Amateur radio in West Sussex - Training, Exams, Contests and Special Event Stations

WEEKLY BULLETIN – April 21 2017

G3GVB – SK

As you will know by now from Andrew’s announcement, Bryan, G3GVB passed away a few days ago and will be sadly missed. Bryan was cajoled into producing your Weekly Bulletin and he made a remarkably good job of it. Bryan’s daughter and son visited the club last Wednesday to bring us the sad news. At least some of us were able to meet them and offer our sympathies. Funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as we have them.

Bryan has left quite an act to follow, but here goes with the 2nd offering in the new series of Weekly Bulletins:

THE PAST WEEK

Wednesday 19th saw our Surplus Equipment Sale. Lots of good bargains, some really fine pieces of equipment and some junk of course. Over 30 people attended and seemed to have had a good time and a good laugh, whilst helping to swell the club coffers a little. Of course Bryan, G3GVB was missed as he would probably have bid on at least 50% of the items!

Propagation on the HF bands continued to be mostly mediocre to outright dire. Even ground wave on 40 metres was difficult in some areas and our weekly SSB net suffered as a consequence. There was the occasional DX to be had, especially around midnight on 40 metres. It’s also surprising how well the ‘digi’ modes can do, when SSB and CW are almost unreadable.

VHF/UHF fared a bit better with occasional ‘lift’ conditions and beacons being heard as far away as Portugal and Northern Spain. It’s a shame there wasn’t more activity on SSB/CW, although I did manage a 2 metre SSB contact with a station in Cornwall – to the un-initiated, that’s DX on 2 metres from our local area!

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.

RALLIES

23rd April – ANDOVER ARC’s 17th WILDHERN RALLY – Village Hall, Wildhern, just north of Andover, SP11 0JE. Doors open 10:00am. Admission £2. Details: www.arac.org.uk

23rd April – 33rd YEOVIL QRP CONVENTION – Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA. Doors open 9.30am to 3.00pm. Details: yeovil-arc.com/qrpconvention

30th April – WEST LONDON RADIO & ELECTRONICS SHOW (KEMPTON RALLY) – Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5AQ. Doors open 10:00am. Free parking. Details: www.radiofairs.co.uk

1st May – 33rd DARTMOOR RADIO RALLY – Tavistock College, Crowndale Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8DD. Doors open 10.30am. Admission £2. Ample free car parking.

6th May – Southern Electronics and Radio Fair – Eastbourne Radio Rally. – CANCELLED

19th – 21st May – DAYTON HAMVENTION – Greene County Fair and Exposition Center, Xenia, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Doors open 8.00am. Details: www.hamvention.org

21st May – DUNSTABLE DOWNS RC ANNUAL NATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO CAR BOOT SALE – Stockwood Park, London Road, Luton, LU1 4LX. Admission £3.

Details of other UK rallies can be found on this excellent website: http://www.g4rga.org.uk/All.html

CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS

Construction Evening – Wed 26th April – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm – 70cm direction finding antenna construction ahead of 70cm Fox Hunt
Tea and Chat Evening – Wed 3rd May – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Lecture (Subject TBA) – Wed 10th May – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Practical Evening/Workshop Demo – Wed 17th May – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Meal and Social Gathering – The Old Tollgate, Bramber West Sussex – Wed 24th May – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm – NOTE: NO MEETING AT LANCING THIS WEEK. You must reserve a place at the Tollgate by contacting Alastair, M0OAL and paying £7.50 deposit (per person). Please do this early to avoid disappointment.

RAGCHEW

Spring 2017 edition published – www.wadarc.org.uk/ragchew/spring-2017-ragchew

WHINGE CORNER

We desperately need more members to produce the Weekly Bulletin. Surely there are other members who can spare a little time once every few weeks to lighten the load on our current (3) volunteers? Obviously Bryan will not be returning to the task, so we need to help each other to preserve continuity. Technically, it’s not a particularly difficult task, just takes a little time to get the contents all together. If you can compose an email and send it, you can produce a Weekly Bulletin.

The evening meal at the Tollgate, Bramber on May 24th is at present rather under-subscribed. It would be helpful if others who intend to go could enter their names on the Doodle Poll that has been setup for you.

PROPAGATION

HF:

From the SIDC (RWC-Belgium) dated April 19:

A partial halo CME was seen at 19:48 UTC on April 18 (LASCO-C2) directed towards the east, with speeds around 900 km/s. It erupted from NOAA AR 2651, as this region rotated into view from the east limb. It was associated with a C5.5 flare peaking at 20:10 UT on April 18. Due to the location of the source region, only a shock could be expected to arrive at the Earth on April 21. The solar wind at the Earth is showing signs of compression preceding the expected high speed stream, with KDourbes reaching only 3 but Kp going to 5. Disturbed geomagnetic conditions can be expected in the next 48 hours.

VHF/UHF:

With weather conditions constantly changing, it’s difficult to predict enhanced propagation (ducting) more than a few hours in advance. Watch the weather reports for pressure changes and temperature inversions. Also, look out of you window – if you observe sea mist, it’s likely that DX conditions will be enhanced. Listen out for beacons and make a note of what you hear under ‘flat’ conditions, so that you can compare when you hear a new beacon or one or more of your ‘regular’ beacons are being received with increased strength. Bear in mind that brief enhancements over just a few minutes may be due to reflections from aircraft and don’t indicate enhanced conditions. Beacons mostly use horizontal polarisation and transmit their ident in CW, some also transmit digital information. You don’t have to be proficient in CW to recognise a beacon, as long as you can recognise that CW is being transmitted, you can work out which beacon you’re hearing from its frequency and beam heading.

Beacons often heard in our area:

VHF:

F1ZXK – JN18KF – 144.438 MHz

F5ZSF – IN88GS – 144.409 MHz

GB3VHF – JO01EH – 144.430 MHz

ON0VHF – JO20HP – 144.418 MHz

UHF:

F5XBA – JN18KF – 432.830 MHz

GB3UHF – JO01EH – 432.430 MHz

ON0UHF – JO20ET – 432.567 MHz

DX NEWS

HF:

This week’s bulletin was made possible with information provided by
KI1U, 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.

TOGO, 5V. David, OK6DJ and Petr, OK1FCJ are QRV as 5V7P until April
27. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY with two
stations active. QSL via OK6DJ.

MALDIVES, 8Q. Mike, UA1QV is QRV as 8Q7QV from Fihalhohi Island,
IOTA AS-013, until April 25. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using
CW and SSB. QSL to home call. In addition, Jim, G3VDB will be QRV
as 8Q7EJ from Vilamendhoo from April 24 to May 7. Activity will be
on 20 meters, and possibly 30 and 17 meters using CW, and possibly
SSB, RTTY and PSK. QSL to home call.

BOTSWANA, A2. A group of operators will be QRV as A25UK from April
25 to May 5. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and
RTTY. QSL via M0OXO. Note: This is the one that our own Graham, G4FNL will be taking part.

MOROCCO, CN. Special event station 5C12SIA is QRV until April 23 to
commemorate the 12th International Exhibition of Agriculture in
Meknes city. QSL via LoTW or direct.

PHILIPPINES, DU. Operators Andy, 4F1GNW, Ed, 4F1OZ, Gil, 4F2KWT,
and Nani, DU1COP are QRV as DZ4C from Tinaga Island, IOTA OC-202,
until April 23. Activity is on 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15 meters using
CW and SSB. QSL via VE7DP.

BELARUS, EU. Special event station EV145O (Oh) is QRV until June 22
to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the Belarusian Society of
Rescue on the Waters. QSL via operators’ instructions.

SCOTLAND, GM. Mike, KI1U will be QRV from Scotland and from Iona
Island for a day or two as MM/KI1U, IOTA EU-008, from April 22 to
29. Activity will be as his time permits on 40 and 20 meters using
CW. QSL to home call.

SWITZERLAND, HB. Special event station HB600NVF is QRV until the
end of 2017 to mark the 600 years since the patron saint of
Switzerland Niklaus von Flue was born. QSL via HB9JOE.

ALAND ISLANDS, OH0. Ari, OH3KAV will be QRV as OF0KA from April 22
to 27. Activity will be holiday style on 80 to 10 meters using CW,
JT9 and JT65. He may also try to be active on 60 meters. QSL to
home call.

CRETE, SV9. Seppo, OH1VR will be QRV as SV9/OH1VR from April 27 to
May 3. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using mainly CW. QSL
direct to home call.

MAIL, TZ. Denis, F8DAK is QRV as TZ6BB from Bamako and is here for
about 18 months. Activity is on 20 meters. QSL to home call. In
addition, Jeff, TZ4AM is QRV from Bamako. He is active on the HF
bands, and possibly on 6 meters as well. QSL to W3HNK.

EUROPEAN RUSSIA, UA. Special event stations R1961GP and R1961AG are
QRV until April 30 to commemorate the April 12, 1961 first manned
space flight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. QSL R1961AG via RA4DR and
R1961GP via OQRS.

NAMIBIA, V5. Stefan, HB9JAB is QRV as V51/HB9JAP until May 8 while
caravanning around Namibia. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters. QSL to
home call.

MARSHALL ISLANDS, V7. Randy, WW6RG will be QRV as V73/WW6RG from
Kwajalein, IOTA OC-028, on April 26. Activity will be on 40 and 20
meters using SSB at various times. QSL to home call.

BRUNEI, V8. Special event station V84SWA is QRV until April 24 to
commemorate the 92nd World Amateur Radio Day. Activity is on the HF
bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via V85TL.

VIET NAM, XV. Jesus, WP4JBG is QRV as XV9G from Ho Chi Minh City
until May 9. Activity is on 40, 20 and 15 meters using CW and SSB.
QSL to home call.

LAOS, XW. Bruce, XW4XR has been active on 20 meters using RTTY
around 1400z. QSL via E21EIC.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint,
QRP to the Field, SP DX RTTY Contest, UK/EI DX CW Contest, Nebraska
QSO Party and the BARTG Sprint 75 are all on tap for this upcoming
weekend.

The 222 MHz Spring Sprint is scheduled for April 25. The UKEICC
80-Meter CW Contest, CWops Mini-CWT CW Test, Phone Fray and SKCC CW
Sprint are scheduled for April 26
call.

VHF/UHF:

2nd May – 144 MHz UKAC Contest – 20.00-22.30 (Local)

9th May – 432 MHz UKAC Contest – 20.00-22.30 (Local)

11th May – 50 MHz UKAC Contest – 20.00-22.30 (Local)

18th May – 70 MHz UKAC Contest – 20.00-22.30 (Local)

FINALÉ

I often look up a callsign on QRZ.com and sometimes find that a callsign is either not listed, or details are out of date. Whilst it’s not mandatory to have a presence on QRZ.com it is helpful to others if you do, so that they can verify QSL information. Also, leaving your details out of date leaves you open to accusations of being a pirate, if heard on the air from what is obviously a different address than that listed. You don’t have to own a computer to subscribe or update your info. QRZ.com allows you to designate a ‘manager’ so that one of your friends with a PC can do it for you.

Heard on the air:

On HF – “Would the weaker of the two stations calling me, please transmit first”!

On GB3IW (IOW 70cms repeater using Echolink) – “Wow, you’re a very strong signal here, from South Africa. That’s pretty good for 2 metres”.

73,

Alan. G4GNX