rd September 2023, John, G0NAJ celebrated his 25th year of reading the GB2RS news in the Greater Manchester area. His first broadcast was in 1998 when the paper news script was still being sent through the post each week from RSGB HQ! John now reads from Dukinfield alongside colleagues on 4m and 2m FM. The Society would like to thank John for his long dedication to GB2RS. If you would like to find out more about becoming a GB2RS Newsreader, please contact Steve, G4HPE via gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk A reminder now that, during the month of October, a new event known as ‘UK Bunkers On The Air' is taking place. This is a good opportunity to get out and do some portable activity before the winter closes in. Awards are available for chasers, activators and short-wave listeners. Overseas amateurs and short-wave listeners are very welcome to chase activators and apply for awards. For more details, search for ‘Bunkers On The Air' on Facebook, email bunkersontheair@gmail.com and visit bunkersontheair.org  The website has ‘spotter' and ‘sked' tools to make chasing easier. Thursday the 12th of October sees the launch of a new conference which seeks to stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The aim is “to foster collaboration between learners, educators and industry, harnessing the power of innovation and technology to enhance learning experiences and open doors to new opportunities.” The event will take place at the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool from 8.45am to 4pm. To find out more, or to get involved, visit brilliantfestival.com   And now for details of rallies and events The UK Six Metre Group's 2023 AGM will be held via Zoom today, Sunday the 8th of October from 6 pm BST. The brief formal part of the meeting will be followed by a talk from Antoine, 3D2AG entitled “Extending 6m DX boundaries from the Heart of the South Pacific." Zoom details have been emailed to members. Non-members will be welcome to join the call but will not be able to vote on AGM business. For more information about the group, visit uksmg.org The 2023 Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT, is taking place between 10.30 am and 5 pm on Saturday the 11th of November at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife in Scotland. There are still places available to book. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged and microwave test facilities will be provided. There will also be opportunities to purchase components and microwave-related items. The cost is £12 and this includes a buffet lunch. A dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Online registration is available at gmroundtable.org.uk  For more information email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com The Dartmoor Autumn Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 15th of October. The venue will be Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton. Devon, PL20 6AL. There will be bring-and-buy, trader stands, free parking and refreshments available. The doors will open at 10 am and admission will be £2.50. For more information, contact Roger on 07854 088 882 or email 2e0rph@gmail.com The Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally will also take place on Sunday the 15th of October. The venue will be Driffield Showground, YO25 9DW. For more information, contact Les, 2E0LBJ on 01377 252 393 or email lbjpinkney1@hotmail.co.uk   Now the Special Event News Special callsign OQ95RCL is in use throughout 2023 by Radio Club Leuven, ON4CP, in Belgium, to celebrate its 95th anniversary. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, the bureau, or direct to ON3AR. 9A66AA is the special callsign that Tom, 9A2AA is using throughout 2023 to mark his 66th year in amateur radio. QSL via his home call.   Now the DX news Elvira, IV3FSG is active as 6W/IV3FSG from Senegal until the 16th of October. She usually operates using SSB and digital modes. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or direct to IK2DUW. Anders, SM0HPL is active again as 5X7W from Uganda until the 27th of October. He operates QRP with weak, but hopefully readable, signals. QSL via M0OXO's OQRS. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log, Logbook of the World and eQSL.  Now the contest news The Oceania DX SSB Contest started at 0600UTC on Saturday the 7th of October and ended at 0600UTC today, Sunday the 8th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Both the IARU and RSGB 432MHz to 245GHz Contests started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 7th of October and end at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 8th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest has been brought forward by one week. It will now run from 0900 to 1700UTC today, Sunday the 8th of October. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 10th of October, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 10th of October, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 11th of October, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 11th of October, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 12th of October the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 5th of October 2023 Last week progressed quite well from a solar point of view, at least until the morning of Thursday the 5th when the Kp index rose to five. But the Kp high was short-lived and only lasted for one three-hour reporting period. Until this point, it had been around one to three all week, which meant the ionosphere had a chance to settle and build. As a result, we saw daytime MUFs over a 3,000km path rise well above 28MHz. This was partly due to the seasonal change, which sees daytime MUFs generally rise as we head towards autumn. Similarly, we are seeing nighttime MUFs declining as we progress through October. The times of seeing the 17 and 20m bands open all night are probably behind us now and they won't be back until next summer! The Solar Flux Index held up quite well last week, peaking at 161 on the 1st of October, before declining slightly to 155 by Thursday the 5th. Propagation-wise, we are really starting to benefit from the autumnal changes. Stations worked from the UK recently include the 5W0LM DXpedition to Samoa on 20m CW. The team expects to be on air until the 14th of October. The big one this autumn is the W8S DXpedition to Swains Island, a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. We will look at the propagation prospects for working W8S in the GB2RS News next week. Next week, NOAA predicts that the Solar Flux Index will remain in the 160s. It also predicts a Kp index of two all week. But, with eight active regions on the Sun at present, the risk of a solar flare and/or Coronal Mass Ejection remains high. So, don't be surprised if we see the Kp index head skywards again, at times, with a reduction in the maximum useable frequency. And finally, the good news is that the Chilton Digisonde is now back in action. You can select it, as well as Dourbes, at propquest.co.uk And now the VHF and up propagation news This first weekend of October could be good for meteor scatter with the peak of the October Draconids tonight, the 8th, into the 9th of October. It should also be quite a good period for Tropo as high pressure over the south provides enhanced paths across the continent to France and Germany. There may also be a path across Biscay to Spain or the Canaries and Azores. Along with fine and unusually warm weather, it should fit in well with the October 432MHz to 245GHz Contest which ends at 1400UTC today, the 8th. Hopefully, there will still be something left for the 432MHz FM Activity Contest and UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 10th. On the evening of Wednesday the 5th, an aurora alert arrived, so clearly that's another mode to keep in mind. From around the 11th, we will find a trend towards more unsettled conditions with rain and showers and rather windy weather as low pressure takes charge. This will remove Tropo from the operating schedule but may give some rain scatter opportunities. For EME operators, Moon declination is just past maximum this coming weekend so, as the following week progresses, Moon elevation will fall from its high and Moon windows will shorten. With apogee on Tuesday the 10th of October, path losses are at, or around, their maximum. 144MHz sky noise is falling, reaching a minimum next Tuesday. The Sun and Moon are close in the sky on Saturday the 14th meaning high noise all weekend. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 17th of September 2023 The news headlines: RSGB Strategic Priorities RSGB 2023 Convention YOTA month The RSGB Board has chosen four strategic priorities for the Society to focus on until the 2024 AGM. These are the growth of amateur radio; membership of the RSGB; spectrum and licensing; and ensuring the continued financial stability of the Society. These priorities will set the framework for the RSGB's activities over the coming months. Both HQ staff and volunteers across the range of RSGB teams will be involved in planning how best to implement these four priorities. Look out for further details in the coming weeks. The RSGB 2023 Convention has a great speaker programme and there are also some fantastic forums to take part in. The RSGB HF and VHF Forums will take place on Sunday, and on Saturday in conjunction with ICQPodcast, the RSGB is offering Convention attendees the chance to discuss two important topics. The first will challenge you to consider and take responsibility for the issues within amateur radio today – for example, is amateur radio just about what you like? Should someone else fix the issues you see? The second forum will focus on QRM and how both newcomers and experienced radio amateurs can sometimes feel frustrated or discouraged by on-air activities. In both forums you can discuss personal experiences, share ideas, and help to promote positive interactions with fellow radio amateurs. You will leave with a notepad full of ideas. The only way to participate in these forums is to be at the Convention, so do book your package or tickets now! Full information about the updated programme, speakers, the drop-in buildathon and the social scene are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/convention December is Youngsters on the Air, or YOTA, month and is an exciting opportunity for you, your club, school, or social group to host an amateur radio station with the aim of getting youngsters active on the amateur bands. Once approval from Ofcom is received, the RSGB will provide access to the special callsign GB23YOTA and a full list of operating slots will be made available on QRZ.com. These slots will be first-come, first-served, so check your calendars and reserve your place as soon as possible. If you'd like to register your interest for YOTA month, or simply ask for further information, you can email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB Learning Team is calling out for your help – it is looking for volunteers to get involved in the development, implementation and relaunching of the new Discovery Challenge, which is a revamp of the Individual Scheme from the Beyond Exams initiative. The team is proposing to split the activities into three levels – Explorer, Adventurer and Master. If you'd like to help out with these exciting changes, or would just like to share some ideas or feedback, you can contact Mark Burrows, 2E0SBM the Beyond Exams Coordinator at be.coordinator@rsgb.org.uk The UK Six Metre Group's 2023 AGM will be held via Zoom on Sunday the 8th of October from 6pm BST. The brief formal part of the meeting will be followed by a talk from Antoine, 3D2AG entitled “Extending 6m DX boundaries from the Heart of the South Pacific." Zoom details have been emailed to members. Non-members will be welcome to join the call but will not be able to vote on AGM business. For more information about the group, visit uksmg.org The popular Railways on the Air weekend, coordinated by Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club, usually takes place on the weekend closest to the 27th of September each year. This date celebrates the anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger railway journey which took place on the 27th of September 1825. The first passenger train ran on a line in North East England from Darlington to Stockton. This year, the event will run on the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of September with lots of special event stations on the air. For more information, to register, and to see a list of stations taking part, visit rota.barac.org.uk   And now for details of rallies and events The Hack Green Military Surplus and Military Radio Hangar Sale will take place on Sunday the 24th of September. The venue will be Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AL. The sale will include electronic equipment, amateur gear, components, military radio items and vehicle spares. For more information visit hackgreen.co.uk or contact coldwar@hackgreen.co.uk Any last-minute news will appear on facebook.com/HGsecretbunker The Bury St Edmunds Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 24th of September. The venue will be Rougham Tower Museum, IP32 7QB. The doors will be open from 8am for traders and from 9.30am for the public. The entrance fee will be £3. The event will feature trade stands, tabletop sales, bring and buy, local radio clubs' displays, an RSGB book stall and Raynet. Refreshments will be available from the Museum's cafeteria. Please direct enquiries to rally2023@bsears.co.uk The Weston super Mare Radio Society Radio and Electronics Rally will take place on Sunday the 24th of September. The venue will be The Campus Community Centre, Worle, Weston-super-Mare, BS24 7DX. The doors will open at 10am and entry will be £3 per person. Under 16s will be admitted free of charge. Free parking and refreshments will be available. For more information, or to book a table, email westonradiosociety@gmail.com or call 07871 034 206. Biggleswade Swap-meet and Auction will take place on Sunday the 24th of September. The venue will be The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. The doors will open at 9.30am and entry costs £8. The auction starts at 12.30pm. Bring and buy, hot food and ample parking will be available. To book tables, or for further information, email Jeremy, G8MLK via Jezzer3@hotmail.com Now the Special Event News Special callsign TI70RC will be active until the 30th of September to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Radio Club de Costa Rica, TI0RC, founded on the 29th of September 1953. QSL via Logbook of the World. Special event callsign DM23BUGA is active until the 8th of October. The suffix stands for 'Bundesgartenschau', the biennial horticulture show and festival that is taking place in Mannheim this year. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. Direct cards will be managed via DL2VFR. Now the DX news Claudio, HB9OAU is active as SV5/HB9OAU from Karpathos Island, EU-001, until the 21st of September. He is operating using SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or direct to his home call. Ken, KH6QJ is active as T32AZ from Christmas Island, OC-024, until the 17th of October. QSL via KH6QJ, direct or via the bureau. John, VK1POR is active on Deal Island, OC-195, until the 1st of December. He often uses FT8 on the HF bands and uploads his log to eQSL and Logbook of the World. Now the contest news Today, the 17th of September, the 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 17th of September, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also today, the 17th of September, the IRTS 2m Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1500UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also today, the 17th of September, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint PSK63 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number. On Monday the 18th of September, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using FT4 on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 19th of September, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 21st of September, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The CQ Worldwide DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 23rd and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 24th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Sunday the 24th of September, 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. Also on Sunday the 24th of September, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 14th of September 2023 While our terrestrial weather this week was variable, it seems our space weather was equally unsettled! We warned last week that it wouldn't take much to cause the Kp index to rise and on Tuesday a coronal mass ejection, or CME, hit the Earth sending the Kp index to 5.67. The Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field tipped sharply south for a long duration causing visible aurora to be seen across the north of the UK and as far south as Cornwall. This really hit HF quite hard and good signals were scarce. Unsettled radio conditions continued into Wednesday bringing the Maximum Usable Frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path down below 18MHz for most of the day. The Kp index was still around 3 or 4 on Thursday, but MUFs were recovering and were at around 28MHz over 3,000km by lunchtime. Next week NOAA predicts that the Solar Flux Index will start the week around 165 and then decline as the week progresses, perhaps ending at around 145 to 150. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be quiet, at least until the 23rd when the Kp could rise to four. But at this point in the solar cycle the risk of a solar flare, and subsequent CME, remains high every day, so watch solarham.net for up-to-date information. And finally, a new paper by NASA's Lisa Upton and David Hathaway indicates that sunspot maximum is now forecast to be in the Autumn of 2024. They predict a maximum sunspot number of 135, plus or minus 10, which is slightly larger than Cycle 24's maximum of 116.4, but well below the average of 179 for Solar Cycles 1 to 23. And now the VHF and up propagation news Tropo conditions are still present over southern areas today, the 17th. However, by early next week, low pressure will be a dominant force and the coming week looks very unsettled with rain and quite strong winds at times. This means that any Tropo, either across the southern North Sea or down across Biscay, will not last beyond this weekend, ending today the 17th. The unsettled low-pressure-driven weather will mean that rain scatter is a distinct possibility on some of the more active days. The other propagation modes are the usual fall-backs of meteor scatter using random meteors and aurora, which may not be too far-fetched in view of the geomagnetic activity and visible auroras experienced recently. The September Epsilon Perseids meteor shower has already peaked earlier in the month, but a few lingering meteors may give some truly random radio reflections. Last week there were indications that this normally quiet period after the August Perseids and the forthcoming October Draconids can still provide some interest for persistent meteor scatter enthusiasts. During this coming equinox week, the Moon will reach its lowest declination of the month on the 22nd and 23rd. This point also coincides with the Moon being in Sagittarius, so that sky noise will be very high. This will make moon bounce operations particularly difficult towards the end of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.