Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/hamradio/rsgb0425.zip/RSGB0425.TXT

Text File | 1993-05-01 | 11KB | 198 lines

Good morning. It's Sunday the 25th of April and here is the GB2RS news
broadcast, prepared by the Radio Society of Great Britain.

First the headlines:- BT supports amateur radio; a radio amateur is
prosecuted; and a there's a possible licensing hitch for married amateurs.

British Telecom has indicated its support for the RSGB's Project YEAR by
donating videos and booklets to help with Novice training. Project YEAR -
Youth into Electronics via Amateur Radio - is an ongoing initiative by the
Society aimed at encouraging young people into the hobby. It involves several
books, the Novice Licence, a video - Amateur Radio for Beginners - which is
available to clubs from the RSGB Audio Visual Library, and a magazine D-i-Y
Radio.

If your club is holding an event which is particularly suited to the beginner
or Novice licensee, the RSGB can provide publicity for the event in D-i-Y
Radio. Details of relevant meetings, rallies or open days should be sent to
Marcia Brimson at RSGB HQ, marked D-i-Y Radio. And don't forget to tell us
about any committee members with special responsibility for newcomers and
Novices.

The Radiocommunications Agency of the DTI has announced a successful
prosecution under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. On the 25th of March, at
Lisburn Magistrates Court in Northern Ireland, a radio amateur was fined a
hundred pounds with ten pounds costs and had to forfeit his transceiver said
to be worth five hundred pounds. The prosecution, which was for using
frequencies not covered by the defendant's licence, came about following
television interference complaints and followed several warnings. Next
Thursday, at Dudley Magistrates Court, the RA will be prosecuting another
radio amateur in a case which involves abuse of the amateur repeater network
in the Midlands. The RA says that information supplied by the RSGB's Amateur
Radio Observation Service was particularly helpful in preparing the case.

The RSGB '93 Show takes place on Sunday the 16th of May at the National
Exhibition Centre, near Birmingham. There will be the usual trade stands in a
single huge hall, plus a large display of the work of RSGB Headquarters and of
the Society's committees. The National Vintage Communications Fair is also
being held that day in the NEC complex. Many visitors will wish to visit both
shows and reduced rates are available for this.

The May edition of Radio Communication will be posted to all RSGB members in
the next few days. It contains the latest on RAEN Ltd, repeater licensing and
VHF awards. The full text is given of the amendment to the Amateur Radio
Licence, concerning the 430MHz band, which we announced recently on GB2RS.

The organisation which processes amateur radio licences, Subscription Services
Ltd, has said that it regrets that, at present, it can collect only one Direct
Debit from a bank account for licence renewal fees. This has caused difficulty
where two licensees sharing a joint bank account have different renewal dates.
The situation is likely to be resolved shortly but in the meantime anyone who
is in this position is advised to make alternative payment arrangements.

Now some items of HF DX news from the weekly RSGB DX News Sheet which is
edited by Brendan McCartney, G4DYO. From Bahrain, DL1WH will sign A92WH from
now until the end of June 1993. He may also use the club callsign A92C. From
Crete, a group of Greek amateurs will use the callsign J49GI from Gavdos
Island, starting on Sunday the 2nd to Friday the 7th of May. Check these
frequencies: On CW 1835, 3525, 7025, 14025, 21025 and 28025kHz and for SSB
1845, 3795, 7045, 14195, 21295 and 28495kHz. They also hope to be on the WARC
bands. From Sierra Leone, K5LBU is now active as 9L1CB. His tour with of 2
years with the Baptist Mission ends in early 1995. From Kampuchea, HA7VK is
now active as XU7VK from now until the end of June. From Tromelin Island,
FR5ZQ/T is said to be active around 14.120MHz after 1700GMT. From Guadeloupe
Island, the XF1G team now expect to be active from now until Thursday the 29th
of April.

We know of three rallies scheduled for today, Sunday the 25th of April:

The Bridlington and District Amateur Radio Society's East Yorkshire Rally is
being held at The Spa, Bridlington. Doors open at 11.00am, or 10.30am for
disabled visitors. There are many traders, club stands and a bring & buy
stall. Refreshments are available.

The Bury Radio Society Hamfeast is being held at the Bury Leisure Centre,
Bolton Street, Bury, Lancs.

The Dacorum Amateur Radio and Transmitting Society Car Boot Sale is being held
at the Heath Park Hotel, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

Rallies for Sunday the 2nd of May:

The Anglo-Scottish Rally is to be held at Tait Hall, Kelso. Further details
can be obtained from Bruce, GM4UIB, by telephoning 0573 224654 (evenings
only).

The British Amateur Television Club Rally is to be held at Harlaxton Manor,
Near Grantham, Lincolnshire. It is just one mile off the A1 (signposted).
Doors open at 10.00am. There will be the usual traders inside and an outside
flea market. The event features a lecture programme and demonstrations, and
refreshments will be available. Talk-in will be on Channels S22, SU22 and via
GB3GR on RB11. The entrance fee covers access to the new Harlaxton Gardens
which is an ideal family venue. A substantial reduction in entrance fee is
available on production of a copy of Radio Communication or CQ-TV magazines.
Further details are available from Paul, G8MJW on 0522 703348.

Rally for Monday the 3rd:

The Mid Cheshire Amateur Radio Society Rally is to be held at the Civic Hall,
Winsford, Cheshire. Doors open at 11.00am, or 10.30 for disabled visitors.
Full catering and ample car parking. Further details can be obtained from
David, G4XUV on 0606 77787.

News now of a cancelled Rally:

The Scarborough Amateur Radio Electronics and Computer Rally scheduled for
Sunday the 25th of July has had to be cancelled by the organisers. They will
now concentrate on finding a suitable new venue for July 1994. Further details
from Ross, G4ZNZ on 0723 514767.

HF contest news next:

The RSGB's 1993 National Field Day, the Golden Jubilee event, takes place in
June. All Groups intending to participate are reminded that they need to send
details of their site to Chris, G3SJJ, QTHR, to arrive no later than the 1st
of May 1993. See February RadCom page 66 for further details. The next RSGB
Slow CW Cumulative Contest takes place on Thursday the 29th, from 1830 to
2000GMT, using 3.530 to 3.580MHz only. See March RadCom, page 81 for the
rules. The AG CW DL QRP/QRP Party is scheduled to run from 1300 to 1900 on
Saturday the 1st of May using 3.510 to 3.560MHz and 7.010 to 7.040MHz CW only.
See April Radcom page 13 for band and class details.

Now some UHF contest news:

The RSGB 432MHz to 24GHz Contest starts next Saturday the 1st at 1400GMT and
finishes at 1400GMT on Sunday the 2nd of May. Also during Saturday the 70cm
Trophy Contest will take place from 1400 to 2200GMT. See February RadCom page
66 for details, but note that the date for the 70cm Trophy is printed
incorrectly; it should read the 1st of May.



Special event stations this week include:

GB2AMN which will be aired by RAF Finningly Amateur Radio Society during today
Sunday the 25th to celebrate the opening of Newark Air Museum 20 years ago.
The station is operating from two aircraft in the static display at the
Museum; the HF station from a Varsity and the VHF SSB station from a
Shackleton. All contacts plus SWL reports will receive a QSL card.

And now the solar factual data

There is an extended period this week - the 9th to the 18th of April - due to
catching up with the missing holiday data. Solar activity collapsed on the
13th when the sun spot count dropped to only 15, and further declined to only
12 by the 14th; this is the lowest level since February 12th 1988. Levels
improved slowly and the count reached 67 by the 18th. The period meaned about
68. There has only been 1 flare of any note during the period, an M8.7/1B on
the 18th, which was accompanied by types 2 and 4 radio wave sweeps. These are
mainly in the HF region down to about 5MHz. Solar flux levels were up to 136
units on the 12th, but declined to only 88 units by the 15th. However levels
were recovering by the 18th when they reached 106, the period averaged 105
units. The geomagnetic Ap index has been mainly unsettled throughout the
period, but the 9th was up to a sub storm level of 32 units, and the period
13th to 15th was up to sub storm levels of 28 units. The period averaged 19.8
units. The state has been nil, nothing to report, all the period. The radio
quality indices have declined almost every day from just normal down to very
poor by the 18th; all circuits have at various times been down to very poor.
This week we have not yet received the aa indices. The X-ray flux declined to
the lowest levels so far since this data has been broadcast. On the 15th and
16th levels declined to only A7.8 but recovered to B2.0 by the 17th; the
period averaged about B2.9.

Now the ionospheric data for Central France:

The F2 daytime critical frequencies at Poitiers, as reported by Meudon,
declined and levels averaged 7.4MHz, though some days were down to 6.8MHz. The
darkness hour lows averaged 3.0MHz and have not varied much day to day. The
lows are now about 0400 hours but the highs are anything between 1200 hours up
to 1900 hours varying considerably day to day.

Now the ionospheric data for the north:

Since the 10th April we are now getting the F2 daytime critical frequencies
from Ekaterinberg again - it is not known why they stopped - so for the daily
highs levels averaged 7.8MHz. The darkness hour lows averaged 3.1MHz.


And lastly the solar forecast:

This week it seems that a major restructuring is taking place on the sun and
until this is established it is very difficult to say what is likely to
happen. It looks likely that a more active part of the sun will be looking our
way. Solar flux levels are likely to be about the 120s. Geomagnetic levels are
expected to be just unsettled. Past history of the radio quality indices
suggests that ionospheric conditions should be up to normal.

And that is the end of the solar information.

Finally in the main news, SSL has informed the Society that as of last
Wednesday morning, the latest callsigns issued were in the G0 T O and
G7 O V series, and Novice calls in the 2 0 A F and 2 1 B Q series.


You're listening to GB2RS, the news broadcasting service of the Radio Society
of Great Britain, transmitting in the 80, 40, 6 and 2 metre bands.