24
Sep
Amateur radio in West Sussex - Training, Exams, Contests and Special Event Stations
SK G3GVB equipment at the next "Junk Sale"
05
JunLocation CHANGED TO CAR PARK, Honeysuckle Land, High Salvingtion, Worthing
20
MayWADARC Weekly News 20th May 2017
Hello WADARC Member, I have the honour this week of compiling the weekly new for the club.
I did wonder if I should take the President of the United States press core and produce FAKE news, but no, we are British and we do not do that sort of thing.
Due to Bryan Phillips G3GVB not having a funeral that the members could attend, we decided that the 24th May meal at the Tollgate would double as an opportunity to remember Bryan.
This mean there will not be any meeting at the Parish Hall this week.
PAST WEEK
Mills on the Air, weekend just past, the WADARC station went well, well on the most part. The guys did have some ATU / antenna issues.
On Wednesday I did a presentation on WANNACRY ransom software. Which I hope people enjoyed.
Phil and Norman are now in Dayton at the worlds biggest Ham Rally, hoping they will both give us a presentation on they return.
UP AND COMING
We are having a fox hunt on the 31st May some have asked if we could switch to 2 meter http://doodle.com/poll/wt2m4rruucxpsn9x this link is poll to help decide which band to use.
For those participating please vote.
June 2017
Lancing Harvester, Lancing Sun 4th 9:00 am – 10:00 am Join members of the club for an informal breakfast.
Lancing Parish Hall, Lancing West Sussex Wed 7th 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm An informal club evening with an open floor for members to discuss, demonstrate or present anything radio related.
Lancing Parish Hall, Lancing West Sussex Wed 14th 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm A talk with pictures by our own Graham, G4FNL on his recent DXpedition.
Lancing Parish Hall, Lancing West Sussex Wed 21st 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Location to be determined but this will be an an outside operating evening.
Lancing Parish Hall, Lancing West Sussex Wed 28th 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Rallies
19-21 MAY 2017 DAYTON HAMVENTION® (new venue)
Greene County Fair & Exposition Center, Xenia, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Doors open at 8am. There will be trade stands and a huge flea market as well as special interest groups and an RSGB bookstall. A lecture programme will take place each day. There are multiple catering outlets and family attractions on site. US exams are available and there is a raffle. Details by email to international@hamvention.org. [www.hamvention.org].
20 MAY 2017 RADARS FLEA MARKET INDOOR SALE
St Vincent de Paul’s, Caldershaw Rd., off Edenfield Rd (A680), Norden, Rochdale OL12 7QR
Doors open at 10.30am with disabled visitors gaining access 15 minutes earlier. Admission is £2.50 with those under 12 years free. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as commercial traders, a junk stall and amateur radio sellers. Traders can set up from 8am. Pitches must be booked at least 2 weeks beforehand with prices starting at £5. There will be refreshments available including bacon and sausage butties. Dave, G3RIK by email to rally@radars.me.uk [www.radars.me.uk]
20 MAY 2017 MORAY FIRTH ARS SURPLUS EQUIPMENT SALE
Forces Reserve Centre, Edgar Road, Elgin IV30 6YQ
Doors open 12 noon and entry is £2 for buyers. Tables cost £3 and access is available at 10am for set up. Refreshments are available on site. A raffle will be held. Details from Victor, 2M0JVR on 01343 820 489 or by email to jvr911@yahoo.co.uk
21 MAY 2017 34TH DUNSTABLE DOWNS RC ANNUAL NATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO CAR BOOT SALE
Stockwood Park, London Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 4LX in Luton on Sunday 21st May 2017. Entry/car park fee is £3. All the usual facilities will be there. [www.ddrcbootsale.org]
28 MAY 2017 DURHAM & DISTRICT ARS RADIO RALLY
Bowburn Community Centre, Co Durham, DH6 5AT
The venture has disabled facilities and car parking on site. Doors open from 10.30am to 2.30pm with disabled visitors gaining access from 10.15am. Admission is £2. There will be trade stands, Bring & Buy, talk in and catering on site. There will be an RSGB bookstall. More details from Michael, G7TWX on 0782 692 4192 or by email to dadars@gmx.com
28 MAY 2017 CAUSEWAY COAST GLENS ARC RADIO RALLY
Bushmills Community Centre, 14 Dunluce Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim BT57 8QG
There is car parking and disabled facilities at this venue. Doors open at 11am and entry is £3. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. There is catering on site. Stevie Morrow, MI0ULK on 07544 923 956 or email stephen769@talktalk.net.
4 JUNE 2017 SPALDING & DARS ANNUAL RALLY
The Sir John Gleed Technology School, Halmer Gardens, Spalding, Lincs PE11 2EF.
There is free car parking on site. Doors open at 10am. There will be trade stands, an outside car boot area and there is catering on site. Details from John G4NBR 0794 630 2815 or Graham, G8NWC 0775 461 9701 or email rally-secretary@sdars.org.uk [www.sdars.org.uk]
4 JUNE 2017 21st RED ROSE QRP FESTIVAL
The Rose Centre (Lowton Civic Hall), Hesketh Meadow Lane, Lowton, Warrington WA3 2AH
There is easy access from all directions ¬M6, M61, M60 and A580. The venue has a large spacious halls at ground level with free car parking. There are disabled facilities. Doors open from 11am to 3pm and admission is £2 with children under 14 free. There will be trade and individual stalls as well as Club stands, including the RSGB and GQRP. There will be a Bring & Buy. Catering is available on site. Some tables are available at £8 but please book early. Contact Les Jackson, G4HZJ by email to g4hzj@ntlworld.com or 01942 870 634.
10 JUNE 2017 ANTRIM & DARS BRING & BUY SURPLUS SALE
Muckamore Community Centre , Ballycraigy Road , Antrim , Co.Antrim , BT41 2DH
Doors open 12.30 to 5pm with sellers gaining access from 12 noon. Entry is £2 for buyers and a table charge for sellers is £5. Refreshments available to purchase and a raffle will be drawn.
11 JUNE 2017 JUNCTION 28 AMATEUR RADIO RALLY
Bowls Hall Alfreton Leisure Centre, Church Street, Alfreton DE55 7BD
Contact rally secretary for further details on 01159 307 322
11 JUNE 2017 EAST SUFFOLK WIRELESS REVIVAL (Ipswich Radio Rally)
NEW VENUE: Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton. IP10 0PW just off the A14.
Doors open at 9:30, free car parking, entry fee £2. There will be trade stands, car boot sale, Bring & Buy, Special interests groups, GB4SWR HF station and an RSGB bookstall. Catering is available on site. Contact Kevin, G8MXV,0771 0046 846 [www.eswr.org.uk]
17 JUNE 2017 SOUTH LANCS ARC SUMMER RALLY
Bickershaw Village Community Club, Bickershaw Lane, Bickershaw, Wigan WN2 5TE
There is car parking on site at this venue. Doors open 9am for the public and 7.30am for traders. Entry is £2.50. There are a limited number of pitches available. There will be a Bring & Buy, special interest groups and trade stands. Catering is available on site. To book call Jason, G0IZR on 01942 735 828.
18 JUNE 2017 30th NEWBURY RADIO RALLY
Newbury Showground, next to Jcn 13 of M4, Berkshire.
There is free parking on site and entry is £2.50 or £12.30 for those in the car boot area. There will be a display area of an amateur radio station, exhibits, special interest groups, clubs and societies. There is on site catering and disabled facilities. Open to sellers at 8am for set up and to the public from 9am. Advance bookings (with discount) can be made via www.nadars.org.uk/rally.asp
25 JUNE 2017 WEST OF ENGLAND RADIO RALLY
Cheese & Grain venue, Market Yard, Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BE.
Doors open from 10am to 2pm with admission priced at £3 for adults and children under 14 free. There will be inside & outside traders, free car parking, café, RSGB bookstall, accessible & facilities for disabled. Details from Shaun, G8VPG on 01225 873 098 www.westrally.org.uk
1 JULY 2017 BANGOR & DISTRICT ARS ANNUAL RALLY
Donaghadee Community Centre, Parade, Donaghadee BT21 0HB
Doors open at 11.30am. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. Catering is available on site. A raffle will be held on the day. Contact: Harry Squance, GI4JTF on 0777 594 2174 or by email to gi4jtf@gmail.com.
1 JULY 2017 1st HOUGHTON LE SPRING ARC RALLY
The Dubmire Royal British Legion Club, Britannia Terrace, Fencehouses DH4 6LJ
Doors open 10.30am until 3pm. Entry is free. There will be traders, club and private stands. Table space is limited (and free) and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Tea & coffee will be available and a licensed bar from 11am. Details from Ken, M6ELL by email m6ellken@aol.com or on 0795 146 0290.
2 JULY 2017 BARFORD NORFOLK RADIO RALLY
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich NR9 4AB
Doors open 9am (traders from 8am) with Talk in on S22. There will be trade stands, car boot sales, a Bring & Buy, raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking.
Entry £2 per person / under 16s free. Pitches £8, indoor tables £10
Contact radio@dcpmicro.com [www.norfolkamateurradio.org]
DX Expeditions May 2007
| Start | End | Location | Call Sign | Owner | ||
| 2017 May01 | 2017 May30 | Philippines | DU3 | TDDX | By F4EBK as DU3/F4EBK fm Baliuag, Bulacan, Luzon I (IOTA OC-042); 40-10m; SSB; 100w; G5RV and dipole | |
| 2017 May04 | 2017 May23 | Kosovo | Z68BG | HB9TSW | TDDX | By HB9TSW fm Slatina Air Base; 40-10m; mainly CW; 100w; ground plane, dipole; not valid for DXCC |
| 2017 May09 | 2017 May31 | Mongolia | JT5MA | LY5W Direct | LY5W | By RN5M; HF; spare time operation fm JT5DX station |
| 2017 May09 | 2017 Jun02 | Cape Verde Is | D44TWO | M0OXO | DXW.Net | By DF2WO fm Praia, Santiago I (IOTA AF-005); 40-10m; CW (slow) SSB + digital; holiday style operation |
| 2017 May11 | 2017 May23 | North Cook Is | E51LYC | VE3LYC | DXNews | By VE3LYC fm Pukapuka Atoll (IOTA OC-098); 40-10m; CW SSB; verticals, wires |
| 2017 May15 | 2017 May24 | Malta | 9H3SQ | LotW | DXW.Net | By SQ3RX fm Gozo I (IOTA EU-023); 40-10m; CW SSB RTTY; inverted V, vertical wires; QSL also OK via SQ3RX (Buro or direct) and Club Log |
| 2017 May15 | 2017 May29 | Galapagos | HC8 | LotW | DXW.Net | By LW9EOC as HC8/LW9EOC fm Isabela I (IOTA SA-004); 160-6m, focus on WARC bands; CW SSB RTTY; QSL also OK via LW9EOC direct |
| 2017 May15 | 2017 Jul15 | Minami Torishima | JD1 | JA8CJY | DXNews | By JG8NQJ as JG8NQJ/JD1 fm IOTA OC-073 (QL64xg); 80-6m; CW RTTY; begin and end dates approximate |
| 2017 May16 | 2017 May30 | Palestine | E44WE | SP9FIH | SP9FIH | By SP9FIH fm KM71oq; 17 10 6m; 100w; QSL also OK via Club Log |
| 2017 May17 | 2017 Jun03 | Honduras | HR9 | LotW | TDDX | By AD8J as AD8J/HR9; fm Dunbar Rock (IOTA NA-057); 160-15m; mainly CW, some SSB; 100w; dipole over water; focus on JA at SR/SS; QSL also OK via AD8J direct (w/ SASE) |
| 2017 May18 | 2017 May21 | Ceuta & Mellila | ED9T | EA4PN | DXNews | By EA4PN EA3NN EA3HSJ EA4GMX EA5UF EA5IHK EA4JJ EA3CV EA8ZT EA2CW for the King of Spain CW Contest; will be EG9TOR before contest; HF; mainly CW |
| 2017 May18 | 2017 Jun03 | Gabon | TR8CR | F6AJA | TDDX | By F8EN; 30 20m; CW |
| 2017 May19 | 2017 May23 | Sint Maarten | PJ7 | LotW | PH2M | By PH2M as PJ7/PH2M; 40-10m; SSB WSPR; 100w (200mw WSPR); end fed wires; QSL also OK via PH2M (Buro or direct) |
| 2017 May19 | 2017 May29 | Eritrea | E31A | JH1AJT | JA1NRH | By JH1AJT DJ9ZB E21EIC RA9USU; mainly 160-10m; CW SSB RTTY |
| 2017 May20 | 2017 May21 | Luxembourg | LX44FF | PH0NO | PH0NO | By PD77YY PG8M PH0NO fm various nature reserves; 80-10m; CW SSB; QSL also OK via Club Log |
| 2017 May20 | 2017 May25 | Faroe Is | OY | See Info | DXW.Net | By DF3MC as OY/DF3MC (QSL via DARC Buro) and DL8JJ as OY/DL8JJ (QSL via DL8JJ) fm IOTA EU-018; HF; primarily SOTA activity |
| 2017 May22 | 2017 Jun07 | Guadeloupe | FG | DL2AAZ | TDDX | By DL2AAZ as FG/DL2AAZ fm Saint Rose (FK96di); 30-10m; SSB CW; 300w; ground planes; QSL OK via DARC Buro or direct (w/ US$2 + SAE) |
| 2017 May23 | 2017 Jun18 | Zimbabwe | Z25DX | KC0W Direct | DXNews | By KC0W; 80-6m; CW |
| 2017 May24 | 2017 May28 | Saba & St Eustatius | PJ6 | LotW | PH2M | By PH2M as PJ6/PH2M fm Saba I; 40-10m; SSB WSPR; 100w (200mw WSPR); end fed wires; QSL also OK via PH2M(Buro or direct) |
| 2017 May25 | 2017 Jun04 | Congo | TN5E | LotW | DXW.Net | By LA7GIA fm Brazzaville (JI75pr); 80-10m, perhaps 6m; 400w; dipoles; 5 ele on 6m; QSL also OK via Club Log |
NETS
Monday – 2metres 145.425 MHz, FM, 7.30pm (local)
Thursday – 40metres 7.106 MHz +/-QRM, SSB, 11.00am (local)
Saturday – 70cms on GB3WO, 7.00pm (local)
Sunday – 80metres 3.712 MHz +/- QRM, SSB, 8.00am (local)
Tuesday – This is NOT a WADARC net. It was originally setup by Amateurs in Seaford and Worthing to maintain contact and was later joined by Graham, G8BZL and Alan, G4GNX. The net is very informal and is mostly for rag chewing. Others occasionally join in. Although we endeavour to maintain regularity, sometimes other commitments take priority, so the net may not take place. We can be heard most Tuesday evenings on 144.310 MHz, SSB, 8.00pm (local). Please note: Polarisation is VERTICAL, due to stations being in different directions.
Another non WaDARC NET
If you live in London, Essex, Herts, Surrey, Kent and elsewhere…then please join in on the Essex & Beyond 4M net
Every Wednesday evening from 8pm on 70.475MHz FM
On a good night we get about 10 people on the net!
Please don’t be shy! The 4m band is getting busier and more people on than ever before!
RSGB News
- RSGB AGM
- New RSGB Honorary Vice President
- RSGB Board Meeting
- 60m news
- Contest trophy presentations
- RSGB club insurance
- NRC volunteers sought
- Contest report update
- VHF contesting scoring
- TX Factor
- Club of the Year regional results
- President joins Dorking and District RS
- Beacon and repeater insurance
- RSGB Convention 2017
- Plus News and Around Your Region
Link to RSGB news //rsgb.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=acc8d476eba710615541e5667&id=405a7ca89b&e=21c17e88fb
DX NEWS
SB DX @ ARL $ARLD020
ARLD020 DX news
ZCZC AE20
QST de W1AW
DX Bulletin 20 ARLD020
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT May 18, 2017
To all radio amateurs
SB DX ARL ARLD020
ARLD020 DX news
This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by
K2DM, QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL,
Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web
sites. Thanks to all.
KENYA, 5Z. Thomas, OZ1AA is QRV as 5Z4/OZ1AA until June 15.
Activity is on the HF bands. QSL direct to OZ1ACB.
PORTUGAL, CT. Members of the Clube Radioamadores do Entroncamento
are QRV as CS2SA from the Castle Sortelha in the Province of Guarda
until May 20. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and various
digital modes. QSL direct to CS5CRE.
ERITREA, E3. Zorro, JH1AJT, Franz, DJ9ZB, Champ, E21EIC and Dima,
RA9USU are QRV as E31A until May 29. Activity is on 160 to 10
meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via JH1AJT.
PALESTINE, E4. Janusz, SP9FIH is QRV as E44WE until May 30.
Activity is on 17, 10 and 6 meters using mostly SSB but also PSK63
or JT65. QSL to home call.
NORTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Cezar, VE3LYC is QRV as E51LYC from
Pukapuka Island, IOTA OC-098, until May 23. Activity is on 40 to 10
meters using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.
CEUTA AND MELILLA, EA9. Members of the Tortugas CW Team will be QRV
as ED9T from Melilla during the His Majesty King of Spain CW
contest. QSL via EA4PN.
FAROE ISLANDS, OY. Operators DF3MC and DL8JJ are QRV as OY/DF3MC
and OY/DL8JJ, respectively, from IOTA EU-018, until May 25. They
may also be active with /P after their calls while activating
summits from various areas on the island. Activity is on 40 to 15
meters using CW and SSB. QSL via operators’ instructions.
NETHERLANDS, PA. Tony, PD1TV and Henry, PA4HM will be QRV as
PH00GEVEEN from May 21 to June 6 during the context of an annual
Wings and Wheels event. QSL via PA4HM.
SWEDEN, SM. Members of the Gotlands Radioklubb are QRV with
special callsigns 7S1GRK and SK70BL from Gotland Island, IOTA
EU-020, until December 31 to celebrate the club’s 70th anniversary.
Activity is on various HF bands. All QSOs will be confirmed
automatically via the bureau.
GREECE, SV. Laci, HA0HW will be QRV as SW8WW from Thassos Island,
IOTA EU-174, from May 24 to June 11. Activity will be on 40 to 6
meters using mainly CW with some SSB, RTTY and PSK. He may be
active as a Single Op/All Band/Low Power entry in the upcoming CQ
World Wide WPX CW contest. QSL to home call.
TUVALU, T2. John, KK7L will be QRV as T2R from Funafuti, IOTA
OC-015, from May 23 to 29. Activity is on the HF bands. This
includes being an entry in the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX CW
contest. QSL via N7SMI.
PALAU, T8. Munehiro, JR6DRH is QRV as T88RH from Koror Island, IOTA
OC-009, until May 23. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and
various digital modes. QSL to home call.
CAMEROON, TJ. Dan, AA9WO is now QRV as TJ3PD from Yaounde.
Activity is when his time, the weather, and available electricity
permit, on 40, 20, and 10 meters using SSB. He plans to eventually
be QRV on 80 to 10 meters. QSL via operator’s instructions.
CONGO (REPUBLIC OF), TN. Ken, LA7GIA will be QRV as TN5E from
Brazzaville from May 25 to June 4. Activity will be on 80 to 10
meters, and possibly 6 meters, using CW and SSB. QSL via M0OXO.
GABON, TR. Roland, F8EN is QRV as TR8CR until June 3. Activity is
on 30 and 20 meters using CW. QSL via F6AJA.
MONTSERRAT, VP2M. George, K2DM will be QRV as VP2MDG from May 25 to
29. This includes begin active as a Single Op/All Band entry in the
upcoming CQ World Wide WPX CW contest. QSL direct to home call.
ZIMBABWE, Z2. Tom, KC0W will be QRV as Z25DX from May 23 to June
18. Activity will be on 80 to 6 meters using CW. QSL direct to
home call.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. His Majesty King of Spain CW Contest,
NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint, Slobozhansky Sprint Contest, UN DX
Contest, NZART Sangster Shield 80-Meter CW Contest, EU PSK DX
Contest, Aegean RTTY Contest, Feld Hell Sprint, Baltic 80-Meter
Contest and the UA2 QSO Party are all on tap for this weekend.
The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is scheduled for May 22.
The CWops Mini-CWT CW Test, SKCC CW Sprint and Phone Fray are
scheduled for May 24.
Please see May QST, page 87, and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web
sites for details.
NNNN
/EX
On the 24th of May we are holding an evening at the Tollgate, I am going to suggest that we make this the evening for us to remember Bryan, by sharing stories and eating food, two of the things that we know Brian loved. Please can I ask you to sign up for the evening by going to http://doodle.com/poll/k6pt3298kc3t6385#table and please bring along your stories and any photographs you have of a greatly missed friend and fellow member.
Regards
Andrew Cheeseman
G1VUP
14
AprHello WADARC club members
I thought I would start of with a weekly news bulletin – I have not been officially asked to do so – but I volunteered, so here goes.
First comment is we need some more people to do this and spread the workload – the chairman and committee have a number of IT people – you know they do “Computer Stuff” and they say it is hard work – but the issue is we have a lot of retired club members all of which say they have never been so busy – there are tasks that need to be done and “Volunteers are better than pressed men/women” ( notice how I made it gender neutral – you have to do that today ! ) so have a go.
Whats on …………
Club Nets:-
I know we have the 2m 145.425 on Monday evening
I believe there is something 2m SSB on Tuesday
40m SSB on Thursday morning at 1100
80m SSB on Sunday morning at 0730
There was a repeater net on 70cms Saturday ?
I am sorry for limited detail – but life above 30 MHz is all short frequencies – someone better skilled in that department may comment next week
Club Events:-
Wednesday 19th is the “Surplus Equipment” JUNK sale
Wednesday 26th is a practical construction night – building antennas for a 70cms DF hunting evening
Wednesday 3rd May – general chat evening
On the radio:-
This weekend there are some contests as usual on the HF bands – a YU and an Estonian contest both SSB & CW so all the bands will be busy
There is an interesting contest if only propagation was good – a “Work all Provinces of China” – that could be a bit difficult, but I will listen
All of the contests are listed on
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/weeklycont.php
There is the usual bunch of Expeditions – remember Graham G4FNL is of to Botswana soon, I will see if I can put a best frequency and time table on here nearer the event and taking into account the current solar conditions.
So to finish – here is a list of the more unusual DX to look for – I am sure there is some VHF/UHF DX stuff about – wait for an expert to post that on another Friday
73 Phil G4UDU
This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by
QRZ DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, The Daily DX, DXNL, Contest
Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites.
Thanks to all.
MAURITANIA, 5T. Jean, 5T0JL will be active with the call 5T3MM
between April 12 and 18, including the CQMM DX Contest. QSL via
PY4KL.
MOROCCO, CN. Special event station 5C12SIA operates around the 12th
International Exhibition of Agriculture in Meknes from April 18 to
23. QSL via CN8WW, direct.
ALGERIA, 7X. Toufik, 7X2DE who is now a member of the CWJF group,
plans to participate in the CQMM DX Contest. QSL via PY4KL.
PALESTINE, E4. Janusz, SP9FIH will be active from Bethlehem during
the second half of April with the call E44WE. He will be QRV on 17,
10 and 6 meters. QSL via ClubLog OQRS, SP9FIH.
FRANCE, F. Special event station TM17CV from Chatelaillon-Plage
will be active from April 15 to 17 to celebrate the Festival de
Cerf-Volant et du Vent (Kite and Wind Festival). QSL via F8FZC.
ST LUCIA, J6. Steve, WF2S and Ralph, K1ZZI will be operating with
calls J68SL and J6/K1ZZI from Gros Islet (NA-108) from April 17 to
28. QSL via LoTW.
ST. VINCENT, J8. Brian, GW4DVB will be back on the air as J88PI
from Palm Island (NA-025, WW Loc. FK92ho) from April 14 to 23. He
will be QRV on 40, 20, 17, 15, and 10 meters. QSL via GW4DVB (d/B).
JAPAN, JA. The Japan Ladies Radio Society (JLRS) celebrates its
60th anniversary with the call 8N60JLRS until the end of March 2018.
QSL via bureau, JQ6FQI, direct.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, K. N7S commemorates the first launch of
the Space Shuttle, with operations until April 17. This is one in a
series of activities for marking historic milestones in air and
spacecraft technology.
BULGARIA, LZ. LZ38GI, LZ38NR, and LZ38SATURN commemorate the first
flight of a Bulgarian cosmonaut (Georgi Ivanov) into space 38 years
ago. They are QRV until the end of April. An award is also
available. QSL via LZ1ZF.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. Jim, K3NK and Joe, W3HNK will be
signing VP5/K3NK and VP5/W3HNK from Providenciales Island (NA-002)
until April 18 on 80 to 10 meters. QSL to home calls.
GUADELOUPE, FG. Dirk, DM1DZ is QRV as FG/DM1DZ until April 24.
Listen for him on the HF bands, using SSB and possibly PSK31. He
will be posting his logs to Club Log. QSL via DM1DZ.
ERITREA, E3. Zorro, JH1AJT will be joined by DJ9ZB, E21EIC and
RA9USU, from May 19 to 29, on the air with the call signs E31AA and
E39DI. Look for them on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
QSL via JH1AJT.
VIETNAM, XV. Jesus, WP4JBG/JP7MBO will be QRV as XV9G from April 19
to May 9 on 40, 20 and 15 meters, using mostly CW with SSB
occasionally. QSL to WP4JBG.
CORSICA, TK. Alex, TK/F4GHS plans to be on the air from the west
coast of the main island, on the HF bands, from May 23 to 28. Look
for him on 40 and 20 meter SSB. QSL via the bureau or direct to his
home call.
MONTENEGRO, 4O. Giuseppe, IK5WWA will be QRV as 4O7GD from June 18
to 28. Look for him on 80 to 6 meters using SSB, and possibly 2
meters. QSL to his home call, direct or bureau.
CEUTA AND MELILLA, EA9. Ten ops from the Tortugas CW Group will be
QRV as EG9TOR from Melilla May 18 to 22, switching to the ED9T call
sign for the King of Spain CW 2017 Contest, May 21 and 22. Most of
their activity will be on CW though they will do some SSB and
digital mode operating as well, on all HF bands. QSL via EA4PN or
use OQRS for a direct or bureau card, or LoTW or eQSL.
TOGO, 5V. Operators David, OK6DJ and Petr, OK1FCJ will be active as
5V7P from April 21 to 28. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters
using CW, SSB and digital modes. QSL via OK6DJ, ClubLog’s OQRS or
LoTW.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, HC8. Tim, LW9EOC will be active as HC8/LW9EOC
from May 15 to 29. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters, with a
focus on 30, 17 and 12 meters, using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via his
home call, direct or LoTW.
MARKET REEF, OJ0. Pasi, OH3WS will be active as OJ0W on May 6 and
7. Activity will be on 20 to 6 meters using CW and SSB. Pasi will
try 60 meters on both CW and SSB, on 5354 kHz. QSL via his home
call.
SAN MARINO, T7. Mike, DF8AN will be active as T7/DF8AN/P from April
14 to 18. Activity will be VHF/UHF only using mainly JT65 and
CW/SSB. QSL via his home call sign, direct or by the Bureau. No
LoTW.
18
Feb
WEEKLY BULLETIN 17 February 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
Sunday net on 80m: just the hard core faithful. Some think it should move to 160m, others fear that the outliers will be unable to make themselves heard. Yet others fear that we will lose even those participants that we have. And yet,and yet.. the one experiment conducted on 160m before Christmas brought in 3 times more participants than support the existing net. !
Wednesday
Hush! Hush! WSPR who dares…..
PHIl, IP, U, D, U is sending his prayers……
(Thanks to A.A.Milne)
And to some effect, moreover, because , following a 190 second 200mw prayer via the club’s HF antenna on 20m, (he told us) his prayers were answered by numerous reception stations all over europe or ,to be more precise, symbolic blobs were produced on a computer screen displaying an outline map.
Phil’s explanations were necessarily intermittent and spasmodic because interspersed with attention to the equipment but some understanding was gained by those who plied him with questions behind his back.
Am I the only one to have shivered inwardly on hearing that….
No human participation is needed, either at the transmitter or the receiver ; the whole thing can be left to operate itself. It will auto-record the results for some future humanoid to access and then act.
Still reeling from this Jules Verne scenario I engaged in conversation with our gallant contest manager and apologised for my rough sending, compared with his impeccable fist, during a recent contest contact. “Oh, that ” he said “ of course, during contests all sending is done by the computer” H E L P !
NEW PREMISES
AlanGNX told us that the rumoured potential premises at a secret location in Southwick are were now unlikely to happen. Speculation is rife about why the committee does not favour ‘ Norman’s ‘ “ideal” place in Lancing. The reason for all this secrecy is itself a closely guarded secret but is giving rise to ‘restlessness’ among we humble spear-carriers.
Why all the secrecy?
Is it time for the Chairman to make a progress statement ?
On the reflector….keep up instant reporting of any unusual stations as and when you hear them. Stuart’s report of EG5ANT coming in like a ton of bricks from the Antarctic on 20m today was a classic example of how each of us can help the rest.
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Rallies this weekend.
No amateur radio but lots of space-filling stuff and nostalgia.
19 February 2017 Audiojumble
The Angel Leisure Centre, Angel Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SF
Secondhand and vintage hifi event. Vintage & modern hifi, valve amps,
speakers, turntables, tuners, tape-recorders, CD players, records,
components, books & vintage radios, Norman..
Details: http://www.audiojumble.co.uk/12 February 2017 Harwell Radio & Electronics Rally
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DX News
17 February, 2017
T
JAMAICA, ( No she was quite willing ) 6Y. Yuri, VE3DZ is QRV as 6Y2T until February 21.
Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. He will be a Single Op/All Band/High Power entry in the ARRL International DX CW contest. QSL to home call.
BARBADOS, 8P. Tom, W2SC will be QRV as 8P5A in the ARRL International DX CW contest as Single Op/All Band/High Power entry.
QSL direct to NN1N.
BAHAMAS, C6. Operators N4UM, K4RUM and N4BP are QRV as C6ARU, C6AUM and C6AKQ, respectively, from Abaco Island, IOTA NA-080, until February 21. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using mainly CW with some RTTY, other digital modes, and possibly SSB. Each operator will be QRV in the ARRL International DX CW contest as Single Band entries on 20, 40, and 80 meters, respectively. QSL direct to home calls.
- KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. Felipe, NP4Z will be QRV as V43Z in the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Single Op/All Band entry. QSL via operator’s instructions.
AUSTRALIA, VK. Members from the Darwin Amateur Radio Club will be QRV with special event call sign VI8BOD from February 18 to March 28 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War II bombing of Darwin by the F Japanese.. QSL via bureau.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. Members of the Minnesota Wireless Association will be QRV as VP5K from Providenciales Island, IOTA NA-002, during the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Multi Single/High Power entry. Look for VP5/K0PC and VP5/AC0W to be active outside the contest until February 22. QSL VP5/K0PC and VP5K via K0PC and VP5/AC0W via AC0W.
BURKINA FASO, XT. Elvira, IV3FSG is here working on the project of Informatici Senza Frontiere ONLUS and QRV in her spare time as XT2SE
until March 13. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using SSB and various digital modes. QSL via IK3GES.
CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Dan, N6MJ is QRV as ZF2MJ. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters. He will be active in the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Single Op/All Band/High Power en
UPPER BEEDING, WADARC sunday morning 80 m NET ON 3712 kc/s at 07.30 GMT February 19
Starting tonight in USA is the Novice Rig Roundup, which is an on-air activity concentrating on operating old Novice ham transmitters from the 1950’s and 1960’s, which was all crystal controlled and 75 watts or less, CW only (except for AM on 2 meters).
Check ARRL website for more details:
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Programme of club events
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Solar conditions
Were :
In the last reporting week (February 9 to 15) average daily sunspot numbers declined from 21.3 to 17.6, and average daily solar flux rose from 73.5 to 75.1. Average planetary A index dropped from 12.9 to 4.7, and mid-latitude A index from 9.9 to 2.9.
Predicted solar flux is 74 on February 17 to 19, then 77, 80, 83, 85 and 80 on February 20 to 24, 78 on February 25 and 26, 76 on February 27 and 28, 75 on March 1 and 2, 73 on March 3 and 4, 72 on March 5 to 7, 73 and 74 on March 8 and 9, 75 on March 10 and 11, 78 on March 12 to 15, 80 on March 16 to 18, then 82, 85 and 82 on March 19 to 21, 80 on March 22 and 23, 78 on March 24 and 25, 76 on March 26 and 27, 75 on March 28 and 29 and 73 on March 30 and 31.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 10 and 8 on February 17 and 19, 5 on February 20 and 21, 8 and 14 on February 22 and 23, 10 on February 24 and 25, then 5, 25, 30, 25 and 20 on February 26 through March 2, 15 on March 3 to 5, 8 on March 6, 5 on March 7 to 12, then 8, 12 and 10 on March 13 to 15, 8 on March 16 and 17, 5 on March 18 to 20, then 10 and 15 on March 21 and 22, then 10 on March 23 and 24 and 5, 25, 30, 25 and 20 on March 25 to 29, and 15 on March 30 through April 1.
Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period February 17 to March 15, 2017 from F.K. Janda, OK1HH:
Geomagnetic field will be:
Quiet on February 21, 24, 26, March 8, 11 and 12 Mostly quiet on February 19 and 20, March 9 and 10 Quiet to unsettled February 17, March 4, 7, 13 to 15 Quiet to active on February 18, 25, March 3, 6 Active to disturbed on February (22 and 23,) 27 and 28, March 1 and 2, 5
Increases in solar wind from coronal holes are expected on February 16 and 17, (18 to 22, 26 and 27,) March 2 to 5
Remark:
– Brackets above means lower probability of activity enhancement.
Check ARRL website
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Weekly Comment
Only 1 week to go to the CQ world-wide 160m SSB contest. Are you top-band-antenna-ready ?
DO WE NEED A BUS ? OZ Youth take up amateur radio
ABC reports Australian youth are taking up amateur radio from inside a central Victorian bus in the bush
Castlemaine student Kezia Hamilton is a product of radio communications, so to speak — her parents met while talking on CB radio as teenagers.
The 17-year-old is part of a group of eight Castlemaine Venturers learning amateur radio in a converted bus located on a bush block on the outskirts of town.
“It’s pretty cool talking to other people! We once had someone from France and we talked to a couple of people in New Zealand,” Kezia said.
“I really like the idea that you can talk to people in space — that sounds really exciting.”
Kezia is referring to the time a group of Nepalese students were able to chat with UK astronaut Tim Peake while he was aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last year.
But it is not just the fun factor of amateur radio that appeals to Kezia.
“I think it could be very useful in emergencies and stuff because sometimes the phone towers break down,” she said.
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The weekly message:
Freebie table.
Respect the Freebie Table (or sometimes it’s just the freebie shelf.) Do not put your valuables on it for even nano-seconds. Members will assume it is free for the taking, with risk of accusations/misunderstandings and possibly immoderate verbal exchanges. Park your stuff elsewhere; ANYTHING on the freebie table is treated as FREE.
BryanGVB
18
Feb
WEEKLY BULLETIN 10 February 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
Sat. net via GB3WO was….. Spartan.!
Sunday net on 80m: just a few hard core faithful. The stalwarts think it should move to 160m in order to, at very least, discuss small-space-antenna experimentation.
Sunday breakfast about 7% of club members turned up to eat and had a small but lively meeting with discussions including “the real-man’s motor-bike I had when I was 23 was faster then the cissy motor-bike you had when you were 23 ………” One longed for Bodie to show up and tell us how, for only 6000 quid, we could send a self-driving robot motor-bike out for a ride all by itself while staying in bed watching it in HD on a qPad via GreenTeeth or some such.
Wednesday
AlanGNX spoke of a possible new So***wick HQ (with an unspeakable ex-bar) [ GVB thinks ..”Ah Ha ! The Pilot?” ], which was recently visited by the committee and which is so secret that nobody is allowed to know anything about it. Speculation is rife! Room 40 in the Cricketers ? Southwick Green underground bunker? Clandestine aerial over the lock-gates. Small back room in Carats Cafe? Secret war-time rooms deep inside the Lighhouse?
Confession: “I thought arduino was a tough alcoholic from ‘ackney ” until I met Jonathan ………G1EXG that is, giving an llluminating talk about the new small and cheap BBC Computer Or to be more precise the Programmable Integrated Circuit now associated with the BBC . One would have hoped the very first application to be demonstrated would be its use as a hearing aid , but no such luck. TLA’s flew fast and furious …one needs a DDS – and that’s not a degree in dental surgery – but a cunning device to generate accurately , any sub-multiple of 125 MHz – or so the guru tells me. Some will know that I have a broad-banded IC 7000 which receives happily on 70 MHz but not transmit. It does transmit on 50 megs however. and even I can take 50 from 70 to come up with 20 to be generated by the Dentist (sorry; the DDS ) and, working split with the IC7000. and a simple mixer and mini-linear would see me on 4 metres . [Yes Bodie , I know I can buy a ready-made plug’n play machine for only £x00 but ……………? Aw! what’s the use …?]
On the reflector….keep up instant reporting of any unusual stations as and when you hear them.
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Rallies this weekend.
12 February 2017 Harwell Radio & Electronics Rally
Didcot Leisure Centre, Mereland Road. Didcot, Oxon. OX11 8AY
3 miles from A34 between Oxford and Newbury
Entry £3 (under 12s free). Talk-in by GX3PIA 145.550 MHz.
Easy parking.
Disabled facilities (including lift). All-day refreshments (sandwiches,
homemade cakes and hot drinks). Well signposted. Trade exhibitors.
Details: Ann Stevens, ann.stevens@btinternet.com
Go there. !
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THIS WEEKEND ON THE Radio
The CQ World Wide RTTY WPX Contest,
SARL Field Day Contest,
Asia-Pacific CW Spring Sprint,
SKCC Weekend CW Sprintathon,
KCJ Topband CW Contest,
Dutch PACC Contest,
OMISS SSB QSO Party,
FISTS Winter Unlimited CW Sprint,
AWA Amplitude Modulation QSO Party and the :
Balkan HF Contest will certainly keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.
WADARC SUNDAY MORNING 80 m NET ON SUNDAY – really ! who writes this stuff ? – February 12 will conduct a REFERENDUM about unilaterally declaring itself to be the Sunday morning Top Band net. Be there to express your views.
The ARRL School Club Roundup runs from February 13 to 17.
The CQC Winter CW QSO Party is scheduled for February 13.
Male chauvinism or dedicated ‘ham’ ?
The PODXS 070 Club Valentine PSK31 Sprint is scheduled for February 14.
( aw gee ! How romantic can one get )
See the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details
ISLANDS
NN7A will be QRV as V31JZ/p from:
South Water Cay, IOTA NA-180, from February 15 to 21. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters, including the newer bands, using mostly CW. This includes being a Single Op/All Band/Low Power entry in the upcoming ARRL DX CW contest. QSL direct to home call.
EASTER ISLAND, German Michael, DF8AN is QRV as CE0Y/DF8AN until February 17. Activity is on the HF bands using CW and various digital modes.
MACAO, XX9. A group of operators will be QRV as XX9D from February 13 to 26. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters, and 160 and 6 meters if local conditions permit, using CW, SSB and RTTY with up to three stations active. QSL via DL4SVA.
ARUBA, P4. John, W2GD is QRV as P40W from Santa Cruz until February 20. Activity is on the HF bands, including the newer bands, using CW and SSB. This includes being a Single Op/All Band entry in the upcoming ARRL DX CW contest. QSL direct to N2MM.
MALTA, 9H. Nobuaki, JA0JHQ is QRV as 9H3NH from Slima until February 12. Activity is mostly on 40, 30 and 20 meters using CW and RTTY. This includes an entry in the CQ World Wide RTTY WPX contest. QSL to home call.
ABACO ISLAND (Bahamas) Operators Tim, N4UM, Mike, K4RUM and Bob, N4BP will be QRV as C6ARU, C6AUM and C6AKQ, respectively, from Abaco Island, IOTA NA-080, from February 7 to 21. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW and some RTTY. This includes an entry in the upcoming ARRL DX CW contest. QSL via operators’ instructions.
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Programme of club events
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The Sun (remember it ? )
HAS BEEN :
Average daily sunspot numbers dropped from 31.6 to 21.3 last week, and average daily solar flux declined from 78.2 to 73.5. The sunspot number was zero on February 8, but recovered to 15 on February 9, with the appearance of one new sunspot group.
Average planetary A index went from 15.6 to 12.9, and average mid-latitude A index from 11.4 to 9.9.
Will be :
Predicted solar flux is 74 on February 10-12, 78 on February 13-17, 80 on February 18-19, 82 on February 20-21, 81 and 79 on February 22-23, 77 on February 24-25, 75 on February 26 through March 1, 74 on March 2-3, 73 on March 4, 72 on March 5-9, 75 on March 10-13, then 76, 77 and 78 on March 14-16, 80 on March 17-18, 82 on March 19-20 then 81 and 79 on March 21-22.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on February 10-13, 10 on February 14, 8 on February 15-18, 5 on February 19-21, then 10, 15, 10 and 10 on February 22-25, then 5, 25 and 30 on February 26-28, then 25, 20, 15 and 12 on March 1-4, 10 on March 5-7, 8 on March 8, 5 on March 9-12, 15 on March 13, 10 on March 14-15, 8 on March 16-17, 5 on March 18-20, and 10 and 12 on March 21-22. The index then jumps to 25 on March 26.
F.K. Janda, OK1HH sends this geomagnetic activity forecast for the period February 10-March 9, 2017:
“Geomagnetic field will be:
Quiet on February 10-11, 13-14, 21, 23-24, 26, March 8-9 Mostly quiet on February 12, 15, 19, March 7 Quiet to unsettled-sometimes, hardly to be forecasted Quiet to active on February 17, 20, 22, 25, 27, March 3-6 Active to disturbed on February 16, 18, 28, March 1-2
“Amplifications of the solar wind from coronal holes are expected on February 16-21, (22,) 26-27.
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Weekly Comment
Only 2 weeks to go to the world-wide 160m SSB contest. Are you top-band-antenna-ready ?
Next weekend is big event ARRL WW CW contest. Get beer in ready.
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The weekly message:
A few snowflakes are falling as I write so:
FOC Operator available at 10 minutes notice to be general dogsbody on any DXpedition south of latitude 30 N or north of latitude 30 S. No pay or food required, just Beer.
Apply to :
BryanGVB
18
Feb
WEEKLY BULLETIN – 27 January 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
Nets
Some improvement but must try harder.!
Wednesday.
Just a lot of hot air.…
Soldering ….as it is done in 21st century was a very instructive affair on Wednesday .
AlanGNX was infinitely patient demonstrating hot air gun soldering of 2mm size components which your humble scribe had not seen demonstrated before. “Blown away” was an apt description of several early attempts but perseverance earned its own reward.
I came away with two thoughts – “Stick to valve gear soldering, Bryan” and – “Andy’s not here tonight….. hope he’s not ill, he looked a bit peaky last week……. if anything happened to him we’d be silent under a pile of solid state gear not working or – worse – in thrall to some anti-competition monopoly conglomerate or other ….. maybe buy Andy some vitamin and tonic pills”
But then I cheered up.” I have enough valve gear to get on the air without a transistor in sight…..” .so I saved my money and didn’t buy the pills but the AR88 is not now for sale .
On the reflector….the valuable practice of members instantly reporting interesting stations being heard, is growing. PhilUDU and KennNDZ both deserve our thanks for this.
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Rallies this weekend.
Nil around here but get limbered up for next weekend ….
32nd Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally
Sunday Feb 5th
The Paddocks Community Centre, Long Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0JA.
Open 10:30 (08:30-traders). Trade. SIGs. Free parking.
Refreshments, including Mark’s famous bacon baguettes.
Details: Vic Rogers, G6BHE, 07957-461694 or Dave Speechley, G4UVJ, 01268-697978, g4uvj@btinternet.com
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THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
Not for nothing have you all been urged to get QRV for 160m and preliminarily tested over Christmas. Probably one of the more “Fun” events of the year is :-
The CQ World Wide 160 Meter CW Contest starts tonight at 22.00
(next month is the ‘fone’ version)
also
NCCC RTTY Sprint,
QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt,
NCCC Sprint CW Ladder,
Montana QSO Party,
REF CW Contest,
BARTG RTTY Sprint,
UBA SSB DX Contest
Winter Field Day
are all on this weekend.
See the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details
More on 160
Are you looking for an operating challenge? If so, we’ve got a double dose for you! Operating “top band” — 160 meters — is always a challenge, but with the promise of great DX when you “get it right.” Operating a contest is always a challenge as well, competing with other stations for every contact and then competing again for the highest score. The CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest combines both as one of the most challenging operating events on the ham radio calendar each year, but with great opportunities to work new stations in new places and improve your operating skills. Your goal is simple — contact as many stations as you can in as many countries as you can within the 48-hour contest period (single-operator entries are limited to 30 hours of on-air time; multi-ops, 40). The CW weekend comes first, from 2200 UTC on Friday, January 27, through 2200 UTC on Sunday, January 29. The SSB weekend is a month later, from Friday, February 24 through Sunday, February 26, also from 2200-2200 UTC. Remember to abide by any frequency or power restrictions imposed by your country’s radio regulations.
,The contest exchange (the information you exchange with the other station) is also simple: A signal report in RS(T), and your location — either U.S. state or Canadian province, or CQ zone for stations outside the U.S. and Canada. (If you’re not sure of your CQ zone, visit .) There are several operating categories: Single-operator/high power (up to your country’s legal limit); single-op/low power (up to 150 watts); single-op QRP (no more than 5 watts); single-op assisted (high power only), and multi-operator (high power only). Single-op assisted and multiop stations may use passive spotting assistance such as a DX Cluster, spotting nets, or a CW Skimmer; all other single-op categories must be unassisted, using only what you hear on the band to locate and identify stations. Self-spotting or asking someone to post a spot for you is never allowed and may be grounds for disqualification. (Additional definitions and restrictions may be found in the complete rules, along with rules for remote operation.) Scoring is based on the number of contacts you make and where they’re located, as well as your number of multipliers, the total of states, provinces, and DX countries that you contact. If you’re a casual contester, don’t even worry about your score as it will be calculated for you by the contest robot when you upload your log. Serious competitors will want to find the right balance of contacts and multipliers to maximize their scores. (The complete rules have more details about points and multipliers.) After the contest, we encourage you to submit your log, even if you don’t think you have a chance of winning anything (you might be wrong!), as it will help our log-checking process. If you’ve used a logging program, it’s easy —just have the program output a Cabrillo file and email it either to <160CW@cq160.com> or <160SSB@cq160.com>, depending on the weekend in which you’ve been operating. If there are problems with your log, the robot will send you an email telling you what needs attention; otherwise it will send you an email with a tracking/confirmation number. If you’ve logged on paper or don’t have internet access, paper/disk logs may be mailed to: CQ 160 Meter Contest, 17 W. John St., Hicksville, NY 11801 USA. Indicate CW or SSB on the envelope. Mailed logs must be postmarked by the deadline (see below). Logs must be submitted/postmarked within five (5) days after the end of the contest, February 3 and March 3, respectively. Hardship cases that require more time for log submission will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Email your request and reasons to <director@ cq160.com=”” id=”yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485515085066_17100″>. See the complete rules on the CQ website or the CQWW 160 website .
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Island activities : Malaya
Note : Prior to “Merdeka” (independence) Malaya stations used the prefix VS2. G3GVB was licensed as VS2FD for several years. It was wonderful to be a desirable DX station.
WEST MALAYSIA, 9M2. A group of operators will be QRV as 9M4LI from Lalang-Lalang Island, IOTA AS-072, from February 3 to 5. Activity will be on various HF bands and modes. QSL direct to 9W2NDQ.
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Programme of club events
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The Sun
Ever since the ChrisVUE talk, his favourite star has been waking up :-
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Propagation
VOACAP Online – professional-grade high-frequency (3-30 MHz) point-to-point propagation predictions
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Weekly Comment
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Caroline North is back this weekend live from the MV Ross Revenge on the River Blackwater Estuary near Bradwell, Essex.
Relayed on 1368 kHz with a transmitter power of 20kw from the Isle of Man.
According to Manx Radio’s website as well as being heard in the Isle of Man,
the AM service is also audible in Southern Scotland, in the North West, in North Wales and in the West of Ireland and Northern Ireland. With suitable loops it should be possible in Sompting and Lancing. Also online worldwide.
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Weekly message
160m, 160m, 160m
BryanGVB
(PS. As I watched ALOAL stagger into the hall on Wed, with heavy boxes of demo gear, this thought came to me : “God bless the committee for all their hard work” )
18
Feb
WEEKLY BULLETIN 3 February 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
The CQWW 160m CW contest saw that band with wall-to-wall stations throughout the weekend. PhilUDU was our principal activist and he reported happy contacts from as far afield as Arizona. Phil has no more than the average domestic garden space so if he can “do” antennas on 160 then so can the rest of you; all it takes is a modicum of I N G E N U I T Y !
NOTE: The 160m SSB contest begins three weeks from now.
Sat. net via GB3WO was well supported
Sunday net on 80m scarcely at all. The stalwarts think it should move to 160m to, at least, encourage experimentation.
Apology. For the remainder of the week your reporter was either ‘out of town’ or wholly tied up with obligations towards visitors from VK land and is unable to report .
On the reflector….the valuable practice of members instantly reporting interesting stations being heard, is growing – but all-too-slowly. PhilUDU, KennNDZ and TedEUE are showing the way but we need more.
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Rallies this weekend.
32nd Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally
Sunday Feb 5th
The Paddocks Community Centre, Long Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0JA.
Open 10:30 (08:30-traders). Trade. SIGs. Free parking.
Refreshments, including Mark’s famous bacon baguettes.
Details: Vic Rogers, G6BHE, 07957-461694 or Dave Speechley, G4UVJ, 01268-697978, g4uvj@btinternet.com
Go there. !
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THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
Islands
WEST MALAYSIA, 9M2. A group of operators will be QRV as 9M4LI from Lalang-Lalang Island, IOTA AS-072, from February 3 to 5. Activity will be on various HF bands and modes. QSL direct to 9W2NDQ.
Contests this weekend
The North American CW Sprint,
10-10 International SSB Winter Contest,
Mexico RTTY International Contest,
YLRL YL-OM Contest,
Triathlon DX Contest,
Black Sea Cup International,
F9AA CW Cup,
Minnesota QSO Party,
FYBO Winter QRP Sprint,
AGCW 80-Meter Straight Key Party,
British Columbia QSO Party
FISTS Winter Slow Speed CW Sprint
.
The RSGB 80-Meter Club SSB Championship is scheduled for February 6.
The ARS Spartan CW Sprint is scheduled for February 7.
See ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for full info.
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DX News
CYPRUS, 5B. Members of the Paphos Radio Club are QRV with special event station H2017PFO during all of 2017 for Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2017. Activity is on the HF bands using all modes. QSL direct to 5B4AIE.
BAHAMAS, C6A. Operators Tim, N4UM, Mike, K4RUM and Bob, N4BP will be QRV as C6ARU, C6AUM and C6AKQ, respectively, from Abaco Island, IOTA NA-080, from February 7 to 21. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW and some RTTY. This includes an entry in the upcoming ARRL DX CW contest. QSL via operators’ instructions.
NB certificate chasers…
If you are seeking contacts with these C6A stations for DXCC or some IOTA award, check to make sure they are actually on-shore. I once operated a great deal from Abaco only to have stations worked telling me it didn’t count for them because I was in a boat.! Even when tied to the quay it still didn’t count , it had to be with a station onshore. ! I even offered to stand on the dock and lean into the cockpit with an extra long mic. lead but no-one knew if that would pass some awards committee or other and at which stage the bar was due to open snd I rather lost patience and interest ….
URUGUAY, CX. Henry, LU4DXU will be QRV as CX/LU4DXU from Lobos and Goritti Islands, both IOTA SA-039, from February 4 to 11. QSL to home call
.
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, PY0F. Leo, PP1CZ is QRV as PY0F/PP1CZ until February 8. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using CW, SB and RTTY.
QSL direct to home call.
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Programme of club events
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The Sun (remember it ?
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Propagation
VOACAP Online – professional-grade high-frequency (3-30 MHz) point-to-point propagation predictions
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Weekly Comment
BITX-40
Amateur radio gear takes up far too much beer-money.
(G3GVB says so) so it is interesting to learn of an Indian outfit which is producing a 7 – 20 watt 40m SSB transciever kit for less than 50 US dollars.
I have no knowledge except what I read; so caveat emptor.
Technical info
The BITX40 is a very clean, crisp and quite receiver. The front-end has a triple tuned circuit that cuts out-of-band signals from getting inside, a diode ring mixer front-end with a very low phase noise, all analog oscillator makes this a crisp receiver that doesn’t overload easily. The all analog signal path to your ear makes provides outstanding signal clarity that is to be heard to be believed.
7 to 20 watts of SSB provides you with enough juice to have thousands of contacts on 40 meters, daily rag chew and occasional DX chasing. Any common 2 ampere 12 linear volts supply will provide enough juice for this transceiver. Or you could simply run it from a battery!
Hackable
The BITX40 will inspire you to experiment. Modify it, mount it, tweak it, change it.
The PCB uses all analog large sized SMD components that are laid out on an easy to understand manner on a double sided board with broad tracks. This can be your main module around which you can start experimenting. There are jump-points from where you can add more modules like the DDS, more bands, better audio amplifier, etc. Imagination is your limit. You can separately increase the power amplifier’s supply voltage to 25 volts to be more than 20 watts of power : You will have to add a better heat sink. The mods are on the way!
The board can be installed inside any box that you like. Make your own station rigs, man-packs, trail radios or mount it in a cigar box and leave it on your bedside table. The tuning capacitor has been replaced by a varactor tuning so you can place the tuning knob anywhere as it only carries a DC voltage. Watch the instructions video.
Box Contents
We have tried to include connector/hardware you might possibly need to build a full radio. However, we also had to balance the shipping weight to keep the overall cost down. You will have to supply your own box, power supply and earphones/headphones/speaker.
- 4-1/2 inches by 5 inches tested SSB transceiver module, covering any 150 KHz segment of the 7 MHz band
- Small electret microphone
- High quality BNC connector for the antenna
- Two earphone style audio jacks for the mic and the earphones/speaker
- A set of DC power socket and plug
- Volume control with on/off switch
- 100k linear pot for tuning
- 4 Brass stand-offs with mounting nuts and bolts
- Connectors with wires for all connections on the board
* Note : A speaker is not included in the kit as earphones/headphones/speakers are easily available locally. No cabinet is included to save on the postage cost. Almost any box maybe used.
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The weekly message
160m antenna. , 160m ant., 160m ant.
BryanGVB
22
Jan
WADARC
WEEKLY BULLETIN – 20 January 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
Nets
All are thinly populated these days, Sat via GB2WO had just two participants. Sunday 80m was very sparse Monday 2m saw five peeps. There was more interest in 40m on Thursday but peculiar ionospheric conditions made for a somewhat dis-jointed affair. There is talk of moving Sunday morning to 160m which might give outliers more of a chance via groundwave. Comments via the reflector are welcome.
Breakfast : an off-schedule gathering at the Lancing Harvester proved the venue to be more agreeable than that at the Downlands so by mutual acclaim it was decided on Wed. that “first Sunday of the month” breakfasts will henceforward be at the ” Harvester/ Britannia ” 98 Grinstead Lane, Lancing.
“On the air” evening on Wed. was an amiable gathering and, later on, Europe on 40m provided signals loud enough to overcome the high noise threshold which will go on be-devilling our operations until we move to the new premises in the quest for which our committee is, we would like to believe, so earnestly engaged. .
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Rallies this weekend
None in SE England but keep yer gumboots ready for 5th February at Canvey Island which was spared the recent threat of flooding only by a fortuitous sudden windshift.
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THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
The ARRL January VHF Contest,
North American SSB QSO Party,
The NCCC RTTY Sprint,
QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt,
NCCC Sprint CW Ladder,
LZ Open CW Contest, (Bulgaria)
Hungarian DX Contest
………..are all on during this weekend.
See the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details
Island activities this weekend :
IOTA-QRGs
CW: 28040 24920 21040 18098 14040 10114 7030 3530 kHz
SSB: 28560 28460 24950 21260 18128 14260 7055 3760 kHz
Currently in the News
AS-004; 5B/ZC, Cyprus Island: Steve/G0SGB will operate from the UK Base Area as ZC4SB between Jan. 11 and 25. QRV on 80, 40, and 20m (SSB, CW), running 100W and dipoles. QSL via G0SGB .
Activated long ago by G3GVB
NA-096; HH/HI, Hispaniola: Dale/N3BNA and Harry/N3FMO will be operating as HH8/N3BNA and HH8/N3FMO from Haiti between Jan. 13 and 25. QSL via homecalls LoTW.
History still untold
SA-002; VP8, Falkland Islands: Dave/VP8CLE and Carol/VP8DKW will be active from Saunders Island between the 15th and 22nd on 160 and 80m (maybe also other bands) on RTTY, PSK, CW, and SSB. QSL via G1OCN
.
Programme of future club events
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DX opportunities
[Currently Active Operations]
[
| Start Date |
End Date |
DXCC Entity |
Call | QSL via |
Reported by |
Info | |
| 2017 | |||||||
| January | |||||||
| 2017 Jan06 | 2017 Feb28 | South Shetland Is | LU1ZI [spots] |
LU4AA | TDDX 20170106 |
By LU4CJM fm Carlini Antarctic Scientific station; also using LU4CJM/z; 80 40 20m; CW; 100w; G5RV; spare time operation | |
| 2017 Jan07 | 2017 Jan30 | PE & Marion Is | ZS8Z [spots] |
ZS1LS | TDDX 20161124 |
By ZS1BCE; HF; SSB + digital; broadband dipole; operation to continue for 17 months; start date uncertain | |
| 2017 Jan08 | 2017 Jan25 | Bonaire | PJ4B [spots] |
PA8A Direct | PA3GVI 20160930 |
By PA8A; 40-40m; 100w; end-fed; holiday style operation; include US$2 (no IRCs) + SAE w/ QSL request | |
| 2017 Jan09 | 2017 Jan27 | South Cook Is | E51WWA [spots] |
AD7AF | TDDX 20170105 |
By AD7AF fm Rarotonga I (IOTA OC-013); 80-10m; CW SSB; inverted L; holiday style operation | |
| 2017 Jan09 | 2017 Jan31 | Belize | V31AX | Club Log | DXNews 20170109 |
By VE3AXT fm Corozal; HF; 100w; G5RV; operation to continue until Mar 7 | |
| 2017 Jan09 | 2017 Feb06 | Belize | V31RF [spots] |
K8NDS Direct | TDDX 20170106 |
By K8NDS fm Placencia; 40 20 17m; SSB | |
| 2017 Jan11 | 2017 Jan25 | Cyprus SBA | ZC4SB [spots] |
G0GSB Direct | TDDX 20161122 |
By G0GSB fm the Akrotiri area; mainly 80 40 20m; SSB CW; 100w; dipoles; include US$3 + SAE w/ QSL request | |
| 2017 Jan11 | 2017 Feb06 | North Cook Is | E51ADD [spots] |
LotW | DXW.Net 20160730 |
By K7ADD fm Manihiki Atoll (IOTA OC-014); 80-10m, perhaps 160m; SSB RTTY; 1.5kw; verticals and wires near salt water; QSL also OK via K7ADD direct, Club Log, eQSL | |
| 2017 Jan13 | 2017 Jan25 | Haiti | HH8 [spots] |
LotW | DXNews 20170103 |
By N3BNA as HH8/N3BNA; HF | |
| 2017 Jan14 | 2017 Jan21 | Br Virgin Is | VP2VAW |
W4KZK Direct | DXW.Net 20170108 |
By W4KDN W4KZK WA5FAC fm Tortola; focus on 160 75m JT65 PSK31, 40m SSB, 30m CW, also 60m (5357 KHz); 3 stations; QSL also OK via LotW and eQSL (2 stations); holiday style operation | |
| 2017 Jan14 | 2017 Jan22 | Cayman Is | ZF2PG | LotW | TDDX 20161129 |
By K8PGJ; QRV for NAQP; QSL also OK via K8PGJ | |
| 2017 Jan15 | 2017 Jan22 | Falkland Is | VP8 | G1OCN Direct | TDDX 20170102 |
By G1OCN as VP8CLE plus 2nd op VP8DKW fm Saunders I (IOTA SA-002); 160 80m, possibly higher bands; RTTY, PSK, CW, SSB; kite vertical on low bands, Hexbeam on higher bands; dates tentative | |
| 2017 Jan19 | 2017 Mar09 | Guadeloupe | TO7D | LotW | TDDX 20161215 |
By F6ITD fm Baie Mahaut, Desirade Island (IOTA NA-102); 160-6m; SSB CW + digital; 500w; dipoles; also FG/F6ITD; QSL also OK via F6ITD | |
| 2017 Jan20 | 2017 Feb22 | Guam | KH2 | JL3RDC Direct | JL3RDC 20170106 |
By JL3RDC as NH0DX/NH2; SSB | |
| 2017 Jan20 | 2017 Feb23 | Vanuatu | YJ | See Info | JA2NQG 20161211 |
By JH2BNL as YJ0AA, JI2UAY as YJ0FM, JA2NQG as YJ0WW (all requested); 160-10m; CW SSB FM RTTY; 2 500w stns 1 200w stn; Inverted L, dipoles, CrankIR, HB9CV; QSL LoTW for YJ0AA, others via home_calls | |
| 2017 Jan20 | 2017 Jan26 | Iceland | TF | LotW | DXNews 20161215 |
By PY2SEX as TF/DL1NX fm IOTA EU-021; 80-10m; QRP; Buddipole; spare time operation | |
| 2017 Jan20 | 2017 Mar03 | Guinea Bissau | J5UAP | LotW | HA3AUI 20161201 |
By HA3AUI; 20-10m, other bands on request; CW; 100w; Spiderbeam; QSL also OK via HA3AUI direct | |
| 2017 Jan20 | 2017 Mar03 | Senegal | 6W2SC | LotW | HA3AUI 20161201 |
By HA3AUI; 20-10m, other bands on request; CW; 500/100w; Spiderbeam; QSL also OK via HA3AUI direct | |
| 2017 Jan22 | 2017 Feb02 | Ivory Coast | TU5MH | LotW | DXW.Net 20161119 |
By DF3FS DJ7JC DJ9RR DL8JJ; 80-10m; CW RTTY SSB; 1kw; verticals, arrays; QSL also OK via DJ5BWD (Buro or direct) and Club Log | |
| 2017 Jan23 | 2017 Jan30 | Falkland Is | VP8 | G1OCN Direct | TDDX 20170102 |
By G1OCN as VP8CLE plus 2nd op VP8DKW fm Bleaker I (IOTA SA-002); 160 80m, possibly higher bands; RTTY, PSK, CW, SSB; kite vertical on low bands, Hexbeam on higher bands; dates tentative | |
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VOACAP Online – professional-grade high-frequency (3-30 MHz) point-to-point propagation predictions
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Weekly comment.
New call sign cut-off ?
Until the summer of 2015 Ofcom permitted radio amateurs to change their call signs but the policy was then changed suddenly.
It now seems there is a degree of flexibility for amateurs who are willing to change sex.
In a recent response to a radio amateur, Ofcom issued this ‘clarification’ of their policy:
We assign each amateur radio station a unique identifier – its call sign. This helps us to meet our obligations under the Radio Regulations (the rules on the use of radio agreed by the international community at the ITU) which require stations to be clearly identifiable and which expressly prohibit misleading identities. In order for a station’s identity to remain unique, these call signs may not be changed, other than in truly exceptional circumstances.
Weekly message
I’ll never complain about my call sign again.
BryanGVB