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

Weekly Bulletin – July 8 2017

Here is the latest update, Phil G4UDU

I would normally have this posted Friday evening – but I was out walking on the downs last night looking for and finding “Glow Worms” (beetles) – now there’s another story !

This week:

This weeks meeting was a general discussion night, Andrew brought us up to date with the training program plus the quest for a club shack location is still ongoing.

The meeting schedules now organised by Chris M0VUE have been planned for most of this year, this includes some outside events please check the website schedule for details.

Over the next few weeks we have outside public event days at Worthing fire station, Selsey lifeboats and lighthouses on the air weekend Shoreham, and the last big outside event is the RSGB SSB Field day which takes part in the same location as last year at Adversane.

Radio band conditions:

Last weekend the RSGB VHF field day was giving activity on 6m through to 23cms – as usual higher than normal QSO numbers were possible due to all the contest stations being active throughout Europe.

6m continues to have openings with sporadic E unfortunately we have not seen the same on 2 m. HF conditions have continued with daytime openings on 10m and 12m with some good DX available on the lower bands if you are prepared to look for it, unfortunately the DX cluster continues to be a nuisance for those of us that want to find the real stations because as soon as they are worked they get spotted and then you end up with very poor operators causing total QRM rendering the station unworkable – that’s what you call progress!

Some of us still remember the DX news sheets that were posted out telling us what was available on up and coming DXpeditions – you then relied on your operating skills to find them.

Club Program:

12th July Video Night by Chris Suddell. Video’s on Baluns, Chokes and Reducing RFI Noise. Including post video discussion

19th July VHF & HF Evening, location Chantry Lane Car Park, BN13 3XJ. Starts at 7:30pm, tea and coffee provided.

26th July Practical Evening – Building and testing Baluns and Transformers. Including a transformer for a 20m EFHW antenna.

Club on the air nets, all times local:

Monday at 1930 on 145.425 MHz

Thursday at 1100 on 7.106 MHz

Saturday at 1900 on GB3WO (Club repeater)

Sunday at 0730 on 3.712 MHz

Propagation Report:

ARLP027 Propagation de K7RA

At 0057 UTC on July 7 the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a Geomagnetic Disturbance Warning: “Expect an increase in geomagnetic activity late on UT day, 08 to 09 July due to influence of geoeffective coronal hole.”

Our sun showed no sunspots on July 3 and 4, so average daily sunspot numbers dropped from 20.3 on June 22 to 28 to 8 during the current reporting week, June 29 through July 5. Average daily solar flux went from 73.6 to 71.7.

Average daily planetary A index went from 6.9 to 7.1 and average mid-latitude A index went from 7.4 to 8.3, barely any change.
Predicted solar flux is 76 on July 7, 78 on July 8 to 13, 75 on July 14, 71 on July 15, 72 on July 16 to 19, 71 on July 20 to 27, 70 on July 28 through August 2, 71 on August 3 to 11, 72 on August 12 to 15 and 71 on August 16 to 20.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on July 7, then 8, 25, 18 and 12 on July 8 to 11, then 8, 5, 13 and 11 on July 12 to 15, 5 on July 16 to 20, 11 on July 21 and 22, 5 on July 23 to 31, 7 on August 1 and 2, 5 on August 3 to 8, then 23, 13 and 11 on August 9 to 11, 5 on August
12 to 16, 11 on August 17 and 18 and 5 on August 19 and 20.

Max White, M0VNG of Worcester, England sent this very interesting
space weather audio dispatch from the UK Met Office:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/mostly-weather/episode11

Check this:

https://www.space.com/37330-solar-minimum-coronal-holes-space-junk.html

Sunspot numbers for June 29 through July 5, 2017 were 12, 11, 11, 11, 0, 0, and 11, with a mean of 8. 10.7 cm flux was 71.8, 71.5, 70.7, 71.2, 71.7, 71.8, and 73, with a mean of 71.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 4, 11, 18, 5, 4, and 3, with a mean of 7.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 6, 4, 14, 20, 7, 5, and 2, with a mean of 8.3.

DX News:

ARLD027 DX news

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.

CHINA, BY. Members of the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club (CRAC) and
the Amateur Radio Branch of Xi’an Radio are going to team up as B9HQ
for the IARU HF World Championship. They will be QRV on 160 to 10
meters using CW and SSB. QSL via BA4EG.

SPAIN, EA. The EA Digital Federation (FEDI-EA) celebrates its 25th
anniversary during July with the call AM25FEDIA. Spanish stations
may substitute their prefix as follows: AM for EA, AN for EB, AO for
EC, together with the additional numerals 25. QSL for AM25FEDIA
only via EuroBureauQSL.

FRANCE, F. TM007TF will operate from July 8 to 22 in the context of
the Tour de France. Likewise, TM39TDF is QRV until July 10 and then
again from July 16 to 23. QSL for TM39TDF via F8GGZ.

HUNGARY, HA. Members of the radio club FMV (HA5FMV and HG7F)
celebrate their club’s 60th anniversary until June 30, 2018 with the
call HA60FMV. QSL via bureau.

ST. LUCIA, J6. Gary, K9AW is QRV as J68GD until July 16. He is QRV
on 80 to 10 meters and will join in the IARU HF World Championship.
QSL via K9AW.ST. LUCIA, J6. Gary, K9AW is QRV as J68GD until July 16. He is QRV
on 80 to 10 meters and will join in the IARU HF World Championship.
QSL via K9AW.

BERMUDA, VP9. Bob, N2OO and Steve, KU9C will be QRV until July 11
as N2OO/VP9 and KU9C/VP9, respectively. Look for them on HF, 6
meters and the satellites. During the IARU HF World Championship
they will be active as VP9HQ. QSL for VP9HQ via KU9C, others via
home calls.

LAOS, XW. Bruce, 3W3B is QRV as XW4XR until July 14 on 40 to 6
meters using CW, RTTY and JT65. QSL via E21EIC, LoTW. Also, XW1IC,
operator E21EIC, will be QRV from July 7 to 11, including the IARU
HF World Championship. Before and after the contest he will focus
on 6 meters. Champ suggests you request a QSL using OQRS at Club
Log. Paper QSLs may go via E21EIC, or use LoTW.

VANUATU, YJ. Geoff, ZL3GA plans to operate holiday-style until July
13 from Efate (OC-035) as YJ0GA. He will focus on his local sunrise
and sunset periods for Western Europe on 20 and 30 meters, as well
using RTTY and JT65. QSL via ClubLog OQRS, LoTW and via ZL3GA.
NICARAGUA, YN. Rafael, NN3RP will be active as YN2RP from July 8 to
August 4 on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, PSK31 and RTTY. QSL via
NN3RP.

CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Max, N5NHJ is going to operate holiday-style
from July 8 to 15 as ZF2NH. He will be QRV on 20 to 6 meters, using
mostly CW with some RTTY and PSK31. QSL via N5NHJ, ClubLog OQRS or
LoTW.

BOTSWANA, A2. Pavel, R2AD, Yuri, RM0F, and Elena, RC5A are planning
to operate as A25BE, A25BI, and A25SP, respectively, from September
15 to 25 on 160 to 6 meters, using CW and SSB. QSL via home call,
ClubLog OQRS, LoTW.

BALKANS TOUR. Throughout the month of August, Costa, IZ7GXB plans
to be QRV as 4O7GXB, ZA/IZ7GXB and Z38/IZ7GXB from Montenegro,
Albania and Macedonia, respectively. Activity will be primarily on
6 meters (50.150 MHz).

DENMARK, OZ. OZ17SJ will be QRV from July 22 to 30 at a big Scout
Jamboree in Snoderborg. QSL via bureau or direct to OZ1ACB or use
LoTW, eQSL or OQRS.

ARCTIC OCEAN WATER GRIDS. The RRS James Clark Ross is heading to
the Arctic. The shipboard station manned by Mike, GM0HCQ, should be
workable from water grids JP, JQ, KQ and KR over the next few weeks.
KQ and KR are probably the rarest ones. The ship is under way but
specific dates for the particular grids are not known, due to the
variables of ocean voyages in the Arctic. There is a daily update
page: http://www.gm0hcq.com/jcr_update.htm.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The IARU HF World Championship, FISTS
Summer Unlimited Sprint, SKCC Weekend Sprintathon, CQC Great
Colorado Gold Rush and the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint are all
on tap for this weekend. The RSGB 80 Meter Club Championship, SSB
is on July 12.