THE PAST WEEK
Last Wednesday, Chris M0VUE arranged a series of videos on baluns and noise reduction. The noise reduction techniques using active loop antennas and phased signal methods was quite an eye opener as to what can be achieved in some of the worst circumstances imaginable. A follow up will take place in 2 week’s time and we will be able to build our own kit.
Congratulations to Russell Shulver – M6HQM, Jim Dunn – M6MPF, Roger Tuffin – M6CJK, Mark Shepherd – M6GMV who all passed their intermediate exams last Monday night and are waiting for their new call-signs.
Listen out on all bands for Edmund (M0MNG) in the guise of special event call GB6CRA to celebrate 60 years of World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs. Ed is happy to make contacts with anyone, you don’t have to be religious!
I’m trying to drum up some activity on 4 metres, but at present I only have the groundplane working so it tends to be used for FM contacts. If anyone wants to arrange a sked, please feel free to email me – g4gnx@g4gnx.com
CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS
Outside On The Air, club rigs will be available or bring your own – Chantry Lane Car Park, BN13 3XJ – Wed 19th July – 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. No meeting at Lancing Parish Hall this week.
Building and testing Baluns and Transformers. Including a transformer for a 20m EFHW antenna – Wed 26th July – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
Exclusive SALE of Bryan, G3GVB’s surplus kit – WADARC members only – 77, Buckingham Road, Shoreham – THURSDAY 27th July – 8.00pm
Tea and Chat night, a chance to discuss anything Amateur Radio related or just socialise – Wed 2nd August – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
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, 7.30am-8.00am (local)
RALLIES
July 2017
14-16 July 2017 Hamtronic Show, Friedrichshafen, Germany [Friday-Sunday]
Messe, Friedrichshafen, 88046, Germany
Open 09:00-18:00. Admission €9.00, (other ticketing formats available). SIGs. Trade.
IARU Member Societies’ stands. Lectures, some in English. Large flea market. RSGB books.
Details: http://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de
16 July 2017 McMichael Rally
Reading Rugby Club, Holme Park Farm Lane, Sonning Lane, Sonning-on-Thames,
Reading RG4 6ST.
Open 09:30. Entry £3. Talk-in S22. Tables & car boot spaces £10. Trade. SIGs.
Catering/bar on site. No dogs allowed – venue rules (assistance dogs excepted).
Details: Andy, 07775-940016 or Min, 07715-771665 http://www.mcmichaelrally.org.uk/
30 July 2017 Chippenham and District Amateur Radio Club Rally [Update]
Kington Langley Village Hall, Church Road Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ.
Open 10:00 to 13:00/07:00 Sellers. Entry £2/kids free. Talk-in S22-145.55 MHz.
On-site parking. Disabled facilities. Tables inside £8, car-boot pitches £6
for cars & vans, payable on entry. On-site catering.
Details: Brian, g6huim3hui@gmail.com Club Website: http://G3VRE.org.uk
August 2017
13 August 2017 Flight Refuelling ARS Hamfest
Cobham Sports & Social Club Ground, Merley, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA.
Open 10:00. Admission £3.50. Free parking. Talk-in S22. Car boot sale. Trade
at Indoor and outdoor pitches. Lectures. Catering with bar. Adjacent camping
available Saturday night only. Details: http://hamfest.frars.org.uk
27 August 2017 Milton Keynes MKARS Rally
The Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley, Bucks. MK2 2HX.
(Opposite Dobbie’s Garden Centre.) Entrance fee £3.00. Free parking.
Further details: https://www.mkars.org.uk
Details of other UK rallies can be found on this excellent website: http://www.g4rga.org.uk/All.html
RAGCHEW
Spring 2017 edition published – http://www.wadarc.org.uk/ragchew/spring-2017-ragchew
PROPAGATION
HF:
STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND CME: After days of suspenseful quiet, huge sunspot AR2665 finally erupted on July 14th (0209 UT), producing a powerful M2-class solar flare. The explosion was under way for more than two hours and hurled a bright coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. Geomagnetic storms and high-latitude auroras are likely when the CME arrives this weekend. Visit Spaceweather.com for images and updates.
There has been solar activity leading up to the above event, which is probably responsible for the very poor short haul propagation on the lower bands.
Rather than try to put predictions into words, please follow this link for predictions and charts: http://www.stroobandt.com/propagation/en/index.html
VHF/UHF:
Conditions have been ‘normal’ over the past week although there was a possible ‘lift’ in conditions towards the south west when the Lannion beacon was S9+ for part of the day, last Friday 7th. Other beacons continue to pop out of the noise from time-to-time. ON0VHF (Belgium) and GB3VHF (Fairseat) were audible most days but not especially strong.
6 metre ‘Es’ is still active.
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
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.
GEORGIA, 4L. David, DL7ZM is QRV as 4L/DL7ZM until July 20.
Activity is on 6 meters from grid square LN11. QSL via AD0PY.
KENYA, 5Z. Nick, LZ4NM is QRV as 5Z4/LZ4NM until June 30, 2018.
Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital
modes. QSL via bureau.
ALGERIA, 7X. Members of the Algerian Radio Amateur Union are QRV as
7V5J until July 30 in celebration of Algerian National Day.
Activity is on all bands, depending on propagation. QSL via 7X2DD.
MALDIVES, 8Q. Philip, G4PWO will be QRV as 8Q7PW from Fonimagoodhoo
Island, IOTA AS-013, beginning July 18 for two weeks. Activity will
be on 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters using mostly SSB and various digital
modes. QSL to home call.
BOTSWANA, A2. Neven, LZ1COM is QRV as A25NPD until July 16.
Activity is on 40 and 20 meters using SSB between 1800 to 2200z.
QSL to home call.
NORTH COOK ISLAND, E5. Warwick, E51WL is QRV from Penrhyn Atoll,
OC-082, and is occasionally active using JT65. QSL to home call.
BALEARIC ISLANDS, EA6. Andreas, DK5ON will be QRV as EA6/DK5ON from
Cala Ratjada on Mallorca, IOTA EU-004, from July 17 to 31. Activity
will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, JT65, PSK and other digital
modes. He also plans to activate the Lighthouse Cap de Pera, ARLHS
BAL-010. QSL to home call.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA, HL. Michael, K5MDK is QRV as HL/K5MDK until
August 10 while currently on temporary assignment. Activity is in
his spare time and mostly weekends from Changwon-ski on the HF bands
using SSB and various digital modes. QSL to home call.
CZECH REPUBLIC, OK. Special event station OL60SIENEL is QRV until
July 23 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Joseph Sienel
Observatory in Losov. QSL via bureau.
SWEDEN, SM. Special event station SC40VIC is QRV until the end of
2017 to celebrate the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria. QSL
via SM6JSM.
CRETE, SV9. Jurg, HB9DQL is QRV as SV9/HB9DQL until July 23.
Activity is holiday style on 40, 20 and 10 meters using CW. QSL to
home call.
ASIATIC RUSSIA, UA0. Operators Vasily, R7AL, Vasily, RA1ZZ, Sergey,
RW5D, Vladimir, RK8A and Stan, UA3LMR will be QRV as RI0C from Iony
Island, IOTA AS-069, from July 18 to 22. Activity will be on 40 to
10 meters using CW, SSB, various digital modes and satellites. QSL
via R7AL.
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. John, W5JON is QRV as V47JA from Calypso
Bay, IOTA NA-104, until August 5. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters,
including 60 meters. This includes being active in the upcoming
RSGB IOTA contest. QSL direct to home call.
COCOS (KEELING) ISLAND, VK9C. Andy, VK9CC is active on 160 and 80
meters using CW at various times. QSL to home call.
INDONESIA, YB. Special event station YB0JARF is QRV on July 15 and
16 to draw attention to the Jakarta Amateur Radio Fair 2017 being
held in Ancol Beach City. In addition, look for operators N7BHK,
KJ6UZK and KY1A to be QRV as YB0/home calls from Jakarta during the
Fair. QSL via operators’ instructions.
VENEZUELA, YV. Special event station YW450ARV is QRV during the
month of July to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the founding of
the city of Caracas. QSL via operators’ instructions.
CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Operators Mike, NA6MB and Gayle, K6GO are QRV
as ZF2NA and ZF2GO, respectively, from Grand Cayman Island until
July 16. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters. QSL both calls via K6GO.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The North American RTTY QSO Party, CQ
Worldwide VHF Contest, QRP 20-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC RTTY Sprint,
NCCC CW Sprint, Russian Radio Team Championship, Trans-Tasman
Low-Bands Challenge, DMC RTTY Contest, Feld Hell Sprint and RSGB Low
Power CW Contest are all on tap for this upcoming weekend.
The Run for the Bacon QRP CW Contest is scheduled for July 17.
The Phone Fray and CWops Mini-CWT Test are scheduled for July 19.
Please see July 2017 QST, page 82, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest
web sites for details.
VHF/UHF:
All times – Local
16th July – 70 MHz Trophy Contest – 10.00-16.00
5th August – 4th 144 MHz Backpackers – 13.00-17.00
5th August – 144 MHz QRP Contest – 14.00-20.00
6th August – 432 MHz QRP Contest- 08.00-12.00
13th August – 70 MHz Cumulatives #5 – 14.00-16.00
FINALÉ
After last Wednesday’s video series, watch out for frantic mag-loop building – a la LZ1AQ recommendations, in Littleworth, Shoreham and beyond……………….
73,
Alan. G4GNX
