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

Weekly Bulletin – March 30 2018

WADARC meets at – Lions Hall, 21 Roberts Road, Lancing. BN15 8AR.

THE PAST WEEK

The “Search and Rescue” trip arranged by Alex, 2E0UMD was a great success, according to reports from those who attended. Members spent several hours at the facility and despite the crew being on a “shout”, there was a very informative tour of the facility.

Last Wednesday’s meeting was a talk on plastics by Norman, M0EBI who obviously knows his subject very well. Norman covered a brief history of how plastics came to be developed, followed by a trip into molecular science, showing how different plastics with varying capabilities can be made, sometimes by changing one small but significant component.

CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS

  • Tea and chat night – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 4th April – 8.00pm-10.00pm
  • Talk – I was a cold war spy – Brian Spiby – Wednesday 11th April – 8.00pm-10.00pm
  • Tea and chat night – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 18th April – 8.00pm-10.00pm
  • Outside event – Bring Radios/Antennas – Meet at Mill Hill, Shoreham – 2nd Car Park – Wednesday 25th April – 7.30pm-9.30pm – Lions Hall will be closed!
  • Talk on Algeria trip – Chris, M0VUE – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 5th May – 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

15 April 2018 Yeovil ARC QRP Convention
Digby Hall, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3AA.
Admission £3. Open 09:30 to 15:00. Regrettably only guide dogs can be admitted.
Traders. B&B. Club stands. Talks programme (see website). Trader bookings via
the website. Supported by RSGB, RAFARS & BYLARA.
Details: http://yeovil-arc.com/QRPconvention.php

15 April 2018 West London Radio & Electronics Show
Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5AQ.
Open 10:00/09:50. Talkin. Free on-site parking. Trade. B&B. SIGs. Lectures.
Raffle. On-site catering.
Details: Paul, M0CJX, 0845-165-0351, info@radiofairs.co.uk http://www.radiofairs.co.uk

29 April 2018 Exeter Radio & Electronics Rally [Rescheduled from 4 March]
America Hall, De La Rue Way Pinhoe, Exeter, EX4 8PW.
Open 10:30/10:15 disabled & B&B bookin – may open earlier in inclement weather.
Admission £2. Trade. B&B. Catering.
Details: Pete, G3ZVI, 07714-198374, g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk

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

RAGCHEW

Winter 2017 edition published – http://www.wadarc.org.uk/ragchew/winter-201718

PROPAGATION

HF:

LATEST SOLAR NEWS (Courtesy of Spaceweather News):

RARE SOLAR MINIMUM SUNSPOT: Almost every day this month, the face of the sun has been utterly blank. Today, however, a new sunspot is growing near the sun’s southeastern limb, pocking the surface of our star with several Moon-sized dark cores.

Only on the eve of Solar Minimum would such a puny sunspot attract attention–and that is exactly where we are. Sunspot numbers are plummeting toward a deep nadir of the solar cycle expected to hit bottom in 2019-2020. For the foreseeable future, every sunspot is a rarity worthy of note.

This sunspot will probably remain small and quiet. But we could be wrong. Occasionally, potent sunspots emerge during Solar Minimum, unleashing powerful flares. Astronomers with backyard solar telescopes are encouraged to monitor this one … just in case.

For further info please visit: http://spaceweather.com

ARLP011 Propagation de K7RA

At 2332 UTC on March 22 the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued a geomagnetic disturbance warning for this weekend, March 24 and 25.

“Expect the geomagnetic activity to increase to mostly Active levels with isolated periods of Minor to Major Storm levels due to a high speed solar wind stream associated with a negative polarity coronal hole becoming geo-effective”.

In last week’s report, ARLP011, there were no sunspots over the reporting week. On March 15 one new sunspot appeared for a sunspot number of 11, which is the minimum non-zero sunspot number. The next day it was gone, then a new sunspot appeared March 17. Sunspot numbers on March 17 and 18 were 15 and 13, then none for the rest of our reporting week, March 19 to 21. So the average daily sunspot number increased from 0 over the previous week to 5.6 over the most recent 7 days, ending Wednesday March 21.

Average daily solar flux over the same two periods increased from 67.7 to 69.3. Geomagnetic indices about doubled, with average planetary A index changing from 7.1 to 14.4, and mid-latitude A index increasing from 5.7 to 11.3.

Predicted solar flux is 68 on March 23 through April 2, 69 on April 3 and 4, 70 on April 5 to 15, 69 on April 16 and 17, 68 on April 18 to 29, 69 on April 30 through May 1, and 70 on May 2 to 6.

Predicted planetary A index is 8, 22, 24, 18 and 8 on March 23 to 27, 5, 15, 10 and 8 on March 28 to 31, then 5 on April 1 to 9, then 8, 15 and 20 on April 10 to 12, then 15 on April 13 and 14, then 8 and 12 on April 15 and 16, 18 on April 17 to 19, 15 and 8 on April 20 and 21, and 5 on April 22 to 25, 8 on April 26 and 27, and 5 on April 28 through May 6.

The spring equinox began at 1615 UTC on Tuesday, March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere. At that moment solar radiation was equally distributed between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Except for the low solar activity, the beginning of spring should be an ideal time for worldwide HF communication.

VHF/UHF:

Monitoring ON0VHF has produced varying results from ‘unheard’ to 5/2/9 and back into the noise. This pattern can sometimes repeat may times in an hour. This could be due to ‘aircraft flutter’ or to changes in the Troposphere. There have been no enhancements this week due to temperature inversions.

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 Daily DX, the OPDX Bulletin, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

MALAWI, 7Q. Members of the EIDX Group are QRV as 7Q7EI from the shores of Lake Malawi until April 2. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY with four stations active. QSL via M0OXO.

GHANA, 9G. Richard, 9G5AR is now licensed and QRV from Accra. He is generally active on 20 meters using SSB during his weekdays and weekends. QSL via N4GNR.

CAPE VERDE, D4. Mike, CT1IUA plans to be QRV as D41A from Santa Maria, Sal Island, IOTA AF-086, from April 1 to 9. Activity will be holiday style on 40 to 10 meters using mainly CW with some SSB. QSL to home call.

NORTHERN IRELAND, GI. Special event station GB106TBC will be QRV from April 2 to 9 to commemorate the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. QSL direct to MI0MOD.

THAILAND, HS. Members of the Digital Thailand DX Association are QRV as HS8JCV/p from Lipe Island, IOTA AS-126, until April 2. Activity is on the HF bands. QSL via HS8JCV.

ARGENTINA, LU. Special event station AZ36H is QRV until April 2 to recognize the 36th anniversary of the Falkland Islands War. QSL via operators’ instructions.

BULGARIA, LZ. Members of the Bulgarian Radio Club Blagovestnik are QRV as LZ362ME during April to honor the memory of Bulgarian Saints. QSL via bureau.

NETHERLANDS, PA. Special event station PF2018SLO is QRV from Sloten during April during the context of the 11th Cities Marathon. Activity is on the HF bands. QSL via PA0MBD.

EUROPEAN RUSSIA, UA. Special event stations UE12APR, R12APR, R108M and UE57G will be QRV from April 1 to 15 to mark Cosmonauts Day to commemorate the first flights in space. QSL via operators’ instructions.

CANADA, VE. Special call VD1BOOM is QRV on Saturdays and Sundays during April to mark the 40th anniversary of a mysterious explosion called the Bell Island Boom that happened April 2, 1978 on Bell Island, IOTA NA-198, one of Newfoundland’s coastal islands. Activity is on 20 meters. QSL direct to VO1IDX.

TURKS AND CAICOS, VP5. Bernie, KD5QHV plans to be QRV as VP5/KD5QHV until April 2. Activity is on 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.

LAOS, XW. Champ, E21EIC is QRV as XW1IC until March 31. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters. QSL to home call.

KOSOVO, Z6. Gab, HB9TSW is QRV as Z68GB until April 19. Activity is on 80 to 17 meters using CW. QSL to home call.

GIBRALTAR, ZB. Special Event Station ZB2RAF will be QRV from April 1 to July 29 to honor the first Centenary of the Royal Air Force. QSL via G8FC.

NEW ZEALAND, ZL. Special event station ZM50GW will be QRV during April to commemorate the loss 50 years ago of the ferry TEV Wahine. QSL via bureau.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The Russian World Wide MultiMode
Contest, QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC RTTY Sprint, NCCC CW Sprint,
Feld Hell Sprint, UK/EI DX CW Contest and the RSGB 80-Meter RoLo SSB
contest are all on tap for this weekend.

The IQRP Quarterly Marathon and RSGB 80-Meter Club CW Championship
are scheduled for April 2.

The ARS Spartan CW Sprint is scheduled for April 3.

The UKEICC 80-Meter SSB Contest, Phone Fray and CWops Mini-CWT CW
Test are scheduled for April 4.

The ARRL International Grid Chase runs during all of 2018.

Please see March 2018 QST, page 85, April QST, page 84, and the ARRL
and WA7BNM Contest Web Sites for details.

VHF/UHF:

1st April – 1st 70MHz Contest – 09.00-12.00

3rd April – 144MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00

3rd April – 144MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30

10th April – 432MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00

10th April – 432MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30

12th April – 50MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00

12th April – 50MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30

15th April – 1st 50MHz Contest – 09.00-12.00

19th April – 70MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00

19th April – 70MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30

21st/22nd April – 1st MGM Contest – 14.00-14.00

FINALÉ

During Norman’s lecture on plastics, he mentioned that the new Dreamliner aircraft is made from just two plastic mouldings, which makes it light and fuel efficient. I wonder how this affects its resistance to turbulence. Is it more likely to be bounced around the sky? Has anyone travelled on one yet?

73,

Alan. G4GNX