THE PAST WEEK
The new antenna for GB3WO was supposed to be installed last Monday but the aerial installers cancelled at the last minute, due to lack of staff. The installation has been re-scheduled for next Monday (13th). 9.30am onwards. Hopefully it won’t take more than an hour or so.
Wednesday’s club meeting was a lecture by Ian, GM3SEK on behalf of the RSGB, entitled “Clean Up Your Shack”. This lecture was first given at an RSGB Convention in 2015 and is still very relevant today. Some useful tips into the use of ferrite ‘clamp-ons’ to help prevent RFI, both on transmit and receive. Following this lecture, the club will be making a bulk purchase of ‘mix 31’ clamp-on cores. If you want to be included, please send an email to chairman@wadarc.org.uk Normal single price is around £16 each, but we should be able to get it down to maybe £10 if we order enough of them.
Sunday is the Remembrance Day Parade at Worthing. If you still want to help and haven’t entered the Doodle Poll, please just turn up around 08.45am to the Gordon Room, Worthing Town Hall. PMR radio and hi-vis jacket will be provided.
We’re collecting names for the Christmas Dinner on December 13th, at the Old Tollgate Hotel, Bramber. I now need to finalise the list to reserve all seats, so please ensure that your name/partner’s name is entered on our Doodle Poll https://doodle.com/poll/spa9cxrxg6nzzs38 Deposit will be £10 which can be handed to Roger, G7VBR at any club meeting or by bank transfer (contact treasurer@wadarc.org.uk for details). The cost for a 3 course meal is £22 and they are offering a 2 course meal for £16.
CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS
Used Equipment Sale – GUILDFORD and District Radio Society – Friday 10th November – 8..00pm sharp. Guildford Model Engineer’s Building, Stoke Park, Guildford GU1 1TU.
Remembrance Day marshalling – Worthing Town – Sunday 12th November – 08.45am-12.30pm
On the air evening with the club’s IC7300, plus tea and chat – Wednesday 15th November – 8.00pm-10.00pm
On the air at home nets Phil, G4UDU net controller – Wednesday 22nd November – 8.00pm-9.30pm – Note: LPH CLOSED.
Annual club quiz, bring brains! – Wednesday 29th November – 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
19 November 2017 40th CATS Electronic Radio Bazaar
Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, CR5 1ES. Open 10:00-13:00. Admission £1.50. Disabled facilities. Parking. B&B. Flea market. On-site catering. Details: Andy Briers, G0KZT, 07729-866600, bazaar@catsradio.org
19 November 2017 Plymouth Radio Club Radio Rally
Harewood House, Ridgeway, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 2AS. Open 10:00/09:50 to 14:30. Admittance £2. Trade. SIGs. B&B. RSGB books. Raffle. Parking. Disabled facilities. Raffle. On-site catering. Details: David Beck, 2E0DTC, 0777-7664822, d.beck123@outlook.com
Details of other UK rallies can be found on this excellent website: http://www.g4rga.org.uk/All.html
RAGCHEW
NEW Autumn 2017 edition published – http://www.wadarc.org.uk/ragchew/autumn-2017-ragchew
PROPAGATION
HF:
LATEST SOLAR NEWS (Courtesy of Spaceweather News):
GEOMAGNETIC ‘SPIKES’ HINT AT A SUBTERRANEAN MYSTERY: Evidence is growing that Earth’s magnetic field can suddenly change in unexpected ways. About 3000 years ago, a bundle of magnetic flux erupted from our planet’s crust in the Middle East, intensifying the local magnetic field by more than 100% in less than 30 years, before it subsided again. A similar geomagnetic ‘spike’ may have occurred in Texas around the same time. These events, which are preserved in the magnetization of ancient copper slag and ferromagnetic crystals, suggest that Earth’s liquid iron core may not be as well behaved as previously thought.
For further info please visit: http://spaceweathernews.com/
There have also been reports that the ‘K’ index has been ‘spiking’ causing some great openings on the lower bands into many distant parts of the World. Certainly worth listening on all bands and at all times of the day.
VHF/UHF:
One or two openings on VHF, mostly detected using FM modes and occasional distant repeaters. Not a great deal of SSB/CW activity.
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.
LIBYA, 5A. Abubaker, 5A1AL has been active using FT8 on 30 meters. QSL to home call.
UGANDA, 5X. Jonathan, KK7PW is QRV as 5X1O until November 20. Activity is in his spare time on 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters using CW, SSB, WSPR and possibly JT65 and FT8. QSL via EA5GL.
SIERRA LEONE, 9L. Mark, KW4XJ is QRV as 9L/KW4XJ from Freetown. He is waiting for his permanent 9L call sign. His length of stay is unknown. Activity is on the HF bands using mainly CW and various digital modes. QSL to home call.
BURUNDI, 9U. Members of the Mediterraneo DX Club are QRV as 9U4M until November 17. Activity is with five stations on the HF bands using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via IK2VUC.
NAURU, C2. Kuni, JA8VE, Mat, JA1JQY and Kaoru, JA3MCA are QRV as C21VE, C21JY and C21MA, respectively, until November 14. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL to home calls.
QATAR, A7. Justin, NE5JK is living and working in Doha and QRV as A71/NE5JK until he receives his A75 call. He’s currently running QRP power on the HF bands. QSL via operator’s instructions.
PHILIPPINES, DU. Mike, DF8AN is QRV as DU7/DF8AN from Negros Island, IOTA OC-129, until November 16. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, RTTY, PSK and FT8. QSL to home call.
CANARY ISLANDS, EA8. Giovanni, IZ2DPX will be QRV as EA8/IZ2DPX from Lanzarote, IOTA AF-004, from November 13 to 20. Activity is on the HF bands using only SSB. QSL via IK2DUW.
SAN ANDRES AND PROVIDENCIA, HK0. Members of the Yaguarete DXers Group will be QRV as 5K0T from San Andres Island, IOTA NA-033, from November 12 to 25. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via LU1FM.
HONDURAS, HR. Dennis, W1UE, Paul, K1XM and Charlotte, KQ1F will be QRV as HR9/home calls from Roatan Island, IOTA NA-057, beginning November 12. They will be active as HQ9X in the upcoming CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL via KQ1F.
GUINEA-BISSAU, J5. A group of operators will be QRV as J5T from Bubaque Island, IOTA AF-020, from November 13 to 26. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY with three stations active. QSL via I2YSB.
SVALBARD, JW. Rene, DL2JRM is QRV as JW/DL2JRM from Spitsbergen Island, IOTA EU-026, until November 13. Activity is on the HF bands. QSL to home call.
US VIRGIN ISLANDS, KP2. Scott, NE9U will be QRV as NE9U/KP2 from November 11 to December 5. Activity will be on the HF bands. He will be active as NP2X in the upcoming CQ World Wide DX CW and ARRL 160-Meter contests. QSL via NE9U and NP2X via K5WW.
BONAIRE, PJ4. Operators Olli, DH8BQA, Paul, DL5CW and Tom, DL5LYM are QRV as PJ4/home calls until November 29. They will be active as PJ4Y in the upcoming CQ World Wide DX CW contest. QSL to home calls, and PJ4Y for this contest via DL5CW.
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. Gary, G0FWX is QRV as V47FWX from Calypso Bay, IOTA NA-104, until November 15. Activity is holiday style on the HF bands. QSL via M0URX.
MICRONESIA, V6. Shu, JA1FMN will be QRV as V63PSK from Moen Island, IOTA OC-011, from November 14 to 18. Activity will be on 20 to 10 meters using PSK, JT9, JT65 and FT8. QSL direct to home call.
MELLISH REEF, VK9M. A group of operators are QRV as VK9MA until November 16. Activity is with five stations on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, JT65 and FT8. QSL via N7QT.
SOUTH AFRICA, ZS. Members of the Bo-Karoo Amateur Radio Club are QRV during November with special event call sign ZS40VDK to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the commissioning of the Van-derkloof Dam. QSL via the operators’ instructions.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The Worked All Europe DX RTTY Contest, 10-10 International Fall Digital Contest, Japan International DX Phone Contest, NCCC RTTY Sprint, QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt, NCCC CW Sprint, SKCC Weekend CW Sprintathon, OK/OM DX CW Contest, Kentucky QSO Party, CQ-WE Contest, North American SSB Sprint Contest and the 4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint will certainly keep contesters busy this upcoming weekend.
The RSGB 80-Meter Autumn Data Series is scheduled for November 13.
The CWops Mini-CWT Test, Phone Fray and QRP 40-Meter CW Fox Hunt are scheduled for November 15.
Please see November QST, page 93, and the ARRL and WA7BNM Contest Web Sites for details.
VHF/UHF:
All times – Local
3rd December – 144MHz Affiliated Societies Contest – 10.00-16.00
26th – 29th December – 50/70/144/432MHz Christmas Cumulatives Contest – 14.00-16.00
FINALÉ
After the previous schemozzle with the LPH fire and intruder alarms going off, the latest rumour is that the Council, using all of its expertise and wisdom, is considering asking us to have the HF antenna moved back to the South Hall, unfortunately with the feed still ending up in the Jubilee Hall. My attitude is that it probably won’t do any harm, but as it cost £700 for the recent move (they paid for it) it will cost them a similar amount to shift it back. WADARC are certainly not paying for it, especially as we were forced to move against our will.
A better solution would be for the fire alarm to be fixed so that it doesn’t respond to RF (it’s a wired system so it shouldn’t). It may mean that as there have been problems in the past and they’ve failed to fix it, we need a concerted effort with a couple of mobiles operating as much power as we can legally muster, right outside the doors of LPH. It might just sink in that the problem is theirs and moving our antenna won’t fix it!!! Watch this space……………..
73,
Alan. G4GNX
