Subject: rsgb gb2rs news  6th september
Distribution: world
Organization: 5/10
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 04:29:00 +0000

Good morning. It's Sunday the 6th of September and here is the GB2RS news
broadcast, prepared by the Radio Society of Great Britain.

And we start this week with news of two new beacons which are undergoing tests
this month:

It is proposed to make test transmissions this month of the RSGB's Propagation
Service Beacon which has the callsign GAM1. Tests will commence on Tuesday the
8th of September, between 09.00 and 10.00 and between 19.00 and 20.00 local
time. The frequency is 3.8123MHz which is just above the UK 80 metre amateur
allocation. The purpose of the test is to ascertain the service catchment area
and the quality of signal. Listeners are requested to send reports containing:
Date and Time, Location, Signal Strength and Signal Purity. Reports to be sent
to Gwyn Williams, G4FKH, whose address is correct in the RSGB Call Book.
Should any listeners require more information, a Self-Addressed Stamped
Envelope would be appreciated. Further details of this new service from the
RSGB can be found in the June 1991 {newsreaders - this is 91, not 92} edition
of Radio Communication.

Another new beacon, this time on the 430MHz band, has become operational.
GB3BSL is currently running 50 watts ERP from Dundry which is 8km south-west
of Bristol, locator IO81QJ. Reports would be appreciated by the Gwent UHF
Group whose beacon keeper is Frank Evans, GW8AWM, whose address is correct in
the RSGB Call Book.

News now of a change of address for Bob Harrison, G4UJS, who is the RSGB
Trophies Manager, and Shropshire's EMC Coordinator. His new address is Green
Lane House, Whixall, Shropshire, SY13 2PT.

The 1992 Conference of the World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs and
Listeners will take place from Friday the 9th to Sunday the 11th of October,
at Hoddesdon, Herts. Further details can be obtained from G4EZU, by
telephoning 0474 533686.

Now some items of HF DX news from the weekly RSGB DX News Sheet which is
edited by Brendan McCartney, G4DYO. From Canada, VE3XN is signing VA3200M
until Monday the 14th of September to mark the bi-centennial of Sir Alexander
Mackenzie's crossing of North America by land. From Angola, EA7El is signing
D2EL until the 15th of September. Operation is SSB on all bands from 80
through to 10 metres including the WARC bands. From St Pierre and Miquelon,
K1RH will use the callsign FP/K1RH from now until the 15th of September,
mostly on the WARC bands.

Rally news now and we know of four events for today Sunday the 6th.

The Bristol Radio Rally is being held at Brunel's Great Train Shed at Bristol
Old Station, Temple Mead. Doors open at 10.30am. There will be the usual trade
stands, a bring and buy stall, club stands, and ATV and packet radio
demonstrations. Refreshments will be available and talk-in will be on channel
S22.

The Milton Keynes and District Amateur Radio Society Car Boot Rally is being
held today at Cranfield Airfield (South Side), Cranfield, Bedfordshire. To
find it, take either junction 13 or 14 off the M1 motorway. Talk-in will be on
channel S22 using the callsign G8MKC.

The Preston Amateur Radio Society Mobile Rally is being held at the University
of Lancaster. Doors open at 11.00am, 10.30am for disabled visitors.There are
trade stands, club and repeater group stands and a bring and buy stall. Free
parking is available on campus.

The Vange Amateur Radio Society Rally is being held at the Laindon Community
Centre, Laindon High Road/Aston Road, Laindon, Basildon, Essex. The Centre is
short walk from Laindon BR Station on the Fenchurch-Shoeburyness line.
Approach roads will be signposted and doors open at 10.30am. There will be
trade stands, a bring and buy stall and refreshments. Talk-in will be on
channel S22.

There are three events for next Saturday the 12th of September.

The Ballymena Amateur Radio Rally is to be held at the Ballee High School.
Doors open at 12.00 noon.There will be the usual trade stands; an RSGB
bookstall; QSL bureau; a bring and buy stand and refreshments. Further details
can be obtained from GI4HCN, by telephoning 0266 659769.

The RSGB Scottish National Amateur Radio Clubs Convention will be held at the
Fife Institute of Physical and Recreational Education, Viewfield Industrial
Estate, Glenrothes, Fife. Doors open at 11.00am, 10.30 early entry. Further
details can be obtained from GM4ALA, by telephoning 0506 410677 day time or
0592 742763 evenings/weekend.

The Wight Wireless Rally which is to be held at the National Wireless Museum,
Arreton Manor, Newport, Isle of Wight. Doors open at 11.00am. Further details
from G3KPO, by telephoning 0983 67665.

And there are four further events for Sunday the 13th.

The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group Rally is to be held at the Sandown
Park Exhibition Centre, Esher, Surrey.The location is well signposted and is
some 10 minutes from junction 10 of the M25. Doors open at 10.30am. The event
features over 250 tables, including top companies, special interest groups and
a bring and buy. Refreshments will be available and there is a large parking
area. Talk-in channels are S22 and SU22. Further details from G8VXY on 021 453
2676.

The Lincoln Short Wave Club Hamfest will be held at the Lincolnshire
Showground and Exhibition Centre, which is 4 miles north of Lincoln on the A15
road to Scunthorpe. Doors will open at 10.30am. There will be all the usual
trade stands and large bring and buy stall. Refreshments will be available and
talk-in will be on channel S22. Further details can be obtained from Sue
Middleton, by telephoning 0522 531788.

The Madley Satellite Earth Station Amateur Radio Group Radio Car Boot Rally is
to be held at the Sports Ground in the Satellite Earth Station Complex,
located 7 miles south west of Hereford. Gates open at 09.30am. There will be
all the normal attractions, including a bring and buy stand. There is ample
room for free parking and picnicking, including a special parking area for
disabled visitors. Talk-in will be on channel S22 via G7BTI. Further details
can be obtained from G4ASR, by telephoning 087 387679.

The Telford Amateur Radio Rally will be held at the Telford Exhibition Centre,
Telford, Shropshire. Doors open at 10.30am. There will be trade stands, club
and special interest groups stands and a bring and sell stall. There will be
some very large free car parks and talk-in will be on channel S22 and via
GB3TF on channel RB8. Further details can be obtained from G7BWQ, by
telephoning 0952 770922.

Contest news now:

Tomorrow, Monday the 7th, sees the start of the RSGB QRS Cumulative contests.
These events feature slow Morse and further details can be found in July's
RadCom. During next weekend the European SSB DX Contest takes place. See
August's RadCom for details.

Now news of special event stations:

The Silverthorn Radio Club will be operating GB0VHM from the Exhibition of
Wireless Through the Ages at the Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow, North East
London, during Saturday the 12th. Operation will be on the 80, 40, 15 and 10
metre Bands, and on 2 metres and 70 centimetres. Further details can be
obtained from G0LWS, by telephoning 081 529 4489 evenings only.

The RAFARS will be operating the special event callsign GB0RAF on the HF bands
and on 2 metres on Saturday the 12th and during the Lincoln Hamfest on Sunday
the 13th.

The Scarborough Special Events Group will be on the air during Saturday the
12th and Sunday the 13th, using the Special callsign GB40NY to celebrate the
40th anniversary of the North York Moors National Park. Operation will be on
the 80, 40 and 2 metre bands and 70 centimetre band. A full colour souvenir
QSL card will be issued to commemorate the occasion. Further details can be
obtained from Roy Clayton, G4SSH, whose address and telephone is correct in
the current RSGB Call Book

The Phoenix Amateur Radio and Novices Society will be running a stall at the
Telford Rally on Sunday the 13th. They will operate the Callsign GB0NOV.

Celebrations of the Centenary of Southend's Town Charter on the 19th of
September will include a procession featuring the Lord Mayor of London.
Southend and District Amateur Radio Society will run two HF stations and one
on 2 metres using GB100SBC. The club would like contacts with anyone with a
connection with the town and with other towns called Southend. Further
information from Brian Wood, G4RDS, on 0702 232322. On Sunday the 13th of
September.

North London Raynet will be operating GB2RAY from the 999 Emergency Services
Exhibition in Victoria Park, London, E9. Visitors to the station will be most
welcome.


And now the solar factual data:

This week due to the holiday we are short of some data, but for the period
24th to the 27th August, with the quiet side of the sun looking our way, solar
activity dropped to very low levels. There were no M or X flares reported. The
sunspot counts have declined considerably and were only 35 on the 25th, with
the mean count for the period being only 44. The solar flux levels have also
declined to below what was expected, and averaged only 96 units, with little
change day to day. The geomagnetic activity has been unsettled most of the
time with the Ap indices averaging 12 units for the period. The state has been
nil, nothing to report, throughout the period. The radio quality indices
recovered somewhat from the very low levels of last week, but have still not
reached normal levels. The aa indices, as supplied by the British Geological
Survey for the period 18th to 24th August, were at very unsettled levels, with
the daily average for the week being at 38 nanoTeslas. However during the
aurora on the night of the 23rd, levels increased to 171 nanoTeslas which is
equal to a level of K7. The overall picture of cycle 22 in month 71 is that
now it is declining very rapidly. A small increase in activity may occur in
the September to October time frame but after that we expect a decline to the
minimum which is due in mid 1996.

Now the ionospheric data for England and Wales:

The F2 daytime critical frequencies at Slough, as reported by Appleton,
averaged 7.2MHz with peak times now being about 19 to 20.00 hours. The
darkness hour lows averaged 2.7MHz, with the minimum times being around 04.00
hours. There has been some spread F most days and a little other phenomenon.


Now the ionospheric data for the north:

The F2 daytime critical frequencies at Irkutsk averaged 6.2MHz and the
darkness hour lows 2.8MHz. A solar data beacon is now operating with CW on
10.142MHz using the call DK0WCY, it issues solar data appertaining to the
previous day together with a forecast every 5 minutes.

And lastly the solar forecast:

This week, the active side of the sun will be rotating away and solar flux
levels are expected to be about the 120s. Geomagnetic activity is expected to
be just unsettled. Ionospheric MUFs are expected to reach 24MHz during
daylight, and 18MHz in the darkness hours. North/south paths will be best, but
14 or 10MHz could give east/west paths near midnight.

And that is the end of the solar information.

Finally in the main news, the licence issuing agency, SSL, has informed the
Society that as of last Wednesday morning, the latest callsigns issued were in
the G0 S J and G7 N P series, and Novice calls in the 2 0 A Delta and
2 1 B B series.


You're listening to GB2RS, the news broadcasting service of the Radio Society
of Great Britain, transmitting in the 80, 40, 6 and 2 metre bands.