Podcasts about iaru region

Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day a report in "Amateur Radio Daily" caught my eye. Under the heading "IARU Considers Consolidation", I read that the International Amateur Radio Union, celebrating 100 years of representing our hobby, is considering significant change. Links in the report reveal a PDF document titled "IARU Consultation on Proposed Restructuring March 2025". The document, dated 21 March, outlines the structure of the IARU, four organisations, one for each ITU Region, and one global organisation, the International Secretariat. It provides some insights on how the funding arrangements between these organisations exist and goes on to talk about how the IARU operates, including incorporation, or not, currencies, committees, priorities and other background and historic information. All excellent. Stuff that should be public knowledge, but having spent the better part of a year reading IARU documents, this one brought several new eye opening things to the table. The document attributes no authors but is at least spell-checked in US English, and appears to be part of a discussion started long before I became an amateur. In 2005, the IARU started the "IARU 2025 Committee" to look into the future of the organisation. It concluded its work in 2012. In 2020 a new committee was started, the "Future Committee", consisting of representation from each of the regions. The introductory wording is curious and includes these words: "We can no longer afford not to move the process forward" - at least implying that this document is a foregone conclusion. Searching for the document on the IARU sites will give you no results. Searching for "Future Committee", gives you two results, neither actually having the words "Future Committee". The only reference which makes any sense in either of those two results, and only after the fact, is a paragraph, published on 12 October 2020, that refers to the Administrative Council, or AC, and states: "The AC received and discussed an in-depth report from its Working Group on the Future of IARU and agreed to steps for evolving toward a more flexible organization and strengthened relationships with all stakeholders in the global amateur radio community and telecommunications ecosystem." For a process that started 20 years ago, this is the first I've heard of it. Curious wouldn't you say, in an organisation that claims to represent both you and I? It's almost like the IARU wants to keep this whole thing a secret. There's more. The thrust of the document is to explore the notion of simplifying the operation of the IARU by consolidating the four organisations into one incorporated body based in Switzerland, where the IARU Region 1 organisation is currently incorporated. It goes on to discuss how this is great for the hobby, how it will save on resources and how it will allow the mostly volunteer run organisation to operate more democratically. It outlines the process for adoption, including a 60 day consultation period for the 167 Member Societies, as-in peak bodies in your country. I'll save you the suspense, the consultation period ended before I saw the document. There's a 30 day "Detailed Draft Proposal phase" and a "Final Proposal and Voting stage", neither of which are on any specific time-line that I could find. You might say, well, Onno, you're not a member society, it's none of your business. That's true. Here's the thing. Let me quote from Section 5, on page 11: "In many cases the IARU Member-Society does not represent the majority of the national amateur community." So .. not to belabour the point, the IARU, who is proud to represent Amateur Radio on the International Stage, writes in its own documentation that the organisation doesn't represent the majority of amateurs while claiming its intention to make the organisation more flexible and democratic. Gotta say, feeling all warm and fuzzy. In Section 6, the document goes into great detail about finance. I'm kidding, it has one sub-sub section about money, section 6.1.3, less than 10% of the document, no less explosive for its brevity. It states that each region contributes to the overall IARU budget, but that this contribution remains insufficient to cover the many critical representation efforts required. It goes on to say that "Historically, the ARRL has played a key role in bridging this financial gap". For its contribution, the ARRL currently nominates the President and Vice President which the member societies get to vote on. I wonder what happens if they don't vote for the nominated candidate and what happens when the ARRL is no longer first among equals, will it continue to fund the IARU? While pointing out that all direct representation of the IARU at the ITU are made by volunteers, as well as "nearly all" other activities, I wonder which activities are paid and how much? There's also discussion about a "not ideal" "compromise", namely that we'll have to be virtual attendees to save money. Really? In 2025, after a century of representing amateur radio, we're still attending meetings in person? Has nobody at the IARU heard of this new technology, you know, the one it claims to promote, radio? Or the more modern version, teleconference? You'd think that a bunch of volunteer radio amateurs would jump at the chance to debate things over radio. Moving on. The finance section includes an interesting statement. "Many regions have accumulated cash reserves" and "where these reserves are substantial and have resulted from a specific region's activities, they may need to be held in trust and designated exclusively for initiatives related to that former region". Let's unpack this. There's three regions. "Many regions" means more than one, but not all, so, two. In other words, one region has no money. Which one? Moreover, "substantial" reserves from "a specific region", means one of the other two, so, one. So, it made money, it's substantial, it's intended to be designated exclusively for that one region. Which one? The Wireless Institute of Australia, which claims to have existed longer than the IARU and the ARRL before it, was a federation. In 2004 the regulator indicated that it should consolidate its efforts because apparently the various state WIA organisations "could never agree on a single outcome". This organisation was incorporated in VK3 where it continues to exist as a first among equals. Curiously the Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australia with Northern Territory Divisions of the Wireless Institute of Australia are each still incorporated and active. Today if you're in VK6, like I am, your experience of the WIA is completely different from that if you're in VK3 and to a lesser extent VK2. Remind you of anything? The document mentions that "only fully paid up member-societies in good standing have the right to vote" and "The current fee structure will need to be harmonized across all three regions, which may lead to increased dues for some Member-Societies". That tells us that some member societies will have to pay more money and if they don't they won't be able to vote. I wonder if these are members of the region with all the money, or from the region without money? I'll remind you that member societies have already been acknowledged by the IARU as being underfunded, offering reduced services with some member societies being disbanded. The point being that we're finding out behind the scenes, after the fact, of a process that has been in play for 20 years, that aims to create a single harmonised body whilst exacerbating existing inequities, and doing so in secret. Is that the kind of body that you want to represent you on the world stage? Is this something that your member society knows about, is it actively participating, does it share that information with you or hide it? Are you informed, or did you learn more today from me than you have in the past 20 years? Before I leave you to your thoughts, credit to Cale K4HCK for publishing the story and thanks to their source for sharing the document. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

  GB2RS News Sunday, the 27th of April 2025   The news headlines: RSGB delegates attend special IARU Region 1 Interim Meeting in Paris Join the RSGB in celebrating World Morse Day Be part of the RSGB's team at the Youngsters on the Air summer camp The RSGB is participating in the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Interim Meeting in Paris this weekend. The event is of particular historical significance as it coincides with the centenary of the founding of the IARU in 1925, as well as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of IARU Region 1 in 1950. The French host society, REF, is also marking its 100th anniversary. This year's meeting in Paris reflects a broader scope than in previous years and, for the first time, includes ‘Youth Matters' on the agenda. It also covers the usual focus areas of HF, VHF, UHF and Microwave, as well as Electromagnetic Compatibility. The RSGB has been a key contributor to the meeting, submitting papers that include future options for the 23cm band and the harmonisation and protection of HF bands. Three delegates from the RSGB are attending the meeting in person, including the newly appointed RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX. There will be eight other RSGB representatives attending remotely. The meeting serves as both a celebration of amateur radio's rich heritage and a forward-looking forum to address the challenges and opportunities facing the global amateur radio community. You can view meeting documents at conf.iaru-r1.org  In celebration of the centenary of the IARU the RSGB has created a web page to share information about its part in the celebrations. This includes a link to an RSGB archive video from the IARU meeting in Paris in 1950, as well as the RSGB's July 1925 T & R Bulletin that contains an announcement detailing the formation of the IARU. Go to rsgb.org/iaru-centenary for further details. Today, Sunday the 27th of April, is World Morse Day. The day honours the birthday of the inventor of Morse code, Samuel Morse, who was born on this day in 1791. To celebrate the occasion, the RSGB has released a video with a question in Morse code for you to answer. Once you have used your Morse skills to decipher the question, get involved by leaving your answer in the comments section under the post. You can view the video on the RSGB YouTube channel via youtube.com/theRSGB or search for @theRSGB on Facebook or X. The deadline to apply to be the Team Leader for this year's Youngsters On The Air Summer Camp is Friday, the 2nd of May. This year's camp takes place between the 18th and 25th of August near Paris and is a chance of a lifetime for young RSGB members to represent their country and their national society. If you are an RSGB member, aged between 21 and 30, and are able to motivate a team of young people, then the RSGB would love to hear from you. Download an application form and apply for this exciting opportunity by going to rsgb.org/yota-camp.  Applications to be a Team Member will remain open until the 16th of May. The RSGB Exams Quality Manager would like to remind everyone that clubs can still run exams if they are a Registered Exam Centre. Exams will be conducted online unless a candidate has a special requirement for a paper exam. The introduction of remote invigilation to allow people to take an amateur radio licence exam in their home does not affect this. If clubs have any queries about delivering exams, they should contact the   RSGB Examinations Quality Manager, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, via eqam@rsgb.org.uk. If anyone has special requirements for an exam, they should contact the RSGB exams team via exams@rsgb.org.uk As part of the IARU centenary celebrations, the RSGB has been activating callsign GB0IARU throughout April. On Wednesday, the 30th of April, the RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX, will be activating GB0IARU from 2 pm on 40m SSB, and then from 5 pm on 80m SSB. Frequencies will be spotted on the day, and times may vary to suit propagation. 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 Dartmoor Radio Rally is taking place on Monday, the 5th of May at the Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6AL. Free parking is available. There will be the usual Bring and Buy as well as trader stands and refreshments. Doors open at 10 am and admission is £3. For further details, please call Roger on 07854 088882 or email him via 2e0rph@gmail.com RetrotechUK is taking place on Sunday, the 11th of May at Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL. The annual event is organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society and will include nearly 200 stalls of dealers, clubs and private sellers. Doors open at 10.30 am and entry is £10. Early doors entry is available from 9 am for £25. Full details are available from Greg Hewitt via info@retrotechuk.com or by going to retrotechuk.com Now the Special Event news The Spanish national society, URE, is on the air to mark the 100th anniversary of the IARU. Members are active on 160m to 6m until the 30th of April with ten different special event stations, including AO100IARU. Special awards will be available, as well as medals for the top participants from each continent who achieve the highest number of contacts with the stations on different bands and modes. Go to ure.es  for further details. The Amateur Radio Society of Moldova is operating special event station ER100IARU until Wednesday, the 30th of April, in honour of the IARU centenary. Full details can be found via qrz.com The Kuwait Amateur Radio Society is pleased to announce its participation in the IARU centennial celebrations. Members of the Society will be operating special event station 9K100IARU until Wednesday, the 30th of April. Now the DX news Dom, 3D2USU is active again as 3D2AJT from Nadi in the Fiji Islands until the end of April. The call sign is in memory of JH1AJT, now a Silent Key. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of The World. Yuris, YL2GM plans to operate as ZS8W from Prince Edward and Marion Island, IOTA reference AF-021, until Friday, the 16th of May. Yuris will be on Marion Island as a radio engineer and member of the SANAP station communication equipment maintenance team, and he hopes to find good periods of time to be operational. For further details, go to lral.lv/zs8w   Now the contest news The UK and Ireland DX CW Contest started at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 26th of April and ends at 1200 UTC today, Sunda,y the 27th 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 stations also send their district code. The SP DX RTTY Contest started at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 26th of April, and ends at 1200 UTC today, Sunday, the 27th 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. On Monday, the 28th of April, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using 75 baud RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your serial number. Also on Monday, the 28th of April, the FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Wednesday, the 30th of April, 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. On Thursday, the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and the four-character locator. Also on Thursday, the 1st of May, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100 UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and the four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Saturday, the 3rd of May, the 432MHz to 245GHz Contest starts at 1400 UTC and ends at 1400 UTC on Sunday, the 4th 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 0000 UTC on Saturday, the 3rd of May and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday, the 3rd of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. The ARI International DX Contest starts at 1200 UTC on Saturday, the 3rd of May and ends at 1159 UTC on Sunday, the 4th 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. The Worked All Britain 7MHz contest will take place on Sunday, the 4th of May, from 1000 to 1400 UTC. All entries need to be with the contest manager by the 14th of May. Please note that all Worked All Britain contests use SSB only. Full details of the contest rules can be found on the Worked All Britain website.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 24th of April 2025 We had yet another week of unsettled geomagnetic conditions. The Kp index peaked at 5.33 on the 21st of April as the solar wind speed hit just above 600 kilometres per second, and active geomagnetic conditions were observed. This was caused by a massive coronal hole on the Sun's surface, which measures nearly 700,000km in length. At the time of writing, part of it is still Earth-facing, but the Bz or interplanetary magnetic field is facing North, so its negative effects are not being felt. The Kp index was down to 3.67 on the morning of Thursday, the 24th of April, but it wouldn't take much for the Bz to swing southwards and for the Kp index to rise again. Meanwhile, the solar flux index has risen from a recent low of 148 up to 168. This has meant MUFs over a 3,000km path have reached 25 MHz at times, but have usually been slightly lower. If the Kp index can stay low, there is a good chance of higher MUFs being attainable, but we have probably seen the best of 10m propagation until the autumn. Much of the recent DX has been worked on slightly lower frequencies, such as VP2VI British Virgin Islands on 40 and 20m, C5R The Gambia on 20 and 12m, and HD8G Galapagos Islands on 20, 17, and 12m. There is still the chance of DX on 10m, but it may be fleeting. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will stay high, perhaps reaching 170 to 175. We may get a slight respite from unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 26th to the 30th of April, when the Kp index is forecast to be around two to three. However, unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the beginning of next month, with Kp indices of five or six on the 1st and 2nd of May. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO Next week, high pressure should dominate, meaning a chance of Tropo for much of the time which will probably favour paths to the east, to Scandinavia or northern Europe.  Rain scatter won't have featured much other than over northwest Britain in recent days, and meteor scatter is reducing back to random activity, which tends to be better in the early hours before dawn. The solar conditions have continued to keep the Kp index up, and there was a fine auroral opening last week on the 16th of April, so for more aurora, it's still worth checking for when Kp values nudge above five. As the end of April moves into May, we can start to give serious thought to the coming Sporadic-E season. Hesitant beginnings often show up on 10m and 6m, and, as usual, the digital modes will be best for any weak events. CW and SSB are just possible in the stronger openings, especially on 10m.  The background rule is that there are usually two preferred activity periods, one in the morning and a second in late afternoon and early evening. However, at the start of the season, there can be a lot of spread in the timings. EME path losses are at their lowest with perigee today, Sunday the 27th, and the Moon declination is positive and rising. Moon windows will lengthen along with peak elevation, and 144MHz sky noise starts the week low but increases to moderate as the week progresses. From late Sunday to early Monday, the Sun and Moon are close. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 23rd of February 2025 The news headlines: The RSGB announces the unopposed candidates in its elections The RSGB releases 2025 Band Plans A year in numbers 2024 – some great things to celebrate! Nominations in the RSGB elections have closed. For some roles, a single nomination was received, and the candidate is therefore elected unopposed. They will take up their role at the end of the RSGB AGM in April. These unopposed candidates include the roles of President and also Regional Representatives in Regions 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12. In Region 9, no valid nomination was received. For more information about each of these unopposed candidates, see the March issue of RadCom or the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election The RSGB Band Plans for 2025 were published in the March 2025 issue of RadCom. They are also available on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/bandplans. This year's plans incorporate further VHF and UHF changes in response to the increased demand that has been prompted by the new Ofcom amateur licence. There are also a few changes from the 2023 IARU Region-1 General Conference. All amateurs are reminded to consult the Band Plans before operating. Despite continuing challenges nationally and across the world during 2024, the amateur radio community stayed strong and the RSGB supported it. The RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB wrote his annual feature called ‘A year in numbers' for the March RadCom and shared some great things to celebrate, in which RSGB HQ staff often led the way. You can also see the highlights in a brief video on the RSGB YouTube channel. The April RadCom will show in detail the work of the committees and other specialist volunteers. Girlguiding groups will be celebrating World Thinking Day on the Air this weekend so listen out for them and encourage the young operators. To highlight the opportunities for young people to get involved in amateur radio activities, this week the RSGB has published two new videos that celebrate the fantastic ISS contact and STEM day held in the autumn and attended by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. You can watch both the videos on the RSGB YouTube channel. Between January and March 2024 Bob Bower, GM4DLG took on a one-man antipodean adventure. The DXpedition is currently being serialised in RadCom, and on Monday the 3rd of March, he will be delivering a Tonight@8 presentation to complement these features. The trip was eight weeks long and covered 27 activations from 11 sites on six islands. Bob operated on 20, 40 and 80m with 100W SSB into vertical arrays of his design, with his holy grail being a valid 80m greyline QSO with Great Britain. Visit 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. Don't forget to submit your entry to the RSGB Construction Competition by Saturday the 1st of March. You'll need to email a short description of your entry and up to four photographs. It is also recommended to send a link to a video that demonstrates your entry working. More details on submitting your application can be found via rsgb.org/construction-competition  The results of the competition will be announced during the 2025 RSGB Annual General Meeting in April. Exercise Blue Ham will take place on the 29th and 30th of March on the 60m band. Stations will be active between 9 am and 6 pm. Blue Ham exercises provide a platform to further develop Cadet radio operator skills and confidence by engaging with the amateur radio community via the MOD 5MHz shared band. Cadet radio operators, under supervision, will exchange radio messages with amateur radio operators in the UK and Europe. The Cadets hope to speak to many radio amateurs on the air. For more information visit alphacharlie.org.uk/exercise-blue-ham The 26th European Hamradio School Stations Day will take place on Monday the 5th of May from 0700 to 1700UTC. This is an activity day, not a contest, so the focus is on personal radio contacts and QSO partners should take time for a short exchange. The organisers look forward to seeing many schools, universities and training centres on the air again. To find out more, go to tinyurl.com/european-schools 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 taking place today 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 10.30am. For more details visit lvars.uk On Sunday 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 On 26 February 2025, the 90th anniversary of the Daventry Experiment will be commemorated, marking a pivotal moment in the development of British radar technology. The Daventry Experiment had a lasting impact on both military strategy and civilian applications. To honour this milestone, several special event stations will be active. The Bawdsey Radar Museum will be hosting GB2BRS, with BRS representing Bawdsey Radar Station, whilst Coventry ARS from near Daventry will operate GB9ORE, with RE representing Radar Experiment.  Chelmsford ARS from Great Baddow in Essex will activate GB9OCH with CH representing Chain Home since Chelmsford is where one of the original Chain Home radar masts still stands.  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 Datta, VU2DSI is operating from Lonar Lake in India until tomorrow, the 24th of February. 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 Now the contest news The CQ 160m DX Contest started at 2200UTC on Friday the 21st and ends at 2200UTC today, 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 started at 0600UTC on Saturday the 22nd and ends at 1800UTC today, 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. The UBA DX CW contest started at 1000UTC on Saturday the 22nd of February and ends at 1300UTC today, Sunday the 23rd of February.  Using CW on the 80 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Belgian stations will also give their section code.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 20th of February 2025 It seems we were a little over-ambitious in suggesting that last week would be better for HF propagation. It looked like we would avoid coronal mass ejections and see the Kp index fall to lower levels. Unfortunately, the Sun had other ideas and a fast-moving solar stream, often moving faster than 500 km/s, had a south-pointing Bz, which coupled more easily with Earth and sent the Kp index up to four or more. So even by Wednesday the 19th, the Kp index was hitting five. However it seems that the geomagnetic disturbance merely lowered the MUF from around 40-45MHz to 31-32MHz, so it barely affected HF propagation. At the time of writing, there had only been one M-class solar flare in the past five days, but more than 50 minor C-class events. There were no Earth-directed CMEs. Nevertheless, there was DX to be had with the standout stations being the V73WW DXpedition to Majuro Atoll on the Marshall Islands, TI1RRC Costa Rica, and 5N9DTG in Nigeria. Upcoming DX next week includes OX3LX (Greenland), Dave G4BUO as 5W0UO (Samoa), TO3Z (Guadeloupe), 4S7SPG (Sri Lanka) and FS/VA3QSL (St Martin). Next week, NOAA predicts that the week commencing the 23rd of February could see the solar flux index starting at 170, but then rising to 195-200 as the week progresses. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to start quietly, with a Kp index of two, but then become unsettled by the 27th to the 29th, with a maximum predicted Kp index of five. If this scenario does pan out then we may expect the best HF conditions to occur at the beginning of next week, from the 23rd to the 26th. As always, keep an eye on solarham.com for day-to-day solar news, and perhaps monitor PSKreporter, the Reverse Beacon Network and DX Clusters for digital, CW and SSB HF propagation updates. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of unsettled weather seems likely to continue through to the end of next week. There will also be significant windy weather at times. It is therefore not a particularly good period for Tropo, or big antennas for that matter. This leaves us with rain scatter on the GHz bands and some of these scattering regions will be large areas affecting the whole of the country as weather fronts pass by, rather than more isolated and harder-to-follow showers which often provide our rain scatter. Meteor scatter is still within its quieter period with no major showers and better chances coming from random meteor activity, which tends to peak in the hours before dawn. Recent solar activity has provided some weak auroral conditions on many days.  As usual, check for high values of the Kp index as a good indicator, or even listen for a watery tone on the LF bands. Ultimately you will need to see the Kp index going to at least five to make it worth checking for auroral signals on VHF. We are still in the dormant period for Sporadic-E propagation, which is a shame given the powerful jet streams likely during this stormy weather. These would produce good Es prospects in the main summer season, but weaker Es at low VHF are still a possibility despite being out of season. Moon declination is at minimum today, Sunday the 23rd of February, and path losses are decreasing as the Moon moves closer to Earth as it heads to perigee on Saturday the 1st of March. 144MHz sky noise goes high this weekend, beginning Saturday the 22nd. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 17th of November The news headlines: The RSGB has launched a new practical events section on its website The RSGB Awards Manager has added categories to the IARU Region 1 Award There is still time to host the Youngsters on the Air Month call sign The RSGB is keen to promote practical events for radio amateurs as a way of developing their skills and retaining their interest in amateur radio. The Society has also demonstrated that buildathons are a great way of engaging new audiences, giving people a taste of amateur radio in a fun and supportive environment. As part of its strategy, the RSGB held two workshops at the 2024 Convention to introduce individuals to radio-related usage of Micro Controller Units, or MCUs as they are often known. The Society also holds annual build-a-radio events at Bletchley Park for youngsters, with the kits provided by the Radio Communications Foundation. To support radio amateurs to try practical skills themselves or to put on their events, the RSGB has published a new section on its website that is dedicated to practical events. You'll find a guide to running a buildathon, detailed information from the MCU workshop as well as a short video to inspire you! Feedback from the RSGB's events has been wholly positive with requests for similar activities around the country. Could your club host an event and perhaps even boost its numbers at the same time? Find out more at rsgb.org/practical-events The RSGB Awards Manager has announced that, with the support of the Board, he has added new categories of achievement to the IARU Region 1 Award. These include WARC bands only, 10MHz only, 18MHz only and 24MHz only. The standard IARU Region 1 Award check spreadsheet should continue to be used for these categories. However, award chasers are advised to keep separate versions for each band or set of bands. There are no mode or power restrictions and there is no distinction between fixed and portable stations; you just have to be operating within the same country for all QSOs used in the application. There aren't any limitations on the start dates for the awards other than the dates for particular countries as identified in the check sheet. This reflects, for example, when a country became a member of the IARU. The RSGB would like to thank the award chasers who contributed to the discussions about adding new categories. With just two weeks to go until Youngsters on the Air Month, operating slots for GB24YOTA are fast filling up. The special call sign will be active throughout December and is a fantastic opportunity to get youngsters active on the amateur bands. Whether you are part of a school, university, youth group, club or individual, the RSGB would love you to be involved. The Society would be delighted to see the callsign hosted every day during December and see as many youngsters on the air as possible. Be part of this goal by visiting QRZ.com and searching GB24YOTA to check availability. Operating slots aren't fixed and can be adjusted to suit your timings, so don't delay. Email Jamie, M0SDV via yota.month@rsgb.org.uk now. Visit rsgb.org/yota-month to find out more. 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 also be reduced hours on New Year's Eve when the centre will be closing at 2 pm. Following the seasonal closures, the NRC will also be closed for essential maintenance works on the 2nd of January 2025. 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 via rsgb.org/bpvoucher. Visitors to and from CEPT countries such as the UK can now operate more easily in the Cayman Islands, which has now joined the CEPT T/R 61-01 Reciprocal agreement. This change was agreed at the CEPT meeting last month. 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 Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Winter Rally is taking place on Saturday the 23rd of November at St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden in Rochdale. The usual traders and caterers will be attending. Doors open at 10 am and entry is £3. Plenty of parking will be available. For more information contact the Treasurer and Rally Organiser, Martin Shore, via rally.radars@hotmail.com or call 07587 709006. The Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur's Club Annual Rally is taking place on Sunday the 24th of November at Spennymoor Leisure Centre in County Durham. The usual traders will be attending. Catering, ample parking and disabled facilities will be available. For more information, please visit barac.org.uk The Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society Dinner is at the Creg-ny-Baa on Friday the 29th of November. Tickets are £25. For more information, including details of the menu and how to book, visit iomars.im The Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally is on Sunday the 1st of December at Kington Langley Village Hall in Kington Langley, located just off Junction 17 of the M4. Doors open at 9 am and close at 1 pm. Admission is £3. Indoor tables are £10. Car boot pitches are £10 for a car-size pitch and £15 for a van-size pitch. Hot and cold refreshments will be available on-site. For more information email Chairman@Chippenhamradio.club The Mid-Devon Amateur Radio and Electronics Fair is on Sunday the 8th of December at Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre. Doors are open from 9 am to 1 pm. Entry is £3 per person and no charge for partners and under 16s. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available, as well as hot food and refreshments. Traders £5 per 6ft frontage with tables supplied. Booking in advance is recommended. Mains electricity is also available on request. Traders, please pre-book as soon as possible. Please contact Phil, G6DLJ via 07990 563147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com Now the Special Event news A special event callsign 9Y20TATT is active from the 22nd of November until the 29th of November 2024 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society. All amateurs are invited to make contact. Limited edition QSL cards will be available, and certificates can be requested by amateurs making at least five unique contacts. Find out more on the event website via 9y20ta.tt 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 HC5CW and HC2AP will be active as HC5CW/8 and HD8CW from San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Islands between the 19th and 28th of November. The IOTA reference is SA 004. They will operate on the HF bands, CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via M0OXO or OQRS. The S9Z Team will be active from Sao Tome Island between the 11th and 20th of November. The IOTA reference is AF 023. They will operate on the 160 - 6m bands, CW, SSB, Digital modes, and also EME on 432MHz. The 9L5A Team, who are members of the F6KOP Club, will be active from Sierra Leone between the 27th of November and the 8th of December. They will operate on the 160 - 6m bands and QO-100. QSL via F5GSJ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS. Now the contest news Tomorrow, Monday the 18th of November, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using FT4 on the 80m to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is a signal report. On Tuesday, the 19th of November, the RSGB 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 November, 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. The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 23rd of November and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 24th of November. Using CW 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 14th of November. The solar flux index took a downturn this week, ending up at 150. The visible solar disk is looking rather bare compared with a couple of weeks ago. This is the lowest SFI value since the 2nd of May 2024, but it is only a matter of time before we see another sunspot appear as we make our way through solar maximum. The good news is that we have been pretty devoid of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, with only a few M-class flares occurring. Any CMEs were not Earth-directed and so the Kp index stayed low. As a result, the bands are still playing ball. A quick look on 10 metres at 10.00UTC on Thursday the 14th showed the 4X6TU (Israel), OH2B (Finland) and LU4AA (Argentina) International Beacon Project beacons were romping in on 28.200MHz. Going down to 15 metres it was even better, with ZL6B (New Zealand), VK6RBP (Australia) and JA2IGY (Japan) all audible on 21.150MHz. Also, the proton flux from the Sun remains low, which bodes well for polar paths. Next week the Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasts that the solar flux index will rise again, no doubt as new or returning sunspots appear, perhaps putting us into the low 200s. From a geomagnetic perspective, unsettled conditions are forecast for Wednesday, the 20th of November when the Kp index could rise to four. Looking further ahead, fingers crossed for the 23rd and 24th weekend when the CQ Worldwide CW contest takes place! And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. It was more of the same on 50MHz last week, with what may be a mix of Es and F2-layer propagation producing morning openings in the afternoon to the Gulf States, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. On the higher bands, with the high pressure just hanging on in its colder guise, next week looks distinctly on the wintry side for some areas. The high pressure has, along with its predecessor, given us at least two weeks of Tropo conditions on the VHF bands. The expected change-over to low pressure takes place on Sunday and drives a colder northerly weather pattern down across the UK, even to southern areas. This means that the majority of next week is a good time to look for rain scatter. Regarding meteor scatter, the peak of the Leonids occurs today, the 17th of November, with rates of 15-20 per hour. Also, occasional peaks of the Kp index above four should tempt us to beam north for chance aurora openings. As usual, check the VHF beacons and clusters for signs of activity during the afternoon and evenings when the auroral oval is displaced southwards nearer to our part of the world. It's a good week for EME operators, the Moon reaches peak declination on Monday morning, but path losses are rising as we have passed perigee on Thursday the 14th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, reaching 500 Kelvin on Sunday night. 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.

Foundations of Amateur Radio Over the past few months I've been investigating the history of the IARU, the International Amateur Radio Union, to help it celebrate a century of amateur radio achievements. If you're a radio amateur and you pay anyone a membership fee, I have questions for you. Let me set the stage with a quote from the IARU: "All licensed radio amateurs benefit from the work of the IARU, whether or not they are members of their national IARU member-society. But every licensed radio amateur should be a member. Only by combining our efforts in this way can we ensure the future health of amateur radio, for ourselves and for future generations." That's straight from the IARU website. It seems like a lofty and worthy aspiration. Before I proceed, let me assure you that I'm absolutely committed to improving this hobby and this community, committed to strengthening its representation, its reach and increasing its activity levels. The IARU has existed for nearly a century. It consists of a global organisation and three regional ones, each working towards improving on, and advocating for, the amateur community. Governed by different constitutions each organisation pursues similar but not identical roles within its sphere of influence. Most, if not all IARU organisations are run by volunteers, people like you and I, who stick their hand up and help out, writing documents, attending meetings, updating websites, managing membership information and all the other things that the IARU apparently does. I say apparently because getting anything other than motherhood statements from any of the IARU organisations is like pulling teeth. To construct a historic list of elected office bearers, President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and various regional Directors is an exercise in archaeology and much of the information doesn't appear to exist. That also seems to be true for what the IARU is spending its money on, your money. The IARU is funded by the fees that we pay to the representative body in our country, either directly, or as a member of a club who contributes. In my case, if I was paying a membership fee to the Wireless Institute of Australia, like I did for a decade, some of that would pass to IARU Region 3 and then from there, some would pass to the global IARU secretariat. Multiplied by every country and every paying member in that country across a century, there are significant, and to the best of my knowledge, unaccounted for sums of money involved. Then there is the list of things that the IARU has achieved. I don't doubt for a moment that people have been working very hard, giving it their all, helping, working late, doing things above and beyond to make outcomes appear, as-if by magic, without any of the blood sweat and tears associated with the process. I suppose it's like sausage, nobody wants to see how it's made, and I understand the sentiment. What of the outcomes, the published results? Should they be secret too? At the moment the IARU claims that it represents amateur radio on the global stage and on its website lists its achievements, namely: 21 MHz, Amateur Satellite, WARC bands, more Amateur Satellite bands, more 7 MHz frequencies, easing of restrictions in relation to disaster communications, 136 kHz, 472 kHz, 5 MHz, 50 MHz in Region 1, international roaming, and emergency communications. Impressive list right? There's twelve achievements listed in all, across 100 years, with meetings in cities all over the globe, with hundreds of people participating. Mind you, it appears that only recently has some level of coordination emerged between where meetings are held, by and large, each organisation meets every few years, staggered so there's always a meeting in a different country every year. Those frequent flyer miles must be adding up. If only there was another way to communicate across the globe. So, let's look at this in terms of effort and reward. Let's say that across the globe that at any one point in time there are 100 people part of the IARU infrastructure across the four organisations, or 25 in each. It's a modest representation. Let's say that they each volunteered 1 hour per week, so 52 hours a year, 5,200 hours across the entire IARU per year, or 520,000 hours across a century. This means that each achievement took more than 43,000 hours of volunteer effort. Unless of course there was more achieved that is undocumented. Mind you, 52 hours a year per volunteer is also probably light on, potentially by orders of magnitude. I note that for example there's no mention of things like quashing the 2m proposal by France where the local aviation authorities were looking to acquire some extra spectrum, or negotiations in relation to 1.2 GHz at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 or WRC-23 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, held between 20 November and 15 December 2023. My point is this: What is the IARU doing? Is it really effective, or is it burning volunteer hours like it's going out of fashion? What is it spending your money on? Where is the record of all this activity? What level of accountability is there? Is your peak body looking at the IARU books? Are they holding the IARU accountable, or are they part of the problem? There is plenty of evidence that there are other issues too. As I said, I attempted to write down who was elected president in what year in which IARU organisation. Aside from missing decades of information, there are amateurs in that line up who served as president for 26 years. Imagine that, a representative body that elects the same person for nine straight terms. I'm not naming them, the information I have is incomplete; right now I cannot tell you who was previously elected across IARU Region 3, or list anyone between Hiram Percy Maxim elected in 1925 as the first IARU president and 2009 when Tim Ellam, VE6SH and G4HUA, was elected president to the global body, but it's unclear if he was the only president between 2009 and 2024 when he was re-elected. So, what do we do about this? First of all, am I just tilting at windmills or is this an actual issue that needs fixing and if so, what might that look like? Engagement would be my first guess. Is your club sending money to your peak body? Has it asked what the funds are used for? If you're a member of your peak body, have you asked them where the money goes and how much of it goes to the IARU and what it's spent on? Contacting your peak body and asking questions might be the first place to start, but if your peak body is dysfunctional as plenty of them appear to be, perhaps it's time to contact the president of your own IARU region and ask them what gives, that is if you can find out who they are. As I said, I think that our hobby is important, I think it needs advocacy, I think that takes money and effort, but right now I have very limited evidence that what we're doing and how we're doing it is the most effective way to go about it. What will you do about this? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

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.

Foundations of Amateur Radio The International Amateur Radio Union or IARU, is the governing body of our community. It represents us on the world stage through the International Telecommunications Union, the ITU. As I've discussed before, it consists of four separate organisations working together, the International Amateur Radio Union, the global body, and three regional ones, Region 1, 2 and 3, each representing the hobby of amateur radio. Previously I've looked at the constitution of the IARU to get a sense of its purpose in the world. At the time I mentioned the notion of comparing the four organisations against each other, since ostensibly they're doing the same thing for a different part of the world. Each of these regional bodies was created separately by different groups of people and their constitutions reflect that. The Global IARU constitution, last updated in 1989 consists of nine pages. The IARU Region 1 constitution, with proposed amendments from 2020 has 31 pages, the English version of the Region 2 constitution, since there's also a Spanish one, was amended in 2019 has six pages including two copies of Article 2, and refers regularly to the Global IARU constitution and finally, Region 3, amended in 2012 has 15 pages. What is striking at first glance is just how poorly these documents are constructed. Formatting, inconsistent spelling, indentation, general layout and all are lacking attention to detail. I think that this reflects poorly on the internal workings of the IARU, but I digress. Curiously, the Region 3 website has a whole section on proposed changes to the constitution. Many of those changes are around the election of officials and voting procedures. It also includes the use of modern communications like email and remote conference facilities on internet platforms. One paragraph stood out: "It was also realised that changes would need to be made to formally recognise that we will (as happened at the online conference in 2021) have females as well as males taking responsible positions in IARU Region 3." It must have come as quite a shock to the delegates to learn that there are females in our hobby. This must have already happened in Region 1, since there is a reference to "he/she" in relation to being elected. Mind you, use of the word "they" must not have occurred to the authors. But don't worry, we shouldn't rush these things, the International body and the Region 2 constitutions both use "he" for roles. I will point out that the International body has a weasel clause where it states, among other things, "words importing only the masculine gender include the feminine gender and the neutral gender". It's a good start, but falls short of standards expected today. If you're not sure what all the fuss is about, let me illustrate: "The term of office of the President shall be for a period of five years from the date of ratification of porcupine nomination, and porcupine shall remain in office until the nomination of porcupine successor has been ratified." If that felt jarring for you, you might get some sense of what it feels like for someone reading that with gender pronouns that don't match the text. A better solution would be: "The term of office of the President shall be for a period of five years from the date of ratification of their nomination, and they shall remain in office until the nomination of their successor has been ratified." It's not the first time we've struck this type of issue. It's high time that we did something about it. Over a year ago, I pointed out that OM, Old Man, and XYL, eX Young Lady, were derogatory and we should replace them with OP, operator, and SO, significant other. A year before that I proposed a revision of the Amateur's Code to make its language inclusive and reflective of the wider community in which we operate. I've had discussions with people who identify across the gender spectrum about much of this and the overwhelming feedback I received is that our community is Old White Men clamouring to grow the hobby without a clue that the words they use are part of the problem. So, credit to Region 1 for implementing some of this and to Region 3 for starting this conversation. I don't doubt that there are members in the Global IARU and Region 2 who would like to see this implemented and to you I say: It's time, high time, to review what language our community uses to identify itself to the wider community. More generally, as the governing and representative global bodies you should be leading the way and providing guidance to the member societies. So, next time you promote our community, refer to others, link to articles, and attempt to encourage participation, you should take a moment and ask yourself if what you're saying is truly speaking to people who are not Old White Men and if that's the case, what you might do to embrace the wider community. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

GB2RS News Sunday the 25th of August 2024 The news headlines: The RSGB 2024 Convention will feature a microcontroller programming workshop You can take the RSGB Morse competency test at National Hamfest this year RSGB Board Director Peter Bowyer, G4MJS to take on Board Liaison roles for contesting and trophies At this year's RSGB Convention, there will be a workshop to introduce attendees to microcontroller programming through a short presentation followed by practical exercises. The Society aims to widen the programming skills in the amateur radio community and introduce individuals to radio-related usage of Micro Controller Units, or MCUs. If you attend the workshop, you will receive a genuine Arduino board, a set of DuPont wires, a breadboard and two specific devices which you will be able to take away with you at the end of the workshop. The exercises will take you through using the Arduino IDE, basic programming and interfacing to the provided devices. You need to pre-register as spaces are limited to just 20 people. The workshop and hardware are free, but in return for the £10 booking fee, you will receive a copy of the book “Microcontroller Know How” by Mark Jones, G0MGX. You must be a ticket holder for the Convention to be able to take part. To find out more and to book your place, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/convention and choose the workshops and forums tab on the right-hand menu. If you're going to the National Hamfest on the 27th and 28th of September, why not try the RSGB Morse competency test? You don't have to book in advance, just visit the RSGB village area. You can be tested at 10, 12, 15, 20, 25 or 30 words per minute so you don't have to be a CW expert. If you pass the test, you'll either receive a certificate on the day or it will be sent to you electronically shortly after. Eric Arkinstall, M0KZB is the RSGB Morse Competency Project Lead and he will guide you through the test process. If you don't want to do the test you can still drop in to try Morse for the first time or pick up some hints and tips. It will be a busy event so whilst there will be headphones available, you're welcome to bring your own if you prefer. Eric looks forward to seeing you at the event! If you have any questions, please contact Eric via morse.tests@rsgb.org.uk   The RSGB Board Chair has announced that new Director Peter Bowyer, G4MJS will take on the Board Liaison roles for contesting and trophies. If you would like to contact Peter, his email address is g4mjs@rsgb.org.uk This year's Youngsters on the Air camp in the Czech Republic finished on Friday the 23rd of August after an action-packed week. The RSGB representative Rhys Williams, M0WGY took part in a range of amateur radio activities that included kit building, ARDF and surface-mount technology as well as a day trip into Prague. Rhys also made the most of the great station setup and enjoyed plenty of airtime. This included making over 100 QSOs on the 40m band whilst operating special callsign OL24YOTA, which he has said was good to practise his pile-up management. You can read more from Rhys by going to rsgb.org/yota-camp and reading his daily blog. This year's camp was organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club. The next event in the popular 145 Alive series takes place on Sunday the 29th of September 2024. 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. If you would like to run a net, contact Mark Savage, M0XIC via the 145 Alive Facebook page. The date has been confirmed for the Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. The event will take place on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, 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 online booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by emailing Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com National Hamfest is only a few weeks away. Early-bird advance tickets are currently available but this offer finishes on Saturday the 31st of August. Visit nationalhamfest.org.uk for more details and booking information. And finally, don't forget to listen out for all the stations that are on the air for the British Inland Waterways on the Air event this weekend. To read more about the event visit Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group's website at nharg.org.uk and follow the ‘BIWOTA 2024' link.  And now for details of rallies and events Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place today, the 25th. The venue is Heron's Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9AA. The doors open to the public from 9 am. The entrance fee is £3 and free parking is available. For trader and exhibitor enquiries please email rally@mkars.org.uk  Outdoor pitches and indoor tables are available. For more information visit mkars.org.uk Torbay Annual Communications Fair is also taking place today, the 25th, at Newton Abbot Racecourse, TQ12 3AF from 10 am. This is an indoor event with free parking, a bring-and-buy area, an RSGB bookstall and on-site catering. For more information email rally@tars.org.uk Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally is taking place tomorrow, Monday the 26th, at Ernulf Academy, St Neots, PE19 2SH. The gates open for traders at 7 am and for the public at 9 am. The entrance fee is £3. Free car parking, an RSGB bookstall, a bring-and-buy area, catering, and indoor and outdoor stalls will be available. For more information email henry_hirst@hotmail.com or phone 01480 214282. Saffron Walden Radio Ham and CB Club Rally will run from Friday the 30th of August to Sunday the 1st of September in the CM22 6BH area. For more information about fees, and directions, visit the event's Facebook page or email swrc73@gmail.com Telford Hamfest is set to take place on 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 age 16 will be admitted free of charge. Free parking, catering, an RSGB bookstall, and a bring-and-buy area will be available on site. For more details visit tdars.org.uk or email John, M0JZH at hamfest@tdars.org.uk September marks the golden anniversary of the G-QRP Club, which was started by the Reverend George Dobbs, G3RJV in 1974. The Club will be marking its 50th anniversary at its annual Convention over the weekend of the 31st of August to the 1st of September. The event takes place in parallel with the Telford Hamfest at the Harper Adams University Campus near Newport, Shropshire. Following a buildathon and social supper on the Saturday, there are a number of speakers lined up on Sunday, including Hans Summers, G0UPL talking about his QRP kits. Non-members are welcome to come along on the Sunday and enjoy the Hamfest and the G-QRP Club talks. Full details are on the G-QRP Club website at gqrp.com  Following the Convention, the Club is running an activity period called ‘Low and Clear' throughout September. A number of QRP stations are being activated across the UK and in other countries, with ‘LOW' or ‘QRP' in their special callsigns. Stations working a number of them will receive a certificate, and the ‘best' logs will be awarded prizes which have been donated by traders who advertise in the Club's journal Sprat. Again, details can be found on the Club's website. You can find details of a new RSGB book celebrating 50 years of the G-QRP Club in the September issue of RadCom. Now the Special Event news Special callsign YQ60YODXC is active until the 31st of August to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the YO DX Club. For details of certificates that are available, see QRZ.com Marking the 25th anniversary since Poland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, special callsign HF25NATO will be active until the 31st of August. QSL via Logbook of the World or Club Log's OQRS. A certificate will be available for download via tinyurl.com/hf25nato Now the DX news Today, the 25th, a team from Guernsey Amateur Radio Society is operating a Parks on the Air station on Lihou Island, just off the coast of Guernsey. The park reference for the location is GG-0005 and activity is planned from 6 am to 3 pm. Operators will be using SSB and data modes on the HF bands but will also be available on the 2m band for local calls. Alex, SQ9UM is active as D4UM from Sal Island, AF-086, in Cape Verde until tomorrow, the 26th. He is operating CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the 80 to 6m bands. QSL via Alex's home call. QSOs will be uploaded to ClubLog. Holger, DG3FEH is active as S79/DG3FEH from Mahe [MA-HAY], AF-024, in the Seychelles until the 27th of August. He is operating using SSB on the 40, 20 and 15m bands and also via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via the Bureau to Holger's home call. Now the contest news The World-Wide Digi DX Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 24th of August and runs until 1200UTC today, Sunday the 25th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. Today, the 25th, 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 27th, 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. The UK and Ireland Contest Club DX SSB Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 31st of August and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday 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 starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 31st of August and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday the 1st of September. The exchange is a 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. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 22nd of August 2024 We had yet another week with a high solar flux and relatively calm geomagnetic conditions. The solar flux index ended up at 239 on Thursday the 22nd, while the Kp index has been below 4 since Sunday the 18th. There are currently 11 active sunspot regions on the Sun's surface and there is a 20% chance of a major X-class solar flare according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. There are signs that HF propagation may be improving, but it will probably be another month or so before we see any large change. This is due to the summer doldrums that see the ionosphere harder to ionise due to a change in its chemical composition. By mid to late September, we will start to see a change to autumnal conditions and DX will start to open up again on the higher bands. Having said that, there is still DX to be had. The N5J DXpedition to Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean proved that the DX is workable, but the path was mainly open to well-equipped stations with beams and linear amplifiers. 15m remains the best DX band and there are occasional openings on the 12m band. The 10m band may come into its own as we head into September and October. According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, solar cycle 25 likely reached its highest sunspot number yet of at least 299 on the 8th of August. This may increase further, but we may be close to solar maximum. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around 200 to 210. Geomagnetic conditions will depend almost entirely on the occurrence of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. And, as we are at a particularly active part of the solar cycle, flares and CMEs are very prevalent. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The overview for the coming week is that, although some fronts will affect the north and west at times, there are only a few that reach down to the southeast of Britain. This means that rain scatter is more likely in northern areas. There will be weak high pressure over southern areas for much of the coming week and, although not enough for a full-blown Tropo event, conditions should be a little ‘up', especially for paths into the near continent or across the North Sea. Meteor scatter is back to a more random approach since the broad peak of the August Perseids comes to an end. The solar conditions mean that auroras can be a possible element of operating excitement in the coming week. Remember to look out for a disturbed Kp index value of 6 or greater. The last part of the sporadic-E season is playing out this week taking us to the end of the month. These 'last hurrahs' are usually characterised by QSOs of very limited duration on the 10m band, or perhaps up to 6m, and mainly over the southern half of Europe. This usually favours southern UK stations but, notwithstanding the previous comments, some years have seen isolated Sporadic-E events in the first part of September. But they are certainly not reliable. Moon declination is positive but still rising, reaching maximum on Wednesday, so long Moon visibility windows and high peak elevations continue. We are past perigee now, so path losses are increasing again. 144MHz sky noise is low but increasing to a moderate 500 Kelvin on Wednesday before falling back to low at the end of the week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 18th of August 2024 The news headlines: Plans for the RSGB 2024 Convention continue to take shape New amateur radio exam reference documents have been released Ofcom has released a new video on amateur radio licence revalidation The RSGB Convention is just eight weeks away and the programme is shaping up to be a fantastic mix of interesting presentations for every radio amateur, regardless of experience. There will also be practical sessions and time to chat with representatives from RSGB committees and groups. For a reminder of the wide range of RSGB representatives who were there last year and the great work they all do for the Society, its members and the wider amateur radio community, watch the Convention Chat video that has just been released. Head over to the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB and then don't forget to book your ticket for this year's event at rsgb.org/convention The RSGB Exams Teams are pleased to release the exam reference documents for Syllabus 1.6 at Foundation, Intermediate and Full levels. You can find them on the RSGB website by searching for ‘Exam Forms'. If you are taking an exam before the 1st of September, please make sure you use the previous versions which will remain on the website until that date. They have also released the updated mock exams for all levels including new questions from the question bank relating to licensing and operating. These are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/mock-exams Ofcom has released a new step-by-step video on its YouTube channel to assist radio amateurs in the process of revalidating a UK amateur radio licence using the online licensing portal. Ofcom does note that whilst it is a requirement to revalidate your licence every five years, it is recommended to do it annually. Ensure you keep your details up to date and make a diary reminder to renew each year. You can find the video by going to the RSGB website at rsgb.org and searching for ‘licence revalidation'. On that page, you will also find a helpful FAQ section prepared by the Society on the topic. Do you belong to your local u3a group? Are you keen to share your passion for amateur radio with others? As part of the RSGB's commitment to grow the hobby, the Society would love to hear from RSGB members who would like to spread the word to local u3a groups. As we all know, getting involved in amateur radio provides the opportunity to gain new interest, learn different skills and form social connections, which fits well with u3a's ethos. Register your interest to join an RSGB Teams meeting sometime in September to discuss ideas for engaging u3a groups. Please email strategy@rsgb.org.uk if you'd like to be involved. The RSGB Youngsters on the Air representative Rhys Williams, M0WGY, arrived in Prague, Czechia on Friday the 16th of August for this year's YOTA summer camp. The camp is organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club and finishes on Friday the 23rd of August. These camps offer participants an unforgettable experience and are a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn more about amateur radio, take part in construction activities and make international friendships. To keep up to date with how Rhys is getting on, you can go to rsgb.org/yota-camp and read his daily blog. You can also follow his journey by visiting the RSGB on its Facebook and X pages. Simply search for ‘@thersgb' to find the Society's profile page. Don't forget that International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is taking place at the moment. There are lots of operators on the air so why not give them a call? To see a list of registered stations, visit illw.net 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 Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society's Annual Radio Rally is taking place today, the 18th, at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby. The doors are open from 10 am to 4 pm, the admission fee is £4 per person and pitches cost £20. For more information email rally@rugbyats.co.uk or visit rugbyats.co.uk West Manchester Radio Club's Red Rose Summer Rally is also taking place today, the 18th, at St Joseph's Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. The doors open at 10 am. For further information email rally@wmrc.co.uk or phone 07796 264 569. Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place on Sunday the 25th of August. The venue will be Heron's Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9AA. The doors open to the public from 9 am. The entrance fee will be £3 and free parking will be available. For trader and exhibitor enquiries please email rally@mkars.org.uk Outdoor pitches and indoor tables are available. For more information visit mkars.org.uk Torbay Annual Communications Fair is set to take place on Sunday the 25th of August at Newton Abbot Racecourse, TQ12 3AF from 10 am. This will be an indoor event with free parking, a bring-and-buy area, an RSGB book stall and on-site catering. For more information email rally@tars.org.uk Now the Special Event news Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club is active from all three lighthouses on Rathlin Island today, the 18th. Operators are working on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB, CW and FT8. Listen out for special event callsigns, GB1RP, GB2EL and GB2WL which will all be in use. For more information, visit the QRZ.com page for each of the callsigns. Special callsign SK100FRK is active until the end of the year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Falu Radio Club, SK4AO. All amateur bands are in use and operators are working with SSB, CW and FM. For details of a diploma that is available visit QRZ.com Now the DX news Frans, DJ0TP is active as TK/DJ0TP from Corsica, EU-014, until the 4th of September. The station was spotted recently on the 20m band using FT8. QSL via Frans' home call and Logbook of the World. Jean-Louis, F6ITS left France in August 2023 for a round-the-world voyage. He recently obtained a Gambian licence and will be active as C5GM until the end of the year. For the time being he is operating using SSB and CW. QSL via EA7FTR. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 20th, the 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. The World Wide Digi DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 24th of August and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday the 25th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Sunday the 25th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800 UTC. 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 15th of August 2024 Last week was notable for its auroral activity, high solar flux index and variable HF conditions. Monday the 12th saw the Kp index rise to 7 as coronal mass ejection material struck the Earth, sparking visible aurora as far south as Cornwall. But by lunchtime on Tuesday things were back to normal with a Kp index below 2. The rest of the week remained fairly settled with the occasional blip up to a Kp index of 4. Meanwhile, HF conditions have been variable with N5J on Jarvis Island in the Pacific being the main DX being chased. This has turned out to be a difficult catch for all but the better-equipped stations in the UK. The operators are active on SSB, CW and FT8, using the SuperFox and Fox and Hound modes, and are working until the 20th of August. So, have a listen and give them a call. The peak times are around 0500 to 1200UTC for a short-path contact, and around 1800UTC for a long-path contact. See jarvisisland2024.com for frequency details and the latest news. Otherwise, the maximum useable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path has been more than 18MHz and often 21MHz during daylight. Night-time MUFs have been more than 14MHz when there have been no geomagnetic disturbances. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start at around 260 but decline to perhaps 210 as the week progresses. This is still enough for some good HF propagation. Predictions are less certain about geomagnetic disturbances, other than a rise on the 22nd of August. Solarham.com predicts that a coronal mass ejection associated with an X1.1 solar flare last Wednesday will pass Earth by the 18th of August, so we may expect the Kp index to rise today. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The period of alternating hot summer days and unsettled spells with rain or heavy showers looks like the recipe for the coming week.  The weak ridges of high pressure could prove useful for some Tropo on occasion. In the summer months, Tropo is often more pronounced over nearby waters such as the North Sea and south across Biscay or the English Channel. But it can also feature overnight and, if we are lucky, may help with the 23cm UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 20th. These high-summer active fronts or heavy showers can be very good for rain scatter. Since temperature plays an important role in the intensity of summer thunderstorms, the resulting rain scatter is often best in the afternoon and early evening. On rare occasions, daytime storms can drift north from France to be over the UK during the night. The Perseids meteor shower peak has passed now, with some good QSOs reported. It's a broad shower and there should still be some worthwhile meteor input to play meteor scatter next week. The recent solar conditions have produced a disturbed Kp index and there were some impressive visible and radio auroras from 10m up to 6m last week. It's worth watching out for a high Kp index above, say, 6 and be ready to listen for radio Aurora in the afternoon. Lastly, the Sporadic-E season struggles on with varying degrees of success, but it's still very much a player for another two or three weeks. The upper air charts show that there should be some strong jet streams and thus potentially good sources of the turbulence required for Sporadic-E. Use the Propquest.co.uk  NVIS graphs to see if Dourbes in Belgium is showing any spikes. Moon declination is negative but rising now. It won't go positive until Wednesday, so short Moon visibility windows and peak elevation continue to increase. Wednesday is also perigee, the Moon's closest point to Earth and when path losses are at their lowest. 144MHz sky noise is moderate to low over the coming week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

PODCAST: This Week in Amateur Radio Edition #1328 - Full Version Release Date: August 10, 2024 Here is a summary of the news trending This Week in Amateur Radio. This week's edition is anchored by Chris Perrine, KB2FAF, Dave Wilson, WA2HOY, Rich Lawrence, KB2MOB, Don Hulick, K2ATJ, Joshua Marler, AA4WX, Marvin Turner, W0MET, Eric Zittel, KD2RJX, Will Rogers, K5WLR, Denny Haight, NZ8D, George Bowen, W2XBS, and Jessica Bowen, KC2VWX. Produced and edited by George Bowen, W2XBS. Approximate Running Time: 1:41:20 Podcast Download: https://bit.ly/TWIAR1328 Trending headlines in this week's bulletin service 1. AMSAT: ROBUSTA-3A Is Now In Orbit 2. AMSAT: Small Satellites of the Future Grow Larger 3. AMSAT: ASRTU-1 Scheduled for November Launch 4. AMSAT: Satellite Shorts From All Over 5. WIA: Dog day Afternoon IS Coming To Amateur Radio 6. ARRL: Andy Milluzzi, KK4LWR, Appointed Vice Director Of ARRL Southeastern Division 7. ARRL: W1AW To QSY On 17 Meters For CW 8. ARRL: Carter Craigie, N3AO, Silent Key 9. ARRL: Amateur Radio Serves As Hurricane Debby Dumps Heavy Rain On The East Coast 10. ARRL: New York High School Helps License Young Hams 11. ARRL: 27th Annual International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend Coming Up August 17/18 12. ARRL: Navajo Code Talkers Day Coming Up 13. FCC: FCC Approves Missing and Endangered Alert Code 14. FCC: FCC Fines New York City Individual $2.3 Million For Unlicensed Broadcasting On FM 15. Straight Key Night Founder Barry Kirkwood, ZL1DD SK 16. Southern India Landslides Have Hams Assisting Rescue Efforts 17. New Satellites For Cellular Broadband Is Approved By The FCC 18. Flannan Islands DXPedition Cancelled Due To Weather Hazards 19. ARRL: Upcoming Contests and Regional Conventions. 20. Monthly Volunteer Monitoring Report 21. FCC: Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking for reallocation of portions of the 900 MegaHertz band 22. ARRL: David Galletly, KM2O, is named Vice Director of the Hudson Division 23. AMSAT: SpaceX to develop Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft For Deorbiting The International Space Station 24. WIA: Adidas develops a new RF trackable Soccer Ball 25. ARRL: ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology adds a new third level 26. ARRL: Generational legacies are carried on in the new ARRL Teachers Institute Beta Program 27. ARRL: 2024 USA and IARU Region 2 Radio Orienteering Championship Set 28. ARRL: 2024 Olympics special event station is on the air now 29. RAC: Canada wildfires communications preparedness strategies 30. FCC: FCC releases updated wireless speed test app to improve mobile broadband 31. FCC: Senate advances $7 billion bill renewing the popular internet discount program for low income help Plus these Special Features This Week: * Working Amateur Radio Satellites with Bruce Paige, KK5DO - AMSAT Satellite News * Foundations of Amateur Radio with Onno Benschop VK6FLAB, will answer the question "What kind of a hobby is amateur radio?" * The DX Corner with Bill Salyers, AJ8B with all the latest news on DXpeditions, DX, RadioSport, upcoming contests, and more.. * Weekly Propagation Forecast from the ARRL * Will Rogers, K5WLR - The Century Of Amateur Radio - This week Will takes us aboard The Wayback Machine to the year 1916, when everyone was sharing very little spectrum and QRM was everywhere, and to witness something called The 9XE Rock Island Test. ----- Website: https://www.twiar.net X: https://x.com/TWIAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twiari YouTube: https://bit.ly/TWIARYouTube RSS News: https://twiar.net/?feed=rss2 Automated (Full): https://twiar.net/TWIARHAM.mp3 (Static file, updated weekly) Automated (1-hour): https://www.twiar.net/TWIAR1HR.mp3 (Static file, updated weekly) ----- This Week in Amateur Radio is produced by Community Video Associates in upstate New York, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you would like to volunteer with us as a news anchor or special segment producer please get in touch with our Executive Producer, George, via email at w2xbs77@gmail.com. Thanks to FortifiedNet.net for the server space! Thanks to Archive.org for the audio space.

PODCAST: This Week in Amateur Radio Edition #1327 - Full Version Release Date: August 3, 2024 Here is a summary of the news trending This Week in Amateur Radio. This week's edition is anchored by Denny Haight, NZ8D, Dave Wilson, WA2HOY, Don Hulick, K2ATJ, Will Rogers, K5WLR, Josh Marler, AA4WX, Eric Zittel, KD2RJX, William Savocool, K2SAV, Chris Perrine, KB2FAF, Rich Lawrence, KB2FAF, George Bowen, W2XBS, and Jessica Bowen, KC2VWX. Produced and edited by George Bowen, W2XBS. Approximate Running Time: 1:38:37 Podcast Download: https://bit.ly/TWIAR1327 Trending headlines in this week's bulletin service 1. AMSAT: TEVEL Satellites Begin Atmospheric Reentry and Decommissioning 2. AMSAT: Ariane 6 Launches PariSat: Young Engineers Test Heat Dissipation 3. AMSAT: SpaceX to Develop Enhanced Dragon Spacecraft For ISS Deorbit 4. AMSAT: Satellite Shorts From All Over 5. WIA: So Who Listens To BBC Content Internationally? 6. WIA: A New Emergency Alert System Event Code Is Coming Soon In The United States 7. WIA: Adidas Develops RF Trackable Soccer Ball 8. ARRL: ARRL Teachers Institute On Wireless Technology Adds Third Level 9. ARRL: Generational Legacy Carried On In ARRL Teachers Institute 10. ARRL: 2024 USA and IARU Region 2 Radio Orienteering Championships Set For October 11. ARRL: 2024 Olympics Special Event Station On The Air Now 12. ARRL: Rule Changes Announced for ARRL International EME Contest 13. Indian Ham Radio Advocate, Sudip Kumar Nanda, Passes During Visit To The US - SK 14. Canada Wildfires Communications Preparedness Strategies 15. DxPedition To Bouvet Island 3Y0K Interviewing For Transport Ship 16. UK Feast Of Amateur Radio Convention Sponsored By The RSGB 17. New Hampshire Radio Club Hosted By Telephone Museum 18. FCC: US Court Blocks Biden Administration Net Neutrality Rules 19. FCC: FCC Releases Updated Speed Test App To Improve Mobile Broadband Accuracy 20. FCC: Senate Advances $7 Billion Bill Renewing Popular FCC Internet Discount Program 21. AMSAT: AMSAT mail alias service to end August 31st, 2024 22. WIA: US/European broadcasters in talks with car manufacturers to keep AM Medium Wave Broadcast In Cars 23. ARRL: ARRL Board of Directors completes second meeting for 2024 and approves reports - PART ONE 24. ARRL: ARRL: Board of Directors completes second meeting for 2024 and approves reports - PART TWO 25. ARRL: Special Report: Ham Radio during the upcoming Hurricane Season - PART ONE 26. ARRL: Special Report: Ham Radio during the upcoming Hurricane Season - PART TWO 27. Intercontinental traffic net is looking for new net controls 28. UK Regulator Ofcom seeks input on shared amateur radio spectrum 29. ARRL: Monthly Volunteer Monitoring Report Plus these Special Features This Week: * Working Amateur Radio Satellites with Bruce Paige, KK5DO - AMSAT Satellite News * Foundations of Amateur Radio with Onno Benschop VK6FLAB, will answer the question, Does The International Amateur Union Actually Represent You? * The DX Corner with Bill Salyers, AJ8B with all the latest news on DXpeditions, RadioSport DX, upcoming contests, and more. * Weekly Propagation Forecast from the ARRL * Will Rogers - K5WLR - The History of Amateur Radio - A Century of Amateur Radio. This week, Will takes us on board The Wayback Machine to go back to, the early nineteen hundreds. Where we will be witnessing the beginnings of QST Magazine. ----- Website: https://www.twiar.net X: https://x.com/TWIAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twiari YouTube: https://bit.ly/TWIARYouTube RSS News: https://twiar.net/?feed=rss2 Automated (Full): https://twiar.net/TWIARHAM.mp3 (Static file, updated weekly) Automated (1-hour): https://www.twiar.net/TWIAR1HR.mp3 (Static file, updated weekly) ----- This Week in Amateur Radio is produced by Community Video Associates in upstate New York, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you would like to volunteer with us as a news anchor or special segment producer please get in touch with our Executive Producer, George, via email at w2xbs77@gmail.com. Thanks to FortifiedNet.net for the server space! Thanks to Archive.org for the audio space.

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.

Foundations of Amateur Radio Over the past week I've been attempting to work out what the IARU, the International Amateur Radio Union, actually does and how it works. I started looking into this because the IARU is this year celebrating a century since its foundation in 1925. You might think of the IARU as one organisation, but behind the scenes there are actually four, one for each so-called "Region" as well a Global organisation called the International Secretariat, headquartered at the ARRL in Connecticut. The Regions have been negotiated by members of the ITU, the International Telecommunications Union. As early as 1927 the ITU documented differences in frequency allocations between Europe and Other Regions. In Cairo in 1938 it defined boundaries for Europe. In Atlantic City in 1947, the ITU defined three Regions, with specific boundaries, essentially, Europe and Africa, the Americas and the rest of the world. As a surprise to nobody, this is purely a political decision, especially since radio waves don't get to have a passport and pass border control. The impact of this continues today, generations later. We still have this patchwork of frequency allocations, we still have exclusions, different band-edges and other anachronisms. The Regions are further divided into Zones. When you start looking at the ITU zone map in detail it gets weird. For example, Iraq is in Region 1, neighbouring Iran has been specifically excluded from Region 1 and moved to Region 3. In case you're curious, Iran has been represented at the ITU since 1938. Antarctica is part of seven of the 90 ITU zones and all three Regions, because of course it is. Zone 90, jammed between zones 35, 45, 61, 64, 65 and 76, almost as an afterthought, contains one landmass, Minamitorishima, an island that sticks 9 m above the water, has a 6 km coastline and is generally off-limits to the general public. The nearest land in any direction is over 1,000 km away. It's got an IOTA, Islands On The Air, designation, OC-073 and despite its isolation, has been activated by radio amateurs using JD1 prefix callsigns. I live in Australia, ITU zone 58, part of Region 3, together with the two most populous countries on the planet, India and China and the rest of eastern Asia, but not the Former Soviet republics and most, but not all of Oceania, you know, because .. logic. From a population perspective Region 3 is the largest by several orders of magnitude, but you'd never know it if you went looking. Why am I telling you all this? Well, that's the international stage on which the IARU is representing amateur radio. In 1927 the underlying assumption was that each service, Amateur Radio included, had a global exclusive allocation. The reality was different. Spectrum was in such short supply that individual exceptions were carved out, which as I've said resulted in splitting up the world into regions, starting in 1938 and codified in 1947. The IARU in 1925 is a different organisation from what it is today. In 1925 individual amateurs could become members. As soon as enough members from a country joined, they'd be grouped together. When there were enough groups, the IARU became a federation of national associations. Over time, the IARU as a single body, evolved into the structure we have today. In 1950 in Paris, the IARU Region 1 organisation was formed. In 1964 in Mexico City, IARU Region 2 was created and in 1968 in Sydney, IARU Region 3 came to exist. You can see their online presence at the various iaru.org websites. How it works is no clearer now than it was when I started. What it has achieved is equally unclear. I'm currently trolling through ITU World Radiocommunications Conference documentation going back to 1903 to discover references to Amateur Radio, but it's hard going. At least it's something. The IARU documentation is not nearly as extensive or up to date. It appears that many, if not all, of the people working behind the scenes at the various IARU organisations are volunteers. If you feel inclined, there is an ongoing request for assistance, and before you ask, yes, I looked into helping out, but that will have to wait until funds permit. If you have insights into the functioning of the IARU, don't be shy, get in touch. cq@vk6flab.com is my address. I'm Onno VK6FLAB

GB2RS News Sunday the 16th of June 2024  The news headlines: The RSGB's annual Convention is coming up in October National Coding Week returns in September Exercise Blue Ham is taking place this week  This year, the RSGB's annual Convention will take place from the 11th to the 13th of October. What would you like to see at the Convention? This year the Society is offering everyone the opportunity to propose a presentation, a topic, a practical session or a project to share. Are you involved in some new research? Have you discovered something new in amateur radio that you're keen to share? Are you part of an interesting project that will take amateur radio to new audiences? Or have you helped to make amateur radio more accessible to people with different abilities? If you'd like to offer, or suggest, a presentation on these, or any other topics, please send your proposal to the Convention Team. As part of its strategy, the RSGB wants to ensure that this prestigious annual event not only meets the needs of its members but also helps every radio amateur to share their love of the hobby with others. The deadline for proposals is Wednesday the 3rd of July so it is important to send in your ideas as soon as possible. Email convention@rsgb.org.uk and make sure you put ‘Convention proposal' and the topic in the email title. National Coding Week runs in September. Coding – or programming as it used to be called – is used in a range of amateur radio activities. This year the Society would like to develop its activities further by appointing a volunteer National Coding Week Coordinator. Could you encourage people, help them with their ideas and work with HQ teams to publicise and support activities? If you love computer programming and think you could help others enjoy it through amateur radio, why not think about offering an activity or volunteering to be the RSGB's National Coding Week Coordinator? Get in touch by emailing strategy@rsgb.org.uk RAF Air Cadets are running the ever-popular Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise, on the 60m band, 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, during the period of the exercise, you contact 20 or more special military cadet callsigns with an MRE prefix. For more information visit alphacharlie.org.uk  Please note that only Full licensees may operate on the 60m band. The May 2024 edition of the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System Newsletter is now available. The newsletter contains details of intrusions into amateur bands, and you can access it via tinyurl.com/IARUMAY24 This year, the popular British Inland Waterways on the Air event will take place between the 24th and 26th of August. The event is open to amateurs who use canals, towpaths, rivers, lakes or reservoirs for work or recreation. Registration for the event is now open. To sign up, visit Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group's website at nharg.org.uk  and follow the BIWOTA 2024 link.  And now for details of rallies and events The East Suffolk Wireless Revival, also known as the Ipswich Radio Rally, is taking place today, the 16th of June. The venue is Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton, IP10 0PW, just off the A14. The doors open at 9.30 am and the entry fee for visitors is £3. The site has free car parking and catering is available. For more information, contact Kevin, G8MXV on 07710 046 846 or visit eswr.org.uk The Bangor and District Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place on Saturday the 22nd of June at Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church Halls. The doors open at 11.30 am. For more information, the Society can be contacted via its Facebook page. The Newbury Radio Rally is set to take place on Sunday the 23rd of June. The venue will be Newbury Showground, next to junction 13 of the M4 motorway in Berkshire, RG18 9QZ. There will be a display area with an amateur radio station, exhibits, special interest groups, clubs and societies. The doors open to sellers at 8 am, and to visitors at 9 am. Lots of free parking will be available and entry will cost £3 for visitors. A seller's pitch costs £15. For more information visit nadars.org.uk Dunstable Downs Radio Club would like to remind everyone that its annual boot sale has been postponed until the 30th of June. This is due to the site being used by BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend music festival. Updates will be posted to Dunstable Downs Radio Club's Facebook page and reminder emails will be sent out closer to the time. To add yourself to the list, visit ddrcbootsale.org  and sign up for email reminders.  Now the Special Event News Look out for special callsign GB9DAT which is active until the 28th of June to help promote digital modes in amateur radio. Operators are using a variety of digital modes including FT8, FT4, PSK and RTTY, among others. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly to MM0DFV. Special callsign OE20SOTA is active until the 31st of October to mark the 20th anniversary of Austria joining the Summits on the Air programme. Operators have been heard recently on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. For details of an available certificate, for making 20 or more contacts with the station, see QRZ.com  Now the DX news Elvira, IV3FSG is active as 5U5K from Niger until the 20th of June. She is operating SSB, FT8, FT4, RTTY and some CW on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL directly to IK2DUW. Erwin, DK5EW is active as SV8/DK5EW from Crete Island, EU-015, until the 20th of June. He is QRV on the 6 and 4m bands only, from grid locator KM15. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, or directly to Erwin's home call.  Now the contest news The 50MHz Trophy Contest started at 1400UTC on the 15th and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 16th of June. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX Contest started at 0000UTC on the 15th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 16th of June. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your signal report and age. Today, the 16th, the Worked All Britain 6m Phone Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using phone on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. More information is available from the Worked All Britain website. Tomorrow, the 17th, the 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 Tuesday the 18th, the 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 19th, the 80m Club Championship CW Contest takes place from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 20th, 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. On Sunday the 23rd, the 50MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. 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 13th of June 2024 No sooner do we say that conditions will remain good than the Sun emits an X-class solar flare! Such is the challenge of writing propagation predictions. Nevertheless, after the X1.5-class flare on the 10th of June, things settled again and, at the moment, there are no incoming coronal mass ejections, or CMEs for short, to report. With a Kp index of less than 1 on Thursday the 13th, and a solar flux index of 165, it looks like HF conditions could be quite good. However, the Sun's proton flux has increased and is close to the 10 million electron volts warning threshold. This means that paths through the polar regions might be disrupted. Protons can herald the arrival of a CME two or three days later, although NOAA is not predicting any disruption. On the 13th of June, the critical frequency was between 7 and 8MHz, meaning a maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path of around 21 to 24MHz. The 10m band will be open, mainly to Sporadic-E. However, F2-layer propagation on the 10m band will be sparse. NOAA predicts the solar flux index will fall to around 155 today, the 16th, before climbing again to around 195 in a week. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet all week, but that may be because solar flares and CMEs are hard to predict at this point in the solar cycle. As always, make hay on the HF bands while the Sun shines! And make the most of the Sporadic-E propagation on the higher HF bands as June is probably a peak month for this. Finally, the latest sunspot data show that the average sunspot number for May was 171.7, the highest in 22 years. However, the ARRL reports that shortwave conditions were above average on only six days out of the entire month of May, and mostly poor on half of the days due to geomagnetic disturbances and solar flares. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of seemingly endless, poor weather is struggling to provide much Tropo. The general theme is low pressure bringing weather fronts with rain or, if not that, then scattered heavy showers. This again points to rain scatter for the GHz Bands as the mode worth exploring. There is just one glimmer of Tropo hope in that the latest model predictions are starting to inject the notion of a ridge developing over southern areas, initially around mid-week but perhaps more so at the end of the week. Although, it's fair to say that other models hang on to the low-pressure theme. That said, it's worth checking from the middle of next week onwards. There are no significant meteor showers this week so continue to check for random meteors around dawn. The solar conditions have continued to trickle charge the auroral oval with an occasionally enhanced Kp index indicating possible aurora. This is unlikely to be visible at this time of the year although, if you are outside with a clear view to the north, you might be rewarded with a seasonal look at noctilucent clouds to make up for it. High-summer Sporadic-E propagation is providing daily contacts so it's worth checking the bands each day. The daily blogs always have something to show on the 10m band and many days there are reports of contacts on the 6m band. Remember these openings are not always reachable from all parts of the UK. One of the characteristics of Sporadic-E is that at each end of the path the ‘signal footprint' is very small. Even in a busy opening, signals may still pass you by but you should continue to monitor in case a Sporadic-E path opens up that does include your station at one end! Moon declination is negative again from this weekend, ending today the 16th. EME path loss was at its highest at apogee on Friday the 14th. 144MHz sky noise starts the week low but rises steadily, reaching over 3,000 Kelvin on Friday the 21st. And that's all from the propagation team this week.  

Foundations of Amateur Radio The other day I had an interesting exchange with a contest manager and it's not the first time I've had this dance. As you might know, pretty much every weekend marks at least one on-air amateur radio contest. Following rules set out by a contest the aim is to make contact or a QSO with stations, taking note of each, in a process called logging. Using logging software is one way to keep track of who you talked to, a piece of paper is another. If your station is expecting to make less than a dozen contacts per hour, paper is a perfectly valid way of keeping track, but it's likely that most contests expect you to transcribe your scribbles into electronic form. Which electronic form is normally explicitly stated in the rules for that contest. While I mention rules, you should check the rules for each contest you participate in. Rules change regularly, sometimes significantly, often subtly with little edge cases captured in updated requirements. On the software side, using electronic logging, even transcribing your paper log, can get you to unexpected results. I participated in a local contest and logged with a tool I've used before, xlog. Contests often specify that you must submit logs using something like Cabrillo or ADIF. There are contests that provide a web page where you're expected to paste or manually enter your contacts in some specific format. Using xlog I exported into each of the available formats, Cabrillo, ADIF, Tab Separated Values or TSV and a format I've never heard of, EDI. The format, according to a VHF Handbook I read, Electronic Data Interchange, was recommended by the IARU Region 1 during a meeting of the VHF/UHF/Microwave committee in Vienna in 1998 and later endorsed by the Executive Committee. The contest I participated in asked for logs in Excel, Word, ASCII text or the output of electronic logging programs. Based on that I opened up the Cabrillo file and noticed that the export was gibberish. It had entries that bore no relation to the actual contest log entries, so I set about fixing them, one line at a time, to ensure that what I was submitting was actually a true reflection of my log. So, issue number one is that xlog does not appear to export Cabrillo or ADIF properly. The TSV and EDI files appear, at least at first glance, to have the correct information, and the xlog internal file also contains the correct information. Much food for head-scratching. I'm running the latest version, so I'll dig in further when I have a moment. In any case, I received a lovely email from the contest manager who apologised for not being able to open up my submitted log because they didn't have access to anything that could open up a Cabrillo file. We exchanged a few emails and I eventually sent a Comma Separated Values, or CSV file, and my log was accepted. What I discovered was that their computer was "helping" in typical unhelpful "Clippy" style, by refusing to open up a Cabrillo file, claiming that it didn't have software installed that could read it. Which brings me to issue number two. All these files, Cabrillo, ADIF, TSV, CSV, EDI, even xlog's internal file are all text files. You can open them up in any text editor, on any platform, even Windows, which for reasons only the developers at Microsoft understand, refuses to open a text file if it has the wrong file extension. This "helpful" aspect of the platform is extended into their email service, "Outlook.com" previously called "Hotmail", which refuses to download "unknown" files, like the Cabrillo file with a ".cbr" extension. With the demise of Windows Notepad, another annoying aspect has been removed, that of line-endings. To signify the end of a line MacOS, Windows and Linux have different ideas on how to indicate that a line of text has come to an end. In Windows-land, and DOS before it, use Carriage Return followed by Linefeed. Unix, including Linux and FreeBSD use Linefeed only; OS X also uses Linefeed, but classic Macintosh used Carriage Return. In other words, if you open up a text file and it all runs into one big chunk of text, it's likely that line-endings are the cause. It also means that you, and contest managers, can rename files with data in Cabrillo, ADIF, CSV, TSV, EDI and plenty of other formats like HTML, CSS, JS, JSON, XML and KML to something ending with "TXT" and open it in their nearest text editor. If this makes you giddy, a KMZ file is actually a ZIP file with a KML file inside, which is also true for several other file formats like DOCX to name one. Of course, that doesn't fix the issues of broken exports like xlog appears to be doing, but at least it gets everyone on the same page. Word of caution. In most of these files individual characters matter. Removing an innocuous space or quote might completely corrupt the file for software that is written for that file format. So, tread carefully when you're editing. What other data wrangling issues have you come across? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Foundations of Amateur Radio Today I'm going to spend a little longer with you than usual, but then, I think this is important and it's good to end the year on a bang. Have you ever attempted to make contact with a specific DXCC entity and spent some time exploring the band plan to discover what the best frequency might be to achieve that? If you got right into it, you might have gone so far as to attempt to locate the band plan that applies to your particular target. If you have, what I'm about to discuss will not come as a surprise. If not, strap yourself in. When you get your license you're hopefully presented with a current band plan that is relevant to your license conditions. It shows what frequencies are available to you, which modes you can use where, and what power levels and bandwidth are permitted. It should also show you if you're the primary user or not on a particular band. If you're not sure what that means, some frequency ranges are allocated to multiple users and amateur radio as one such user is expected to share. If you're a primary user you have priority, but if you're not, you need to give way to other traffic. It should come as no surprise that this is heavily regulated but as a surprise to some, it changes regularly. Across the world, frequency allocation is coordinated by the International Telecommunications Union, the ITU, and specifically for amateur radio, by the International Amateur Radio Union, the IARU. It coordinates frequencies with each peak amateur radio body. The ITU divides the world into three regions, Region 1, 2 and 3, each with its own band plan. Within each region, a country has the ability to allocate frequencies as it sees fit - presumably as long as it complies with the ITU requirements. As a result, there's not one single picture of how frequencies are allocated. And this is where the fun starts. In Australia there's an official legislated band plan, cunningly titled F2021L00617. It contains the frequencies for all the radio spectrum users as well as a column for each ITU region. The document is 200 pages long, and comes with an astounding array of footnotes and exclusions. It's dated 21 May 2021. There's a simplified version published by the Wireless Institute of Australia, which comes as a 32 page PDF. It was last updated in September 2020. When I say "simplified", I'm of course kidding. It doesn't include the 60m band which according to the regulator is actually an amateur band today. The 13cm band according to the WIA shows a gap between 2302 and 2400, where the regulator shows it as a continuous allocation between 2300 and 2450 MHz. The point being, who's right? What can you actually use? Oh, the WIA does have a different page that shows that 6m "has had some additions", but they haven't bothered to update their actual band plan. To make life easier, the regulator includes helpful footnotes like "AUS87". This is particularly useful if you want to search their PDF to determine what this actually says, since it only appears 156 times and it's not a link within the document. In case you're curious, it's related to three radio astronomy facilities operated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, better known as the CSIRO, two by the University of Tasmania and one by the Canberra Deep Space Network. Interestingly the Australian Square Kilometer Array and the Murchison Widefield Array don't feature in those particular exclusions, they're covered by footnote AUS103. If that wasn't enough. The regulator has no time for specific amateur use. You can find the word Amateur 204 times but there's no differentiation between the different classes of license which means that you need to go back to the WIA document to figure out which license class is allowed where, which of course means that you end up in no-mans land if you want to discover who is permitted to transmit on 2350 MHz. If we look further afield, in the USA the ARRL publishes half a dozen different versions, each with different colours, since black and white, grey scale, colour and web-colour are all important attributes to differentiate an official document. Of course, those versions are now all six years out of date, having been revised on the 22nd of September 2017. The most recent version, in a completely different format, only in one colour, has all the relevant information. It shows a revised date of 10 February 2023, that or, 2 October 2023 because of course nobody outside the US is ever going to want to refer to that document - seeing as there's only amateurs in the USA, well at least according to the ARRL. Interestingly the US Department of Commerce, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Office of Spectrum Management publishes a colourful chart showing the radio spectrum between 3 kHz and 300 GHz. You can't use it as a technical document, but it's pretty on a wall to amaze your non-amateur friends. The FCC has a band plan page, but I couldn't discover how to actually get amateur relevant information from it. If you think that's bad, you haven't seen anything yet. The British are special. The RSGB publishes a variety of versions, each worse than the next. It appears that their system creates a single HTML page for each band, their 32 page PDF is a print out of that and their interactive viewer wraps all that into some proprietary system that makes using it an abysmal experience. Fortunately, they also link to a band plan made by the regulator, presented as a five page PDF which is much more concise and has the helpful heading: "The following band plan is largely based on that agreed at IARU Region 1 General Conferences, with some local differences on frequencies above 430MHz." Unfortunately it doesn't specify which particular General Conferences apply, but it does helpfully tell us that it's effective from the first of January 2023, unless otherwise shown. That said, 2023 only appears in the headers and footers and 2024 doesn't appear, so who knows what date exceptions exist. One point of difference is that the RSGB also publishes their band plan as an Excel Workbook. This might start your heart beating a little faster with visions of data entry, sorting, filtering and other such goodies, like figuring out which frequency to use for a particular mode. Unfortunately the authors have used Excel as a tool for making tables like you'd see in a word processing document. Start and Stop frequencies in the same cell, random use of MHz, spacing between bandwidth and frequencies and descriptions intermingled. In other words, this is not an Excel Workbook and it does not contain information in any usable form, unless you want to do some free text searching across the 32 worksheets - what is it with 32 anyway? Perhaps this is their authoring tool and they save as HTML from within Excel or print to PDF. Who knows? One point that the British do get right is version control. You can see specifically what change was introduced when. For example, on the 6th of March 2009 the 17m QRP frequency was corrected to 18086 kHz. Mind you, there's several pages of updates, helpfully scattered across multiple worksheets. Yes, they're really using Excel as a word processor. Before I dig into any other countries, I should mention the United Nations Amateur Radio peak body, the IARU, presumably a model that countries should aspire to. The IARU has links to three different sets of band plans. Region 1 breaks the band plan into HF and higher frequencies and the higher frequencies are broken into notional bands, each with their own PDF. Regions 2 and 3 each provide a single PDF, but the Region 3 document is hosted on the Region 2 website. Region 1 documents contain a revision and an active date as well as an author. Region 2 and 3 documents contain a date and are formatted completely differently. In Germany the DARC attempts to link to the IARU-Region 1 band plan, but the link is pointing at a non-existent page. In the Netherlands, VERON points at a 2016 edition of the IARU-Region 1 HF band plan and the current Region 1 mixed band plan for higher frequencies. In Canada the RAC points at a HTML page for each band and presents all the HF frequencies as a single image, yes an image. All the other bands are essentially text describing how to use a particular band. The HF image states that it applies from the first of June 2023, the rest of the pages carry various dates that conflict with each other. For example, the 2m band states on the landing page that it was updated on the 23rd of September 1995, but the page itself refers to a new 2m band plan that was approved in October of 2020. The linked band plan contains all the credit, who is responsible for the plan, naming the entire committee, adding notes and requesting donations, straight from the RAC newsletter, page 36 and 37 of the November / December 2020 edition, rather than providing a stand-alone technical document. Let's hop back across the Atlantic and see what else we can learn. In Switzerland things are a little different. Its regulator publishes a frequency allocation plan that is a thing of beauty. It presents as a table on a web page, but it has a search box you can use to filter the frequencies that you're interested in. So if you use the word "amateur", you end up seeing the whole amateur radio spectrum as it exists within the borders of Switzerland. You can also set frequency ranges and as a bonus, if you type in 1 MHz and change the unit to kHz, it actually changes the number to 1000. As I said, a thing of beauty. Oh, and the footnotes? Yeah, they're links and they open a new window with the relevant information, and you can keep clicking deeper and deeper until you get to the actual legislation driving that particular entry. If that's not fancy enough for you, from within the search, you can download an offline HTML copy, you can pick services, rather than use search terms, and the PDF version, because of course there is one, actually has the same active links to footnotes. That said, it has some idiosyncrasies. It specifies when amateur radio is the primary or the secondary user of a band, except when it doesn't. I presume that this is a regulatory thing and that it's a shared resource, but as an outsider I'm not familiar with Swiss law, but if I was inclined, I could become familiar, since the documents are all written in multiple languages, including English. Another oddity is that some frequencies show no text at all, but I presume that's a bug, rather than by design. Speaking of bugs, or features, depending on your perspective. Consider the frequency 2300 MHz. Every single document I looked at mixes up how this is shown. Some have a space between the number and the unit, some don't. Some countries put a space between the 2 and the 3, some a dot, some a comma, the Swiss use an apostrophe. Just so we're clear, these are technical documents we're talking about. They're not literary works, there are standards for how to do this, but it seems that the people writing these documents are blissfully unaware of any such references. Even the IARU cannot agree on how to represent the same number, let alone use the same formatting for the same band plan in each of its three regions. At this point you might come to the conclusion that this is all an abhorrent mess and I'd agree with you. In my opinion, it goes directly to how important our hobby is in the scheme of things and just how little funding is allocated to our activities. It also shows that there are contradictory sources of truth and not a single unified view on how to present this information to the global amateur community. In case you're wondering why that matters, electromagnetism doesn't stop at the political boundaries of the location where we might find ourselves and if that doesn't matter to you, consider again how you'd best talk to an amateur of any given DXCC entity and on what particular frequency you might achieve that. So, aside from whinging about it, what can you do about this? I have started a project, of course I have, that attempts to document two things, well, three. First of all I use the WIA version of the DXCC list - since the ARRL doesn't actually publish that for free anywhere - and use that to track a list of hopefully official frequency allocation documents. I'm also in the process of capturing the content of each of those documents into a database, so we can all figure out what the best frequency is to talk to another country. I'm still in the design stages for the database, for example, do we want to store a frequency in Hertz, in kHz, or pick a magnitude and store a number? Each of these choices has long term implications for using the tool. Then there's things like discovering which band plan applies to Scarborough Reef, the San Felix Islands and Pratas Island to name a few, since I've really only scratched the surface with the plans I've explored. I had visions of putting this on GitHub, but perhaps this should be part of the Wikipedia collection and it should live there. I'm still considering the best plan of attack. In the meantime, you can help. Please send an email to cq@vk6flab.com with the official band plan link for your own DXCC entity, and if you have thoughts on how best to structure the database or where this project should live, let me know. For example, should the database include just band plans, or should we also include things like modes. For example, the official VK calling frequency for 40m is 7.093 MHz. Should that be in the database and should we include the preferred Olivia calling frequency? While looking at that, consider the band labels we use. Australia doesn't have a 75m band, but others do. Some countries refer to the 4mm band, others refer to it by frequency. So, over to you. Let me know what you think. I'll leave you with a quote by Daren 2E0LXY: "It is not the class of licence the Amateur holds but the class of the Amateur that holds the licence." I'm Onno VK6FLAB

GB2RS News Sunday the 24th of December 2023 The news headlines: Examinations and Syllabus Review Group to update syllabus The RSGB election process is underway Volunteer Youth Country Representatives sought   Season's greetings to all our listeners! Today's GB2RS news script will be the final one of 2023. Today's news reading is optional, as the RSGB appreciates that not all newsreaders will be available, but the script will be on the RGSB website so all can see it. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the newsreaders, who read the news on a variety of platforms, for their service to their fellow amateurs throughout the year. We'd also like to remind amateurs that there has been a long-standing convention to listen for news broadcasts on Sundays before transmitting, to allow news reading to go ahead without interference. 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 platforms. Please note, there will be no script prepared for broadcast on Sunday the 31st of December 2023 due to RSGB HQ being closed from 4.30 pm on Friday the 22nd of December until 8.30 am on Tuesday the 2nd of January 2024. Newsreaders may, of course, choose to run a net at their normal transmission time, but under their own callsign only. Following its consultation on proposed changes to the amateur radio licence, Ofcom has recently published the “General notice of proposal to vary amateur radio licences”. The timescale for putting the licence changes into effect means that the Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has been working on the revised syllabus, version 1.6, in parallel with the Ofcom consultation. To read the full explanation, and see the draft sections, go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/training and choose the ‘Trainer Information' link in the righthand menu. The RSGB election process is underway and the closing date for RSGB Nominated Directors is Wednesday the 3rd of January. In being a Director, you are responsible for taking strategic decisions that steer the direction of the Society and provide leadership and motivation to implement its strategy. If you have the right skills and attributes that you think can help the Society develop for the future, then please get in touch. Contact the Nominations Committee Chair, Bob Beebe, GU4YOX via nomimations.chair@rsgb.org.uk   On the RSGB website there is information about the Elected Director and Regional Representative roles available and the process for standing for those roles. You can also read an important statement from Don Beattie G3BJ, former RSGB President and IARU Region 1 Past-President, in which he outlines what he thinks are the necessary skills for Board Directors and encourages people to play their part in the future of the Society. Go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/election to find out more. A reminder now that the RSGB is looking for four licensed radio amateurs to help raise the profile of wireless communication amongst young people. Initially, we're looking for RSGB members based in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to engage young people in the hobby. 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. For full details of these roles, see rsgb.org/volunteers and for an informal discussion, please email RSGB Board Director, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML at: gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk If you live in Region 11 you could support your local amateur radio community by becoming an RSGB District Representative. DR111 covers Cornwall and the Scillies, whilst DR114 focuses on Dorset. If you would like to find out more, please contact the Region 11 Regional Representative, Andrew Jenner, G7KNA. There are also District Representative vacancies in Region 3 and Region 10 – find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers Two more RSGB Convention presentations will be published on YouTube over the Christmas holidays. In the first, Nobby Styles, G0VJG describes the challenging and hazardous DXpedition to Europe's rarest IOTA location, Rockall Island. The second presentation, by David Lauder, G0SNO, outlines the RSGB EMC Committee investigations into sources of RF electrical interference from recent developments in electronic equipment, including electric vehicle charging. Subscribe to the RSGB YouTube channel to be notified when these presentations are available and get ready for some great Christmas viewing! Go to youtube.com/theRSGB to subscribe. Youngsters on the Air month is nearly at a close. The month has been filled with some brilliant activity from young people using the special callsign GB23YOTA. Thank you to everyone who has been involved, from those who have been supervising young amateurs, to those making contact on the air. There is more GB23YOTA activity planned before the end of the year, so please continue to listen out and get involved. On Friday the 29th of December, M0YTE will be supervising 2E0YOG between 12 pm and 6 pm. Following this, on Saturday the 30th of December, Hilderstone Radio Society will be back operating the special callsign between 12 pm and 6 pm. If you have been involved with Youngsters on the Air month and have photos and a short report that you'd like to share, there will be a special feature in the March issue of RadCom. Email radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 21st of January.   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. 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-in from 1 pm. Contact Steve, M5ZZZ for tables and details via m5zzz@outlook.com or 07777 699 069. Now the Special Event News Once again, Santa Radio, OF9X will be active until the 31st of December on all amateur radio bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via OH2BH. The activity is organised by the Radio Club of Pusula, OH9W and Radio Arcala, OH8X.  Listen out for members of Denby Dale Amateur Radio Society who are celebrating the festive period with a series of special callsigns including GB0HNY. For more information visit QRZ.com Look for special callsign PC100II which is active throughout December to celebrate the centenary of the third two-way contact between Europe and America conducted by Henk Jesse, PCII in the Netherlands, and 2AGB in the USA during the night of the 26th and 27th of December 1923. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, or via PA1AW. Now the DX news Moise, F4EZG is active as 5R8VE from the main island of Madagascar, AF-013, until the 3rd of January 2024. He is operating using SSB and FT8 on the 20 to 10m bands. QSL via F4EZG, Logbook of the World and eQSL. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 26th, the 50MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 26th, the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100 UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send their district or non-member code. It's not a contest but the Worked All Britain Christmas Party runs from Tuesday the 26th of December to Saturday the 6th of January. Using all bands and modes, the exchange is your Worked All Britain book number. On Wednesday the 27th, the 70MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 28th, the 144MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Friday the 29th, the 432MHz Christmas Contest will take place between 1400 and 1600UTC. 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 21st of December 2023 We filed last week's GB2RS propagation report and, shortly after, we had the biggest X-ray solar flare event this cycle! This just shows how hard it is to predict solar activity and why long-term HF predictions are problematic. Anyway, back to the solar flare which occurred at 1702UTC on the 14th of December. This was an X2.8 event that was also responsible for a coronal mass ejection. Luckily, the Sun had already set in the UK but if you were working the USA, Caribbean or South America on HF, you may have found the path suddenly disrupted. If that did happen to you, please let us know. The full halo coronal mass ejection, or CME, that followed headed mostly to the west, although a glancing blow was predicted to hit us on the 15th or 16th of December. It eventually hit late on the 17th of December, pushing the Kp index to six on the morning of the 18th of December. HF conditions remained fairly unsettled after that. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the 140 to 150 range again and that the Kp index will be no more than two. However, that geomagnetic prediction may be wishful thinking. There are a lot of sunspots at the moment and active region 3529 may be a strong candidate for flare and CME action over the coming week. So, our message is: work the DX when you can and don't ignore the lower bands, such as 40, 80 and 160 metres, which may offer some good DX at night in the middle of winter. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather pattern over the Christmas period is set up as a teaser between very mild, and cold enough for some wintry weather. However, it probably won't be cold enough – except in the north – to get too excited before the 25th. To set the scene and give you a chance to ‘roll your own forecasts' in view of the long lead time for this forecast, the atmosphere is part way through its normal transition from summer-time Atlantic jet streams over Iceland to winter jet streams over the Mediterranean.  We are currently in the middle, and this puts the main jet stream path across the British Isles. It will produce alternating periods of mild and cold weather – very difficult to pin down even a few days ahead, let alone into the New Year! What we can get from this, in terms of propagation, is a good chance of the meandering jet stream being able to invoke a mid-winter Sporadic-E event for some of us. However, the times are less predictable than in the summer, so just keep a listen out on the 10m and 6m bands for activity, it would be a shame to miss any. Tropo has done well over the last weekend, so a large high to the south of the UK, over the continent, is worth looking out for especially paths south to Iberia or east to the Baltic. Lastly, look out for the lesser modes of scatter from rain or meteors, which will continue to be a random option, as well as the potential for aurora. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising, reaching a maximum on Boxing Day. Path losses are rising to a maximum on New Year's Day. 144MHz sky noise is moderate all week. Finally, a big thank you from the propagation team for the 'fine business' effort you all put into getting on the bands to explore and report these exciting propagation modes… Merry Christmas! And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of November 2023 The news headlines: 2023 ITU World Radiocommunication Conference RSGB 2023 Convention presentation on Ofcom consultation Tonight@8 webinar The first week of the 2023 ITU World Radiocommunication Conference has seen discussions get underway on a wide variety of agenda items. Notably for amateur radio, IARU Region 1 reports that new ITU Recommendation M.2164 on guidance for amateur and amateur satellite usage in the 1240 to 1300MHz range has now been published online. The IARU has also published an accompanying guide on its website – to read it visit tinyurl.com/IARU2023  The recommendation is the culmination of a challenging four-year development period. It now forms a key component of the WRC-23 discussions, which are ongoing, relating to WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b. The RSGB special focus web page has regular reports and background on both 23cm and other frequency bands. To read more, visit rsgb.org/wrc-23   In the latest RSGB 2023 Convention presentation to be released, RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB provides another informative session on the Ofcom Consultation. He also looks ahead to other changes in prospect across HF to microwaves from the IARU and WRC-23. He outlines the RSGB's response to the Ofcom Consultation and takes questions about the next steps. Work by specialist RSGB volunteers is integral to the RSGB's strategic focus on spectrum and licensing. You can watch the presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB Put the date in your diary for the final RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2023. On Monday the 11th of December there will be a focus on amateur radio construction. Previous category winners Jenny Curtis M7JNY, Colin Murray GM4EA and David Law G0LBK, will talk about their construction projects and what they gained from entering the RSGB Construction Competition. Join the presentation and ask questions live on the RSGB's special BATC channel or the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/theRSGB There is a great programme of live webinars lined up for early in 2024. We begin on Monday the 15th of January with an update on WRTC 2026 which is going to take place in the UK. Chairman and Project Manager Mark Haynes, M0DXR, and other members of the WRTC 2026 team, will join us live for this presentation. They will explain what WRTC is about and provide an overview of what the UK's Organising Committee are planning for the 2026 event. Find out how you can be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event – either as a spectator, volunteer, competitor or referee. If you saw Mark's RSGB 2023 Convention presentation, this Tonight@8 webinar will tell you what has been happening since! Find out more about this and the other webinars in the spring programme on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars The November issue of RadCom Basics is now available. Among others, it contains articles on getting started with SOTA and building a 2m band antenna. To find out more, visit rsgb.org/radcom-basics Don't forget that Youngsters on the Air month is taking place throughout December. The month is aimed at helping youngsters get active on the 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. Callsign GB23YOTA will be active for the duration of the month. Cambridge University Wireless Society is the first group to use the callsign. Listen out for them on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of December. Cray Valley Radio Society will be following them on Sunday the 3rd of December. A full list of 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 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. The RSGB shop's Black Friday sale is on now and ends on Thursday the 30th of November. Members, and non-Members alike, will find bargains on a large number of books with up to 50% off the usual retail price. Check out rsgbshop.org A recent Ofcom investigation has resulted in the conviction of a man who was deliberately causing interference to amateur radio users in the Hull area. The investigation involved the use of automatic monitoring equipment as well as ground-based engineers who monitored live transmissions. The case went to court and the defendant was found guilty of the unlicensed use of radio equipment, illegal possession of radio apparatus, and causing deliberate interference to wireless telegraphy – all of which are offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act. To read more on this story visit tinyurl.com/OFCOM-INV   And now for details of rallies and events The Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 3rd of December. The event will be held at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. The doors open at 10.30am for visitors, with disabled access from 10am. For more information, contact bdingle@hotmail.co.uk Mid Devon Amateur Radio and Computer Fair will take place on Saturday the 9th of December. The venue will be Winkleigh Sports and Recreation Centre, Mid Devon, EX19 8HZ. The event will run from 9am to 2pm. Entry is £3 but there is no charge for partners and under 16s. for more information, or to book a table, contact Phil, G6DLJ via email at philbridges@hotmail.com The Sparkford Wireless Group Tabletop Rally, in aid of the RAIBC, will take place on Thursday the 28th of December from 9.30am to 1pm. 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 Now the Special Event News LA100K is the special callsign in use by the Akademisk Radioklubb, LA1K to celebrate the 100th anniversary since its foundation. Based in Trondheim, it is the oldest amateur radio club in Norway. The special callsign will be in use until the 31st of December. The Turkish Radio Amateurs Association is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on the 29th of October 1923. A number of special callsigns, including TC100YEAR, will be in use until the end of 2023. Now the DX 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 or Club Log's OQRS. He does not use the bureau. Take, JI3DST will be active from the Miyako Islands, AS-079, until the 19th of December. He will be operating SSB, CW and FT8 using a variety of callsigns including JS6RRR. QSL via Club Log and Logbook of the World. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 25th of November. It ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 26th of November. Using CW 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 Monday the 27th of November, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using FT4 on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 28th of November, 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. On Wednesday the 29th of November the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest will run from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The UK Six Metre Group's Winter Marathon runs from Friday the 1st of December 2023 to Wednesday 31st of January 2024. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator. The ARRL 160m Contest starts at 2200UTC on Friday the 1st of December and ends at 1600UTC on Sunday the 3rd of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is a signal report. American and Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section. On Sunday the 3rd of December, the 144MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 23rd of November 2023 What a difference a week makes! Last week the solar flux index was at 118 but, by Thursday the 23rd, it had climbed up to 190 with the Sun's surface covered in spots with up to nine groups showing. The maximum useable frequency over a 3,000km path was estimated at more than 40MHz at times. This, coupled with a Kp index of around two to three, was quite good for HF. But it isn't all good news. There has been quite a bit of solar flare activity, and the promise of more to come. A significant eruption was recently observed beyond the northeast limb. This may result in a coronal mass ejection, but this will likely be directed away from Earth. Active regions 3490 and 3492 remain the main regions of focus and are listed as the most likely to produce a noteworthy solar flare. The current flare threat stands at 55% for a moderate M-Flare and 10% for a strong X-Flare. DX this week included 4W8X in Timor-Leste and Don, 3B8/G3XTT in Mauritius. The 10m band was good last week with the KQ2H repeater on 29.620MHz FM coming in strongly in the afternoon. There were plenty of SSB signals to work between 28.4 and  28.5MHz as well. A scan from 28.200MHz to 28.300MHz around 2pm on the 23rd revealed plenty of beacons being received including IQ8CZ, IQ8BB and IZ8RVA in Italy; SV6DBG and SV2RSS in Greece; WW2BSA in New Jersey; K4PAR in Georgia; KA3JOE in Pennsylvania; and K5AB in Texas. All of these run less than 20W. For a full list of 10m beacons choose ‘Beacons and Repeaters' from the ‘On the air' tab at rsgb.org Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to be in the range of 145 to 155. Geomagnetic conditions may be reasonably settled with a Kp index of two to three, although a coronal mass ejection or two could soon alter that! So, make the most of the good HF conditions while you can, especially in this weekend's CQ World Wide DX CW Contest. And now the VHF and up propagation news Weather patterns are settling and, with the current cold north-westerly wind, there are signs of something useful for eastern areas in the form of potential rain-scatter from heavy showers running down the North Sea.  In the west, we have an area of high pressure with a chance of Tropo but, in cold low-level air near the surface, this may not be very reliable. The chance of high-pressure building is probably limited and we are already seeing a return to more changeable weather. The bulk of the coming week will be controlled by low pressure with rain or showers. So, we have the possibility of further rain scatter, but little chance of significant Tropo, except perhaps if high pressure tries to make a comeback in the north the following weekend.  The November Orionids meteor shower is making an appearance on the 28th with a low Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR, of three per hour for meteor scatter operators.  Keep checking for auroral modes and don't forget that this can give LF bands a flutter to the signal, as was heard on 40m CW on Wednesday evening. In really strong events with a Kp index above, say, six then check the usual places for activity on the 6, 4 and 2m bands. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising to maximum on Wednesday the 29th. Path losses are low to start the week but rising. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate all week. 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 1st of October 2023 The news headlines: RSGB 2023 Convention RadCom Basics Editor retirement RSGB Director Ben Lloyd, GW4BML's SOTA challenge We're counting down to the RSGB 2023 Convention and the Society is putting the final touches to the programme. This year there will be a special, hour-long, session with the RSGB Board where the Directors will present the four strategic priorities that the Society will be focusing on until the 2024 AGM. After that, Convention attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions. This will be a positive and productive opportunity to discuss with the Board how the Society, and its members, can meet the challenges facing amateur radio today. The session will be hosted by Don Beattie, G3BJ, who is the former IARU Region 1 President as well as a former President of the Radio Society of Great Britain. The session will be recorded so if you are unable to attend the Convention but would like to hear a particular topic discussed, please email that topic with your name and callsign to comms@rsgb.org.uk before Monday the 9th of October. The discussion will include as many topics as possible but the RSGB cannot guarantee every topic will be covered. Directors will also only answer specific questions from those who attend the session at the Convention. To be part of this discussion and pose your question to the Board, book your package or day ticket to the RSGB Convention today – go to rsgb.org/convention and choose ‘Click here to book online'. Bookings close at midnight on Sunday the 8th of October. RadCom Basics Editor Lee Aldridge, G4EJB has retired. Over the past few years, Lee has been instrumental in making RadCom Basics a success. His passion for amateur radio and commitment to encouraging newcomers is infectious and has been very well received by readers. The RSGB thanks Lee for his hard work as Editor and is pleased to report that he will continue to write for RadCom Basics and provide regular technical and fault-finding articles. The new RadCom Basics Editor is Tim Hier, G5TM and the RSGB welcomes him to the role. Lee and Tim have worked together to produce the September edition of RadCom Basics. You can contact Tim with ideas or feedback for future editions via radcombasics@rsgb.org.uk  RSGB Members can access all issues of RadCom Basics by visiting rsgb.org/radcom-basics RSGB Director Ben Lloyd, GW4BML has taken on the challenge of activating ten summits during 12 days on the remote Scottish islands. He will climb some with his partner and fellow radio amateur Martha, and their two-year-old daughter Lyra. This SOTA – or Summits on the Air – challenge combines Ben's favourite hobbies of amateur radio and hiking, but it also sometimes brings with it adverse weather conditions and the need to reach remote islands by kayak! Ben is hoping that by sharing his challenge he will not only inspire radio amateurs to try SOTA, but he will also encourage people who love walking and hiking to try amateur radio. You can catch up with his adventures on the RSGB social media channels and through the special playlist of videos on the RSGB YouTube channel. Go to youtube.com/theRSGB and choose the playlist called “RSGB Director Ben Lloyd, GW4BML - SOTA challenge”. The next Tonight@8 live webinar is on Monday the 2nd of October when Lee Volante, G0MTN will give a presentation aimed at newcomers to contesting. He will explore how contesting began, explain why it is rewarding and fun, and demonstrate how anyone can take part in their first contests with equipment they have today. Watch on the RSGB YouTube channel and find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars The RSGB QSL Bureau reports that, due to unforeseen circumstances, well-known volunteer Roy Taylor, M0RRV is retiring from his post as volunteer sub-manager for the M1 to M7 groups. The Bureau thanks Roy for his valuable service to others and is now seeking a replacement volunteer. Expressions of interest should be emailed to qsl@rsgb.org.uk  Members are requested not to send collection envelopes to this group until further notice. IARU Region 1 will hold its next General Conference from the 1st to the 4th of November 2023 in Zlatibor, Serbia. A wide range of papers and proposals are now available online and the RSGB welcomes comments on these. Topics include: general reports; organisational and budget proposals; the new HF Bandplan; VHF, UHF and SHF changes; and consideration of WRC-23, the World Radiocommunication Conference, which follows shortly afterwards. Other themes include: strategic projects and progress, accommodating digital technologies, contests, EMC and other spectrum matters. Comments should be forwarded to the relevant HF, VHF or Microwave spectrum manager, by Thursday the 12th of October, in order to allow time to finalise the RSGB position. You can find a link to the consultation via thersgb.org/go/iaruconsult   And now for details of rallies and events The 48th Welsh Radio Rally is taking place today, the 1st of October. The venue is Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, South Wales, NP18 2YE. The doors will be open from 8am for traders and from 10am for the public. Entry is £3. Free parking, bring and buy and refreshments will be available. For more information email welshradiorally@gw6gw.co.uk  Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally will 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 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 10am and admission will be £2.50. For more information, contact Roger on 07854 088 882 or email 2e0rph@gmail.com   Now the Special Event News The British Railways Amateur Radio Society, using the club callsign GX4LMR, is marking 185 years since the opening of Preston railway station in 1838. Mark, G1PIE will be operating during the whole month of October. Activity will be centred on the 40m band using SSB. QSL via the bureau.   Now the DX news Bob, W7YAQ and Al, K7AR are active as VK9LAA from Lord Howe Island, OC-004, until the 4th of October. They are running two stations on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, or via W7YAQ. Sajid, VA3QY is active as A22EW from his homeland of Botswana until the 8th of October. He is operating on the 20 to 10m bands. He may also operate on the 6m band. QSL via eQSL. Brian, GW4DVB is active as J88PI until the 10th of October from Palm Island, NA-025, in the Caribbean. Brian is operating on the 40, 20, 17, 15, 10 and 6m bands using SSB, SSTV and FT8. QSL direct to home call.     Now the contest news The UK and Ireland Contest Club DX SSB Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 30th of September and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 1st of October. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Stations from the UK and Ireland also send their District Code. This event replaces the original RSGB DX contest. It is listed on the RSGB contest calendar and, for entrants from the UK and Crown Dependencies, counts towards the HF Championship. This international DX SSB contest also has a Teams section. Team members, with a maximum of three members, can be from different DXCCs and can enter different sections. Rules, in English and eight other languages, can be found under the "DX CONTESTS" menu at ukeicc.com The Worked All Britain DX Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 30th of September and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 1st of October. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. On Monday the 2nd of October, the Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 3rd of October, 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 of October, 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 Tuesday the 3rd of October, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 1900 to 2000UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also send their county code. On Wednesday the 4th of October, 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 4th of October, 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. On Wednesday the 4th of October, 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 7th of October and ends at 0600UTC on 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 start at 1400UTC on Saturday the 7th of October and end at 1400UTC on Sunday the 8th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 7th of October, the 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 7th of October, the 1.2GHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on 1.2GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 28th of September 2023 Another week of disrupted solar and geomagnetic conditions saw the Kp index go up and MUFs come down. A period of minor G1 geomagnetic storming was observed on Tuesday the 26th thanks to an enhanced solar wind stream containing a long-duration southward-facing Bz component. If the solar wind's Bz magnetic field points south, it more easily couples with the Earth's magnetic field, allowing solar plasma to flood in. The net result was a Kp index of 5.67 and visible aurora seen from the UK once again. It is worth reminding people that, at this point in the solar cycle, conditions are being governed more by the Kp index than the solar flux index. A high Kp index generally results in lower MUFs and poor HF conditions. During the week, the solar flux index was around 175, declining to 156 on Thursday the 28th. The number of solar flares also decreased as the week progressed. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the range 145 to 155, perhaps hitting 160 on the 7th. NOAA also predicts quiet geomagnetic conditions with a maximum Kp index of 2. As we said last week, at this point in the cycle solar flares and coronal mass ejections are very prevalent and hard to predict. So, do not be surprised if the Kp index goes up again. Otherwise, if it remains low, make the most of the good HF conditions that generally follow. Finally, as it is now October, we can expect another step up in HF conditions as we enter Autumn, so keep an eye on the 10m band, which should be opening up to the US and Canada in the afternoon. There are plenty of 10m beacons to listen for from 28.160 to 28.330MHz, as well as FM repeaters clustered around 29.600MHz.   And now the VHF and up propagation news Last week saw trans-equatorial openings on 50MHz with V51 Namibia reported all over the UK, as far north as Scotland around 1900UTC. On the tropo front, last week was fairly unsettled with a visit from Agnes, our first named storm of the season, which affected the north and west. The coming week is looking much more suitable for VHF radio with high pressure building over the country from Tuesday, bringing a good chance of Tropo as we go through the week. This may not be fully developed for the 144MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 3rd, but possibly starting to help lift conditions, in the south at least. The high pressure will become more widespread over the next week, but by the following weekend of the 7th and 8th of October, the 1.3GHz Trophy may have to deal with more disturbed conditions in western areas. However, conditions will still probably be good for eastern areas across the North Sea to southern Scandinavia. The meteor scatter prospects are improving as we move towards the October Draconids, which peak on the night of the 8th and 9th. Auroras have also featured recently so should remain in our checklist. Incidentally, although we are technically outside the main Sporadic-E season, Dourbes ionosonde data plotted on the Propquest website have shown occasional ‘blips' in the critical frequency of the Sporadic-E layer, for example to 7.5MHz around 1650UTC on Wednesday the 27th of September. This would certainly be enough for 10m and perhaps even 6m chance openings. ‘If in doubt call CQ' is the take-away message here. Moon declination goes positive on Friday the 29th of September and reaches its peak the following Thursday. This means increasing Moon elevation and lengthening Moon Windows until then. The downside being that path losses are increasing all week ahead of apogee on the 10th of October. 144MHz sky noise starts off low, increasing to 500 Kelvin next Thursday before dropping again for the weekend. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 27th of August 2023 The news headlines: RSGB Board Co-option RSGB 2023 Convention IARU Region 1 Conference  RSGB Board Chair Stewart Bryant, G3YSX is pleased to announce that the Board has co-opted Ben Lloyd, GW4BML as a Board Director until the AGM in April 2024. Ben had a significant number of votes in the RSGB 2023 Board elections. Ben brings a fresh perspective together with a very active life as a radio amateur in Wales. The Society hopes you will welcome Ben to his new role. The RSGB 2023 Convention is just seven weeks away and the Society is delighted that AMSAT will be holding its Colloquium during the event again. The RSGB's programme includes a fantastic range of expert speakers and amateur radio topics. You'll hear behind-the-scenes stories about the Rockall DXpedition 2023 and the Bouvet 3Y0J DXpedition; Cathy Clarke, G1GQJ will share the history of RAYNET and its importance in the modern world; and there are presentations on aircraft scatter, PCB Building plus working FM satellites on a budget. Following the exciting news that the UK will be the hosts for the World Radiosport Team Championship in 2026, you'll hear from competitors and referees who took part in the 2022 Championship and gain an insight into the preparations for the 2026 event. For the first time, the Convention will also have a clear focus on outreach and practical activities as the RSGB provides opportunities for individuals and clubs to ‘have a go' and be inspired to try new things in their local areas. These are just some of the many highlights and the RSGB will be publishing full details in the October RadCom. Keep an eye on rsgb.org/convention for more details over the next couple of weeks. Also, the RSGB is delighted to announce that Keith Hotchkiss, G0FEA has been appointed as the RSGB's volunteer Lecture Coordinator for the 2023 Convention. Keith will be working with General Manager and Convention Chair Steve Thomas, M1ACB and the rest of the Convention team to create another fantastic event. IARU Region 1 will hold its next General Conference from the 1st to the 4th of November 2023 in Zlatibor, Serbia. A wide range of papers and proposals are now available online and the RSGB welcomes comments on these. Topics include: general reports; organisational and budget proposals; the new HF Bandplan; VHF, UHF and SHF changes; and consideration of WRC-23, the World Radiocommunication Conference, which follows shortly afterwards. Other themes include: strategic projects and progress, accommodating digital technologies, contests, EMC and other spectrum matters. Comments should be forwarded to the relevant HF, VHF or Microwave spectrum manager, by Thursday the 12th of October, in order to allow time to finalise the RSGB position. You can find a link to the consultation via thersgb.org/go/iaruconsult Have you replied to the Ofcom consultation about amateur radio yet? And have you read the article by Ofcom Director for Spectrum, David Willis, in the September edition of RadCom? In it, David says: “We fully recognise the contribution amateur radio has made to developing radio technologies over the years, including in the development of radar and LTE. We know how important amateur radio is as a hobby to those who are involved, and that it plays an important role in nurturing the next generation of radio engineers.” This recognition of the importance of amateur radio skills for careers in engineering dovetails with the RSGB's strategic priority to grow and develop amateur radio. You can read David's full article on the RSGB website and watch three RSGB presentations that give information and guidance about the Ofcom Consultation. The Society encourages every radio amateur to submit their views about the Consultation proposals – go to rsgb.org/licencereview A reminder now that the popular British Inland Waterways on the Air event is taking place this weekend and will finish tomorrow, Monday the 28th. The event is open to amateurs who use canals, towpaths, rivers, lakes or reservoirs for work or recreation. Lots of stations are active, so why not give them a call? To find out more about the event visit Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group's website nharg.org.uk and follow the ‘BIWOTA 2023' link. It has been announced this week that the UK will host the world's first summit on artificial intelligence safety in November. The summit will be held at the iconic Bletchley Park, which is one of the birthplaces of computer science. To be able to host an event of this global importance, Bletchley Park and the RSGB National Radio Centre will be closed to the public from Saturday the 28th of October to Friday the 3rd of November inclusive. If you have pre-booked a visit for during that time, Bletchley Park will contact you. For more information see bletchleypark.org.uk And now for details of rallies and events Torbay Annual Communications Fair is taking place today, Sunday the 27th of August. The venue is Newton Abbot Racecourse, TQ12 3AF. This is an indoor event with free parking. The doors open at 10am. A bring-and-buy area, on-site catering, and an RSGB bookstall are available. For more information contact Pete, G4VTO on 01803 864 528, Mike, G1TUU on 01803 557 941 or email rally@tars.org.uk Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally is also taking place today, Sunday the 27th of August. The rally is being held at a new venue this year – Heron's Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9AA. The venue is opposite the National Badminton Centre and has excellent modern amenities together with free on-site parking, catering and disabled facilities. The entrance fee is £3 and doors are open to the public from 9am. Outdoor pitches and indoor tables are available. For trader and exhibitor enquiries please email rally@mkars.org.uk  For more information see mkars.org.uk The Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place tomorrow, Monday the 28th of August. The venue will be Ernulf Academy, St Neots, PE19 2SH. The gates open for traders at 7am and for the public at 9am. The entrance fee will be £3 and free car parking will be available. The event will feature an RSGB bookstall and bring and buy. For more information, email Malcolm, M0OLG via events@hunts-hams.co.uk or phone 01480 214282. On Saturday the 2nd of September, the G-QRP Club Convention, featuring its famous Buildathon, will take place at the Harper Adams University campus near Telford, Shropshire, TF10 8NB. The following day, Sunday the 3rd of September, Telford Hamfest will take place at the same venue. Talk-in will be available on Sunday morning on 145.550MHz FM. Further details are available at gqrp.com/convention.htm and telfordhamfest.org.uk  If you have any questions, you can contact Martyn, G3UKV on 01952 255416 or John, M0JZH on 07824 737716. Dartmoor Autumn Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 3rd of September. The venue will be Yelverton War Memorial Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6AL. There will be the usual bring and buy, trader stands and refreshments available. The doors will open at 10am and admission will be £2.50. Free parking will be available. For more information email Roger via 2e0rph@gmail.com or phone 07854 088882. Now the Special Event News PG100N is the special callsign in use to celebrate the centenary of the lighthouse located at Noordwijk aan Zee. Look out for activity until the 11th of September, especially during Open Monument Day on the 9th and 10th of September. QSL via the bureau to PA7DA. Special callsign LX90RTL is active in celebration of the 90th anniversary of Radio Luxembourg's first long wave broadcast. It is being used by various LX operators until the end of the 2023 year.  Look for activity on the HF bands. QSOs are possible via SSB, CW, digital modes and satellite. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the DARC bureau. The logs will be uploaded to  Club Log, Logbook of the World and eQSL on a regular basis. See QRZ.com for more information. Now the DX news Frans, DJ0TP will be active as TK/DJ0TP from the main island of Corsica, EU-014, until the 3rd of September. QSL via his home call and Logbook of the World. From the 1st to the 7th of September, Christo, LZ3FN and Thomas, SV2CLJ will be QRV from Skyros Island, EU-060, in Greece, as SV8/LZ3FN and SV8/SV2CLJ. They will be operating on the 80 to 2m bands using CW, SSB and digital modes. Now the contest news Today, the 27th, 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 today, the 27th, the CQ RTTYops Contest is running from 1200 to 2359UTC. Using RTTY only on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and the four-digit year of your first licence. The World Wide Digi DX Contest ends today, the 27th, at 1200UTC. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 2nd of September and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 3rd of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and age. On Saturday the 2nd of September, the CWops CW Open will run from 0000 to 2359UTC. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and name. IARU Region 1 SSB Field Day starts at 1300UTC on Saturday the 2nd of September and ends at 1300UTC on Sunday the 3rd 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 starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 2nd of September and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 3rd of September. Using All modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 3rd of September, the Worked All Britain 2m QRO Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using phone, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. On Sunday the 3rd of September, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 24th of August 2023 Last week saw plenty of DX being worked, thanks to quiet geomagnetic conditions and a seasonal change to a more autumnal ionosphere. Although we are still in August, there are signs that the ionosphere is moving away from its summer doldrums as its chemical composition changes to more monatomic species, which ionise more easily. Another bonus is that there has been a big reduction in the size and number of coronal holes on the Sun, which again leads to lower Kp indices. Mike, G8AXA reports that, for the first time in a long while, his Faros IBP beacon monitoring software recorded the VK6RBP beacon on 28.200MHz between 0857 and 1000UTC, via short path, just making S1 on his long wire and Yaesu FT-991A. On 21.150MHz, he also recorded hearing the ZL6B beacon between 0757 and 0909UTC up to S3. Conditions should continue to improve as we move towards September and October. Last week, the solar flux was in the 140s and 150s. The Kp index never rose above three, meaning the ionosphere was quite stable. The proton flux was also very low. FT8 on the 15m band was humming in the afternoon with the Far East and Caribbean both being workable at the same time. Next week we have active regions 3413 and 3415 rotating to be more Earth-centric. NOAA predicts that the Solar Flux Index will rise to the 160s again and the quiet geomagnetic conditions may continue with a predicted Kp index of two. So, as long as we don't get any solar flares, or CMEs erupting from sunspot groups 3413 and 3415, we could have a good week again for HF DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news The current spell of unsettled weather looks likely to stay with us for most of next week, in fact until around Friday when there are signs of a ridge building in for next weekend, although mainly for southern areas. This could be in time for some Tropo over the weekend of the 144MHz Trophy Contest. However, the models are a bit uncertain this far out, so keep a watch for changes during the week. The remaining mode in such unsettled weather is of course rain scatter and most of the period until the end of the week should provide many opportunities. As we approach the close of the traditional Sporadic-E season, although it can still occur in any month, the activity levels are much reduced after the end of August and certainly tail off sharply after the first week in September. We are still getting the occasional flurry of activity for multi-hop paths on 10m to the Far East and the States, so don't abandon it just yet. Remaining modes such as meteor scatter are still available via random meteor activity and there are always chances of a higher Kp index with its implications for aurora. Note that the autumn and spring months are typically a preferred time for aurora. This Saturday sees minimum Moon declination with the Moon not getting above 10 degrees elevation. It goes positive again next Friday. As the Moon's perigee is on Wednesday, path losses are at their lowest. 144MHz sky noise is high this weekend, but falling to low levels by next Friday.    And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 19th of March 2023 The news headlines: RSGB AGM and Elections RSGB Board vacancy for a Nominated Director Tonight@8 Webinar   Voting for candidates in the RSGB elections is now open. On the Society's website, you can see details about the Calling Notice, Resolutions, elected Board Director candidate statements and video interviews, as well as the voting process and a link to vote. Voting ends at 9 am on Thursday the 13th of April. The RSGB will be holding its AGM online this year on Saturday the 15th of April and will live stream the event. This year, RSGB Members have the opportunity to submit written questions in advance or to ask questions via the live chat on YouTube during the AGM. You can read further information in the April RadCom and on the Society's website at www.rsgb.org/agm The resignation of Richard Horton, G4AOJ has left an RSGB Board vacancy for a Nominated Director. The Society needs to embrace new methods of working to help meet the changing needs of the amateur community. Candidates with experience in change management, for example, would be welcomed. The RSGB needs a strong and effective Board; this could be your opportunity to be part of that. To find out more go to the volunteer vacancies section of the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers or for an informal discussion please email Nominations Committee Chair Stephen Purser, GW4SHF at nominations.chair@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB's Tonight@8 live webinar series continues on Monday the 3rd of April with a presentation called “Sheep Worrier: A High Altitude Balloon Flight and Recovery System” by Heather Nickalls, M0HMO. Heather will cover an introduction to flying High Altitude Balloons, the radio systems involved, some science experiments she did on her flights, the recovery system developed to help find the payload when it lands and, of course, lots of pictures from ‘almost' the edge of space. You can ask questions live during the presentation via the RSGB YouTube channel or a special BATC channel. Find out more about this and other webinars on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Barry Lewis, G4SJH, the RSGB's Microwave Manager, is the IARU Lead on WRC23 AI9.1b.  He reports that the IARU has carried out the only statistical study regarding the WRC-related 23cm Galileo issue. You can read more information about it on the IARU Region 1 website at iaru-r1.org The post includes links to the background and updates on the developments. The RSGB has received a statement from National Hamfest (Lincoln) Ltd confirming that, due to several factors, there will not be a National Hamfest event in 2023. The organisers of the event say that there will be a bigger and better event next year at Newark Showground on the 27th and 28th of September 2024. To read the full statement from National Hamfest (Lincoln) Ltd visit nationalhamfest.org.uk And now for details of rallies and events The Hack Green Military Surplus and Military Radio Hanger Sale will take place on Sunday the 2nd of April. 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 email coldwar@hackgreen.co.uk or visit www.hackgreen.co.uk Yeovil Amateur Radio Club's 37th QRP Convention will take place on Saturday the 15th of April at The Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AA. Doors open from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and admission is £3. The Convention will feature talks, traders, bring and buy, club stalls and a café. For more information visit yeovil-arc.com or contact qrp@yeovil-arc.com The Cambridgeshire Repeater Group Rally will take place on Sunday the 16th of April. The venue will be Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Doors open at 7.30 am for traders and 9.30 am for visitors. Admission is £3. The rally will feature a talk-in, trade stands, bring and buy, an RSGB Bookstall and free car parking. For more information contact Lawrence, M0LCM on 07941 972 724, email rally2023@cambridgerepeaters.net and see cambridgerepeaters.net The Holsworthy Spring Rally and Boot Sale will also take place on Sunday the 16th of April. The venue will be Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. There will be plenty of parking, wheelchair access and full catering available. The doors open to the public from 10 am. For more details contact the club secretary Ken, G7VJA via email at m0omc@m0omc.co.uk and visit m0omc.co.uk Now the Special Event News GB1PAT and GB2PAT are the special callsigns for members of the Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club to use between the 1st and 28th of March to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Three certificates are available for making contact with both callsigns on different bands. QSL via Logbook of the World only. HH75RCH is the special callsign for the Haiti Radio Club, established on the 29th of March 1948,  to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The station will be active until the 1st of May. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via N2OO. Special event callsign A60AP will be active until the 31st of  August. The callsign is active in recognition of the United Arab Emirates' Astronaut Programme which was launched in 2017. The Programme prepares crews of United Arab Emirates astronauts for missions to the International Space Station and other destinations in space. QSL via EA7FTR. Now the DX news Andy, DK5ON will be active as PJ2/DK5ON from Curacao, SA-099, until Wednesday the 22nd of March. He will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log's OQRS or via DK5ON directly or via the bureau. John, N9EAJ will be active as VP5/N9EAJ from Grand Turk Island, NA-003, until Wednesday the 22nd of March. Activity will be mainly on SSB and some CW. He also plans to be active in the Columbus Landfall National Park for Parks on the Air. QSL via his home call. He will upload his contacts to Club Log and possibly to Logbook of the World. Stephane, F5UOW will be active as FR/F5UOW from Reunion Island, AF-016, until Monday the 27th of March. He operates using CW. QSL via Logbook of the World. Sands, VK4WXW has been on Willis Island, OC-007, since October, and will remain there until the end of April 2023. He works at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's weather monitoring station on the island, and in his spare time, he is QRV as VK9WX. Now the contest news The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group HF RTTY Contest started at 0200UTC on Saturday the 18th of March. It will run until 0200UTC on Monday the 20th of March. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and time. On Tuesday the 21st of March, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3GHz band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 21st of March, 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 23rd of March, the 80m Club Championship runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ Worldwide WPX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 25th of March and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 26th of March. Using SSB on the 160 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 16th of March 2023 Last week was split in two, in terms of HF propagation. The first half of the week was characterised by excellent high-band conditions, with many people commenting on how good things were. The Kp index was low, there was a lack of solar flares and the solar flux index was high – perfect for HF. There were reports of openings to Hawaii and Alaska on 10m and Bob, MD0CCE said 10m had been open to the Pacific every night for the last five or six days. But it didn't last and by Wednesday it all went pear-shaped. The Earth was hit by a fast-solar wind with a southward-pointing Bz on Wednesday the 15th, which increased the Kp index to 5.67. Its impact on the ionosphere was quick and very damaging, to such an extent that the two ‘local' Digisondes at Fairford and Chilton couldn't detect the F2 layer, leaving their traces blank. It happened again on Wednesday evening, with the Kp index hitting 5.67 once again. Luckily, it didn't last long and the Kp index was back down to less than two by the morning and the MUF over 3,000km was back over 28MHz by mid-morning on Thursday. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the range of 135 to 145. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 20th but, as we know, anything can happen at this point in the solar cycle. Look for a low Kp index but, above all, get on the bands and see what you can work! And now the VHF and up propagation news The unsettled weather pattern seems likely to continue through the coming week driven by an undulating jet stream over the British Isles. This will mean, for yet another week, there is unlikely to be much good Tropo. It's not all bad news though, since the unsettled part of the weather story may introduce some rain scatter on the GHz bands. The mention of jet streams should, in a month or so, raise the promise of some Sporadic-E activity, which is often geographically related to the position of jet streams. It's probably a bit early for that, although it could be worth considering a look at 10 and 6m as we move towards the end of the month. 10m, and 6m if you're in the far South West, can also give some good Trans Equatorial propagation, this time of year. This is typical of the changeover period from the southern hemisphere to northern hemisphere Sporadic-E activity. As usual, the chance of aurora is still around, so keep a watch out on the clusters or spaceweather.com for all the latest news. Early-morning random meteors should stay on the checklist too. For EME operators, moon declination is low but rising, going positive again on Wednesday meaning Moon availability windows will lengthen. The Moon is at perigee today, so path losses are at a minimum. 144MHz sky noise is low this week, apart from the whole of Tuesday when the Sun and Moon are close to an eclipse. It is perhaps worth reminding new licensees that preparing a good list of HF and VHF beacons to monitor can be worthwhile, especially in quieter times before the summer Sporadic-E season gets underway. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 27th of November 2022 The news headlines: 146 to 147MHz NoV Extension HF DXpedition FundTrustee Required RSGB Convention Presentations Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146 to 147MHz Notice of Variation 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 to 147MHz NoV via the RSGB website at rsgb.org/nov The RSGB assists HF DXpeditions to the rarer countries through a fund that is supported each year from the proceeds of a raffle held at the annual RSGB Convention, as well as income from legacies and donations. The Society is looking to appoint a fifth Trustee for the HF DXpedition Fund who, given the increasing number of applications, will also act as Secretary to the group. Applicants should be enthusiastic HF DXers with an interest in DXCC and IOTA. For further information about the role and how to apply, go to the volunteer vacancies section of the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers The RSGB has released two individual 2022 Convention presentations. In the first, Professor Alwyn Seeds, G8DOH talks about “Building a VHF/UHF Contest Station”. The second presentation is by Hans Summers, G0UPL who explains “The QCX CW transceiver kit story: design, development, five years of production and evolution”. Part of the second presentation was live-streamed during the Convention but you can now watch it all on the RSGB YouTube channel – go to youtube.com/theRSGB and choose the RSGB 2022 Convention playlist. On Saturday 3 December at 1400UTC, AMSAT SA and the South African Radio League are hosting a webinar about Hamprojects. This is a platform to facilitate complex projects that are beyond the possibility of individuals or even one amateur radio society or club. The concept was developed by Willi Vollenweider, HB9AMC as part of the IARU Region 1 Shaping the future of Amateur Radio initiative. During the webinar, Willi will explain Hamprojects in detail and how individual radio amateurs and groups, or amateur radio cubs, can participate or initiate their own projects and attract international participation. The webinar is free to attend and open to anyone who has an interest in technology and a desire to become part of future innovation. Register as soon as possible, as participation is limited to 150 persons, via tinyurl.com/hamrprojects Don't forget the Transatlantic Centenary Tests event that starts at 0000UTC on Thursday the 1st of December and runs for the whole month. There are awards available for working the special stations and, if you are an RSGB Member and hold a Full Licence, still opportunities to book an operating slot. Go to rsgb.org/tct for full information. And now for details of rallies and events Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally will be held today, the 27th, at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. Doors open at 10.30 am for everyone and 10 am for disabled visitors. Admission is £2 and free to under-14s who are accompanied by an adult. Talk-in will be on 2m channel V44. Contact Bob Dingle, G0OCB on 07710 023 916 for further information. The Midlands Round Table event will be held on Saturday the 3rd of December. The day will follow a relaxed schedule with talks aimed primarily at Microwave, Amateur Television, Amateur Satellite and other innovative areas of amateur radio. There will be tables provided free of charge for the junk sale and for any free items attendees wish to give away. The event is being held at Eaton Manor, Eaton-under-Heywood, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 7DH. The event venue will be open from 9 am and proceedings will start at 10 am. Questions and requests should be directed to Paul, G8AQA on 01694 771 441. The Yeovil Amateur Radio Club Rally will be held on Thursday the 29th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 7QX. Doors will be open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and admission is £3. Free parking is available. The event will include bring and buy as well as 20 tables for traders. For more information contact Bob on 01963 440 167. Now the Special Event News Leyland and District Amateur Radio Club will be active as GB9LD for Lancashire Day today, the 27th of November. Activity will take place on the 40m to 70cm bands. At 1500UTC the club will read the Lancashire Day Proclamation on HF and toast His Majesty King Charles III, Duke of Lancaster. All are welcome to join in. Enquiries to ladar@mail.com On Thursday the 1st of December, GB1WH will begin operating. The Special Event Station has been established to promote the work done by Wakefield Hospice. For more information, visit the GB1WH QRZ.com page. GB1LJF begins its on-air activities on Thursday the 1st of December. The Special Event Station is operating to celebrate the manufacturing of the English Electric Lightning aircraft in Lancashire. More information is available via the GB1LJF QRZ.com page. Now the DX news Today, the 27th is the last chance to work Alex, K6VHF. He is active as 4L1FP from Tbilisi Georgia. He is operating SSB, CW and FT8 on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, Club Log or directly to K6VHF. Don, K6ZO will be active as 7Q6M from Malawi until the 29th of November. He will be available on the 160 to 6m bands using SSB and CW. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to K6ZO. Special Event Station CX100B will be active until the 30th of November. The station is operating to celebrate the centenary of the first radio broadcast in Uruguay which took place on the 6th of November 1922. QSL via CX1AA and Logbook of the World. Special callsign ZW200ESQ is active until the 30th of November to celebrate the bicentennial of the Brazilian Navy. Operations will take place from the premises of the Brazilian Naval School's Communication Group. Activity will be on all bands from 80m to 70cm using CW, SSB, digital modes and FM on satellite. QSL via the bureau or directly to PY1JR. Bob, W7YAQ and Al, K7AR will be active as K8H from Tutuila Island, OC-045, American Samoa until the 1st of December. They will be operating two stations on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log, Logbook of the World or via W7YAQ. Now the contest news Today, the 27th, the CQ Worldwide DX CW Contest ends its 24-hour run at 2359UTC. Using CW only on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. On Monday the 28th of November the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Thursday the 1st of December sees the start of the UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon. The contest will run until the 31st of January 2023. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator. The ARRL 160m Contest begins at 2200UTC on Friday the 2nd of December and finishes at 1600UTC on Sunday the 4th of December. Using CW only on the 160m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. American and Canadian stations also send their ARRL or RAC section. Next Sunday, the 4th of December, the 144MHz AFS Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday 25th November 2022 We dodged a bullet last week when a large coronal hole failed to produce a geomagnetic disturbance. Despite many predictions that we could expect an upturn in the Kp index, it looks like the solar wind missed the Earth, probably because the hole was too low in the Sun's southern hemisphere. As a result the Kp index never went higher than 4, actually 3.67 globally, and things remained calm. This was good news for HF, although a low solar flux index below 120 all week was nothing to get excited about. At the same time, the improvement in low-band conditions, as we head into late Autumn, is making up for it. Top Band contacts have been recorded with 3B8 Mauritius, and Peter, G3PHO has even made it into the USA in the late afternoon on 160m FT8. So, if you've never worked much on Top Band, and you have the antenna for it, give it a try. Failing that, try the top end of 80m SSB around sunrise in the UK for contacts with the USA. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around the 120-125 mark. The good news is that there are no large coronal holes currently visible and there have only been minor C-class flares with CMEs that have not been Earth-directed, so geomagnetic conditions are likely to be good. That is, at least until the 1st of December when we have a predicted Kp index of four, which may disrupt contacts mainly on polar paths. This is good news for this weekend's CQ Worldwide CW contest, which is a great opportunity for you to up your country totals or for your Worked All States award. Now a footnote for those occasions when the propquest.co.uk graphs are not updating. It can be a local effect at one of the stations, such as Chilton, which has been offline recently. Usually selecting one of the tick boxes in the top right of the graphs will show Fairford or Dourbes when available. However, last week and maybe still, we have a complete blank for all three ionosonde station plots, which is much more likely to be a server issue in the States where the data is hosted. You can check the Propquest server is working by selecting the “Archive” or “Averages” tabs. In any event, the ionosonde data plots will come back automatically once any issues have been resolved. And now the VHF and up propagation news The unsettled spell of weather continues into the first half of next week so could provide some further rain scatter opportunities on the GHz Bands. The broad south-westerly pattern may well switch over to an easterly after midweek as high pressure builds across Scotland. This could bring a return of Tropo for some parts, but looks a bit weak, while the south will continue to be affected by low-pressure systems. It will feel colder, with some models hinting at wintry conditions being a possibility, so wrap up well if you plan to do any portable operation! The Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower noted last week is over but the small November Orionids, active until the 6th of December, reaches its peak on Monday the 28th. Get ready for the big Geminids meteor shower in December. It commences on the 4th reaching a ZHR of over 100 between the 14th and 15th. More about this closer to the shower peak. Moon declination is increasing again and goes positive on Friday. So Moon windows will lengthen and zenith angles will increase. Path losses, on the other hand, start to increase again this week after last Friday's perigee. We have to wait until mid-2026 before maximum declination coincides with the lowest path loss, but we are moving in that direction again. 144MHz sky noise is low all week, not getting above 300 Kelvin until next Sunday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 20th of November 2022 The news headlines: December is YOTA Month Transatlantic Centenary Tests 2022 RSGB Construction Competition   December is Youngsters On The Air month. This is an opportunity for individuals, clubs, groups and schools to run an amateur radio station with the aim of getting youngsters active on the air. The RSGB is inviting applications to host the special callsign GB22YOTA. To register your interest email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk with details of the activity you are planning. Please include your name, organisation and the callsign of the Full licensee who will host the activation. To see the GB22YOTA activation schedule, visit the GB22YOTA page at qrz.com. The RSGB is hosting the Transatlantic Centenary Tests 2022 on the HF bands for the month of December. Unlike those of the 1920s, which consisted of one-way communication, this event will encourage worldwide two-way communication with UK and Crown Dependency stations. There will be a series of awards available for making QSOs with those who are activating historic RSGB callsigns. The Club Log team has kindly agreed to provide the supporting infrastructure for this. The Society is looking for RSGB members to take part and make this historic event a success. You can read more on page 54 of the December RadCom and be inspired by the RSGB Convention Transatlantic Test presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel. To find out how to take part, go to rsgb.org/tct Do you enjoy amateur radio construction? Would you like to try making something for the first time? The RSGB's Construction Competition welcomes entries in four categories – Beginners, Construction Excellence, Innovation, and Software. 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 declared the winner of the Pat Hawker G3VA Trophy. The deadline for entries is 1 March 2023 so you have plenty of time to construct something during the long winter evenings. To find out more, including how to enter, see the full details on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/construction-competition Most of you will have experienced RF interference problems of one sort or another over the years. In this world of advanced digital technology and increasing wireless connectivity, the probability of interference is high and increasing rapidly. This is giving rise to an ever-increasing pollution of the radio spectrum which is threatening all wireless communication. To counter these problems, the RSGB EMC Committee makes the relevant authorities aware of issues by taking measurements and surveying any available documents and reports. The committee needs volunteers to help with that task. Deep technical knowledge or experience in EMC work is not necessary, but ideally, candidates should have a good understanding of radio. If you are an RSGB member and would like to help, please contact emc.chairman@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB's National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park will be closed from Tuesday the 22nd of November until Friday the 25th of November for the upgrading of essential equipment and the installation of a new fire alarm system. The Society apologises for any inconvenience this causes. The RSGB's Examination Standards Committee has published its annual report, covering the operation of amateur radio exams during the calendar year of 2021. Search for Examination Standards Committee on the RSGB website at rsgb.org and you can read the report in the minutes, papers and reports sub-page. The RSGB was saddened to learn that John Bazley, G3HCT passed away on the 11th of November in a nursing home in Queensland, Australia. John was President of the RSGB in 1979 and was a Life Member. In 1995 he was made a Life Vice President. He was also the IARU Region 1 representative to the CEPT Working Group on Frequency Management. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. And now for details of rallies and events The 43rd Coulsdon Amateur Transmitting Society Radio and Electronics Bazaar will be held today the 20th of November. The venue will be Oasis Academy, Homefield Road, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 1ES. For more information contact bazaar@catsradio.org.uk Bishop Auckland Radio Amateur Club Rally will be held next Sunday, the 27th, at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6DB. Doors open at 10.30 am for everyone and 10 am for disabled visitors. Admission is £2 and free to under-14s who are accompanied by an adult. Talk-in will be on S22. Contact Bob Dingle, G0OCB on 07710023916. Now the Special Event News Leyland and District Amateur Radio Club will be active as GB9LD for Lancashire Day on Sunday the 27th of November 2022. Activity will take place on the 40m to 70cm bands. At 1500UTC the club will read the Lancashire Day Proclamation on HF and toast His Majesty King Charles III, Duke of Lancaster. All are welcome to join in. Enquiries to ladar@mail.com On Thursday the 1st of December, GB1WH will begin operating. The Special Event Station has been established to promote the work done by Wakefield Hospice. For more information, visit the GB1WH QRZ.com page. GB1LJF begins its on-air activities on Thursday the 1st of December. The Special Event Station is operating to celebrate the manufacturing of the English Electric Lightning aircraft in Lancashire. More information is available via the GB1LJF QRZ.com page. Now the DX news Christopher, HB9FIY will be active as ZD7CA from Saint Helena Island, AF-022, until the 26th of November. He will be operating SSB, PSK, RTTY, VarAC and CW on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via EA5GL. Don, K6ZO will be active as 7Q6M from Malawi until the 29th of November. He will be available on the 160 to 6m bands using SSB and CW. QSL via Logbook of the World or direct to K6Z0. Ed, N2HX will be active as PJ7PL from Sint Maarten, NA-105, until the 10th of December. He will be operating SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8. QSL via his home call. Now the contest news On Thursday the 24th of November, the Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. Using CW only on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 22nd of November, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1930 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3GHz band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend the CQ Worldwide DX CW Contest runs for 24 hours from 0000UTC on Saturday. Using CW only on the 160 to 10m bands, where contesting is permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 18th of November 2022. The good HF conditions continued last week with a low Kp index and a reasonable solar flux. But is that all about to change? The problem is a large coronal hole in the Sun's southern hemisphere, which became geoeffective on Thursday. The hole is at mid-latitude, so is not completely in line with Earth. But its large size means that we could see a strong solar wind, which may hit the Earth this weekend, potentially pushing the Kp index up for a couple of days at least. Sunspots have been adequate rather than outstanding. The main active groups have now rotated out of view, but there are some new ones just appearing over the Sun's limb. The HF bands have been excellent and many newer amateurs have had their first taste of 10m in full flow. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could decline to the range 105-115. The Kp index is predicted to rise to four at least until the 22nd. We may then get respite for a day or two before it rises again to three or four. In other words, we have probably seen the best of the settled HF conditions for a while. Just what effect the enhanced solar wind and increased Kp index this weekend will have on maximum usable frequencies is hard to predict. Typically, an increased Kp index can result in reduced MUFs, but whether we will see it impact 10 metres, especially with the predicted lower SFI, we will just have to wait and see. And now the VHF and up propagation news After last weekend's excellent tropo, with 24GHz propagation from the South East of England to the near continent, we now have a seemingly never-ending period of unsettled weather continuing through the coming week. This is driven by a strong jet stream flow across the Atlantic. Since it's a low pressure and rain scatter period once again, it's worth a reminder that, although we are way out of season with regards to Sporadic-E, it can still be seen on the foEs graphs on the Propquest.co.uk website and can be particularly useful for the LF bands. Focusing back on VHF and above, the prevalence of low pressure during the week suggests Tropo is unlikely to entertain us. The only modes remaining to discuss are meteor scatter as we slowly fade from the peak of the Leonids, and finally the prospect of a random aurora if we have further disturbed solar conditions. This week's active meteor showers are the Alpha Monocerotids which are active until November the 25th and reach a low ZHR maximum on Monday the 21st of November. Also, the November Orionids, are active until December the 6th but don't peak until the 28th. Moon declination went negative on Saturday so Moon windows will shorten and zenith angles decrease. Path losses are still low but with perigee on Friday, path losses will fall all week. 144MHz sky noise slowly increases, reaching a maximum of over 2,500 Kelvin on Friday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 25th of September 2022 The news headlines: RSGB Convention 2022 New RSGB EMF Calculator App Remote Examination Invigilators Wanted   The RSGB has published the draft programme for its annual Convention. There are over 50 lectures planned for the weekend so there should be something for everyone to enjoy. This is the Society's first hybrid event where some of the lectures will also be live-streamed. Further details of that live stream will be added to the RSGB Convention web page over the next few days. All three levels of UK amateur radio exams will be held at the RSGB Convention and the deadline for booking an exam slot has been extended to Sunday the 2nd of October. You won't be able to book exams on the day and you will need to take your own laptop. For links to the Convention programme and the online exam booking form, go to rsgb.org/convention. The deadline for booking Convention day or weekend tickets, accommodation or complete packages online is also the 2nd of October. The RSGB has issued a Trial Version 2 of its EMF Calculator App. This version removes the restriction on frequencies below 10MHz and the minimum separation of near field boundary. The app is being released as a trial version as the RSGB would welcome feedback from users. You can find the app and more information about the EMF work on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/emf. There will also be a presentation on the update at the RSGB Convention on Saturday and an EMF support clinic on Sunday morning. The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is on Monday the 3rd of October when Daimon Tilley, G4USI takes ‘HF on Holiday'. Aimed at everyone, from beginners upwards, Daimon will look at considerations and ideas for those who would like to take HF away with them. Find out more on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars. Remote invigilation and online examinations have been a huge success due to the efforts of the team of invigilators. If you have not previously invigilated an online examination using the TestReach system and would like more information on joining the team, please email eqam@rsgb.org.uk. The closing date for applications for the RSGB's Commonwealth Games operating awards is next month. The RSGB Awards Manager must receive your application via awards@rsgb.org.uk by the 31st of October or your application won't be counted. Further details and application forms for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Award and the GB22 Award are on the Society's website at www.rsgb.org/cwg. Andy, G6PJZ has achieved the coveted Summits On The Air Mountain Goat award for reaching 1,000 activator points. Andy started collecting SOTA points in 2015. His Mountain Goat-qualifying activation took place from a summit in the English Lake District recently. The provisional results for the last IARU Region 1 50 and 70MHz CW and SSB contests are available. Congratulations to GM4ZUK who was placed first in the single operator 70MHz category and G0VHF/P who has been placed first in the multi-operator section. In the 50MHz contest, GM4ZUK was placed second in the single operator category and G8T was placed second in the multi-operator category. Read the full results at iaru-r1.org. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, Sunday 25th of September, the Weston-Super-Mare Radio Society and Electronics Rally will be held at The Campus Community Centre BS24 7DX. It opens at 10 am and entry is £3 per person. On Sunday the 2nd of October, the Welsh Radio Rally will be held at the new venue of Llanwern High School, NP18 2YE. Doors open at 10 am. More information at gw6gw.co.uk. Now the Special Event News Today, the 25th, the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group, EI2WRC will be active from the Suir Valley Railway Station in County Waterford, Ireland for Railways On the Air. In celebration of the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II, members of the Marconi Amateur Radio Circle will be active as 9H6QE until the 14th of October. The main activity will be on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. QSL direct to 9H1MRC. Now the DX news Stephen, M0CYT will be active on Christmas Island between the 24th of September and the 1st of October. He will be operating on the 10 to 80m bands using SSB, FT8 and WSPR, most afternoons and evenings. He will be using the Christmas Island Amateur Radio Club callsign VK9XX. This week Vincent, K6VVK will be active as FO/K6VVK from French Polynesia. He will operate CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4 on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World. Nathan, 2E0HSV is a technician from Port Stanley's radio station and plans to be active this week as VP8AAE using SSB and various digital modes. He plans to activate some SOTA references along the east and west coast of The Falkland Islands. QSL via operator's instructions. Now the contest news The Practical Wireless 70MHz competition will take place today, the 25th, running from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal strength, serial number and locator. Today, the 25th, the UK Microwave Group has its 5.7 and 10GHz contest. The contest will run from 0600 to 1800 UTC using all modes. The exchange is signal strength, serial number and locator. The worldwide RTTY Contest ends its 24-hour run at 2359 UTC today, the 25th of September. Operating will take place on the 80 to 10m bands where contest operation is permitted. The exchange is signal report and CQ zone. On Monday, the RSGB FT4 Contest will take place between 1900 to 2030UTC. Using the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is a signal report and four-character locator. On Tuesday, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest will take place from 1830 to 2130UTC using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the UKEICC 80m Contest will run from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW, the exchange is a six-character locator. On Saturday, the 1.2GHz Trophy and 2.3GHz Trophy both run from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes in the respective bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next Sunday, the 2nd of October, the DX Contest takes place between 0600 and 1800UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 and 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 77th Oceania DX Contest will start at 0600UTC on Saturday the 1st of October and will run for 24 hours. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. Next weekend the 432MHz to 245GHz Contest runs from 1400UTC on the 1st to 1400UTC on the 2nd of October. At the same time, the IARU 432MHz to 245GHz contest is also taking place. Using all modes, the exchange is the same for both contests, signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Britain DX Contest takes place on Sunday the 2nd of October from 0500 to 2300UTC. Entrants can pick any six-hour period to score points in the contest. The 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands can be used. The exchange is report, serial number and Worked All Britain square, if applicable. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4DDK on Friday 23rd September 2022. Last week saw the solar flux index decline very slightly to 137. The good news is that we have had reasonably-settled geomagnetic conditions. The highest Kp index has been three, but it has often been at zero or one. This is good news as it means that the ionosphere has had a chance to develop. The MUF over a 3,000km path has often exceeded 28MHz, especially in the early afternoons. This will probably improve further as we head into late September and early October. The result is that some good DX has been available. J20EE in Djibouti, Africa has been workable on 10m CW, as has ZD7BG on St Helena. And ZL7/K5WE on Chatham Island is reported to have been “very easy” to work on 40m. The 4X6TU IBP beacon in Givatayim, Israel on 28.200MHz has been audible down to one watt recently, which is very encouraging. Numerous North American low-power beacons have also been audible, including the five-watt K5TLL on 28.298MHz in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As we head into next week, the Sun will be dominated by active regions 3105 and 3107. Region 3015 is actually the remains of AR 3089. A cluster of sunspots in 3105 continue to turn into view off the southeast limb and for now, they remain mostly stable, however minor solar flares will be quite possible. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to the mid-120s next week. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to remain calm, at least until the 29th when the Kp index is predicted to rise to five or even six. A single CME could soon disrupt the calm so don't expect the good conditions to last. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The weather has a noticeable autumn flavour to it lately and the coming week is continuing that theme. As this was being prepared on Wednesday evening, there is a hint of tropo over the southern half of the British Isles, but as soon as a cold front completes its journey south on Thursday, we enter a period of cooler north-westerly winds. This will bring rain and showers and means that for most of this weekend and next week, rain scatter is a good option for the GHz bands. Late in the week, and probably nearer next weekend, we find another high edging closer to Ireland and western Britain, perhaps bringing some patchy Tropo down the western side of the country. A further possibility is for meteor scatter and auroral propagation to present themselves as an option, but see the HF section earlier for the solar details and implications. The Kp index rising above five will be a useful guide for the chance of aurora. There are no major meteor showers in the coming week, although towards the end there may be some early Orionids shower reflections. This shower will peak between the 2nd and 7th of October. It is also worth watching for reflections during the daytime from the Sextantid meteor shower, which is active until the 9th of October. The peak is expected to be around the 27th of September. Good hunting! The Moon will be low in the sky throughout this week and as this coincides with the Moon getting closest to the Earth, path losses will be the lowest. With the equinox now past, the Sun will not appear above the Ecliptic again for another six months. This will make Sun-to-cold-sky noise measurements less easy. If you need to make these measurements, and there are a few EME operators who don't, now is probably a good time to do them before those horizon trees get in the way! And that's all from the propagation team this week.

   GB2RS News Sunday the 4th of September 2022 The news headlines: Syllabus 1.5 checks finished Tonight @8 restarts for a new season Regional hub for makers to meet The Examinations and Syllabus Review Group has just completed an editing and checking exercise for all the v1.5 syllabus content on the RSGB website. The single-tier and three-tier versions should have exactly the same content and, by majority request, Oxford commas have been removed. The old syllabuses can still be found on the RSGB website, while the new syllabuses can be found at rsgb.org/syllabus2019. The Group has also been working on the sample examination papers and sample questions on the RSGB website in order to bring them into line with version 1.5. As the majority of candidates will now be taking examinations online, as opposed to paper-based exams, the front sheets of the sample papers have been adapted to reflect this transition. The sample questions are now shown using an Excel spreadsheet rather than a pdf. The updated sample examination papers can be found at rsgb.org/mock-exams. The first Tonight@8 talk of the new season will be on Monday the 5th of September. Mike Richards, G4WNC will talk about going Back to the keyboard! He says that now we have filled our logbooks with FT-8 contacts, maybe it's time to move on and start communicating again. In an illustrated talk, he will introduce you to the best data modes for keyboard QSOs with a special focus on VarAC. In addition to explaining their operation, Mike will run through some operating techniques to take the strain out of keyboard QSOs. It will be streamed live on the RSGB's YouTube channel and via the BATC allowing you to watch the presentation and ask questions online. To watch the Tonight @8 talk, go to youtu.be/SC0UxNG2itE. A regional hub for makers and home brewers of radio-related projects is proposed by Eric, M0REQ and Graham, G4NMD. The idea is for a club that co-operates with knowledge, experience and test gear to support those who are already building or wishing to build radio-related projects. The inaugural meeting is set for Wednesday the 7th of September at 7.30 pm at Grafham Rooms, Grafham, Surrey GU5 0LJ. More details by e-mail to HamRadioBuilders@gmail.com. The CQ Contest policy has been updated. It will be effective with the upcoming CQ WW RTTY DX contest on the 24th and 25th of September, and all CQ contests going forward. CQ will resume accepting Russian or Belorussian log entries as regular logs and publish their scores. However, plaques will not be awarded to otherwise-eligible Russian or Belorussian stations but to the top-scoring non-Russian or non-Belorussian entry in that category. Online certificates will not be awarded to any Russian or Belorussian entry, either as a participant award or based on ranking. You can read more about the policy at cq-amateur-radio.com. Churches and Chapels On The Air will take place next Saturday the 10th of September between 10 am and 4 pm. Stations will be operating mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF at jhwresdell@gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part can be found at wacral.org. SN0ZG will be on the air until 2359UTC on the 15th of September using the 3.5MHz, 7MHz and 144MHz bands with a variety of modes. An award certificate will be issued in electronic PDF form for making at least two QSOs on any band and in any mode on different days. All QSOs will be uploaded to the qrz.com log once a week. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 4th of September, the Telford HamFest takes place at the Harper Adams University, TF10 8NB. Three excellent speakers will give presentations in a reserved room. For other details see the website telfordhamfest.org.uk. Also today, the 4th, the Andover Radio Club Spring Boot Sale will be held at Wildhern Village Hall, SP11 0JE. It will open for sellers at 9 am and buyers at 10 am. More at arac.org.uk. Next Sunday, the 11th, Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally will take place at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. The entrance is via the car park on Beach Road and is free for the public. Doors are open from 9 am to 2 pm. Also next Sunday, the 11th, the Ripon Radio Rally will be held at Hugh Ripley Hall, Ripon, HG4 2PT. Doors open for traders from 7 am and to the public at 10 am. Admission is £3 per person. The Bring & Buy is upstairs, please take note. The cost for Bring & Buy is £1 per item to a local charity, sold or not. Please note the Angel of the North Rally due to be held on the 17th of September is cancelled. Now the Special Event news The final day of the 3-day GB1SAK operation takes place today, the 4th, from the International Kite Festival at Lytham St Annes. Using SSB and CW, mostly on the 40 and 20m bands, the station will use a variety of wire antennas, supported by kites. Further details are on QRZ.com A special event station to draw attention to Dementia Awareness Week, GB2DAM, will be on the air next weekend, the 10th and 11th of September. It will be operated by Windmill Amateur Radio DX Group, from Nr Ramsbury, Wiltshire. Talk-in will be available on GB3TD. Now the DX news Jeff, K5WE will be active as ZL7/K5WE from Chatham Island, OC-038, between the 9th and the 21st of September. He will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on the 10 to 160m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of The World or via his home call. Tina, HB0/DL5YL and Fred, HB0/DL5YM will be active from Liechtenstein between the 7th and the 27th of September. They will operate CW, some RTTY and some SSB on the 6 to 160m bands. QSL via their home calls, direct or via the bureau. They do not use Logbook of The World. Rene, DL2JRM will be active as Z68XX from Kosovo between the 9th and the 12th of September, including an entry in the WAE DX SSB Contest. QSL via DL2JRM, direct or via the bureau. Now the contest news The RSGB HF SSB Field Day ends its 24-hour run at 1300UTC today, the 4th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The IARU Region 1 Field Day runs for the same 24-hour period as the RSGB HF Field Day. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 144MHz Trophy Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC today, the 4th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX contest ends its 48-hour run at 2359UTC today, the 4th of September. It is SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and your age, but ladies may opt for 00. Today, the 4th of September, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO contest takes place today, the 4th of September, from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is a report, serial number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see the WAB website. Entries to the contest manager by the 14th of September. On Monday the Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Tuesday sees the 144MHz FM Activity Contest run from 1800 to 1855UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday it is the 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest. It runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator. The UK EI Contest Club 80m contest takes place on Wednesday from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only the exchange is your 6-character locator. The all-mode 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC on Thursday. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend the WAE DX SSB Contest runs for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 10th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, EU stations should only work non-EU stations. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 11th of September, the UK Microwave Group 24 to 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 2nd of September 2022. Many amateurs thought Christmas had arrived early when a solar flux index of 252 was posted on the 28th of August. This would have been representative of a very good solar maximum. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as the previous day's SFI had been 128 and the following day it was 131. Solarham.com reported that the figure had been ‘contaminated' by solar flaring just before the measurement was taken and the lack of excellent DX reports on the higher bands seems to support this. Sorry if you got your hopes up, but meanwhile it is back to sunspot normality, at least for a few years yet! If we exclude the anomaly, the solar flux varied from a low of 113 on the 31st to a high of 131 on the 29th. Region 3089 has probably contributed most to this but will be rotating out of view this weekend. It does look as though there are some active regions lurking just over the Sun's eastern limb, which could push the SFI up over the next week. There were multiple R1/R2 radio blackouts on Monday the 29th due to M-class solar flares. Unfortunately, a large coronal hole on the Sun's equator will become Earth-facing on Friday, which could result in the Kp index rising as the plasma hits the Earth, perhaps late on Sunday. This could bring a short-lived ionospheric enhancement, followed by a decline in the MUF as any geomagnetic storm progresses. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be in the range 108-124, so expect similar conditions to last. This may be better later in the week once the geomagnetic conditions settle. As we head into Autumn, we can expect a general improvement in HF conditions and hopefully the return of trans-Atlantic DX on the higher bands. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The weather this week could become very unsettled. Most models agree on the overall trend towards wetter weather, but the details are going to prove difficult except on a day-by-day basis. The reason is that the mechanism of change brings a large slow-moving low over the country at the weekend where it remains for much of next week. For many areas, particularly the east, the rain will be in the form of showers, some heavy, thundery and localised rather than widespread. For propagation, this means that rain scatter is a good mode to look at for the GHz bands and the various online radars will tell you where the big storms are, and their movement. It does suggest that VHF/UHF Tropo will not be a big player, which presents challenges for those on the 144MHz contests this weekend and the UKAC next week. It is possible that we may find a return of high pressure and perhaps some Tropo from the northwest during the following weekend. The Sporadic-E season has all but faded away, but keep a watch on 50MHz especially as we approach the UK Activity Contest on Thursday evening since Es have been known to crop up in the first week of September. Despite there being no big meteor showers in September, random meteor rates are at their maximum, providing relatively good propagation, especially around dawn. That said, the Aurigids shower reached its peak last week, and the Epsilon-Perseids peaks this coming Friday night. This shower has a history of surprising outbursts. The Moon is at minimum declination today and at perigee on Wednesday, so expect the lowest path losses, but short Moon windows. 144 MHz sky noise is high until Tuesday but low after that. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of August 2022 The news headlines: Get ready for the Transatlantic tests National Radio Centre contacts the ISS GB3HA is back on air in Northumberland The RSGB is hosting The Transatlantic Centenary Tests on the HF bands, for the entire month of December 2022. This is to commemorate the centenary of the achievement of amateur transatlantic communication, during the tests that were held between 1921 and 1923. Unlike the tests of the 1920s, which consisted of one-way communication, the 2022 tests will encourage worldwide two-way communication with UK & Crown Dependency-based stations. For those activating special stations, there will be a series of awards available. With the assistance of Ofcom, the RSGB has reactivated five callsigns that it held in the 1920s. These historic callsigns will be activated by RSGB Members and clubs. You can read more about the original transatlantic tests and how to participate in 2022 at rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests. RSGB National Radio Centre volunteer Steve, 2E0YBJ, was able to show the visiting public a live radio contact with the International Space Station using GB3RS. He was using the demonstration station at the NRC, running SatPC32. This is used to track Earth Low Orbit satellites and, more recently, the onboard ISS repeater. Steve put his success down to two factors; the excellent NRC station set-up and the fact that the ISS approaches the UK from the West. This enables UK stations to ‘see' the ISS before its communications footprint passes over mainland Europe. It was an unexpected treat for the Bletchley Park visitors, a super result for Steve and a first for GB3RS. The Northumberland 2m repeater, GB3HA, is operational again serving the northeast of England. To celebrate the switch on, a short check-in net will be held on Tuesday the 30th of August at 7.30 pm. Net control will be Roy, M0TKF, and all radio amateurs within the repeater coverage are welcome to call in for a quick hello. Please check the GB3HA page on QRZ.com for frequencies and access information. NASA is well known for communicating with astronauts on space missions, but radio amateurs may also contact NASA centres around the world. Until the end of this year, NASA will mark several past and present-day key milestones. NASA Amateur Radio Clubs at the agency's centres and support facilities across the United States plan to participate with ‘NASA on the air' special event stations. Look out for events to celebrate the Artemis launch over the next few days. The 22nd of September is National Astronomy Day and special event stations will be on the air for that too. To learn more about NASA on the Air events, go to nasaontheair.wordpress.com. The cross-band voice repeater and the APRS node aboard the International Space Station can now be used simultaneously. The FM repeater uplink is on 145.990MHz and a 67Hz PL tone is needed to activate the downlink transmitter on 437.800MHz. APRS and packet mode uses 145.825MHz for uplink and downlink. The Columbus module radio uses the callsign NA1SS and the new service module radio uses the callsign RS0ISS. Both radios are expected to be operational at all times, except during school contacts, spacewalks and docking manoeuvres. The operational state of the ISS ham-radio station can be found on the ARISS website at ariss.org. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, Sunday the 28th, the Milton Keynes ARS Rally will be held at The Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley, MK2 2HX. There is free onsite parking, catering and disabled facilities. Entry is £3 and the doors open at 9 am. See mkars.org.uk for more information. The Torbay Annual Communications Fair also takes place today, the 28th, at Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10 am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30 am. It is an indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will also be available on-site. Tomorrow, Monday, the 29th, the HARS Annual Rally will be held at Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Gates open at 9 am. There is free car parking, a Bring & Buy as well as indoor and outdoor stalls. Catering is available on-site. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz using GX0HSR. More at hunts-hams.co.uk. A date for your diary now. Churches and Chapels On The Air will take place on Saturday the 10th of September between 10 am and 4 pm. Stations will be operating mainly on the 20, 40 and 80m bands usually using SSB. If you would like to register your special event station, please email John, G3XYF at jhwresdell@gmail.com. The latest list of stations taking part can be found at wacral.org. Now the Special Event news GB1SAK will be active from the International Kite Festival at Lytham St Annes on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of September. Using SSB and CW, mostly the 40 and 20m bands, the station will use a variety of wire antennas, supported by kites. Further details are on QRZ.com Now the DX news IK5WWA will be operating from the island of La Maddalena, EU-041, between the 1st and the 13th of September. Using the 80 to 2m bands he will use the special callsign IM0M. This operation also qualifies for the Italian Island Award. QSL details are on qrz.com. Keith, GU6EFB will be active as GJ6EFB from Jersey, EU-013, from the 29th of August to the 1st of September. He will be using SSB via the QO-100 satellite in his spare time. QSL via Logbook of The World, direct or via the bureau to GU6EFB. Col, MM0NDX and Jonathan, MM0OKG will be active as OY/MM0NDX and OY/MM0OKG from the Faroe Islands, EU-018 between the 1st and the 5th of September. They will operate on various bands and modes using vertical antennas next to the sea. QSL via EB7DX. Now the contest news The CQ RTTY ops WW RTTY Contest has its second session of activity between 1200 and 2359UTC today, the 28th. Using RTTY only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and the 4-digit year of your first licence. The Worldwide Digi DX contest ends its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today, the 28th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is your 4-character locator. Today, Sunday the 28th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7GHz and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend is a busy one for contests. The RSGB HF SSB Field Day runs from 1300UTC on Saturday the 3rd to 1300UTC on Sunday the 4th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The IARU Region 1 Field Day runs for the same 24-hour period as the RSGB HF Field Day. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 144MHz Trophy Contest also runs for 24 hours next weekend from 1400UTC on the 3rd of September. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX contest runs for 48 hours starting at 0000UTC on the 3rd of September. It is SSB only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and your age, but ladies may opt for 00. On Saturday the 3rd of September, the CWops CW Open contest runs for 24 hours from 0000UTC. Using CW only on the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is the serial number and your name. There are three 4-hour sessions in this contest. Next Sunday, the 4th of September, the 5th 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Britain 144MHz QRO contest takes place on Sunday the 4th of September from 1000 to 1400UTC. The exchange is a report, serial number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see the WAB website. Entries to the contest manager by the 14th of September. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 26th of August 2022. There was a welcome upturn in ionospheric propagation this week, with much DX being worked. While the solar flux index remained mainly in the low 100s, quieter geomagnetic conditions, with the Kp index at one or two, helped a lot. We are also heading towards September and better propagation conditions as the ionosphere cools down, resulting in more monatomic elements and fewer diatomic ones. The monoatomic elements in the ionosphere are easier to ionise so MUFs go up accordingly. Along with daytime critical frequencies above 6MHz, we have seen 40m opening up to shorter distances too, sometimes down to 100km, but mainly in the range 100-500km. Over longer distances, there have been reports of some choice DX being workable, including KH6KB in Hawaii on 17m CW, 9V1YC in Singapore on 12m FT8 and A35JP in Tonga on 15m FT8. As long as the Kp index stays low we can expect a lot more like this over the coming months. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may climb a little, perhaps ending the week in the range of 110-116. Geomagnetic conditions are unlikely to be as good next week, with the 27th of August being the most disturbed with a predicted Kp index of four. A large coronal hole is moving to be Earth-centric on Friday, although it is largely at one of the Sun's poles. This means that any fast solar wind might be directed away from Earth, but we could get a glancing blow late on Sunday or early Monday. Watch for a rise in the Kp index and a general lowering of the MUF if it does. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The end of last week finally brought some heavy rain and thunderstorms to some eastern areas and weakening weather fronts to the northwest. This may have given some rain scatter opportunities, but only temporarily. As we head through this weekend high pressure starts to rebuild over the UK and will dominate the weather over the British Isles over the coming week. This will make Tropo a principal player for the next week. In early September it's still plenty warm enough that inland areas could see the temperature inversions breaking down during the daytime heating, so for best results make the most of the nighttime and early morning lifts. We may have a few days left when Sporadic-E could occur before the transition away from high summer weather patterns, but it is getting much harder to find now. Focus on 10m or perhaps 6m digital modes for best results and, of course, check the usual DX clusters. Don't forget aurora and meteor scatter modes, however this week, these modes will be overshadowed by the Tropo characteristics as the high builds. Moon declination goes negative again late Monday, so shortening Moon windows this week. Path losses continue to fall throughout the week and 144MHz sky noise is low until next weekend. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 14th of August 2022 The news headlines: New RadCom team announced Jamaican amateurs mark 60 years of independence Jacques, ON4AVJ, Silent Key Earlier in the year, the RSGB announced that RadCom Managing Editor, Elaine Richards, G4LFM, was planning to retire after leading the RadCom team for 14 years. Very soon after that announcement, we had to come to terms with the sad and sudden news that RadCom Technical Editor, Giles Read, G1MFG, had passed away. RSGB General Manager, Steve Thomas, M1ACB has now announced the appointment of the new RadCom team that will continue to deliver and develop a RadCom suite of publications that supports the future of amateur radio. Ed O'Neill, M0TZX will take on the role of Managing Editor and Matt Smith, M0VWS has joined the team as Technical Editor. Ed and Matt are working very closely with Elaine and the rest of the team to ensure a smooth handover in the coming months. You can read the full press release on the main page at rsgb.org. Amateur radio stations from Jamaica may use the 6Y60 prefix to mark the 60th anniversary since the Colony of Jamaica gained independence from the UK. For example, 6Y5WE will be using 6Y60WE. Sad news next. The IARU has announced that Jacques, ON4AVJ, has become a Silent Key. He held many roles within the Belgian national society, UBA, and was part of the IARU Region 1 VHF Committee. He received honours from both the UBA and IARU for his work on VHF and higher frequencies. Our thoughts are with his family and friends within the wider amateur radio community at this difficult time. This year is the 25th anniversary of the international Lighthouse and Lightship weekend that will take place next weekend, the 20th and 21st of August. The event runs for 48 hours and, as this news script was prepared, there are 325 stations registered for this year from Argentina to Malta and The Netherlands to Wales. Some are stations that have operated many times before, others like TM59LH are taking part for the first time. This station will operate from the Sandettie Light Vessel in Dunkirk Harbour. Earlier this year, the IARU Region 1 invited amateurs to come up with an idea that could lead to more licensed radio amateurs. They have now announced the results. Joint first place was awarded to Nestor, 5B4AHZ and Christian, HB9FEU. Nestor's idea is the Ham Radio Escape Room which is a radio-based escape room with amateur radio themes and played with teams communicating via radio. Christian's idea was a public database of fun projects for innovation where those with little or no experience and equipment could still take part. Read the full story at iaru-r1.org where you can find out more about these projects and the other prize winners. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 14th, the Flight Refuelling ARS Hamfest takes place at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz. Gates open between 10 am and 6 pm with entry costing £4. There will be trade stands as well as indoor and field pitches. Lectures will take place during the event. No dogs except Guide dogs are allowed as this is the landowner's condition. More from Tony, G3PFM on 0774 347 5018. Next Sunday, the 21st of August, the Rugby ATS Radio Rally will take place at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby CV23 9PY. Doors open at 10 am and there will be a car boot sale area. More at rugbyats.co.uk. Also next Sunday, the 21st, the Red Rose Rally will be held at St Joseph's Hall, Leigh WN7 2PJ. Organised by West Manchester Radio Club, there will be free parking, a café as well as trade, individual and club stands. There will also be a Bring & Buy. More information at wmrc.co.uk. Now the Special Event news AP75PAK is the special callsign for the Pakistan ARS to celebrate the 75th anniversary since Pakistan achieved independence. Additionally, individual Pakistani amateur radio operators can use the AP75 prefix throughout August. TM3GGR will be operating between the 20th of August and the 4th of September. It is to mark the start of the 3rd Golden Globe Race, which is a non-stop round-the-world sailing trip, without assistance and without a modern navigation system. Activity will be on all bands and all modes. QSL via F6KUF, via the Bureau or direct to F5OEV. Dale, EI7HDB will be setting up a station at The Point of Ayre lighthouse at the north-eastern end of the Isle of Man from the 14th of August. He will be active on most bands as MD/EI7HDB between the 14th and 19th of August operating holiday style. The Isle of Man ARS will be involved in the operation of GT3FLH next weekend for the International Lighthouse and Lightship weekend. Now the DX news Giovanni, IZ2DPX will be active holiday style as 8Q7AG from the Maldives, AS-013, until the 20th of August. He will operate SSB and digital modes on the HF bands and 6 metres. QSL direct to IK2DUW. Esteban, EA5Q will also be active from the Maldives as 8Q7QE from the 14th to the 24th of August. He will operate almost exclusively CW. QSL via Logbook of The World or via his home callsign either direct or via the bureau. A German team will be active as TM0BSM from the lighthouse at Berck-sur-Mer in France between the 17th and 22nd of August. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on the 10 to 80m bands, plus the QO-100 satellite. QSL via DK5OPA. Masa, JA0RQV expects to be active again as A35JP from Tonga, OC-049, from the 20th of August to the 24th of September. In his spare time, he will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, or via the bureau to JA0RQV. Now the contest news The WAE DX CW Contest runs for 48 hours this weekend, ending at 2359 UTC today, the 14th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Please note that EU stations work non-EU stations only. Today, Sunday the 14th, the fifth 70MHz Cumulative contest runs from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday, the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday it is the 70MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 12th of August 2022. The geomagnetic disturbance we predicted last week, due to an Earth-facing coronal hole and its associated high-speed solar wind, occurred in the early hours of Monday the 8th. This pushed the Kp index to six and sparked a visible aurora that was visible from parts of the UK. It also impacted the Maximum Useable Frequency on Monday, according to the Fairford ionosonde, with it struggling to get much above 18MHz over a 3,000km path until the early evening. The Kp index remained mainly at four on Tuesday before tailing off gradually to reach two on Thursday. Meanwhile, the solar flux index has been slowly declining, from 116 on Sunday to 108 on Thursday. Sporadic-E has been bringing short skip to 14MHz, with paths such as the UK to Ireland and Scotland being workable at times. The best DX has probably been on 21MHz where the Far East has been putting in an appearance, mainly on FT8. 28MHz Sporadic-E has been just that, sporadic, with some days providing great short skip to parts of Europe and others just the sound of noise on 10 metres. Next week NOAA predicts similar conditions with the SFI in the range 104-108. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for the 17th, 18th and 19th when the Kp index could rise to five. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The weather will show a more unsettled side from this weekend. The exceptionally widespread Tropo conditions of last week are likely to decay as pressure falls and by the start of the coming week, it's a slack region of low pressure over us. This will introduce some mainly showery outbreaks of rain, but in true summer style, they could be heavy and perhaps thundery in places. This raises the prospects for rain scatter on the GHz bands and, as usual, you will need to access one of the many online radar displays to track their movement. Recent solar conditions have varied, but some occasional aurora alerts have maintained an interest in auroral propagation. Keep a check on the Kp index to see if it goes above five or six and then look at the clusters and chatrooms for activity pointers. Sporadic-E is still about on some days and well worth your attention for tracking down those missing grid squares. Although we are nearer the end than the start of the Es season, it can occur until about the end of the first week in September, so plenty of time left. In the coming week, the location of the jet stream activity (often a good guide) suggests that paths may move away from Scandinavia and eastern Europe and favour Spain and the central Mediterranean. As we slide gently away from the broad peak of the Perseid meteor shower, it's still worth checking meteor scatter propagation during the coming week. Moon declination goes positive again on Monday, producing lengthening Moon windows. EME is for early birds this week with Moon zenith in the early hours. Path losses will fall all week, and 144 MHz sky noise is low, not reaching 500 Kelvin until next Sunday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 17th of July 2022 The news headlines: National Radio Centre seeks volunteers Antarctic Stations due to be active Unknown interference appearing on 15m band The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park is looking to recruit volunteers, particularly for duties on Mondays, Thursdays and at the weekend. If you think this volunteer role is for you, or if you want more information, please contact the NRC coordinator, Martyn G0GMB at nrcsupport@rsgb.org.uk. The Argentine Antarctic Stations at San Martin, AN-016, Belgrano II, AN-016, and Marambio, AN-013, are expected to be active on 14.190MHz every Saturday in July between 1300 and 1800UTC. Look for the callsigns LU1ZD, LU1ZG and LU4ZS respectively. QSL all three stations via LU4DXU. The IARU Region 1 Monitoring Service Newsletter for June 2022 is now available. You can read about a new unknown signal on the 15m band. It was present on 21.0035MHz for several days with long-lasting transmissions. It was also received several times in the vicinity of 21.122MHz. There were also several unknown signals on the 40 and 20m bands. You can read the whole newsletter at iaru-r1.org. The two-part Scandinavian Activity Contest was due to take place on the 17th and 18th of September for the CW leg and the 8th and 9th of October for the SSB leg. The SAC Contest Committee has unanimously decided to cancel this year's two sections of the Contest. The decision has been made due to the ongoing war in the region and in consideration of the IARU declaration about the friendship between people. The RSGB has appointed two new District Representatives and they are welcomed into their new roles. Craig Langman, M7LAN has taken on District 51, Warwickshire. Martyn Bell, M0TEB has taken on District 31, Cumbria. There are other District Representative vacancies around the country. Check out your Region on the RSGB website. ARRL has advised that IARU HF Championship logs submitted between 0000UTC and 2000UTC on Sunday the 10th of July have not been received correctly. The ARRL reports that if your log is not in the list of logs received on the contest section of the website, please resubmit the log via contest-log-submission.arrl.org. The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is due to take place from 0000UTC on the 20th of August to 2359UTC on the 21st. Around 250 entries have registered so far from all around the world. You can find out more at illw.net. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 17th of July, the McMichael Amateur Radio Rally & Car Boot Sale will take place at Reading Rugby Club, Sonning Lane, Reading RG4 6ST. Doors open at 9.30 am. There will be a large car boot area and plenty of free parking for sellers and buyers. Refreshments will be available on site. Admission is £3 per person. Sorry but no dogs are allowed, except for assistance dogs, which is a site rule. Next Sunday, the 24th of July, the Finningley ARS Rally is due to take place near Doncaster, junction 2 of the M180. It will be a car boot-style rally. Refreshments will be available on site. Entry is £3. You can find out more via the club's Facebook page. Please note that the Angel of the North Radio Club Radio Rally, due to take place on the 17th of September, has had to be cancelled. Now the DX news Pete, ZL4TE will be active as E51RMP from Aitutaki, OC-083 on the 18th and 19th of July. He will also be active from Rarotonga, OC-013, on the 20th and 21st of July. Both locations count as the South Cook Islands for DXCC purposes. He is planning some HF QRP activities. QSL via his home callsign. Paul, W7NZJ will be active as FS/W7NZJ from St. Martin, NA-105, until the 20th of July. He will operate digital modes on the 10 to 20m bands. QSL via eQSL. Mike, KI1U will be active as VE9IU from Grand Manan Island, NA-014, until the 23rd of July. He will operate CW and FT8 on the 6 to 40m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, or via KI1U. Now the Special Event news On Wednesday, GB1900HA will be operating at Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields. It is part of the Hadrian's Wall 1900 Festival. It is 1900 years since the building of Hadrian's Wall and there is a year-long festival taking place. OE60STMK is on the air until the 31st of August for the 60th anniversary of the Styrian regional association within Austria's IARU society. QSL via the bureau to OE6WIG. Now the contest news Today, the 17th of July, the International Low Power Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. It is CW only on the 3.5, 7 and 14MHz bands. The exchange is the signal report, serial number and transmission power. On Monday, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC on the 3.5, 7 and 14MHz bands. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Tuesday sees the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest take place between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday it is the 70MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 15th of July 2022. We had another rocky journey last week in terms of HF propagation. The solar flux index climbed from 137 last Saturday to 165 by Thursday, which should have brought better conditions. But the Earth was plagued again by unsettled geomagnetic conditions, with the Kp index hitting four on Monday the 11th and five on Tuesday the 12th. This was due to an enhanced solar wind, which hit a velocity of 564km per second and had a strongly south-pointing Bz magnetic field. This allowed it to more efficiently couple with the Earth's magnetic field allowing plasma to pour into the polar areas. HF conditions were typical for this time of year, with lower maximum frequencies during the day, compared with winter, but higher MUFs at night. Daytime F2-layer MUFs over a 3,000km path has generally been between 18 and 21MHz during the day, falling to 10 to 14MHz at night. But the early hours of the 11th were particularly good with the MUF staying above 15-16MHz. The moral of the story is if you should wake up in the middle of the night, check out your HF radio, you might get a pleasant surprise. Sporadic-E remains the dominant mode for 10-metre propagation, bringing strong short-skip contacts around Europe and the potential for multi-hop DX. Next week NOAA predicts that the SFI will decline to the 130s, although their predictions have not been too accurate recently. We can likely expect reasonably unsettled geomagnetic conditions with a minimum Kp index of three. With the current sunspot activity, the solar wind is unlikely to remain calm for long and more solar flares are very likely. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The current very hot and humid weather means that Tropo is fairly widespread. This can be a significant feature over surrounding seas as hot dry air from the land drifts out across a cooler moist layer of air near the sea surface giving an almost continuous strong Tropo. This affects paths across the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea as well as farther afield across Biscay and south past Portugal. The Mediterranean is a hot spot of Tropo during the summer, and long east-west paths are possible if you take a rig on holiday. Closer to home, these favourable Tropo conditions come to an end by midweek as low pressure moves into place over the UK and brings a chance of heavy thundery showers, with associated GHz band rain-scatter chances. Sporadic-E is still prevalent in mid-July and the jet stream pattern probably favours paths to the Baltic and Scandinavia. A high Kp index tends to suppress Es chances and this has been rather volatile lately. It's worth checking this periodically, and the silver lining of a higher Kp index is a chance of auroral propagation. As we move towards the end of the month, all four relatively-small July meteor showers are still active. The largest of these is the Southern delta-Aquariids, peaking on the 30th of July with a medium Zenithal Hourly Rate of 25. Remember that random meteor activity is always there and is best around dawn. Moon declination goes positive on Monday and we passed perigee last Wednesday, so Moon visibility time and path losses will increase this week. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 3rd of July 2022 The news headlines: RSGB Regional vacancies Tribute to Zorro, JH1AJT Tonight@8 on Radio waves and antennas The RSGB has vacancies for someone to be co-opted as the Regional Representative for Region 11 until the AGM in 2023. Region 11 covers Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the Channel Islands. There are 13 RSGB Regional Representatives covering the whole of the UK and they must reside in the region they represent. There are also vacances for District Representatives for Dorset, North-East England and Lancashire. Details of the Regional Team can be found on the RSGB website rsgb.org.uk. If you are interested in becoming part of the Regional Team please contact David, M0MBD on 01234 481 412 or rr12@rsgb.org.uk. 3D2AJT is the special callsign that Dom, 3D2USU will be using for one month from Nadi in the Fiji Islands in memory of the late Yasuo ‘Zorro' Miyazawa, JH1AJT. Activity will end on 27 July, which would have marked Zorro's 73rd birthday. Zorro was also known for his DXpeditions and charitable work on behalf of children in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Japan and elsewhere. The special event operators will be on the air using CW, SSB, FT4 and FT8. QSL via Club Log's OQRS. You can read more on qrz.com. Tonight @8 will take place on Monday, the 4th of July. This is the final lecture before the summer break. Peter Duffett-Smith, G3XJE will be looking at Radio waves and antennas…and all that. His presentation covers a range of antenna-related information so there should be something for everyone. Tonight@8 webinars are live-streamed on the RSGB's YouTube channel, YouTube.com/thersgb. During the recent HamRadio show in Germany, the IARU Region 1 Spectrum Regulation and Liaison Committee chair took part in a joint session with the R1 Political Relations Committee. The session highlighted the connections the SRLC maintains with Region 1 regulatory bodies and the work carried out since early 2021. This included engagement in the WRC23 preparatory activities in a number of regional bodies and the detailed study work both with the ITU and CEPT. Topics affecting amateur spectrum bands were summarised with particular attention being paid to the 23cm band topic on the agenda of WRC23. The SRLC slide set can be found at iaru-r1.org. The TX5N DXpedition that took place in April from the Austral Islands, OC-114, has updated the information on QSL cards. All TX5N QSL cards were taken to the post office on the 30th of June so please allow sufficient time for the card to reach you. Bureau cards will be shipped to the individual IARU bureaux in the next bureau mailing that is scheduled for Summer 2022. QSL via M0URX. Dennis, G7AGZ has been fundraising for Cornwall Hospice Care since 1991. This year, he will be attempting a six peak Summits On The Air challenge. He will be climbing some of the most popular summits in the UK and hopes to activate an amateur radio station at the top of each summit, subject to the weather. The six peaks will be Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Old Man of Coniston, Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Ben Nevis. Keep an eye on qrz.com under the special event callsign GB0CHC. The DXCC Most Wanted 2022 list has been updated on the 28th of June. The DXCC most wanted countries are North Korea in 1st place, Bouvet Island in second place and Crozet Island in 3rd place. See clublog.org for more information. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 3rd, the Cornish RAC Rally will take place at Penair School, St Clement, Truro, Cornwall TR1 1TN. Doors open at 10am with a £2 admission. There will be a Bring & Buy, traders and local club stands. Refreshments are available on site. Find out more at gx4crc.com. Sunday the 3rd of July is also the date for the traditional Barford Norfolk Radio Rally at Barford Village Hall. Doors open at 9am. Most of the stands are outside but inside the village hall there is a Bring & Buy, RSGB bookstand, Morse display and refreshments. A Norfolk ARC club stand is outside the hall with a radio raffle in aid of the clubs 2022 nominated charity, Cancer Research UK. Admission is £2 per person with under 16s free. Outside selling pitches are £8 and there is no need to prebook. On Saturday, the 9th of July, the Houghton Radio Club Free Radio Rally will be held in the Dubmire Royal British Legion Club, Britannia Terrace, Fencehouses DH4 6LJ. The doors will be open between 10am and 3pm. The rally is open to trade, clubs and private sellers and exhibitors. Table space is limited. There is no charge for tables and entry is free. Donations are welcome to the Royal British Legion Club. Tea and coffees will be available and a licenced bar from 11am. Anyone wishing to book tables please contact Amanda, M6LXK at westona84@gmail.com. Now the DX news Henri, OH3JR and Pertti, OG2M will be operating as OJ0JR and OJ0MR respectively from Market Reef until the 6th of July. They are there on work assignment. Activity will be in their spare time on the HF bands using CW, some SSB, and FT8. QSL OJ0MR direct to OG2M and OJ0JR via OH3JR. Bo, OZ1DJJ will be active as OX3LX from Upernarvik Island, Greenland, NA-134, until the 11th of July. Activity will be on the HF bands with a focus on 6 metres and 4 metres. QSL via OZ0J. Paul, F6EXV and Florian, PB8DX will be active from Monaco between the 6th and 14th of July. They will be using 3A6M on 6 metres, as well as 3A/F6EXV and 3A/PB8DX on the HF bands. QSLs for all callsigns via Club Log's OQRS both direct and via the bureau, and Logbook of The World after six months. Franco, IZ5IUY will be active as IL7/IZ5IUY from San Domino Island, EU-050, until the 21st of July. He will operate SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the HF bands. QSL via his home callsign, the bureau is preferred. Rafael, NN3RP will be active holiday style as YN2RP from Nicaragua between the 5th of July and the 2nd of August. He will operate SSB, CW and digital modes on various bands, and will also be active on FM satellites. QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL or direct to NN3RP. Now the Special Event news Durham and District ARS is participating as one of the bonus stations in the 13 Colonies Special Event. GB13COL has been issued for this event and will run from the club station until 0400UTC on Friday, the 8th of July. The primary focus of the event will be the HF bands, including VHF, UHF & Satellite for QSOs using SSB, CW, FM, and various digital modes. More information at 13colonies.us. On Saturday and Sunday the 9th and 10th of July, Bishop Auckland RAC and Wearside Electronics and Amateur Radio Society are activating GB4BM from Beamish Museum at Beamish, Chester-le Street, Durham. Operations start at 10am. If you wish to attend and assist in the event contact Ian, G7MFN at g7mfn@hotmail.co.uk. All are welcome. Now the contest news This weekend is the RSGB VHF National Field Day ending its 24-hour run at 1400UTC today, the 3rd. The contest uses the 50, 70, 144 and 432MHz bands as well as 1.3GHz. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, Sunday the 3rd of July, the third 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1000 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday the 4th, the CW leg of the 80m Club Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number. Tuesday sees the 144MHz FM Activity Contest run between 1800 and 1855UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial number and locator. The 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest takes place on Wednesday the 6th between 1900 and 2100UTC. The exchange is report and your 4-character locator. Next weekend, the 9th and 10th of July, is the IARU HF Championship. It runs for 24 hours from 1200UTC on the 9th and uses the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted. The exchange is signal report and your ITU Zone. For the UK this is 27. Next Sunday, the 10th of July, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz contest takes place between 0900 and 1700. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon is still taking place, ending on the 2nd of August. Using all modes, stations exchange their 4-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 1st of July 2022. Last week was not a good one for HF propagation in general. There were many complaints from amateurs about poor conditions that can be explained by a combination of low solar flux levels and unsettled geomagnetic conditions. The SFI started the week last Sunday at 102 but then dropped to 98 the following day. It subsequently continued to drop, reaching 92 by Thursday. At the same time, the Kp index reached five and it continued to be unsettled into Monday. The effects on the ionosphere were not good, with maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path struggling to reach 18MHz. Conditions improved as the week went on with F2-layer MUFs back into the 21MHz region by Thursday. This is fairly typical of Summer ionospheric conditions, leaving Sporadic-E as the likely main propagation mode on 10 metres until the Autumn. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start to climb again, perhaps peaking at 140 by the 11th of July. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be stable with an average Kp index of two, until the 10th when it could reach four. As long as we don't have any coronal mass ejections during this time this could mean slightly better F2-layer conditions next week. As always, Sporadic-E may provide loud short-skip signals on the upper bands. Watch out for multi-hop Es paths which are harder to predict. And now the VHF and up propagation news. With VHF National Field Day, this weekend we would all like conditions at their best, and with the Sporadic-E season still in full swing, that's a possibility. The position of the jet stream is often instrumental in defining the directions that perform for Es and this weekend it looks to be a close-by jet stream over the near continent. This means paths towards central and southeast Europe plus the Baltic and Scandinavia. You might be able to get some notion of how it's developing by Googling and looking at the ionosonde from Dourbes in Belgium for spikes in the foEs trace. With low pressure close to Scotland over the weekend, it's only southern UK under a weak ridge that will see any Tropo. This will typically be better overnight and around the coasts for paths into the continent across the North Sea or the English Channel. So unless you are on the coast, your tropo options will diminish early this Sunday morning once the solar heating starts to break down the overnight temperature inversion. The UKAC 144MHz contest on Tuesday evening looks a better prospect with high pressure nudging towards western Britain and a chance that conditions may be slightly up, even for more northern stations. With some showery episodes likely, rain scatter is always a possibility, but decaying as the high moves in later. The clusters should tell you if aurora or random meteor scatter are viable options. Just one meteor shower this week, the July Pegasids active from the 4th of July to the 14th, but its Zenithal Hourly Rate is low at around five. Meteor showers in July are at their best around the end of the month, particularly the Southern delta-Aquariids, peaking on the 30th of July. The maximum ZHR of this shower is around 25 over two days. The radiant of this shower is above the horizon in the UK during the night and early morning. Moon declination goes negative this coming Wednesday so expect lower peak elevation and shortening Moon visibility windows for EME. Path losses are dropping as we head towards perigee a week on Wednesday. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of June 2022 The news headlines: RSGB joins IARU Region 1 meeting GB70D on air from the Isle of Man Tonight@8 on Monday RSGB volunteers and staff contributed to the IARU Region 1 Interim meeting at Friedrichshafen on Thursday the 23rd of June. The meeting covered topics across HF, VHF and UHF as well as Microwave and EMC matters. This included the latest state of preparations for WRC-23 where agenda item 9.1B on the protection of satellite navigation systems, such as Galileo in the 23cm band, was of prime interest. Slides showing the current state and this potentially significant threat to the radio amateur and amateur satellite services have been published on the RSGB special focus page at rsgb.org/wrc-23. The IARU, supported by the RSGB, continues to work hard to reduce any impact. The Queen's Platinum Jubilee station GB70D is based on the Isle of Man. On Tuesday the 28th, it will be based in the grounds of Government House. It is hoped that the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man and Lady Philippa will participate for several periods during the day. The station plans to operate on 2m, as well as SSB and CW on most bands from 40m up. Operations start around 9.30am. Tonight @8 will take place on Monday, the 4th of July. This is the final lecture before the summer break. Peter Duffett-Smith, G3XJE will be looking at Radio waves and antennas…and all that. His presentation covers a range of antenna-related information so there should be something for everyone. Tonight@8 webinars are live-streamed on the RSGB's YouTube channel, YouTube.com/thersgb. The 98-year-old 200kW Alexanderson alternator, callsign SAQ, will not be able to air on Alexanderson Day, Sunday the 3rd of July. This is due to difficulties in obtaining components in the ongoing maintenance work. The Alexander Association welcomes visitors to the museum on the 3rd from 10am to 4pm. Together with the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station they will offer many activities for the whole family during the day. There will be two transmitter startups with SAQ, but without any transmission over the antenna. National society in Iceland, IRA, reports on the renewal of special authorisation to use 50MHz. Icelandic licensees have been granted increased power licenses in the 50-50.5MHz frequency range until the 31st of September. Full licensees are allowed to use up to 1kW and Novice licensees up to 100W. The 2022 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held as part of the RSGB Convention on the 8th and 9th of October at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The weekend event attracts an international audience that ranges from those involved in building and operating amateur radio satellites to beginners who wish to find out more about this fascinating branch of the hobby. Find out more at amsat-uk.org or rsgb.org/convention. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 26th of June, the Newbury Radio Rally will be held at the Newbury Showground, next to junction 13 of the M4 motorway in Berkshire. Over a hundred sellers, national societies and a demonstration marquee will be there. It is open to the public from 9am with admission £2.50. There is free parking on site. On Saturday, the 2nd of July, the Laugharne Radio Rally will be held in the Millennium Memorial Hall, Laugharne near Carmarthen SA33 4QG. Doors open 10am until 12 noon. Details from Matthew on 0739 882 5024. Next Sunday, the 3rd, The Cornish RAC Rally will take place in Penair School, St Clement, Truro, Cornwall TR1 1TN. Doors open at 10am with a £2 admission. There will be a Bring & Buy, traders and local club stands. Refreshments are available on site. Find out more at gx4crc.com. Next Sunday is also the Barford Norfolk Radio Rally at Barford Village Hall. Doors open at 9am. Visit norfolkamateurradio.org for more information. Now the DX news Eric, KV1J will be active as FP/KV1J from Miquelon Island, NA-032, from the 28th of June to the 12th of July. Plans are to operate SSB, RTTY and FT8, plus some FT4 and CW on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via his home call either direct or via the bureau, Logbook of The World and eQSL. Joe, OZ0J will be active as HB0/OZ0J from Liechtenstein from the 28th of June to the 5th of July. He plans to operate SSB, CW and FT8 on the 6 to 40m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, eQSL, or via his home call. David, DL7ZM is active as 7O/DL7ZM from Socotra Island, AF-028, in Yemen until the 3rd of July. Activity is on 10 meters using CW and FT8, and on 6 meters as well. QSL details on QRZ.com Now the Special Event news Members of The Angel of the North ARC will be running GB0UUR to celebrate the life of their late Club Secretary and RSGB ex Deputy Regional Manager, Nancy Bone, G7UUR. This event will take place during the afternoon of Saturday the 2nd of July. Durham and District ARS is participating as one of the bonus stations in the 13 Colonies Special Event. GB13COL has been issued for this event and will run from the club station from 1300UTC on the 1st of July until 0400UTC on the 8th. The primary focus of the event will be the HF bands, including VHF, UHF & Satellite for QSOs using SSB, CW, FM, and various digital modes. More information at 13colonies.us. Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 26th of June, there are three contests taking place. The CW leg of the 50MHz Contest runs between 0900 and 1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The second contest today, the 26th, is the fourth 70MHz Cumulatives contest runs between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Finally for today, the 26th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday, the RSGB FT4 Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using the 3.5, 7 and 14MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Tuesday sees the SHF UK Activity Contest taking place between 1830 and 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3 to 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend, the 2nd and 3rd of July, is the RSGB VHF National Field Day. Running for 24-hours from 1400UTC on the 2nd, the contest uses the 50, 70, 144 and 432MHz bands as well as 1.3GHz. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next Sunday, the 3rd of July, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1000 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 24th of June 2022. As predicted, the solar flux index fell back this week, but it didn't fall as low as experts predicted. On Thursday, it stood at 129, but with three sunspot groups about to rotate off the visible surface, it looks like it may now fall lower. We are now well and truly into the summer season for HF propagation, which can be characterised as providing lower maximum usable frequencies during the day, but higher MUFs at night. Sporadic-E remains the most common mode of propagation on the higher bands, with F2-layer MUFs over 3,000 kilometres generally not exceeding 21MHz for most of the day. But more on Sporadic E in the VHF segment of this report. The good news is that 20 metres stays open later, often providing paths over 3,000km up until midnight. The higher bands, that is 17 metres, 15 metres and perhaps 12 metres, may generally provide good paths to South America in the evenings, with 20-metre paths being the last to close. But we're afraid we may have to wait until September to see good reliable paths into North America on HF once again. Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI will remain around the 100 mark, so we may expect lower MUFs again, apart from Es openings. Geomagnetic conditions should generally be quiet with a maximum Kp index of two once we get over any disturbance this weekend due to a high-speed solar wind stream. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The recent very warm and humid weather has produced some occasional Tropo with the British Isles being on the edge of high pressure, mainly over the near continent. This may still happen occasionally in the coming week, but the fundamental characteristic for next week is low pressure and unsettled weather over the UK. This will produce some rain, with thunderstorms a possibility, and rain scatter will crop up as a useful mode on the upper GHz bands at times. The many online weather radar displays will allow you to keep a track of storms as they develop. When low pressure is centred over the country the showers may be longer-lasting and not decay overnight, so this period looks more promising than the usual mainly daytime shower distribution. The Sporadic-E season is in full swing, but in a rather restrained way since openings have been fairly limited and often fleeting. The presence of jet streams on the weather charts is a good indicator of regions where Es is more likely and the coming week offers a good variety of options, so if Sporadic-E is hard to find then perhaps other parameters may not be optimal; for example, the meteor input is a crucial component in the development of Es. Check the daily conditions for jet streams on the Propquest.co.uk EPI maps and Es blog. The June meteor showers, mentioned last week, continue into early July so keep checking meteor scatter conditions between the Es. With the Moon at maximum declination on Wednesday, Moon windows are long this week. Today, Sunday the 26th of June, the Moon is at apogee, or its furthest point from Earth, so path losses are at their highest, and for around four hours after UK Moonrise on Wednesday the Sun is close to the Moon so noise will be high at that time. And that's all from the propagation team this week.    

GB2RS News Sunday the 19th of June 2022 The news headlines: Region 1 Monitoring Service newsletter IARU VHF and up matters GI-QRP Convention The latest IARU Region 1 Monitoring Service newsletter detailing intruders in the amateur bands is available at iaru-r1.org. Radars continue to be the most numerous and harmful intrusions in our bands. For the last couple of months monitoring have been receiving signals whose function they have not yet been able to identify. The most common one has a bandwidth of about 8kHz, seems to consist of a central carrier and is most frequently found in the 20 and 40m bands. For those with a particular interest in VHF matters, the IARU Region 1 VHF+ Newsletter number 89 is available from the same website, iaru-r1.org. It contains details of the interim hybrid meeting due to be held during the radio show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Subjects for discussion include preparation for the ITU World Radio Conference, WRC23, particularly regarding the 23cm band. It also has details of IARU VHF and up contests and trophies. Throughout June, many UK radio amateurs may use the letter Q in place of the Regional Secondary Locator. If you would like to join them, the free-of-charge Notice of Variation to your licence that is needed is available via the RSGB website, see rsgb.org/jubilee. If you would rather, you may use the suffix /70 to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. An NoV is not necessary for the /70 addition to your callsign. There are two awards available for logging or working stations using both the Q RSL or /70 suffix, see rsgb.org/jubilee and look at Award 70. The GI-QRP Convention will take place on Saturday the 25th of June at the Tandragee Golf Club. This event is supported by the G-QRP Club. There will be trade stands, talks and presentations relating to QRP construction and operating. The talks will be streamed live online for those unable to attend. A Buildathon will also take place, where participants, under supervision, will construct a Morse tutor. Advance booking for the Buildathon is advised. There are concessionary prices for junior constructors. Doors open at 9.30am and the event closes at 5pm. Details are at gqrp.com, just click on the GQRP Convention tab on the left-hand side. A date for your diary now. The next Tonight @8 lecture will take place on the 4th of July. This is the final lecture before the summer break. On the 4th, Peter Duffett-Smith, G3XJE will be looking at Radio waves and antennas…and all that. His presentation covers a range of antenna-related information so there should be something for everyone. Tonight@8 webinars are live-streamed on the RSGB's YouTube channel, YouTube.com/thersgb. James Bertram, GM0GMN has been involved in amateur radio since he was a teenager when he first joined the RSGB. He is very active on HF, VHF and UHF with a particular interest in HF DX and DMR. James is also the Secretary of The International Police Association Radio Club, which has more than 100 members. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. The radio station VP8GGM at the Goose Green Military Museum in the Falkland Islands will be on air during the International Museum Weekends. You can listen for them today, this weekend the 18th and 19th and next weekend, the 25th and 26th. QSL direct to VP8ADR. The KL7RRC IOTA DXpedition to Kiska Island, NA-070, has been rescheduled and is now expected to take place between the 23rd and the 28th July. The team includes KL5CX, N3QQ, N7QT, NL8F and W8HC. They will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 40m bands with three stations. QSL via N7RO. See na-234.com for more information. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, Sunday the 19th of June, the East Suffolk Wireless Revival will take place at Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton IP10 0PW. The venue is just off the A14. There is free car parking, and doors open at 9.30am. Admission is £2. There will be trade stands, a car boot sale, Bring & Buy, special interest groups, GB4SWR HF station and an RSGB bookstall. More from Kevin, G8MXV on 0771 004 6846. Between the 24th and 26th of June, the HamRadio show in Friedrichshafen, Germany will have exhibitors and visitors from 52 countries. There is also a large flea market with around 300 stalls, talks, meetings, socialising and much more. There will be an RSGB stand and staff and volunteers look forward to meeting the many amateurs from around the world. The RSGB President, Spectrum Forum Manager and General Manager will be attending a variety of IARU meetings, representing the interests of all UK amateurs. Next Saturday, the 25th June, the GI-QRP Convention will be held at the Tandragee Golf Club in Craigavon. Doors open at 9am and presentations start at 10am. Contact Philip, MI0MSO, 0784 902 5760, r8.giqrp@gmail.com. Now the DX news Alex, SQ9UM is on the air as SV2/SQ9UM from Poliouri in Greece until the 24th of June. In addition, Chris, OE5CFH is operating as SV8/OE5CFH from Corfu Island, EU-052, until the 21st of June. QSL to home calls. Ali, EP3CQ is operating as 6O1OO [six Oscar one Oscar Oscar] from Mogadishu and is there for about one month while working for the UN Department of Safety and Security. Activity is in his spare time on the 15 to 80m bands using some CW, with FT8 and FT4. QSL direct to home call. Now the Special Event news GB100MW will be operated on Saturday the 25th of June by Medway Amateur Receiving Transmitting Society. They will be located at the Medway Armed Forces Day regional event at the Heritage Park on the Lines, Gillingham, Kent. Further details of this event can be found on QRZ under GB100MW. The G-QRP Club Callsign will be active as GI5LOW for the first time in the lead up to, and during, the Convention. Kevin, ZB2GI is operating with special event callsign ZQ2GI until the 30th of June to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. QSL to his home callsign. Members of The Angel of the North ARC will be running GB0UUR to celebrate the life of their late Club Secretary and RSGB ex Deputy Regional Manager, Nancy Bone, G7UUR. This event will take place during the afternoon of Saturday the 2nd of July. Now the contest news The 50MHz Trophy Contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC on the 19th. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All-Asian DX contest runs for 48 hours and ends at 2359UTC on the 19th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and age. The Worked all Britain 50MHz contest takes place today, Sunday the 19th of June, from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using AM, FM and SSB, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see the WAB website. Entries should be with the contest manager by the 29th of June. The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon runs until the 2nd of August, with contacts on the 50MHz band exchanging your 4-character locator. On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships runs between 1900 and 2030UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number. Next weekend, on Sunday the 26th of June there are three contests taking place. The CW leg of the 50MHz Contest runs between 0900 and 1200UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The fourth 70MHz Cumulatives contest runs between 1400 and 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 17th of June 2022. We said that last week's relatively low solar flux index wouldn't last very long and it looks like we were right. This week we have had an SFI that started at 121 and just kept climbing, peaking at 149 on the 15th. Unfortunately, we have also had some plasma to contend with thanks to the combined effects of a coronal hole high-speed stream, along with a bright coronal mass ejection observed on Monday. These pushed the Kp index to five on Wednesday the 15th. Luckily a long-duration eruption, LDE, measuring M3.4 detected around active region 3030 on Monday was directed away from Earth and missed us completely. But it does show that we can expect more in the way of CMEs as we head towards the peak of solar cycle 25. F2-layer MUFs over a 3,000km path have regularly exceeded 21MHz and often 24MHz. There have also been some occasional 10m F2-layer openings, with Sporadic-E and multi-hop Es events as other likely modes of propagation. As a result, there have been many reports of DX being worked, including Vasco, 7Q7CT in Malawi and Harald, 9X2AW in Rwanda on 10-metre FT8. The USAF predicts that the SFI will be around 136 this Sunday, falling back to 100 as the week wears on. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be unsettled around the 24th, although we could be in for a rough ride overall next week due to any unexpected CME from one of the numerous sunspots that have been flaring recently. And now the VHF and up propagation news. We ended last week with high pressure nearby for southern Britain with a low-pressure north of Scotland pushing a cold front south. So Tropo in southern areas is getting displaced as the pattern becomes more unsettled and after some very high temperatures. The bulk of the coming week sees high pressure off to the west and a cooler north-westerly flow over the country with some showery periods too. This presents the prospect of rain scatter, but somewhat limited Tropo conditions, chiefly for western-most parts and Ireland down to Biscay and Spain. The Sporadic-E season is in full swing, although in the last week conditions have not been quite so exciting, apart from the magnificent opening to the States last Sunday evening. Widespread activity as far as Mexico and Texas doesn't happen often and plots of the weather patterns showed that there were multiple jet stream areas of activity to make up the required sequence of four or five hops of Es. Since the weather pattern driving this was not exceptional, it suggests that it could happen again, so perhaps keep the notion of checking 6m as late as mid-evening 2000-2200UTC in your back pocket during the rest of the month. There are still plenty of meteor showers to fill in between the Sporadic-E in June. The Aretids, Zeta-Perseids, Beta-Taurids and June Bootids are all active this week. The latter is generally low activity, but it produced unexpected activity in 1998 with a ZHR up to 100 for more than half a day and in 2004 with a ZHR up to 50 over a similar period. Moon declination goes positive again on Wednesday, and we are past this month's perigee, so increasing Moon availability and increasing path losses is the story for EME enthusiasts this week. 144MHz sky noise is low, not exceeding 300 Kelvin until Thursday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 12th of June 2022 The news headlines: Feedback on HF band changes welcome Gateways on the Air GI-QRP Convention Amateurs are reminded that IARU Region-1 is holding its Interim Meeting on the 23rd of June. As outlined in the recent June RadCom, feedback is welcomed on proposals for global HF band changes to accommodate growth in digital modes and related matters. The meeting will also consider a series of Spectrum and EMC matters. The RSGB has a consultation page with the background and document links available at thersgb.org/gb2rs/017. Feedback should be posted to the RSGB-Workshop forum groups.io/g/RSGB-Workshop by end of Sunday the 19th of June. Gateways On The Air event will be on the air between the 11th and 19th of June and is hosted on the FreeSTAR Multimode Network. The aim of the event is to promote increased RF voice communications via analogue and digital Simplex Gateways. Licensed amateurs are encouraged to go outside into the fresh air, either when portable or mobile, to work a Simplex Gateway from a location of public interest. GOTA is a “just for fun” event with two categories for both Activators and Chasers. To connect your Simplex Gateway to the event please email Oscar@freestar.network. For more information visit GOTA.org.uk. Tickets are now on sale for some of the things going on at the GI-QRP Convention; the first to take place in Northern Ireland for many years. This is being organised by members of the RSGB Region 8 team, in conjunction with the G-QRP Club. The event takes place at the Tandragee Golf Club on the 25th of June. There are talks, trade stalls and a number of Buildathon workshops. There is no need to book if you just wish to attend in person. You do need to book if you want to have a buffet lunch or join in the Buildathon at the event or join the live streaming of the talks and have access to the recordings after the event, from home. Details gqrp.com/GI_Convention.htm. A new Kenwood TM-D710GA transceiver has been installed on the International Space Station. The old amateur radio equipment was dismantled, and the new kit will be used for transmitting Slow Scan TV images on 145.800MHz FM, probably using the SSTV mode PD-120. The signal should be receivable on a handheld with a quarter-wave whip. You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at amsat.org/track. The Oscar 100 Award is an international award aimed at promoting experimental activities and radio contacts via the geosynchronous satellite QO-100. Participants should contact as many stations and DXCC Countries as possible via the satellite. The award lasts six months, ending at 23:59UTC on 31 December. Details are at arifidenza.it. The first 6m QSO in Poland was made on the 5th of June 1992 at 12:53UTC between 3Z4PAR and IK1EGC. Celebrating the 30th anniversary, 3Z30PAR will be active until the end of the year. QSL via Logbook of The World and SP4KM either direct or via the bureau. The Irish Radio Transmitters Society was founded in 1932 and this year the society celebrates its 90th birthday. To mark the occasion the society will operate EI90IRTS. The call will be activated by Irish Radio Amateurs throughout 2022. See qrz.com for QSL details. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 12th, two rallies are on the calendar. The Mendips Radio Rally is at Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall and Playing Fields, Church Lane, Farrington Gurney, Somerset BS39 6TY. There is free parking available, and doors will be open between 9.30 am and 1 pm. Admission is £3. There will be inside tables and a large field for car boot traders. Hot and cold refreshments will be available. For all enquiries call Luke on 07870 168 197. The Junction 28 Radio Rally is taking place in Alfreton Leisure Centre, Church Street, DE55 7BD. Traders and club stands will be in the indoor hall alongside a bar and café. Admission is £3. More from Alan, M0OLT, secretary@snadarc.com. Next Saturday, the 18th of June, the 53rd Bangor & District ARS Rally will take place in Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church, 376 Belfast Road, Ballyrobert, Bangor BT19 1UH. Doors open at 11.30 am. More from Andrew, MI0OBR on 07980 846 272. Next Sunday, the 19th of June, the East Suffolk Wireless Revival will take place at Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton IP10 0PW. The venue is just off the A14. There is free car parking, and the doors open at 9.30 am. Admission is £2. There will be trade stands, a car boot sale, Bring & Buy, special interest groups, GB4SWR HF station and an RSGB bookstall. More from Kevin, G8MXV on 0771 004 6846. Now the DX news Ryan, K0EFW will be active holiday style as S9EFW from Sao Tome, AF-023, between the 14th and 19th of June. He will operate mainly SSB on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL via his OQRS account and Logbook of The World. During this trip, he will set up a contest/remote station. Len, K1NU will be active holiday style as K1JV/4 from Key Colony Beach on Shelter Key, NA-062, between the 11th and the 18th of June. He will focus on 6 metres FT8 when the band is open, and on 20 to 10m CW and FT8 when it is closed. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log, or direct to K1NU. Dave, G4WXJ will be active as ZC4RH from the UK Sovereign Base Areas Cyprus, AS-004, until the 15th of June. He will operate CW, SSB and possibly FT8 on the 40 to 10m bands, and hopefully also via the QO-100 satellite. QSL via Logbook of The World, or via his home call. Now the Special Event news The camp for young amateur radio operators in North, Central, and South America will operate a special event station W8Y throughout the camp taking place from the 12th to the 17th of June. The G-QRP Club Callsign will be active as GI5LOW for the first time in the lead-up to, and during, the Convention. It will go live for the first time at 0001UTC on the 17th of June, World QRP Day. Now the contest news The IARU ATV Contest ends its 30-hour run at 1800UTC today, the 12th. Using the 432MHz band and up, the exchange is the P number, serial number and locator. Today, Sunday the 12th of June, the second 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the 12th, the Practical Wireless 2m QRP contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. It is phone only and the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The maximum power allowed for this contest is 5W. On Tuesday the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for both is a signal report, serial number and locator. Wednesday sees the CW leg of the 80m Club Championship running from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. The 70MHz UK Activity Contest takes place between 1900 and 2130UTC on Thursday. Using all modes, the exchange is the signal report, a serial number and locator. Next weekend the 50MHz Trophy Contest runs between 1400UTC on the 18th to 1400UTC on the 19th. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All-Asian DX contest runs for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 18th to 2359UTC on the 19th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and age. The Worked All Britain 50MHz contest takes place on Sunday the 19th of June from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using AM, FM and SSB, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB square if applicable. For the full rules please see the WAB website. Entries should be with the contest manager by the 29th of June. The UK Six Metre Group's Summer Marathon runs until the 2nd of August, with contacts on the 50MHz band exchanging your 4-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 10th of June 2022. The sunspot number on Wednesday was zero with a solar flux index of 100. Given the high flux numbers, we have been seeing this as a little disappointing. The last time the visible disk was officially spotless was December 2021. The upside is that there has been little risk of coronal mass ejections and the Kp index has remained below three for more than a week. Anecdotal reports showed that the upper HF bands have been quite quiet. A couple of potential regions are currently behind the Sun's east limb and will begin to turn into view during the next few days. NOAA predicts that the SFI will increase slightly to perhaps 110 at first and then up to 125 by the 19th of June. While F2-layer openings may be peaking at around 15 metres this month, Sporadic E should bring lots of strong short-skip openings from 14MHz to 28MHz. June is a good month for Es openings. Check out 10 metres at peak Es times of mid-to-late morning and mid-to-late afternoon. Early evening can also bring surprises as well. For novelty's sake alone, listen out for the HB9HD 10m repeater on 29.650MHz in Switzerland, complete with its musical box ident! And now the VHF and up propagation news. We start the week with high pressure over mainland Europe. The Hepburn tropo charts predict that we may see lift conditions over southern England this weekend. Paths from locations south of London may be possible into northern France and the low countries, with a slight possibility of extended tropo towards southern France. These opportunities may tend to dissipate as we head into next week. For stations in the north of England, there may be fewer opportunities for tropo DX as low pressure is predicted to pass to the northwest of the country. Microwave rain scatter opportunities may be available though. From mid-week onwards, the most likely scenario is for low pressure to the north of the UK to clear as high pressure builds from the west, which may bring tropo opportunities to northern areas. There are always Sporadic-E opportunities available in June, with many good openings reported over the last seven days. The first half of June is one of the best periods of the year for daylight meteor scatter-DXing but is often masked by Sporadic-E propagation. We have already seen the peak of two daytime meteor showers, namely the Arietids and zeta-Perseids last week, but as they are both characterised by a broad maximum and high ZHR value, they continue to be useful. The best time for them is early morning for North to North-East and South to South-West directions, and early afternoon for North to North-West and South to South-East directions. With the Moon approaching perigee, its closest point to Earth, on Tuesday, path losses for EME will be at their lowest. This sadly coincides with minimum declination on Wednesday, with short moon visibility windows and low peak moon elevation. 144MHz sky noise will peak on Tuesday and Wednesday at a little over 3100K. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 22nd of May 2022 The news headlines: Platinum Jubilee activities High altitude balloon launch IARU Region 1 interim meeting It isn't long now until the RSGB's Platinum Jubilee activities kick-off. There is a wide range of things to be part of, from using the /70 suffix to creating something for the Innovation 70 competition or having a go at the WSPR 70 fun challenge. There is also still time to activate one of the seven special GB70 call signs. Details of how to take part are on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/jubilee. A team from hi-impact on the Wirral will be working alongside the Oaktree Multi-Academy Trust, a Wirral based group of schools, on a High Altitude Balloon launch. This is planned for Thursday the 26th at 11 am from a location near Welshpool. The frequency in use will be 434.250MHz USB. There will be RTTY signals and the flight will be SSDV enabled, so there will be pictures too. You can see activity on the day on Facebook at facebook.com/hiimpactconsultancy. IARU Region-1 is holding its Interim Meeting on the 23rd of June. As outlined in the recent June RadCom, feedback is welcomed on proposals for global HF band changes to accommodate growth in digital modes and related matters. The meeting will also consider a series of EMC and Spectrum topics. RSGB have a consultation page with the background and document links at thersgb.org/gb2rs/017. Feedback should be posted to the RSGB-Workshop forum groups.io/g/RSGB-Workshop. The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham later this summer. It will see around 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories, compete in 19 sports across 14 competition venues. The RSGB has just published news of the various activities it is planning to link with the Games. You can get involved in one of the seven special event stations or gain one of two special operating awards. Find out more on the Society's website at rsgb.org/cwg. The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters Society reports that their regulator has continued their 60m Sub-Licence for 5351.5 to 5366.5kHz. At the RSGB Regional Forum meeting on the 16th of May, the Regional Representatives elected David De La Haye, M0MBD as Chair and Neil Yorke, M0NKE as its Secretary. The RSGB Board would like to thank Mark Burrows, 2E0SBM and Tony Miles, MM0TMZ for their service in previous years as Chair and Secretary respectively. After two years of lockdown, the ITU building in Geneva is back in operation. 4U1ITU is on the air until the 3rd of June. A Stepp-IR is used for the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. A second transceiver is now also being set up for the 6m band, including FT8. And now for details of rallies and events  Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online.  Today, the 22nd of May, the National Amateur Radio Car Boot Sale organised by Dunstable Downs Radio Club will take place at Stockwood Park in Luton. Entry and car parking is £4 per vehicle and the gates open at 9am for buyers. Next Sunday, the Durham District ARS Radio Rally takes place at Bowburn Community Centre, Durham Road, Bowburn DH6 5AT. Doors will be open from 10.10 am to 2.30 pm, with disabled visitors gaining access 10 minutes earlier. Admittance is £2. There will be a Bring & Buy, RSGB bookstall and trade stands. For more information, contact Michael, G7TWX, 0782 692 4192. Now the DX news Fabian, DF3XY is operating from Mauritius as 3B8/DF3XY until the 2nd of June. Activity is holiday style on the 40, 30, and 20m bands using SSB and FT8. QSL to his home callsign. OG5O and OH2HOD will be active as OH0/OG5O and OH0/OH2HOD respectively from Lemland Island, EU-002, until the 27th of May. Activity will be on the 6 to 160m bands, using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of The World. Ryan, K0EFW is operational as S9EFW from Sao Tome and Principe until the end of May. Activity is on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands using SSB. QSL to his home callsign. Now the Special Event news GB6VER will be on the air today, the 22nd. Operated by Verulam ARC from the Durham District RC Rally. They plan to operate on the 40m, 20m and 2m bands depending on the noise levels on the day. More on qrz.com. GB1SCW to celebrate the work of coastal communities will be on the air from the 28th to the 31st of May. This event is also registered with SOS Radio Week. More information can be found on qrz.com. Northwest Group Amateur Radio Club are activating GB0AEL as part of the 90th Anniversary of Amelia Earhart landing in Londonderry until the 30th of May. See qrz.com. Now the contest news The 144MHz May contest runs for 24 hours until 1400UTC today, the 22nd. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Note that UK stations also send their postcode. Today, the 22nd, the First 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1100 to 1500UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Note that UK stations also send their postcode. On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest takes place from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3GHz and up bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the CW leg of the 80m Club Championships runs between 1900 and 2300UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. Next weekend is the CQ World Wide WPX CW contest. It runs for 48 hours from 0000UTC on the 28th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands where contests are allowed, the exchange s signal report and serial number. Next Sunday, the 29th, the 70MHz Cumulative contest runs from 1400 to 1600UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also next Sunday, the UK Microwave Group High Band contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using the 5.7 and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 20th of May 2022. Solar activity reached a new peak for this cycle this week, with the solar flux index hitting 180 on Thursday the 19th. This was partly down to the very large active region 3014, which is almost big enough to be seen with the naked eye if suitable precautions are taken. To put this into perspective, the sunspot number is 147, which is higher than the estimated smoothed maximum prediction of 115 for Cycle 25. Meanwhile, geomagnetic conditions have been favourable with the Kp index moving between one and three since Monday. This is all good news and is being reflected in the band conditions at the moment, with round-the-world echoes being heard on some DX signals. Make the most of them as there is the ever-present threat of X-class solar flares to contend with. Two active regions, which have already been emitting X-class flares, are about to rotate into view.  The USAF predicts that the SFI may stay above 175 until at least Wednesday, before declining into the sub-150 range. This is at odds with the NOAA prediction, which never really thought that the SFI would get to 180 last week. In other words, it is anyone's guess what we will get! Don't forget that Sporadic-E is also livening up the upper HF bands and providing strong short-skip signals. These can often link into multi-hop Es or join with F2-layer hops to give surprise long-distance DX that is hard to predict. We have never had it so good for some time and let's hope it continues into the Autumn when HF can really come into its own. And now the VHF and up propagation news. It seems we are in a typical summer unsettled pattern with areas of thundery rain and heavy showers drifting north from France. This will obviously keep rain scatter as an option. Summer can also be a time of strong Tropo, especially around coasts and over the adjacent seas. This is because a strong temperature inversion can develop over cool seas with areas of mist and fog at sea level overlain by warm dry air blowing off the continent. These paths are likely to persist over long periods, particularly across the North Sea, English Channel and Irish sea with extended options south across Biscay. To finish off we have the early stirrings of the 2022 Sporadic-E season, which is starting to show some promising signs, and not just on digital modes. A major controlling influence is often associated with the presence of jet streams nearby and the upper air forecast charts suggest that there should be some reasonable opportunities during the coming week. Don't forget that jet stream upper air charts are available daily with commentary on the Propquest.co.uk website. There is no major meteor shower this week, but we are at the tail end of the Eta Aquarids shower, which began in late April and is generally regarded as petering out next weekend. Eta Aquarids are associated with Halley's Comet. But don't expect to see the comet until 2061! The Moon will be waning throughout this week with decreasing declination and increasing distance as it moves towards apogee and that, therefore, leads to increasing path loss. Moon libration will be low.  This week's TK/HB9CRQ Corsican EME microwave DXpedition should enjoy favourable lunar path conditions if the weather cooperates. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 8th of May 2022 The news headlines: Could you join the RadCom Editorial team? IARU Region 1 wants your bright ideas for the hobby RSGB Convention bookings open If you are interested in becoming part of the RSGB RadCom Editorial team, the Society is recruiting for a Managing Editor and a Technical Editor. There is further information about both roles on the Society's website at www.rsgb.org/careers. The IARU Region 1 is looking for ideas that could lead to more licensed radio amateurs. Draft proposals are welcome by the 31st of May. The best ideas will be shared with the proposing teams so they can work on a more detailed project on 10th June. Details are at iaru-r1.org. The RSGB is holding an in-person Convention again between the 7th and 9th of October at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Milton Keynes. Booking is now open and, if you book by the 31st of August, you can take advantage of the early-bird discounts. For further information see rsgb.org/convention. Canada's amateur radio regulator has granted amateurs in Canada the right to use special callsigns in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee for the period of the 14th of May to the 14th of July. For example, VE3 calls become VX3, VA7 becomes VG7 and so on. The special callsigns may also be used during the IARU World HF Championship Contest. Today, Sunday the 8th of May is the deadline for young radio amateurs to apply to represent their country and national society at this year's Youngsters on the Air, or YOTA, summer camp. The camp will be held in Croatia from the 6th to the 13th of August. To apply, you need to be a Member of the RSGB, aged between 15 and 25. For further information see rsgb.org/yota. The digital TV repeater, GB3JV, has undergone some major upgrades. A new 70cm reduced bandwidth TV input and a new repeater controller have been added. Justin, G8YTZ, the repeater keeper, hopes the upgrades will encourage more users. Listeners may be interested to know there is an article in the CQ-TV magazine, number 275, about the repeater controller. More at gb3jv.co.uk. A reminder that the RSGB's summer programme for Tonight@8 begins tomorrow, Monday the 9th of May. Mark Haynes, M0DXR will talk about contesting. He will explain how this aspect of amateur radio can not only be a good test for your station but also a great way to make lots of QSOs with many countries in a short period of time. You can watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or find out more on the Society's website at rsgb.org/webinars. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 8th, the Lough Erne ARC Annual Rally will be held at the Arena @ Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea BT92 0JZ. Doors open at 11.30 am for the public. Facilities are available on-site for breakfast, lunches and tea & coffee. Next Saturday, the 14th, the Barry ARS Rally will take place at Sully Sports & Social Club, South Road, Sully near Barry CF64 5SP. Open to the traders from 7.30 am and to the public from 9.30 am, admission is £2.50. There is free parking on site. Now the DX news Mike, W6QT plans to be active as DU3/W6QT from Subic Bay in the Philippines until the 15th of September. He will operate SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via W6QT. The log will be uploaded to Logbook of The World and Club Log. Ilya, R5AF and Igor, R4FCN will be active as EX/R5AF and EX/R4FCN from Kyrgyzstan until the 14th of May. They will operate CW, FT8 and some SSB on the 10 to 40m bands. QSL cards will be sent to everyone via the bureau. They also plan to upload to Logbook of The World, eQSL, HamLog and Club Log. Three operators will be active as 5P1EG from Romo Island, EU-125, until the 14th of May. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on various bands. QSL via SP1EG. Yuris, YL2GM will be active as VU4W from the Andaman Islands, AS- 001, until the 16th of May. Look for activity on the 10 to 160m bands CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 Fox and Hounds mode. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or direct to YL2GN. Now the Special Event news Northwest Group Amateur Radio Club in Londonderry are activating GB0AEL as part of the 90th Anniversary of Amelia Earhart's landing in Londonderry. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. They will activate GB0AEL from the 13th to the 30th of May. More information on qrz.com under the callsign GB0AEL. GB0SCW will be on the air from Stone Cross Windmill, East Sussex between 10 am and 5 pm on the 7th and 8th of May. They plan to use SSB on the 3.5, 7 and 14MHz bands, as well as 2m and 70cm FM. There may also be HF operations from a car parked on the windmill grounds during the evenings. See qrz.com for more details. Other special event stations to look for during the next week are GB2WTM from Woodbridge Tide Mill and GB1TLB from Torbay. GB2PHC will be operating from Macclesfield and GB5CBH from Broad Hinton. Finally, from the Ofcom data, GB2IPA will be on the air from Southwold. Now the contest news Running for 24 hours next weekend, the 432MHz to 245GHz contest ends at 1400UTC today, the 8th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also running for 24 hours is the ARI International DX Contest. This finishes at 1200UTC today, the 8th. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 3.5MHz to 28MHz bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Note that Italian stations will also give their Province code. Three contests are due to take place today, the 8th of May. The UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also running between 0800 and 1400UTC is the 10GHz Trophy contest. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Finally, for today, the 8th, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Phone modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your Worked All Britain location. On Monday the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. The 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC on Tuesday. It is followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same for both, the signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday it is the 432MHz FT8 Activity Contest running from 1900 to 2100UTC. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Thursday sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest taking place between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next Sunday, the 15th, the 70MHz CW contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Microwave Groups millimetre-wave contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC next Sunday, the 15th. Using all modes on the 24, 47 and 76GHz bands the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 6th of May 2022. Last week was characterised by solar flares. At the time of writing, we have seen more than 50 since the 1st of May, including one high-energy X-class flare. This occurred on the 3rd of May at 1325 hours and caused a radio blackout over much of the Atlantic. Luckily, the Kp index has remained low, which has enabled the ionosphere to develop. And solar flux indices have been steadily climbing and reached 130 by Thursday. There have been many reports of good propagation. It has been a simple case of being in the right place at the right time. Ten metres has been open well into the evening at times, as well as providing paths to Australasia in the morning. At other times people have reported the band as being dead. We have also seen the beginnings of the Sporadic-E season with reports that 10 metres has been wide open to Europe at times. Hopefully, this will develop as the month goes on. Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI may dip before climbing back into the 120s. However, the US Air Force says that it will just continue to rise, perhaps hitting 140. This seems more plausible going on past performance. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet with a Kp index of two. However, it would only take one Earth-facing coronal mass ejection to spoil this entirely. And now the VHF and up propagation news. Starting with Tropo news, this weekend sees the new week starting with high pressure right over the British Isles. This high will drift slowly southeast into the continent by midweek, centred over the Balkans. There should be some reasonable Tropo paths, especially to the south into France and northern Spain. This will be fairly short-lived because, starting midweek, a weakening cold front brings rain to northwest Britain and breaks up into showers as it moves south. This brings the prospect of some rain scatter for a while and as per last week, this is likely to peak in the afternoon. After these showery days, another high appears by Friday to end the week, gradually transferring to the North Sea with a further chance of Tropo. Bear in mind that these weather forecasts are 10 days out so there are bound to be differences in the models. From midweek, some models retain the showery risk for longer. Summer Sporadic-E, or Es, propagation is well underway with some early reports up to 2m by Chris, G0DWV who heard an IV3 briefly on 2m before dropping back into the noise. We have had many hints of the new season, mostly on 10m and 6m. Just to remind you that Es activity tends to come in two periods, mid-morning and again late afternoon/early evening. Remember the daily blog on Propquest.co.uk, which gives the current day's prospects as well as an EPI (Es Probability Index) map to allow you to plan your shack activity. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is tailing off now but the Make More Miles on the VHF website suggests that meteoroids released from the minor planet 2006GY2 may cause activity on the 15th of May around 1020UTC. Apparently, the stream should be dense, so worth a look. The Moon has passed peak declination and we are a week away from next Sunday's perigee. The week's trend will therefore be for shorter Moon windows and peak elevation and falling path losses. 144MHz sky noise is low this week, slowly rising and reaching 400K next Sunday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 24th of April 2022 The news headlines: Two new GB2RS broadcasts Take part in SOS Radio Week VMARS nets The RSGB GB2RS News Service is delighted to announce two new broadcasts on Sundays. With a nod to how it all started back in 1955, we have introduced a transmission using amplitude modulation. This takes place in the 80m band on 3650kHz at 8 am UK time from the station of G4JBD in Bedfordshire. The intended coverage is the Midlands and the South East of England but it may be heard more widely when propagation is favourable. For those in the South West Glasgow area who are busy on Sunday mornings, we are now offering an evening broadcast on 2m. Delivered by 2M0GUI on 145.525MHz FM, the transmission is at 6.30 pm UK time. Every year thousands of people get into difficulty around our coast. Thousands of unpaid volunteers swing into action to save and rescue them. SOS Radio Week celebrates the work of these selfless volunteers. Amateur radio stations get on the air to raise awareness of the invaluable work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, National Coastwatch Institution and the many independent lifeboat and rescue organisations around our coasts. The activity starts at 0000UTC on the 1st of May and concludes at 2359UTC on the 31st. Participants are encouraged to become an official Registered Station and make as many contacts as possible, mentioning the reason for the event during their contact. For further details visit sosradioweek.org.uk The Vintage Military Amateur Radio Society will be displaying at the Blackpool Rally today. They have regular nets on 3.615MHz at 8.30 am on Saturdays using AM and at 8 pm on Wednesdays using USB to facilitate the use of ex-military equipment. On Fridays, the frequency remains as 3.615MHz at 7.30 pm using LSB. More at www.vmars.org. As part of the forthcoming Jubilee celebrations, the RSGB has announced further details of its GB70 special event station activities. The seven SES callsigns will be active across the Jubilee weekend, from the 2nd to the 5th of June, on multiple bands and modes by various clubs. After that weekend, these special callsigns will be available for activation by RSGB affiliated clubs or individual RSGB members until the 28th of June. Each callsign has a volunteer coordinator responsible for allocating operating slots in a published schedule. They will also collect the log files from those who have been activating the calls. For further information see the GB70 page in the RSGB Jubilee web section at rsgb.org/jubilee. Provisional results for the 2021 IARU Region 1 Marconi Memorial VHF Contest are available. A total of 762 logs from 27 different countries in Region 1 were received. You can read the provisional results at iaru-r1.org. This year's CDXC Convention will take place on Saturday the 7th of May at The Link Hotel, Loughborough. The AGM will take place on the same day but, for those who cannot attend, online voting will be available a few days before and instructions will be sent out nearer the time. An interesting list of speakers has been arranged and can be found at www.cdxc.org.uk. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. The Cambridge Repeater Group Rally takes place today, the 24th. The venue is Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN. Doors open at 9.30 am and admission is £3. There will be a talk in station, trade stands, car boot area and a Bring & Buy. Catering is available on site. More at cambridgerepeaters.net. Also today, the 24th is the Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association Exhibition, also known as the Blackpool Rally. It will be held at the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool FY2 9AA. More details at narsa.org.uk. The Andover Radio Club Spring Boot Sale is due to take place today, the 24th, at Wildhern Village Hall, SP11 0JE. It is open at 10 am and is organised by the Andover Radio Amateur Club. Details at arac.org.uk. Next Sunday, the Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre Radio Amateur Rally will be at Thorpe Camp, Tattershall, Thorpe, Lincolnshire. It is open to the public from 9 am till 1 pm and entry is £4 with under 12s free. There will be hot and cold food on-site and car parking inside the grounds. Contact Anthony on 07956 654481. Now the DX news Thierry, F6CUK will be active as TM8C from Brehat Island, EU-074, until the 30th of April. He will operate SSB, CW and FT8 mainly on 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via F6CUK either direct or bureau and Logbook of The World. Lubo, OM5ZW will be active holiday style as 3B8/OM5ZW from Mauritius, AF-049, from the 29th of April to the 6th of May. He will operate CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 on the 10 to 80m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World and Club Log's OQRS. John, W5JON will be active as V47JA from St. Kitts, NA-104, until the 28th of April. He will operate SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 160m bands. QSL via Logbook of The World or direct only to W5JON. Now the Special Event news Flight Refuelling ARS will be operating from the club station using GB2FRA to celebrate the club's 40th anniversary. It is intended that the callsign will be used on all the bands and modes that are available from the club shack including 10GHz EME. Operations will run throughout April. Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society will operate GB5MW between the 3rd and 30th of April to celebrate the society's centenary year. QSL via eQSL. Now the contest news The SP DX RTTY contest runs for 24 hours ending at 1200UTC today, the 24th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number with Polish stations also sending their Region code. Running until 2130UTC on the 24th, the First MGM contest uses the 50 and 144MHz bands. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Today, the 24th, the BARTG Sprint 75 Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using 75 baud RTTY on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is the serial number. On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2.3GHz and up bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Wednesday sees the UK EI Contest Club 80m CW contest running from 1900 to 2000UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is your 6-character locator. On Thursday it's the RTTY and PSK63 leg of the 80m Club Championships. Running between 1900 and 2030UTC, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Next weekend, the UK EI Contest Club DX contest runs from 1200UTC on the 30th of April to 1200UTC on Sunday the 1st of May. Using CW only on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Note that EI and GI stations also send their District code. Next Sunday, the 1st of May, the UK Six Metre Group Summer marathon starts. It runs until the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 50MHz bands, the exchange is your 4-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 22nd of April 2022. Last week was characterised by solar flares – lots of them! There were numerous strong flares, although the majority occurred in the early hours and so didn't affect the ionosphere over Europe. Solar flare events can cause short-lived radio blackouts as the energetic photons penetrate deep into the D-layer. Solar activity during the past 30 days has increased drastically with five of the top 10 strongest flares of Cycle 25 detected during this period alone. We have also had very strong sunspot activity with the solar flux index peaking at 160 on Thursday the 21st. The current crop of four sunspot groups probably means we can expect the SFI to stay high until at least early next week. NOAA predicts the SFI will stay above 130, but we may get even higher figures for a time. It also predicts a maximum Kp index of two next week, although that could easily rise if we get hit by matter from any incoming CMEs, which are getting more prevalent as the cycle continues. The good news is that, at the time of writing, it didn't look like we will get any coronal hole activity. There have been numerous reports of good conditions on the higher bands - 21, 24 and 28MHz – including openings to TX5N on the Austral Islands. Braco, 8Q7DX, who is on holiday in the Maldives, has also been worked. There have also been some signs of early Sporadic-E with very loud openings to Spain on 10 metres. So if the SFI stays this high and we don't get many geomagnetic disturbances it could be a good week for HF. And now the VHF and up propagation news. We have a classic spring start to things with low pressure over the near continent, aided by the increasing warmth of the spring sunshine, while colder regions to the north become home to high pressure near Iceland. Between the two, we will have a strong and cold-feeling east to northeasterly wind over the UK; not really the setup required for Tropo, since the strong winds and turbulence destroy any temperature inversion. The changes come along after this weekend as the low weakens and a ridge of high pressure extends south across the country with much lighter winds and a chance of Tropo, especially overnight. It is possible that isolated showers may offer a little rain scatter, but not a high probability. It would be better to consider possible aurora and meteor scatter as your exotic modes. In this closing part of April, the best is within reach, since Sporadic-E is a serious possibility on 10m and perhaps 6m. Use the beacons and clusters to guide you, but if you start to adjust to your summer operating rule of checking for Es mid-morning and late afternoon or early evening, then Es QSOs will soon come. The Winter minimum of meteor show activity is at an end with Sporadic meteor rates increasing towards their usual maximum in late summer. The Lyrids shower has passed the peak but continues to be active until the 30th. Moon declination starts the week negative with low peak moon elevations and short visibility windows but turns positive again on Thursday. Path losses are on the increase again as we are past perigee. 144 MHz sky noise is low all week except Saturday afternoon when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky for the five hours leading up to Moonset at approximately 1900hrs. And that's all from the propagation team this week.