Podcasts about Orionids

GB2RS News Sunday the 1st of December The news headlines: Join the final 2024 RSGB Tonight@8 live webinar Update on the RSGB strategic priority of spectrum and licensing RSGB HF Contest Committee announces changes to contests in 2025 The final RSGB Tonight@8 webinar of 2024 is being broadcast tomorrow, Monday the 2nd of December. Join Tim Hier, G5TM for a talk on the various HF antennas available for portable operating. He'll also discuss how to use very basic modelling software to ascertain the choices you have at your disposal. Tim will look at topics ranging from balancing the convenience of multi-band systems with some trade-off in performance to looking at using 40 metres portable. He'll also look at how to power your station and the advantages of operating HF portable. Tim is the RSGB RadCom Basics Editor so he will also highlight content in that publication that viewers will find helpful. Watch the 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 The RSGB has taken the next steps to support its strategic focus on spectrum and licensing. The Society is now formally engaged in work for the 2027 and 2031 ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences. The RSGB has introduced a new special focus page on WRC-27 and WRC-31 which you can find via rsgb.org/wrc-27 This page includes topics such as 6G telecoms and satellites, wireless power, space weather, and lunar communications. Supporting a new WRC-31 opportunity, the RSGB is also grateful to Chris Whitmarsh, G0FDZ and Roger Ray, G8CUB for a great overview of amateur innovation above 275GHz. You can read this on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/terahertz The RSGB HF Contest Committee has announced some changes to its HF contests for 2025. These cover the FT4 Series, the 1.8MHz Contests, the Commonwealth Contest, Field Day registration and also self-spotting. For full details go to rsgbcc.org/hf Youngsters on the Air Month begins today and Marlborough Scout Group will be the first team of youngsters to operate. They are on the air up until midday today, and then again after 6 pm. Also operating today is the Cambridge University Wireless Society, which is hosting the callsign GB24YOTA between 12 pm and 6 pm. Listen out for the group again on Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of December. Other operators this week include Wick High School Radio Club on Monday, the RSGB National Radio Centre's GB3RS station on Tuesday, Sandringham School on Wednesday and Thurso Scouts on Friday. Go to QRZ.com and search for GB24YOTA to view the full schedule and operating times. If you'd like to host the callsign, you've still got time. Visit rsgb.org/yota-month to find out more and then email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest.  Don't forget that if you want to take an exam online at home, the last date you can do that this year is Friday the 20th of December. Exams will resume on Monday the 6th of January 2025 and the booking system will be available over the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. Book online on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/exampay The next in the series of 145 Alive events is taking place on Sunday the 26th of January 2025. The organisers are looking for volunteer Net Controllers to help cover as many Maidenhead squares in the UK as possible. Whether you've been a Net Controller before or not, the team would love to hear from you. Find out more about the events by visiting the 145 Alive Facebook Group. To volunteer, send your intended individual, group or club callsign and your intended location and Maidenhead Square to masenville@gmail.com The weekly shortwave broadcast from the Deutsche Amateur Radio Club, or D.A.R.C as it is also known, will be aired from Woofferton in England for the first time in January 2025. The broadcast will be made from an existing BBC broadcasting complex that is operated by the subsidiary company Encompass Media, where there are a total of ten transmitters and just as many antennas. The station in Austria that is currently used by the Club is ceasing its shortwave operations at the end of December this year. Thanks to successful negotiations, the first programme will be broadcast from Woofferton on Sunday the 5th of January 2025 on the previously used frequency of 9670kHz. Full details of how to access Radio D.A.R.C are on the Club's website via darc.de 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 Wiltshire Radio Winter Rally is taking place today, 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 there is no charge for partners and under 16s. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available, as well as hot food and refreshments. The cost for traders is £5 per 6ft frontage with tables supplied. Booking in advance is recommended. Mains electricity is also available on request. Traders are asked to pre-book as soon as possible. Please contact Phil, G6DLJ via 07990 563147 or email wrg2024@hotmail.com The Sparkford Radio Rally is on Sunday the 29th of December at Davis Hall, Howell Hill, West Camel, near Yeovil. Doors are open to traders from 7.30 am and from 9.30 am to the general public. Admission is £2. Refreshments and free parking will be available. For more information, please contact Luke via 07870 168197 or email m3vhv@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Event news Ian Astley, M0IAA will be operating as GB1WH on Wednesday the 11th of December. The special event station is being run to support and promote the excellent work done by Wakefield Hospice. To donate to the hospice or to hear more from Ian, visit QRZ.com The Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club will once again be running the special callsign GB0MC between the 1st and 26th of December. The ‘MC' in the callsign stands for Merry Christmas. The Club would like to invite everyone to call in and give them a hearty “HoHoHo” and tell them what radio equipment you would like from Santa this year. The Club will also be live streaming on its YouTube Channel. OR100LGE is the special callsign in use by members of the Liege Radio Club, ON5VL to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The station is active until the end of the year 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. Now the DX news The 9L5A team, part of the F6KOP Club, is active from Sierra Leone until the 8th of December. The members will operate on the 160 to 6m bands and QO-100. QSL via F5GSJ, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS. The A35GC Team is currently active from Tonga until Friday the 6th of December. The IOTA reference is OC-049. The members will operate on the 160 to 6m bands, using CW, SSB, FT4, FT8 and RTTY. QSL via LZ1GC, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS. The TO9W Team is active again from Saint Martin Island until the 13th of December. The IOTA reference is NA-105. The members will operate on the 160 to 10m bands, with a focus on the 40, 80 and 160m bands. QSL via W9ILY, Logbook of the World or ClubLog OQRS. Now the contest news The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon started at 0000UTC today and ends at 2359UTC on Friday the 31st of January 2025. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report and locator. On Tuesday, the 3rd of December, 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 3rd of December, 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 4th of December, 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 4th of December, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. The ARRL 160m Contest starts at 2200UTC on Friday the 6th of December and ends at 1600UTC on Sunday the 7th of December. Using CW on the 160m band, the exchange is a signal report for UK stations. US and Canadian stations will also send their ARRL or RAC section numbers. On Sunday the 8th of December, the RSGB 144MHz AFS 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 28th of November 2024. Last weekend's CQWW CW contest was a reminder of just how good HF propagation can be near sunspot maximum. The whole world was workable on the contest bands up to 10 metres, including the Far East, Australasia, the Caribbean and South America. It was a great opportunity to increase your DXCC total and have fun at the same time. This week's solar flux index crept back above 200 again, peaking at 225 as this report was being prepared. Geomagnetic conditions have been surprisingly good over the past seven days with a peak Kp index of 3.67 on the 24th of November. There have been no X-class solar flares, but there has been a total of 13 M-class and 54 minor C-class flares over the past seven days. There have been coronal mass ejections, notably on the 25th of November, but they have not been Earth-directed as of the 28th. So, to summarise, HF conditions have been pretty good. We are now entering the Winter period for HF propagation, which tends to favour the low bands. So 160m, 80m and 40m come into their own and night-time DXing becomes the norm. Look for greyline openings to the west at sunrise on 80m and 160m, and also short, but good, openings on 40m in the late afternoon. Nighttime may bring good DX on 80m and 40m, including the Caribbean and South America. NOAA predicts that the SFI will remain in the low 200s next week, and while geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be good at first, the Kp index may rise to four on the 4th to 6th of December. This could result in reduced MUFs until the Kp index recovers. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The unsettled theme continues through most of the next week or two. The only signs of slightly enhanced prospects for Tropo are as we close this week, and even that is restricted to some eastern areas for paths across the North Sea. A second option may temporarily appear around the middle of the coming week as a weak high crosses southern areas, but this one looks to be a cold high and probably not so good as a vehicle for Tropo. The meteor scatter prospects are aided by the last throes of the Leonids which fade away by this weekend, and the Orionids which peaked on Thursday the 28th of November, but last through the coming week. The unsettled weather should offer some useful GHz bands rain or snow scatter, since there will be several active weather systems around. This early in the winter is a great time for strong shower activity around the still relatively warmer seas. The auroral prospects are worth checking after recent activity. Look for watery-sounding signals on the LF bands as a good clue along with Kp index values greater than four. Last week saw some fleeting signs of Sporadic E on the Dourbes ionosonde graphs on propquest.co.uk, especially on Monday the 25th of November. This occurred typically around the middle of the day and was probably driven by the very strong jet stream and the current meteor activity. The Moon's declination is negative, reaching minus 28 degrees on Monday and we are close to eclipse on Sunday. That's followed by two days of high 144MHz sky noise, so with path losses still high, EME operators should probably take the opportunity to check their antennas after last week's gale. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

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

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E185Welcome to Astronomy AstroDailyPod, your trusted source for the latest in Space and astronomy news. Join hosts Steve and Hallie for an enlightening journey through the cosmos, packed with the latest updates and stories that are sure to ignite your curiosity.Highlights:- Hunter's Moon Delight: Experience the beauty of the Hunter's Moon as observed from Newcastle, Australia. This celestial event has captivated skywatchers worldwide, overtaking the excitement of recent auroras.- SpaceX Satellite Launch: SpaceX successfully launched 20 spare OneWeb satellites to bolster the French operator UTelsat's Low Earth Orbit broadband network. Despite ground infrastructure delays, UTelsat is on track to offer global services by spring.- Moon Train and Robot Rovers: Discover the latest advancements in lunar exploration with remote-controlled robots and NASA's innovative FLOAT project. These developments promise to revolutionise how we explore and utilise the moon's resources.- Orionids Meteor Shower: Prepare for the spectacular Orionids meteor shower, with meteors originating from Halley's comet providing a stunning celestial display. Get tips for the best viewing experience from NASA's experts.- Space Force Mission: True Anomaly and Firefly Aerospace partner for a rapid response mission with the US Space Force, testing the ability to counter orbital threats on short notice.For more Space news, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. There, you can sign up for our free AstroDailyPod newsletter, catch up on all the latest Space and Astronomy news with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our previous episodes.Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok.Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.Sponsor Links:NordVPN - www.bitesz.com/nordvpn - currently Up to 74% off + 3 extra monthsOld Glory - www.bitesz.com/oldglory Sport and Entertainment Merch. Over 100,00 items in stockProton Mail - www.bitesz.com/protonmail Secure email that protects your privacyMalwarebytes - www.bitesz.com/malwarebytes Premium protection for you and all your devices!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.

This week, we're taking a broad look at the progress of America's Artemis lunar landing program, space science in general, and the challenges to Western space plans posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Joining us is the uniquely qualified Dr. Greg Autry--the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower! Headlines: - SpaceX's successful Starship flight test 5, featuring the Super Heavy booster's impressive catch by the "Mechazilla" tower - Michael Bloomberg's critical op-ed on the SLS rocket and the Artemis program, highlighting delays and overspending - The upcoming Orionids meteor shower, peaking on October 21st, 2024, and the Hunter's Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year Main Topic - The State of the US Space Program with Greg Autry: - Greg's lifelong passion for space was ignited by watching Apollo missions as a child; he later got involved in the commercial space industry and served on the NASA transition team in 2016 - US human spaceflight is in both the best and worst of times - there is bipartisan support for Artemis and returning to the Moon, but the program is behind schedule and over budget on almost every element - Lack of top-level political leadership and sense of urgency compared to the Apollo era is hurting Artemis' progress; the US needs a leader willing to provide direction and funding, and hold people accountable - Competition with China could help spur the US, but the public may not be as motivated as during the Cold War; still, it's important for the US to get back to the Moon first to initiate fair use of resources - Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in future space operations, especially on Mars and the Moon; AI can enable more flexible and capable spacecraft - The US needs to rebuild its aerospace manufacturing and production workforce to execute ambitious space goals; STEM education and hands-on skills are lacking - In 10 years, Autry hopes to see a diverse on-orbit ecosystem with compatible, specialized vehicles; regular Moon missions laying the groundwork for resource extraction; and an influential space tourism industry - He believes that a dual-track lunar architecture with both Starship and a more conventional system for redundancy would be wise; Starship is great but very complex with many potential failure points, especially in a lunar mission that requires multiple refueling flights and a crewed SLS launch in close timing - Greg is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida and is standing up new academic programs to train the next generation of commercial space workforce - His book "Red Moon Rising" examines the history of the space industry, China's space ambitions, and the current state of play - an engaging read for anyone interested in space Get "Red Moon Rising": https://amzn.to/3YxmJab Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Greg Autry Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

This week, we're taking a broad look at the progress of America's Artemis lunar landing program, space science in general, and the challenges to Western space plans posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Joining us is the uniquely qualified Dr. Greg Autry--the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower! Headlines: - SpaceX's successful Starship flight test 5, featuring the Super Heavy booster's impressive catch by the "Mechazilla" tower - Michael Bloomberg's critical op-ed on the SLS rocket and the Artemis program, highlighting delays and overspending - The upcoming Orionids meteor shower, peaking on October 21st, 2024, and the Hunter's Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year Main Topic - The State of the US Space Program with Greg Autry: - Greg's lifelong passion for space was ignited by watching Apollo missions as a child; he later got involved in the commercial space industry and served on the NASA transition team in 2016 - US human spaceflight is in both the best and worst of times - there is bipartisan support for Artemis and returning to the Moon, but the program is behind schedule and over budget on almost every element - Lack of top-level political leadership and sense of urgency compared to the Apollo era is hurting Artemis' progress; the US needs a leader willing to provide direction and funding, and hold people accountable - Competition with China could help spur the US, but the public may not be as motivated as during the Cold War; still, it's important for the US to get back to the Moon first to initiate fair use of resources - Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in future space operations, especially on Mars and the Moon; AI can enable more flexible and capable spacecraft - The US needs to rebuild its aerospace manufacturing and production workforce to execute ambitious space goals; STEM education and hands-on skills are lacking - In 10 years, Autry hopes to see a diverse on-orbit ecosystem with compatible, specialized vehicles; regular Moon missions laying the groundwork for resource extraction; and an influential space tourism industry - He believes that a dual-track lunar architecture with both Starship and a more conventional system for redundancy would be wise; Starship is great but very complex with many potential failure points, especially in a lunar mission that requires multiple refueling flights and a crewed SLS launch in close timing - Greg is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida and is standing up new academic programs to train the next generation of commercial space workforce - His book "Red Moon Rising" examines the history of the space industry, China's space ambitions, and the current state of play - an engaging read for anyone interested in space Get "Red Moon Rising": https://amzn.to/3YxmJab Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Greg Autry Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

This week, we're taking a broad look at the progress of America's Artemis lunar landing program, space science in general, and the challenges to Western space plans posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Joining us is the uniquely qualified Dr. Greg Autry--the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower! Headlines: - SpaceX's successful Starship flight test 5, featuring the Super Heavy booster's impressive catch by the "Mechazilla" tower - Michael Bloomberg's critical op-ed on the SLS rocket and the Artemis program, highlighting delays and overspending - The upcoming Orionids meteor shower, peaking on October 21st, 2024, and the Hunter's Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year Main Topic - The State of the US Space Program with Greg Autry: - Greg's lifelong passion for space was ignited by watching Apollo missions as a child; he later got involved in the commercial space industry and served on the NASA transition team in 2016 - US human spaceflight is in both the best and worst of times - there is bipartisan support for Artemis and returning to the Moon, but the program is behind schedule and over budget on almost every element - Lack of top-level political leadership and sense of urgency compared to the Apollo era is hurting Artemis' progress; the US needs a leader willing to provide direction and funding, and hold people accountable - Competition with China could help spur the US, but the public may not be as motivated as during the Cold War; still, it's important for the US to get back to the Moon first to initiate fair use of resources - Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in future space operations, especially on Mars and the Moon; AI can enable more flexible and capable spacecraft - The US needs to rebuild its aerospace manufacturing and production workforce to execute ambitious space goals; STEM education and hands-on skills are lacking - In 10 years, Autry hopes to see a diverse on-orbit ecosystem with compatible, specialized vehicles; regular Moon missions laying the groundwork for resource extraction; and an influential space tourism industry - He believes that a dual-track lunar architecture with both Starship and a more conventional system for redundancy would be wise; Starship is great but very complex with many potential failure points, especially in a lunar mission that requires multiple refueling flights and a crewed SLS launch in close timing - Greg is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida and is standing up new academic programs to train the next generation of commercial space workforce - His book "Red Moon Rising" examines the history of the space industry, China's space ambitions, and the current state of play - an engaging read for anyone interested in space Get "Red Moon Rising": https://amzn.to/3YxmJab Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Greg Autry Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

This week, we're taking a broad look at the progress of America's Artemis lunar landing program, space science in general, and the challenges to Western space plans posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Joining us is the uniquely qualified Dr. Greg Autry--the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower! Headlines: - SpaceX's successful Starship flight test 5, featuring the Super Heavy booster's impressive catch by the "Mechazilla" tower - Michael Bloomberg's critical op-ed on the SLS rocket and the Artemis program, highlighting delays and overspending - The upcoming Orionids meteor shower, peaking on October 21st, 2024, and the Hunter's Moon, the biggest supermoon of the year Main Topic - The State of the US Space Program with Greg Autry: - Greg's lifelong passion for space was ignited by watching Apollo missions as a child; he later got involved in the commercial space industry and served on the NASA transition team in 2016 - US human spaceflight is in both the best and worst of times - there is bipartisan support for Artemis and returning to the Moon, but the program is behind schedule and over budget on almost every element - Lack of top-level political leadership and sense of urgency compared to the Apollo era is hurting Artemis' progress; the US needs a leader willing to provide direction and funding, and hold people accountable - Competition with China could help spur the US, but the public may not be as motivated as during the Cold War; still, it's important for the US to get back to the Moon first to initiate fair use of resources - Artificial intelligence will play a critical role in future space operations, especially on Mars and the Moon; AI can enable more flexible and capable spacecraft - The US needs to rebuild its aerospace manufacturing and production workforce to execute ambitious space goals; STEM education and hands-on skills are lacking - In 10 years, Autry hopes to see a diverse on-orbit ecosystem with compatible, specialized vehicles; regular Moon missions laying the groundwork for resource extraction; and an influential space tourism industry - He believes that a dual-track lunar architecture with both Starship and a more conventional system for redundancy would be wise; Starship is great but very complex with many potential failure points, especially in a lunar mission that requires multiple refueling flights and a crewed SLS launch in close timing - Greg is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida and is standing up new academic programs to train the next generation of commercial space workforce - His book "Red Moon Rising" examines the history of the space industry, China's space ambitions, and the current state of play - an engaging read for anyone interested in space Get "Red Moon Rising": https://amzn.to/3YxmJab Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Greg Autry Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

GB2RS News Sunday the 20th of October The news headlines: The RSGB welcomes your feedback on its 2024 Convention Today is the last chance to get involved with JOTA 2024 The RSGB is looking for Youth Champions The RSGB's 2024 Convention took place last weekend and brought together hundreds in person, as well as many more from across the globe who watched via the livestream. The Society is already receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, but if you did attend the Convention and haven't yet completed the feedback form, please go to rsgb.org/feedback and share your thoughts. If you watched the livestream the Society would also love to hear your feedback. Please visit rsgb.org/livestream-feedback and let the team know what you think of the online event. The feedback forms will be closed at the end of October. The live streams for both days will remain available for everyone to watch, so if you'd like to catch up on the selection of presentations that were aired, go to the RSGB website and search for ‘Convention 2024 Livestream'. As well as talks from the weekend, you'll find exclusive special interviews and pre-recorded videos. Today, the 20th, is the last day of Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the Scout Association. The Society has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. The list is available by going to rsgb.org/jota and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air' link on the right hand side of the page. The RSGB would love to see your photos of Scouts getting involved with JOTA, so tag @theRSGB and also use #JOTAJOTI to be involved in the conversation on social media. If you're not involved with a JOTA station do listen out and encourage the young operators on the air. There will be a report in RadCom so please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by the 15th of November. Following the recent appointment of two Youth Champions for schools and universities, the RSGB is keen to expand the team. The Society is looking for a Youth Champion for scouts, guides and cadets, and another to lead activities and create resources to support young people once they have gained their Foundation licence, motivating them to try new things within amateur radio. The four Youth Champions will work closely as a team, as well as with the RSGB Board Liaison, Ben Lloyd, GW4BML and the RSGB Outreach Team. Together, the Youth Champions will also create a youth team and run a net or sked to involve all youngsters. Do you have what it takes to engage with young people and support them on their amateur radio journey? Another part of each Youth Champion's role is to give input and support for current activities, such as promoting and participating in Youngsters on the Air Month each December. If you are proactive, experienced at managing your own time efficiently, a good leader who can build relationships and mentor young people, and you are passionate about growing the number of young people involved in amateur radio, then one of these roles could be for you! Take a look at the youth activities on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/youth and see some of the great things that are happening already. If you're interested in being part of the team, contact Youth Board Liaison Ben Lloyd, GW4BML via gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk The date has been confirmed for the Twelfth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT. It will be going ahead on Saturday the 9th of November 2024 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland in Fife. Lunch will be provided, and an optional dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. The programme is now confirmed and, at the moment, 43 people have booked to attend the event. There are only 7 places left so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Online booking is available via the GMRT website at gmroundtable.org.uk or by email to Colin, GM4HWO at gm4hwo@gmail.com  Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Part 2 of the British Amateur Television Club Convention for Amateur TV 2024, also known as CAT 24, is taking place on Saturday the 26th of October. The online event will run from 10 am until 3 pm and will feature talks about ATV-related topics. For more information visit batc.org.uk/live Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group's Rally is also taking place on Saturday the 26th of October at Elim Pentecostal Church, North Road, Carrickfergus. The doors will be open from 11.30 am and refreshments will be available. More information, including contact details, is available on the Group's Facebook page. The next Essex CW Boot Camp is scheduled to go ahead on Saturday the 26th of October. The event is an opportunity to meet your friends and enjoy a day of CW activities, tea, coffee and cakes. If you are interested in attending and have not yet registered, email info@essexcw.org.uk For more information about the event visit essexcw.uk The Galashiels Rally is taking place on Sunday the 27th of October at the Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. The doors will be open from 11 am. The admission fee is £3 and there will be refreshments, traders and a bring-and-buy area to enjoy. For more information contact rallyqueries@galaradioclub.co.uk or visit galaradioclub.co.uk Now the Special Event news Special event station PF16F is active to say farewell to the F-16 fighter aircraft, or Fighting Falcon. After 45 years of service, from 1979 to 2024, the F-16 will retire from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Members of Radio Club Limburg will be operating the callsign until the 30th of November 2024 and hope to work as many amateur radio operators across the world as possible. For more information about the station visit rclb.nl/pf16f As part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the world's first trans-global two-way radio communication, special callsign GB2ZL has been active at times from the UK. This is in addition to the main UK activity from GB2NZ, G2SZ and others. On Tuesday the 15th of October, the GB2ZL station, operated by Chris GM3WOJ from near Inverness, made a remarkable QSO with the ZL4AA team located just North of Dunedin. The ZL4AA station was operated by Dave ZL4DK, Mike ZL4OL and Stephen ZL4BN. This QSO, on the 40m band, long path at 0721UTC, was made using CW. 559 reports were exchanged each way and the operators at both ends were thrilled to make the contact. At each end of the QSO was an 80-year-old all-valve military transceiver from New Zealand, the iconic ZC1. These radios date from 1944, just 20 years after the first UK to New Zealand QSO. For more information about the station and the ZC1 transceiver visit the GB2ZL page at QRZ.com Sylvia, OE5YYN is active as OE20SOTA until the 31st of October to mark the 20th anniversary of Austria joining the Summits on the Air programme. Details of a certificate that is available for working the station are available at QRZ.com Now the DX news Harold, DF2WO is active as 9X2AW from Rwanda until the 22nd of October. He is operating using CW, FT4 and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. You might also catch Harold operating via the QO-100 satellite. When possible, he also hopes to be QRV on the 6m band. QSL via OQRS. Stephane, F5UOW is active as FR/F5UOW from Reunion Island, AF-016, until the 28th of October. He is operating using CW only on the 17 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World only. Now the contest news The Worked All Germany Contest started at 1500UTC on Saturday the 19th and ends at 1500UTC today, the 20th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today the 20th, the RSGB 50MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 22nd, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130 UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 24th, the RSGB Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030 UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest starts at 0000 UTC on Saturday the 26th and ends at 2359 UTC on Sunday the 27th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 17th of October 2024 The past week has been characterised by a low geomagnetic Kp index and excellent conditions on HF, including the 10m band. With a solar flux index between 168 and 195, and a Kp index that never rose above 4, conditions have been better than the previous week, which suffered from the bad effects of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. This came as NASA, NOAA and the International Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which should continue for the next year. The announcement was not unexpected, and the exact period of maximum activity won't be known for some time. But it was a wake-up call for radio amateurs to get on the bands and make the most of the conditions! NOAA anticipates additional solar and geomagnetic storms during the current solar maximum period and during the declining phase of the solar cycle. The solar flux index fell from its 200-plus highs to be in the 160 to 195 range last week. But this was still more than enough to keep the ionosphere running. Maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path have been consistently over 28MHz during daylight, falling to around 11MHz overnight. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre thinks the solar flux index will rise into the 200s again, but we may also get some geomagnetic disturbances, namely on the 22nd and 23rd when the Kp index might rise to around 4. Meanwhile, October can be one of the best months for HF propagation with good 10m band openings to Australasia in the morning and North and South America in the afternoon. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current unsettled spell of weather seems likely to continue into next week and is not atypical at this time of year. We should expect a more changeable pattern around the autumn as the main polar front jet stream migrates south across the UK into its winter state over the Mediterranean. That said, there may well be some brief interludes when the extended region of high pressure across Europe influences conditions over the British Isles, more specifically the southeastern corner. This is shown by some models around midweek for potential Tropo from southeastern England into the continent or across the North Sea to northern Europe and southern Scandinavia. The obvious mode to result from this unsettled weather will be rain scatter and it is probable that the GHz bands will enjoy this period of weather. Meteor scatter in October has a few showers to maintain interest. The Orionids and the Taurids are both active during the coming week. In fact, the Orionids, associated with the comet Halley, peak on Monday and Tuesday. Just a final note about Sporadic-E, which is ‘out of season'. Remember that there are no ‘zero Sporadic-E months' and recent indications have tended to show the response of raised critical frequencies of the Sporadic-E layer occurring around the middle of the day on the propquest.co.uk NVIS graphs. You may also see peaks earlier in the day around dawn, which is the peak time for meteor input. Beware, it is easy to get hooked on out-of-season Sporadic-E hunting! For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising. Path losses are rising again after the perigee on Thursday the 17th. So, we have increasing peak Moon elevations and longer Moon windows until Tuesday the 22nd. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate for the rest of the week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

We'll start with the Draconids, peaking around October 8th. These slow, graceful meteors seem to pour from the head of the constellation Draco, the dragon. Then, we'll wait patiently for the Orionids, reaching their zenith around October 21st. These faster, brighter streaks appear to radiate from the mighty hunter Orion's club.As you settle into sleep, envision yourself floating among these cosmic fragments, each a tiny time capsule from the early days of our solar system. Let the gentle arc of these "shooting stars" carry your consciousness into a realm of peaceful slumber, where dreams are painted across the canvas of the night sky.May your night be filled with visions of celestial fireworks and the quiet wonder of our universe's grand design.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!  You also get the other shows on the network ad-free!  $4.99, a no brainer. This podcast supports Podcasting 2.0 if you'd like to support the show via value for value and stream some sats!

If you are up for a little stargazing, now might be a good time to do so. There is a new moon coming up on October 2, so with the relatively warm temperatures and clear skies, conditions could be quite good. Plus, the Orionids meteor shower is about to begin.

The Daily Quiz - Science and Nature Today's Questions: Question 1: What chemical has the formula CH4? Question 2: What is Hippology the study of? Question 3: What would you call a female donkey? Question 4: Which comet causes the Orionids meteor shower each October? Question 5: Which Disease Of The Liver Is Associated With Alcoholism? Question 6: What is the scientific name for the red wolf? Question 7: What is Kinesiology the study of? Question 8: What Would You Suffer From With Hypotension? Question 9: What is the main tectonic fault line in California? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

GB2RS News Sunday the 29th of October 2023 The news headlines: RSGB Convention videos Amateur radio exam dates Tonight@8 webinar   The RSGB has released its first video from the 2023 Convention. RSGB General Manager and Convention Chair, Steve Thomas, M1ACB, talks to RSGB President John McCullagh, GI4BWM and IRTS President Enda Broderick, EI2II. The two Presidents discuss their views on the opportunities, challenges and great things happening in amateur radio at the moment. You can see this video on the RSGB YouTube channel or its website at rsgb.org/convention While other videos from this year's Convention are being prepared, the Society is releasing a bumper collection of presentations from its 2022 Convention, which previously had only been available for members to view. You can see these at youtube.com/theRSGB in the playlist called RSGB 2022 Convention. The topics range from VHF transverters and VHF contesting to RadCom HF predictions and also using the right tools to work more 144MHz DX. There is bound to be a presentation that you will enjoy and find inspiring, so take a look! If you are thinking of taking an amateur radio exam before Christmas, there are two important dates you need to be aware of. The last date you can take an exam at a club, whether online or on paper, is Wednesday the 13th of December. If you want to take an exam online at home, the last date you can do that is Wednesday the 20th of December. The RSGB Exams Team will, where possible, post exam results before HQ shuts over Christmas and New Year. Exams will resume on Wednesday the 3rd of January 2024 and the booking system will be available over the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. You can book online at rsgb.org/exampay Don't forget to be part of the RSGB's Tonight@8 webinar on Monday the 6th of November. Colin Summers, MM0OPX will give an entry-level talk aimed at newcomers to amateur radio. He will touch on antennas generally but will focus on the end-fed half-wave antenna including details of construction, transformers and performance. Watch this live presentation on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel and ask questions via the live chat. To find out more go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars Youngsters on the Air Month is taking place in December. This means you have just over one month to think about how you, your club, school, or social group can get involved and help youngsters to get active on amateur bands. It could be giving a demonstration at a local school or youth club or helping a young person to send a greetings message. You can also listen out for the GB23YOTA callsign and make a QSO with a young radio amateur on the air. The RSGB has applied for Ofcom approval for special call sign GB23YOTA, which will be active for the duration of the month. A full list of GB23YOTA operating slots can be found on QRZ.com. These slots will be first-come, first-served, so check your calendars and reserve your place as soon as possible. To find out more about YOTA month and to see what has taken place in previous years visit rsgb.org/yota-month  You can also email Jamie, M0SDV at yota.month@rsgb.org.uk to register your interest, or simply ask for further information.  A reminder now that the 2023 Scottish Microwave Round Table, or GMRT will be held between 10.30 am and 5 pm on Saturday the 11th of November. The event will take place at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife in Scotland. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged. Microwave test facilities will be provided, and the event will be an opportunity to purchase components and microwave-related items. The cost is £12 and this includes a buffet lunch. A dinner will be held in the evening at a local hotel. Full information and online registration are available at gmroundtable.org.uk/about  Please email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com for more information.   And now for details of rallies and events Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society Surplus Equipment Sale will take place on Saturday the 4th of November. The venue will be Cwmduad Community Hall. The doors will open at 8 a.m. for sellers. Visitors are welcome from 10 am. There will be a £2 entry fee per person and light refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Andy, GW0JLX via 07768 282 880 or email g0jlx@mail.com Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 5th of November. The venue will be Limavady United Football Club, Rathmore Road, Limavady, BT49 0DF. Several traders will be in attendance and there will be a bring-and-buy stand. Car parking is available on site and the doors will open at 11 am. For more information visit bushvalleyarc.org or email bushvalleyarc@gmail.com Holsworthy Radio Rally will also be taking place on Sunday the 5th of November. The venue will be Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 6DH. There will be traders, a bring-and-buy area and catering available. Access for traders is available from 8 a.m. The doors open to the public at 10 a.m. See m0omc.co.uk for more information and contact details.   Now the Special Event News Tom, VK2WN will be active as AX37EUDXF until the 30th of November to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the European DX Foundation. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL and Club Log's OQRS. On the 10th of October 1923 the BBC, then the British Broadcasting Company, opened its seventh transmitter and based it in Aberdeen. Using the callsign GB2BD, the BBC Amateur Radio Group and Aberdeen Amateur Radio Society are celebrating 100 years of broadcasting from the north-east of Scotland on the 3rd and 4th of November 2023. The date chosen for this event falls between the start of transmissions and the centenary of the first Gaelic broadcast by the BBC.   Now the DX news Yuri, VE3DZ will be active as HQ9A from Roatan Island, NA-057, Honduras until the 31st of October, including an entry in the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest. Outside of the contest, he will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the HF bands. QSL via his home call. He plans to upload his log to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Kou, JP1IHD will be active again as JD1BQP from Chichijima, AS-031, until the 2nd of November, including an entry in the CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest. QSL via the bureau to JD1BQP, or direct only to JP1IHD. He will upload his log to Logbook of the World and Club Log.  Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 28th of October and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 29th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ Zone. The UK is in Zone 14. On Wednesday the 1st of November, the Silent Key Memorial Contest runs from 0600 to 0859UTC. Using CW only on the 80 and 40m bands, the exchange is a signal report and a Silent Key callsign. Also on Wednesday the 1st of November, the 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1st of November, the 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is a report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 1st of November, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB only on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The 144MHz CW Marconi Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th of November and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 5th of November. Using CW on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.  Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 26th of October 2023 It was not a good week for the ionosphere with the Solar Flux Index, or SFI, falling to less than 130, plus some disturbed geomagnetic conditions as well. On Wednesday the 24th, the SFI fell to 121, while the following day the Kp index hit 4.33 thanks to a coronal mass ejection from a filament eruption. Minor to strong geomagnetic storms continued on Thursday afternoon and evening with a warning that Aurora sightings may have been possible in the north of the UK that evening. So, does this mean that Solar Cycle 25 is over? Most definitely not! NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has just issued a revised prediction for solar activity during Solar Cycle 25, saying solar activity will increase more quickly and peak at a higher level than that predicted by an expert panel in December 2019. The updated prediction now shows Solar Cycle 25 peaking between January and October of 2024, with a maximum sunspot number between 137 and 173. Meanwhile, the critical frequency remained relatively high at around 11 to 12MHz around lunchtime, which still gives a maximum usable frequency, or MUF, for paths over 3,000km of more than 28MHz. October remains a good month for higher-band HF propagation with many reports of contacts into the Pacific on the 15, 12 and 10m bands. The bad news is that this weekend's CQ World Wide SSB Contest could be hit by poor geomagnetic conditions later on. Two large coronal holes on the Sun recently rotated into an Earth-facing position which could mean a raised Kp index and reduced MUFs. A coronal hole is a cooler, less dense region of the Sun with open magnetic field lines that allow solar plasma to flood out. We expect the solar material to hit the Earth today, the 29th, either in the afternoon or evening, perhaps continuing into Monday, with an associated warning of aurora as the Kp index rises. Looking to next week, NOAA predicts the SFI will increase, perhaps hitting the 140 to 145 mark by the end of the week. The ionosphere may also remain unsettled until around Wednesday the 1st of November, although the rest of the week should be better. And now the VHF and up propagation news This autumnal weather pattern is keeping up its attack on the UK during the coming week.  This means that low-pressure systems will remain in control and it's unlikely that Tropo will get much of a look-in! That leaves rain scatter as the best of a bad bunch with heavy rain, especially any heavy showers around the coasts, being the most likely to offer good reflection points for GHz band operators. The remaining options for propagation are aurora, which is not entirely out of the question since we have a large coronal hole navigating its way into a favourable position, as was mentioned earlier. There are many websites and widgets that show the latest Kp value and it's definitely worth adding one to your favourites list. The other mode of possible interest is that of meteor scatter and, although we have just passed the peak of the Orionids, it came along just right for the 6m Affiliated Societies Contest on Sunday the 22nd of October, when some out-of-season Sporadic-E propagation made a welcome appearance with paths to Italy, Sardinia and Spain being reported. The slow decay of the Orionids means that we still have the coming week to enjoy the remnants until early November. For EME operators, Moon declination is positive and rising this week with lengthening Moon windows and increasing Moon elevation. Path losses start low but are increasing. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, peaking at 500 Kelvin on Wednesday the 1st of November. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Producers: Hazel Stark & Joe Horn Host: Hazel Stark The peak of the Orionid meteor shower this year is 10/21/23. What causes them and why do these happen this time every year? Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com. About the host/writers: Joe Horn lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder of Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide and Carpenter. He is passionate about fishing, cooking, and making things with his hands. He has both an MBA in Sustainability and an MS focused in Environmental Education. Joe can be reached by emailing naturephenology@gmail.com Hazel Stark lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder and Naturalist Educator at Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide. She loves taking a closer look at nature through the lens of her camera, napping in beds of moss, and taking hikes to high points to see what being tall is all about. She has an MS in Resource Management and Conservation and is a lifelong Maine outdoorswoman. Hazel can be reached by emailing naturephenology@gmail.com The post The Nature of Phenology 10/21/23: Orionids first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers: Hazel Stark & Joe Horn Host: Hazel Stark The peak of the Orionid meteor shower this year is 10/21/23. What causes them and why do these happen this time every year? Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com. About the host/writers: Joe Horn lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder of Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide and Carpenter. He is passionate about fishing, cooking, and making things with his hands. He has both an MBA in Sustainability and an MS focused in Environmental Education. Joe can be reached by emailing naturephenology@gmail.com Hazel Stark lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder and Naturalist Educator at Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide. She loves taking a closer look at nature through the lens of her camera, napping in beds of moss, and taking hikes to high points to see what being tall is all about. She has an MS in Resource Management and Conservation and is a lifelong Maine outdoorswoman. Hazel can be reached by emailing naturephenology@gmail.com The post The Nature of Phenology 10/21/23: Orionids first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Amateur astronomers across Ontario will be watching the night sky this weekend when the Orionids meteor shower reaches its peak, October 21st - 22nd. Writing in The Bay Observer, John Best argues that environmental spending needs same rigorous scrutiny as other public spending in the city of Hamilton. Employees of the city's horticultural department have been working tirelessly to plan and execute this year's Mum Show at the Gage Park greenhouse. “The Stories in the Stones” free Hamilton Cemetery tours hosted by Robin McKee are educational and beautiful. This weekend on October 21 is the “Past Mayors Tour,” future events include the War of 1812, and the Veterans tour for Remembrance Day. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois says that lower food inflation rate alone won't help food industry's trust crisis. We look at the Biden administration's response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as the varied reaction in the U.S.. As we wrap up this week, where does Canada stand on the world stage? Canada's national housing agency says Hamilton was off some 12 per cent month to month in the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of housing starts in September. Guests: Paul Delaney. Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Science - Department of Physics & Astronomy at York University John Best, Publisher of The Bay Observer Robyn Pollard, Manager of Forestry and. Horticulture Robin McKee, tourguide for Hamilton's Cemetery Tours Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy, and the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University Brian J. Karem, journalist and author, White House correspondent for Playboy and political analyst for CNN Charles Burton, Senior Fellow with the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute Jesse Helmer, Senior Research Associate at the Smart Prosperity Institute Host – Scott Thompson Content Producer – William Erskine Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay Podcast Co-Producer – Ben Straughan News Anchor – Dave Woodard & Jen McQueen Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

We're about to hit peak Orionid meteor shower! According to NASA, it's one of the most beautiful showers of the year. The Orionids are known for their brightness and speed — they streak through the sky at 66 km/s! And today, we learn all about them — where they come from, what makes a meteor a meteor and how to get the best view of them this weekend.Have a cosmic question? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

Pumpkins, fire trucks, Jupiter, and the Orionids. Living life on Alaska's Kodiak Island.

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

August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Orionids meteor shower. The Orionids meteor shower will be visible in late October skies, peaking on the night of October 20. 

Episode 173 In this episode of the Observers Notebook podcast, host Tim Robertson talks to the Meteor Section Coordinator, Bob Lunsford about the upcoming Orionids meteor shower peaking the evening of October 21/22 2023. Bob gives us a brief history of the Meteor Shower, how and where to observe and details on reporting your observations, and contact information. You can contact Bob at: lunro.imo.usa@cox.net The link for the details on the Orionids meteor shower: https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ International Meteor Organization https://www.imo.net/ For the latest information from the ALPO Meteor Section you can visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/ For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: www.alpo-astronomy.org/ You can also support this podcast at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook Subscribe on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AssociationofLunarandPlanetaryObservers Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2 I want to thank the Producers of this podcast, Steve Siedentop and Michael Moyer for their generous support of the Observers Notebook. Our Patreons: Jerry White Jason Inman Matt Will Steve Seidentop Stephen Bennett Michael Moyer Shawn Dilles Frank Schenck Damian Allis Carl Hergenrother Julian Parks Michael McShan Michael Blake Nick Evetts Rik Hill Stan Sienkiewicz

What's in the Night Sky for October presented by Paul Evans and Sinéad Mannion. Highlights for October include highly active Solar Cycle 25, ISS morning object from 21st October, more Summer Triangle, Orion is rising, a harbinger of winter, but a welcome one for us astronomers! Watch out for the Draconid Meteor Shower on the 8th and 9th. Also on the 21st and 22nd, the Orionids are visible, they are the dust from the comet trail of Halley's Comet. Finally, new moon is on the 14th and the 1st quarter is on the 22nd...Keep looking up... Websites for aurora spotting - IAA's irishastro.org, Nasa's spaceweather.com, and Aurora UK Facebook group.Paul's photography website - pgephotos.co.uk

Catch the Orionids and Jupiter in the night sky. Life on Alaska' Kodiak Island.

By: Gabriella Raful, WXVU News Director Spectacular meteor showers are set to peak in the skies over Pennsylvania in the coming week, but some cloudy weather could get in the way. The Orionid meteor shower will hit its peak Friday morning. The best viewing will be early in the morning Friday and the days before. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights look to be mostly or partly cloudy, but things are forecasted to clear up by Thursday into Friday, which is the peak of the showers. The moon will disappear and leave mostly dark skies for the peak, when about 20 shooting stars an hour are predicted to fly. The meteors are fast-moving and occasionally produce bright fireballs and leave persistent trains. The hours between midnight and dawn are the best time to see the Orionids. In other news, Michael Kane, a West Chester dad, is rounding up all of the best fall must-sees in Pennsylvania and all over the country! From attractions and professional events to incredible, homegrown Halloween displays, the new free app called FrightMaps features it all. Kane is a software engineer who first brought us the ChristmasPrism app in 2020, which allows you to discover the best holiday lights and displays in your area. Now, he's back with the Halloween roundup, which maps out all of the tricks and treats. “It's every major haunted attraction in America,” Kane says. “But it also allows every home haunt. Every Halloween enthusiast can upload their house as well so that everybody can find their 12-foot skeletons, blow-ups and other Halloween decorations.”

She led for just six weeks in office. Plus, the Supreme Court rolls out October decisions, enterprise reporter Christopher Maag looks at broken COVID testing in the U.S., a teenage chess prodigy files a defamation lawsuit after cheating accusations and the Orionids meteor shower peaks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be sure to look up this weekend - if conditions are good, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Orionids, a meteor shower that travels through Orion's Belt. Amateur astronomer Chris Curwin tells us the best way to view it.

The Orionid meteor shower is building toward its peak the next couple of nights. At its best, you might see a dozen or more “shooting stars” per hour — glowing sparks high in the sky. Those sparks are debris from Comet Halley. As it approaches the Sun, some of the ice at its surface vaporizes. That releases solid particles of rock and dust. Those bits of debris spread out along Halley's path. Earth intersects that path a couple of times every year. When it does, it sweeps up some of the comet dust. The particles slam into the atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour. They quickly vaporize, forming the glowing trails known as meteors. The brightness and duration of each meteor depends on the size and composition of the particle. Larger particles form brighter trails. The brightest are formed by bits of debris the size of a plum or larger. But most are no bigger than pebbles. The Orionids aren't named for Halley's comet. Instead, the name indicates where the meteors appear to enter the atmosphere — near a star in Orion. But you don't have to look toward the constellation to see the meteors — they can blaze across any part of the sky. To watch the shower, find a dark, safe viewing spot far from city lights. The best viewing time is in the hours before dawn. The Moon will be in view for part of that time, but it's a waning crescent, so most of the meteors will shine through.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

The Orionids meteor shower peaks this week, and Mercury passes by the binary star Porrima in our weekly stargazing guide.Transcript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 152 In this episode of the Observers Notebook podcast, host Tim Robertson talks to the Meteor Section Coordinator, Bob Lunsford about the upcoming Orionids meteor shower peaking the evening of October 20/21 2022. Bob gives us a brief history of the Meteor Shower, how and where to observe and details on reporting your observations, and contact information. You can contact Bob at: lunro.imo.usa@cox.net The link for the details on the Orionids meteor shower: https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ International Meteor Organization https://www.imo.net/ For the latest information from the ALPO Meteor Section you can visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/ For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: www.alpo-astronomy.org/ You can also support this podcast at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook Subscribe on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AssociationofLunarandPlanetaryObservers Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2 I want to thank the Producers of this podcast, Steve Siedentop and Michael Moyer for their generous support of the Observers Notebook. Our Patreons: Jerry White Jason Inman Matt Will Steve Seidentop Matthew Benton Ken Poshedly Stephen Bennett Michael Moyer Shawn Dilles Frank Schenck Damian Allis Carl Hergenrother Julian Parks Richard Hill Michael McShan

GB2RS News Sunday the 16th of October 2022 The news headlines: IARU President Keynote Speech at the 2022 RSGB Convention Celebrating 100 Years of the BBC New Transponder Bandplan for QO-100 Last weekend the RSGB held its first hybrid Convention which had speakers, attendees and live stream watchers from across the world. The keynote presentation by IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, who also holds the callsign G4HUA, was very thought-provoking. In it, he highlighted the threats to amateur radio as well as the importance of embracing modern techniques, whilst also being willing to adapt and change. The Society has released a standalone recording of Tim's presentation on its YouTube channel, combined with his interesting Convention Chat with the RSGB and IRTS Presidents. The RSGB would like to thank everyone who gave a presentation, as well as those who attended the Convention, whether in person or online. It is also grateful to the RSGB General Manager and Convention Chair Steve Thomas, M1ACB and his hard-working Convention team who made this such a fantastic event. Individual presentations will be released over the coming months, first on the RSGB website for its members and then on YouTube for everyone to see. The two live streams have already had thousands of views – to see either of those or to watch Tim's keynote speech, go to youtube.com/theRSGB On the 18th of October 1922, the Marconi Company and other equipment manufacturers formed the British Broadcasting Company, which became the British Broadcasting Corporation six years later. To mark this momentous date exactly 100 years on, members of the BBC Amateur Radio Group have been invited by Arqiva to operate for the day at the Daventry transmitting station that was home to so much of BBC short-wave broadcasting over the years. Members of the BBC and Arqiva clubs will be operating HF on Tuesday the 18th of October from the Empire Service Building at the Daventry site. As well as GB100BBC, the callsign G2LO will be on air. 2LO was the callsign allocated to the very first BBC transmitter, built by Marconi and located at Savoy Hill in London. Keep an eye on the GB100BBC QRZ page for more information. At the 2022 AMSAT-UK Colloquium on Saturday 8th October, a new narrowband transponder bandplan for the QO-100 geostationary amateur satellite was announced. Among other changes, AMSAT has allocated a new ‘broadcast' spot frequency which is intended for the news services of amateur radio organisations. The RSGB's news service GB2RS has been transmitted via QO-100 for some time and has already clocked up 70 broadcasts. It is very popular, with an audience within the footprint of the satellite which covers almost half of the world's surface. Following this announcement, GB2RS will be moving to the new broadcast frequency of 10489.855MHz with immediate effect. The transmission is at 0800UTC every Sunday. Perhaps in the future, the news services of other amateur radio organisations will follow the RSGB's lead and make use of this special allocation to reach a diverse international audience. Jamboree On The Air is an annual event in which Scouts and Guides all over the world communicate with each other via amateur radio. JOTA 2022 ends its 48-hour run at 2359UTC today, the 16th. You can find out more at jotajoti.info The Royal Air Force Air Cadets will be running the popular Blue Ham Exercise on the 22nd and 23rd of October from 0800 to 1800UTC each day. If you are a UK Full licence holder the hope is that you can set some time aside to take part with the Cadets and Staff Volunteers who will be ready to take your QSOs over the operating period. A Blue Ham participation certificate for amateur operators who contact 20 or more special MRE call signs will be available. Details are on the alphacharlie.org.uk portal. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 16th, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally will take place at the Driffield Showground YO25 9DW. More information at hornseaarc.co.uk Next Saturday, the 22nd of October, the Essex CW Boot Camp and CW Convention take place. The venue will be the 3rd Witham Scout and Guide Headquarters, Powers Hall End, Witham, Essex. Doors open at 8.30 am for registration and the event will run until 4.30 pm. Entry is £10 and parking is free. Free drinks and cakes will be available. If you would like to register, please email G0IBN@yahoo.com The British Amateur Television Club Convention 2022 takes place next Saturday, the 22nd, from 10 am to 3 pm. The event features online talks about ATV-related topics. More at batc.org.uk/live Now the Special Event News Hartlepool Amateur Radio Club will be running GB0TVS on behalf of Tees Valley North Scouts today, the 16th of October, for Jamboree On The Air. They will be based at Hartlepool Scout Centre. The station will be active on HF, VHF and UHF and will welcome any contacts. Visitors are welcome on Saturday and Sunday. Michel, F8GGZ and other operators will be active as TM100BBC until the 24th of October to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the BBC. Activity will be on all modes, including EME, DMR and C4FM. QSL via F8GGZ, direct or bureau. Now the DX news Today, the 16th, JE1HXZ/6 will be active from the Amami Islands, AS-023. He will operate CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 and FT4 on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via the bureau and Logbook of the World. A team of 15 plan to set up four HF stations for CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, FT4, and a QO-100 satellite station until Monday the 17th of October on the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean. They will be operating as D60AE. For more information just search online for the callsign. Gianpi, IK1TTD will be active as 8Q7TD from the Maldives, AS-013, until Monday the 17th of October. Most of his operating will be done on 20m using FT8. QSL direct or via the bureau. Now the contest news Today, the 16th, the 50MHz AFS Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the Worked All Germany Contest finishes its two-day run at 1500UTC. Using CW and SSB, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send their DOK. Also today, the UK Microwave Group 24-76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday, the 1.3GHz UKAC runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the 70MHz UKAC contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend the UKEICC DX Contest runs for 24 hours from 1200UTC on the 22nd. Using SSB, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK and Irish stations also send their District Code. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 14th of October 2022 We had yet another week of good HF propagation, helped by reasonably settled geomagnetic conditions. Although the week started relatively poorly with a Kp index of four all day on Sunday, that soon improved slightly and the rest of the week saw the Kp index hit only ones or twos. The solar flux index declined from 161 on Sunday to 141 on Thursday, which is still more than enough for 10m openings at this time of year. Solar activity was low. Active region 3112 underwent decay but managed several C-class flares. Region 3119 was stable and also produced a few C-class solar flares. The other regions were unremarkable. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in coronagraph imagery. Low solar activity is expected to continue, with a chance for M-class flares on 13-15 October. At the RSGB Convention in Milton Keynes, the special event station just outside the conference centre was able to work a string of US stations on 10m just to prove that this really is the month for Autumn DX. The KQ2H repeater in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York on 29.620MHz has also given many people their first taste of FM on 10m, along with characteristic phase distortion. Other DX worked this week by well-equipped stations on 10m include FK4QX in New Caledonia and TX7G on the Marquesas Islands. Hopefully, if conditions remain like this, it will make the CQ Worldwide SSB contest on the 29th and 30th of October very interesting. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may remain in the high 130s. After predicting slightly unsettled geomagnetic conditions on Saturday, NOAA says the Kp index should then fall from four to two until Wednesday the 19th. The latter half of the week may become reasonably unsettled again with a Kp index of four. The US Air Force, however, predicts that this weekend should remain settled geomagnetically – we shall have to wait and see. And now the VHF and up propagation news The current spell of unsettled weather will continue through much of the coming week. There may be a hint of a temporary high over the north and east of Britain around midweek, but this is unlikely to benefit western areas. Any Tropo wins will probably be across the North Sea to Scandinavia and the Baltic region, but only from the easternmost counties of England and Scotland. The low-pressure systems which will dominate are likely to bring spells of heavy rain and passing showers at times. There may be some rain scatter possibilities from this unsettled weather, especially from heavy coastal showers. The aurora propagation mode is always worth considering around the autumn months, so monitor the Kp index, and meteor scatter, particularly in the hours before dawn. The Orionids meteor shower peaks on Friday the 21st with a medium ZHR of 20 so look out for improved conditions around that date. The Moon is at maximum declination today, Sunday, so Moon windows are at their longest, shortening as the week progresses. With apogee this coming Monday, path losses are at their highest. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. Finally, a word about Sporadic-E, of which you may still hear examples on the HF bands as extra-loud short-skip from Europe. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Comet Halley is almost as far from us as it gets, but we're about to pass through its trail. Meet the Hyades, half-sisters of the Pleiades. Not much is said about the king going around the celestial north pole. The queen going around with him likes it that way. Learn about them and their daughter.

The Orionid Meteor Shower is putting on its annual show now. It started on October 2 and will go to November 7. The shower will peak on the evening of October 21 and early morning hours of the 22 with perhaps twenty or so meteors per hour. We are fortunate to have a crescent moon during the peak viewing period, so if the sky is clear, we could be in for a good show.

GB2RS News Sunday the 9th of October 2022 The news headlines: RSGB Convention 2022 New RSGB Board Member Celebrating 100 Years of the BBC The RSGB's first hybrid Convention is this weekend. A selection of presentations is being live-streamed as well as interviews, videos and live operations by the special event station GB3HQ. You can watch some of the live stream if you want to join this event from where you live. Head over to the RSGB YouTube channel or follow the link from the live stream web page at rsgb.org/livestream. The RSGB Board is pleased to announce that John McCullagh, GI4BWM has been co-opted as a Board Director until the 2023 AGM. Many members will know John as he was ETCC Chairman from 2005 until 2017 and he is still the Northern Ireland ETCC representative. John worked for almost 40 years as a communications professional in the emergency services in Northern Ireland, retiring in 2005 and being awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list for services to policing. Since then, he has worked as a communications consultant in Eastern Europe and in the past few years has, with his wife, volunteered with a children's charity in Tanzania. John was licensed in 1973 and has been active ever since, mainly on UHF and VHF. He has been involved with the repeater scene since the late 1970s when he installed the first repeater in Northern Ireland. He is also the Controller of a RAYNET Group in County Antrim and has been in that position since 1976. On the 18th of October 1922, the Marconi Company and other equipment manufacturers formed the British Broadcasting Company, which became the British Broadcasting Corporation six years later. To mark this momentous date exactly 100 years on, members of the BBC Amateur Radio Group have been invited by Arqiva to operate for the day at the Daventry transmitting station that was home to so much of BBC short-wave broadcasting over the years. Members of the BBC and Arqiva clubs will be operating HF on Tuesday the 18th of October from the Empire Service Building at the Daventry site. As well as GB100BBC, the callsign G2LO will be on air. 2LO was the callsign allocated to the very first BBC transmitter, built by Marconi and located at Savoy Hill in London. Keep an eye on the GB100BBC QRZ page for more information. The Caledonian Rally is an annual event that brings together 13- to 17-year-old Scouts and Guides from all over Scotland. This year the event takes place between the 14th and 16th of October. Inverness Amateur Radio Society will be running GB2CWR for the event as part of Jamboree on the Air. Aberdeen Amateur Radio Society members are helping with the station, but more experienced operators are sought, especially for set up and break down. Email InvernessRadioSociety@gmail.com. The Royal Air Force Air Cadets will be running the popular Blue Ham Exercise on the 22nd and 23rd of October from 0800 to 1800UTC each day. If you are a UK Full licence holder the hope is that you can set some time aside to take part with the Cadets and Staff Volunteers who will be ready to take your QSOs over the operating period. A Blue Ham participation certificate for amateur operators who contact 20 or more special MRE callsigns will be available. Details are on the alphacharlie.org.uk portal. Member States of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations' specialised agency for information and communication technologies, have elected Doreen Bogdan-Martin, KD2JTX as the organisation's next Secretary-General. She will assume office on the 1st of January 2023. She will be the first woman to lead the ITU in its 157-year history and only the third Secretary-General to hold an amateur radio licence. And now for details of rallies and events The National Hamfest will take place on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of October at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. Gates open at 9.30 am and the main hall opens at 10 am. For more information visit nationalhamfest.org.uk. Next Sunday, the 16th of October, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Club Rally will take place at the Driffield Showground YO25 9DW. More information at hornseaarc.co.uk. Now the Special Event News Hartlepool Amateur Radio Club will be running GB0TVS on behalf of Tees Valley North Scouts between the 14th and 16th of October for Jamboree on the Air. They will be based at Hartlepool Scout Centre. The station will be active on HF, VHF and UHF and will welcome any contacts. Visitors are welcome on Saturday and Sunday. Michel, F8GGZ and other operators will be active as TM100BBC between the 10th and the 24th of October to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the BBC. Activity will be on all modes, including EME, DMR and C4FM. QSL via F8GGZ, direct or bureau. Now the DX news A team will be active as TO2DL from Guadeloupe, NA-102, between the 10th and the 23rd of October. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on the 10 to 160m bands with three stations. QSL via DL7DF, either direct or via the bureau. Garry, ZC4GR/2M1DHG has been active as VP8DLB from Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, SA-002, since the 23rd of September. He will remain there until December. QSL via EB7DX. A team of 15 plan to set up four HF stations for CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, FT4, and a QO-100 satellite station until the 17th of October on the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean. They will be operating as D60AE. For more information just search for the callsign. Now the contest news 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 is the same for both, signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK 63, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The 432MHz FT8 Activity Contest also takes place on Wednesday. Running between 1900 and 2100UTC, the exchange is a report and your 4-character locator. On Thursday the 50MHz UK Activity contest runs between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend the Worked All Germany Contest runs for 24 hours from 1500UTC on the 15th. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send DOK. Next Sunday, the 16th, the 50MHz AFS Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RoLo CW Contest takes place between 1900 and 2030UTC next Sunday, the 16th. Using the 3.5MHz band, the exchange is signal report and the locator received. Also next Sunday, 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 7th of October 2022 Yet another good week for HF propagation has passed, although it has been borderline in terms of geomagnetic disturbances. The Kp index hovered around the four mark all week, mainly due to high-speed streams from the solar wind, possibly from slight glancing blows from incoming CME material. There have been a few M-class solar flares, but nothing too violent. The risk of X-class flares though remains relatively high. The solar flux continued to climb despite pessimistic predictions, ending up at 161 and a sunspot number of 151 on Thursday. Daytime critical frequencies have been in the range of 7.5 - 8MHz, meaning 40m has been an excellent inter-G band during the day. MUFs over a 3,000km path have been exceeding 24.9MHz, and occasionally 28MHz, especially in the early afternoon. This has meant that HF propagation has been good with excellent openings on all the upper HF bands. Paul, GM4ULS has even reported hearing what we believe to be round-the-world echoes while listening to high-power European stations on 20m calling for long-path Asia, VK and ZL contacts in the morning. This is a sure sign that the ionosphere is playing ball! Next week the US Air Force predicts that the solar flux will remain in the 150s to start with, but may then decline into the 130s as the week progresses. The Kp index is predicted to be no more than three all week, although an incoming CME could soon spoil that. Coronal hole activity appears to be minimal, once we get past the effects of a small hole on the equator, which became Earth-facing on Wednesday. This could result in the Kp index rising on Friday, although the hole's size means the effects may be short-lived and perhaps minimal. So in conclusion, it is Autumn with an SFI in the 150s and an active, but not unsettled, geomagnetic field. In other words, it should be good for HF DX unless a solar flare or CME comes along and spoils things. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The typical Autumn weather will continue over the next week, meaning alternating ridges of high pressure between active weather fronts with rain and strong winds. There have been some reasonably uplifted Tropo conditions during recent spells of high pressure and no reason to think this won't be the case over the next week. The two most likely high-pressure transitions across the country are this weekend and again in the first half of next week. Paths to the south into the continent should do well. In between these events, we find active weather fronts crossing the country with a large low taking up residence by the end of the week. This could lead to a few rain scatter options for GHz bands, but Autumn storms can be fast-moving and hard to track. The Sun continues to offer support with a high Kp index on occasion so always a chance of aurora. The Draconids and the Orionids are the major meteor showers this month. The former, peaking today, Sunday, with a typical ZHR of 10, has been known to reach storm level. The Orionids are active from the 2nd of October to the 7th of November peaking on the 21st with a medium ZHR of 20. Random meteor scatter propagation is always available and rates are high in October, so it's always a banker if you have a decent system for the low VHF bands. With all these more exotic modes the best course of action is to monitor the clusters for signs of activity. Moon declination goes positive today (Sunday), so Moon windows will lengthen as the week progresses. We are past perigee so path losses will increase throughout the week. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. 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.

The Astronomy, Technology, and Space Science News Podcast.SpaceTime 20211105 Series 24 Episode 126*Study suggests the earth tipped over 84 million years agoA new study suggests the Earth tipped on its side 84 million years ago. The phenomenon known as true polar wander tilts planets relative to their spin axis causing the geographic locations of the north and south poles to change, or "wander".*NASA calls for new players to fly crew to the space stationThe ongoing problems with Boeing's CST100 Starliner spacecraft has forced NASA to call for other company's interested in providing crew transport services to the International Space Station.*China's new spacecraft or a hypersonic missile testChina is denying persistent reports that it's just tested a new hypersonic cruise missile -- claiming the test involved a new reusable spacecraft.*November SkyWatchThe Andromeda galaxy, the first exoplanet 51 Pegasus B and the Orionids, Taurids and Leonids meteor showers are among the highlights of November skywatch.For more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ If you love this podcast, please get someone else to listen too. Thank you…Your support is needed...SpaceTime is an independently produced podcast (we are not funded by any government grants, big organisations or companies), and we're working towards becoming a completely listener supported show...meaning we can do away with the commercials and sponsors. We figure the time can be much better spent on researching and producing stories for you, rather than having to chase sponsors to help us pay the bills.That's where you come in....help us reach our first 1,000 subscribers...at that level the show becomes financially viable and bills can be paid without us breaking into a sweat every month. Every little bit helps...even if you could contribute just $1 per month. It all adds up.By signing up and becoming a supporter at the $5 or more level, you get immediate access to over 240 commercial-free, double, and triple episode editions of SpaceTime plus extended interview bonus content. You also receive all new episodes on a Monday rather than having to wait the week out. Subscribe via Patreon or Supercast (you get a month's free trial with Supercast to see if it's really for you or not)....and share in the rewards. Details at Patreon www.patreon.com/spacetimewithstuartgary or Supercast - https://bitesznetwork.supercast.tech/ Details at https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com or www.bitesz.com Sponsor Details:This episode is brought to you with the support of NameCheap…cheap domain names is just the beginning of your own online presence. We use them and we love them. Get our special deal…just visit: https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com/namecheap and help support the show.For more SpaceTime visit https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com (mobile friendly). For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode: https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/blog/ RSS feed: https://www.spreaker.com/show/2458531/episodes/feed Email: mailto:SpaceTime@bitesz.comTo receive the Astronomy Daily Newsletter free, direct to your inbox...just join our mailing list at www.bitesz.com or visit https://www.bitesz.com/p/astronomy-daily/Help support SpaceTime: The SpaceTime with Stuart Gary merchandise shop. Get your T-Shirts, Coffee Cups, badges, tote bag + more and help support the show. Check out the range: http://www.cafepress.com/spacetime Thank you.https://spacetimewithstuartgary.comhttps://bitesz.com

GB2RS News Sunday 31st of October 2021 The news headlines: Exams committee clarifies supervision Have you changed to GMT? Volunteer at the NRC   The RSGB Exam Standards Committee has clarified the licence conditions regarding the supervised operation of Foundation licence candidates. The full announcement can be found on the examination announcements page of the RSGB website, thersgb.org/gb2rs/012 Don't forget that in the UK the clocks changed to UTC or GMT today. The clocks went back 1 hour at 2 am this morning, the 31st of October. The RSGB National Radio Centre welcomes thousands of people through its doors each month. They need to expand the team of volunteers and are particularly looking for people who can be part of the team during the week. If you're interested in becoming an NRC volunteer you should enjoy meeting people and be prepared to work a minimum of one, preferably two, days per month. Full training is given. Please contact NRC Coordinator Martyn, G0GMB for further information via nrc.support@rsgb.org.uk. The RSGB online Convention's keynote presentation is now available separately on the Society's YouTube channel. This inspiring talk by Professor Cathryn Mitchell, M0IBG explores the connections between radio and space and also looks at the many ways in which everyone can get involved. The seven presentations from the Introduction to stream have also been uploaded individually so that it will be even easier to find the presentation you'd like to watch. That full day's stream has received over 5,000 views already, with some great reviews. We'll be releasing the Learn more about stream presentations next week. Go to youtube.com/theRSGB and choose the RSGB Convention 2021 playlist. The Quantum Technology Club, in West Lancashire, will be resuming Foundation licence training courses on the 11th of November. The training sessions will continue on the second and fourth Thursday of the month thereafter with a few exceptions for holidays. Different topics, as well as practical demonstrations and interactive sessions, will take place. Everyone is welcome; you do not have to be a member of the club to join. Please contact them via quantumtech.club before attending. A new QSL sub-manager has been appointed for the G4TAA-ZZZ series. You can send your C5 sized stamped addressed envelopes using 2nd class stamps to Pete Rivers, G4XEX, whose details are on the RSGB website under the On The Air tab. Please remember to put your callsign and Membership number in the top left corner of each envelope. Can you lend a generator? The Kilmarnock & Loudoun ARC Team at Ardrossan are trying to borrow a generator for an event in early December. They are looking to borrow a 240V generator with an output of 5 to 10kVA. Please email klarcinfo@gmail.com if you can help. And now for details of rallies and events Before travelling to any rally or event, please check the event's website as there may still be alterations or cancellations due to the pandemic. The Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place on the 7th of November at the Holsworthy Leisure Centre, Well Park, Western Road, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DH. Doors open at 10 am. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and catering will be available on site. The next rally we have details for is in 2022. The Sparkford Wireless Group Rally is due to take place on the 2nd of January in Davis Hall near Yeovil. Some rallies have been cancelled, as previously publicised. These are the Bush valley ARC rally due for the 7th of November and the Bishop Auckland RAC rally due to be held on the 28th of November. Now the DX news Remo, HB9SHD will be active as 8Q7RM from the Maldives, IOTA reference AS- 013, throughout November. He will operate mainly FT8, with some SSB and slow CW, on the 6 to 40m bands. QSL via his home call either direct or via the bureau, Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of the World. Richard, NN2T and Linda, KN4KJC will be active as C6AHB from the Bimini Islands, NA-048, until the 3rd of November. They will operate SSB and digital modes. QSL via Logbook of The World, Club Log's OQRS, or direct to NN2T. Janusz, SP9FIH will be active as PJ7P from Sint Maarten, NA-105, until the 3rd of November. He will operate SSB, FT8 and RTTY on the 30, 15, 12 and 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or via his home call. Now the Special Event news Until the 2nd of November, West of Scotland ARS will be running a special event station GB4GDS, celebrating 90 years of the Guide Dog Association. More information about the station can be found at www.wosars.club. OQ05PHI is the special callsign for the UBA Section de Philippeville to celebrate its 5th anniversary. It will be active until the 22nd of November. QSL via ON4PHI. Now the contest news When operating in contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following relevant pandemic-related government recommendations. The 48-hour CQ World Wide DX SSB contest ends at 2359UTC today, the 31st, using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands. The exchange is signal report and your Zone, 14 for the UK. On Monday the data leg of the 80m Autumn Series runs from 2000 to 2130UTC. The exchange is signal report and serial number. Also, on Monday is the Silent Key Memorial that runs from 0600 to 0900. It's CW only on the 3.5 and 7MHz bands. The exchange is a signal report and a silent key callsign. Tuesday sees the 144MHz FM Activity Contest run from 1900 to 1955UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. The exchange is the same, signal report, serial number and locator. The UK EI Contest Club 80 contest takes place on Wednesday from 2000 to 2100UTC. It is SSB only and the exchange is your 6-character locator. Also, on Wednesday is the 144MHz FT8 Activity Contest. Running from 1900 to 2100UTC, the exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Next weekend the Marconi CW Contest runs from 1400UTC on the 6th to 1400UTC on the 7th. It's CW-only on the 144MHz band and the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 29th of October. Well, we had another topsy-turvy week, with the sunspot number going from a lowly 10 to a much more impressive 91. We started last week with a virtually spotless solar surface, but this week the Sun is peppered with spots, with five active regions in place on Thursday. The net result is the maximum usable frequencies have been climbing, with 3,000km-plus paths being reached at times on 24 and even 28MHz, according to the Propquest website. There has been plenty of DX to be worked as well, with HD8R in the Galapagos Islands, VK9DX on Norfolk Island, both on CW, and 7P8RU in Lesotho making it into many amateur's logs. The first two were on 30 metres, which is well worth a look. Special event station HS400OZ in Thailand has also been putting in an appearance on 30m FT8 and has been workable from the UK. With Solar Cycle 25 now well underway, it is always worth checking the higher bands too, such as 12 and 10 metres. Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the range 85-96, starting the week at the higher end and then declining. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet, with a maximum Kp index of two. However, this could change if a coronal mass ejection occurs. For example, Region 2887, which was Earth-centric on Thursday, has unleashed one M-class and several C-class flares. A large flare, accompanied by a CME, could easily disrupt the HF bands for days. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The current spell of unsettled weather will become more widespread and affect much of the country during the first half of the coming week. There had been a hint of Tropo in the southeast last week, but we'll have to wait for the second half of the week before there is a return of weak Tropo in the south as a transient ridge crosses the country. This will be replaced by further unsettled weather by the weekend. In propagation terms, this means that rain scatter on the GHz bands may be on offer again through much of the coming week. Otherwise, it is the chance of aurora or meteor scatter that could entice us onto the VHF bands. The Orionids meteor shower is coming to an end and the Taurids are in progress, but with a ZHR of not more than five, there's little to get excited about. We have to wait until mid-November for the Leonids, so stick to the time around dawn to maximise your chances with random meteors until then. For EME enthusiasts, Moon declination is high early this week, going negative on Tuesday. Path losses are at their lowest with perigee on Friday but this coincides with low negative declination, meaning the Moon will be low in the sky at zenith. This trend of lowest declination getting closer to perigee reverses in June next year, but not until June 2026 will we see maximum declination coincide with perigee. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

5 things you need to know about the Orionid meteor shower: The meteors are actually debris from the Comet Halley – The Comet Halley hasn't paid Earth a visit since 1986, but pieces of the famous space rock still show up every fall. Each year, around October 20-22, our planet intersects with the comet's orbit, according to Earth Sky. Pieces of Halley disintegrate in Earth's upper atmosphere nearly 60 miles above the planet's surface, but not before creating quite the spectacle for those down below. Let's be honest, watching this thing is a commitment. Experts agree that the shower will take place before dawn on October 21 or 22, but can't pinpoint an exact date. 10-20 Meteors Could Fall Each Hour – The Orionid Meteor Shower is a “modest shower.” That means you won't see a constant stream of glowing rocks plummeting toward Earth at any given moment. Don't let that fool you. Those watching from dark or rural locations will still have a front row seat for the kind of spectacle that only comes from space. …And They'll Be Traveling At 41 Miles Per Second – You read that right. 41 miles per second. These rocks are literally scorching across the sky as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Roughly half of these blazing fast meteors will leave gas trails behind them that are visible for a few seconds after the meteor is gone. From. Every. Direction.- The Orionids flying from the sky this month are named after the constellation Orion, where they appear to radiate. The thing is, these meteors generally aren't visible until they're at least 30 degrees from that radiant point. This means they can appear any & everywhere in the night sky. If watching with a party, focus on different areas of the night sky & be sure to call out the meteors as you see them. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hazel-archer-ginsberg/message

GB2RS News Sunday 24th of October 2021 The news headlines: Get on the microwave bands Become an RSGB Director SAQ Grimeton transmits today   Are you looking for a new challenge? The RSGB has just released an updated video that gives a short introduction to amateur radio on the microwave bands. It explains how microwave technology is involved in everyday life and highlights the opportunities as well as the challenges of this aspect of amateur radio. You can watch the video on the RSGB YouTube channel or on the RSGB's microwave web page at rsgb.org/microwaves The RSGB Nominations Committee includes representatives of the Board, Regional Team and the Committees who work together to select Nominated Directors to serve on the RSGB Board. The Nominations Committee is seeking a wide range of new candidates with skills that will complement the existing skills and knowledge on the Board. If you are an RSGB Member with the skills, time and energy to help lead the Society as a Board Director, please contact the Chair of the Committee via email to nominations.chair@rsgb.org.uk. Today, the 24th of October is United Nations Day and the historic Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton, Sweden, with callsign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message on 17.2kHz using CW. The live stream on YouTube starts at 1425UTC, with tuning at 1430UTC. The transmission begins at 1500UTC. Just search for SAQ Grimeton to find out more. The RSGB QSL bureau is continuing to search for a new sub-manager for the G4T to G4Z group. Members in this call group are encouraged to check the RSGB website for the latest information and not to send further collection envelopes until a new appointment is made. If you enjoy QSL cards, have space and time, plus some basic spreadsheet skills to record and distribute around 20,000 cards a year, plus a desire to support your fellow amateurs, email your interest to qsl@rsgb.org.uk. Don't forget that in the UK the clocks change to UTC or GMT next weekend. Clocks go back 1 hour at 2am on Sunday the 31st of October. The WSJT development team has announced the General Availability release of WSJT-X version 2.5.1. This release mainly contains improvements and defect repairs related to Q65 and JT65 modes when used with non-standard and compound calls. Also included is a new feature for microwave aircraft scatter, and repairs for defects detected since the 2.5.0 release. Just type WSJT-X into your favourite search engine. Eclipse and Frequency Measurement Festivals are worldwide citizen science campaigns in which amateurs and short wave listeners measure Doppler shift from their home stations, using their regular HF receivers. As the shadow of the moon passes across Antarctica on the 4th of December, it will generate travelling ionospheric disturbances that will, in turn, affect radio propagation. Data collection will run from the 1st to the 10th of December and the results will be made available for scientific analysis. All radio amateurs and short wave listeners are invited to join in, even those located far from the path of totality. In 2020, more than 100 individuals from 45 countries took part in eclipse festivals. For more information, go to hamsci.org. The Yasme Foundation Board of Directors has announced that it will be giving a grant to the Seychelles Amateur Radio Association to establish a facility for its amateur radio club. And now for details of rallies and events Before travelling to any rally or event, please check the event's website as there may still be alterations or cancellations due to the pandemic. The Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place on the 7th of November at Holsworthy Leisure Centre. Doors open at 10 am. Several rallies have been cancelled, as previously publicised. The Galashiels Rally, scheduled to take place today, the 24th of October is cancelled. The Bush valley ARC rally due for the 7th of November has also had to be cancelled. Finally, the Bishop Auckland RAC rally due to be held on the 28th of November is now planned for 2022. Now the DX news A team of four operators will be active as C5C from Kololi, in The Gambia between the 24th of October and the 19th of November. Expect activity on all bands using SSB, CW and FT8 in Fox & Hound mode, plus the QO-100 satellite. See QRZ.com for their planned operating frequencies. QSL direct to F5RAV. Bart, PD1BAT will be working on Saba, NA-145, from the 30th of October to the 5th of November. In his spare time, he will operate as PJ6/PD1BAT on the 40 and 20m bands using FT8 and some SSB. QSL via his home call. Miguel, EA1BP will be active as FM/EA1BP from Martinique, IOTA reference NA-107, from the 27th of October to the 5th of November, including an entry in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest as TO7O.  QSL via his home call; the logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Toni, EA5RM and a large multi-national team will be active as HD8R from San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, SA-004, from the 26th of October to the 7th of November. They will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 160m bands, plus RTTY on 20 metres, with at least four stations on the air simultaneously. QSL via EA5RM. Now the Special Event news From the 25th of October, British Railways ARS members Mark, G1PIE and Pam, 2E1HQY will be operating GB0LMR as part of the society's 55th anniversary year. Operations will be from Preston in Lancashire and 40m will be the main band. More at brars.info. Until the 2nd of November, West of Scotland ARS will be running a special event station GB4GDS, celebrating 90 years of the Guide Dog Association. More information about the station can be found at www.wosars.club. Cray Valley Radio Society will be active as GB75CV until the 29th of October to celebrate its 75th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of The World only. Now the contest news When operating in contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following relevant pandemic-related government recommendations. This weekend, the UK EI Contest Club DX SSB contest ends its 24-hour run at 1200UTC today, the 24th. Using the contest bands between 3.5 and 28MHz, the exchange is signal report, which is optional, serial number and your district code. On Tuesday the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the bands between 2.3 and 10GHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW only, the exchange is your 6-character locator. The 80m Autumn Series runs from 1900 to 2030UTC on Thursday. Using SSB only the exchange is signal report and serial number. Next weekend is the 48-hour CQ World Wide DX SSB contest. Ending at 2359UTC on the 31st, it uses the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands. The exchange is signal report and your Zone, which for the UK is 14. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 22nd of October. After a week of sunspots and DX fun it looks like we are back in the doldrums again. The Sun currently has just one sunspot visible, meaning the sunspot number is 11. This represents one sunspot in one group. There has been DX to be had, mostly thanks to DXpeditions, including Guinea Bissau, J5T, The Kingdom of Eswatini, 3DA0WW, and Sao Tome and Principe, S90K. These have been relatively easy to work and brought much-needed excitement to the HF bands. Geomagnetic conditions have been mixed, with the Kp index hitting four on Tuesday. This was the result of a large coronal hole that was Earth-facing earlier in the week. Next week, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will climb again to the high 80s, ending the week in the low to mid-90s. This is likely due to a large active region that is visible on the STEREO Ahead spacecraft's imager and which should rotate into view over the next few days. This may bring a surge in activity again, which should be welcomed by HF operators. And now the VHF and up propagation news. After a reminder of how unsettled Autumn can be, this weekend will see a weak and transient ridge crossing the country, and a possible brief Tropo window, especially to the east across the North Sea. Apart from that, the unsettled autumn flavour continues through the whole of next week and, as we have seen recently, that can mean some pretty wet and windy weather. Rain scatter on the GHz bands is, of course, an option in these conditions, but there is little else to bring cheer unless meteor scatter and aurora come into play. Today the Moon is at apogee, so EME path losses are at their maximum. Moon declination reaches maximum positive declination again on Tuesday so we'll see the Moon reaching its highest elevations at its zenith. The Orionids shower is still active and the Leonis Minorids peaks today, so there's still some interest for meteor scatter enthusiasts. The best time for reflections is, as always, around dawn. And that's all from the propagation team this week.  

Two celestial lightshows will compete with each other this week — the full Moon and the Orionid meteor shower. And there's no mystery about which one will win: It's the Moon all the way. The Orionids are streaks of light caused by debris from Comet Halley. When the comet passes near the Sun, some of the ice at its surface vaporizes. That releases particles of rock and dirt into space. They spread out along the comet's path. Earth plows through this path every October. As it does so, some of the comet dust slams into the atmosphere at almost 150,000 miles per hour. A grain's plunge into the atmosphere creates friction. That heats and erodes it. It also creates a trail of plasma — a super-heated gas that glows. And that's what we see when a meteor streaks across the sky. The Orionids are expected to reach their peak in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Under dark skies, away from the pesky glow of city lights, the shower usually produces up to a dozen or so meteors per hour. Unfortunately, though, the Moon will be full on Wednesday morning. It's the Hunter's Moon — the full Moon after the Harvest Moon. When the meteor shower hits its peak on Thursday, the Moon will still be almost full. It'll be nice and bright, and in view all night long. Its brilliant glare will overpower all but the brightest meteors — making the Moon the hands-down winner in the pre-dawn sky. Tomorrow: Studying magnets among the stars. Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

GB2RS News Sunday 17th of October 2021 The news headlines: RSGB online Convention available to re-watch AMSAT Colloquium Exercise Blue Ham underway   The RSGB is delighted that its 2021 Online Convention was watched by people across the world, many of whom have since thanked the Society for the excellent content and professional production. The streams have received hundreds more views since Saturday and people are enjoying the 15 presentations. If you weren't able to watch the event live, the two streams are available on the Society's YouTube channel. You can also see the extra content and interviews that were broadcast from the RSGB National Radio Centre between presentations at youtube.com/theRSGB. The individual presentations will be released in due course so look out for announcements shortly. AMSAT-UK will be holding their annual International Space Colloquium on Sunday the 24th of October. The online Zoom webinar will run from 10.45 am to approximately 4 pm. With speakers from the UK, Europe and North America, each 30-minute presentation will include a 5 minute Q and A session. A full programme and registration details are available at amsat-uk.org under the Colloquium tab. You don't have to be a member of AMSAT-UK to attend, and the event is free of charge. The second day of the RAF Air Cadets Blue Ham Radio Communications Exercise is today, the 17th of October. They are contacting radio amateurs on the shared section of the 5MHz bands. A Blue Ham participation certificate is available to those who contact 15 or more special Cadet callsigns during the exercise. Just search for exercise blue ham to find out more information. The next Amplitude Modulation Amateur Radio Society club net will be held today, the 17th, at the new time of 1700UTC on 3.625MHz. The control station will be Robert, GW6GBY using the club callsign GC5AMS and Andy, G4FCI will also be assisting by listening for any weaker stations depending on conditions. If you are interested in joining the group, look at the qrz.com page for G5AMS. Jamboree On The Air is an annual event in which Scouts and Guides all over the world communicate with each other via amateur radio. JOTA 2021 ends its 48-hour run at 2359UTC today, the 17th. You can find out more at jotajoti.info. On United Nations Day, the 24th of October, the historic Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton, Sweden, with callsign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message on 17.2kHz using CW. The live stream on YouTube starts at 1425UTC, with tuning at 1430. The transmission begins at 1500UTC. They are planning to carry out some test transmissions on the 22nd of October between 1100UTC and 1400UTC. Just search for SAQ Grimeton to find out more.   And now for details of rallies and events Before travelling to any rally or event, please check the event's website as there may still be alterations or cancellations due to the pandemic. Today, the 17th of October, the Hornsea Amateur Radio Rally is at the Driffield Show Ground, YO25 3AE. Doors open at 10 am and parking is free. Admission is £2. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and a car boot area. Catering will be available on site. Also today, the 17th, the Hack Green Radio Surplus Hangar Sale is at the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker in Nantwich. Doors open at 10 am and there will be equipment, components and amateur radio gear on sale. On the 20th of October, the Lothians Radio Society Surplus Sale will take place at St. Fillans Church, 8 Buckstone Dr, Edinburgh EH10 6PD. Everyone attending should be double vaccinated unless medically exempt. Doors open from 7.15 pm and the sale will begin at 8 pm sharp. Details from the club's website. Looking ahead, the Holsworthy Radio Rally will take place on the 7th of November at Holsworthy Leisure Centre. Doors open at 10 am. Several rallies have been cancelled, as previously publicised. The Galashiels Rally, scheduled to take place on the 24th of October is cancelled. The Bushvalley ARC rally due for the 7th of November has had to be cancelled. Finally, the Bishop Auckland RAC rally due to be held on the 28th of November is now planned for 2022.   Now the DX news John, W2GD will be active as P40W from Aruba, SA-036, between the 18th and 25th of October. QSL via Logbook of The World, or direct only to N2MM. A team will be active as 3DA0WW from Eswatini, or Swaziland, until the 26th of October. They will operate CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 using Fox & Hound mode on the 10 to 160m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or direct to YL2GN.   Now the Special Event news From the 25th of October, British Railways ARS members Mark, G1PIE and Pam, 2E1HQY will be operating GB0LMR as part of the 55th anniversary year. Operations will be from Preston in Lancashire and 40m will be the main band. More at brars.info. From the 6th of October through to the 2nd of November, West of Scotland ARS will be running a special event station GB4GDS, celebrating 90 years of the Guide Dog Association. More information about the station can be found at www.wosars.club. Dundee ARC will be active as part of the Jamboree On The Air weekend. They will be using HF and VHF, so if you hear them please give them a call. Cray Valley Radio Society will be active as GB75CV until the 29th of October to celebrate its 75th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS and Logbook of The World only.   Now the contest news When operating in contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following relevant pandemic-related government recommendations. This weekend, the Worked All Germany contest ends its 24-hour run at 1500UTC today, the 17th. Using SSB and CW on the contest bands between 3.5 and 28MHz, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations will also send DOK. Today, the 17th, there are four contests taking place. The first is the 50MHz AFS contest, between 0900 and 1300UTC, using all modes and the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Stations in the UK and Commonwealth Dependencies also exchange the first two letters of their postcode. The second contest is 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. The IRTS 40m Daytime Counties Contest runs from 1200 to 1300UTC and is the third contest on the 17th. It uses CW and SSB and the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations will also send their County code. Finally, for today, the second Rolling Locator, or RoLo, contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. It is CW-only on the 3.5MHz band. The exchange is the signal report and the rolling locator. On Monday, the eighth FT4 Series contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC on the 80m band. The exchange is a report and a 4-character locator. The 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place between 1900 and 2130UTC on Tuesday. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend, the UK EI Contest Club DX SSB contest runs between 1200UTC on Saturday to 1200UTC on Sunday. Using the contest bands between 3.5 and 28MHz, the exchange is signal report, which is optional, serial number and your district code.   Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 15th of October. Last week saw a mixed bag in terms of HF propagation with good conditions at times, but horrendous conditions mid-week after a coronal mass ejection saw the Kp index shoot up to six. Matter from the CME, which was accompanied by an M1.6 solar flare on the 9th of October, hit the Earth in the early hours of the 12th. A geomagnetic storm then ensued and the widespread visible aurora was reported at high latitudes. On Tuesday MUFs were affected adversely with maxima over a 3,000km path down from 28MHz to less than 14MHz at times during the day. By Thursday, and with the Kp index back down to between zero and two, signals had recovered to near-normal levels, with a maximum daytime critical frequency of 7.125MHz being recorded on the Chilton Digisonde, which equates to more than 27MHz over a 3,000km path. This does go to show that we can expect more CMEs, and poorer conditions at times, as we head towards the solar maximum in a few years' time. Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the range 85-90 with a maximum Kp index of four on the 19th. So make the most of the Autumnal HF conditions and work as high in frequency as you can to minimise D-layer absorption.   And now the VHF and up propagation news. The coming week's weather will change to mixed and unsettled, with little chance of Tropo propagation, caused by periods of rain, showers and strong winds. At best we can hope for some rain scatter activity. The exact time when these changes of type occur in our weather patterns is one of the hardest for the models to get right, but at the moment most suggest Sunday night into Monday. Since the autumn is typically a good season for auroras, perhaps some warbling auroral notes will return again after last week when plenty of auroral QSOs were reported on 144MHz. Sadly for the UK, they were almost exclusively for the more northerly Nordic countries. A few northern UK stations, namely G4KUX, MI0XXZ and GM4VVX reported a few auroral CW QSOs on the 12th. The 21st sees the peak of the Orionids meteor shower with a ZHR of 15. Orionids are pieces of Comet 1P/Halley, famously known as Halley's comet. Add this to two small meteor showers, the Epsilon Geminids with a ZHR of three peaking on the 18th, and the Leonis Minoris with a ZHR of two peaking on the 24th, next week should be good for meteor scatter enthusiasts. Moon declination goes positive again on Monday so we'll see the Moon reaching higher elevations at its zenith. Path losses are still increasing as we are past perigee. A seasonal reminder from the team to do your end of summer check on those antenna ropes and fixings before we see too many windy days. And that's all from the propagation team this week.    

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow #LondonCalling:  The Orionids of Halley's Comet soon over Britain. @JosephSternberg @WSJOpinion https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/0/orionid-meteor-shower-2021-when-time-peak-uk-date-where/ The second meteor shower this month, it occurs when Earth passes through debris left by Halley's Comet - arguably the most famous comet. While this shower is not quite as visible as others, you can maximise your chances by travelling to dark and rural locations during the peak.

The Astronomy, Technology, and Space Science News Podcast.SpaceTime Series 24 Episode 115*All systems go for the launch of LUCY's mission to the Trojan asteroidsMission managers at NASA say all systems are go for this week's launch of the LUCY spacecraft which will explore Jupiter's mysterious Trojan asteroids.*Binar-1 now in orbitCurtin University's Binar-1 spacecraft has been released into orbit from the International Space Station.*Say Hello to the Arids meteor showerOctober is already a busy month with three major meteor shows The Draconids, The Taurids and The Orionids, now there could be a fourth – say hello to the Arids meteor shower.*The Science ReportScience highest awards the Nobel Prizes in Physics Chemistry and Medicine awarded in Stockholm.The number of threatened Australian native bee species increase by nearly five hundred percent.New studies show dogs learn names as fast as 1 year old kids.Skeptic's guide to the sort of people who believe in nutty conspiracy theories.For more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ If you love this podcast, please get someone else to listen too. Thank you…Sponsor Details:This episode is brought to you with the support of NameCheap…cheap domain names is just the beginning of your own online presence. We use them and we love them. Get our special deal…just visit: https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com/namecheap and help support the show.For more SpaceTime visit https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com (mobile friendly). For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode: https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/blog/ RSS feed: https://rss.acast.com/spacetime Email: mailto:SpaceTime@bitesz.comTo receive the Astronomy Daily Newsletter free, direct to your inbox...just join our mailing list at www.bitesz.com or visit https://www.bitesz.com/p/astronomy-daily/https://bitesz.com

You may want to check for clear skies the evenings of October 6-10. That is because the Draconids Meteor Shower will be putting on its annual show. It is not one of the better meteor showers, but if we have comfortable temperatures and the skies are clear, it is worth checking out.

Halley’s Comet won’t return to the inner solar system for another four decades. But it makes its presence known tonight with a meteor shower. The shower isn’t named for the comet, though. Instead, it’s named for the region of sky in which its meteors appear to “rain” into the atmosphere — the constellation Orion. A meteor shower takes place when Earth flies through the orbital path of a comet, which is a big ball of frozen water and gases mixed with bits of rock and dirt. As the comet gets close to the Sun, some of the ices vaporize, releasing some of the solid particles. Over time, these bits of dust spread out along the comet’s path. Halley has made many trips around the Sun, so it’s shed a lot of debris. The comet dust has spread out all along its orbit. Earth flies through this path every October. As the particles hit the atmosphere they vaporize, forming the incandescent streaks known as meteors. The Orionids are pretty reliable, although not usually spectacular. At their peak, they produce a couple of dozen meteors per hour. This year’s shower will be at its best tonight, although a few Orionids punctuate the sky for several nights after the peak. The Moon is a crescent in the early evening sky tonight, so it sets well before the shower starts to speckle the night — providing dark skies for the “calling cards” of Halley’s Comet. Tomorrow: the Moon and some bright companions in the evening sky. Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

The Orionids are here! Halley's Comet brings us a reliable meteor shower with favourable conditions.

GB2RS NEWS Sunday the 18th of October 2020 The news headlines: Behind the scenes of RSGB Convention Bath Distance Learning places available 146MHz experiment to continue The RSGB Online Convention took place last week and was a huge success, with top-notch talks by many of the world’s leading amateurs. The two simultaneous live lecture streams were viewed by people in 24 countries. Over the coming weeks, the RSGB will release the individual presentations via its YouTube channel, so you can catch up on any you missed. In the meantime, you can see a video that shows just how much work the technical team were doing in the background to make the streams go smoothly. That video is at www.rsgb.org/convention and you can find all of the RSGB YouTube videos via www.youtube.com/theRSGB. We recently announced that the Bath Distance Learning Team was resuming its work. There are still a very few places available on the Intermediate course that will run from November this year to March 2021. To open availability as widely as possible the deadline for applications has been extended until this Friday, the 23rd of October. Students receive weekly work packages via a virtual classroom and have access to weekly tutorials and revision quizzes. They also have a remote tutor who provides feedback and additional guidance when required. The course is free, though a refundable £30 deposit is required to secure a place. For full details, and an application form, contact the team leader Steve, G0FUW, via email to g0fuw@tiscali.co.uk. This is a great opportunity for Foundation holders to upgrade their knowledge and licence. All Notices of Variation for the temporary 146 to 147MHz band expire on the 31st of October. Ofcom have agreed to make the frequencies available for a further year. To take advantage of this band, you will need to apply online for a new Notice of Variation even if you have held one before. Go to www.rsgb.org/nov and select the 146 and 147MHz NoV link. The NoV is issued free and is available to all UK Full licence holders. As a reminder, the band is intended for technical and experimental work. It should not be used for modes or operations that normally take place in the 144 to 146MHz band. The IARU Region 1 Virtual General Conference concluded on Friday. The plenary saw numerous recommendations across a wide range of General, HF, VHF, UHF, microwave and EMC matters, including Youth and Spectrum issues. The RSGB was a leading contributor and was pleased with the success of its proposals. Barry Lewis, G4SJH was elected as the new Chair for IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, succeeding David Court, EI3IO. Overall, the online format enabled a great team effort across all our volunteers. A fuller report will be available in due course via the IARU Region 1 website. The British Amateur Television Club is holding its virtual Convention next Saturday, the 24th of October. Known as CAT 20, proceedings start at 10 am and will incorporate a series of talks. These will include details of the hugely popular BATC Portsdown digital ATV transmitter and its accompanying receiver, the Ryde. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned ATVer there will be something for everyone in this fascinating exciting part of the hobby. You can watch the action free via the live stream at https://batc.org.uk/live/cat20 The UNESCO International Day of Persons with Disabilities takes place on the 3rd of December. If you are planning any amateur radio activity in support of the Day, IARU would like to hear from you so they can publish details on the IARU Region 1 website. The co-ordinator is Thomas, HB9FXU and further information will appear at www.iaru-r1.org/about-us/committees-and-working-groups/ipha/  The RSGB will once again be participating in the annual YOTA Month activities in December. Normally we would encourage large youth groups, schools, Scouting associations and amateur radio clubs to participate. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will not be encouraging large group events. We do hope that smaller groups will be able to participate in the event, whilst remaining within national and local guidelines. GB20YOTA will be available for Full licence holders to book an appointment slot within a set calendar. This calendar will be available on the GB20YOTA QRZ.com page for you to choose when you want to operate. All operations should be focused with the intention to get young people on the air. To register your interest or to reserve an operating slot contact Jamie, M0SDV, via email to yota.month@rsgb.org.uk. Now the special event news Marking the design project for the next 50 years for the United Arab Emirates, members of the Emirates Amateur Radio Society will activate the special callsigns A6050Y from their club station in Sharjah and A6050Y/1-9 from nine different members’ stations until the end of October. Now the DX news John, W2GD will be active as P40W from Aruba Island, IOTA SA-036, from the 20th to the 27th of October. He will operate on 160 to 10m, including activity in CQ WW DX SSB Contest. QSL via N2MM direct, or Logbook of The World. Jeff, VP9/N1SNB will be active from Bermuda, NA-005, from the 21st to the 26th of October. He will operate on HF and take part in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest, in the Single Operator All Band Low Power Category. QSL via his home call. Wolf, DM2AUJ, Guenter, DL2AWG, Peter, DL3APO, Rainer, DL2AMD, Werner, DJ9KH and Franz, DL9GFB are QRV as Z66DX until the 28th of October. Activity will be with three stations active on the 160 to 10m bands using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via DL2AWG. Philippe, F1DUZ is active from Guadeloupe as FG4KH from the shack of FG5FI until the 5th of November. QSL via home call. Now the contest news Please remember to check before the contest for new rules due to lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world. The RSGB strongly advises obeying your own national and local government’s advice first and foremost, especially in the instance of local lockdowns. The Worked All Germany contest ends its 24-hour run at 1500UTC today, Sunday. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with German stations sending DOK. The 50MHz AFS contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC today. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the second RoLo contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. This is CW only on the 80m band and the exchange is signal report and a rolling locator. Today also sees the UK Microwave group’s 24-76GHz contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Monday sees the RSGB FT4 series continue. Running from 1900 to 2030UTC on the 80m band in FT4 mode only, the exchange is your locator, using NA VHF Contest format. On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UKAC takes place from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend it’s the CQWW DX SSB contest. Running from 0000UTC on the 24th to 2359 on the 25th, it’s SSB-only on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands. The exchange is signal report and Zone, which is 14 for the UK. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 16th of October. We had a little flurry of solar activity last week, but it didn’t amount to much. Region 2775 decayed to a spotless plage and didn’t contribute at all after Tuesday the 13th. A new region began forming while on the far side of the Sun and has turned into view off the east limb. The new region has been assigned active region 2776 and, while a few spots are currently visible, so far only minor B-class solar flares have been detected. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet, with the Kp index fluctuating between zero and one. This was due to a lack of coronal hole activity, which meant the solar wind was subdued, generally keeping below 300km/s. As a result, HF conditions have been quite good, with lots of DX being reported by CDXC members. Patrice, FK8HA in New Caledonia has been reported on 15m SSB, as has Mike, 5H3EE in Tanzania on 15m CW. October can also be a good month for 40m contacts into Australia and New Zealand. A number of contacts have been logged and Predtest.uk shows that 0600-0700hrs is probably best for a long-path contact; 1300-1600hrs might favour a short-path one. Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain around 70, but the Kp index may rise, probably due to a returning coronal hole. It predicts a Kp index of four on the 20th and unsettled geomagnetic conditions which may peak around the 25th-26th with a Kp index of six. So the conclusion is, make the most of the HF this weekend as the predicted conditions are likely to be poor for the rest of next week. Otherwise, look for auroral contacts on 10m next weekend. And now the VHF and up propagation news. This is a tricky week to predict, but hopefully with some chance of Tropo. The VHF highlight though is the peak of the Orionids meteor shower on the morning of the 21st. With a ZHR of 20, it’s one of the larger ones of the year. The shower is already underway and runs from about October 2 to November 7. It’s caused by the stream of debris left behind by Comet Halley. On the Tropo front, we ended last week with high pressure occupying much of the country and offering a chance of paths primarily between the UK and France plus across the North Sea to southern Scandinavia and Baltic. Early next week a low tracks south-east from Iceland towards Denmark and introduces colder showery weather and a good prospect for rain scatter with heavy showers over the adjoining coastal waters. After mid-week, a new high builds in from the west and leaves us in high-pressure Tropo weather to finish the week. The Moon’s declination is negative all week reaching a minimum on Wednesday, so Moon visibility windows are short. The maximum Moon elevation in South-East England is just 12 degrees and, as we passed perigee last Friday night, path losses will increase. The 144MHz sky noise is high until the end of this week, above 2600 kelvin on Wednesday, so, all in all, it is a poor week for EME. Finally, keep an eye out for auroral propagation due to the predicted disturbed Sun. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

Episode 104 In this episode of the Observers Notebook podcast, host Tim Robertson talks to the Meteor Section Coordinator, Bob Lunsford about the upcoming Orionids meteor shower peaking the evening of October 20/21 2020. Bob gives us a brief history of the Meteor Shower, how and where to observe and details on reporting your observations, and contact information. You can contact Bob at: lunro.imo.usa@cox.net The link for the details on the Orionids meteor shower: https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ International Meteor Organization https://www.imo.net/ For the latest information from the ALPO Meteor Section you can visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/ For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: www.alpo-astronomy.org/ You can also support this podcast at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2 I want to thank the Producer of this podcast, Steve Siedentop and Michael Moyer for their generous support of the Observers Notebook. Our Patreons: Jerry White Jason Inman Matt Will Steve Seidentop Matthew Benton Ken Poshedly Stephen Bennett Michael Moyer Shawn Dilles Frank Schenck Damian Allis Charles White

Learn about the scientific reasons why people either love or hate horror movies; the surprising way life expectancy affects population growth; and, where you can catch the Orionids meteor shower this weekend. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Here's the Scientific Reason Why Some People Love Horror Movies (and Others Hate Them) — https://curiosity.im/31WAznN  Improving World Health Will Reduce Overpopulation, Not Make It Worse — https://curiosity.im/2ppd8VC  How to Watch the Orionids Meteor Shower in 2019 — https://curiosity.im/2lvZ7nx  Please nominate Curiosity Daily for Best Technology & Science Podcast in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! It's free and only takes a minute. Thanks so much! https://awards.discoverpods.com/nominations/

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Episode 79 In this episode of the Observers Notebook podcast, host Tim Robertson talks to the Meteor Section Coordinator, Bob Lunsford about the upcoming Orionids Meteor Shower peaking the mornings of October 21/22 2019. Bob gives us a brief history of the Meteor Shower, how and where to observe and details on reporting your observations, and contact information. You can contact Bob at: lunro.imo.usa@cox.net The ALPO Meteor Section link for the 2019 Orionids http://www.alpo-astronomy.org/meteorblog/?p=230 For the latest information from the ALPO Meteor Section you can visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/ All Sky Camera: https://allskycams.com/ For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: www.alpo-astronomy.org/ You can also support this podcast at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2 I want to thank the Producer of this podcast, Steve Siedentop for his generous support of the Observers Notebook.

Download Episode! The Discussion: Paul has snubbed the show to do astronomy on TV so we’re keeping our spirits up with tales of AstroCamp and the inspirational Libby Jackson from the UK Space Agency. Jeni updates us with the progress of her PhD and invites you all along to her Q&A session at Cardiff Book Talk on 22nd October, before Ralph runs through listeners’ emails The News: With 3 minutes to round up the astronomy news stories you might have missed, we overshoot the time constraints by about 70%: Jeni: JAXA and NASA are exploring asteroids Jupiter’s magnetic field gives us yet more surprises Saturn’s hexagonal Jetstream appears to be hovering More ‘research’ trying to get Pluto reclassified… again. Ralph: Hubble & BUFFALO image of gravitationally lensing galaxy cluster An unusual ring of black holes (or neutron stars) in a distant galaxy The galactic wind in the early universe The 3rd Magellanic Cloud. The big news story: TESS finds its first exoplanet, amidst a little astro-controversy. The Sky Guide: Jeni and Ralph take you through their picks of the night sky in October: Ralph covers our solar system: October 8th gives us the peak of the Draconids meteor shower October 21st gives us the peak of the Orionids meteor shower. Jeni takes a look into the deep sky: Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy Messier 34, open cluster in Perseus Imaging target, the Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia. The main event: Uranus reaches opposition on 23rd October and we run through some Uranus factoids and tell you what to expect from the ice giant. Q&A: Listeners’ questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we look at distance metrics: Which point in other galaxies do astronomers measure galactic distances to, the galactic core or the edge? From Steve Brown in Yorkshire

El Podcast #32 de nuestra serie corre a cargo de Derk, esperamos que lo disfrutéis. DERK ( De Profundiis ) Dj, productor y label manager en De Profundiis Records, artista con influencias en Detroit, Basic Channel, Ambient de los 90, música minimalista, etc… . Su música, sus sets y directos están especializados en la vertiente Deep Techno, Dub, Drone, Ambient, con toques de World Music... Su recorrido como Dj a nivel nacional es bien extenso, habiendo actuado en diversas salas, espacios de arte, museos y festivales, y como productor firmando en varios sellos del país y alguno internacional. En la actualidad cuenta con varios proyectos como Conflation Port dedicado a la música ambient y downtempo; es miembro de los grupos Uanamani y Orionids, y junto a un amigo gestiona “De Profundiis” , sello que publica en vinilo y digital, y que pronto publicará la tercera referencia llamada Ciudad Pirata y firmada por Uanamani. Enlaces: https://soundcloud.com/disla-derk https://soundcloud.com/deprofundiis https://soundcloud.com/uanamani https://soundcloud.com/conflation-port

El Podcast #32 de nuestra serie corre a cargo de Derk, esperamos que lo disfrutéis. DERK ( De Profundiis ) Dj, productor y label manager en De Profundiis Records, artista con influencias en Detroit, Basic Channel, Ambient de los 90, música minimalista, etc… . Su música, sus sets y directos están especializados en la vertiente Deep Techno, Dub, Drone, Ambient, con toques de World Music... Su recorrido como Dj a nivel nacional es bien extenso, habiendo actuado en diversas salas, espacios de arte, museos y festivales, y como productor firmando en varios sellos del país y alguno internacional. En la actualidad cuenta con varios proyectos como Conflation Port dedicado a la música ambient y downtempo; es miembro de los grupos Uanamani y Orionids, y junto a un amigo gestiona “De Profundiis” , sello que publica en vinilo y digital, y que pronto publicará la tercera referencia llamada Ciudad Pirata y firmada por Uanamani. Enlaces: https://soundcloud.com/disla-derk https://soundcloud.com/deprofundiis https://soundcloud.com/uanamani https://soundcloud.com/conflation-port

Dawn pairing of Jupiter and Venus, Moon shines near star clusters, meteor activity all month long

Dawn pairing of Jupiter and Venus, Moon shines near star clusters, meteor activity all month long

Dodger excitement in the air, Weinstein scandal continues with two new allegations, Ding or Dong, San Diego mom sold drugs to her daughter's classmates, David Vasay of KLAC Dodger Talk in-studio, and Dr Krupp of Griffith Observatory talks Orionids

Episode 28 In this episode of the Observers Notebook podcast, host Tim Robertson talks to the Meteor Section Coordinator, Bob Lunsford about the upcoming Orionids Meteor Shower peaking the morning of October 22 2017. Bob gives us a brief history of the Meteor Shower, how and where to observe and details on reporting your observations, and contact information. You can contact Bob at: lunro.imo.usa@cox.net The ALPO Metoer Section link for the 2017 Orionids http://www.alpo-astronomy.org/meteorblog/?p=171 The link for the details on the Orionids meteor shower: https://www.amsmeteors.org/2017/10/meteor-activity-outlook-for-october-14-20-2017/ For the latest information from the ALPO Meteor Section you can visit: http://www.amsmeteors.org/ For more information you can visit the ALPO web site at: www.alpo-astronomy.org/ You can also support this podcast at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ObserversNotebook Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/observersnotebook Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/observers-notebook-the-alpo-podcast/id1199301885?mt=2

What to look out, and up, for in October. This month we take a look at the constellation of Perseus the Hero for the beginners guide – we begin with the Alpha Persei Cluster around bright star Mirfak, swing by Algol, the Demon Star, and finish up with the Double Cluster – arguably the finest cluster (or clusters) in the Northern Hemisphere. Next we round up the planets that are visible in October: Uranus & Neptune are still hanging on while Mars, Jupiter and Venus combine to make some stunning planetary conjunctions most of the month. We bring you the month’s moon phases and two meteor showers – the Draconids and the Orionids. Then, for our deep sky challenge, we take a look at one of the finest globular clusters in the northern hemisphere, a galaxy that’s thought to be a mirror image of our own Milky Way, a grouping of five galaxies and the brightest galaxy of them all, Andromeda, as we tour the adjacent constellations of Andromeda & Pegasus.

How do tornadoes form on the Sun? Why does Jupiter enhance our Meteor showers? And how can pulsars be used as a deep space positioning system? This month's Naked Astronomy comes from the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting, held this year at the University of Manchester. We'll hear how Juno hopes to probe beneath the surface of Jupiter, find out how a cloud of carbon gives us clues about star formation in the early universe, and explore how astronomers have helped archaeologists to understand a standing stone over 4000 years old... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do tornadoes form on the Sun? Why does Jupiter enhance our Meteor showers? And how can pulsars be used as a deep space positioning system? This month's Naked Astronomy comes from the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting, held this year at the University of Manchester. We'll hear how Juno hopes to probe beneath the surface of Jupiter, find out how a cloud of carbon gives us clues about star formation in the early universe, and explore how astronomers have helped archaeologists to understand a standing stone over 4000 years old... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript: On a typical night you can see about one or two meteors per hour. Certain days of the year, however, the frequency goes up and you can see several per minute. These famous meteor showers are identified by the constellation in which they appear to come from. The most prominent meteor showers around the calendar year are the Lyrids which occur in the morning of April 21, the Perseids on the morning of August 12, the Draconids on the evening of October 10, the Orionids on the morning of October 21, the Taurids around midnight on November 7, the Leonids in the morning of November 16, and the Geminids in the morning of December 12.

Transcript: On a typical night you can see about one or two meteors per hour. Certain days of the year, however, the frequency goes up and you can see several per minute. These famous meteor showers are identified by the constellation in which they appear to come from. The most prominent meteor showers around the calendar year are the Lyrids which occur in the morning of April 21, the Perseids on the morning of August 12, the Draconids on the evening of October 10, the Orionids on the morning of October 21, the Taurids around midnight on November 7, the Leonids in the morning of November 16, and the Geminids in the morning of December 12.

Chapter 9 of Santa & the PigwidgenWeather: -9 degrees Celsius. Orionids meteor shower visible in the eastTraffic: Bale of reindeer feed blocking Ice-80 WestNews: Snowman Building Contest this Friday with proceeds benefitting the St. Nicholas Children's Hospital