RSGB Main News for 19 March 2006.

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* RSGB Main News - GB2RS for 19 March 2006 *

The main news headlines:

* New venue for RSGB AGM
* Solar cycle forecast breakthrough
* Norfolk club spaces out students
* M0BTZ awarded IEE prize
* 1st Polish Beacon in operation
* RAOTA social evening
* International Marconi Day
* Special Event News
* DX News
* Contest News
* Propagation News

The news in detail:


New venue for RSGB AGM
- ----------------------

* The venue for the RSGB?s annual general meeting and open forum on
Saturday 6 May 2006 has been changed. The event will now take place
at W5, Odyssey Complex, Queen Quay, Belfast. The change of venue
means that there will now be ample parking for the event.

Registration takes place from 11am when the doors open. The AGM
itself will start at noon, while the open forum will begin at 2.00pm.
Further details about the new venue and the annual general meeting
agenda will be published in the May edition of RadCom and on the RSGB
website.


Solar cycle forecast breakthrough
- ---------------------------------

* The next sunspot cycle will be 30-50 per cent stronger than its
predecessor and will begin as much as a year later than previous
forecasts, according to scientists from the US-based National Centre
for Atmospheric Research. If the prediction is correct, the next
solar maximum could be the most intense since the historic solar
maximum of 1958.

The National Centre for Atmospheric Research scientists believe
they have mastered the art of accurately forecasting solar cycles.

They have developed a computer model that they claim has simulated
the strength of the past eight solar cycles with an accuracy of more
than 98%.

This amazing precision is achieved by using the subsurface
movements of sunspot remnants of the previous two solar cycles to
calculate the strength of the next cycle. Mausumi Dikpati, the leader
of the research team, said: "Our model has demonstrated the necessary
skill to be used as a forecasting tool."

The Sun undergoes 11-year cycles of activity, from peak storm
activity to quiet and back again. But until now there was no precise
method of predicting their timing and strength. Being able to
accurately predict the sun?s cycles years ahead could help society
prepare for periods of intense solar storms, which can disrupt
communications, slow down satellite orbits and crash power systems.

Solar storms are thought to be caused by twisted magnetic fields in
the Sun that suddenly snap, releasing huge amounts of energy. They
usually occur near dark regions of concentrated magnetic fields known
as sunspots.


Norfolk club spaces out students
- --------------------------------

* Norfolk Amateur Radio Club recently participated in Acle High
School?s Annual Science Day. The theme for this year?s event was
space, with the highlight of the day being the display of an 11m
Nova/Starchaser 4 rocket that was launched above Morecambe Bay in
2001.

Norfolk ARC members provided an interactive display illustrating
different methods of space communication including a working model
satellite, built by the club?s youth group Bright Sparks. Visitors
were able to use the satellite to communicate using handheld radios.
The club also beamed live ATV pictures onto a large TV screen in the
school?s entrance hall. Meanwhile, Norfolk ARC?s amateur radio
demonstration vehicle provided a traditional radio display next to
the rocket outside.


M0BTZ awarded IEE prize
- -----------------------

* Roscoe Harrison, M0BTZ - a 22-year-old University of Surrey
electronics student - has been awarded the Institution of Electrical
Engineers? Lloyd of Kilgerran memorial prize for outstanding merit in
his final year project. Roscoe ? an active VHF/UHF operator and avid
home constructor - was presented with the award by Rt Hon Elizabeth
Robins, daughter of the late Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran.


1st Polish Beacon in operation
- ------------------------------

* The first Polish 10m band beacon, SR4TEN, was activated at 1015UTC
on 6 March. SR4TEN is located at the office of the MK QTC Magazine in
Suchacz. It operates with 3W of power at 28.203MHz. If you copy the
beacon, e-mail your report to qtc@xxxxxxx


RAOTA social evening
- --------------------

* The Radio Amateurs Old Timers? Association is having its first
get-together of the year on 20 May at Brunswick Inn, Derby. The event
is open to all RAOTA members and their guests but the organisers ask
those planning to attend to contact Ian Brothwell, G4EAN, on
telephone number 0115 926 2360 or e-mail address gensec@xxxxxxxxx so
that seating and catering can be arranged.

RAOTA is a national (and international) club that does not itself
hold club nights. Instead, it encourages members to organise local
get-togethers. These are informal social events where members and
their guests can meet, eat and chat. Visit http://www.raota.org/ for
more details about RAOTA.

International Marconi Day
- -------------------------

* The 19th International Marconi Day takes place on 22 April.

Organised by Cornish Radio Amateur Club members, the event
celebrates the life of the man widely credited with being the father
of radio. Certificates will be made available to amateurs or short
wave listeners for contacting or hearing a requisite number of award
stations. The award stations will operate from sites with a
historical connection with Guglielmo Marconi.

To be considered as an award station, a station must firstly be
registered with the event organisers. You can register by e-mailing
your station?s details to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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

Heinz, HB9BOS, Ruedi, HB9CQL, and Nick, HB9DDZ, will operate as
HB20DIG from 8 March to 7 June to celebrate the 20th anniversary of
the DIG Section of Switzerland.

Amateur radio operators from Iceland are allowed to use the special
prefix TF60 until the end of the year to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of the Icelandic Radio Amateurs.

9A35Y will be aired on all bands and modes until the end of the
year to celebrate the 35th anniversary of radio club "Jan Hus",
9A1CCY.

The Foyle and District Amateur Radio Club from Northern Ireland
will be operating special event station GB5SPD until 24 March on the
80m and above HF bands.

Operators Edu, EA8AUW, and Peter, EC8/74182, will be active as
ED8CLL from the Castle of La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,
Canary Islands on Sunday 19 March. Activity will be on 20-10m and
17m.

Special call TM5CMC (Catastrophe des Mines de Courrieres) will be
aired until 19 March to commemorate the Courrieres mining disaster of
10 March 1906, when 1,100 died in a coal dust explosion.

The 18th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia, contested by
4,500 athletes from 70 countries, will be celebrated by two special
event callsigns - AX3MCG and AX3GAMES. The callsigns will be aired
daily until 31 March. Special commemorative QSL cards for both
callsigns will be available via the VK3 Bureau.

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.


DX News
- -------

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

Guy, F5MNW, will be active as FM/F5MNW from Martinique from 25
March to 8 April. He will operate CW on all bands.

Jan, K4QD, and Bill, W4WX, will be operating from the NW Haiti
Christian Mission on 20-31 March and plan to be active on 80-10m, all
modes.

Look for EY8/UA4CC and EY8/UR0MC to operate CW, SSB and RTTY from
Dushanbe, Tajikistan until 21 March. They are concentrating on the
low and WARC bands.

Jean-Pierre, F5CVI, will be active as FG/F5CVI from Sainte Rose,
Guadeloupe on 20-27 March. He plans to operate SSB and RTTY on
10-40m.

Pete, SM5GMZ, will be active as 9M6/SM5GMZ from East Malaysia for a
couple of weeks starting 21 March. He will operate on all bands and
modes, with an emphasis on 160 and 80m.

Steve, formerly G4JVG and now 9M6DXX, is operating as 9M6DXX
portable from Gaya Island over the weekend of 18-19 March. He is
using 400W to a multi-band vertical situated right above the ocean
and with radials actually in the sea. Look for him around 14,260 and
21,260kHz SSB. QSL to his address on qrz.com.

Tom, W7YW, is operating as P40TW from Aruba until 24 March. He
plans to be active on all bands SSB, RTTY and CW from the P40L
contest station. QSL direct to home call.

TY4TW, TY5LEO, TY5MR and TY5WP are the callsigns issued to GM4FDM,
K2LEO, IK1PMR and PA3EWP for their 15-30 March activity from Benin.

Operators Rosel, DL3KWR, and Hardy, DL3KWF, are active as
CT3/DL3KWR and CT3/DL3KWF respectively from the Madeira Islands until
23 March. Activity will be mostly on CW and on the WARC bands.

Zrinko, VE3ZIK, will be operating from Bilice until 28 March as
9A/VE3ZIK. He will be active mostly on the WARC bands and will be
waiting for any 10m FM opening on 29.600MHz.

Mir, UA3FDX, and Pavel, RA3AUM, will be active from Azerbaijan as
4J0DX and 4J0AUM until 27 March on 10-80m and possibly 160m, SSB and
CW.

Leo, W3LEO, is active as MM0LEO from Portpatrick, Scotland until 27
March. QSL via home call, direct or bureau.


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

The Russian DX Contest is on air between 1200UTC on 18 March and
1200UTC on 19 March on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, CW and SSB
modes. The exchange is RS(T) and serial number.

Don?t miss the BARTG Spring contest between 0200UTC on 18 March and
0200UTC on 20 March on the 3.5 to 28MHz contest bands, RTTY mode
only. The exchange comprises RST, serial number and time.

The RSGB Club Championship SSB section takes place between 2000 and
2130UTC on 23 March on the 3.5MHz band. RS and serial number make up
the exchange.

Look out for the CQ WW WPX contest between 0000 and 2359UTC on
25-26 March on the 1.8 to 28MHz contest bands, SSB only. The exchange
comprises RS and serial number.

The 1.3/2.3GHz UK Activity Contest takes place between 2000 and
2230UTC on 21 March on all modes. The exchange is RS(T), serial
number and locator.Don?t miss the 50MHz Activity Contest between 2000
and 2230UTC on 28 March on all modes. RS(T), serial number and
exchange 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 6-12 March , prepared by
Neil Clarke, G0CAS.

Another quiet week all round. Two small sunspot groups were visible
for most of the period. However, on the 11th, the solar disc was
spotless. Solar activity was very low. Normally, B class solar flares
would not get a mention in this report but two took place, one on the
7th and the other on the 11th. What was unusual about these flares
was that both of them lasted for almost four hours. However, no
effect on propagation was noticed from these flares. Solar flux
levels averaged 73 units and varied little day to day. The 90-day
solar flux average on the 12th was 81, two units down on last week.
X-ray flux levels remained below the A1 level every day. Geomagnetic
activity was quiet to unsettled. The 7th, 10th and the 11th were
unsettled with an Ap index of 12 units. The average was Ap 8 units.
The ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase to 580 kilometres
per second. Particle densities were low except for on the 6th and the
10th when they were at 20 and 15 particles per cubic centimetre
respectively. Bz varied between minus 13 and plus 10 nanoTeslas on
the unsettled days and between minus 3 and plus 4 nanoTeslas on the
quietest day.

Now, some big news on the next sunspot cycle. The next cycle is
forecast to begin with an increase in solar activity in late-2007 or
early-2008, and there will be 30 to 50 percent more sunspots, flares
and CMEs in cycle 24. The cycle will begin about one year later than
was previously predicted.

Solar forecast

This week the quiet side of the Sun is expected to be looking our
way. On the last rotation the Sun remained spotless. Solar activity
is expected to be very low. Solar flux levels should be in the 70s
all week. Due to a recurring coronal hole, geomagnetic activity is
expected to be unsettled for the next day or so, but then decline to
quiet levels for the rest of the week. MUFs during daylight hours at
equal latitudes should be around 20MHz for the South and 17MHz for
the North. The darkness hour lows should be about 9MHz. Paths this
week to the Middle East should have a maximum usable frequency with a
50 per cent success rate of about 22MHz. The optimum working
frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be around 17MHz. The
best time to try this path is between 0900 and 1600UTC.

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. *

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

© 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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