RSGB Main News for 5 February 2006.

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*  RSGB Main News - GB2RS for 5 February 2006  *

The main news headlines:

  * Help a polar explorer
  * National Science Week
  * Brigades on the Air
  * Raynet Cup nominations wanted
  * M0TNX to activate rare WAB square
  * RSGB Regional Vacancies
  * DXing Legend W1FH, silent key
  * Special Event News
  * DX News
  * Contest News
  * Propagation News

The news in detail:

Help a polar explorer
- ---------------------

* British adventurer Pen Haddow has enlisted the help of radio
amateurs
for his next expedition. Pen made headlines a couple of years ago
when he became the first person to solo trek from Canada to the North
Pole.

  Now he is planning an even more audacious journey for the Spring of
2007. He will walk from Siberia in Russia to the North Pole and then
onto Canada ? a total of 955 miles across some of the Earth?s most
treacherous terrain. The aim of the trip is not just to set a new
record but also to undertake research into the effect of global
warming on the Arctic Ocean ice cap.

  Pen intends to broadcast 10-60 minutes of video of his journey each
day to a website. But achieving this is not a simple matter. The
remote locations means that the only satellite network Pen is able to
access is the Iridium array. Iridium satellite phones only offer data
rates of 2Kbytes/s and this would not be sufficient for Pen?s
purpose, even if the video were compressed before transmission.

  This is where amateur radio could come to the rescue. Pen has
sought the advice of radio amateurs ? including Trevor Brown, G8CJS,
and Perran Newman, G3UUU ? on finding a method of providing medium
speed data transfer by radio in the Arctic.A suitable solution has
yet to be found, and any amateurs with ideas of how such a system can
be achieved are urged to send details (including suggested
frequencies, bandwidth, likely operational range, antennas etc) to
Perran at e-mail address: pvlnewman@<no spam>aol.com. Amateurs should
bear in mind that any system should weigh a maximum of 5kg and must
remain operational for the 100-odd days that the expedition is
expected to take.


National Science Week
- ---------------------

* Following its successful involvement in last year?s event, the
Radio Society of Great Britain is supporting the British Association
for the Advancement of Science during National Science Week 2006.
Last year, many clubs participated in the week?s events, reporting an
overwhelmingly positive response, with thousands of people turning
out and seeing amateur radio being demonstrated.

  National Science Week ? running this year from Friday 10 March to
Sunday 19 March - is a great opportunity for radio clubs to put on
special event stations to showcase amateur radio to the general
public.  To build on the success of previous years, the RSGB is
appealing to all members to support the event in whatever way they
can. Affiliated clubs are already arranging events and full details
of these activities can be found at www.rsgb.org/scienceweek. Details
of all the Science Week activities can be found at
www.the-ba.net/nsw.


Brigades on the Air
- -------------------

* The inaugural Brigades on the Air event is due to take place on 8-9
April this year and any clubs interested in participating should
contact Clive, M0HHF, at clivem0hhf@xxxxxxxx

  Worksop Amateur Radio Society ? which is spearheading the project ?
wants Brigades on the Air to become an annual event much like similar
initiatives such as Museums on the Air and Jamboree on the Air.

  Brigades on the Air involves radio amateurs setting up special
event stations at local fire stations. The idea was first put forward
by ex-fireman Ken and gained the support of the Worksop club. The
Nottinghamshire Fire Brigade has agreed to stage Brigades on the Air
at its headquarters. The Worksop club is planning special Brigades on
the Air QSL cards and also a certificate for those who contact the
most stations. All profits from the initiative will go to the Fire
Service Brigade Benevolent Fund.


Raynet Cup nominations wanted
- -----------------------------

* Nominations are being invited for The Raynet Cup, to be presented
at the forthcoming RSGB annual general meeting on 6 May 2006. The cup
is awarded annually to a Raynet group deemed to have done most for
Raynet in the preceding 12 months. It is open to Raynet groups of any
affiliation. Nominations must reach the RCVS National Coordinator by
28 February and should be sent either by post to RSGB HQ marked
?Raynet Cup? or e-mailed to rcvs@xxxxxxxxxxx


M0TNX to activate rare WAB square
- ---------------------------------

* Kevin Haworth, M0TNX, is planning to activate a rare Worked All
Britain Square ? SD 35 ? on 19 February. The square is rarely
activated because it lies mainly underwater on Morecambe Bay. Kevin
will use the saltwater to deploy full size, half wave verticals for
20, 40, 80 and 160m.

  Kevin last activated SD 35 in the summer of 2005 when he achieved a
contact rate of one QSO per minute for a three hour period. He even
managed to work VK and JA using just 100W and a 20m vertical.

  Kevin is hoping that conditions on the low bands will be good when
he activates the square in February as he is keen to work some DX
again. Morse fans will be pleased to hear that Keith Radford, G3SZU,
will join Kevin on the latest activation. Keith will operate CW from
the station. Operating times for the activation will be from 1400 to
2300UTC.


RSGB Regional vacancies
- -----------------------

* The RSGB is seeking deputy regional managers for Region 103 ? East
and West Sussex. There are two positions, one for East Sussex and the
other for West Sussex. Please contact Gavin Keegan, G6DGK, the
regional manager for Region 10, by e-mail to
gavin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


DXing Legend W1FH, silent key
- -----------------------------

* Legendary DXer Charles Mellen, W1FH ? the first recipient of the
ARRL?s DXCC award after the Second World War ? has become a silent
key at the age of 91.


Special Event News
- ------------------

* Special station II1TPG - the official amateur radio station for the
IX Paralympic Winter Games - is active until 31 March. QSL via
IZ1CCE, direct or bureau.

* Carabinieri on the Air and the local IARU society will operate CW
and SSB as T7COTA and T70A from San Marino on 3-5 February to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of a detachment of 20 Carabinieri
being deployed in San Marino.

* Paul, UT1KY, is operating as EM10KY from Ukraine until 12 February
to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Akademik Vernadsky Station.
Formerly the British Station F - Faraday, it was transferred to
Ukraine on 6 February 1996. QSL via IK1QFM, direct or bureau.

* Special event call 8S30JC will be aired throughout 2006 to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Western Blekinge County Radio
Amateurs (SK7JC) in Sweden.

* Fifteen special IO1 calls (IO1ALP, BIA, BOB, CRO, CUR, FRE, FSK,
HOC, JUM, LUG, NOR, SHO, SKE, SNO and SPE) will be aired until 9
February as part of the run-up to the XX Olympic Winter Games that
will take place in Torino on 10-26 February.

* Special event station GB1CPB, representing GB One Century Portland
Bill, will be operational throughout 2006, from Portland Bill
Lighthouse, Portland, Dorset to celebrate 100 years of operation of
the lighthouse.

* The Amateur Radio Club Koprivnica, 9A8K, is operating special event
callsign 9A650C throughout 2006 to mark the 650th anniversary of the
Croatian city of Koprivnica becoming a free town. More info about the
event can be found at http://www.9a7k.com/

* Special event station LZ13ARDF is on air throughout 2006 to
celebrate the 13th ARDF World Championships taking place on 12-17
September in Primorsko, Bulgaria. Activity will be on all bands and
modes.

* St Dunstan?s Amateur Radio Society has been granted a special event
station callsign - GB30STD - to celebrate its 30th anniversary in
2006. The club will operate the callsign from 1 January to 31
December 2006..


DX News
- -------

* Compiled from the 425 DX News, Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin and other
sources:

* Jurgen, DJ5HD, will operate on 10-80m CW and SSB as 3B8/DJ5HD from
Mauritius Island until 15 February. QSL via home call.

* Alan, G3XAQ, will be active as 9G5XA from Accra, Ghana until 6
February. He will operate CW on the HF bands using 100W and a
doublet. QSL via G3SWH.

* Marco, CE6TBN, and Mario, CE6NE, plan to operate SSB and CW as CE5S
from Santa Maria Island on 7-10 February. QSL via CE6NE.

* Jacques, F6HMJ, will operate on 10-80m CW, SSB and RTTY as TO2FG
from Guadeloupe until 7 March.

* Alessandro, IW7EGK, and Giovanni, IW7DOL, will operate from the
lighthouse at Punta Palascia on 5 February. Alessandro will
concentrate on 40m SSB, while Giovanni will focus on 20m SSB.

* Bill, VE3EBN, will operate as J37LR from Grenada until 5 April on
10-40m RTTY, PSK, SSB and CW. QSL via home call.

* Chris, G0HFX, and Jan, G0BBL, plan to operate mostly CW as
LU/homecall from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina until 13 February.

* Claude Franck is operating as F4BQO/TR8FC from Libreville, Gabon
until May 2006. He?ll mainly be on air from 1800UTC in the evenings
on 14,190kHz USB and 24,900kHz CW.


Contest News
- ------------

* The RSGB Club Championship takes place between 2000 and 2130UTC on
6 February on the 3.5MHz band, SSB only. The exchange is RS and
serial number.

* Look out for the CQ WW RTTY WPX contest between 0000 and 2359UTC on
11-12 February on the 3.5-28MHz contest bands. RST and serial number
make up the exchange.

* The RSGB 1st 1.8MHz contest is on air between 2100 and 0100UTC on
11-12 February, CW only. The exchange comprises RST, serial number
and district.

* The 432MHz AFS contest is on air between 0900 and 1300UTC on 5
February on all modes. RS(T), serial number and locator make up the
exchange.

* Don?t forget to take part in the 144MHz UK Activity Contest and
Club Championship between 2000 and 2230UTC on 7 February. The contest
is on all modes. RS(T), serial number and locator needed for
exchange,

* The 70MHz Cumulative Contest #3 is on air between 1000 and 1200UTC
on 12 February on all modes. RS(T), serial number, locator and QTH
make up the exchange.

* The complete RSGB HF and VHF/UHF 2006 contest calendar was
published in the January issue of RadCom .Details of RSGB HF contests
are at: http://www.rsgbhfcc.org/ and VHF/UHF contests at:
http://www.vhfcc.org/

* Suitable freeware logging programs for RSGB HF and VHF contests is
available from a number of sources - see the ?Links? section of the
VHF Contest Committee website.


Propagation News
- ----------------

* The solar factual data for the period from 23-29 January , prepared
by Neil Clarke, G0CAS.

  Despite a medium sized and magnetically complex sunspot group
rotating across the solar disc, solar activity remained at very low
levels. Only the 24th saw activity at low levels, due to a single
small C1 solar flare. Solar flux levels declined from 93 units on the
24th to 80 by the 28th and the 29th. The average was 86 units. The
90-day solar flux average on the 29th was 87, one unit up on last
week. X-ray flux levels declined from B1 units on the 24th to A4.6 by
the 29th. The average was A7.2 units. The geomagnetic field was quiet
except for the 26th when it reached ?active?. This was due to a small
recurring coronal hole. The Ap index on the 26th was 29 units. The
quietest day was the 29th with an Ap of only three units. The average
was Ap 11 units. The ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase
from 380 kilometres per second to 700 by the 26th. Interestingly,
solar wind speeds can increase by several hundred kilometres per
second in hours but normally take three to four days to return back
to normal speeds. Particle densities were low except on the 23rd when
they increased briefly to 28 particles per cubic centimetre. Bz
fluctuated between minus 12 and plus 10 nanoTeslas on the 26th and
between minus and plus 2 nanoTeslas on the quietest day. Although HF
propagation was affected by the midweek geomagnetic disturbance,
there were interesting moments on all bands, with even 24 and 28MHz
producing strong signals on a couple of days. There were occasional
afternoon openings to North America on 24MHz, while  lengthening
daylight in the northern hemisphere meant that, on the better days,
14MHz stayed open until about 2100UTC. There was still good DX on the
LF bands, including ZL at 0730 on 1,8MHz, CE0Z on 3.5MHz at 0530 as
well as the more usual ZL and North Americans around 0800, with the
Marquesas expedition on 7MHz between 0820 and 0915. At VHF and UHF, a
stable high-pressure system produced some good tropo early in the
week. Aurora was reported at high latitudes on the evening of the
26th.

  Solar forecast

  This week the quiet side of the Sun is expected to be looking our
way. Do not be surprised if on some days the Sun is spotless. Solar
activity should be very low. Solar flux levels should be in the 70s
for most of the week. However, towards next weekend, levels should be
on the increase. Geomagnetic activity should be quiet with the Ap
index in single figures nearly everyday. MUFs during daylight hours
at equal latitudes should be 22MHz for the South and 19MHz for the
North. Paths this week to Australia should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 21MHz. The
optimum working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be
about 15MHz. The best time to try this path will be between 0800 and
1200UTC.

  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
to this, or any other page on the RSGB site. *

* News for GB2RS must be sent in by 0900UTC on the Tuesday before the
broadcast. You can use post, phone, fax or e-mail. *

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006 Radio Society of Great Britain

Main Home page:  http://www.rsgb.org
Members Only Home Page:  http://www.rsgb.org/membersonly/lo-news.htm

Posted by Jim, G4RGA.

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