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G4TNU > NEWS 27.07.25 03:04l 292 Lines 14709 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 27 Jul 2025
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 27th of July
The news headlines:
* RSGB confirms more speakers for its Convention in October
* Get involved with the RSGB LoRa high-altitude balloon
challenge
* The RSGB releases high-contrast logbook to improve
accessibility
The RSGB has shared details of more presentations that you can enjoy
at its Convention in October. If you'd like to broaden your technical
knowledge, you'll enjoy presentations by Bob Burns, G3OUU on
‘Getting the most from an oscilloscope' and ‘Ladder crystal
filter design'. As part of the Society's focus on supporting modern
amateur radio operating practices, Paul Galwas, M0WLG will be
discussing ‘Can we ‘DX' over an IoT [INTERNET-OF-THINGS] mesh?'.
The comprehensive programme of speakers also includes Dr Marcus
Walden, G0IJZ who will explain the numerical modelling of the
historical Grimeton VLF antenna, and Paul Beaumont, G7VAK who will
take ‘A brief look at Number Stations: 1950 to the present'. With
even more captivating and thought-provoking speakers already
confirmed, you'll need to purchase a ticket to guarantee attendance.
Buy your tickets before Monday the 11th of August to ensure you
receive early-bird ticket pricing. Tickets are available to purchase
via rsgb.org/convention
National Coding Week takes place in the third week of September, and
the RSGB is once again dedicating a whole month to amateur radio and
coding activities. As part of the Society's strategy to encourage
practical skills development, it is inviting you to take part in its
LoRa high-altitude balloon challenge. The project has been developed
by the RSGB Outreach team and takes place on Saturday the 20th of
September. The balloon will be equipped with a LoRa digipeater, and
your challenge is to follow the instructions provided and build a
LoRa tracker. If your tracker build is successful, it will beam up
packets to the airborne relay, which will transmit them to a local
i-gate. Your goal is to get your signal the furthest distance from
the launch. Anyone can enter, but to win one of the prizes you need
to be an RSGB member. Get involved as a single operator or as a team
in your RSGB affiliated club. The RSGB is delighted that Moonraker is
sponsoring this event and will award a GBP 200 Moonraker voucher to
the winner of each category. Find out how to get involved with this
exciting LoRa event by going to rsgb.org/lora-balloon
The RSGB is proud to announce the release of a new high-contrast
logbook designed to support amateur radio operators with visual
impairments or learning difficulties. Responding to feedback from
members and accessibility advocates, the RSGB developed the logbook
with wider spacing and a high-contrast black-and-yellow design to
improve ease of use. This release reflects the RSGB's wider
commitment to improving accessibility across all areas of the Society
and amateur radio as a whole. The organisation continues to explore
ways to make the hobby more inclusive and user-friendly for all
participants. This version will be available through Amazon and is
expected to be a useful addition for both seasoned operators and
newcomers looking for a more accessible logging option. As part of
its long-term vision, the RSGB is looking to recruit a dedicated team
to assess and enhance accessibility throughout the Society and help
shape a more inclusive future for amateur radio. If you're interested
in contributing to this important initiative, please email RSGB Board
Director Nathan Nuttall, 2M0OCC via 2m0occ<at>rsgb.org.uk
Since the launch of its DMR project in May, the RSGB Outreach team is
delighted that four schools and one homeschool have signed up. The
project aims to help young people get on the air and build their
confidence in making QSOs. Each of the successful applicants will be
loaned a TYT DMR handheld radio and a Pi-Star based hotspot. The RSGB
Youth Chair and Youth Champion for Schools, Chris Aitken, MM0WIC, is
supporting two new school amateur radio clubs that have chosen this
as an entry-level activity for its club members. DMR is particularly
useful in a school club scenario where antenna placement is a
challenge and can be easily deployed, giving young people access to
the world. During the summer holidays, the DMR handsets will be used
at the West Sussex International Jamboree with Regional
Representative 10, Simon Harris, G4WQG, attending the event and Wick
High School Radio Club member Jacob, MM7IFL supporting remotely via
DMR. Listen out for further updates after the summer when the RSGB
plans to get a youth net operational on Brandmeister Talk Group
23554. The net aims to encourage young operators to get on the air
and become comfortable with QSO structure and general rag-chewing. If
you want to start a school club or are interested in being part of
the DMR project, email Chris via youthchampion.school<at>rsgb.org.uk
The prospect of a USA constellation of 240 commercial satellites that
would use 430 to 440MHz for wideband control and telemetry, has
prompted an unprecedented response from the amateur radio community
to a Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, consultation. FCC
Proceeding 25-201 would see AST SpaceMobile utilise much of 430 to
440MHz for downlinks as well as a series of ground stations around
the world. The RSGB and several other IARU member societies, along
with the ARRL and over 2,000 individuals, have submitted comments to
this consultation. The IARU itself has also issued a statement on the
matter. Links for this, including the RSGB response, can be found on
the RSGB website. Go to rsgb.org/spectrumforum and then choose the
‘Papers and consultations' option in the righthand menu. Following
the main submission deadline of the 21st of July, the FCC process has
further phases to go through.
Amateur radio operators are invited to take part in a special
operating event in August celebrating the rich history of the UK's
wartime and Cold War airfield bunkers. AFB25 – that's Airfield
Bunkers 2025 – is a nationwide activity taking place from Friday
the 1st to Sunday the 31st of August. Organised by UK Bunkers on the
Air, or UKBOTA, the event encourages amateurs to activate historic
airfield sites with known bunker installations. All bands and modes
are welcome. Special recognition awards will be given for activators,
hunter and shortwave listener efforts. To learn more, including how
to participate and which locations qualify, visit tinyurl.com/AFB-2025
And now for details of rallies and events
Wiltshire Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 27th, at
Kington Langley Village Hall, Church Road, Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ.
The doors open for traders at 7am and 9am for visitors. Refreshments
are available on site. You can find out more by visiting
chippenhamradio.club
Part 1 of the BATC Convention for Amateur TV 2025 is taking place on
Sunday the 3rd of August at Midland Air Museum in Coventry. The doors
will be open from 10am to 4pm. The Convention will include show and
tell, test and fix-it, and bring and buy.
Also on Sunday the 3rd of August, Kings Lynn Amateur Radio Club Rally
is taking place at Gaywood Community Centre, PE30 4EL. The doors will
open at 9am and the entrance fee will be GBP 2.50. An outdoor
trader's stall costs GBP 8, and an indoor one is GBP 10. To book,
email rally.klarc<at>gmail.com or call 07709 074 951.
Now the Special Event news
Special callsign 5P0TA will operate from Bornholm [BAWN-HOWN] Island,
EU-030, from the 31st of July to the 3rd of August in connection with
this year's European Ham Radio Show meet-up event. Both presenters
and viewers of The European Ham Radio Show on YouTube will gather
with the goal of activating all of the POTA parks on Bornholm
[BAWN-HOWN] Island within four days. Both 5P0TA and the participants'
own callsigns will be used. They are aiming to use as many modes and
bands as conditions allow. Attending from the from UK are Charlotte,
2M0LVY and Steve, M1SDH. If you hear them on the air, give them a
call!
Throughout 2025, José, HP2AT is using special callsign H82AT to
celebrate his 35th anniversary in amateur radio. Recently, the
station has been spotted on the HF bands using CW, FT4 and FT8. All
QSOs will be uploaded to QRZ.com, Club Log, eQSL and Logbook of the
World. Paper cards will not be available.
Now the DX news
Today, the 27th, is your last chance to catch the IP1X team which is
active from Gallinara Island, EU-083. The team is using CW and SSB on
the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS, via the Bureau or directly to
IU1JCZ. More information is available at QRZ.com
Red, DL1BUG is active as TY5FR from Cotonou [KOW-TUH-NOO], Benin in
West Africa until the 6th of August. He is operating using CW and SSB
on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World
or via Red's home call.
Now the contest news
Today, the 27th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs
from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies,
the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The RSGB IOTA Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 26th and
ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 27th of July. Using CW and SSB on
the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and IOTA reference.
On Monday the 28th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to
2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Saturday the 2nd of August, the EU HF Championship runs from 1200
to 2359UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests
are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator
and the last two digits of the year you were first licensed.
Also on Saturday the 2nd of August, the RSGB 4th 144MHz Backpackers
Contest runs from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band,
the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and two-letter
postcode.
On Saturday the 2nd, the 144MHz Low Power Contest runs from 1400 to
1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
On Sunday the 3rd, the 432MHz Low Power Contest runs from 0800 to
1200UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number, locator and two-letter postcode.
The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon started on Saturday the 3rd of
May and ends on Sunday the 3rd of August. Using all modes on the 6m
band, the exchange is your four-character locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 24th of July
It was a bit of a mixed bag last week. The first half saw settled
geomagnetic conditions, but from the 22nd of July we had a
disturbance thanks to output from a solar coronal hole.
This saw the Kp index rise to 4.67 and ultimately 5. The stream from
the Sun reached around 730 kilometres per second, while the Bz
component of the interplanetary magnetic field, or IMF, was mostly
neutral with a few brief periods when it pointed slightly south.
So, its effects were perhaps not as bad as they could have been. The
coronal hole has now rotated out of view, so we may have some better
days. Meanwhile, the solar flux index has been in the range of 140 to
150, which is pretty good.
There were no M-class or higher solar flares over the past week,
which is unusual.
So overall, HF propagation was humming, at least until the Kp index
hit 5.
Maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path during
daylight continue to be around 21MHz, but often dip to 18MHz at
times. Nighttime conditions can be variable. If the 14MHz band isn't
open for you, try 10MHz.
Earlier in the week, some daytime tests with WSPR on the 20m band saw
stations logged from Australia and the far west of Canada. DP0POL,
the Polarstern research vessel doing work in the Artic, was also
logged.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline
slightly to be in the range of 130 to 135. Geomagnetic conditions are
predicted to be settled until the 1st of August when the Kp index
could rise to 4. This period of unsettled conditions, with reduced
MUFs, could last until the 4th of August.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
We will see the return of a weak ridge of high pressure today. This
will last until the middle of the coming week.
The second half of the week will be a little more unsettled with some
occasional spells of rain. This suggests that some Tropo is possible,
before a gradual swap over to rain scatter. However, high pressure
near the Azores may still influence the western side of Britain.
This week will see the peak of two meteor showers, the Alpha
Capricornids and Delta Aquariids. These are worth checking out, if
only to get your practice time in before one of the major showers of
the year – the Perseids on the 12th and 13th of August.
Barely a day passes without some auroral alert and this can be an
exciting mode. Several good indicators are available such as when the
Kp index is above 5, or watery-sounding signals on the 40 and 20m
bands. If you hear these, try looking north on the 6, 4 or 2m bands.
Sporadic-E continues to be mentioned on the clusters somewhere in
Europe on most days. But remember that it's a very localised mode and
is rarely available for everyone at the same time.
The best way to track it down is to use the clusters, and a good list
of beacons, to see who your ‘locals' are working on FT8. It's a
very hit-and-miss mode. Meteor activity is a good indicator whereas a
high Kp index is a bad one. Whether it happens is often a balance
between many opposing components. So, even a potentially good day may
not be good where you are.
The good news is that the last openings of the summer can occur into
the first week of September.
Moon declination is still positive but going negative again on
Tuesday the 29th. Moon windows and peak elevation will reduce. Path
losses are rising now as we are past perigee. 144MHz sky noise starts
the coming week low but will rise to moderate by the weekend.
And that's all from the propagation team this week.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
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