STOP PRESS
WADARC now meets at a new premises – Lions Hall, 21 Roberts Road, Lancing. BN15 8AR. Normal time will be 8.00pm – 10.00pm as before (doors are usually open earlier).
There’s a small map on the club website, but you shouldn’t need it. If you exit the front entrance of LPH and cross South Street then turn right towards the sea, Roberts Road is the next road on the left. Lions Hall is part way along Roberts Road on the right hand side. We will attempt to place the club’s yellow signboard outside the front door on club nights. There is limited on-street parking in Roberts Road and a car park nearby just off South Street, almost opposite LPH. Note: For tall vehicles/aerials etc. there is a height barrier on the car park. Alternatively you may wish to attempt to park in the LPH car park and walk across the road, but we have no right to do so, although I doubt anyone will get towed away.
Please do not park immediately outside the Lions Hall.
THE PAST WEEK
Wednesday’s RSGB lecture gave us a lot of food for thought and some ideas for things that our club might do. Unfortunately the last part of the lecture was spoiled by the very poor video editing. You’d think that our national society would have some decent broadcast quality equipment so that they don’t look like rank amateurs (note the small ‘a’).
Many thanks to all who helped to remove our equipment and chattels from LPH and either store them or deliver to Lions Hall. Special thanks to Ian, M0IAD for temporarily hosting the repeater.
CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS
Tea and chat evening and a chance to get used to the new premises – Wednesday 17th January – 8.00pm-10.00pm
For further information as it occurs, please visit the WADARC website: www.wadarc.org.uk
NETS
Monday – 2 metres 145.425 MHz, FM, 7.30pm (local)
Thursday – 40 metres 7.106 MHz +/-QRM, SSB, 11.00am (local)
Saturday – 70 cms on GB3WO, 7.00pm (local)
Sunday – 80 metres 3.712 MHz +/- QRM, SSB, 7.30am-8.00am (local)
RALLIES
No rallies within easy driving distance in January.
Details of other UK rallies can be found on this excellent website: http://www.g4rga.org.uk/All.html
RAGCHEW
Autumn 2017 edition published – http://www.wadarc.org.uk/ragchew/autumn-2017-ragchew
PROPAGATION
HF:
LATEST SOLAR NEWS (Courtesy of Spaceweather News):
GEOMAGNETIC STORM PREDICTED: NOAA forecasters say there is a 45% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on Jan. 13th when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) hits Earth’s magnetic field. CIRs are transition zones between slow- and fast-moving solar wind streams. They contain shock-like density gradients and enhanced magnetic fields that can do a good job sparking polar auroras.
For further info please visit: http://spaceweathernews.com/
VHF/UHF:
Conditions continue to be unremarkable, but the beacons have been more out of the noise this week.
Beacons often heard in our area:
VHF:
GB3WSX – IO80QW – 70.007 MHz
GB3BAA – IO91PS – 70.016 MHz
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 the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.
SOMALIA, 6O. Operators Ken, LA7GIA and Adrian, KO8SCA are QRV as 6O6O until January 16. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via M0OXO.
MALAWI, 7Q. John, N6JW is QRV as 7Q7JW. Activity is on 40 and 20 meters using SSB. QSL to home call.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 9Y. Thomas, DL9OBQ is QRV as 9Z4/DL9OBQ from Saint Augustine, Trinidad Island, IOTA SA-011, until February 7. Activity is on 30, 17 and 15 meters using mostly CW. QSL to home call.
BAHAMAS, C6. Steve, KG4LJB is QRV as C6AJB from Eleuthera Island, IOTA NA-001, until January 20. Activity is holiday style on 40 to 17 Meters. QSL to home call.
PHILIPPINES, DU. A group of operators will be QRV as DU0DM from Corregidor Island, IOTA OC-244, on January 13 and 14. Activity will be on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL direct to DU1MS.
ERITREA, E3. A group of operators will be QRV as E31A from January 14 to 23. Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. The main objective of this trip is to support the Eritrean National Olympic Committee. QSL via JH1AJT.
FRANCE, F. Operators Franck, F4DTO and Patrick, F4GFE are QRV using special event call sign TM390SR until June 16 to commemorate the siege of La Rochelle 390 years ago. QSL via F4DTO.
GUADELOUPE, FG. Heli, DD0VR will be QRV as FG/DD0VR from January 14 to 20. Activity will be on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters using only SSB. QSL to home call.
DOMINICA, J7. Heli, DD0VR is QRV as J70VR until January 14. Activity is on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters using only SSB. QSL to home call.
NORWAY, LA. Members of the NRRL are QRV with special calls LM90NRRL, LM90HQ and LM90C throughout 2018 to celebrate their 90th year as the IARU Society.
BULGARIA, LZ. Special event station LZ140LO is QRV until the end of March to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Bulgarian Independence. QSL via LZ1ZF.
CURACAO, PJ2. Joeke, PA0VDV will be QRV as PJ2/PA0VDV from January 16 to February 8. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using only CW. QSL to home call.
ANTARCTICA. Nikolai, RW6ACM is QRV as RI1ANA from the Molodezhnaya Base Station, IOTA AN-016, until sometime in February. Activity is in his spare time on all HF bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via RN1ON.
NAMIBIA, V5. Rudi, DK7PE is QRV as V5/DK7PE until the end of January. Activity is on the HF bands, but with a focus on 160 and 60 meters. This includes being an entry in the upcoming CQ World Wide DX 160 Meter contest. QSL to home call.
MICRONESIA, V6. Sumio, JI1MDM will be QRV as V63AKB48 using SSB, and V63AKB using FT8, from Pohnpei Island, IOTA OC-010, from January 15 to 18. Activity will be on 20, 17, 15 and 12 meters. QSL to home call.
BURKINA FASO, XT. Harald, DF2WO is QRV as XT2AW from Ouagadougou until January 22. Activity is holiday style on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and JT65. He may also try to be active on 60 meters. QSL via M0OXO.
CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Pete, K8PGJ will be QRV as ZF2PG from January 13 to 21. Activity will be holiday style on the HF bands using SSB. This includes being active in the upcoming North America SSB QSO Party. QSL direct to home call.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
The North American CW QSO Party, NCCC RTTY Sprint, QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC CW Sprint, YB DX SSB Contest, Old New Year Contest, SKCC Weekend CW Sprintathon, UBA
PSK63 Prefix Contest, NRAU-Baltic Contest and DARC 10-Meter Contest are all on tap for this weekend.
The 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint is scheduled for January 15.
The CWops Mini-CWT Test, Phone Fray and QRP 40-Meter CW Fox Hunt are scheduled for January 17.
The ARRL International Grid Chase runs during all of 2018.
Please see January 2018 QST, page 89, and the ARRL and WA7BNMcontest web sites for details
VHF/UHF:
All times – Local
18th January – 70MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00
18th January – 70MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30
FINALÉ
Many thanks to Les, G3JSU and Ray, M6IKO for their stalwart work and support in finding an negotiating a place for us to meet at the Lions Hall. There are still things to be done, such as aerials at the new QTH and a possible shack. Also GB3WO will be given a more permanent new home. All will hopefully happen during the coming few months.
73,
Alan. G4GNX
