RSGB Main News for 5 May 2002.
Jim
* GB2RS News for 5 May 2002 *
Listen to GB2RS on the Web:
http://www.listen.to/gb2rs
The main news headlines:
+ Quicker Access to HF Bands for Class B Licensees
+ Hampshire Raynet Engaged on Stand-by Call
+ World Cup Fever Hits the Amateur Bands
+ National Mills Weekend Coming Up
+ RSGB Morse Test Service Anniversary
+ Edgware's 'Straight Key Evening'
+ Voice Over IP Specialist Wanted
+ Special Events News
+ DX News
+ Contest News
+ Propagation News
Quicker Access to HF Bands for Class B Licensees
------------------------------------------------
* A press release issued by the Radiocommunications Agency on the 1st of
May stated that a change of rules for Class B Amateur Radio licensees came
into effect on that date. Those who have held Full or Intermediate Class B
licences for three months and have passed the Morse Assessment can now
obtain a Foundation Licence and M3 callsign for access to the high
frequency (HF) bands. Previously, a 12-month qualifying period applied
before licensees could gain access to HF. The Agency's decision is in
response to feedback suggesting that three months is a more appropriate
period. This allows time for licensees to gain the necessary experience and
undergo the formal training and assessment of operating practices required
for the HF bands. Details of where to take the Morse Assessment are
available from RSGB headquarters.
Hampshire Raynet Engaged on Stand-by Call
-----------------------------------------
* A major failure of the telephone system in south-west Hampshire and part
of Wiltshire occurred during the evening of the 25th of April. At 2030,
Bob, G4VWP, received a call from the Duty Emergency Planning Officer for
Hampshire, requesting that Raynet be put on standby, ready for callout
should the need arise. Later another call was received asking that, if
required, Raynet should set up a VHF communications link between the police
Command and Control Centre at Netley and police HQ in Winchester.
Thirty-four members from four groups indicated that they were available
for callout. The Forward Control Land Rover and 60-foot mobile tower were
collected from storage and a portable mast, radio, power supply and
associated equipment were made ready to take to the police headquarters.
The callout was led by Clive McCloud, G4EFB; Roger Davies, G8SXC; John
Witts, G6BBW; Ian Duffy, G7GMN, and Dave Minett, G6DJA. Roger had
particular difficulty as his own phone had been taken out by the failure
along with those of other members of the group. In the event, Raynet was
not required and members were stood down at 2310.
World Cup Fever Hits the Amateur Bands
--------------------------------------
* The Korean Amateur Radio League is operating special event station
HL17FWC, standing for the '17th Football World Cup', from now until the
30th of May, just before the games start. During the period of the World
Cup itself, from the 31st of May until the 30th of June, 10 more special
event stations will be active from the 10 host cities in Korea. The
callsigns are 'DT 1 to 0 FWC', with a different digit in the callsign for
each of the 10 cities. The QSL manager for all these stations is HL0HQ,
the Korean Amateur Radio League, CPO Box 162, Seoul 100-601, Republic of
Korea.
In Japan, the other venue for World Cup matches, 10 more special event
stations are on the air from the 1st of May until the 30th of June. These
stations have the prefixes 8J, 8M and 8N with the single-letter suffix 'C'.
National Mills Weekend Coming Up
--------------------------------
* Next weekend, the 11th and 12th of May, is the National Mills Open
Weekend. The Denby Dale Amateur Radio Society is again coordinating the
amateur radio side of the Mills weekend. An award is available from the
club for anyone who works or hears at least 10 mills stations during the
weekend.
RSGB Morse Test Service Anniversary
-----------------------------------
* Next weekend also sees the 16th anniversary of the RSGB Morse Test
Service, and County Morse Test teams will again be on the air using GB
special event callsigns. At least 27 stations will be active - on CW, of
course - and activity will mainly be in the 80 and 40 metre bands. A
certificate is available from the RSGB Chief Morse Examiner, David
Waterworth, G4HNF, to anyone who makes contact with at least 10 of the GB
stations.
Edgware's 'Straight Key Evening'
-------------------------------
* The Edgware and District Radio Society's 21st annual Straight Key Evening
takes place on Friday evening, the 10th of May, from 7.00pm local time.
Activity is on 80 metres CW, above 3540kHz. This is not a contest, the idea
is simply to get on the air with a 'straight' key, and enjoy a 'chat' using
Morse code. Look for special event stations GB3SKE and GX3ASR associated
with this event.
Voice Over IP Specialist Wanted
-------------------------------
* The RSGB Repeater Management Committee has a vacancy for a Voice over IP
specialist. The successful applicant will be responsible for all aspects of
the committee's work on repeater-Internet linking. This includes providing
advice to the Repeater Management Committee on repeater-Internet linking;
processing applications for VOIP Internet links to repeaters; and answering
queries from radio amateurs about repeater-Internet linking. The successful
applicant will be a full member of the committee and attendance at
committee meetings, about four times a year, is expected. All RMC members
are also expected to attend major amateur radio events from time to time to
help gain valuable feedback from repeater users and keepers. If you are
interested in applying for this position please write to the Chairman of
the Repeater Management Committee, Carlos Eavis, G0AKI, at RSGB
headquarters, Lambda House, Cranborne Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. The
postcode is EN6 3JE.
Special Events News
-------------------
* Now some Special Event Station news:
* GB2MAS is on the air from Montrose airfield between the 3rd and 7th of
May. All bands will be used from 80 to 10, plus 2 metres.
* GB2PK is on the air until the 26th of May from the Porthcurno Telegraph
Museum near Penzance in Cornwall. The museum is open Sunday to Friday and
can be contacted on 01 736 810 966.
* Members of the Preston Amateur Radio Society are operating GB2COP until
the end of May to celebrate Preston being granted city status during The
Queen's jubilee year. Activity will be on 40, 20 and 15 metres HF, plus 2
metres and 70 centimetres. QSL GB2COP either via the bureau or direct to
Steve. M1KIT, whose address is correct in the RSGB Yearbook. Please enclose
an SASE if you QSL direct to M1KIT.
* Next Saturday, the 11th of May, GB2RAF will be active from the Royal Air
Force Air Defence Radar Museum at RAF Neatishead in Norfolk. The operators
of GB2RAF apologise for the delay in distributing QSL cards. These are now
with the printers and should be ready within a few weeks.
* Next weekend, the 11th and 12th of May, VE3SCX will be on the air from
'Secret Camp X' in Ontario, Canada. During the second world war, 'Camp X'
was where agents trained before being parachuted into occupied Europe. The
radio communications station there routinely sent coded messages to
Bletchley Park.
* Next Sunday, the 12th of May, GB4NHM will be operated by members of the
Sutton Coldfield Radio Society as part of the National Mills Weekend.
* The German Navy Communications School in Flensburg-Muerwik is holding a
special amateur radio and broadcast event at 1500UTC this afternoon, Sunday
the 5th of May. The event celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding
of the German Naval Communication School and the Silver Jubilee of the 'MF
Runde' - the German Amateur Radio Club of ex-Naval Radio Operators. Club
station DL0MFS will be transmitting on CW and SSB in the 80, 40, 20, 17, 15
and 10 metre amateur bands. The German navy station DHJ61 will also
transmit CW broadcasts about the history of German and international naval
forces. The broadcasts will be on 12410.5 and 8443.5kHz, with 5446 and
4576kHz listed as secondary frequencies. During the transmissions, there
will be a competition, with prizes for correct answers. The address for
entries is MF Runde, Box 11 32 48, D-20432 Hamburg, Germany.
* An exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the secret second world war
'Aspidistra' transmitter at Crowborough in Sussex is open until the end of
June. It is located at the Ashdown Forest Centre, Wych Cross, East Sussex,
just off the A22 to the south of East Grinstead. The exhibition is open
between 2.00pm and 5.00pm weekdays and between 11.00am and 5.00pm at
weekends and on Bank Holidays. Further details of the exhibition can be
obtained by e-mail from David Ansell, RS 184720, at david.ansell@
bushinternet.com
Andrea Pagliula, IZ7ECB, has formed the International Pharmacists Ham
Group, or IPHG. The aim is to promote friendship and to provide and
coordinate any possible pharmaceutical aid to those in need. At present the
IPHG has about 25 members world-wide. If you are a pharmacist and
interested in membership contact Andrea at iz7...@tiscalinet.it
DX News
-------
* Now for more HF DX news, compiled from the 425 DX News bulletin and other
sources:
* Chris Lorek, G4HCL, has been in Sanaa, Yemen, and has made a handful of
contacts as 7O/G4HCL under the direct supervision of the Yemeni
communications ministry. Chris returned to the UK on the 1st of May, but
will be back in Yemen on the 11th for a stay of three weeks. During this
time he expects to be able to operate on the amateur bands by himself from
Sanaa and other locations in the country. He will be using an FT-990 with
100 watts to vertical or dipole antennas. This is not a DXpedition, as
Chris is working in Yemen, and activity will be in his spare time only.
* The multi-national DXpedition to Baker Island in the central Pacific is
now on the air using the callsign K1B. The operation is expected to remain
on the air until this Thursday, the 9th of May.
* Dave Cree, G3TBK, returned to St Vincent on the 30th of April after a
three-week break. He is now active again as J88DR. He will be there until
about the 23rd of May. He is looking for first-time UK contacts around
14140kHz each evening between 2200 and 2300UTC. All direct and bureau QSLs
received for Dave's operations as J88DR and J6/G3TBK up till the 29th of
April have been answered, some 4000 QSOs. J88DR has now made 29,000 QSOs,
and J6/G3TBK about 8000.
* TX5BTY is a special event callsign active from Tahiti to commemorate the
mutiny on the Bounty. The station will be active from now until the 14th of
May on all bands CW and SSB.
* OH1VR plans to operate as OJ0VR from Market Reef on the 8th and 9th of
May on 10 to 80 metres CW and SSB, with possibly some 6-metre activity as
well.
* N5FF plans to be active as YK1BA from Damascus, Syria, until at least the
11th of May. Look for him mainly on 20 metres around 14045 or 14195kHz
between 0200 and 0300, 1200 and 1300, and from 2100 to 2200UTC.
Contest News
------------
* There are no RSGB HF Contests either this weekend or next weekend.
* The Italian ARI International contest is taking place this weekend, the
4th and 5th of May, on CW, SSB and RTTY on all bands from 160 to 10 metres
- WARC bands excluded. The contest finishes at 2000UTC this evening, the
5th.
* The Danish Slow Scan TV Contest starts today, the 5th of May, and
continues for a week, ending at midnight on the 11th of May. Activity is
on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 metres.
* Next weekend, the 11th and 12th of May, the 'CQ-M' contest is on all
bands from 160 to 10 metres on CW, SSB and Slow-Scan TV. Activity
commences at 2100UTC on Saturday the 11th and continues for 24 hours.
* The RSGB 432MHz to 248GHz event is taking place this weekend, and ends
at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 5th. Participants should send an RS or RST
report, serial number and their locator.
* The RSGB 144MHz Activity Contest is on Tuesday evening, the 7th of May,
between 8.00pm and 10.30pm local time.
* Next Sunday, the 12th, the RSGB 70MHz CW contest is run between 0900 and
1200UTC. Send an RST report, serial number, your locator and QTH
information, plus your postcode.
* Both the HF and VHF Contest Committees have websites from which
comprehensive contest details are available. Links to these can be found on
the RSGB website. Full details of all RSGB contests for 2002 can be found
in the January 2002 issue of RadCom.
Details of RSGB HF contests are at: http://www.rsgbhfcc.org/ and VHF/UHF
contests at: http://www.blacksheep.org/vhfcc
Propagation News
----------------
And now the solar data for the period from the 22nd to the 28th of April,
compiled by [http://www.g0cas.demon.co.uk/main.htm]
Solar activity was predominantly low with only one M-class solar flare, on
the 24th. Solar flux declined from 177 on the 24th to 147 by the 28th,
that's the lowest level since the 15th of August last year. The average was
165. The 90-day solar flux average on the 28th was 194, that's six units
down on last week. X-Ray flux levels declined from C1 units to B4.4 and the
average was B7.4 units. The geomagnetic field increased to active levels on
the 23rd, when for a short time activity increased due to the X-class solar
flare that was reported last week. The Ap index for the 23rd was 23 units.
Activity quickly declined to quiet levels, then on the 28th, due to the
effects from a coronal hole activity, increased once again. The average was
Ap 11 units. Solar wind data from the ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds
decline from 650 kilometres per second to 370 by the 26th. Speeds then
increased to 560 kilometres per second on the 28th. Particle densities
declined from 15 particles per cubic centimetre to low levels for the
remainder of the period. Bz on the 23rd fluctuated between minus and plus
20 nanoTeslas. The remainder of the period saw fluctuations of between
minus 10 and plus 8 nanoTeslas.
Once again we have no ionospheric data from the Chilton observatory. The
trend towards summer-time conditions at HF is increasingly evident, with
some long, flat periods on the higher bands. Even so, persistent operators
could have worked all continents, even on 28MHz, and there was a
surprisingly good opening to the USA West Coast on the 26th. Brief periods
of Sporadic E have been reported at HF.
And finally the solar forecast. This week the active side of the sun is
expected to be rotating out of view. Solar activity is expected to be
mainly low, although activity could be moderate during the next few days.
Solar flux levels should be around the 200 mark or slightly lower.
Geomagnetic activity should be mostly quiet but could become more unsettled
later in the week. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be
about 29MHz for the south and 26MHz for the north. The darkness hour lows
should be around 15MHz. Paths this week to the Middle East should have a
maximum usable frequency, with a 50 per cent success rate, of about 34MHz.
The optimum working frequency, with a 90 per cent success rate, should be
about 23MHz. The best time to try this path should be between 0900 and
1500UTC. Sporadic E is expected to take place at some time on 28MHz this
coming week with less frequent openings on 50MHz.
The RSGB propagation news is also available in a Saturday update, posted
every Saturday evening and for more on propagation generally, see
http://www.rsgb.org/society/psc.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
* GB2RS is the weekly news service of the RSGB, broadcast by radio
amateurs. *
* News items from this week's script may be reproduced freely in printed
matter, provided the source - the Radio Society of Great Britain - is
clearly identified. The news may not be reproduced on the Internet without
prior written permission, though webmasters are welcome to provide a link
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* News for GB2RS must be sent in by 0900UTC on the Tuesday before the
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) 2002 Radio Society of Great Britain
Home page: http://www.rsgb.org
Posted by G4RGA.
luc...@eternal-flames.gov
wrote:
>Hampshire Raynet Engaged on Stand-by Call
>-----------------------------------------
>
>* A major failure of the telephone system in south-west Hampshire and part
>of Wiltshire occurred during the evening of the 25th of April. At 2030,
>Bob, G4VWP, received a call from the Duty Emergency Planning Officer for
>Hampshire, requesting that Raynet be put on standby,
"Bob the builder..... Can we fix it?"
"Bob the builder..... YES! We can."
Cue: "The cuckoo waltz"
(Laurel and Hardy theme music.)
Old Nick.
Radio Spam
news:3cd05b7f...@news.btinternet.com
How about the theme to 'Rhubarb and Custard'? :o)
By the time they've dusted off their IC2E's (complete with the 'I look
like an official' speaker microphone), changed into their best sweater
(the one without food stains or holes), packed their Marmite sandwiches,
flask of weak tea AND grabbed their cardigan with reflective 'RAYNET'
emblem stitched to the back - they'll be too late!
73, Radio Spam
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Mike Cawood
news:4d29c69a5d105385ae2...@mygate.mailgate.org...
anyone.
It's just radio hams playing at emergency services.
I know, I was once a member.
All the organisations that Raynet purport to help have more than adequate
back up communication systems.
73 de Mike GW8IJT.
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.351 / Virus Database: 197 - Release Date: 19/04/2002
MattD..
news:4d29c69a5d105385ae2...@mygate.mailgate.org:
> By the time they've dusted off their IC2E's (complete with the 'I look
> like an official' speaker microphone), changed into their best sweater
> (the one without food stains or holes), packed their Marmite
> sandwiches, flask of weak tea AND grabbed their cardigan with
> reflective 'RAYNET' emblem stitched to the back - they'll be too late!
Very good, but you missed "Got the neighbours out to push-start the twenty-
five year old ex-ambulance with 'Playnet' emblazoned on the sides in foot-
high letters."
--
MattD..
GW0VNR
email to matt <at> mattsnetwork <dot> co <dot> uk
Fight Spam! Join EuroCAUCE: http://www.euro.cauce.org/
http://www.mattsnetwork.co.uk/
Using XNews, Luu Tran's excellent NNTP software.
http://www.xnews.3dnews.net/
---
<rad...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>By the time they've dusted off their IC2E's (complete with the 'I look
>like an official' speaker microphone), changed into their best sweater
>(the one without food stains or holes), packed their Marmite sandwiches,
>flask of weak tea AND grabbed their cardigan with reflective 'RAYNET'
>emblem stitched to the back - they'll be too late!
I'm reliably informed that they now have RAYNET brassards.
--
gm4
Walt Davidson
>I'm reliably informed that they now have RAYNET brassards.
Is this another crass Americanism? I believe the English word is
"bastards"!
;-)
73 de G3NYY
--
Walt Davidson Email: g3nyy @freeuk.com
andy
"Walt Davidson" <wal...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1fv2du8ektatpd7sf...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 02 May 2002 16:56:56 GMT, maru...@hootmail.com (---) wrote:
>
> >I'm reliably informed that they now have RAYNET brassards.
>
> Is this another crass Americanism? I believe the English word is
> "bastards"!
LOL!
Jock {鹂饈 埠翰
> "bastards"!
>
> ;-)
> 73 de G3NYY
ROTFLMAAOBPO & LTMSH & ROFLAHMSL!
;-)