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GB2RS News Sunday the 7th of July 2024   The news headlines: A revised Direct to Full examination syllabus has been released The RSGB has announced its representative for the 2024 YOTA camp The RSGB British Science Week Time challenge is an opportunity for constructors The new amateur radio licence has now been in effect for a few months and changes to the licence conditions have necessitated revision to the examination syllabus. Tony Kent, G8PBH, who is the RSGB Examinations Standards Committee Chair, has announced that he is pleased to release version 2.0 of the Direct to Full syllabus, including these revisions. Compared to the version in current use, the only section that has seen major changes is Section 1: “Licensing and station identification”. Section 2: “Operating practices and procedures” has seen some minor changes, for example with regard to suffixes. The RSGB will begin examining to version 2.0 of the syllabus on the 1st of October 2024. It will not be taking any bookings for Direct to Full examinations to take place in September. You can find the syllabus on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/direct-to-full The RSGB is pleased to announce that it will be represented at this summer's Youngsters on the Air camp by Rhys Williams, M0WGY / AJ6XD. The event, which is organised by the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club, will be held between the 16th and 23rd of August 2024 in Prague, Czechia. Rhys is currently studying aerospace engineering at Cambridge University and is going on to do a PhD in engineering at Oxford University from September. He says he has found a lot of joy in the building aspect of amateur radio and enjoys contesting with his university amateur radio club. Find out more about Rhys and this inspirational annual YOTA camp on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/yota-camp Are you looking for your next construction challenge? Then the RSGB British Science Week Time challenge could be for you. The task is to provide a method of either measuring the frequency of a radio frequency source or signal or providing a time reference to a radio operator or radio system. You must use readily available components, materials or other resources. The activity is open to all ages and is divided into three categories: under 18 or still in school; under 21 or an undergraduate up to the age of 23; and a category with no age restriction. You can enter as an individual or as a group. The winner of each category will win a prize of £150 with the winners being announced at this year's RSGB Convention in October. The deadline for entries is the 1st of September. You can find out more, including how to enter, by visiting rsgb.org/bsw and selecting the ‘Time-related challenge' link under the BSW24 header. Don't forget you can get involved in the new GR2HQ Challenge next weekend, the 13th and 14th of July, as part of the IARU HF World Championship contest. You can take part as individuals but also benefit your club, so why not encourage your club members to take part whether they are regular contesters or not? During the contest, Headquarters Stations represent their countries and the RSGB's station GR2HQ will be run by a network of about a dozen stations around the UK and islands. You will be able to submit your log, including QSOs with GR2HQ, to the RSGB contest robot for the GR2HQ Challenge. If you include your club or group name when you submit your log, each QSO with GR2HQ will count towards an aggregate score for your club or team. You can read more in the June RadCom feature on the GR2HQ Challenge and you can see the rules on the RSGB website at thersgb.org/go/gr2hq TX Factor has released its latest episode in which there is a look at the IC-R15 communications receiver, the latest offering from Icom. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR discuss how best to configure the Anytone BT-01 Bluetooth microphone with the Anytone AT-D578, which will be a boon for mobile operating. Finally, there is the second part of a feature on operating via the QO-100 satellite with the Groundstation 2 from DX Patrol. Watch this and previous episodes on the TX Factor website at txfactor.co.uk or on its YouTube channel. A reminder that the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is tomorrow, Monday the 8th of July when Hans Summers, G0UPL from QRP Labs will give a presentation on the QMX+ multi-mode 160 to 6m transceiver kit design and features. This is a great opportunity to find out more and ask questions live on the night. You can watch on the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more about the webinar on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/webinars  And now for details of rallies and events Barford Radio Rally is taking place today, the 7th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Norwich, NR9 4AB. The doors open at 9 am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry is £2.50 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. To read more about the event visit norfolkamateurradio.org or email David, G7URP via radio@dcpmicro.com The Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is also taking place today, the 7th, at Penair School, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN. The doors open at 10.30 am and admission costs £3. Traders bring and buy, club stalls, car parking and catering are all available on-site. Contact Ken, G0FIC on 01209 821073 for more information. Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will take place next Sunday the 14th, at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridgeshire, CB22 6RN. The doors open at 9.30 am for visitors and at 7.30 am for traders. The event features a car boot sale, talk-in, trade stands, clubs and a bring-and-buy area. A free marshalled car park and burger van will be available on site. For more information visit cambridgerepeaters.net and click on the Rally tab. Also on Sunday the 14th, the Lincoln Short Wave Club Summer Rally is taking place at Rasen Festival Hall, Caistor Road, LN8 3HT. The doors open at 10 am and entry will cost £3. Hot refreshments and ample free car parking will be available. More information, including contact details, is available via tinyurl.com/LSWC2024 The McMichael Radio and Electronics Rally and Car Boot Sale is also taking place on Sunday the 14th of July. The venue will be Reading Rugby Club, Holme Park, Sonning Lane, Reading, RG4 6ST. The doors open at 9 am for visitors and at 8 am for traders. Refreshments and ample parking will be available. For more information visit mcmichaelrally.org.uk  Now the Special Event news Special callsign OR100LGE is used by members of Liege Radio Club, ON5VL throughout 2024 to celebrate the Club's 100th anniversary. Look for activity on the 160 to 6m bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via ON6YH. QSOs will also be uploaded to Club Log. SK100FRK is the special callsign in use by the Falu Radio Club, SK4AO to celebrate the 100th anniversary since it was founded. The station will be active until the end of 2024 and details of an available award can be found at QRZ.com  Now the DX news Bo, OZ1DJJ is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 16th of July. He is QRV on the 6 and 4m bands, as well as on the HF bands, often using FT8. QSL via OZ0J. Zsolt, HA8PX is active as S79/HA8PX from Mahe, AF-024, in the Seychelles until Wednesday the 10th of July. He operates mainly CW, but also some SSB and FT8, on various bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or directly.  Now the contest news VHF National Field Day started at 1400 UTC on Saturday the 6th of July and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 7th of July. Using all modes on the VHF bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 7th, the 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1100 to 1500 UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 9th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 10th, the 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Wednesday the 10th, the 80m Club Championship Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 11th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The IARU HF World Championship starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 13th of July and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 14th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and ITU zone. On Sunday the 14th, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz Contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24, 47 and 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 4th of July 2024 After a rough spot last weekend, the Sun has since behaved itself, allowing HF propagation to get back to normal. To recap, the Kp index hit 7.67 on Friday the 28th of June, thanks to incoming plasma from a coronal mass ejection. For a time, it looked like we might have a repeat performance of the 10th of May when the Kp index hit 9 and there was a visible aurora across the UK. This time around, however, conditions calmed down again and 24 hours later the Kp index was back to 2.33. Since then, the Sun has remained calm with only two M-class and zero X-class flares, and the Kp index is back in the 1 to 3 range. This means that the ionosphere has had a chance to build up and we have been seeing MUFs over a 3,000km path exceeding 21MHz and often reaching 24MHz. That's pretty good considering we are in the Summer HF doldrums. An analysis of the Sun's active sunspot regions shows that two are growing, five are declining and one is stable. WSPRNet.org shows that signals have been getting to the UK from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Far East on the 15m band, while 28MHz is still mainly open to short-hop Sporadic-E contacts across Europe. The solar flux index has declined over the past week and was sitting at 167 on Thursday the 4th of July. Next week, NOAA predicts it will remain around the 170 mark, with quiet geomagnetic conditions. However, solar flares and coronal mass ejections remain hard to predict so keep an eye on Solarham.com and Propquest.co.uk for a real-time view of solar and geomagnetic conditions. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather sequence to the end of next week is much like an autumn pattern in that the story is all about areas of low pressure, showers and weather fronts. None of this suggests that Tropo will be a feature of the weather. In fact, high-pressure systems simply do not appear on the charts at all. We can leave rain scatter on the list and, since it is technically summer, or meant to be, there is a lot of energy in any showers. Indeed, some may be heavy and thundery and are probably good rain-scatter candidates. Meteor scatter, in the absence of major showers, is most likely around the dawn period when random meteors tend to be more prevalent. The solar conditions continue to offer much variability and it is always worth checking for elevated Kp index values, which can be a signal for aurora to occur. As a general guide check the bands when Kp reaches 5 or higher. The Sporadic-E season continues, although recently there have been some higher-than-ideal Kp indices, which unlike for aurora need to be at lower values, say below a Kp index of 3, for ideal Sporadic-E conditions. The other ingredient that tends to promote Sporadic-E is the presence of jet streams in the upper atmosphere around 10 to 15km up. It is believed that these can generate atmospheric gravity waves that can propagate up to the E region at 110km where they become part of the process for making Sporadic-E. This unsettled autumn-like weather is providing plenty of jet streams, so it continues to be worth checking for Sporadic-E. A quick look at the upper air pattern suggests that paths towards Scandinavia and the Baltic may be productive, and perhaps to Iberia later next week. Moon declination is close to maximum positive this coming weekend so Moon peak elevation will be high. Moon apogee is on Friday the 12th so EME path losses continue to increase. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.  And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 9th of June 2024  The news headlines: TX Factor is marking its tenth anniversary by launching its 30th episode Changes to the four-year planning rule in England Bath Based Distance Learning's next Full licence course is starting soon TX Factor is marking its tenth anniversary by launching its 30th episode. It looks at how radio technology has advanced since Marconi conducted some of his early transmissions. The episode includes the first of a two-part feature on operating via the QO-100 geostationary satellite with a look at the hardware and software needed to achieve your first QSO at home or out mobile. Bob, G0FGX reviews the FTM-500D which is the latest mobile transceiver from Yaesu and demonstrates the many advanced features of this versatile FM and digital rig. There is a visit to Sidmouth Amateur Radio Society which secured a derelict former sports social club from the local council and turned it into a community hub and the club's new QTH. Watch this interesting episode and don't miss out on the TX Factor free-to-enter draw with a chance to win three RSGB publications. You can see this and previous episodes on txfactor.co.uk The four-year planning rule has offered a degree of protection for antennas and masts that have been erected without planning permission. Under this rule any installations which had been installed and unchanged for four years or more were protected against planning enforcement action. However, as of the 25th of April 2024, this rule ceased to exist in its current form in England under changes introduced under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. The rule has been replaced by a more stringent ten-year period for the exemption from enforcement for residential dwellings. This change does not affect Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where the four-year rule will continue to apply. Any installation that was substantially completed before the introduction of the Act will still be subject to the four-year rule meaning, for most radio amateurs, the ten-year rule will not apply until the 24th of April 2028. For more information on planning matters visit rsgb.org/planning Bath Based Distance Learning's next Full licence course runs from August to December, with exams in January. There is no charge for the training, but applicants must work through some pre-course material and complete a quiz to be eligible for a place. To request full details, and an application form, please email Bath Based Distance Learning's Team Leader, Steve, G0FUW via g0fuw@bbdl.org.uk A reminder that the RSGB is asking radio amateurs to share their ideas on the theme of ‘change and adapt', as part of plans for British Science Week 2025. The event is run by the British Science Association and celebrates science, technology, engineering and maths. The 2025 theme offers a huge range of opportunities for creativity and discovery. Ideas could cover any area from construction to propagation, from making QSOs under supervision to space and satellites. This is a chance to show young people in schools, or anyone in your local community, just how interesting and enjoyable amateur radio can be. Please send ideas to the RSGB British Science Week Coordinator Ian Neal, M0KEO at bsw@rsgb.org.uk To find out more about the previous year's activities, or next year's theme, you can visit rsgb.org/bsw Don't forget that you have the opportunity to get even more out of your RSGB membership. If you recommend a friend who hasn't been an RSGB member during the last 12 months, you will both receive £10 cashback when they become a member paying by direct debit. Whether you're an individual RSGB member or an affiliated club, you can sign up as many friends as you like. Membership of the RSGB gives you a range of fantastic benefits so why not encourage others to join? Members have access to RadCom, exclusive online resources, RSGB award schemes and contests, as well as advice from the Society's specialist committees. The RSGB's representation to Ofcom and its ability to defend the spectrum nationally and internationally is more powerful through strength in numbers. Go to the special RSGB 'Join a friend' web page to find all the information you'll need to take advantage of this offer, including a link to the online form: rsgb.org/join-a-friend A new exhibition entitled 'What Happened Next' will open to the public on Friday the 14th of June in the Pye Building at the Cambridge Museum of Technology. It will explore the period after the Pye Group was acquired by Philips in 1967 and track the progress of these organisations up to the present day. More information on the Cambridge Museum of Technology is available at museumoftechnology.com  The 2024 Gateways on the Air event will take place between the 15th and 23rd of June. The event aims to promote and increase RF activity via UK simplex gateways. The event is hosted by the FreeSTAR International network and will feature special event stations GB0GOA and GB4GOA. Confirmed simplex gateways are listed at gota.org.uk CDXC: The UK DX Foundation is holding its annual DX Convention and dinner on the 20th of July. This year there will be a new venue: The Littlebury Hotel, Bicester, OX26 6DR. The CDXC AGM will be held at 11 am and there will be a series of talks in the afternoon. Mark, M0DXR will be speaking about WRTC 2026. Mike, G4WNC is covering all things SDR. Nigel, G3TXF will be discussing the impact of FT8 on DXpeditions. And Gregg, W6IZT will be describing the build and operation of his 'Rig in a Box' for DXpeditions. Non-members of CDXC are most welcome to come for the day and the evening dinner. Full details and booking information can be found by following the link on the CDXC homepage at cdxc.org.uk Do you live in the southeast of England and could you spare an hour on Sundays to help inform radio amateurs in your area? The GB2RS news service is looking for new volunteer newsreaders in Essex, London, and the counties to the south and southeast, ideally to broadcast on the 2m or 70cm bands using FM. RSGB members with Full or Intermediate licences, who have a good VHF or UHF station, are needed to help improve our coverage. There is flexibility in deciding a band, mode and time that would suit individual circumstances. If you are interested in finding out more about what the role entails, please contact the GB2RS News Manager, Steve Richards G4HPE, via gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk There is also more information on the RSGB website, at rsgb.org/gb2rsschedule And finally, don't forget to listen out for all the amateur stations that will be on the air during the Museums on the Air activity next weekend, the 15th and 16th.  For more information about the event visit tinyurl.com/IMW2024 And now for details of rallies and events The Junction 28 Radio Rally is taking place today, the 9th, at Alfreton Sports Centre, DE55 7BD, one mile from M1 Junction 28. The doors are open from 10.15 am and admission is £4. For more information visit snadarc.com or contact j28rally@snadarc.com The Mendips Rally is also taking place today, the 9th. The event is being held at Farrington Gurney Memorial Hall, Church Lane, Farrington Gurney, BS39 6UA. The doors are open from 9 am to 1 pm and admission is £2. Access for traders will be available from 7.30 am. Inside tables cost £8 and field pitches are £5 each. Hot and cold refreshments, and free car parking, are available on-site. For more information contact Luke at 07870 168 197 or email mendipsrally@hotmail.com The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Summer Rally is set to take place on Saturday the 15th of June at St Vincent de Paul's Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. The doors open at 10 am and entry will cost £3. The usual traders and caterers will be present and plenty of free parking will be available. All proceeds from this event will be donated to a local charity. Last year the organisers were able to donate £4,000 from rally sales and Silent Key donations to the Rochdale Springhill Hospice. For more information, email Dave, G3RIK at dave@cardens.me.uk The East Suffolk Wireless Revival, also known as the Ipswich Radio Rally, will be held on Sunday the 16th of June. The venue will be Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton, IP10 0PW, just off the A14. Doors open at 9.30 am and the entry fee for visitors is £3. The venue has free car parking and catering is available on site. For more information, contact Kevin, G8MXV on 07710 046 846 or visit eswr.org.uk  Now the Special Event News Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Radio Belgrade, members of the Belgrade Amateur Radio Club are active as YT100RB and YU1924RB until the 30th of November. For details of an available certificate, see yu1ano.org 9A100RKZ is the special callsign celebrating the 100th anniversary since Radioklub Zagreb was founded on the 24th of March 1924. The callsign will be active throughout 2024 and details of an award for contacting the station are available via QRZ.com  Now the DX news Dave, WJ2O is active as VP6DF from Pitcairn Island, OC-044, until tomorrow, the 10th of June. He is running low power and operating CW on the 40 to 10m bands. He may also operate on the 160 and 80m bands, depending on working conditions.  QSL via N2ZN and Logbook of the World. John, W5JON is active as V47JA from Saint Kitts, NA-104, until the 13th of June. He is operating SSB and FT8 on the HF and 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, or directly to W5JON. Now the contest news The IARU ATV Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 8th and ends at 1800UTC today, Sunday the 9th of June. Using TV on 432MHz and up frequencies, the exchange is a serial number, four-digit code and locator. More details on the rules for this contest are available at tinyurl.com/IARUATV Today, the 9th, the Practical Wireless 2m QRP Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. Using AM, FM, SSB, CW and a maximum of 5W on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the 9th, the 2nd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 0900 to 1300UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday the 10th, the 80m Club Championship will run from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 11th, the 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 11th, the 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 12th, 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 12th, 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 13th, the 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The 50MHz Trophy Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 15th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 16th of June. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 15th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 16th of June. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is your signal report and age. On Sunday the 16th, the Worked All Britain 6m Phone Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using phone on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. More information is available from the Worked All Britain website. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 6th of June 2024 It seems that we haven't had a repeat performance of the auroral conditions caused by active sunspot region 3697. For Aurora watchers, that could be a disappointment, but for HF lovers it means the bands have been quite settled. The Kp index has been at 3 and below, while the solar flux index has been consistently above 175 all week. As a result, HF conditions have been quite good with maximum usable frequencies over a 3,000km path being regularly over 21MHz and often 24MHz. It is always a good idea to operate on the highest HF band that is open as absorption decreases the higher you go. Meanwhile, Sporadic-E propagation brought interest to the 10m band with stations from all over Europe being workable for long periods, but more of that in the VHF report. On the 5th of June, a filament located in the northeast quadrant erupted. The event flung a coronal mass ejection into space that doesn't appear to be Earth-directed. But this shows that we are still in the danger zone for major solar events, and anything could happen. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around 175, but we expect some geomagnetic disruption today, the 9th of June, with a predicted Kp index of 4. Otherwise, solar conditions are predicted to be calm next week. So, if these conditions continue, this is a good time to make the most of the HF bands. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather pattern for the coming week is dominated by low pressure, which means there is unlikely to be any significant Tropo to speak of.  There will probably be several opportunities for those on the GHz bands to search for rain scatter. However, these events look to be moving showers or rain bands, which means that you'll need to be pretty agile with the rotator to keep on the scattering target. With the solar conditions continuing to keep the pot simmering it's not impossible that the Kp index could rise high enough to promote an aurora, but it's a low probability. The early part of June is well regarded for minor meteor events and should be worth a look for those using meteor scatter modes. There were several Sporadic-E openings early in the week that finish today, the 9th. Sporadic-E was reported up to the 2m band on a few occasions. Last Sunday, the 2nd, lasted up to three hours on the path from Eastern England down to the Italian peninsula. Events initially get picked up on the 10m band and then move up through the VHF bands of 6m, 4m and finally 2m as the Sporadic-E propagation strengthens. In this peak of the Sporadic-E season, the openings on the lower bands, such as 10 and 6m, can be present for much of the day and certainly quite late into the evening. Follow the weather patterns on the daily Sporadic-E blog on propquest.co.uk and you should be able to point in the right direction for an opening. Multi-hop paths to the Far East or the Americas require a good antenna like a beam, but single-hop European Sporadic-E propagation can be very strong, and any antenna will do the job. Moon declination is at its maximum this weekend for the DUBUS 10 and 24GHz EME contest, but EME path loss is rising. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of December 2021   The news headlines: Last News of 2021 Covid closes National Radio Centre Several days of SSTV from the ISS   This is the final GB2RS news reading for 2021 and we start with seasonal greetings to all newsreaders and listeners, both over the air and via other platforms, and not forgetting viewers of the ATV broadcast, which is available via several repeaters and kindly streamed via the batc.tv website, as well as those who receive this news via TX Factor or podcasts. We would like to take this opportunity once again to thank all those who read the news, in whatever format, for their tireless dedication to their fellow amateurs. A full GB2RS service will resume on the 9th of January. A Local News for the 2nd of January will be available on the RSGB website. In light of the rapidly increasing Covid-19 cases and the high transmission rates, the RSGB has reluctantly decided to close the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park temporarily until further notice. The situation will be reviewed in the New Year and announcements about re-opening made via GB2RS News, the RSGB website and social media. During the closure, the RSGB Members' voucher for free entry to the NRC will be taken offline. We apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience the closure may cause, but believe it to be in the best interests of the well-being of both volunteers and visitors. During this time the NRC weekday 80m net will be reactivated. The net takes place at 1030UTC on weekdays around 3.727MHz, plus or minus interference. Martyn, G0GMB, the NRC Coordinator, and the NRC volunteers look forward to speaking to as many amateurs as possible over the next few weeks. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station team will support Slow Scan TV transmissions from the International Space Station over the festive period. The images will be related to lunar exploration. Transmissions should be available worldwide on 145.800MHz FM, using SSTV mode PD120. Transmissions are set to start on the 26th of December at about 1825UTC and end on the 31st at about 1705UTC. The signal should be receivable on a handheld transceiver with a quarter-wave whip antenna. Use the widest filter for 25kHz channel spacing. For more information, go to ariss-sstv.blogspot.com. It is the final week of activation for GB21YOTA for Youngsters on the air. Today, the 26th, and again on the 28th, M0YTE will supervise M7FED using the callsign. On the 27th and 29th, Hilderstone Radio Society will be on the air. Then, on the 30th M0BOY will supervise M7OMY operating the YOTA callsign. Finally, on the 31st, it is M0YTE and M7FED operating on the last day of Youngsters on the Air for this year. The Sudan Amateur Radio Association supports their National Day on Saturday the 1st of January from 0000UTC to 2359UTC with amateur radio activities. Some amateur clubs team up to make a big splash with lots of actions, radios and antennas, offering a variety of modes to experience. For others, the National Day provides an opportunity to coach a smaller group of amateurs and to just have fun talking on the radio. You can email sudanamateur195662@yahoo.com for more details. RSGB HQ is closed for the holidays until 8.30 am on the 4th of January. During that time, if you need information about amateur radio, exams or RadCom you'll find lots of information on the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org. You could also contact your Regional Representative if you need local help, you can find their contact details on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/regional-team. And now for details of rallies and events Unless cancelled by Covid, the Sparkford Wireless Group Rally is due to take place on the 2nd of January at Davis Hall near Yeovil, BA22 7QX. There is free car parking; doors open from 9.30 am to 1 pm and admission is £2. Direct any enquiries to wjh069@gmail.com. Now is the perfect time to let us know your group's rally or event plans for 2022. Email radcom@rsgb.org.uk with details and we'll publicise your event for free in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. There are already over twenty rallies on the calendar for 2022. Now the DX news Tom, OE1TRI will be active holiday style as 8Q7TR from the Maldives, AS-013, from the 28th of December to the 3rd of January. He will run 20W on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m using SSB and FT8. QSL via OE1TRI; he does not use Club Log or Logbook of The World. Now the Special Event news Medway ARTS is putting GB6NU on the air on the 1st of January, celebrating their founder, the late Bill Nutton, G6NU. This is the first of several planned MARTS 2022 Centenary year celebrations. Further details of this event can be found on the GB6NU QRZ page. To mark 100 years of British broadcasting, the BBC will be putting on special events throughout 2022. As part of the celebrations, the staff amateur radio club, the BBC Radio Group, will be active throughout the year using the special callsign GB100BBC. Ofcom has kindly permitted operation from club members' home stations, as well as from BBC premises around the UK, and locations associated with BBC broadcasting such as transmitter sites. In addition to online QSL options, a traditional commemorative QSL card will be available via the bureau. View the GB100BBC page on QRZ.com for more information and look for GB100BBC on all bands and modes. Operations will commence on New Year's Day from the club shack in Broadcasting House, London. GB120MT is being operated by Chelmsford ARS to mark the first successful reception in Newfoundland from the Marconi transmission at Poldhu in Cornwall. The station will be on the air at various times until the 1st of January 2022. During the month of December, Welland Valley ARS is running special call signs GB1XMS, GB2XMS, GB5XMS and GB9XMS to celebrate Christmas and say farewell to 2021. QSL via operator's instructions. Now the contest news When operating in any contests, please keep yourself and fellow amateurs safe by following all relevant pandemic-related government rules. The Christmas Cumulatives take place between the 26th and the 29th of December from 1400 to 1600UTC each day. Using the 50 to 432MHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Today, the 26th of December, the DARC Christmas Contest runs from 0830 to 1100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. German stations also send DOK (club code) or NM (non-member). The Worked All Britain Christmas Party runs from the 26th of December to the 6th of January. Using all modes on any band, the exchange is your WAB book number. On the 1st of January, the IRTS 80m Daytime Counties contest runs from 1700 to 1800UTC. Using SSB and CW, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with EI and GI stations, also sending their County. On Saturday the 8th, the CW AFS contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The first session of the EUCW 160m CW Party is also on the 8th from 2000 to 2300UTC, with the second session on the 9th at 0400 to 0700UTC. The ARRL RTTY Round-up runs from 1800UTC on the 8th of January to 2359UTC on the 9th. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with US stations sending their State and Canadians their Province too. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Wednesday the 22nd of December Given that this report has to last two weeks it is difficult to be precise in terms of actual HF conditions. What we can say is that we are in turbulent times, with the solar flux index going up and down, and geomagnetic conditions subject to fluctuations as coronal holes and coronal mass ejections come and go. The NOAA forecast for the next two weeks is that the solar flux index may reduce as we go past Christmas, initially to the 90s and ultimately to the 80s as we head towards the 28th of December. NOAA also predicts we may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions on or around the 28th of December, possible due to the return of a coronal hole and its associated high-speed solar wind stream. This is very much a guesstimate as this recent crop of sunspots arrived with very little warning. In other words, anything could happen over the next two weeks. At the time of writing, there were two active regions on the Sun about to turn to be Earth-facing on the STEREO Ahead spacecraft imagery, but we will have to wait and see how they develop. What we do know is that mid-Winter is the best time for low-band propagation, so keep an eye on Top Band, 80 metres and 40 metres, which can all show signs of DX activity from afternoon onwards at this time of year. Meanwhile, the higher bands have come into their own with the SFI above 100. If it continues, do check on 12 and 10 metres as they can provide the lowest D-layer absorption and best DX, with some real surprises every now and again. For example, 10m has given quite a few contacts into Australia recently. And 12m has shown good conditions into the mid-west of the USA in the late afternoon before sunset. So until our regular bulletins start again in the New Year, have a very merry Christmas, a happy New Year and good DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The good tropo conditions just lasted until the 23cm UK Activity Contest last Tuesday, then a gradual advance of milder Atlantic air with weather fronts, rain and strong winds set the tone for the rest of the week. The general thrust of the milder air is limited and a battle between cold air to the north and mild to the south will split the country in two over the Christmas weekend. There will be snow in some places for Santa and probably not a lot of VHF propagation to distract him! As a long shot, it can sometimes be productive to beam parallel to a weather front, in this case, East to West. In the week between Christmas and New Year, there will be a period of calmer conditions with frosts and a weak ridge of high pressure; so a possible tropo window before the whole pattern returns to mild Atlantic unsettled conditions, but probably with snow on the leading edge. Finally, to restate last week's mention; this time of the year can produce surprising out of season Sporadic-E and, with some strong winter jet stream activity, it's worth a look. Favoured options are to Spain on Boxing Day and more generally to the south and south-east in the second half of the week towards the end of the month. Of course, there's always a chance of aurora and meteor scatter to keep you amused if the Sporadic-E doesn't materialise. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks overnight from the 2nd of January to the 3rd and can produce a ZHR of 50-100 with some big fireballs. The peak of activity is extremely narrow, lasting only a few hours. The Moon still has positive declination until the day after Boxing Day and perigee is on New Year's day, bringing lowest path losses. This day also has high 144MHz sky noise so EME is a bit of "swings and roundabouts" through the holiday period. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS NEWS Sunday the 27th of December 2020 The news headlines: Thanks and seasonal greetings Charity auction raises over £1000 New GB2RS News Manager appointed This is the final GB2RS news reading for 2020 and we start with seasonal greetings to all newsreaders and listeners, both over the air and via the internet recordings, and not forgetting viewers of the ATV broadcast, which is available via several repeaters and kindly streamed via the BATC.TV website, as well as those that get this news via TX Factor or podcasts. We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank all those that read the news, in whatever format, for their tireless dedication to their fellow amateurs. There will be an abbreviated news reading available for the 3rd of January, although it’s voluntary as the RSGB realises not all newsreaders will be available. A full GB2RS service will resume on the 10th of January. The RSGB is delighted that its charity auction for Get on the air for Christmas had a fantastic winning bid of £1,025.99. Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together said, “Thank you so much, Roy Bailey, for choosing to raise funds for NHS Charities Together in such a unique way. In addition, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the RSGB for kindly match-funding the winning bid. These funds mean we can continue to help NHS charities to support NHS staff, volunteers and patients at the centre of this crisis.” Get on the air for Christmas continues until the 9th of January and there are still many activities you can take part in. Go to the Society’s website at www.rsgb.org/gota4c. The RSGB Board has appointed Steve Richards, G4HPE as the new GB2RS Manager. A long-time GB2RS newsreader himself, Steve has had a lifelong career in broadcasting. He will start his new role in the New Year and can be contacted via email at gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk. RAYNET groups in several coastal areas have been on active standby in the last few days. In the South East in particular, groups have been ready to act alongside Local Resilience Forums to help with the lorry chaos caused by the temporary closure of the French border. In areas where there are large ports, groups have been preparing to offer assistance with difficulties envisaged with Brexit. These include working with other voluntary agencies conducting welfare checks on lorry drivers who may be in long queues, plus helping to ensure the distribution of vital supplies including Covid-19 vaccines. Several groups have activated wide-area communications systems, including one where the local authority has installed a new PMR system that some feel may not be adequate to cope with extreme call volumes. On the 2nd of January, the RSGB National Radio Centre plans to host the special event station GB2DAY, to help promote the well-established KW activity weekend. The NRC hopes to operate on both the 80 and 40m bands using its KW2000D – an incredibly rare prototype model that never made it into mainstream production at the KW Factory. The event will be held within appropriate Covid restrictions. An ARISS Slow Scan TV event is scheduled from the International Space Station for late December. This will be a special SSTV event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amateur Radio on ISS. The event is scheduled to begin on the 24th of December and continue through until the 31st of December. Dates are subject to change due to ISS operational adjustments. Listen out for Youngsters On The Air stations around the world. GB20YOTA will be operating until the end of December. The full calendar is shown on the GB20YOTA page on QRZ.com. The latest ICQ Podcast contains an update on the RSGB’s Get on the air for Christmas campaign as well as a wider look at amateur radio construction. The chat with Board Director Stewart Bryant, G3YSX; Construction Competition Lockdown Category winner Roy Bailey, G0VFS; and RSGB Communications Manager Heather Parsons starts at 1:18:15 in the ICQ Podcast episode. See https://tinyurl.com/icq-gota4c-update. RSGB HQ is closed for the Christmas and New Year until at 8.30 am on the 4th of January. During that time, if you need information about amateur radio, exams or RadCom you’ll find lots of information on the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org. The RSGB’s National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park is currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the special event news From the 1st to the 28th of January, GB4BLC will be operational from the QTH of G8GMU. Operation will take place on most bands and will include digital modes. This station is promoting the work of Lions Clubs International and amateur radio. Members and supporters of Denby Dale ARS are running special event stations to welcome the New Year from the end of December. They will be using callsigns GB – number – HNY. For more details see the QRZ.com entry for GB9HNY. Thurrock Acorns ARC members will be on the air as GB4XMS from the 20th of December to the 3rd of January. During the month of December, Welland Valley ARS members will be running GB1XMS, GB2XMS, GB5XMS and GB9XMS from their home shacks. QSL via eQSL and Logbook of The World. Now the DX news Kenji, JA4GXS will be active as JA4GXS/4 from Otsu Island, IOTA reference AS-117, on the 25th and 26th of December. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on 40, 30 and 20m bands. QSL via home call. Now the contest news Please remember to check before the contest for any new rules due to lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world. The RSGB strongly advises obeying your national and local government’s advice. As per tradition, December is a quiet month for traditional contests, with no RSGB HF contests, but do look out for the RSGB Hope QSO Parties. There are two series, which run from 21 December to 14 January, with a short break over Christmas. You can find out details at https://tinyurl.com/RSGB-Christmas-Hope-QSO. On Tuesday, the 29th, the 50MHz Machine Generated Modes Contest and the 144MHz Machine-generated Modes contest both run from 2000 to 2130UTC. The exchange for both is signal report, serial number and locator. On the 1st of January, the IRTS 80m Daytime Counties contest runs from 1700 to 1800UTC. Using SSB and CW, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with EI and GI stations, also sending their County. On Saturday the 2nd, the CW AFS contest runs from 1300 to 1700UTC. Using the 3.5 and 7MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The first session of the EUCW 160m CW Party is also on the 2nd from 2000 to 2300UTC, with the second session on the 3rd at 0400 to 0700UTC. The ARRL RTTY Roundup runs from 1800UTC on the 2nd of January to 2359UTC on the 3rd. Using the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number, with US stations sending their State and Canadians their Province too. The Worked All Britain Christmas party runs until the 6th of January. Using all modes on the amateur contest bands, the exchange is the WAB book number. The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon runs until the end of January 2021. Just exchange a signal report and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Wednesday the 23rd of December. HF conditions were not terribly good over the last week with maximum usable frequencies down in general. The best DX has been on 40m, especially around greyline times, although there has been a little winter Sporadic-E activity on 10 metres as well that has seen Italy and Spain appearing on FT8, as well as Brazil on 10m via the F2 layer. The lack of sunspots has seen the solar flux index move back down to the low 80s again. Solar matter from a coronal hole pushed the Kp index up to four late on Monday evening as predicted and on Tuesday the Kp index was still pegged at three for most of the morning. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain in the 80s for the Christmas period, with active region 2794 helping to push it towards 86 over Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Unfortunately, NOAA also predicts that a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole may impact Earth over the Christmas period, so we may expect the Kp index to rise again to four or even five just before Christmas with detrimental effects on maximum usable frequencies. Look out for possible pre-auroral enhancements, although these are hard to predict. This should start to settle by the 27th, with the Kp index predicted to go back down to two. So DX conditions may improve after that time. There is little other festive cheer, with the SFI remaining in the low 80s for the rest of the month and into the New Year. Let’s hope 2021 sees the return of the upward trend of Solar Cycle 25 with an increase in sunspots and HF DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news. It’s looking like a predominantly unsettled period of weather over the Christmas holidays, with a ridge of high pressure to the west of Britain soon declining to allow low pressure to move in and reside over the UK for the bulk of next week. This has a chance of providing some good rain scatter conditions on the GHz bands. Sporadic-E has a habit of appearing at this time of year. There is some work that relates the chances of Sporadic-E to disturbances in the stratosphere when the winter polar vortex breaks down in a feature called a sudden stratospheric warming, where temperatures can increase by tens of degrees Celsius over 24 hours. This disturbance in the stratosphere can produce conditions where Sporadic-E is more likely because of the changed flow pattern. Check the usual Sporadic-E bands like 10m and 6m for signs of activity, especially during the first two weeks of January, but it is probably better to focus on the period 9 am to 3 pm rather than the summer pattern of mid-morning and late afternoon. The Quadrantids meteor shower peaks between late-night on the 2nd of January until dawn on the 3rd with, a huge ZHR of 110. It is known for bright fireball meteors causing big over-dense radio meteor bursts. You have to be ready at the right time though, as the peak is very short, lasting just a few hours. This is because the shower is a thin stream of particles and the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle. The Moon reaches maximum declination this Tuesday so visibility windows are long. Today we are at apogee so losses are high but 144MHz sky noise is low, not reaching 500 kelvin until Tuesday. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS NEWS Sunday the 29th of November 2020 The news headlines: Get on the air for Christmas 60th year for GB3VHF TX Factor 27 out soon The RSGB has announced its latest activity for the Get on the air for Christmas campaign with the NHS. The special construction competition has a prize of £100 and the winning entry will be featured on the Society’s website and in RadCom. If you’ve been making something during the autumn lockdowns or are preparing to be busy over the holiday season, why not plan to enter your project into this new competition. Projects can be hardware, software or a system and may be based on a kit. For further information see the Get on the air for Christmas at www.rsgb.org/gota4c. The 2m beacon GB3VHF will start its 60th year of operation in December. Located at Fairseat on the North Downs in Kent, the beacon is on 144.430MHz at a height of 205m ASL. It provides a propagation monitoring source that can reach across several countries. Find out more at www.gb3vhf.co.uk. Episode 27 TX Factor will soon be available. In this latest episode the RSGB’s General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB explains how the Society’s positive response to the spring and summer lockdown helped to boost awareness of amateur radio in the UK. Steve stresses the importance of the ongoing work needed to maintain the impetus. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR get to grips with using an RF Shark openSPOT Hotspot for some mobile DMR action. Bob visits Don Field, G3XTT at his new QTH near Wells to see how the editor of Practical Wireless created some simple antennas to swiftly resume his on-air activities. TX Factor episode 27 is proudly sponsored by the Radio Society of Great Britain and can be viewed at www.txfactor.co.uk. The RSGB is looking for an experienced volunteer to fill the role of Convention Chair for the Society’s 2021 event. You will need exceptional organisational skills, good interpersonal skills, wide awareness of all aspects of amateur radio and good knowledge of RSGB policies and procedures. For other information, including how to find out more and to apply, see the RSGB website: www.rsgb.org/volunteers. Every year on 3rd of December the Information Programme for Disabled Radio Amateurs, which is part of the IARU, celebrates the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Some organisations put on special event stations with amateur radio activity, mostly with persons with disabilities participating using callsigns like HB9IPDA. The next RSGB Tonight @ 8 webinar is on Monday the 7th of December and is called “What next?”. Jonathan Mitchener, G0DVJ will give a jargon-free, wide-ranging talk about where amateur radio can take you, whether you are new to the hobby or returning after a gap. For further information about this and previous webinars, see www.rsgb.org/webinars. From the 1st of December, listen out for Youngsters On The Air stations around the world. Details on thirty-five of those stations can be found at https://events.ham-yota.com/. There are still some slots available to host the special callsign GB20YOTA during December if you have a youngster in your family or wider support bubble. You must be a Full licence holder and the calendar is shown on the GB20YOTA page on QRZ.com. To reserve an operating slot, contact Jamie, M0SDV via email to yota.month@rsgb.org.uk. Now the special event news Celebrating the Christmas Holiday Season, the Market Reef DX Association will be active on all bands and modes as OG1XMAS between the 29th of November and the 26th of December. QSL via Logbook of The World and Club Log. Members of Club Radio Durnal are active as OP19MSF until the 13th of December "to put the spotlight on Médecins Sans Frontières for its active role during this period of the pandemic". QSL via the bureau or direct. Now the DX news Ali, EP3CQ will be active as 6O1OO from Somalia, until the 15th of January 2021. Members of the Holy land DX Group will operate 4X7T from 0800UTC on the 25th and 1300UTC on the 26th of December. They will have three running stations on the 80 to 10m bands using CW, SSB and FT-8. The QSL Manager is Ros, 4Z5LA. Now the contest news Please remember to check before the contest for any new rules due to lockdown and social distancing, which may differ around the world. The RSGB strongly advises obeying your national and local government’s advice. This weekend it’s the CQ World Wide DX CW contest. The 48 hours run ends at 2359UTC today, the 29th. Activity is on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands. The exchange is signal report and your CQ Zone; for the UK that is Zone 14. As per tradition, December is a quiet month for contests, with no RSGB HF events at all. On Tuesday the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 1955UTC. It is followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 2000 to 2230UTC. Both have the exchange of signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend, the ARRL 160m contest runs from 2200UTC on the 4th to 1600UTC on the 6th of December. It’s CW only and the exchange is signal report, with American and Canadian stations also sending their ARRL or RAC section abbreviation. Next Sunday, the 6th of December, the 144MHz AFS contest runs from 1000 to 1600UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Six Metre Group Winter Marathon starts its two month run on the 1st of December. Just exchange a signal report and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA & G4BAO on Friday the 27th of November. Last week represented a good example of how solar cycle 25 is progressing. We started the week on the 22nd with a solar flux index, SFI, of 88 and a sunspot number of 35. Just to recap, that doesn’t mean there were 35 sunspots, as we count each sunspot group as 10 and each spot as one. But, by Thursday, the SFI was up to 104 with a sunspot number of 40, and there were three large groups visible on the Sun. As well as pushing up the SFI, the spots have been very active on the solar flare front, with daily B- and C-class flares being emitted, although their effects on the ionosphere have been minimal luckily. With the CW Worldwide CW contest occurring this weekend, this SFI does bode well for HF propagation. With zero coronal holes appearing, at least on Thursday, and the possibility that the SFI could rise even further in the coming days, this looks like a good combination for one of the best CQWWs we’ve seen for a few years. An SFI of more than 100 virtually guarantees some F2-layer propagation on 10 metres. These openings may be short-lived as the MUF drops a little, but it is definitely worth keeping an eye on 28MHz at times, especially near noon on North-South paths. If you are planning to take part, it is a good idea to plan your activities using a tool like predtest.uk. Typically, on the higher bands, such as 20, 15 and perhaps 10 metres, you will work stations to the east of the UK in the morning. As noon approaches, propagation will swing south. And the afternoon will be optimum for contacts with the USA. For 40 and 80 metres, the opposite is generally true, where you should be looking for a night-time path between you and the station you wish to work. Even if you hear this broadcast on Sunday it isn’t too late to take part, as the contest runs until midnight. Do get on as there is usually a lot of activity and it is a great opportunity to increase your country score. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The background weather pattern is again looking like high pressure will predominate, with a good prospect for Tropo. It will be a typical spell of November quiet weather with frost and fog overnight, perhaps lasting through the day in a few places. This prevalence for cool moist air near the surface makes for good Tropo since you will often find the high pressure has produced a layer of warmer and drier air above the inversion. It's the contrast that changes the refractive index of the air and can create ducts for VHF/UHF DX propagation. We should point out that some models allow the high to collapse in the second half of next week, so it's worth following the daily forecasts as we go through the week. Just one minor meteor shower this week. The Phoenicids peaks on the 2nd with a variable zenith hourly rate, but its radiant is not visible from the UK. The Moon reaches maximum declination on Wednesday, so we have long visibility windows all week with falling path losses. 144MHz sky noise is moderate to low all week, but rising up to 500 kelvin on Tuesday. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS NEWS Sunday the 4th of October 2020 The news headlines: RSGB releases video series Latest Online Convention & Colloquium news Exercise Blue Ham cancelled   The RSGB has just launched a series of videos to help the thousands of people who have taken their Foundation exam via remote invigilation whilst being unable to take the practical assessments. The full 30-minute video highlights six practical skills and each segment stands alone rather than being part of a single ‘story’ through the video. As well as this whole video, the Society has published the different segments as separate short videos to make it easier to go back to just one or two parts again. The RSGB is grateful to the clubs and individual radio amateurs who have created other available online training resources. With the launch of these videos, the Society is now pleased to add to the resources that new licensees have available to them. The RSGB would also like to thank Bob and Nick from TX Factor who worked with the Society on these videos. You can watch the videos on the Society’s website at www.rsgb.org/foundation-practicals. During the online RSGB Convention for 2020, you will be able to enjoy some excellent lectures. On Saturday the 10th of October, the RSGB will be presenting two online streams for everyone to enjoy. Whether you are new to the hobby, just returning or experienced there will be something to interest you. We start the day with a message from the RSGB President, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, followed by a talk from Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ from Elecraft before splitting into two streams, An introduction to… and Learn more about…. There’s the opportunity to ask questions and details of how to do this is on the website. You can find out more about the whole day of lectures at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention. We look forward to seeing you next Saturday, the 10th, whether you can join us for the whole day or just parts of it. Like the RSGB Convention, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2020 will also be online this year. Taking place on Sunday the 11th of October, there will be a lecture stream from 11 am to 4 pm. You can find out more at www.amsat-uk.org/colloquium. The registration URL is https://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020. In line with the latest government guidelines and to protect the health of the Cadets and adult volunteers, all Cadet face-to-face activity is still currently suspended, therefore the organisers have had to make the decision to cancel Exercise Blue Ham-3 that was programmed for mid-October. They appreciate the effort and support that all the amateurs give the exercise and say that as soon as they can return to some form of face to face activity, they will organise another Blue Ham. The Bath Based Distance Learning team are restarting their courses. The first new BBDL course will be for the Intermediate level, running from November 2020 to March 2021. To register your interest, contact the Team Leader, Steve, G0FUW, via email to g0fuw@tiscali.co.uk. The new BBDL Full level course will follow on from the Intermediate course running from March to July. A further announcement will be made in the New Year when that course is ready for enrolment. Chippenham & District ARC is now running an online Foundation course. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, they have switched to online training via live hosted training sessions. If you are interested in future courses, you can contact the club via their website at www.chippenhamradio.club. The W4CHA/B beacon in locator square EL88 is active again and on 50.0796MHz. The beacon outputs 2W to a dipole 53 metres above sea level. Now the special event news Since the change of regulations applying to special event stations in the UK, many activations are now able to go ahead. UK amateurs would like to thank Ofcom for their help in making this happen. PJ4TEN will be active during October to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Bonaire becoming a special municipality of the Netherlands and a new DXCC entity. The rules for the award can be found on the PJ4TEN QRZ.com page. Hannes, OE1SGU will be active as OE1990SGU between the 1st and the 31st of October to celebrate his 30th anniversary in amateur radio. QSL via LoTW, eQSL, or via OE1SGU either direct or via the bureau. Now the DX news A team will be active as JW4O from the JW5E club station in Svalbard, EU-026, from the 8th to the 12th of October. The main goal of the operators is to participate in the SSB leg of the Scandinavian Activity Contest on the 10th and 11th of October. 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. This weekend the IARU 432-245GHz contest ends its 24-hour run at 1400UTC today, the 4th of October. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Oceania DX SSB contest ends its 24-hour run at 0800UTC today, the 4th of October. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Worked All Britain DX Contest takes place today, the 4th of October, from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using SSB only on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB area. The DX Contest takes place today, the 4th, from 0500 to 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The Portable Operations Challenge ends at 2359UTC today, the 4th of October. Participants choose their own 8-hour window within the 48-hour weekend. Details can be found at foxmikehotel.com/challenge. On Monday, the 80m Autumn Series runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. It’s CW only and the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC, followed by the all-mode 144MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange for both is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the UK EI Contest Club 80m contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. It’s SSB only and the exchange is your 6-character locator. Thursday sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest run from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Oceania DX CW contest runs for 24 hours next weekend from 0800UTC on the 10th to 0800UTC on the 11th. Using the 1.8 to 28MHz bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Next Sunday, the 11th, the IRTS 40m Counties contest runs from 1200 to 1400UTC. Using CW and SSB the exchange is signal report and serial number, with GI and EI stations, also sending their County. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 2nd of October. We had yet another week with zero sunspots and poor conditions. Matter from a solar coronal hole pushed the Kp index to six late on Sunday the 27th with corresponding detrimental effects on the ionosphere. The solar wind stream climbed to above 600km/s with the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field periodically pointing south. This meant that the solar wind could more easily couple with the Earth’s magnetic field, allowing matter to enter the ionosphere. Maximum useable frequencies struggled to get past 14MHz on Monday while the geomagnetic storm continued. In fact, it took until Thursday for conditions to subside and even then the Kp index fluctuated between two and three. But there was DX to be had, especially for paths that didn’t pass through the poles. Laurie, G3UML reported working Kamil, S79KW and Ravi, S79VU in the Seychelles on 20m SSB on Tuesday afternoon. And Carl, HS0ZOA in Thailand was also heard on 20m around the same time. This bodes well for HF over the coming month, which should see HF conditions improve thanks to a change in the ionospheric chemistry as we move from summer to autumn. Next week NOAA predicts a solar flux index of 70, representing zero sunspots. There is always a chance that something could appear over the next seven days, but activity still remains quiet. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet, with very little coronal hole activity. A maximum Kp index of two is indicated, at least until Sunday the 11th when it could climb to three. And now the VHF and up propagation news. We have another week of predominantly unsettled and, at times, wet and windy weather coming up, so Tropo will be hard to find. The weekend offers a slow-moving area of low pressure over the country and although it eventually edges away to the east by midweek, it could give some very windy weather and certainly periods of heavy rain. So rain scatter on the GHz bands is the mode of choice once again. A brief ridge of high pressure may transit the country on Wednesday and Thursday for a touch of Tropo, but will soon be replaced by another slow-moving low over the country by the end of the week and a return of rain scatter conditions. Time to fire up the EME kit again as we have positive Moon declination peaking on Friday giving long Moon visibility windows. Path losses are high and we are more than a week from perigee, but 144MHz sky temperatures are low to moderate all week. October is a busy month for meteor scatter enthusiasts, with three meteor showers this week alone. The largest, the Draconids with a zenithal hourly rate of 10 on Thursday, the Southern Taurids with a ZHR of five on Saturday and the Delta Aurigids with a ZHR of two next Sunday. For more details of these showers, and other VHF related information look at the excellent Make more miles on VHF website, www.mmmonvhf.de. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

GB2RS NEWS Sunday the 16th of August 2020 The news headlines: Thanks for massive lockdown efforts Latest RSGB Convention Online info TX Factor 26 is bumper episode In this month’s RadCom, RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB thanks all the staff and volunteers who have pulled together to cope with the challenges of the last four months. He highlights the successes we should celebrate – such as helping 1,500 people take their first steps into amateur radio in just four months via remote invigilation Foundation exams – as well as the opportunities we all have to develop amateur radio in the future. You can also read the editorial online at https://tinyurl.com/rsgb-success-story. Practical Wireless this month features a look at how the RSGB is supporting new and returning radio amateurs. From the Beyond Exams range of resources through to the Tonight @ 8 webinars and a new Facebook group, there is a lot on offer. You can read the article on the RSGB website too. With the Covid-19 pandemic changing the face of rallies and conventions around the world, the RSGB Convention 2020 is going online. You will be able to enjoy some excellent lectures. On Saturday the 10th of October, the RSGB will be putting on two streams online for everyone to enjoy. The first stream is An introduction to… and the second stream is Learn more about.... You can find more information at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention. The first two lectures are The Small Station by Joe Chester, M1MWD and QRO Magnetic Loop Antennas with Rael Paster, M0RTP. In the small station, Joe M1MWD says that most of us don’t have the good fortune to own several acres of land on which to erect tall towers for beam antennas and have just one or two transceivers and an ATU on the corner of a table. But there is lots of fun to be had operating even the most modest radio station and he’ll look at how to get the best from limited equipment, or space. In his talk, Rael, M0RTP says that a transmitting magnetic loop antenna offers the amateur a compelling option for getting on the air and having access to all the HF bands when restricted for size and height of the antenna system at your QTH. He will cover DIY construction tips, tricks and traps for QRO operation and will provide an overview on how to remotely tune a magnetic loop. Find out more at www.rsgb.org.uk/convention. Running slightly behind schedule, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a bumper Summer edition of TX Factor is now available. Episode 26 is packed full of pre-lockdown features including a very relaxed tea and biscuits interview with Tim Kirby, GW4VXE as he speaks of his big passion for VHF and UHF operating. Bob, G0FGX and Mike, G1IAR take the lid off Bob’s Icom IC-7300 and fit a Radio Analog PTRX-7300 RF interface module. Coupled with an inexpensive SDR receiver like the SDR Play RSP1A and your computer, this board gives you a proper panadapter display so you can use your mouse to click and pounce on the signals you want to hear. Bob also gets his hands on one of the very first Icom IC-705 all-mode QRP SDR transceivers to arrive in the UK and gives a comprehensive review of all its wonderous capabilities. TX Factor is viewable on all devices from smartphones to smart TVs and is available at www.txfactor.co.uk, or search for TX Factor on YouTube. TX Factor is sponsored by the RSGB and Martin Lynch and Sons. Tim, G4YBU and Richard, G8ITB have planned a Summits on the Air Activity Weekend to be held on the 22nd and 23rd of August. The objective is to activate as many of the 15 summits in the Southern SOTA region of England. The event is for everyone. Bands and modes are down to the equipment that any particular operator owns, but it is suggested that 2 metres and 40 metres are very popular both on FM and SSB. Most of the summits in the Southern SOTA region are within easy driving distance of major towns and are a short walk to the summit itself; some actually have a car park within the activation area. For a detailed summit list see the SOTA website, www.sotadata.org.uk. International Lighthouses and Lightships Weekend is still going ahead this year on the 22nd and 23rd of August. Participation will dependent on local circumstances and government rulings regarding border and national parks closures, social contact and so on. Wirral ARS will be operating using GB2BHL but operation will be from the club premises. Moray Firth ARS will also be taking part, using the callsign GB0CSL for Covesea Skerries Lighthouse. The station will be run from individual club members homes. Details of this are at www.mfars.club. The GQRP club has released a detailed agenda for its Online Convention 2020, taking place on the 5th and 6th of September. The online event, which replaces the club’s annual GQRP convention, is open to existing members. There is a special rate for non-members that will include GQRP Club membership until January 2022. The two-day event comprises a series of online presentations and knowledge-sharing meetings where people can share ideas. For more information, and to view the full event schedule, see www.gqrp.com/convention.htm The Netherlands IARU member society, VERON, is encouraging amateurs to use digital amateur television, DATV, in the 2m band on the 22nd of August between 1200 and 1600UTC. Using either 144.600 or 145.300MHz, signals should be DVB-S or DVB-S2 and have a Symbol rate 125k. Details are at www.veron.nl/nieuws/datv-experiment-2-meter/. Now the special event news Since the change of regulations applying to special event stations in the UK, many activations are now able to go ahead. UK amateurs would like to thank Ofcom for their help in making this happen. Fort Purbrook ARC will put GB1PF on the air from member’s homes until the 17th of August. They will operate using CW, SSB and data across the HF/VHF/UHF bands. More information is on QRZ.com. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, the RSGB has organised a VJ Day amateur radio marathon on the HF bands and 6m using SSB, CW and digital modes. Three special UK callsigns GB75PEACE, GB1945PE, GB1945PJ will be on the air until the 31st of August. See www.rsgb.org/ve-vj-marathon. August sees two GB80 Special Event Stations on the air, marking the critical role that radar played in the Battle of Britain 80 years ago. GB80BRS will be operated to commemorate Bawdsey Radar Station in Suffolk, where radar was developed in the late 1930s. This was the location of the world’s first operational radar station. Activity will be on 80 to 10m using SSB, CW and FT8. GB80CH, Chain Home, will be operated from Chelmsford in Essex. And now the DX news Commemorating the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I, special event stations TC3GP and TC3GS will be active until the 23rd of August. QSLs via YM3KCN. Giorgio, YI/IU5HWS is with the military in Iraq and will be operating on 40, 20 and 10 metres until the end of November. Now the contest news There are no RSGB HF contests this month, as August is the month of the traditional summer holiday. That said, there is some doubt about going anywhere on holiday at present thanks to the current Covid-19 precautions! 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. RTTY operators can participate in the Scandinavian Amateur Radio Teleprinter Group contest. The first sessions were on Saturday but today, the 16th, it runs between 0800 and 1600UTC. The exchange is RST and serial number. Multipliers are DXCC entities and call areas in VK, VE, JA and W. See sartg.com/contest/wwrules.htm for full information. On Tuesday the 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Friday the 14th of August. Sunspot region 2770 will have just about rotated out of view by the time you hear or read this. After a promising start it quickly faded away, but there is more hope as active region AR2771, belonging to Cycle 25, is forming in the Sun’s southeast quadrant. A secondary bright plage region is also now turning into view off the southeast limb, although it appears to be spotless for now. This is very encouraging as we think it shows that Sunspot Cycle 25 is ready to get under way. On Thursday the solar flux index was 74 with a sunspot number of 24. Please note that on Propquest.co.uk, the feed from the Chilton ionosonde has been down for a few days, but if you switch to FF051 Fairford you’ll find that feed is working. Daytime critical frequencies have generally been in the range 4 to 5.3MHz, which means that 40m remains unsuitable for close-in NVIS contacts around the UK. You may find 60m or 5MHz more reliable for inter-UK working. But critical frequencies are generally staying higher just after sunset, which can be good news for stations chasing DX. The charts suggest that 14MHz is remaining open to contacts over 3,000km until nearly local midnight. Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will remain at around 72, with the largest Kp index being two. This reflects the fact that there are no Earth-facing coronal holes at present, although this can change without much notice. Active region 2771 could develop further, as could the plage area in the southeast quadrant. But it really is guesswork at this point. And now the VHF and up propagation news. The weather pattern is changing into something much more unsettled generally, and not just in isolated instances of severe thunderstorms as we’ve seen recently. Tropo conditions were good in some parts as last week came to an end. It's easy to get Tropo over sea paths at this time of the year and, whilst there could still be some opportunities across the North Sea early next week, most areas will be in the realm of low pressure, so no more Tropo. The Sporadic-E season has had a little boost by the recent meteor input from the Perseids so it's still worth looking at the usual times, mid-morning and late afternoon to early evening. The season can last into early September, so there’s still time. Rain scatter should be the mode of choice this coming week, with a slow-moving area of low pressure over the country bringing thundery showers and spells of heavy rain to many places. It’s a good time to use one of the many radar displays available online to track the heavy rain cells and try some GHz band rain scatter. Mid-August is a good time for meteor scatter, so keep that on the list as the Perseids meteor shower declines. Opinion was that this year was not a vintage one, with many reporting poorer performance than last year. That said, the meteorscan.com website showed hourly rates at over 100 around 0600 on the 12th and 13th. The Moon was at peak declination yesterday and path losses are falling as we approach perigee on Friday, so it’s a good week for EME. 144MHz sky temperatures are low. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

Mike Marsh, G1IAR, is in love with mastering sound and owes his interest in ham radio to enhancing his professional career in the recording industry. Mike is also the co-host of the TX-Factor video podcast, one of my favorite topical amateur radio shows on the internet. Mike will confirm that his involvement in TX-Factor opens wide the most interesting aspects of the amateur radio hobby. Mike shares his ham radio story, TX- Factor, and an insiders look at a mastering studio in this QSO Today.

This week we are joined by Michael VA3MW from FlexRadio Systems to deep dive on remotely operating your station from just about anywhere you have internet access. George also breaks down his new KX3 Portable Enclosure and discusses the wiring and placement of equipment. Unfortunately Jeremy experienced severe technical difficulties and was unable to join the call. Wago 221 lever connector blocks-tech specs./mfg site Wago 221 kit at Amazon FlexRadio Systems PST Rotator AZ Elecraft W2 watt meter Remote QTH control systems TX Factor   ht N4MN   Don’t forget to order your BitX40 7 W QRP Transceiver kit today! –http://www.hfsigs.com/  

Pete M0PSX catches up with Bob G0FGX from TX Factor at the National Hamfest in Newark for a preview of what they'll be up to. More details at www.txfactor.co.uk

The TX Factor visit Essex for Show 9 of their HD look at amateur radio. Whilst here they talk to Essex Ham, the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society Training Team and the Essex Repeater Group. We catch up with TX Factor presenter Bob G0FGX to find out more. The TX Factor can be found at www.txfactor.co.uk