From: ted@tedb.demon.co.uk (Edward Batts)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.packet,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.info
Subject: rsgb gb2rs news  24th jan 1993
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 01:05:19 +0000
Followup-To: rec.radio.amateur.packet,rec.radio.amateur.misc
Organization: 5/10

Good morning. It's Sunday the 24th of January and here is the GB2RS news
broadcast, prepared by the Radio Society of Great Britain.

First the headlines:- A new way to hear the GB2RS main news bulletin; a
statement regarding RAEN Limited; and the RSGB's phone numbers are changing.

And we start this week with news of a new way you can hear the GB2RS National
News: The RSGB is making the GB2RS National News available by telephone for an
experimental period using a premium line. The news bulletin will normally be
available to callers in advance of the regular Sunday broadcasts, usually from
a Thursday evening. The service should be particularly useful to those who are
not able to receive the scheduled broadcasts every week. The bulletin is
accessed by calling 0336 407394. Further information services are planned,
including the local GB2RS bulletins but these will be implemented only if this
initial experiment is a success. If you have any suggestions for additional
services, please send them to Nigel Roberts, G4IJF, via RSGB HQ. I'll repeat
that number: 0336 407394 and please note that calls will be charged at 36
pence per minute at cheap rate and 48 pence per minute at all other times. A
proportion of the proceeds will go to the RSGB.

The following announcement has been made by the Council of the Radio Society
of Great Britain regarding the affiliation of Radio Amateur Emergency Network
Limited. The application by the Radio Amateur Emergency Network Limited to
affiliate to the RSGB was briefly discussed at the January Council meeting,
and in accordance with standard practice for application from national bodies,
was referred to the Chairman of the Membership Liaison Committee. He has
informed the President and the Company Secretary that there are important
points in this matter which he wishes Council to discuss, and has requested
that the matter be placed on the Agenda of the February Council meeting. No
licence or permission for the use of the Raynet logo is granted to any group
other than as stated on page 8 of the January issue of Radio Communication.
From next Thursday the 28th of January all Potters Bar five-digit telephone

numbers will have the number six added the beginning of the existing numbers.
This affects all RSGB HQ numbers, including the general enquiry number which
will become 0707 659015.

The Goole Radio and Electronics Society has reported the theft a week ago of
the following equipment: a Yaesu FT730R serial number 3C060105, a Yeasu FT230,
serial number 4C220005 and a Cleartone Commando four metre FM rig, crystalled
for 70.35 and 70.375MHz. Anyone who is offered any of this equipment or knows
of its whereabouts is asked to contact the Secretary Richard Sugden, G0GLZ, on
0405 769968.

Now some items of HF DX news from the weekly RSGB DX News Sheet which is
edited by Brendan McCartney, G4DYO. From Pitcairn Island, VK4CPU and WK3D will
sign VR6BB and VR6JJ respectively from early January until March, the exact
date depends on transportation. They will be on all bands 6 to 160 metres
using CW, SSB, RTTY and FM. From Kampuchea, PA3BTQ will sign XU6TQ until the
end of January. Check 14.050 or 21.050MHz on CW and 14.315 or 21.315MHz on
SSB. From Turkey, DJ0UJ will sign TA2BK on 10 to 40 metres, especially the
WARC bands. From the British Virgin Islands, W2GUP will sign VP2V/W2GUP from
now until early March on CW only, mainly on the WARC Bands. From Tonga, A35CT
hopes to be active for the next 2 to 3 years, check 14.219MHz at 0530GMT.

Rally news now and we know of two events for today Sunday, the 24th:

The Lancastrian Rally is being held at the University of Lancaster. Doors open
at 10.30 for disabled visitors. The Oldham Amateur Radio Club's Mobile Radio
Rally is being held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Civic Centre, West Street,
Oldham. Doors open for Morse Test participants at 1000am, for Disabled
visitors at 1030 and at 1100am for all others. There are catering facilities
and ample car parking. Talk-in on is channel S22 from 0900am using the
callsign GB4ORC. We know of no rally scheduled for next weekend, Saturday the
30th and Sunday the 31st.

Next a date for your diary:

RSGB'93, the RSGB's National Amateur Radio Show, takes place on Sunday the
16th of May at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham. There will be
the usual large trade show plus many stands showing the RSGB at work. Further
details can be obtained from the organiser Norman Miller on 0277 225563.

Next some HF Contest news:

The RSGB LF Cumulative Contest sessions take place as follows: The 3.5MHz
session is today Sunday the 24th, from 1600 to 1800GMT. The 1.8MHz event is
scheduled for Thursday the 28th, from 2000 to 2200GMT. And the 7MHz event is
on Sunday the 31st of January, from 1000 to 1200GMT. For further details see
page 62 of December's edition of Radio Communication. The CQ World Wide 160
Metre DX contest will take place between 2200 on Friday the 29th, to 1600 on
Sunday the 31st of January. Further details can be found on page 12 of
January's RadCom.

Now the VHF Contest news:

The first of five 70MHz Cumulative Contests is today Sunday the 24th, from
1000 to 1200GMT. The next one is scheduled for next Sunday the 31st of
January. For further details see December's RadCom page 61.

Four Midlands VHF repeaters are currently running on timeswitches to restrict
access to the daytime. This does not prevent their use at other times by any
amateur radio emergency organisation when assisting user services in a genuine
emergency.

And now the solar factual data:

The more active side of the sun has been looking our way during the period
11th to 17th January. This has been accompanied by an improvement in HF band
conditions, though there was little flare activity. Magnetic activity has been
very unsettled. There have not been any significant flares, the only one
reported being an C9.2/1F on the 13th. Spot counts have generally declined and
meaned about the 100s. Solar flux levels also declined from 141 units on the
13th to 126 units by the 17th, with the period averaging 133 units. The
geomagnetic activity was very unsettled being up to sub storm on the 11th and
14th. This was due to disappearing filaments and the passage of coronal holes.
The effects of the storms were mainly in the northern latitudes. The
geomagnetic Ap index averaged 16.2 units, with K levels up to K6 on the 11th,
and K4 most other days. The state has been nil throughout the period, nothing
to report except the magnetic activity at high latitudes. The radio quality
indices improved slightly every day and were in the top of the normal band by
the 17th. There were no poor circuits but the Tokyo circuit was up to very
good on a number of days. The aa indices, as supplied by the British
Geological Survey for the 5th to 11th of January, gave daily averages of 33.3
nanoTeslas, about K3, with afternoon periods of 102 nanoTeslas on the 7th and
11th, about K5. There was no quiet day. Bartells rotation 2178 started on the
13th of January.

Now the ionospheric data for Central France:

The F2 daytime critical frequencies at Poitiers, as reported by Meudon, did
not vary much over the period and averaged 9.9MHz, except for the 11th which
reached 11.3MHz. The darkness hour lows averaged 2.5MHz and did not vary much
day to day. The lows occur around 0600 hours daily but the highs vary between
0900 hours up to 1100 hours.

Now the ionospheric data for the north:

The F2 daytime critical frequencies at Ekaterinberg averaged 9.4MHz, and the
darkness hour lows 2.6MHz. Flares are classified in X-ray energy range
starting at type A, through to C for the lower energy ranges, with the M and X
for the higher ranges. This is further classified with a number 1.0 through to
9.9. The accompanying optical classification starts at importance 1 up to
importance 4, with the brightness as F for 'faint', N for 'normal', B for
'brilliant'. The flare reported this week was a C9.2/1F, which means it was a
medium range flare with a faint optical brightness.

And lastly the solar forecast:

This week, the quiet side of the sun will be looking our way this week so
geomagnetic activity is expected to be quiet. HF band conditions are expected
to be normal with MUFs up to 30MHz during the day light hours and 18MHz for
the darkness hours.

And that is the end of the solar information.


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