WADARC meets at – Lions Hall, 21 Roberts Road, Lancing. BN15 8AR.
THE PAST WEEK
I’m pleased to say that the boiler in Lions Hall has been repaired and we were all back to being warm for last Wednesday’s meeting. We had a couple of videos on HF antennas by Dave Casler, KE0OG, which provoked some discussion. The rest of the evening was taken up with chat on all manner of subjects and I was able to get some rust removed from small metal brackets – thanks to Jonathan, G1EXG for bringing the ultrasonic bath.
I’ve also made a request of all members for historical anecdotes about the Club. I’m willing to collate the info, but so far nothing yet. Please send what you have to me by email. If you prefer to stay anonymous, I don’t need to include your name or callsign.
CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS
- Talk on APRS – Dorian, 2E0FSI – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 14th March – 8.00pm-10.00pm
- Tea and chat night – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 21st March – 8.00pm-10.00pm
- Use of modern plastics – talk – Norman, M0EBI – Lions Hall, Lancing – Wednesday 28th March – 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
11 March 2018 Dover Radio Club Rally
Whitfield Village Hall, Sandwich Road, Manley Close, Whitfield, Dover, CT16 3LY.
Open 10:00. Entry £2. Talkin. Catering. Trade. Auction at 12:30.
Details: Aaron Coote, 2E0FQR, 07714-654267, aaroncoote@hotmail.co.uk
Web: http://www.darc.org.uk
5 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):
THE SUN IS BLANK: For the 6th day in a row, the sun is blank–no sunspots. Almost half of the days in 2018 have been this way. Extended stretches of spotlessness are a herald of Solar Minimum. This “quiet” phase of the solar cycle brings extra cosmic rays, pink auroras, and a slight dimming of the sun. Cooling and contraction of Earth’s upper atmosphere can also postpone the orbital decay of Chinese space stations. Stay tuned as the pendulum swings.
EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD RINGING LIKE A BELL: Yesterday, a solar wind stream grazed Earth’s magnetic field. Keyword: graze. The off-center impact of the solar wind caused something unusual to happen. Earth’s polar magnetic field rang like a bell. Rob Stammes recorded the phenomenon from his magnetic observatory in Lofoton, Norway:
For further info please visit: http://spaceweather.com
ARLP008 Propagation de K7RA
Average daily sunspot number dropped from 24 during the previous
seven days, to 5.6 in the current reporting week, February 15-21.
That average is so low because no sunspots have been seen since
February 17, and no new sunspot regions were observed since February
4. Average daily solar flux dropped to 70.1 in the current period
from 77.4 in the previous week.
Based on the latest 45-day prediction for solar flux, I expect
sunspots to re-appear by March 2 or 3, when solar flux is expected
to increase suddenly.
Predicted solar flux is 68 on February 23 to March 1, 69 on March 2,
76 on March 3-12, 74 on March 13-14, 72 on March 15, 70 on March
16-25, 72 and 74 on March 26-27, and 76 on March 28 through April 8.
Predicted planetary A index is 8 on February 23-25, then 12, 16 and
8 on February 26-28, 5 on March 1-3, 8 on March 4, 5 on March 5-13,
then 10, 8, 12, 16, 14 and 12 on March 14-19, 8 on March 20-22, 5 on
March 23-30, 8 on March 31 and 5 on April 1-8.
VHF/UHF:
Conditions have been very poor. Even ON0VHF failed to climb out of the noise most days.
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
PY2WAS, 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.
SPRATLY ISLANDS. A large group of operators are QRV as 9M0W from
Layang Layang Island, IOTA AS-051, until March 13. Activity is on
160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via
YT1AD.
MAURITIUS, 3B8. Nigel, G3TXF will be QRV as 3B8XF in the RSGB
Commonwealth CW contest. QSL via Club Log.
ANNOBON, 3C0. Operators YL2GM, YL1ZF and YL2KL are QRV as 3C0W from
Annobon, IOTA AF-039, until March 27. Activity is on 160 to 10
meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL direct to YL2GN.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 9Y. Operators Arkadiy, UA4CC and Arunas, LY2IJ
are QRV as 9Y4/UA4CC and 9Y4/LY2IJ, respectively, from Tobago
Island, IOTA SA-009, until March 12. Activity is holiday style on
the various HF bands using CW, SSB and possibly RTTY and FT8. QSL
to home calls.
BHUTAN, A5. Look for A5A to be QRV from March 14 to 18. Activity
will be on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via
JH1AJT.
PHILIPPINES, DU. Jacek, SP5APW will be QRV as DU1/SP5APW from
Palawan Island, IOTA OC-129, from March 12 to 18. Activity will be
holiday style on 40, 20, and 17 meters using SSB, RTTY, PSK and FT8.
QSL to home call.
FRENCH POLYNESIA, FO. Will, W0ZRJ and Bill, KH6OO will be QRV as
TX5X from Tahiti, IOTA OC-046, from March 10 to 17, Activity will
be on 40 to 10 meters using CW, JT9, JT65 and FT8. QSL via LoTW.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA, HL. Taka, JA8COE is QRV as HL4/JA8COE/5 from
Namhae Island, IOTA AS-081, until March 9. Activity is on the HF
bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL to home call.
AUSTRIA, OE. Operators OE3DMB and OE8AIR will be QRV with special
calls OE100DMB and OE100AIR, respectively, from March 11 to November
13 to celebrate Austria’s declaration of becoming a democratic
republic on November 12, 1918. QSL to home calls.
CURACAO, PJ2. Ben, DL1RNT is QRV as PJ2/DL1RNT until March 15.
Activity is holiday style on 40 to 10 meters using mostly CW with
some RTTY and PSK. QSL to home call.
SABA, ST. EUSTATIUS, PJ5. Operators SP2FUD, SP2GCJ and SP9FIH will
be QRV as PJ5/home calls beginning March 12. Activity is on the HF
bands. They will be QRV as PJ5T in the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX
SSB contest as a Multi Op entry. QSL via operators’ instructions.
PALAU, T8. Kiyoshi, JA0EKI is QRV as T88XH from Koror Island, IOTA
OC-009, until March 14. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW,
SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL to home call.
CAMEROON, TJ. A group of operators will be QRV as TJ3TT from March
15 to 29. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and
RTTY. QSL direct to I2YSB.
CONGO, TN. Members of the DX Friends Team are QRV as TN5R from
Pointe Noire until March 19. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using
CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via EA5RM.
BENIN, TY. A group of operators are QRV as TY7C until March 18.
Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB, and various digital modes
including FT8, with four stations active. QSL via F5GSJ.
MACAO, XX9. A group of operators are QRV as XX9B until March 17.
Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using CW, SB, RTTY and FT8 with three
stations active. QSL via PP1CZ.
CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Operators K0NR and KB9DPF will be QRV as ZF2NR
and ZF2PF, respectively, from Grand Cayman Island from March 10 to
17. Activity will be holiday style on 40 to 10 meters using SSB and
FT8. This includes some FM Satellite activity from grid square
EK99. QSL to home calls.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The Stew Perry Topband CW Challenge,
NCCC RTTY Sprint, QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC CW Sprint, SARL
VHF/UHF Analogue Contest, RSGB Commonwealth CW Contest, SKCC Weekend
CW Sprintathon, F9AA SSB Cup, South America 10 Meter Contest, AGCW
QRP CW Contest, Oklahoma QSO Party, EA PSK63 Contest, TESLA Memorial
80-Meter HF CW Contest, QCWA QSO Party, Idaho QSO Party, QRP ARCI
Spring Thaw SSB Shootout, North American RTTY Sprint, UBA Spring
2-Meter Contest, Wisconsin QSO Party and the WAB 3.5 MHz Phone will
certainly keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.
The 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint is scheduled for March
12.
The CLARA Chatter Party is scheduled for March 13.
The RSGB 80-Meter Club CW Championship, CWops Mini-CWT CW Test,
Phone Fray and QRP 40-Meter CW Fox Hunt are scheduled for March 14.
The ARRL International Grid Chase runs during all of 2018.
Please see March 2018 QST, page 85, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest
Web Sites for details.
VHF/UHF:
All times – Local
13th March – 432MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00
13th March – 432MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30
15th March – 70MHz FMAC – 19.00-20.00
15th March – 70MHz UKAC – 20.00-22.30
FINALÉ
Please keep an eye on the WADARC website at www.wadarc.org.uk to keep up with events and changes. The website will always reflect the club’s current situation.
73,
Alan. G4GNX
