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Weekly RSGB News Broadcast read by Jeremy G4NJH.

This is the weekly RSGB GB2RS broadcast. Please send any news items to radcom@rsgb.org.uk.

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  • #522
    Friday · 13 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for November 8th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday, the 8th of November 2026 146-147MHz NoV extension agreed by Ofcom Apply to be the RSGB Outreach Team Chair Exam shutdown timings over the festive season Ofcom has agreed to the RSGB request to extend the 146-147MHz Notice of Variation for a further year. It is available on a non-interference basis and the NoV is subject to a 30-day notice period of change or withdrawal. Ofcom’s objective in making this spectrum available is to encourage radio amateurs to experiment and test new communications schemes and systems. The RSGB VHF Manager, John Regnault, G4SWX would welcome reports of innovative use of the spectrum to support future discussions. You can contact him on vhf.manager@rsgb.org.uk Full licence holders can apply for the 146-147MHz NoV on the RSGB website but please note that your NoV will only be valid until the 31st of October 2027. To apply, go to rsgb.org/nov Could you help to inspire the next generation of radio amateurs? The RSGB is seeking an enthusiastic and proactive volunteer to lead its Outreach Team. The role involves coordinating activities for events such as British Science Week, National Coding Week, Scout and Jamboree events, the National Hamfest Buildathon, and the RSGB Convention. The individual will also help to develop new outreach opportunities and grow public engagement with amateur radio. If you are passionate about promoting amateur radio, enjoy working with volunteers, and you have fresh ideas to share, the RSGB would love to hear from you. You can read the full role description by going to rsgb.org/volunteers For an informal discussion or to express an interest, you can contact the RSGB Board Liaison for the Outreach Team who is Ben Lloyd, GW4BML via gw4bml@rsgb.org.uk If you’re thinking of taking an amateur radio exam before Christmas, you need to be aware that the last date you can take an online exam either at a club or at home is Monday, the 21st of December 2026. The RSGB Exams Team will, where possible, post out exam results before HQ shuts over Christmas and New Year. Exams will resume on Monday, the 4th of January 2027. The booking system will be available during the festive season so you can book exams for January onwards. Book online on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/exampay Once again, it's the time of year when the RSGB Contest Committees put together the contest rules for next year and consider any changes that they think will improve participation and enjoyment. To help them make the right choices, they like to get the thoughts of contest entrants. So, if you're an active contester or would like to start contesting this year, they’re asking for a few minutes of your time to shape the rule changes they're thinking about for 2027. This year, it is a joint survey covering both the RSGB HF and VHF contests, so you’re welcome only to answer the questions for the contests you’re interested in. The survey will close at midnight on Saturday, the 21st of November and you can find it at tinyurl.com/RSGBContest2027 If you’ve been involved with Jamboree on the Air this year, the RSGB would love to hear from you. You have until this Friday, the 13th of November, to submit your report and photos to radcom@rsgb.org.uk and be included in the special JOTA report that will feature in the January 2027 edition of RadCom. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of Rallies and Events Essex CW Activity Week starts tomorrow, the 9th of November and runs until Sunday, the 15th of November. This is a friendly non-contest style event to encourage Morse operators old and new. Slow speed QRS operators are especially welcome. Anyone who works at least 25 other stations qualifies for a free award certificate. The stations worked need not be Essex CW members but activity will concentrate on the Essex CW preferred club frequencies. Find out more about Essex CW Activity Week at essexcw.uk The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Winter Rally is on Saturday, the 21st of November at St Vincent de Paul’s Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open at 10am and admission is £3. Contact Martin Shore, Treasurer and Rally Organiser, on 07587 709 006 or email rally.radars@hotmail.com The Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club Rally takes place on Sunday, the 29th of November at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High St, Spennymoor Co Durham DL16 6DB. For more details, email Bob Dingle at bdingle@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Events news To celebrate its 15 th anniversary, members of the Croatian Flora Fauna Amateur Radio Club will be active as 9A44FF and 9A44FF portable until the 31st of December. For more information, visit the 9A44FF page at qrz.com Members of Icelandic Radio Amateurs are operating as TF80IRA to celebrate the society’s 80th anniversary. The callsign is active until the 31st of December. QSL via the bureau, direct and Logbook of the World. To commemorate the 170th anniversary of engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla's birth, members of the Amateur Radio Union of Serbia will be active as YT170TESLA until the 31st of December. QSL via Logbook of the World. Now the DX news Gavin, GM3GAV is active as FW3GT from Futuna Island until Saturday, the 14th of November. He is operating CW and some FT8 on the 40 to 10 metre bands. QSL via M0OXO on Club Log’s OQRS. Eric, F6ICX is active again as 5R8IC from Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar until mid-January 2027. He is operating CW, some FT8 and SSB on the 40 to 10 metre bands until the 20th of December and on QO-100 from the 21st of December until the 15th of January. QSL via Logbook of the World or Club Log’s OQRS. Now the Contest news The RSGB VHF 144MHz CW Marconi Contest continues until 1400UTC today, the 8th of November. Using CW on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1900 until 1955 local time on Tuesday, the 10th of November. Using FM on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 until 2230 local time on Tuesday, the 10th of November. Using all modes on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the 11th of November, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 four-hour Activity Contest runs from 1700UTC until 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report and locator. Also on Wednesday, the 11th of November, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 two-hour Activity Contest takes place between 1900UTC and 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report and locator. The RSGB 3.5MHz HF Autumn Series SSB Contest is on Wednesday, the 11th of November, from 2000UTC until 2130UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday, the 12th of November, the RSGB VHF 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 2000 until 2230 local time. Using all modes on 50MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB HF Club Calls 1.8MHz Contest takes place on Saturday, the 14th of November, between 2000UTC and 2300UTC. Using CW and SSB on 1.8MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and club status. Now the Propagation News, compiled by G0KYA, G4BAO and G3YLA on Thursday the 5th of November 2026 As we settle into autumn, the HF bands are really coming alive. Ten metres has proved to be full of surprises, especially with FT8. Although we are not getting the high solar flux indices of previous years, that hasn’t stopped 28MHz from opening up to DX from around the world. Late afternoon has brought in plenty of FT8 signals from the Southern Hemisphere on 28.074MHz, including from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. Look around sunset or just before and see what you can work. A solar flux of around 110, helped by good, quiet geomagnetic conditions, has been enough to open up the ten metre band, although weak signal modes seem to be favourite. There were other surprises to be had lower down in frequency, including Franco, 3A2MW in Monaco, on 30m FT8. That’s not a million miles away, but still rare DX from this tiny principality, which occupies only one square mile. Franco uses 100W maximum, stealth antennas and has a poor HF take-off due to the terrain. NOAA forecasts that the Solar Flux Index may climb to 120 before backing off to 105 as the week progresses. A very large coronal hole on the solar equator threatens to push the Kp index up to four this weekend. In fact, poor geomagnetic conditions are predicted for the first half of next week overall. North-south paths will probably be less affected than polar ones, so don’t let the higher Kp index put you off trying. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The recent period of Tropo has gone through its decaying phase as of last Thursday, the 5th of November and the pressure was falling slowly as the week closed. Perhaps the high may linger a while over northern UK as we start the new week, but eventually low pressure will take back control over the whole country. The unsettled theme brings a chance of rain scatter on the GHz bands. On that note, there are hints of a cold northerly at the end of next week, which could see wintry weather in the north, but also large cumulonimbus shower clouds rolling down the North Sea. Meteor scatter is still in the frame from last week’s Taurids meteor shower and by the end of next week, we’ll be close to the Orionids peak. The Kp index has been fairly restrained recently but a coronal hole may increase the chances of aurora over this weekend. Look for the Kp index going above five and listen for flutter on the HF bands. EME now, and the Moon’s declination is negative again and path losses are rising. The Moon will be visible for a shortening time and its peak elevation falls as we approach minimum declination on Thursday, the 12th of November and apogee on Friday, the 13th. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate, but Monday sees the Sun and Moon close in the sky for the whole Moon pass, followed by high noise for the rest of the week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #521
    October 30 · 15 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for November 1st 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 1st of November 2026 Register your school, university or youth group for YOTA Month Two new RSGB Convention lectures now available on YouTube Winter opening hours at the RSGB National Radio Centre Are you part of a school, college or university amateur radio club? Or maybe you are part of a Scout, Girlguiding or Cadet group and would like to host an amateur radio activity? Youngsters On The Air Month starts in December and the RSGB is looking for groups to get involved and host special event station GB26YOTA. This annual campaign is a fantastic opportunity to get as many young operators on the air as possible and to show them how fun and educational amateur radio can be. Do you remember the magic of making your first QSO? Let’s share that experience with as many young people as possible and show them what amateur radio has to offer. A requirement of special event stations is that you need a Full licensee on site to supervise the operators. If you’re not a Full licensee, you could team up with another group for the event. Alternatively, you could contact your local amateur radio club and see if their members can come and support you. Find out more about YOTA Month, including how to register as host, by going to rsgb.org/yota-month The RSGB has released the first of its 2026 Convention presentations for radio amateurs to enjoy via its YouTube channel. Hear from RSGB Board members in ‘A discussion with the Board’. During this informative session you will receive updates about the Society’s strategy and associated activities. The second video to be shared is an engaging youth panel discussion. Four young radio amateurs share their experiences of amateur radio including the support they have received from different sources. This video is a must-see for clubs, groups and individuals to discover how you can support and encourage young radio amateurs. You can watch both presentations in the ‘RSGB 2026 Convention’ playlist at youtube.com/thersgb Have you planned your visit to the RSGB National Radio Centre? Please be aware that, in line with Bletchley Park’s winter opening hours, from Monday the 2nd of November the NRC will be closing at 4pm each day. Whether you are an individual or a group, you’ll find information to help you plan your trip at rsgb.org/nrc You’ll find support on arranging a visit for your club or society, and licence requirements to operate GB3RS. Remember that RSGB members can download a free entry voucher to access both Bletchley Park and the RSGB National Radio Centre at rsgb.org/bpvoucher Are you registered to receive online event emails from the RSGB? You can check your preferences by going to rsgb.org/members and the ‘Manage Preferences’ option. By turning on the option to receive these emails, you’ll receive details about events including the RSGB Convention livestream, online AGM and the Society’s Tonight@8 webinars. If you haven’t received this week’s email detailing the upcoming November edition of the webinar series, don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear from Thomas, K4SWL. At 8pm tomorrow, the 2nd of November, Thomas will be walking you through his approach to building a versatile field kit – one that adapts to the conditions that the field presents and even provides a few creature comforts. Join the webinar live via the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of Rallies and Events The British Vintage Wireless Society’s Golborne Swapmeet takes place today, the 1st of November, at Golborne Parkside Sports and Community Club, Rivington Avenue, Golborne, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 3HG. Stallholder entry is from 9.30am. Doors open to the public at 10am. The event is for BVWS members only. For more information, contact Mark Ryding at markryding100@hotmail.co.uk The Broadcast Engineering Museum’s final Open Day of 2026 is also today, the 1st of November. Doors open at 11am at the museum, 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. Admission is £8 for adults, £4 for children, and free for under-fives. There is free car parking. For more details, visit becg.org.uk/events The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Winter Rally is on Saturday, the 21st of November at St Vincent de Paul’s Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open at 10am and admission is £3. Contact Martin Shore, Treasurer and Rally Organiser, on 07587 709 006 or email rally.radars@hotmail.com The Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club Rally takes place on Sunday, the 29th of November at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High St, Spennymoor Co Durham DL16 6DB. For more details, email Bob Dingle at bdingle@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Events news East Midlands Electronics and Radio Group is to activate former RAF Binbrook, using the callsign GB1BK, on Saturday, the 7th and Sunday, the 8th of November to mark Remembrance Day. Operators will be active on HF bands 80m, 40m, 20m according to conditions using SSB during daylight hours. There may also be activity on the 2m band. Amateur radio operators in Burgos, Spain, will activate the special callsign EG1PR during PRESURA, an event devoted to the future of rural communities. The event takes place from Friday, the 6th to Sunday, the 8th of November and aims to highlight the challenges faced by villages, to build connection across borders and show that amateur radio has a social as well as technical purpose. The official operating bands, modes, award requirements and more information are available on the EG1PR pages at qrz.com Special callsign OT5IDPD will be active from Thursday in the run-up to International Day of Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd of December. All operators will be those with a disability. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, Club Log and eQSL. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau. Now the DX news Giovanni, IZ2DPX is active as D44PX from Boa Vista, AF-086, Cape Verde until the 11th of November. He is operating SSB, FT8 and FT4 on the 60 to 6m bands. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS or via home call. Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until the 19th of November while he volunteers at a local school. He is operating SSB, CW and digital modes on the 80 to 10m bands and via QO-100. QSL via Club Log’s OQRS, Logbook of the World and eQSL. Bernhard, DL2GAC is active as H44MS from the Solomon Islands until the 20th of November. He is usually QRV from Malaita Island, OC-047 every day on the 80 to 6m bands, SSB and FT8. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Now the Contest news The UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 1000UTC to 1500UTC today, the 1st of November. Using all modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 2nd of November, the RSGB HF Autumn Series Data Contest takes place from 2000UTC to 2130UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The WAB DX Contest is on Saturday 31st October until 1200UTC on Sunday 1st November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and WAB square. The RSGB VHF 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs on Tuesday, the 3rd of November, from 1900UTC to 1955UTC, Using FM on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB VHF UK Activity Contest is also on Tuesday, the 3rd of November, between 2000UTC and 2230UTC. Using all modes on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday, the 4th of November, the RSGB VHF 144MHz FT8 four-hour Activity Contest runs from 1700UTC to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report and locator. The RSGB VHF 144MHz FT8 two-hour Activity Contest is also on Wednesday, the 4th from 1900UTC to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report and locator. The UKEICC 80m contest takes place on Wednesday, the 4th, between 2000UTC and 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The RSGB VHF 144MHz CW Marconi Contest runs from 1400UTC on Saturday, the 7th of November until 1400UTC on Sunday the 8th of November. Using CW on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the Propagation News, compiled by G0KYA, G4BAO and G3YLA on Thursday the 29th of October 2026 As we enter November, our thoughts turn to low-band operation. The next four months will favour DXing on 160, 80 and 40m, regardless of where we are in the sunspot cycle. Speaking of which, the SFI fell below 100 last week, hitting a low of 89 on a couple of occasions. The good news is that we had no solar flares to temporarily stop our HF fun, and the Kp index was mostly below three, bringing quiet geomagnetic conditions. Next week, NOAA forecasts that the SFI will be in the range 82 to 84. This weekend is set to be unsettled geomagnetically with a predicted maximum Kp index of five. This is due to a high-speed solar wind stream flowing from a solar coronal hole on the Sun’s equator. The rest of the week is forecast to be good with a typical Kp index of two to three. Back to low-band operations, and now is a good time to check that your 80m and 40m antennas are in good condition, and your 160m antenna if you are lucky enough to have one. We can expect conditions to improve as we head towards the winter solstice, with long hours of darkness. Also look for greyline openings around sunrise and sunset, which may only last a few minutes. More details will follow as we get closer to winter. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The classic autumn theme of high-pressure weather is with us at the moment and it may well last to the end of the coming week, giving a typical ten to fourteen day window to get some Tropo in the log. Instead of the usual scrabble through co-channel interference on the repeaters, or clicking callsigns with FT8, consider trying CW and SSB as well as the traditional FM modes, which might be very busy. High pressure will remain over or near the UK for much of the time. The quality of any lift will depend on the moisture contrast across the temperature inversion. Autumn mists and fog or low cloud are good signs for a better duct. As a broad rule, beaming around the edges of a large high-pressure area is preferable to going across the centre where the inversion may be too close to the ground. November is an interesting month for meteor scatter with the Taurids in the first half of the month leading to the Leonids mid-month. Aurora should remain worth checking via the usual Kp index for values above Kp of 5 There are still reports of QSOs via sporadic-E up to 50MHz on FT8 and, in view of a very disturbed jet stream pattern over Europe and across the Atlantic to the eastern United States, there are reasons to keep looking on digital modes for the chance of an opening. EME now, and with the Moon declination just past its highest and path losses still low, this weekend is ideal if you are an early bird. The Moon is visible for around 13 hours on Saturday and Sunday from midnight onwards with peak Moon elevation over 60 degrees in the UK. 144MHz sky noise is moderate, falling to low as next week progresses. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #520
    October 23 · 13 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 25th 2026

    RSGB news 25 October 2026 RSGB opens nominations process for three AGM trophies Tonight@8 in November RSGB VHF and HF contest trophy presentation photos now online Each year at the RSGB AGM, the Society gives three important trophies to groups or individuals who have made a significant national or international contribution to amateur radio. These trophies are: the Calcutta Key for work associated with international friendship through amateur radio; the Founders’ Cup for outstanding service to the Society; and the Kenwood Trophy for making a significant contribution to training and development in amateur radio within the United Kingdom. This year, the RSGB Board would like to consider an even wider group of potential recipients when making its decision, so it is inviting you to suggest who should be considered for the RSGB 2027 AGM trophies. To find out how to make your nomination, simply complete the form that you will find at the top of the RSGB trophies’ web page at rsgb.org/trophies The deadline for nominations is Monday the 4th of January 2027. Are you new to portable operating and unsure how to build a versatile QRP field radio kit? Or perhaps you are looking for some hints and tips on efficiency and packing for different conditions. Thomas, K4SWL will cover this and more on Monday the 2nd of November in the next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar. Thomas will include how to pack for specific Parks on the Air, Summits on the Air, and Worldwide Flora and Fauna activations, with a particular emphasis on why summit and park operations might require different gear considerations despite similarities. Thomas is a lifelong field operator and will share his experience, as well as the mishaps and mistakes that taught him the most. Join the webinar live via the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars The main VHF and HF contest trophy presentations were held at the RSGB 2026 Convention on Sunday the 11th of October. You can see a list of the winners and photos on the RSGB website if you go to rsgb.org/trophies and select ‘Awards photos galleries’ from the menu on the righthand side. During the presentation the prestigious ROTAB Trophy was awarded to Ian Fugler, G4IIY for outstanding and consistent DX work. Tracy Land, M7KVC received the G5RP Trophy, which is given to those who have recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. The RSGB would like to congratulate Ian, Tracy and all the winners who received a trophy. You have less than a week to submit your feedback on the RSGB 2026 Convention. If you attended in person, let the RSGB know what you enjoyed most about the event by going to rsgb.org/feedback If you watched the livestream programme, please use the form at rsgb.org/livestream-feedback Your feedback helps to shape next year’s Convention, and the Society encourages you to take a few minutes to let them know your highlights. The forms close at the end of October. The RSGB was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Trevor Hughes, G4WKJ. Trevor was a former volunteer at the RSGB National Radio Centre who was known for his warmth and friendliness. He designed the hugely popular Snail Morse key, which has been used to introduce amateur radio to thousands of children. In 2023, Trevor was given the ‘NRC Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award’. A full tribute to Trevor will follow via rsgb.org/sk Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of Rallies and Events The British Vintage Wireless Society’s Golborne Swapmeet is on Sunday, the 1st of November at Golborne Parkside Sports and Community Club, Rivington Avenue, Golborne, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 3HG. Stallholder entry is from 9.30am. Doors open to the public at 10am. The event is for BVWS members only. For more information, contact Mark Ryding at markryding100@hotmail.co.uk The Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Winter Rally is on Saturday, the 21st of November at St Vincent de Paul’s Hall, Norden, Rochdale, OL12 7QR. Doors open at 10am and admission is £3. Contact Martin Shore, Treasurer and Rally Organiser, on 07587 709 006 or email rally.radars@hotmail.com The Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club Rally takes place on Sunday, the 29th of November at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, High St, Spennymoor Co Durham DL16 6DB. For more details, email Bob Dingle at bdingle@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Events news David, G3SKA and team will be operating as GB50PUNK until the 31st of December to celebrate 50 years of punk rock music. QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log and eQSL. QSL via the bureau or direct. The DARC Referat DX Team is operating five special callsigns during 2026. DA100LH, DL100LH and DK100LH celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lufthansa Airlines while DA100TV and DL100TV mark the centenary of television in Germany. DB70DLRS is a special callsign marking the 70th anniversary of DARC’s weekly news broadcast Deutschland-Rundspruch for Germany’s radio amateurs. Activity is on all bands and modes until the 31st of December. QSL via DK5ON, Logbook of the World and the DARC Community Logbook DCL. Now the DX news Team 7P8GE will be active from Lesotho until Thursday, the 29th of October. They are operating CW, SSB and digital modes on the 80 to 10 metre bands with up to five stations. QSL is via DL7UFR, direct or bureau. Team S9R will be active from Tamarindos, Sao Tome until Saturday, the 31st of October. They are operating CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 on the 160 to 6 metre bands with three stations. The team is also active via the QO-100 satellite. Jan, DL4XT will be active as 9N7XT from Kathmandu in Nepal until Saturday, the 31st of October. He is operating CW, SSB and FT8 on various bands. QSL is via Logbook of the World, Club Log’s OQRS and QRZ. The Italian DXpedition team is active from Senegal from Wednesday, the 28th of October until the 9th of November. They will operate CW, SSB and RTTY as 6W/I2YSB and FT8 as 6W/IK2HKT with five stations on the 160 to 6 metre bands. Send QSLs direct to I2YSB. Now the Contest news The UK Microwave Group EHF Band Contest runs from 0800UTC to 2000UTC today, the 25th of October. Using all modes on the 76 to 241GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB HF FT4 Contest number 10 runs from 2000UTC to 2200UTC tomorrow, the 26th of October. Using FT4 on the 80m to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report. The UKEICC 80m contest takes place on Wednesday, the 28th of October, between 2000UTC and 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The UKEICC DX SSB Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday, the 31st of October and runs until 1200UTC on Sunday, the 1st of November. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. UK/EI entrants add their 2-character UK/EI District Code. Now the Propagation News, compiled by G0KYA, G4BAO and G3YLA on Thursday the 22nd of October 2026 Autumnal HF conditions continue to improve with the odd surprise on the upper HF bands. With a solar flux around 120, there have been some good HF contacts to be made via FT8 on 10 metres, including in Australia, China and Japan, which were all spotted during the afternoon. These openings have been fleeting but can easily add to your DXCC score. Conditions have been variable, with a decreasing solar flux index and periods of geomagnetic disturbance, thanks to emissions from a coronal hole on the Sun. A Kp index of five or more usually means lower MUFs and noisier bands. But the time of year has helped with Autumnal HF conditions being some of the best. Maximum Usable Frequencies have usually been above 21MHz during daylight hours, with some openings on 24 and 28MHz at times. If you venture up to 12 or 10 metres, give it some time as openings may be short and fleeting. This week, DX to be worked includes YJ0CA in Vanuatu, TZ4AM in Mali, XX9TXN in Macao, 3DAOGY in Eswatini, S9R in Sao Tome, C5R in The Gambia and 5W0ZP in Samoa. Many other entities may remain on the air following the weekend’s CQWW SSB Contest. Also keep an eye on 40 and 80 metres, which should be improving as we enter late Autumn. Thirty metres, an overlooked band, may be currently open all night, so it is worth a look. Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI will remain around the 95 to 105 mark. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be good all week with a Kp index of two. This may increase to five at the end of the month, so do your DXing early in the week. As always, keep an eye on solarham.com as it only takes one solar flare and associated CME to push the Kp index up. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The middle of last week saw some good daytime rainscatter on 24GHz for those of us fortunate enough to catch it. More active weather fronts are likely to bring spells of heavy rain or showers, which might cause a repeat, so keep an eye on the rain maps if you have equipment for the 5.7, 10 and 24GHz bands. The current spell of unsettled weather is likely to run through much of the coming week and, in typical autumn fashion, some of these storms will be major lows with strong or potentially damaging winds for unsecured aerials. The recent slight enhancements of the Kp index suggest that we should still keep an eye out for some probably weak auroral activity if the Kp index goes above five. On to meteor scatter now and it seems that we have recently seen a top-up of meteor input due to the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, which peaked last Wednesday night. That may have helped the 50MHz Sporadic Es QSOs on the 17th of October for some. QSOs were made on FT8 into Iberia, Scandinavia and North Africa where 7T5E was active. Cloudy weather probably made it difficult to see evidence of the meteors but meteor scatter on the VHF bands may well reveal the extra activity and hopefully leave some residual meteors for the coming week. EME now, and Moon declination is now positive and rising to a maximum on Thursday the 29th of October. Moon windows lengthen and peak Moon elevation is rising. Perigee is on Wednesday the 28th when path losses are at their lowest. 144 MHz sky noise is low, rising to moderate on the 30th. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #519
    October 16 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 18th 2026

    RSGB news 18 October 2026 What were your RSGB 2026 Convention highlights? New RSGB Youth newsletter launched JOTA stations shared on the RSGB website The RSGB would like to thank the hundreds of radio amateurs who joined the RSGB 2026 Convention in person, and the thousands more that joined via the livestream. The Society is already receiving positive feedback and event highlights. If you haven’t already done so, you can share your thoughts via rsgb.org/feedback If you were unable to attend in person and watched the livestream, the RSGB would also love to hear your feedback via rsgb.org/livestream-feedback The feedback forms will be closed at the end of October. If you were at this year’s Convention, go to the RSGB YouTube channel and see if you can spot yourself or your friends in “The RSGB 2026 Convention - a fantastic experience!” video. And if you couldn't make the event, see what you missed and come and be part of it next year. The video and the livestream from each day are in a new playlist called “The RSGB 2026 Convention” where you can choose to watch the full livestream programmes or use the timestamps to watch a particular presentation. You’ll also find exclusive interviews and pre-recorded videos to enjoy. The RSGB Youth Committee has launched a newsletter aimed at RSGB members who are aged 25 and under. The newsletter will cover updates from school and university clubs, share the achievements of young radio amateurs, and will also showcase what can be done with a licence. You’ll also be able to find news on upcoming events and how to get involved. The Youth Committee is keen for young radio amateurs to get in touch with stories and photos about their amateur radio experiences that could be included in future issues. The newsletter was revealed at the Youth Forum at October’s RSGB Convention, alongside a new logo for RSGB youth activities. You can read the first edition of the youth newsletter by going rsgb.org/youth-newsletter This weekend is Jamboree on the Air, also known as JOTA. The event promotes friendship and global citizenship and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the Scout Association. The RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts has compiled a list of Scouting groups that are involved with the annual event and has shared it on its website. You can view the list by going to rsgb.org/jota and choosing the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air’ link on the righthand side of the page. You could be included in a special JOTA report in the January edition of RadCom. To be involved, please send details and photos from your event to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by 13 November. The latest edition of RadCom Basics is now available via the RSGB app for web and mobile, with articles covering a range of topics from encouraging young radio enthusiasts into the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – to how to build your own transmitter monitor. Open up RadCom Basics and read more about making construction easier to attract young people into the hobby. There is Andy Gilfillan, G0FVI’s next article in the series on Digital Mobile Radio and Dr Chris Trayner, G4OKW introduces connectors for Radio Frequencies, loading and the potential divider and how to test your Push to Talk button. RSGB members can read previous editions of RadCom Basics at rsgb.org/radcom Register via the Preferences section in your RSGB membership portal to receive notifications of new issues as they become available. Subscribers receive an email alert when a new edition of RadCom Basics is published. World Space Week took place earlier this month. If you organised an amateur radio activity as part of the event, you could be featured in a special RadCom report. To be included, send a summary of your event, along with any photos to comms@rsgb.org.uk by Wednesday 21 October. You can find out more on how the RSGB supported World Space Week by going to rsgb.org/wsw And now for details of Rallies and Events On Sunday, the 25th of October, Galashiels Radio Rally and Open Day takes place at The Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. Doors open at 11.15am, with access for the disabled from 11am. Admission is £3. There will be a ‘Bring and Buy’ sale, refreshments and traders. For more information, visit galaradioclub.co.uk Also on Sunday, the 25th of October, the Holsworthy Amateur Radio Club Autumn Rally takes place at Kivells Livestock Market, EX22 7FA from 10am. For details, visit tinyurl.com/holsrally26 The British Vintage Wireless Society’s Golborne Swapmeet is on Sunday, the 1st of November at Golborne Parkside Sports & Community Club, Rivington Avenue, Golborne, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 3HG. Doors open at 10am. Stallholder entry is from 9.30am. The event is for BVWS members only. Contact Mark Ryding at markryding100@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Events news Members of the Cray Valley Radio Society are operating special callsign GB80CV until the 28th of October to celebrate the club’s 80th anniversary. Visit cvrs.uk/cvrs80 for detailed information on the Oak Anniversary Award. QSL via Logbook of the World. Members of the Araucaria [A-RAW-KA-RIA] DX Group are using the special callsign ZW50B until the end of October to celebrate five decades of radio activity, international contacts, contests, expeditions, technical development and friendship. Visit araucariadx.com/50anos for details of the 50th Anniversary Award programme. Now the DX news John, AE5X will be active as ZA/AE5X from various locations in Albania until the 30th of October. He is operating CW only on the 20m to 10m bands. Visit ae5x.blogspot.com for updates. Lui, YT3PL, Luc, F5RAV and Darko, E70A will be active on various bands and modes as C5R from The Gambia until the 4th of November, including an entry in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest. QSL direct to YT3PL and logsearch on Club Log. Bernhard, DL2GAC is active as H44MS from the Solomon Islands until the 20th of November. He is usually QRV every day from Malaita Island OC-047 on 80m to 6m SSB and FT8. QSL via home call, direct or bureau. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Now the Contest news The RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900UTC to 2130UTC on Tuesday the 20th of October. Using all modes on 1.3GHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 21st of October, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest runs from 2000UTC to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB modes on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The RSGB HF Autumn Series SSB Contest is on Thursday the 22nd of October between 1900UTC and 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ WW DX SSB Contest runs from 0000UTC on Saturday the 24th of October to 2359UTC on Sunday the 25th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK Microwave Group EHF Band Contest runs from 0800UTC to 2000UTC on Sunday the 25th of October. Using all modes on the 76 to 241GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the Propagation news, compiled by G0KYA, G4BAO and G3LYA on Thursday, the 15th of October 2026. Last weekend saw the Kp index soar to seven, with a massive visible aurora over the UK. Unfortunately, many of the UK’s leading DXers and VHF enthusiasts were at the RSGB Convention in Milton Keynes and so missed it! The aurora was caused by a very strong solar wind, emanating from a coronal mass ejection on the Sun, which occurred the previous Thursday. The solar wind speed hit between 750 and 850 kilometres per second and the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field, or IMF, shifted sharply south at times, meaning it coupled with the Earth’s magnetic field more easily. This has now settled, and we are back to a more reasonable Kp index of between one and three. The solar flux index has also been relatively high, often in the 130s, with only minor C-class solar flares. This has meant the MUF over a 3,000-kilometre path has reached more than 28MHz at times, although 21MHz has been more reliable. Better autumnal HF conditions are returning, with the 1.3kW KQ2H FM repeater in the Catskill Mountains of New York State faintly audible on 29.620MHz some afternoons. Conditions should improve over the coming weeks. DX to be worked on HF next week includes JD1BQP in Ogasawara, TZ4AM in Mali, 6O2M in Somalia, V63SC in Micronesia, 9N7XT in Nepal, 3DA0GY in Eswatini, S9R on Sao Tome and Principe, and C5R in The Gambia. Next week, the Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasts that the solar flux index should remain at around the 100 mark. Geomagnetic conditions should be settled for the first half of the week, but then become unsettled with a Kp index up to four between the 21st and 24th of October. There is a slight risk this weekend of unsettled geomagnetic conditions due to another large coronal hole on the Sun’s surface, which was due to become geoeffective late on Friday the 16th of October. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The unsettled weather pattern will continue throughout the coming week. This means that there will continue to be periods of wet and windy weather that will alternate with more settled spells. Limited periods of Tropo are possible, although probably somewhat restrained due to the transient nature of the Highs. However, in the unsettled periods the locally heavy frontal rain and heavy showers will be good candidates for some rain scatter. The strong winds in such cases may make tracking the echoes for GHz QSOs a challenge. The meteor scatter prospects are reasonable this month and the next meteor shower of note is the Orionids, which peak on the 21st into the 22nd of October and are the result of the Earth’s orbit passing through the debris from Halley’s Comet. The prospects for aurora have been worth considering in recent weeks, typical of the autumn season, and there’s good reason to keep monitoring the Kp index for signs of it going above 5. Bear in mind that auroral events may be short-lasting and often found in the early evening, so don’t leave it until later before going outside for a look. EME now, and Moon declination is at its lowest but starting to rise again. We are still a week away from positive values. Moon windows lengthen and peak Moon elevation is rising. Apogee was on Friday the 16th of October, so path losses are falling again. 144 MHz sky noise is high until Monday, then low for the rest of the week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #518
    October 9 · 16 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 11th 2026

    RSGB News Sunday the 11th October 2026 Join the RSGB 2026 Convention livestream The RSGB has shared a list of JOTA stations Start planning your Youngsters On The Air Month activity The second day of the RSGB 2026 Convention is well underway with a great line-up of lectures. If you aren’t able to attend the event in person this year, you can catch up with the livestream on the Society’s YouTube channel via youtube.com/thersgb The livestreams for both days will remain available for everyone to watch and offer a programme full of engaging speakers to help you learn, connect and be inspired. In Sunday’s programme, you can hear an update on the latest developments in the microwave community with Heather Nickalls, M0HMO and Brian Coleman, G4NNS. You’ll also be able to find out the results of the 12th of August 2026 eclipse propagation experiment, which was led by Steve Nichols, G0KYA and the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee. Whether you’ve attended the Convention in person or watched the livestream, the Society would love to hear what you loved most about the event. Share your feedback by going to rsgb.org/feedback for those who have attended the event and rsgb.org/livestream-feedback for those who watched the event online. The RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts, Sam McCutchion, M0UEL has shared a list of special event stations that will be active for Jamboree on the Air next weekend, the 16th to 18th of October. You can view the list by going to rsgb.org/jota and selecting the ‘JOTA Stations on the Air’ link on the righthand side of the page. Thank you to everyone who has responded to the RSGB’s call so far. If you would like to be added to the list, send a summary of your station name, call sign and any other relevant information to youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk by Wednesday the 14th of October. If you’re not involved with a JOTA station, listen out for them on the air and encourage the young operators. December is Youngsters On The Air Month, providing young radio amateurs across the UK with the chance to operate using special event station GB26YOTA. The activity is a special IARU initiative that encourages young amateur radio operators to get on the air, make contacts around the world, and showcase amateur radio to other young people. As GB26YOTA is a special event call sign, you will need a Full licensee on site to supervise the operators. If you’re not a Full licensee, get together with others and have a group event. Clubs, schools, universities, youth groups and individuals can all apply to host the special event station and are encouraged to start planning now. You can find details of the application process, eligibility requirements, operating slots and call sign allocations by going to rsgb.org/yota-month Make sure you don’t miss out on being part of the team helping to make YOTA Month the best yet! TX Factor has released a National Hamfest 2026 edition of its popular amateur radio show. In this special episode, Bob McCreadie, G0FGX chats with Dominic, M0BLF from Camb-Hams whilst operating QO-100. Bob discovers more about the proposed new rig release from Icom and updates you on a future repeater upgrade from Yaesu. Bob meets key personnel from the RSGB to learn more about the Society's membership strategies and some changes in the way the Society meets and greets visitors at major shows and conventions such as Hamfest and Dayton. There will be much more coverage and news from Hamfest in future episodes. TX Factor is sponsored by the RSGB and the latest episode can be found by visiting txfactor.co.uk Are you looking for some spooky family fun for Halloween? You can plan a visit to Bletchley Park and the RSGB National Radio Centre to discover top secret clues and solve a mystery. You’ll be tasked with solving codes, ciphers and puzzles to reveal secrets along the way. You can find out more by going to the ‘What’s on’ section of the Bletchley Park website at bletchleypark.org.uk RSGB members can get free access to the historic site by downloading a voucher at rsgb.org/bpvoucher And now for details of Rallies and Events The annual Hornsea ARC Rally takes place today, the 11th, at Driffield Showground, YO25 9FB. Doors open at 10am, For full details, call Les on 01377 252 393. Essex CW Amateur Radio Club’s Boot Camp and CW Conference is on Saturday, the 24th of October at the 3rd Witham Scout and Guide HQ. If you are interested in attending and have not registered, email info@essexcw.org.uk There is one place left on the Boot Camp, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Booking for online CW on the Club’s Beginners, Improvers and Advanced classes is now open. Doors open at 8.30am for registration. The meetings begin at 9am. The day will finish around 4.20pm. For more details, visit essexcw.uk On Sunday, the 25th of October, Galashiels Radio Rally and Open Day takes place at The Volunteer Hall, St Johns Street, Galashiels, TD1 3JX. Doors open at 11.15am, with access for the disabled from 11am. Admission is £3. There will be Bring and buy, refreshments and traders. For more information, visit galaradioclub.co.uk Also on Sunday, the 25th of October, Holsworthy Amateur Radio Club Autumn Rally takes place at Kivells Livestock Market, EX22 7FA from 10am. For details, visit tinyurl.com/holsrally26 Now the Special Events news Members of the Cray Valley Radio Society are operating special callsign GB80CV until the 28th of October to celebrate the club’s 80th anniversary. Visit cvrs.uk/cvrs80 for detailed information on the Oak Anniversary Award. QSL via Logbook of the World. 8J7SPO is the special callsign commemorating the Japan Sport Association’s 80th Japan Games and the 25th National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities. Look out for activity until the 26th of October. QSOs will be uploaded to Club Log and confirmed automatically via the bureau. The Belgian Air Force Amateur Radio Association is active until the 30th of October to celebrate the Air Force’s 80th anniversary. Listen for activity on the HF bands using CW, SSB and digital modes. All the details, including eQSLs and awards, are at bafara80.be Now the DX news Jacek, SP9FIH is active as FW1P from Wallis Island, OC-054 until Saturday, the 17th of October. He operates mainly FT8, on the 80, 20, 15 and 10m bands, QSL via Club Log’s OQRS. Sands, VK4WXW has returned to Willis Island, OC-007 and will be stationed at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s weather monitoring facility until late October or early November. He operates SSB and FT8 on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands with a vertical antenna. QSL via M0OXO’s OQRS. Lui, YT3PL, Luc, F5RAV and Darko, E70A will be active on various bands and modes as C5R from The Gambia until the 4th of November, including an entry in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest. QSL direct to YT3PL and logsearch on Club Log. Now the Contest news The RSGB 432MHz FMAC Contest on Tuesday, the 13th of October runs from 1800UTC to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 13th of October, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900UTC to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700UTC to 2100UTC on Wednesday, the 14th of October. Using FT8 on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. The RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest is also on Wednesday the 14th of October, from 1900UTC to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 432MHz, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. The RSGB HF Autumn Series DATA Contest is on Wednesday the 14th of October, from 1900UTC to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 15th of October, the RSGB 70MHz UKAC Contest runs from 1900UTC to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 70MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Germany Contest runs from 1500UTC on Saturday, the 17th of October to 1500UTC on Sunday the 18th of October. Using CW and SSB on the 80m to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the Propagation news, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Wednesday, the 7th of October 2026. As we head further into October, the maximum usable frequencies available are slowly starting to climb. We are seeing 21MHz doing quite well, with 24MHz often coming into play. This should improve as the month goes on. This last week was characterised by relatively quiet geomagnetic conditions at times, but with a lowish Solar Flux Index. The Kp index hit four and five on the fourth and fifth but has otherwise been quiet, often in the ones and twos. HF conditions have been adequate rather than outstanding. 80 metres has proved useful during the RSGB’s Autumn Series of contests, often with good loud signals from around the UK and further afield from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. There have been some good highlights further up the bands, including hearing the 4S7B NCDXF beacon on 14.100MHz well after dark on Monday the 5th of October and the 4U1UN beacon on 21.150MHz during the late afternoon. If you wish to work the eastern seaboard of the USA on 10 metres, look between 1300 and 1700UTC, with perhaps FT8 or CW being the most likely modes at this time. There is plenty of DX to be worked next week, including 6O2M in Somalia, H49A on the Solomon Islands, C5R in The Gambia and FW1P, Wallis Island. From next weekend, also look for 3DAOGY in Eswatini, S21HRG in Bangladesh and S9R on Sao Tome. The solar flux index climbed from 92 to 113 on Wednesday, the 7th of October, which is a help. The question is, where does it go from here? Next week, the SWPC forecasts the SFI will be in the range of 90 to 105. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be good, with a maximum Kp index of two. As always, this is subject to no CMEs or coronal holes, so keep an eye on solarham.com for daily updates. This weekend may see unsettled geomagnetic conditions thanks to two large coronal holes. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. We have moved into the season of autumn changeability with alternating unsettled weather. Rain scatter is possible on the GHz bands as is the traditional Tropo that comes from areas of high pressure and temperature inversions. The bulk of the period up to the end of next week is firmly in the unsettled domain with some potentially active lows passing close to the UK with perhaps some very strong winds in northern areas. So rain scatter is likely to be an option at times. There is a signal in the weather models that we could see a big high developing at the end of next week, with Tropo returning to many areas. The meteor scatter prospects are slightly lifted by the Draconids, which peaked on Thursday the 8th of October, and then the slow climb to the Orionids later in the month on Wednesday the 21st of October, which are the debris from Comet Halley and usually the better of the two showers. We have recently been having the occasional peak in the Kp index to around 4 or 5, which is just enough to give us a reason to look out for aurora. Although not really where we need it for a good radio aurora, this is definitely a hint to check the Kp index. The surprise out-of-season Sporadic-E on Monday, the 5th of October, when the FoEs reached just over 10MHz, was a reminder that guidelines about the span of the season are just that, and other externally forced events can and do happen. It is not easy to give exact reasons for that event, but a sudden increase in meteor input can play a regional role if other triggers like jet streams are also present. EME now, and Moon declination is negative and falling to minimum on Friday the 16th of October, so Moon windows are shortening and peak Moon elevation is falling. Path losses are rising as we approach apogee, also on the 16th. The Sun and Moon were close over the weekend of Saturday the 10th of October, so expect high sky noise, then moderate, becoming high again as the week progresses. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #517
    October 2 · 17 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for October 4th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday, the 4th of October 2026 The news headlines Less than a week until the RSGB 2026 Convention RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair wins international award New RSGB Regional Forum Chair and Secretary announced You have less than 24 hours left to buy your advance ticket for the RSGB Convention, which takes place next weekend at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. Online ticket sales will close at 9am tomorrow, Monday, the 5th of October, so book your tickets online to guarantee your place and save money compared to prices on the door. If you are coming to the Convention make sure you have your QR code ready to collect your badge at the conference centre. You can either bring this on your phone or printed out. This system was introduced last year and was extremely successful in speeding up access to the Convention. If it is your first time at the event, pop along to the ‘Welcome desk’ that will be in the bar on the Friday evening. You can view the most up-to-date version of the programme before and during the event by going to rsgb.org/convention and downloading the Convention programme and speaker information. You’ll also be able to view the menus, as well as see which forums and drop-in sessions you can attend. Click on ‘What else is happening at the Convention?’ to find details on the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, RSGB Committees and Special Interest Groups. You’ll also find information on Friday’s activities including the RSGB National Radio Centre, The National Museum of Computing and the amateur radio quiz, which takes place in the evening. If you have tickets for the Gala Dinner on Saturday and wish to reserve a table with friends, send your name and callsign details to radcom@rsgb.org.uk If you are unable to travel to the Convention this year, the Society will be livestreaming a selection of lectures. You can find out more about this on the RSGB website from tomorrow, Monday, the 5th of October. If you’re an RSGB member and are planning to visit The National Museum of Computing, based at Bletchley Park, on Convention Friday, the 9th of October, please ensure you email membership@rsgb.org.uk in advance to request your personalised 30% discount voucher. Please state your name, callsign and RSGB membership number. This applies to visits at any time, read more at rsgb.org/partner-museums The RSGB Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB, has been awarded the Roy Stevens, G2BVN Memorial Trophy. Murray was one of two recipients to receive the award at the IARU R1 Conference last month. The trophy is awarded to radio amateurs who have best exemplified Roy’s work and dedication in international amateur radio. The RSGB congratulates Murray and thanks him for the huge amount of time and effort he gives as a volunteer to this important work. You can read more about the Conference in the December edition of RadCom. Philip Hosey, MI0MSO has been appointed the new RSGB Regional Forum Chair. Philip is well known to many having previously served in the role and he is currently the RSGB Special Interest Group Manager. With more than a decade of volunteering with the Society, Philip has a strong understanding of both the organisation and the community it serves. Stephen Purser, GW4SHF has been appointed as the new Regional Forum Secretary. Stephen brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served the Society in a wide range of volunteer positions over many years, including on the Regional Team and more recently as Deputy Company Secretary. You can read the full announcements by viewing the RSGB Notices web pages on the Society’s website. Next Sunday, the 11th of October, two GB2RS News broadcasts will be coming from the RSGB Convention. At 10am, Esther, GI0AZA and Ian, GI0AZB will transmit an 80m bulletin on 3640kHz using a remote link to their station near Dungiven in Northern Ireland. At 3pm, Brian, G4BIP will read the RSGB News via the QO-100 satellite on a frequency of 10489.855MHz. Brian will use the uplink facilities provided by AMSAT-UK in the Special Interest Group room. Our volunteer Newsreaders are happy to receive calls following the formal broadcast, so do listen out for them and call in to let them know how their signals were received. The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar takes place tomorrow, Monday, the 5th of October and is presented by the Society’s Maker Champion Tom Wardill, M9TWM. Tom will deliver an overview of what is available to the average home user, from SMT components and PCB fabs to 3D-printed cases, or to test equipment that was only available to IBM and HP just a few years ago. He’ll discuss where source help and advice on the tools you need to complete your project. Join the livestream via the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/webinars Are you a newcomer to Morse, or perhaps you are a seasoned Morse operator looking for support in developing your skills? If so, you’ll want to take a look at the updated Morse web pages on the RSGB website. You’ll find a page on RSGB resources that you can use; from Morse battleships to GB2RS in Morse, from the Morse Certificate of Competency to GB2CW. It also includes a series of links to additional RSGB video content that you can watch at your own pace. Other new web pages include a look back at the history of Morse, as well as a list of places to help you find the right equipment and further training resources. You can start viewing all this great content at rsgb.org/morse The RSGB QSL Bureau Service has three important reminders for radio amateurs using the service. This includes ensuring that your RSGB membership record includes all your allocated callsigns and that you are following Royal Mail’s postage criteria. The third is for radio amateurs that have recently acquired an M8 or M9 callsign. You can read the full details of all these important reminders by going to tinyurl.com/qsl-reminder The RSGB has updated the Youth Committee web pages. On the main page you’ll see an overview of the Youth Committee’s strategy for the next year. On other pages you’ll find information about Committee members, what projects they are working on and how you can get in touch with them. To find out more go to rsgb.org/youth-committee Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions this week is 10am on Wednesday. GB2RS will be broadcast as usual on Sunday. And now for details of rallies and events The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day today, Sunday the 4th of October from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Also today, Sunday the 4th, the Welsh Radio Rally will take place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, NP18 2YE, South Wales. The doors open to traders at 7am and to the public at 9.30am. Admission costs £3. The rally will include technical talks, a bring-and-buy area and a raffle. For more information, email welshradiorally@icloud.com The annual Hornsea ARC Rally takes place next Sunday, the 11th of October at Driffield Showground, YO25 9FB. For more information, call Les on 01377 252 393. Now the Special Event news To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Belgian National Railway Company, special callsign OT26B is active until the 31st of December. The line between Brussels and Mechelen opened in 1835 and was the first steam-powered public railway in continental Europe. QSL via OR4K. Now the DX news Atsu, 5W1SA and Jacel, 5W0AF are active from Upolu Island, Samoa OC-097 until the 12th of October. They are operating using SSB on the 10 to 40m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. More information is available via qsl.net 9H6C will be active from Malta, IOTA EU-023 from Saturday, the 10th to Monday, the 12th of October. They will operate on all HF bands. QSL via Logbook of the World. Now the contest news The RSGB and IARU October 432MHz to 245GHz Contests started at 1400UTC yesterday, Saturday the 3rd of October and end at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 4th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, Sunday, the 4th of October, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 5th of October, the Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 6th of October, the RSGB 144MHz FMAC Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB 144MHz UKAC Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC on Tuesday, the 6th of October. Using all modes on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 7th of October, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 four hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. The RSGB 144MHz FT8 AC Contest also takes place on Wednesday from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on 144MHz, the exchange is signal report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 7th of October, the UKEICC 80m Contest takes place from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band the exchange is your six-character locator. On Thursday the 8th of October the RSGB 50MHz UKAC Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Oceania DX CW Contest runs from 0600UTC on Saturday, the 10th of October to 0600 on Sunday, the 11th of October. The exchange is signal report and serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 1st of October 2026. As we enter October, I think it’s time to get excited about HF again. Some of the best HF conditions can occur this month as MUFs rise. It might take a couple of weeks to get going but it will, we promise – there’s a good reason why the CQ Worldwide SSB contest is held in October after all. Solar conditions have been surprisingly calm. The solar flux index has been ranging from 90 to 100 but geomagnetic conditions have been quiet, with the Kp index usually around one to two. We had a brief excursion to a Kp index of 4 on September the 26th and 27th, but this was relatively short-lived. Daytime Maximum Usable Frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path have been touching 25 to 28MHz at times but we can expect this to improve over the next few weeks. As long as the Solar Flux Index can stay around 100 we should see some transatlantic paths opening up on 28MHz, but they may not be as good as previous years. Ten-metre openings at the start of this month may be fleeting and unreliable. What we do have is a massive coronal hole on the Sun’s equator, which could send the Kp index up this weekend as solar plasma impacts the Earth. Keep an eye on solarham.com for updates. If this comes to pass, expect lower MUFs and poor DX for a day or two. DX to be worked this week include 5W0AF from Samoa; 9T0MD from the Democratic Republic of Congo; JW6VM, JW7XK and JW9DL on Svalbard; 7P8JL, 7P8LZ and 7P8TR in Lesotho; 6O2M (Somalia), C5R from The Gambia and FW1P from Wallis and Futuna. NOAA predicts that the SFI this coming week may bottom out at around 90, before rising again, perhaps reaching 100 to 102 by next weekend. As mentioned earlier, we can expect the Kp index to rise, perhaps hitting four on October the 5th to the 7th. After this, it should settle to a more reasonable Kp index of 2 for the rest of the week. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO. The autumn season is typically a mix of still, quiet weather with high pressure on the charts and, in contrast, a few days later deep Atlantic lows roll by with wind and rain. The coming ten days or so will follow that script and offer a mix of propagation modes for the VHF/UHF fraternity. The Tropo conditions will dominate in the south and should probably be in control up to the middle of next week. Northern Britain will have activity from weather fronts and possible rain scatter for the GHz bands, which becomes more general from midweek onwards. The autumn season is also a prime time for aurora, so keep that mode on the 'to do' list and be aware of changes in the Kp index to values higher than Kp index 5. Meteor scatter is mostly in the realms of random activity. Lastly, a surprise mention of Sporadic-E, which for CW and SSB modes is pretty much done, but last week on Thursday the 24th of September there was some activity for FT8 within Europe. This was mixed in with Tropo paths, so it was difficult to pinpoint the exact mode being used without looking at detailed measurements from radiosondes and ionosondes. The end result is that ‘out of season’ may still produce Es for digital modes, but it’s probably a rare occurrence. EME now, and the Moon is at maximum declination on Friday the 2nd of October, so Moon windows are at their longest and peak Moon elevation is at its highest. Path losses are low after perigee on the 1st of October but will start to increase. 144 MHz sky noise starts the week moderate, dropping back to low for the rest of the week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #516
    September 25 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for September 27th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday, the 27th of October 2026 The news headlines: Entry to the RSGB 2027 Construction Competition is now open! RadCom from the 1990s is now available in the RSGB app One week left to buy your RSGB Convention ticket The Society is pleased to have launched the RSGB 2027 Construction Competition. This is a fantastic opportunity for RSGB members, wherever they are in the world, to get involved in designing and building. Whether you’re looking for an outlet for your creativity, wanting a fresh challenge to work on in your spare time or simply looking for the motivation to finish a homebrew project you have already started, the RSGB Construction Competition is the perfect excuse. Are you looking to inspire others to get involved in amateur radio? If so, our two more recent categories, Reimagination and Outreach, are the ideal way. Overall, there are seven different judging categories, so there really is something for everyone. Whether you’re a newcomer to amateur radio, a serial constructor, or want to push yourself in a new direction, be it software or hardware – it’s time to get those construction ideas flowing! Cash prizes will be awarded to winners and runners up, and entry is open until the 1st of March 2027. Full details of the competition and inspiration from previous years’ entrants can be found via rsgb.org/construction-competition The Society has just released an additional set of RadCom back issues to the RSGB app, available for the web and on mobile devices. RSGB members can now browse all the editions from January 1990 through to December 1999. This creates an even more valuable resource of amateur radio publications for members, who now can enjoy over 425 editions of RadCom. If you haven’t explored the RSGB app recently, visit rsgb.org/radcom to get started. Attending the RSGB 2026 Convention gives you access to knowledge, learning and networking opportunities that aren’t available at any other event in the UK this year. The extensive programme includes expert speakers such as Heather Nickalls, M0HMO; Brian Coleman, G4NNS; Steven Dodd, M0SNZ; and Peter Duffet-Smith, GM3XJE, to name just a few. You can view the full programme, including lectures that are being delivered as part of the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, by going to rsgb.org/convention If you are a younger radio amateur, you’ll find a series of youth-specific events including a series of lightning talks, a youth POTA activation and a youth dinner on the Saturday evening. For radio amateurs looking to start the weekend festivities early, you have a number of activities to take part in on Friday the 9th of October, from visiting the National Museum of Computing to joining an amateur radio pub-style quiz in the conference centre bar in the evening. You’ll find details of all these activities, plus more, on the RSGB Convention web pages. Online ticketing closes at 9am on Monday the 5th of October so make sure you buy your ticket to guarantee your place. The RSGB Convention takes place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The next RSGB Tonight@8 webinar is by the Society’s Maker Champion Tom Wardill, M9TWM on Monday the 5th of October. Tom believes that amateur radio has never been in such a good place in terms of the availability of tools, supplies, and connections. He will give you a quick guide on what is available to the average home user, from SMT components and PCB fabs to 3D-printed cases, or to test equipment that was only available to IBM and HP just a few years ago. He’ll discuss where to look, how to source, and how to get help with the tools you need to make the projects that you’ve written off as too complicated. You can join the livestream via the RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel, allowing you to watch and ask questions online. Find out more by going to rsgb.org/webinars Have you tried one of the RSGB’s National Coding Week activities? If you took part and would like to be included in a special feature in RadCom, send your photos and a short summary of your activity to ncw.coordinator@rsgb.org.uk by the 30th of September. All coding activities will remain on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/coding so whether you want to do something new just for fun or find a way to use programming within your current amateur radio interests, you’ll find something to try! Don't forget to listen out for all of the stations that are operating during the annual Railways on the Air event today, the 27th. Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club coordinates this event and you can read more at rota.barac.org.uk Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day on Sunday the 4th of October from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Also on Sunday the 4th of October, the Welsh Radio Rally will take place at Llanwern High School, Hartridge Farm Road, Newport, NP18 2YE, South Wales. The doors open to traders at 7am and to the public at 9.30am. Admission costs £3. The rally will include technical talks, a bring-and-buy area and a raffle. For more information email welshradiorally@icloud.com Now the Special Event news Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society is running special event station GB2RMR today, the 27th at the Riverside Miniature Railway, Riverside Park in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Operators will be active from 9.30am until 4pm on the HF, VHF and UHF bands. More information is available via QRZ.com To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Belgian National Railway Company, special callsign OT26B is active until the 31st of December. The line between Brussels and Mechelen opened in 1835 and was the first steam-powered public railway in continental Europe. QSL via OR4K. Now the DX news Members of Guisborough and District Amateur Radio Club are active from the Isle of Lewis today, the 27th. Listen out for the MS0NYM callsign on the 40 to 10m bands using CW, FT4, FT8 and SSB. More information is available via QRZ.com Toni, W5RCX and Tom, K0YA are active as V47RCX and V47YA, respectively, from St. Kitts, NA-104, until Wednesday the 30th of September. They are operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on the HF and 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and to their home calls. Now the contest news The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 26th, and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 27th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK is in zone 14. Also today, the 27th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Monday the 28th of September, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Wednesday the 30th of September, the United Kingdom and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The Oceania DX SSB Contest starts at 0600UTC on Saturday the 3rd and ends at 0600UTC on Sunday the 4th of October. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Saturday the 3rd of October, the RSGB 1.2GHz Trophy runs from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Saturday the 3rd of October, the RSGB 2.3GHz Trophy runs from 1400 to 2200UTC. Using all modes on the 13cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB and IARU October 432MHz to 245GHz Contests start at 1400UTC on Saturday the 3rd and end at 1400UTC on Sunday the 4th of October. Using all modes on 432MHz to 245GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 4th of October, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Wednesday the 23rd of September 2026. As we head towards the end of September, we are seeing daytime maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, starting to climb. The daytime MUF over 3,000km is reaching 12m and is just touching 10m at times. Within a few weeks we can expect it to reach 10m on a regular basis, perhaps bringing transatlantic QSOs to 28MHz once again. Meanwhile, we can make the most of the openings on the 17, 15 and 12m bands, which are showing promise with increasing propagation to Asia, North Africa, South Africa and South America. The solar flux index is hanging in there. Last week it fell to 96 but then rebounded back into the low 100s. There are currently eight sunspot groups visible on the Sun. The good news is that geomagnetic conditions have been calm, with the Kp index mostly in the ones and twos. That could soon change, however, thanks to a large coronal hole on the Sun’s surface. These are dark, cool and less dense regions in the Sun's outer atmosphere, when viewed in ultraviolet, with open magnetic field lines. This one stretches from the solar equator to its pole. There are also two coronal holes following it, which may cause more problems. With the equinox, we often see more auroral activity, due to the Earth-Sun alignment and the Russell-McPherron effect. Once auroral conditions clear, the Kp index should return to normal, with a Kp of 2 predicted from Monday the 28th of September onwards. The solar flux index may even improve slightly, with a forecast solar flux index of 115 towards the end of the month. Make the most of the HF conditions by working one of the DX stations on the air. You can choose from 5W0AF in Samoa; JD1BON and friends on the Ogasawara Islands; OX3LX in Greenland; FR/F1TEQ and FH/F1TEQ from Reunion and Mayotte; and 8Q7JH operating from the Maldives. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO Recently, the overall characteristic of the weather in southern areas has been one of high pressure, giving some occasional tropo. This region of high pressure will drift away by this weekend as a deep low over the northern Atlantic drives a weakening cold front south, so any major tropo will probably not survive into the coming week. The rest of the period looks generally unsettled. The northern half of Britain will have the more active part of any weather system crossing the country and therefore will also have a better chance of some rain scatter on the GHz bands. This time of the year we often get some very active Atlantic storms. Although they may not cross the UK directly, they may be close enough for severe gales and damaging winds in north western areas by the middle of the coming week. It is a good time to make sure your antenna guys are in good shape and keep an eye on the forecasts. There are no major meteor showers in the period so, once again, any activity is likely to be random, and this is typically best in the hours just before dawn. The prospect for auroras is a little more interesting since we are now just past the equinox of the 22nd of September. It's a preferential time to be alert for auroras due to the way the Earth’s magnetic field aligns better with the Sun’s magnetic field. This makes it easier for the solar wind to get through and create auroras. EME now, and Moon declination went positive at Moonset on Friday the 25th of September. This means we’ll see lengthening Moon windows and higher peak Moon elevation into the coming week. Path losses continue to fall. 144MHz sky noise starts the week low, increasing to moderate by Friday the 2nd of October. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #515
    September 18 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for September 20th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday, the 20th of September 2026 The news headlines: Visit the RSGB village at Hamfest What does your RSGB Convention weekend look like? Get involved with World Space Week The RSGB will have a large presence at the National Hamfest at Newark Showground on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of September. In addition to a new-look bookstall and membership stand, the Society will have a great selection of displays and practical activities to enjoy. These include another opportunity to see 3D printing in action and to have your CW skills tested at a range of speeds. Across both days the RSGB Outreach team will be running a buildathon, with this year’s kit being the Kanga Morse Tutor – why not go along and hone your soldering skills? All activities are free of charge and there is no need to book in advance. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next construction project, you can hear from the overall winner of the RSGB 2026 Construction Competition and discover a whole host of projects from the popular monthly RadCom feature, Experimenters’ Corner. Members of the RSGB Board, staff and representatives from the Propagation Studies Committee and the QSL Bureau will also be there and are looking forward to meeting you, answering your questions and offering support. Would you like to learn a new skill or improve your knowledge on a particular topic? Perhaps you’d like to network with likeminded people and make some new connections? Maybe you are looking for inspiration on what to do next in your amateur radio journey? You can find answers to all these questions at the RSGB Convention, which is taking place between the 9th and 11th of October in Milton Keynes. You can choose from a selection of over 50 lectures, workshops, forums and activities and build a programme to suit you. By viewing the Convention web pages via rsgb.org/convention you’ll not only find the programme for both days but also detailed speaker biographies and presentation summaries. There’s a wealth of information on extra activities that are taking place over the weekend, from getting involved with additional events on the Friday, to joining the Gala Dinner on the Saturday evening. Find out which RSGB Committees and Special Interest Groups are attending and choose which ones to fit into your programme. You can find all this information and more by using the sub-menu located on the righthand side called 'In this section'. Remember to book your ticket online before 9am on Monday the 5th of October to guarantee your place and to pay the best available price. After this time you will only be able to buy tickets on the door. RSGB Board Director and Board Liaison for ARISS Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB is calling on radio amateurs to support World Space Week 2026 by hosting an activity between the 4th and 10th of October. In his Tonight@8 webinar, broadcast earlier this month, Patrick revealed the RSGB had launched some web pages to help inspire clubs and individuals. You could host an introductory talk on satellites, orbits and OSCAR missions using a set of slides he has shared for you to use. Alternatively, you could host a live demonstration, an on-air activity, or even getting involved with the planned International Space Station SSTV event. Start planning your event by going to rsgb.org/wsw You can view events that have already being confirmed, including several talks at the RSGB National Radio Centre, by selecting ‘WSW – events taking place’ from the menu on the righthand side. Jamboree on the Air is taking place between Friday the 16th and Sunday 18th of October 2026. It is the world’s largest radio Scout event and is a brilliant celebration of amateur radio among the groups within the Scout Association. It also promotes friendship and global citizenship. The RSGB Youth Vice-Chair and Youth Champion for Scouts, Sam McCutchion, M0UEL will be compiling a list of JOTA stations which will be shared on the RSGB website. If you are part of a Scouting group and are planning to get involved with JOTA then please contact youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk as soon as possible with your station name, call sign and any other relevant information. Sam is encouraging everyone to get involved either by putting a station on the air or listening out for the JOTA stations, so let him know how you are supporting the events. The annual Railways on the Air event will take place on Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of September. The following frequencies are suggested for use: 3.650, 7.150 and 14.250MHz. Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club coordinates this event and you can read more at rota.barac.org.uk The deadline for the GB2RS News on Sunday the 27th of September is 10am on Wednesday the 23rd of September. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk And now for details of rallies and events The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day today, the 20th, from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events National Hamfest, the UK's largest amateur radio event, returns to Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of September. Located on the A46 just north of Newark, it features major retailers, a large outdoor flea market, and on-site camping. The site is open from 9.30am to 4pm each day. The doors open to visitors from 10am on Friday. Find out more via nationalhamfest.org.uk Now the Special Event news Vendeen Radio Club, F6KUF is active as TM4GGR until Friday the 9th of October. The special callsign's suffix stands for 'Golden Globe Race', the single-handed, round-the-world sailing race that started from Les Sables-d'Olonne, on Sunday the 6th of September. For some information visit live.f6kuf.fr Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be running special event station GB2RMR on Sunday the 27th of September from 9.30am until 4pm at the Riverside Miniature Railway, Riverside Park in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Operators will be active on the HF, VHF and UHF bands. More information is available via QRZ.com Now the DX news Kasimir, DL2SBY is active as S79/DL2SBY from Mahe, AF-024, in the Seychelles until tomorrow, the 21st. He is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on the HF and 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS or directly to Kasimir. Yuris, YL2GM and Eugene, EA5EL are active as KH8WW from Aunu'u Island, OC-045, in American Samoa until the 24th of September. The station is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via OQRS is preferred, or via YL2GN. Now the contest news Today, the 20th, the RSGB 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the 20th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group PSK63 Sprint runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number. On Tuesday the 22nd of September, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 24th of September, the RSGB Autumn Series Data Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using RTTY and PSK63 on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The CQ World Wide DX RTTY Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 26th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 27th of September. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and CQ zone. The UK is in zone 14. On Sunday the 27th of September, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 17th of September 2026. Thursday the 17th of September marked a milestone in terms of the solar flux index. On this day the solar flux index fell to 100. This is more psychological than important, but it is a sign that the solar flux index is falling from the dizzy heights of more than 300 that it reached at the height of solar cycle 25 two years ago. The solar flux index briefly dipped to 99 on Sunday the 13th of September but it probably won’t be too long before we see it dropping further. The declining solar flux index has been helped somewhat by better ionospheric conditions as we head towards October. The lower solar flux index has also been slightly compensated for by relatively good geomagnetic conditions. The Kp index hit a peak of 4 on Monday the 14th, but has otherwise been around 1 or 2. Daytime maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, over 3,000km have been hovering around 21MHz and nighttime MUFs over 3,000km have been around 7 to 10MHz. But don’t ignore 24MHz as we may see the occasional daylight DX opening. We may expect the daytime MUFs to increase slightly as the month progresses. DX to be worked this week includes 5W0AF from Samoa; RI1FJZ from Franz Josef Land; FR/F1TEQ and FH/F1TEQ in Reunion and Mayotte; KH8WW in American Samoa; PJ2/K5SL from Curaçao; and 8Q7JH in the Maldives. Later in the week look for KH0/JR1FKR from Saipan and N7NU/VP9 and VP9I in Bermuda. So, there is lots of DX to search for next week! We expect the solar flux index to hover around 100 over the next seven days but watch out for poor geomagnetic conditions from Thursday the 24th to Sunday the 27th of September when NOAA forecasts that the Kp index could hit 5. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The period of unsettled weather that has brought much-needed rain is just about done for a while, since it looks like high pressure will build across southern UK today, the 20th. It may even produce some ridging over northern Britain, so there is a good chance for tropo in many areas at some stage during the coming week. Admittedly, the high does gradually edge away to the east by the end of the week, but will still be close enough to provide further lift conditions, especially across the North Sea to the Baltic and south to France. Don’t forget to try calling CQ on SSB or CW in case conditions are up. It's easy to miss a new square unless you are checking remote beacons to see how the lift is developing. The far northwest of the UK will have some occasional rain at times and may miss out on the enhanced lift conditions, especially after midweek. For meteor scatter it is largely a case of trying to catch the best of any random activity. This means checking conditions in the early hours of the morning. The solar activity has produced slightly elevated geomagnetic activity with a Kp index up to 4 at times. With the possibility of a minor storm in the second half of the last week, it probably should remain a watching brief in case we find an unexpected auroral opening, which would tend to favour the equinoxes due to the Russell-McPherron effect. EME now, and Moon declination starts rising again after its lowest point on Friday the 18th of September. Meanwhile, path losses start falling again after apogee, also on the 18th. 144MHz sky noise starts the weekend high, falling back to low by Tuesday the 22nd where it remains for the rest of the week. And finally, if you are coming to National Hamfest, remember to call in and see the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee stand. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #514
    September 11 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for September 13th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday, the 13th of September 2026 The news headlines: Final RSGB Convention speakers announced RSGB experts contribute to IARU Region 1 general conference Could you be the next RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts? Advance ticket sales for the RSGB Convention close in three weeks – have you purchased your ticket yet? The not-to-be-missed Convention takes place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. This year’s speaker programme is crammed full of fascinating lectures including Paul Whiting, G4YQC who will be describing how the 21cm neutral hydrogen emission line can be used to map the Milky Way galaxy. He will explain how this can be done from your back garden using inexpensive equipment. You’ll also get to hear from Dave Robinson, G4FRE, who will be talking about GPS disciplined oscillators, both past and present. Several lectures on the programme have changed time slots, so make sure you keep up to date with the latest version by going to rsgb.org/saturday and rsgb.org/sunday Which presentations are your must-sees? Have you picked a workshop? And have you booked your evening dinner tickets yet? The Convention is open to all radio amateurs, so whether you are newly licensed and looking to broaden your knowledge or have 50 years of experience and are looking to engage in technical debates on the latest technology, the Society looks forward to seeing you there. The International Amateur Radio Union general conference is taking place from the 19th to the 23rd of September in Vienna. Representatives of national societies from across Region 1 will meet to discuss 100 papers on a wide range of amateur radio topics. A significant body of work has been done by RSGB volunteers and specialists to prepare for the conference, and the RSGB has submitted ten papers, making it the largest contributor of any of the member societies. The four key areas where the Society will have input are spectrum protection and HF strategy, protecting 430 to 440MHz, IARU Region 1 Governance, and licensing and examinations. The Society would like to thank Spectrum Forum Chair Murray Niman, G6JYB who led the RSGB expert team who prepared the Society's papers for the conference. Murray will attend the conference in person with RSGB Head of Delegation RSGB President Bob Beebe GU4YOX, RSGB HF Manager Ian Greenshields, G4FSU and RSGB Board Director Nathan Nuttall MM9OCC who has been contributing to the international development of youth amateur radio through the IARU Region 1's Youth Committee. For further information about the RSGB’s input go to the RSGB Notices section of the Society’s website. You can read all the papers submitted for the conference at tinyurl.com/iaru-r1 Are you a radio amateur who is also active within the Scout Association? Would you like to support the RSGB in encouraging Scouts to take part in amateur radio activities through the Scout programme? If so, you could be the next RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts. This exciting volunteer role will build on the success of the current Scout Champion and will be supported in developing and furthering this over time. The Champion will work with Scout groups, the National Radio Scouting Support Unit, and local radio clubs to encourage participation in radio, technology, and STEM activities, and to support young people on their journey towards an amateur radio licence. To apply for this role, first read the full role profile by going to rsgb.org/volunteers and then email the current RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts Samuel McCutchion, M0UEL via youthchampion.scouts@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for applications is Wednesday the 14th of October 2026. As we get closer to WRC-27, which is the 2027 ITU World Radio Conference, Ofcom has released a consultation for the provisional UK views and positions on the current, and proposed, agenda items. This WRC is notable for a large number of space-related topics, as well as more common items such as spectrum for 6G mobile broadband. This year there are also a record number of proposals for the next conference agenda in 2031. The RSGB has a special focus section on its website which highlights the topics which are of concern to amateur radio, and where the RSGB spectrum team and its IARU colleagues have been preparing for some time. You will find more information at rsgb.org/wrc-27 including a link at the bottom of the page to the Ofcom consultation. The consultation closes on the 24th of November. Don't forget to listen out for all of the stations that are taking part in the 145 Alive activity today, the 13th. Hundreds of operators will be making contacts using 145MHz FM and 144MHz SSB between 12pm and 3pm. For more information, go to the 145 Alive Facebook page or email 145aliveuk@gmail.com Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 13th, Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally is taking place at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. The doors are open from 10am to 3pm and entrance is free of charge. For more information, email Zane, M1BFI via m1bfi@outlook.com The Broadcast Engineering Museum has open days on Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of September from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Now the Special Event news The Turkish Amateur Radio Society will be active with special callsign TC8KHT from Friday the 18th until Sunday the 20th of September. Operators will be on the air to promote the historical and cultural significance of the Neolithic archaeological site Karahan Tepe. Look out for activity on the 80 to 10m bands using CW, FT8 and SSB. Contacts will also be possible via the QO-100 satellite. For more information, visit QRZ.com Special callsign YR100RC is on the air until Wednesday the 30th of September to celebrate 100 years of amateur radio in Romania. Look for activity on the HF bands using a variety of modes. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station, visit tinyurl.com/romania1786 Now the DX news Harald, DF2WO is active as D44TWO from Santiago Island, AF-005, until mid-September. He operates using CW, FT8 and SSB on various bands and via the QO-100 satellite. For more information, visit QRZ.com. QSL via OQRS. Suvarna, OM0GA is active as 9N/OM0GA from Nepal until Saturday the 19th of September. He operates mainly using CW on the 40 to 10m bands. QSL via OQRS. Now the contest news The Worked All Europe DX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 12th, and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 13th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Today, Sunday the 13th, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, today, the 13th, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also, today, the 13th, the IRTS 2m Counties Contest runs from 1330 to 1500UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also, today, the 13th, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 15th, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 16th, the RSGB Autumn Series CW Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 17th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 20th, the RSGB 70MHz Affiliated Societies Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Sunday the 20th, the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group PSK63 Sprint runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using PSK63 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 10th of September 2026. As we head into September, autumnal HF conditions are fast approaching. We can expect the maximum useable frequency, or MUF, to climb during the day and DX to become more plentiful. However, we are not there yet and it may take a few more weeks before we see much of a change in HF propagation. Meanwhile, solar activity remains quite low, with a solar flux index around 100 to 110. Geomagnetic disturbances are still occurring, but their effects have been minimal. The Kp index rose to 5 on the 8th of September, due to the effects of a coronal hole stream. Luckily, this was short-lived and the following day the Kp index was back to being in the 2 to 3 range. The last four days have seen only minor C-class flares but, with seven sunspot groups visible leading to the risk of solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections, activity remains quite high. MUFs over a 3,000km path have reached 24.9MHz at times, although the 17 and 15m bands have been more usable. Expect the daytime MUF to climb to perhaps 28 or 29MHz by the end of the month. Two coronal holes appear to be developing on the Sun and will become Earth-facing today, the 13th, so there could be a coronal high-speed stream hitting us between tomorrow, the 14th and Wednesday the 16th of September. DX to be worked next week includes RI1FJZ from Franz Josef Land; V47YA and V47RCX on St Kitts and Nevis, KH8WW from American Samoa; and S79/DL2SBY from the Seychelles. Also, look for PJ2/K5SL from Curaçao from the 18th of September and 8Q7JH in the Maldives from the 20th of September. Next week the Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasts that the solar flux index may remain in the 105 to 115 range. We can expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions from the 14th to the 16th of September. This is possibly due to the coronal hole activity mentioned earlier, with a predicted Kp of 4. Otherwise, the rest of the week may remain calm with a Kp index of 2 to 3. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spell of changeable autumnal weather looks likely to remain with us for most of the coming week. However, the UK covers a broad span from south to north and some differences will be apparent. We have seen the arrival of some fronts with rain in the south. These will probably be weaker than in northern Britain and with only occasional patches of rain. For the rest of the time, look out for weak ridges of high pressure and periods of tropo into the near continent and possibly south across Biscay to Spain. For the northern half of the country, the weather systems will be more active and tropo will be less likely, but you could find some occasional rain scatter opportunities on the GHz bands. Meteor scatter options are still only available via random activity with no major showers playing a role. The aurora prospects are probably not zero, but recently alerts have been for minor levels of disturbance with a Kp index up to 5, but nothing dramatic on the radio aurora front. However, with it now being autumn, it is always worth monitoring. As we head towards the autumnal equinox on the 23rd of September, it is a good time of the year for aurora if the triggering solar activity is sufficiently strong. EME now, and Moon declination continues to fall until its lowest point around Friday the 18th of September. Meanwhile, path losses continue to rise until apogee, the Moon’s furthest point from Earth, also on the 18th of September. Sky noise remains low and then rises again around Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of September, when the Moon is in Sagittarius. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #513
    September 4 · 17 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for September 6th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 6th of September 2026 The news headlines: Learn about HF propagation studies at the RSGB Convention Which coding activities will you be trying? WRTC 2026 results have been rescored Are you aware of the GB0PSC Baldock space weather station? The RSGB Propagation Studies Committee recently installed a HamSCI HFRx at Ofcom’s spectrum monitoring site at Baldock. The station is part of HF propagation studies that will allow the Committee to learn more about space weather and its effects including radio blackouts, Doppler flashes and travelling ionospheric disturbances. You can find out how the Committee is progressing with its studies by joining Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL on Saturday the 10th of October at the RSGB Convention. If amateur radio construction is something you’d like to find out more about, then join RadCom Plus Editor Paul Marks, G8FVK on Sunday the 11th of October to learn about his approach to modular design of amateur radio equipment. In particular, he’ll be looking at QRP HF and VHF gear, using readily available circuit boards and modules such as the AD831 RF mixer module. You can attend both lectures at the Society’s annual Convention at Kents Hill Conference Centre in Milton Keynes between the 9th and 11th of October. Secure your place via rsgb.org/convention National Coding Week is back this month! To support radio amateurs in building their digital skills and explore the world of programming, the RSGB has shared three new activities for you to try. The first builds on the Python Pocket Morse activity developed last year and guides radio amateurs to use a BBC Micro:bit to send Morse code either on a telegraph wire or wirelessly. The second is ‘Ener-G use’ which is great for unlicensed and younger radio amateurs and allows them to compare increasing forces and energy use with a fun Micro:bit activity. The third activity is based on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2W. It is a demonstration of Pulse Width Modulation and uses just a couple of components, including an LED and a resistor, and will give you a better understanding of the concept of duty cycle. All three activities are available via rsgb.org/coding You can try them at home, set up a practical club night or use them as an activity with a youth or school group. Let the Society know how you get on by sending photos and a summary to ncw.coordinator@rsgb.org.uk by the 30th of September. Following the conclusion of the on-site WRTC 2026 adjudication process at Wyboston, UK on the 13th of July 2026, significant new information became available resulting in necessary further work by the Judging Committee. In order for the WRTC event to be reflective of the most accurate assessment of contesting conduct and ability, the Organising Committee and Sanctioning Committee agreed collectively to support this work and have now published revised scores. This report voids and replaces the previously announced results. To read the full report visit wrtc2026.org Don’t forget that the RSGB Tonight@8 webinar series is back tomorrow night, Monday the 7th of September. Join RSGB Board Director Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB live for a presentation on amateur radio and the future of satellite communication. You’ll also be able to hear how you can get involved with World Space Week, which takes place from the 4th to the 10th of October. The webinar will contain lots of useful information on how your club can host an event and show that amateur radio is part of space exploration, education and communication. Watch the webinar and ask questions via the RSGB YouTube channel or special BATC channel. Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station programme is an opportunity for educational organisations to host an amateur radio contact with a crew member on board the International Space Station. The window to submit an application is now open and ends on the 23rd of October 2026. This is for a contact to take place between July to December 2027. If you are a school, college, university or youth group, take a look at the information available on the ‘School Contacts’ tab via ariss-eu.org If you would like to view videos of different contacts, go to the RSGB YouTube channel at youtube.com/thersgb and search for 'ARISS'. Don't forget to listen out for the amateur radio stations that will be on the air during International Air Ambulance Week. The event started yesterday, the 5th, and runs until Sunday the 13th of September. For more details visit tinyurl.com/IAAW2026 On Saturday the 12th of September, lots of amateur radio stations will be on the air to take part in the Churches and Chapels on the Air event, also known as CHOTA. The event will take place from 1000 to 1600UTC. Although stations will be working on a variety of bands and modes, most operating will take place on the 40m band using SSB. More details are available at wacral.org The next in the popular 145 Alive series of events takes place on Sunday the 13th of September from 1200 to 1500UTC. Many hundreds of operators are expected to be on the air using 145MHz FM and 144MHz SSB. For more information, go to the 145 Alive Facebook page or email 145aliveuk@gmail.com Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, Sunday the 6th of September, Telford Hamfest is taking place at Harper Adams University near Telford, TF10 8ND. The doors open at 10.15am. Admission costs £5 but children up to 16 will be admitted free of charge. For more information contact the Hamfest team via hamfest@tdars.org.uk On Saturday the 12th of September, East Midlands Ham and Electronics Rally will take place at Beckingham Village Hall, Southfield Lane, Beckingham, DN10 4FX. The doors will be open from 9.30am to 4pm and free car parking is available behind the hall. Hot food and refreshments will be available on site. More information is available via emerg.uk/rally On Sunday the 13th of September, Caister Lifeboat Radio Rally will take place at Caister Lifeboat station, Caister on Sea, NR30 5DJ. The doors will be open from 10am to 3pm and entrance is free of charge. For more information email, Zane, M1BFI via m1bfi@outlook.com Now the Special Event news Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Society will be running special event station GB1PPF on Saturday the 12th of September from 9.30am until 4pm. The station will be located at St Peter and St Paul Church, Church Lane, Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire PE28 9JS. Listen for activity on the HF, VHF and UHF bands. Special event station GB0SXW will be on the air on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of September at the Stone Cross Windmill near Eastbourne BN24 5EA. Operators will be using SSB on the HF bands and FM on the 2m band. Visitors are welcome. Find out more via QRZ.com Special event callsigns EO210WLP and EM70WWW are in use until the end of year to celebrate 210 years of Lviv Polytechnica University and 70 years of the Lviv Polytechnica club station. More information, including details of awards that are available for working the stations, is available via QRZ.com Now the DX news Gunter, DK2WH is active as V51WH and V55Y from Namibia until the 10th of October. He is operating using FT8, SSB, RTTY and some CW on the 160 to 6m bands. QSL via Gunter's home call, directly or via the Bureau. Now the contest news RSGB SSB Field Day, IARU Region 1 Field Day and IRTS SSB Field Day started at 1300UTC yesterday, the 5th, and ends at 1300UTC today, Sunday the 6th of September. Using all modes on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The RSGB 144MHz Trophy Contest started at 1400UTC yesterday, the 5th, and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 6th of September. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The All Asian DX Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 5th, and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 6th of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and your age. Today, the 6th, the RSGB 5th 144MHz Backpackers contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 7th, the RSGB Autumn Series SSB Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 8th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 8th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 9th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 9th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 10th, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The Worked All Europe DX SSB Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 12th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 13th of September. Using SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 13th, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Sunday the 13th, the IRTS 70cm Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1330UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also, on Sunday the 13th, the IRTS 2m Counties Contest runs from 1300 to 1500UTC. Using SSB and FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. EI and GI stations also give their county. Also, on Sunday the 13th, the Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest runs from 1200 to 1600UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 3rd of September 2026. Solar activity has continued to decline, leaving us with a solar flux index around 100. The upside is we haven’t had any solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, to contend with. Over the last week, we had only one M-class flare and no X-class events. The solar flux index declined to 102 on Thursday the 3rd of September – down from 122 a week ago. But the Kp index has been firmly in the range of 1 to 2 which bodes well for ionospheric stability. This has led to maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, over 3,000km being around 21 to 24MHz. However, FT8 has stretched this up to 28MHz at times. There have been some good 10m band FT8 openings to South America late in the afternoon. Chile, Brazil and Argentina were workable during these periods. DX to be worked this week includes 3W9C from Vietnam; T99PB from Palau; Z68PX in Kosovo; P29YY in Papua New Guinea; HP/WE9G from Panama; D44TWO from Cape Verde; T32AZ from East Kiribati; and J38DX and J38LD operating from Grenada. V47YA and V47RCX from St Kitts and Nevis will be active from the 8th of September until the end of the month and KH8WW, in American Samoa, will be on the air from the 10th to the 24th of September. Two rare ones to look for are VK0DS from Davis Station and VK0TBC from Casey Station, both in Antarctica. Operations are mostly using SSB and FT8, as time permits. Both stations have been spotted on the FT8 frequencies of the 20, 15 and 10m bands at times. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around the 100 mark. However, the good news is that, barring any flares or CMEs, the Kp index should remain low, perhaps around 2 all week. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G0KYA. The weather remains in a rather unsettled state. However, there are some signs of a transient area of high pressure brushing past the south of the country today, the 6th. This may create a chance of some tropo into the continent. This could tie in very well with the RSGB 144MHz Trophy and Backpackers Contests, which are taking place today the 6th. The unsettled pattern returns for the rest of the week and may not provide much help for the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 8th, or the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest on Thursday the 10th. In occasional bursts of heavier rain there may be some potential for rain scatter on the GHz bands. The prospects of meteor scatter remain in the random territory. So, it is best to listen just before dawn for the better chances. The solar conditions have not been very dramatic lately with the Kp index staying below 3. However, if it perks up a bit, say above 5, there may be a chance of aurora. The Sporadic-E season has more or less ended now. The next period to consider checking usually comes at the end of the year, and the first week in January, for out-of-season surprise openings. EME now, and sky noise should remain low during the coming week. Moon declination remains high. The Moon reached perigee, its closest point to Earth, yesterday, the 5th, so path losses remain low. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #512
    September 4 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 30th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 30th of August 2026 RSGB Board Chair change as part of planned transition Tonight@8 is back! Last chance to buy your RSGB Convention ticket at early bird prices The RSGB Board is pleased to announce that, following its meeting on the 22nd of August 2026, Graham Smith, G4NMD has been appointed Chair of the Board. This appointment forms part of a planned and orderly leadership transition agreed by the Board. Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, who has served as Chair since 2023 with distinction, fully supports the change and will remain a Director until the 2027 AGM. He will continue to contribute his considerable experience to the Society and its activities. Licensed since 1974, Graham has been active in many areas of amateur radio, including service as an RSGB District Representative, RAYNET-UK Controller and member of the Emergency Communications and Resilience Group. Since joining the Board, he has led work on resilience, volunteer development, and governance improvement, as well as serving as Board Liaison for Training and Education. The Board looks forward to continuing its work with volunteers, members and staff across the Society as it delivers its strategic priorities and supports the amateur radio community throughout the UK and beyond. For the full announcement please see the RSGB Notices section of the RSGB website. The Tonight@8 autumn programme begins on Monday the 7th of September with an engaging webinar on amateur radio and the future of satellite communication. RSGB Board Director Patrick Wood, 2E0IFB will be delivering a presentation that will start with a brief history on the subject before looking ahead to the future. He will touch on FUNcube developments, FUNcube+ and missions such as Jovian-1, whilst also considering how radio amateurs are now using geostationary satellites like QO-100. He will also ask how radio amateurs can adapt their skills and equipment for a rapidly changing communications world. Patrick is an expert in the subject having had a 38-year career in the aerospace, defence, and space sectors, with over 30 years dedicated to the space sector. RSGB webinars are live streamed on its YouTube channel and special BATC channel, allowing you to watch the presentations and ask questions online. Find out more about September’s presentation and other upcoming webinars, by going to rsgb.org/webinars The RSGB Convention ‘NanoVNA Essentials’ workshop has now sold out! Make sure you don’t miss out on the remaining spaces for the two other workshops by securing your ticket now. On Friday the 9th of October you can take part in a five-and-a-half-hour workshop offering practical advice on identifying the sources and mitigating the effects of Radio Frequency Interference. On the afternoon of Saturday the 10th of October or the morning of Sunday the 11th of October you can take part in a two-hour workshop offering practical and interactive exercises that show you how to use AI more effectively in your own amateur radio projects. Both workshops are available to purchase at the same time as your Convention ticket. Go to rsgb.org/convention-workshops to book your place. Don’t forget that you only have until 9am on Tuesday the 1st of September to purchase your ticket at the early bird pricing. Time is running out to submit your nominations for the annual RSGB G5RP Trophy. You have until Friday the 11th of September to send in a nominee who has recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. Perhaps you know someone who has worked a good total of new countries, or perhaps they have taken part in some substantial HF DXpedition activity. Please send your nominations to RSGB HF Manager Ian Greenshields, G4FSU at hf.manager@rsgb.org.uk The DMR Youth Net, organised by the RSGB Youth Committee, is back at 7pm BST on Tuesday the 1st of September following a break over the summer holidays. Since the launch of the net in 2025, young operators have joined from across Europe to build confidence speaking on the radio, connect with fellow young operators from around the world, and join in without needing to set up antennas at home. The RSGB Youth Talk Group 23554 is available on the DVSPh and Brandmeister Networks. The net will take place on the first Tuesday of each month. We’re delighted to announce that Steve Chalk achieved a Bronze Medal at the IARU Region 1 ARDF Championships in Romania last week. He was one of a small team competing on behalf of the RSGB. Steve gained his medal in the M60 category of the Sprint race, in which the transmissions are just 12 seconds in duration. Congratulations to Steve! Don't forget to listen out for the stations that are taking part in this year’s British Inland Waterways on the Air event. Stations have been operating since yesterday, the 29th, and activity continues until tomorrow, Monday the 31st of August. To find out more, visit Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group’s website at nharg.org.uk and follow the ‘BIWOTA 2026’ link. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 30th, Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place at Heron’s Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes. The doors open to the public from 9am. The entrance fee is £3 and parking is free of charge. For more information visit mkars.org.uk/mkrally Also today, the 30th, Torbay Amateur Radio Society’s Annual Rally is taking place at The Courtenay Centre, Kingsteignton Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 2QA. This new venue is a town centre site and is adjacent to a large car park. The entry fee is £3 and visitors are welcome from 10am. More details are available at torbayars.org Tomorrow, Monday the 31st, Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Rally will take place at Ramsey Rural Museum, Wood Lane, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. The doors will be open to traders from 7am and to visitors from 9am. Hot and cold refreshments will be available on site. For more information email harsrally2026@hotmail.com On Sunday the 6th of September, Telford Hamfest will take place at Harper Adams University near Telford, TF10 8ND. The doors open at 10.15am. Admission costs £5 but children up to 16 will be admitted free of charge. The G-QRP Club Convention will be held at the same venue on Saturday the 5th of September. For more information contact the Hamfest team via hamfest@tdars.org.uk Now the Special Event news REP, Portugal's national amateur radio association, is active with special callsign CT100REP until the 31st of December. The station is operating to mark the group's 100th anniversary. Look for activity on the HF, VHF, and UHF bands using CW, digital modes, SSB and satellites. Now the DX news Mark, WB2OIL is active as WB2OIL/VY0 from Broughton Island, NA-130, until Tuesday the 1st of September. He is operating using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 40 to 10m bands. More information is available via QRZ.com Now the contest news The World-Wide Digi DX Contest started at 1200UTC yesterday, the 29th, and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 30th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 1st of September, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 2nd, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also, on Wednesday the 2nd, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. Also, on Wednesday the 2nd, the UK and Ireland Contest Club 80m Contest runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is your six-character locator. The All Asian DX Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 5th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 6th of September. Using SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, the exchange is signal report and your age. On Saturday the 5th, the CWops CW Open takes place in three four-hour sessions between 0000 and 2359UTC. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is serial number and name. On Sunday the 6th, the Worked All Britain 144MHz SSB Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. RSGB SSB Field Day, IARU Region 1 Field Day and IRTS SSB Field Day start at 1300UTC on Saturday the 5th and end at 1300UTC on Sunday the 6th of September. Using all modes on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. The RSGB 144MHz Trophy Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 5th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 6th of September. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Sunday the 6th, the 5th RSGB 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 27th of August 2026. Last week we said there were no coronal holes to threaten HF propagation. However, guess what appeared just after the time of writing. Coronal holes can appear at any time, which is why we recommend going to solarham.com for daily updates. This week another coronal hole has appeared and this one really does look like it could threaten Earth. This, coupled with coronal mass ejections, means that today, the 30th, could see the Kp index rise and maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, fall. On a brighter note, the Kp index has been very low this past week, mostly below 2, with the result that HF propagation has been very good. Top DX being worked includes RI1FJL on Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Circle, which has been loud on many bands, right up to the 12 and 10m bands. Other DX to be worked in the coming week includes V5/HB9BFM from Namibia; J38DX and J38LD from Grenada; and P29YY working from Papua New Guinea. A quick check of the NCDXF beacon chain revealed very good propagation on 14MHz and 21MHz. This includes reception of the following beacons: CS3B in Madeira; RR90 in Siberia; 4S7B in Sri Lanka; 4X6TU in Israel; and 4U1UN in New York. So, it looks like we are starting to leave the summer doldrums and entering better autumnal HF conditions. Next week NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will be around 120, falling to 90 as the week progresses. After the potential for geomagnetic disruption this weekend, ending today the 30th, the forecast is good with a Kp index of around 2. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather has changed to autumnal conditions with lows bringing periods of rain or showers and quite windy conditions at times. The coming week will turn out in similar fashion and means that we won’t be dealing with much, if any, tropo for VHF. The main weather-dependent mode will be rain scatter for GHz band operators. The chances of aurora will need to show a Kp index above 5 to be of much interest, and probably a bit higher for southern areas. The prospects for meteor scatter are likely to be reduced to random activity which tends to give better results in the early morning hours before dawn. Lastly, we are coming to the close of the Sporadic-E season and, with probably a week or so to play out, any openings will be few and far between. Try checking during the main operating windows of mid-morning and late afternoon. As a back-up, consider the middle of the day since towards the edges of the season the traditional timings are less reliable. For EME operators, Moon declination went positive again yesterday, the 29th, with increasing peak elevation and lengthening Moon windows. Path losses are falling all week towards perigee on Sunday the 6th of September. 144MHz sky noise is low, increasing to medium by Friday the 4th of September. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #511
    August 21 · 13 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 23rd 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 23rd of August 2026 The news headlines: View the action-packed RSGB Convention programme Find out more about Experimenters’ Corner at Hamfest The RSGB continues to support young radio amateurs The RSGB has released the full draft programme for its Convention, which takes place between the 9th and 11th of October at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes. The programme includes details of the inspiring lectures that have been lined up for your enjoyment. They have been organised into three engaging streams: Learn, Connect and Inspire. You’ll also find three newly announced speakers. John Carter, N6YU will be talking about “The spec is the new schematic: Reproducible station software with spec-driven development” whilst Paul Marks, G8FVK will explain “A modular approach to construction”. Dr Tom Cheetham from Bletchley Park will give a fascinating historical presentation called “The Fox shall not escape: The RSGB and signals interception during WWII”. The Society has also announced that it has extended its early-bird pricing until 9am on Tuesday the 1st of September. This means you can snap up your weekend ticket for only £49, which gives you access not only to the programme, but also to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium, Special Interest Groups, a great social scene, and much more. View the programme and secure your ticket by going to rsgb.org/convention Do you enjoy amateur radio construction? Or perhaps you enjoy trying out new and emerging technology? Each month RSGB Board Director Mark Jones, G0MGX writes a column called ‘Experimenters’ Corner’ for RadCom, which focuses on a new aspect of experimenting within amateur radio. He has also been giving a brief introduction to each column in a monthly reel shared on the Society’s social media channels. Mark covers topics ranging from home-brew construction techniques and 3D-printing to software development and cost-saving tips. You can speak to Mark and talk about his column at this year’s Hamfest at the Newark Showground on the 25th and 26th of September. He will be in the RSGB village with a selection of interactive displays which you won’t want to miss. You can find out more on Experimenters’ Corner by going to rsgb.org/experimenters-corner The Youngsters On the Air Summer Camp 2026 took place in Wagrain [VAH-GRAIN], Austria earlier this month. If you missed out on the daily updates sent by the team of young radio amateurs who represented the RSGB, go to rsgb.org/yota-camp The daily blogs, photos and some fantastic sketches will remain on the Society’s website to view in your own time. If you are a young radio amateur looking to meet like-minded people, have you seen the youth activities being offered at this year’s RSGB Convention? There will be a wide range of youth-specific activities to inspire you, including an update from the YOTA team. Go to rsgb.org/convention-youth to find out more. You can also get involved with youth activities in December by taking part in YOTA Month. The RSGB will once again be taking part in this special IARU initiative, which encourages young amateur radio operators to get on the air, make contacts around the world, and promote the hobby among young people. Keep an eye out for announcements on how to get involved by going to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/yota-month In the USA, the FCC has released a further proposal for new commercial satellite allocations that overlap existing amateur spectrum. This time the 900MHz, 2.4GHz and 5.7GHz bands are the topic. The ARRL has already made an initial response. Further information and links for this are available via rsgb.org/spectrum-forum This follows the unwelcome FCC authorisation of 70cm last year for telemetry for a 248-satellite constellation. For more information on satellite challenges visit tinyurl.com/rsgbsf2026 This year’s British Inland Waterways on the Air event will run from Saturday the 29th until Monday the 31st of August. The event is open to radio amateurs who use canals, towpaths, rivers, lakes or reservoirs for work or recreation. To find out more, visit Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group’s website at nharg.org.uk and follow the ‘BIWOTA 2026’ link. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events On Sunday the 30th of August, Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place at Heron’s Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes. The doors open to the public from 9am. The entrance fee is £3 and parking is free of charge. For more information visit mkars.org.uk/mkrally Also on Sunday the 30th of August, Torbay Amateur Radio Society Annual Rally will take place at The Courtenay Centre, Kingsteignton Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 2QA. This new venue is a town centre site and is adjacent to a large car park. The entry fee is £3 and visitors are welcome from 10am. More details are available at torbayars.org On Monday the 31st of August, Huntingdonshire Amateur Radio Rally will take place at Ramsey Rural Museum, Wood Lane, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. The doors will be open to traders from 7am and to visitors from 9am. Hot and cold refreshments will be available on site. For more information email harsrally2026@hotmail.com Now the Special Event news The German DX Foundation is using special callsign DQ30GDXF until December to celebrate its 30th anniversary. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. Contacts made between the 1st of July and the 30th of September count towards an award. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/DQ30GDXF To celebrate its 15th anniversary, members of the Croatian Flora and Fauna Amateur Radio Club are active as 9A44FF and 9A44FF/P until December. For details of an award that is available for working the station, visit QRZ.com Now the DX news Rafal, SQ4O is a member of the 50th Polish Antarctic Expedition to the Henryk Arctowski [ART-STOF-SKEE] Station on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, AN-010. In his spare time, he is operating as HF0PAS on the HF bands using CW and SSB, and on the 6m band using FT8. Tom, VK2TBC is active as VK0TBC from Casey Station, Antarctica until December. Look out for him using FT8 and SSB on the HF bands. For more information visit QRZ.com Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 23rd of August, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 6 and 3cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 25th of August, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The World Wide Digi DX Contest starts at 1200UTC on Saturday the 29th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 30th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 20th of August 2026. Last week was characterised by geomagnetic disturbances, due to high-speed solar wind streams from coronal holes, and a slightly increasing solar flux index. The Kp index hit 5 on the 18th and 19th of August reducing maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, and generally being detrimental to HF propagation. We also had more than 50 C-class solar flares and one M-class event this past week, so nothing too severe. It was coronal holes that did the damage with two large areas on the Sun. A coronal hole is an area of the Sun with open magnetic field lines that allows solar plasma to escape. HF conditions were relatively poor during International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on Sunday the 16th, with little DX and heavy QSB or fading. The MUF struggled to get to 21MHz and most activity was on the 40 and 20m bands. Some transatlantic signals were logged, but they were weak and watery. That didn’t stop people from enjoying the event though! DX to be worked this week includes 3B8/SQ9UM from Mauritius; RI8KR from Asiatic Russia; RI1FJL operating from Franz Josef Land; V47JA on St Kitts; and V51WH and V55Y active in Namibia. Good news this week as Propquest is back online, showing near real-time MUFs over various distances. Jim, G3YLA says this is a temporary fix pending further work. NOAA predicts that we will see a solar flux index around 100 to 120 next week, with relatively poor geomagnetic conditions forecast for today, the 23rd. The Kp index is predicted to be around 2 during the coming week. At the time of writing, there are no coronal holes threatening HF propagation, but keep an eye on solarham.com for updates. We are still analysing the eclipse experiment data, but a video of the 80m WSPR contacts has been produced and can be found at tinyurl.com/80mWSPR And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The return of unsettled weather last week pauses over this weekend, ending today the 23rd, as a new high moves across the country from the Atlantic. This gives a good chance for some tropo and, if the land temperatures pick up again and drift offshore, it could produce some good conditions across sea paths like the North and Irish Seas. Before mid-week, probably during Tuesday, low pressure will return and push a frontal system across the country followed by further fronts and showery periods for the rest of the week. This could be very good for rain scatter on the GHz bands, especially if the showers turn thundery. Meteor scatter will be largely random activity for most of the coming week. We will also see the end of the Delta Aquarids today, the 23rd , and the final trailing off from the Perseids, which end tomorrow, the 24th. The solar conditions are worth monitoring after recent activity saw the Kp index reach 5 on Tuesday and Wednesday last week. Ideally, we require something a little higher to start considering auroral propagation from the southern UK. Sporadic-E can last into the first week of September but tends to become harder to find and shorter in duration. There is no reason to stop checking though; anytime from mid-morning to late afternoon should cover it. For EME operators, the Moon was at apogee and at minimum declination yesterday, the 22nd. With minimum peak elevation and maximum path losses, it’s a good excuse to check out the mechanics of your antenna. 144MHz sky noise is very high today, the 23rd, falling back to low as the week progresses. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #510
    August 14 · 15 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 16th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 16th of August 2026 The news headlines: Apply for the new RSGB Training and Development Lead Honorary Officer vacancy Get ready for National Coding Week 2026! Build a radio workshop at the RSGB National Radio Centre The RSGB is launching a new Training and Development Lead pilot. This is a 12-month volunteer Honorary Officer role for someone who cares deeply about how people learn, progress and stay active in amateur radio. The pilot will focus on listening, mapping, evidence gathering and supporting the training community. If you enjoy connecting people and want to build bridges across the training landscape, this role could be for you. To find out more about the role go to the RSGB website at rsgb.org/volunteers To discuss the role informally, please contact Board Director Graham Smith, G4NMD via g4nmd@rsgb.org.uk Applications close on the 18th of September and interviews will take place during the week of the 28th of September 2026. National Coding Week returns between the 14th and 20th of September, bringing a fantastic opportunity for radio amateurs of all ages to build confidence in digital skills and explore the world of programming. This year, the RSGB Outreach Team has released three coding activities designed especially for National Coding Week. These are available on the RSGB website via rsgb.org/coding for all members to enjoy and they will also be shared directly with youth groups. Whether you’re a complete beginner or are already tech savvy, there’ll be something fun and accessible for everyone. You’ll also find a coding feature in the September edition of RadCom. The RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park is hosting another of its popular Build Your Own Radio workshops. Morning and afternoon sessions will be held on Thursday the 27th of August and will offer young people aged between 12 and 18 the opportunity to learn more about amateur radio and electronics. The workshops are funded by the Radio Communications Foundation and allow participants to build their own VHF FM broadcast receiver, which they can take home with them. Attendance at the workshop costs £11. You can find out more and secure your place by selecting the ‘What’s on’ menu at bletchleypark.org.uk The RSGB has launched some new web pages demonstrating how amateur radio aligns with the STEM curriculum. Whichever part of the hobby you enjoy, you’re bound to be using skills relating to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths every day! And what better way to encourage people into STEM-related study or careers than getting them involved in amateur radio. If you want to give back to the hobby, why not consider becoming a registered STEM Ambassador for amateur radio. The RSGB already has a fantastic team of volunteers who are STEM Ambassadors and use their skills and passion to showcase wireless communication to young people. Why not join them? You can find out how you can get involved at rsgb.org/stem The IARU has published the fourth edition of ‘Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur’, bringing together updated guidance and best practice for radio amateurs around the world. The latest edition also includes improved accessibility features for those with visual impairments. Whether you’re newly licensed or have been on the air for many years, it’s a useful reminder of the operating standards, courtesy and good practice that help make amateur radio enjoyable for everyone. The RSGB welcomes this updated guide and is particularly pleased that the RSGB Operating Advisory Service Coordinator Ian Suart, GM4AUP, was among those who contributed to its development. The Society would like to thank Ian, and everyone involved, for the considerable time, expertise and effort that has gone into producing this important resource for the international amateur radio community. To find out more and read the new edition, go to tinyurl.com/rsgb-eop The RSGB is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, a former President and Life Vice-President of the Society, and one of the most knowledgeable and respected technical figures in British amateur radio. Peter worked tirelessly for the RSGB, IARU and for all radio amateurs through his spectrum, technical and regulatory work. Read a full tribute to Peter at rsgb.org/sk On Saturday the 12th of September lots of amateur radio stations will be on the air to take part in the Churches and Chapels on the Air event, also known as CHOTA. The event will take place from 10am to 4pm. Although stations will be working on a variety of bands and modes, most operating will take place on the 40m band using SSB. More details are available at wacral.org The Fourteenth Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT 2026 will take place between 10.30am and 5pm on Saturday the 31st of October 2026 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife. An interesting programme of speakers has been arranged. Microwave test facilities will be provided and there will be an opportunity to buy components and microwave-related items. An optional dinner will be held in the evening at the Kingswood Hotel, Burntisland. Full information and online registration are available at gmroundtable.org.uk Alternatively, email Colin, GM4HWO via gm4hwo@gmail.com for more information. The numbers for the day event are limited to 50 so please book early to avoid disappointment. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 16th of August, the North Wales Amateur Radio Group Rally and Tabletop Sale takes place at the Bryn Cadno Community Centre, Upper Colwyn Bay. The doors open at 10am and the entry fee is £3. Light refreshments are available. Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Radio Rally is also taking place today, the 16th of August at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby, CV23 9PY. The doors open to the public from 10am. More details are available at rugbyats.co.uk Also today, the 16th of August, West Manchester Radio Club Red Rose Summer Rally takes place at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh WN7 2PJ. The doors open at 10am. For more information and bookings, contact rally@wmrc.co.uk Now the Special Event news Thornbury and South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio Club has its annual field weekend on Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August in a field off Hook Street, Berkeley GL13 9TH. All are welcome to visit or catch us on the air, club call sign GX4ABC. For further details, contact the Secretary via email at secretary@tsgarc.uk Members of the Scarborough Amateur Radio Society will be operating as GB400SCA on the HF Bands between 10am and 4pm on Sunday the 23rd of August from the grounds of Scarborough Castle. The callsign celebrates 'Scarborough 400', marking 400 years since Scarborough became the UK’s original seaside resort when health-giving spa waters were discovered in the cliffs above the beach. This led to the start of seaside tourism in 1626 and the idea of seaside holidays subsequently spread throughout the UK. Now the DX news Special event station EN35UKR is active until the 30th of August to mark the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. QSL via Logbook of the World or direct via UT2UCN. Curtis, MW0USK and Kevin, MW9KJC are operating as GB64MOD until the 31st of August. The special event station is active to “celebrate the spirit of the Mod movement through amateur radio". Find out more at gb64mod.co.uk 9A10SOTA is the special callsign celebrating ten years of SOTA Croatia. Look out for activity until the 30th of September. QSL via Logbook of the World. Sands, VK4WXW has returned to Willis Island (OC-007) and will be stationed at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s weather monitoring facility until late October or early November. He expects to be increasingly active in the coming weeks and operates SSB and FT8 on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands with a vertical antenna. QSL via M0OXO’s OQRS. Now the contest news Tomorrow, the 17th of August, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80m to 10m bands where contests are permitted bands, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday, the 18th of August, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday, the 20th of August, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 23rd of August, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 5.7GHz and 10GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 13th of August 2026 The 2026 solar eclipse is done and dusted, so we can get back to normal HF propagation predictions. The Solar Flux Index dropped below 100 this week, which is more symbolic than anything. But it shows where we are heading as Solar Cycle 25 drops away. The SFI was 99 on the 13th of August with five sunspot groups visible on the solar surface. Activity has been settled with only 12 minor C-Class solar flares over the past seven days. The Kp index has remained low over the past few days, with just one excursion to 5.33 on the 8th of August thanks to an incoming solar wind stream from a coronal mass ejection. Otherwise, it has been mainly in the ones and twos which bodes well for HF. Sporadic-E effects are still showing up on HF, while we haven’t yet seen the first signs of an autumnal change in conditions. A plot from the Dourbes Digisonde shows that the Maximum Usable Frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path only got as high as 16.8MHz at noon on the 12th of August. There were excursions up to 21.5MHz later in the day but this suggests that 15 and 17m are opening now and again. So keep an eye on the bands. It may sound quiet but they may open up at any time. DX to be worked this week includes A50QO from Bhutan, 3B9/SQ9UM in Rodrigues Island, J68TT from St Lucia, C6AUB in Bahamas from the 19th of August, OJ0JR and OJ0YL from Market Reef and RI1FJL from Franz Josef Land. Next week NOAA predicts that the SFI may remain around the 100-115 mark. We may have unsettled geomagnetic conditions around the 17th to 19th of August, with a predicted maximum Kp of five. More settled conditions are forecast for the 20th of August onwards with a maximum Kp of two. So, it looks like later next week and next weekend will be best for HF DX. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The long spell of settled weather for most southern parts of the country may get a shake up during next week as the high pressure to the east of the country weakens to allow low pressure to move in, bringing some much-needed rain. Northwestern parts of the UK have had cloudier spells with patchy rain recently and there will be more to come next week. The result is that any Tropo effects will be tailing off after this weekend and then it will be the turn of rain scatter as more unsettled weather arrives. Meteor scatter is probably going to ease back slightly after the peak of the Perseids meteor shower last week, although there will still be a random component to keep things going so stick to the hours around dawn for best results. The solar conditions have shown the occasional increase in the Kp index but not enough to get too excited about aurora, although it's still worth keeping an eye out for values going above a KP of six. We are still in the Sporadic-E season and the recent input of Perseids meteor debris has provided some new fuel for Es so it’s by no means all over. The DXcluster maps give a very good idea of the current directions that might prove rewarding. The main North Atlantic jet stream will run across the UK into Scandinavia so paths to the east and northeast could do well, together with the usual paths to the south. In general, it’s still the time of year to check in the morning and again late afternoon for signs of Es activity and if the bands seem quiet then call CQ. For EME operators, we have passed maximum Moon declination and minimum path losses for the month but there's still a few more days of usable Moon time next week if you have a low horizon. Minimum declination and apogee are still over a week away. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #509
    August 7 · 15 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 9th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 9th of August 2026 The news headlines: RSGB announces updated Contest Entry Policy Take part in solar eclipse experiments with the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Improved RSGB Course and Exam finder is now available The RSGB Board has approved an updated Contest Entry Policy following a review, consultation and careful consideration. From the 1st of January 2027, eligibility to participate in RSGB contests will be open to all appropriately licensed radio amateurs, regardless of nationality or location. Entry will be subject only to the legal and regulatory obligations applicable to both the Society and the entrant, together with the relevant contest rules and any applicable RSGB membership requirements. The implementation date has been chosen to allow the Society's HF and VHF Contest Committees sufficient time to prepare contest administration and adjudication systems ahead of the 2027 contest season. The Board considers that this approach reflects the long-established principles of amateur radio, including friendship, cooperation and goodwill between individual operators across national boundaries. It is also consistent with the principles promoted by the International Amateur Radio Union, encouraging international understanding and cooperation through amateur radio. The policy also ensures that all RSGB activities continue to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations. The Board is grateful to the Board subgroup, the members of the HF and VHF Contest Committees, and everyone who contributed to the review of this policy, including the many members who took the time to submit their comments and observations. Full details of the updated Contest Entry Policy are available on the RSGB website. There will be a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday the 12th of August and the RSGB’s Propagation Studies Committee would like your help with some radio experiments. There are three ways that RSGB members can get involved and support the Committee in investigating how the Sun’s ultraviolet and X-ray output affects our ionosphere and how radio waves are propagated. If you are active on the lower bands, including medium wave, 80m and perhaps even 40m, you can report back on your findings on how transmissions are impacted during the eclipse. Alternatively, you could run WSPR on 160, 80 and 40m during the main eclipse period and then repeat the exercise, either the day before or the day after so comparisons can be drawn. Or you could take part in two specially organised RSGB contests on 80m CW and 40m FT8. These are open to non-RSGB members as well. For more details go to rsgb.org/psc and select ‘Projects’ from the right-hand menu. The Course and Exam finder page on the RSGB website is now back online at rsgb.org/examfinder The application has been completely redeveloped, following major works on the Society’s website this summer. It now features a fully responsive layout for mobile devices, plus a clearer and more accessible user interface. You’ll find colour-coded banners for the exam levels offered by each club, plus useful and easy to read accessibility information for each venue. Training providers and exam centres are reminded that any updates need to be submitted to the RSGB Examinations Team via exams@rsgb.org.uk by 3.30pm each Friday, for them to appear the following week. You have one week left to secure your RSGB Convention ticket at early bird prices. Weekend tickets currently stand at £49 and are available until Sunday the 16th of August. Your weekend ticket gives you access to two days’ worth of engaging and informative content from over 40 speakers, including the AMSAT-UK colloquium. Buy your ticket at rsgb.org/convention Find out what else is going on during the weekend by selecting ‘What else is happening at the RSGB 2026 Convention?’ from the right-hand menu of the Convention web pages. Ofcom and the RSGB have formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding under which the RSGB provides the amateur radio licence examinations currently and in the future. The main changes from the original relate to the confidentiality of examination questions and the replacement of the Examinations Audit Committee with 'independent' voting members of the ESC. You can read the latest document by going to rsgb.org/esc The first of this year’s International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekends will run from 0001UTC on Saturday the 15th to 2400UTC on Sunday the 16th of August. The event usually attracts more than 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. To register for the event, and view a list of participating stations, visit illw.net And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 9th, Flight Refuelling Amateur Radio Society Hamfest is taking place at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA. The doors are open from 9am to 3pm. Car-boot and field traders are welcome from 7am. Admission costs £5 and includes parking. Talk-in is on 145.550MHz. For more information visit frars.co.uk On Saturday the 15th of August, DX Commander Fest will be taking place at Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, Warwickshire, CV8 1NP. More information is available at dxcommander.com On Sunday the 16th of August, the North Wales Amateur Radio Group Rally and Tabletop Sale will take place at the Bryn Cadno Community Centre. The doors open at 10am and the entry fee is £3. Light refreshments will be available. To book a table email secretary@nwarg.org Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Radio Rally will be taking place on Sunday the 16th of August at Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby, CV23 9PY. The doors will be open to the public from 10am. More details are available at rugbyats.co.uk Also on Sunday the 16th of August, West Manchester Radio Club Red Rose Summer Rally will take place at Mather Hall, Mather Lane, Leigh WN7 2PJ. The doors open at 10am. For more information and bookings, contact rally@wmrc.co.uk Now the Special Event news Special callsign YR100RC is on the air until the 30th of September to celebrate 100 years of amateur radio in Romania. Look for activity on the HF bands using a variety of modes. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station, visit tinyurl.com/romania1786 Marking the 70th anniversary of the DARC's weekly news broadcast, special callsign DB70DLRS will be on the air until the 31st of December. Look for activity on all bands and modes. QSL via DK5ON, Logbook of the World and the DARC Community Logbook. More information is available at QRZ.com Now the DX news Darek, SP9DLM and his 13-year-old son Greg, SN9GM are active as UK/SP9DLM and UK/SN9GM from Uzbekistan until Saturday the 15th of August. The stations have been worked recently on the HF bands using SSB. QSL via OQRS. Sands, VK4WXW has returned to Willis Island, OC-007, and will be stationed at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's weather monitoring facility until late October or early November. He expects to become increasingly active as VK9WX in the coming weeks. He operates using FT8 and SSB on the 40, 20, 15 and 10m bands. QSL via OQRS. Now the contest news Today, Sunday the 9th, the UK Microwave Group 25GHz Trophy contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 1.2cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB Machine Generated Mode Contest started at 1400UTC on Saturday the 8th and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 9th of August. Using machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is report and your four-character locator. The Worked All Europe DX CW Contest started at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 9th of August. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 11th of August the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 11th, the RSGB UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 12th of August the RSGB Eclipse CW Contest runs from 1630 to 1930UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is report and serial number. Also on Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB Eclipse FT8 Contest runs from 1630 to 1930UTC. Using FT8 on the 40m band, the exchange is your report. On Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 12th, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 13th of August, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 6th of August 2026. The Sun was mostly settled last week with very little to report. The solar flux index declined to 108 by Thursday the 6th of August, with most of the sunspot activity being on one half of the solar surface. Geomagnetic conditions have also been settled with a Kp index mostly below 3 for the past few days. A coronal mass ejection impacted the Earth and pushed the Kp index to 5.67 on Sunday the 2nd of August, but conditions recovered within 24 hours. We’ve even been almost solar flare free with, at the time of writing, only seven minor C-class events over the past three days. So, this all bodes well for HF propagation. 24 and 28MHz are mostly only open to Sporadic-E. Some multi-hop paths are still opening up to the Far East especially, so don’t write off 10m, even if you have to listen to noise for a lot of the day! F2-layer propagation still favours North-South paths on the 10m band. Next week, DX to be worked includes E51KEE from the Cook Islands; YS/WE9G in El Salvador; UK/SP9DLM from Uzbekistan; and OX3LX operating from Greenland. Later in the week look for A50QO in Bhutan; J68TT from St Lucia and OJ0JR and OJ0YL working from Market Reef. NOAA predicts that next week the Sun will remain pretty calm and be in the 105 to 110 range. The Kp index is forecast to be mostly around 2 to 3. So, conditions should remain fair but not disrupted. And don’t forget the solar eclipse on Wednesday the 12th of August. The RSGB has lots of activities planned including two HF contests, WSPR activity and medium- and long-wave monitoring. See the August issue of RadCom for details. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The main theme of the weather during the coming week is one of some settled high-pressure with tropo options, especially early in the coming week. This is likely to be interrupted by occasional periods of low pressure with rain for north westerly areas. The summer weather patterns typically produce a more showery type of rain, even from fronts, giving a reasonable chance of rain scatter. However, activity may be low in the south and east. Of the two modes mentioned above, next week will probably be more biased towards tropo than rain scatter. The Kp index made a brief excursion to 5 last week but seems a bit quieter now. However, it's useful to check now and again in case we find some radio aurora. The meteor scatter options feature strongly this week as the Perseids meteor shower peaks around Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th of August. It's quite interesting to simply leave a receiver on a meteor scatter calling channel to hear the transient signals. The Sporadic-E season continues and, since meteor debris plays a role in providing the ionisation required, the Perseids week is always worth checking for a surprise opening. In terms of jet stream weather patterns, the stronger hints come from looking east towards the Baltic. However, other directions are not to be ignored since even quite small features, such as a slow-moving severe thunderstorm, can have an influence. For EME operators, Moon declination reaches maximum today, Sunday the 9th, when Moon window length and Moon elevation will be at their peak. Path losses are at their lowest at perigee tomorrow, Monday the 10th of August. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate until Wednesday the 12th, when the Sun is close to the Moon in the sky due to the partial eclipse that day. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #508
    July 31 · 15 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for August 2nd 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 2nd of August 2026 The news headlines: Exciting opportunities within the RSGB Regional Team RSGB Examinations Standards Committee publishes annual report Changes to the Youth Committee An exciting volunteer opportunity has arisen to lead the RSGB Regional Team following the decision by George Crawford, GM1DSV to stand down as Regional Forum Chair once the right candidate is appointed. The RSGB would like to express its thanks to George who will be focusing his time on serving Region 1 as its Regional Representative. The role of Regional Forum Chair is ideal for someone who is passionate about amateur radio, teamwork and empowering volunteers. This is a standout volunteer opportunity for someone who wants to make a meaningful impact across all regions, support our dedicated Regional and District Representatives, and strengthen the connection between members, volunteers and the wider organisation. The RSGB is also looking for a Regional Forum Secretary to support the smooth running of activity behind the scenes. This is a fantastic volunteer opportunity for someone who thrives on coordination, communication and teamwork, and wants to play a key role in supporting the Regional Team Chair and the entire Regional Forum. Find out more about both roles, along with details of how to apply, by going to rsgb.org/volunteers You can use the same link to find out about District Representative roles in various regions around the country. The RSGB Examinations Standards Committee, or ESC, has published its annual report, relating to activities in 2025. The report shows that, although overall candidate numbers in 2025 decreased a little compared with 2024, they remain about 20% higher than predictions based on the extrapolation of pre-2019 trends. The ESC believes that this is largely due to the increased accessibility of training courses and examinations online. The ESC noted that the initial feedback received from candidates on the publication of the Full level question bank has been very positive. However, a few months of exam data are needed before the full impact of the measure can be assessed, and then consideration given to rolling it out at other levels. You can read the report by going to rsgb.org/esc and choosing the ‘Minutes, papers and reports’ tab on the righthand side of the web page. RSGB Board Director and Board liaison for the Youth Committee Nathan Nuttall, MM9OCC has announced that the RSGB Youth Chair Chris Aitken, MM0WIC has stepped down from his role as Chair. Chris, who is a teacher at Wick High School, has secured an ARISS contact for his school and will be using his time to focus on activities surrounding this. The current RSGB Youth Vice-Chair Leon Shaw, M0VUF will step up as Chair and the RSGB Youth Champion for Scouts Sam McCutchion, M0UEL will take on the Vice-Chair position. Sam will continue in his role as Scout Champion until a suitable replacement can be found. The RSGB is preparing to launch a new Training and Development Lead pilot role to help rebuild structured engagement with trainers, support new licensees, and strengthen the wider training environment. This 12-month pilot will focus on listening, mapping, evidence gathering and supporting the training community. Some initial information was outlined in the August RadCom strategy update and more details will be shared in August, including how trainers and providers can get involved. The July 2026 issue of RadCom Basics is now available in the RSGB mobile and web app for members to enjoy. RadCom Basics is aimed at newcomers to amateur radio and those who enjoy refreshing their skills and knowledge. The July issue includes articles on DMR for beginners, RF connectors and dummy loads. The full collection of RadCom Basics back issues can be found in the RSGB app or via rsgb.org/radcom Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 2nd, Part 1 of the 2026 British Amateur Television Club Convention 2026 is taking place at Midland Air Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry, CV3 4FR. The event is running from 10am to 4pm and includes show-and-tell, test-and-fix-it and bring-and-buy elements. There are comprehensive test facilities available for all bands from 144MHz to 24GHz. Non-members are welcome. For more information, visit batc.org.uk/events Also today, the 2nd, the Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information, visit becg.org.uk/events Also today, the 2nd, Finningley Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place at the Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road, Sandtoft, Doncaster, DN8 5SX. The doors are open from 10am. Entrance costs £5 per person but under-16s will be admitted free of charge. For more information, visit g0ghk.com Kings Lynn Amateur Radio Club Rally is also taking place today, the 2nd, at Gaywood Community Centre, Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4EL. The doors open at 9am and the entrance fee is £2.50. For more information, email rally.klarc@gmail.com or call 0770 907 4951. On Sunday the 9th of August, Flight Refuelling Amateur Radio Society Hamfest will be taking place at Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA. The doors will be open from 9am to 3pm. Car-boot and field traders are welcome from 7am. Admission costs £5 and includes parking. Talk-in will be on 145.550MHz. For more information visit frars.co.uk Now the Special Event news To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the Croatian Flora and Fauna Amateur Radio Club is active as 9A44FF until the 31st of December. For information about an award that is available for working the station, visit QRZ.com Special callsign LZ75HSC is active to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Radio Telegraphy Highspeed Club. The club was founded in 1951 and to date membership has grown to include more than 1,400 operators spanning every continent. For more information, visit highspeedclub.org Now the DX news Rafal, SQ4O is a member of the 50th Polish Antarctic Expedition to the Henryk Arctowski Station on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, AN-010. He will be working there until October. In his spare time, he will be operating as HF0PAS on the HF bands using CW and SSB. Rafal is also active on the 6m band using FT8. Jan, DL4XT is active as 4K/DL4XT from Azerbaijan until Saturday the 8th of August. Look out for activity using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 20 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World, OQRS and QRZ.com Now the contest news Today, the 2nd of August, the RSGB 432MHz Low Power Contest runs from 0800 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode. The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon started on the 2nd of May and ends today, Sunday the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. On Tuesday the 4th of August, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also on Tuesday the 4th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 5th, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. The RSGB Machine Generated Mode Contest starts at 1400UTC on Saturday the 8th and ends at 1400UTC on Sunday the 9th of August. Using machine-generated modes on the 6 and 2m bands, the exchange is your report and four-character locator. The Worked All Europe DX CW Contest starts at 0000UTC on Saturday the 8th and ends at 2359UTC on Sunday the 9th of August. Using CW on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 9th, the UK Microwave Group 24GHz Trophy Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 1.2cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 30th of July 2026. We’ve had quite a reasonable period of HF propagation over the past seven days. The solar flux index remained quite high and conditions have been quite stable, apart from a geomagnetic disturbance on Thursday the 23rd of July that saw the Kp index rise to 5.33. The solar flux index has been in the 140s and 150s, which bodes well for HF. There have been reliable openings up to at least the 15m band. We are still around eight weeks away from the start of better Autumnal HF conditions, but it is looking promising. At the time of writing there were nine active regions visible on the Sun, bringing a solar flux index of 143 and a sunspot number of 123. However, for software prediction purposes you are better off using August’s current smoothed sunspot number of 84. The sunspots we do have are mostly clustered around the Sun’s equator, which is quite normal for this point in the solar cycle. We normally associate high-latitude sunspots with the beginning of a new cycle, which is still many years away. Paul, GM4ULS reported a contact suddenly vanishing on 5MHz SSB around 1530UTC on Sunday the 26th of July. This was caused by a sudden ionospheric disturbance, or SID, due to an M-class solar flare. A SID usually sounds like someone has just ‘switched off’ the ionosphere, although recovery can be quite quick. DX to be worked next week includes E51KEE on the Cook Islands; YS/WE9G from El Salvador; C6AYM in the Bahamas; T2JK in Tuvalu; UK/SP9DLM from Uzbekistan and OX3LX working from Greenland. The Arctic Legends team is now operating as RI0BU from Uedineniya Island until Friday the 7th of August. The higher bands, such as 15 and 10m, currently favour north-south paths, for example UK to South Africa and South America. The 20m band should be more usable for paths to North America. NOAA predicts that the Sun’s activity may decline slightly in the coming week. A solar flux index in the range 120 to 130 is predicted. A geomagnetic disturbance is forecast for Tuesday the 4th of August, with a predicted Kp index of 4. This should recover over subsequent days, back to a more usual 2 to 3. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The current spells of very hot weather have set their own agenda for radio conditions when it comes to tropo. We have a tick for the high pressure, but the extreme temperatures have meant that the tropo-producing temperature inversions seldom survive the daytime heating over the land. It is only coastal stations that remain in the lift conditions during the daytime. The weather forecast models for the coming period suggest that the weather pattern is trying to become more unsettled but, as in recent weeks, it seems to take a while to materialise in some parts of the country. However, it will bring two changes for radio activity. One is slightly cooler weather and some showery rain, so there is a chance of rain scatter. Secondly, there will perhaps be less reliable tropo as the high pressure weakens. Some potential tropo paths probably remain from the fragmented elements of high pressure, but it may be rather hit and miss. Meteor scatter is worth checking out during the next few weeks with two smaller showers, the Southern Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids peaking at the end of July before the lead-up to the Perseids in mid-August. The solar conditions are still in play for the effects of coronal mass ejections from the Sun and the potential for auroras. So that’s another mode to keep on the list. Lastly, a mention for Sporadic-E which continues through August and produced daily North American openings for many last week. Jet streams are often the driving force for turbulence in the lower atmosphere, and can influence the location of Sporadic-E. In the coming week they will probably not help greatly due to a very weak pattern over Europe. It’s still worth checking out during the two usual windows of activity in the mid-morning and late afternoon. For EME operators, Moon declination is increasing again with consequent northern hemisphere increases in Moon window length and peak Moon elevation. Path losses will decrease as the week progresses towards perigee on Monday the 10th of August. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate all week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #507
    July 24 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for July 26th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 26th of July 2026 The news headlines: Youth activity at the RSGB 2026 Convention Keep up to date with the YOTA camp in Austria RSGB Club Finder back online Are you a young radio amateur? Have you secured your RSGB Convention ticket yet? This year’s Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes will include a wider range of youth-specific activities. This is being arranged by the RSGB Youth Committee in tandem with the main Convention organising team. You’ll find a youth forum with ten-minute lightning talks on youth-focused topics, as well as an opportunity to share your practical projects. There will be a youth panel discussion on how the radio amateur community can encourage and support young people coming into amateur radio. To top that off there will be a chance to get involved with a POTA activation and join an informal youth dinner on the Saturday night. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to meet with like-minded people, develop your network and have lots of fun. If you’re under 21, you will receive free admission to the RSGB Convention. Tickets do not need to be pre-booked and are given on the day. If you’re under the age of 16 you will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. If you are aged over 21, buy your ticket at rsgb.org/convention This year’s Youngsters On The Air summer camp is taking place in the Austrian Alps from the 25th of July to the 1st of August. A team of four young radio amateurs has been selected by the RSGB Youth Committee to represent the Society. The group will be spending six days engaging with like-minded youngsters and learning more about amateur radio. They’ll be taking part in a range of activities including Summits on the Air and also experimenting with underground propagation. From tomorrow, the 27th, you will be able to see regular updates from the group by going to rsgb.org/yota-camp and selecting ‘YOTA Austria 2026’ from the right-hand menu. You can also see updates via the Society’s Facebook, Instagram and X pages. The Club Finder on the RSGB website is now back online at rsgb.org/clubfinder This has been completely redeveloped and now features a fully responsive layout for mobile devices, plus a much clearer and more accessible interface. Clubs are reminded to check their data and to submit any required updates via their club’s Membership Services portal or by emailing membership@rsgb.org.uk Data in Club Finder is updated at 3.30pm every Friday, so please submit updates by then, so that they appear the following week. RSGB members and non-members alike can read the report on this month’s World Radiosport Team Championship in the RSGB’s August publications. The report, written by WRTC Organising Committee member Keith Haynes, G3WRO is available to members via RadCom and to non-members via the Affiliated Clubs Newsletter in the RSGB app. This can be viewed online, on a tablet or mobile phone. Also, you can catch up on all the WRTC livestream videos and additional content at youtube.com/@WRTC2026 The first of this year’s International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekends will run from 0001UTC on Saturday the 15th to 2400UTC on Sunday the 16th of August. The event usually attracts more than 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. To register for the event, and view a list of participating stations, visit illw.net Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events On Sunday the 2nd of August, Part 1 of the 2026 British Amateur Television Club Convention 2026 will be held at Midland Air Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry CV3 4FR. The event will run from 10am to 4pm and include show-and-tell, test and fix-it and bring-and-buy elements. There will be comprehensive test facilities available for all bands from 144MHz to 24GHz. Non-members are welcome. For more information visit batc.org.uk/events The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day on Sunday the 2nd of August from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Also on Sunday the 2nd of August, Finningley Amateur Radio Society Rally is taking place at the Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road, Sandtoft, Doncaster, DN8 5SX. The doors will be open from 10am. Entrance costs £5 per person but under-16s will be admitted free of charge. For more information visit g0ghk.com Kings Lynn Amateur Radio Club Rally is also taking place on Sunday the 2nd of August at Gaywood Community Centre, Gayton Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4EL. The doors open at 9am and the entrance fee is £2.50. An outdoor trader’s stall costs £8 and an indoor one is £10. To book, email rally.klarc@gmail.com or call 0770 907 4951. Now the Special Event news To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the German DX Foundation is active with special callsign DQ30GDXF until the end of the year. QSL via OQRS and Logbook of the World. For details of an award that is available for working the station visit tinyurl.com/gdxf2026 To celebrate his 50th anniversary in amateur radio, Nick, US8AR is active throughout 2026 using special callsign EM50AR. Electronic QSL cards can be downloaded from em50ar.pp.ua Now the DX news Red, DL1BUG is active as TY5FR from Cotonou in West Africa until Tuesday the 4th of August. He is operating using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World or via Red’s home call. The CG2C Group is active on various bands and modes from Cap-aux- Meules, in the Madeleine Islands, NA-038, until Friday the 14th of August. QSL via Logbook of the World and F5JYD. Now the contest news Today, the 26th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The RSGB IOTA Contest started at 1200UTC on Saturday the 25th and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 26th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and IOTA reference. Tomorrow, the 27th, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your report. On Tuesday the 28th, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 1st of August, the EU HF Championship runs from 1200 to 2359UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and the last two digits of the first year you were licensed. Also, on Saturday the 1st of August, the RSGB 4th 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode. Also, on Saturday the 1st of August, the RSGB 144MHz Low Power Contest runs from 1400 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode. On Sunday the 2nd of August, the RSGB 432MHz Lower Power Contest runs from 0800 to 1200UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode. The UK Six Metre Group Summer Marathon started on the 2nd of May and ends on Sunday the 2nd of August. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is your four-character locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 23rd of July 2026 We said last week that there were no coronal holes to worry about. Yet two days later a massive crack appeared on the Sun, stretching over one million kilometres. Luckily, this didn’t amount to much and it had little effect on HF propagation, but it does go to show that solar events can rapidly develop and that long-term forecasts can be tricky. The solar flux index has increased over the past week, and was sitting at 150 as this report was being written. As we suggested earlier, geomagnetic conditions have been quiet with the Kp index generally below 3.5, which bodes well for HF. Solar conditions have been good with only four M-class solar flares and no X-class events. Any coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, have been directed away from Earth. We are still in the summer doldrums, so D-layer absorption remains high and maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, are generally lower than in the autumn and winter. However, we have the IOTA contest this weekend, which is a great opportunity to work some far-flung DX. So why not dust off your radio and get on the air? With mainland Great Britain being an island, you might find you are in demand as EU-005! Other DX to be worked this week includes RI0BW, the Arctic Legends IOTA DXpedition; 3B9HR from Rodrigues Island; PJ7/LA5IIA on St Maarten; TY5FR from Benin; E51CZZ and E51KEE on the Cook Islands; VU4R from the Andaman Islands; and VP5G operating from Turks and Caicos. In the coming week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may fall back to 125 at first, and then down to around 108. Luckily, the Kp index is predicted to remain low, with a predicted Kp of 2, at least until the end of the month. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO There have been good examples of both tropo and Sporadic-E in the last week and there are reasons to continue with some optimism for the coming week. This is still a good period for summer tropo. However, remember that hot days are the enemy of tropo over land and it tends to be sea paths that survive throughout the day, whereas land stations have to make the best of nighttime operations. That said, the main change in the weather pattern this coming week will be that the high pressure, which has been over the Atlantic just west of Britain, shifts into the continent and eventually out of reach by the end of next week. So, the message is to get into the tropo while it's here and use the latter part of the week for perhaps meteor scatter, with the Delta Aquarids peaking in the coming week. There is reserved optimism for this since it’s primarily a southern hemisphere event. Rain scatter has been very hard to find recently but looks like making a comeback as the weather turns more unsettled with sequences of fronts crossing the country. Maybe only patchy weak fronts, but still worth considering. The summer aurora prospects are staying on the marginal side but watch out for Kp index values creeping above 5 before turning your beams north. Sporadic-E, which is rolling along in main summer season fashion, has been very good lately and was producing a full set of bands, up to 2m, last Thursday the 23rd of July. As the weather turns a bit more unsettled, this could help with Sporadic-E. This could happen if the fronts move into the continent and weak jet streams, and possibly thundery cold fronts, create turbulence at the right sort of range over Europe. This will probably favour paths to Scandinavia and to the Balkans. For EME operators, Moon declination reaches minimum today, the 26th, so Moon window lengths and peak Moon elevation are at their lowest value. With apogee yesterday, the 25th, path losses will decrease as the week progresses. 144MHz sky noise is high to start the week, peaking at over 2800 Kelvin today, the 26th, before slowly decreasing in the coming week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #505
    July 10 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for July 12th 2026.

    GB2RS News Sunday the 12th of July 2026 The news headlines: Upcoming IARU Region 1 Conference WRTC 2026 is supported by the RSGB Have you enabled RSGB app notifications on your mobile device? The IARU Region 1 Conference is held every three years. The next one will be in September 2026 and will be hosted by the Austrian member society ÖVSV, which is also celebrating its centenary. Reports and proposals on a wide range of amateur radio topics are available from the conference website at conf.iaru-r1.org/documents The scope includes the more regular topics such as band plans, spectrum matters, EMC and youth. This particular event will also consider updates for amateur radio development, operating and organisational matters. The RSGB has contributed several inputs. More about the event will be shared via the Society’s comms channels and a future edition of RadCom. This year’s World Radiosport Team Championship is taking place in East Anglia in the UK between the 8th and 13th of July. The RSGB is an official partner to the event and representatives from the Society have been on site throughout the week. The team has been supporting various activities including media liaison to raise awareness for WRTC 2026, the RSGB and amateur radio as a whole. You can see coverage of the event in a range of radio and online outlets including BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC News Online, Shropshire Live and the East Anglia Gazette. Links to the coverage are available on the RSGB website. Volunteers at the RSGB National Radio Centre have been busy welcoming competitors, referees, and supporters of WRTC to the Centre, with some enjoying time operating the GB3RS station. Keep up to date with more WRTC news, including the winners of the Championship, by visiting wrtc2026.org Remember to enable RSGB app notifications on your mobile device to be the first to hear when the Society releases the latest edition of RadCom and its sister publications. You’ll also be notified when new editions are added to the collection of back issues. For iOS devices, go to Settings then tap Apps. Locate the RSGB app in the list, and toggle to allow notifications. For Android devices, go to Settings, navigate to Notifications and then tap on App notifications. Locate the RSGB app in the list and toggle to allow notifications. If you haven’t yet downloaded the RSGB app, get the links by going to rsgb.org/radcom RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB visited the RSGB National Radio Centre earlier this month. Steve was on site to deliver two awards to volunteers including the Norman Keith Adams prize and another for outstanding services to the Centre. The RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator Martyn Baker, G0GMB is currently looking for friendly and enthusiastic radio amateurs to join this successful team. If you are able to volunteer a minimum of one, or preferably two, days per month, find out more about the role by visiting rsgb.org/volunteers Don’t forget to listen out for all of the stations that will be on the air today, the 12th, during the 145 Alive event. From 1100 to 1400UTC, many hundreds of operators will be on the air using 145MHz FM and 144MHz SSB. For more information, go to the 145 Alive Facebook page or email 145aliveuk@gmail.com Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 12th, McMichael Radio and Electronics Rally is taking place at White Waltham Airfield, Maidenhead, SL6 3LW. The doors are open from 8am for traders and to the public from 9am. The entry fee for visitors is £4 per person. More details are available at mcmichaelrally.org.uk On Sunday the 19th, Lincoln Short Wave Club Summer Radio Rally will take place at The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors open at 10am and admission costs £3. This in an indoor event and ample free car parking will be available. For more information email m5zzz@outlook.com Amateur radio will feature at the Electromagnetic Field EMF 2026 event taking place from the 16th to the 19th of July at Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1EN. AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club and the UK Microwave Group are teaming up to showcase satellite communications, amateur television and microwave radio experimentation. Throughout the weekend, they plan to demonstrate how radio amateurs communicate via satellites in both low-earth orbit and geostationary orbit, including contacts and digital amateur television via the QO-100 satellite. They also hope to demonstrate microwave operating techniques and experimental radio systems used on the higher amateur bands. Visitors can see live satellite ground-station setups, microwave equipment, an amateur television demonstration and learn how hobbyists build and operate space-related radio technology. Special event callsign GB26EMF will also be active on site. If you are attending the event, drop by to explore satellites, video over radio and the microwave spectrum. More details are available at amsat-uk.org Now the Special Event news To mark the centenary of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters, special callsign ZL100C is on the air until Thursday the 6th of August. QSL via the Bureau and Logbook of the World. Special callsign DL0SOP is active until the 31st of July for the 68th edition of the Sea of Peace Award. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World and eQSL. More information, including the rules and how to apply for an award, is available at dl0sop.darc.de Now the DX news Emil, DL8JJ is active as OX/DL8JJ/P from Greenland until Tuesday the 14th of July. He is operating CW from the main island, NA-018, as well as from Tasiilaq, NA-151. Aldir, PY1SAD is active as 8R1TM from Guyana until Sunday the 26th of July. He operates using CW, digital modes and SSB on the 160 to 6m bands as well as via satellite. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com or directly to Aldir’s home call. Now the contest news Today, the 12th, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The GR2HQ Challenge and IARU HF Championship started at 1200UTC yesterday, the 11th, and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 12th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and ITU Zone. The UK is in Zone 27. On Tuesday the 14th of July, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 14th of July, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 15th of July, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Thursday the 16th of July, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Saturday the 18th of July, the RSGB 70MHz Trophy Contest runs from 1400 to 2000UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number, locator and your two-letter postcode. On Sunday the 19th, the RSGB International Low Power Contest runs from 0900 to 1600UTC. Using CW on the 80, 40 and 20m bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and transmitter power. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 9th of July 2026. We have had another week of mixed HF propagation. We started with a Kp index of 6.33 on Saturday the 4th of July which was caused by a coronal mass ejection, or CME. This caused a strong G3 geomagnetic storm and auroral conditions. A check on the bands on the 4th of July showed poor HF propagation with lower maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, and weak and watery signals from the NCDXF beacons on 14.100MHz. But conditions have since improved and we had a Kp index of less than 3 over the past few days which means the ionosphere has returned to normal. Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined from a high of 203 on Thursday the 2nd of July to a low of 116 on Wednesday the 8th of July. That’s quite a change and means that HF propagation has declined somewhat. An Earth-facing coronal hole has now passed with few effects and currently there is nothing of significance rotating into view. Solar flare activity has also declined with only two M-class flares over the past three days. So, the big question is: what happens next? Active region 4482 on the Sun continues to be a major threat. A solar flare and accompanying CME could soon ruin our chances of good HF conditions. The declining solar flux index hasn’t helped either. Again, NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the 120 to 145 range over the coming week with a Kp index of 2 to 3. So, good news overall. DX to be worked this week includes D73G on Ch’ongsan Island; T22TT from Tuvalu; TY5FR in Benin; RT9K, the Arctic Legends IOTA DXpedition; JK1HFB/JD1 in Ogasawara, OX3LX from Greenland; and VP5G operating from Turks and Caicos. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather is becoming a talking point in terms of the heatwave developing over much of the country, but especially in the south. This has propagation implications too. It's all being driven by a large area of high pressure, which for much of the coming week resides to the north and west of the British Isles. This will give a north-easterly breeze over the south-eastern half of the UK which means it will be blowing in from the North Sea, possibly with areas of low cloud at times. The propagation implication is that this represents almost ideal tropo potential. This is especially the case when the low cloud moves inland and we find a marked contrast between the hot dry air above the inversion and the cool, moist and shallow cloud layer below. However, in high summer the daytime heating over the land degrades the lift during the morning as the temperature inversion gets broken down by the strong sunshine. Northern areas will see the occasional weakening front clip the northwestern fringes of the UK to offer up the only rain scatter prospects available at first. However, some models are starting to suggest a breakdown by the end of the week, so more rain scatter and an end to the tropo. The prospects for aurora depend upon the Kp index, which at the moment is mostly cycling between 1 and 3. This is not anything to generate radio interest, for which a Kp index of 7 is nearer the mark. Meteor showers are still in the random state with the next shower, the Delta Aquarids, coming late in the month. The Sporadic-E season is doing well this year, particularly for digital modes. There have also been events for CW and SSB up to 2m at times. However, not all parts of the country experience an opening, so watch the clusters for early notice of workable paths. EME now, and declination reaches maximum today, the 12th, so Moon window lengths will peak along with maximum Moon elevation. Path losses are still falling, until perigee tomorrow, the 13th. 144MHz sky noise is moderate until Tuesday the 14th when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky, then low for the rest of the week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #504
    July 3 · 16 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for July 5th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 5th of July 2026 The news headlines: Don’t miss the WRTC award opportunities New EMC workshop added to the RSGB Convention programme The RSGB has announced a new Legacy Committee Chair The World Radiosport Team Championship is nearly here! Fifty teams from around the world will come to the UK to compete in the prestigious event, and you have an opportunity to work these special stations and apply for your award. The WRTC contest will be live on a dedicated online platform provided by World Radio League. This is a live scoreboard where you can track your favourite team in real time. Also, when you contact one of the special WRTC stations, you can see it on the WRL platform. If you’re an SSB operator, there are 250 possible QSOs across 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m. Similarly, there are 250 possible QSOs if you are a CW operator. Certificates will be downloadable after the contest, and these will display your total number of QSOs made with the special callsigns. There are different award tiers depending on how many you contact. For full details go to wrtc2026.org and under the competition tab on the righthand side of the page you will see the Awards section. If you want practical advice on identifying the source, and mitigating the effects of, Radio Frequency Interference, the Society’s ‘Finding RFI workshop’ is for you. Part tutorial, part hands-on workshop, the session is an opportunity for RSGB members to learn from RFI experts within the RSGB EMC Committee. Running on Friday the 9th of October at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre in Milton Keynes, the morning will cover sources and effects of RFI with examples of radiated and conducted emissions. In the afternoon, you’ll be exploring radiated emissions by constructing a small loop antenna. Attendees will also see how to use SDR to identify signals and measure their strength. SDR hardware will kindly be provided by SDRplay. You will also be able to seek advice on any RFI problems you may have. You are welcome to join this workshop even if you are not attending the rest of the RSGB 2026 Convention. To find out more and secure your spot visit rsgb.org/convention-workshops The RSGB Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Nuttall, M5BAN as the new Chair of the RSGB Legacy Committee. Brian already has experience of the Legacy Committee having been a member for the last three years. He has been licensed since 2007 and brings extensive amateur radio experience to the role. The RSGB Honorary Treasurer Chris Wood, GD6TWF is the Board Liaison for the Legacy Committee. Chris says that he is looking forward to working with Brian to develop the role of the Legacy Committee and how it operates. You can find out more about the work of the Committee by going to rsgb.org/legacy The RSGB Youth Committee Chair, Chris Aitken, MM0WIC has announced that two new Youth Champions have joined the Committee. Angus Dare, M7NZM is the new Youth Champion for Cadets, whilst Katelyn How, M9KFH is the Youth Champion for Guides. Each has a good level of experience in leading in their respective fields and the Youth Committee is looking forward to seeing youth engagement progress in both areas. Sam McCutchion, M0UEL will continue as the Youth Champion for Scouts. You can contact each of the Champions via the email addresses shown at rsgb.org/youth RSGB representatives attended the Ham Radio exhibition in Friedrichshafen last week. They used the opportunity to talk to the wider amateur radio community, liaise with international colleagues and raise awareness and support for the Society and amateur radio in the UK. The team was delighted by the positive response to the RSGB app and international membership and were happy to welcome new members from around the world. GB2RS Newsreader Esther, GI0AZA also attended the event and read the Society’s weekly broadcast from Germany. Look out for a fuller report on Friedrichshafen in the August issue of RadCom. The RSGB Board would like to thank Andy Talbot, G4JNT for serving as the Chair of the RSGB Technical Forum for 14 years. Andy has recently stepped down from that role and the post will be advertised through RSGB communications channels shortly. The RSGB is pleased that Andy will continue to contribute to the work of the Society through his role as a RadCom technical author. The next in the popular 145 Alive series of events takes place on Sunday the 12th of July from 1100 to 1400UTC. Many hundreds of operators are expected to be on the air using 145MHz FM and 144MHz SSB. For more information, go to the 145 Alive Facebook page or email 145aliveuk@gmail.com Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Barford Norfolk Radio Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 5th, at Barford Village Hall and Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB. The doors open at 9am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry costs £3 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. For more details visit tinyurl.com/Barford2026 or email David, G7URP at radio@dcpmicro.com Today, Sunday the 5th, The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Also today, Sunday the 5th, Newbury Radio Rally is taking place at Newbury Showground, RG18 9QZ. The entrance fee for visitors is £4 per person but there is no charge for under 16s. Free parking is available on site. For more information visit nadars.org.uk/rally.asp On Saturday the 11th of July, the Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club Radio Rally will take place at Welwick Village Hall, Northfield Lane, HU12 0SH. The doors open at 10am and entrance costs £3.50 per visitor. Under-14s will be admitted free of charge. For more information or to book a table, email rally@hfdxarc.com Now the Special Event news Amateur radio operators across the USA, Canada and Mexico are activating a series of special callsigns to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Stations are active until the 19th of July from each of the cities hosting the tournament. Look out for activity on all bands and modes. For more information visit wc2026ses.org Members of Swissair Radio Amateur Club, HB9VC are active as HB200LF until the 31st of July. The special callsign is in operation to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Favre. In 1872 the Swiss engineer built the first Gotthard railway tunnel – the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time. See QRZ.com for details of a certificate that is available for working the station. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and Club Log. Now the DX news Franco, IZ5IUY is active as IL7/IZ5IUY from San Domino Island, EU-050, until the 9th of July. He is operating using SSB on the 40 to 6m bands, as well as on the 2m and 70cm bands. QSL via Franco’s home call is preferred. Pierre, VK3KTB is active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, NA-008, until Wednesday the 22nd of July. He operates CW, FT8 and SSB on various bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and OQRS. Now the contest news RSGB VHF National Field Day and the RSGB VHF Fixed Station Contest started at 1400UTC yesterday, the 4th, and run until 1400UTC today, Sunday the 5th of July. Using all modes on the 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, today, Sunday the 5th of July, the RSGB 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Tomorrow, the 6th, the RSGB 80m CW Club Championship Contest runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Tuesday the 7th, the RSGB 144MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on Tuesday the 7th, the RSGB 144MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 8th of July, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 8th of July, the RSGB 432MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 70cm band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. On Thursday the 9th, the RSGB 50MHz UK Activity Contest runs from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The GR2HQ Challenge and IARU HF Championship start at 1200UTC on Saturday the 11th and ends at 1200UTC on Sunday the 12th of July. Using CW and SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and ITU Zone. The UK is in Zone 27. On Sunday the 12th, the UK Microwave Group 24, 47 and 76GHz Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on the 24 to 76GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 2nd of July 2026 Last week we warned you about some large sunspots about to turn into view. It turns out that regions 4478 and 4479 were even bigger than we thought! The result was that the solar flux index climbed into the low 200s, but we also had solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, to contend with. As well as one X-class flare, the strongest, we also had 13 M-class flares. The X-class event inevitably led to a CME which could potentially affect the ionosphere today, the 5th. Expect the Kp index to rise with a corresponding fall in the maximum useable frequency, should the Bz swing south. Note that the solar wind speed has been at more than 400 kilometres per second for a few days, but so far its north-facing Bz field has saved us from more HF disruption. Daytime maximum useable frequencies have been peaking to around 21 to 22MHz, but blanketing Sporadic-E is often preventing signals from reaching the higher F2 layer. DX to be worked this week includes TJ1GD/P on Mondoleh Island; FO/F6BCW from French Polynesia; JD1BQP in Ogasawara; OX/DL8JJ in Greenland; TY5FR from Benin; FP/KV1J from St Pierre and Miquelon; FS/F4EQE in Saint Martin; and RT9K, the Arctic Legends IOTA DXpedition. This weekend also features the Marconi Memorial HF Contest; the Original QRP Contest; the PODXS 070 Club 40m Firecracker Sprint; and the FOC Old School Classic 1960s QSO Party. So, there's plenty to get your teeth into. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may decline to be in the 140 to 175 range. The Kp index is forecast to be unsettled on Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th of July, perhaps hitting 4. Otherwise, it should be around 2. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The bulk of the coming week will see high pressure centred to the southwest of the British Isles with a broad north-westerly wind across the UK. This will mean that tropo will remain a feature, especially for southwestern areas up the Irish Sea and down across Biscay to Spain, the Azores and Canaries. The presence of a weak frontal zone running southeast across the UK will provide some occasional patchy rain which is not particularly good for rain scatter. We're not expecting too strong a showing for aurora either. However, look out for a Kp index greater than 5, if that’s your interest. There are no significant meteor showers at the moment so random activity favouring the early dawn period will probably be the best chance for QSOs. Sporadic-E has been outstanding recently, especially on digital modes, with long openings up to 144MHz. We are still very much in the main part of the season. The distribution of the jet streams during the coming week still appears to favour Scandinavia and the Baltic paths for Sporadic-E, but with possible extensions into the Balkans as the jet stream digs south. The coming period will continue to provide Sporadic-E and tropo on the same day but, due to different causes, should be separable by the direction of the opening. Tropo events will usually be longer in duration, whereas Sporadic-E is more fleeting. Remember, on a busy day, not all VHF DX will be the result of Sporadic-E and you could be dealing with a hybrid Sporadic-E and tropo day. EME now, and declination is rising, going positive tomorrow, the 6th, so Moon window lengths increase. Path losses are falling, but perigee, the Moon’s closest point to Earth, is still over a week away on Monday the 13th of July. 144MHz sky noise is low all week. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #503
    June 24 · 14 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for June 28th 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 28th of June 2026 The news headlines: Join Tonight@8 in July to learn about this summer’s solar eclipse and how you can take part New speakers confirmed for the RSGB 2026 Convention Send your nominations for the RSGB G5RP Trophy Did you know that a solar eclipse will be visible in the UK this Summer? It will be a total eclipse for areas west of the UK and at its maximum there will be about 90% totality. This lends itself to unique opportunities for HF propagation experiments, and you can get involved! In a special Tonight@8 on Monday the 6th of July, RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Chair Steve Nichols, G0KYA will explain how the Committee has been drawing up plans for RSGB members to participate. These include experiments with monitoring medium wave stations in the UK, Morocco and Algeria. An 80m CW contest is also being arranged and other radio amateurs are being encouraged to run WSPR on 80m during the eclipse. During the webinar, Steve will outline what you can expect and why, as well as how you can take part. You can join the webinar and ask questions live via the RSGB’s YouTube channel or special BATC channel. You can view the latest Tonight@8 programme by visiting rsgb.org/webinars Are you up to date on the latest developments in the Microwave community? Or perhaps you’d like to learn about Low Earth Orbiting satellites? Maybe you’d like to improve your knowledge on the pioneering women of British amateur radio? Or are you interested in understanding your SDR through IQ visualisation? These are all topics that the RSGB is excited to have on the programme for its upcoming Convention between the 9th and 11th of October 2026. You can see the full speaker list by going to rsgb.org/convention and selecting ‘RSGB 2026 Convention – speakers’ from the righthand menu. The Society has confirmed that it has frozen ticket prices, and you can buy this year’s ticket at last year’s price! This means you can make the most of the early-bird pricing and buy your weekend ticket for just £49. Buy your ticket now and enjoy a weekend of learning, inspiration and making connections. The RSGB G5RP Trophy is an annual award to encourage newcomers to HF DXing. The award is open to anyone who has recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. If you are an established HF DXer and want to recommend someone to be awarded the G5RP Trophy for 2026, now is the time to send in your nomination. Your nominee should be an up-and-coming HF DXer who has made rapid progress in the last year and has some real achievements to show, for example, a good total of new countries worked or some substantial HF DXpedition activity. Please send your nominations to RSGB HF Manager Ian Greenshields, G4FSU via hf.manager@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for nominations is Friday the 11th of September 2026. Are you studying for your Foundation or Intermediate level exam? Did you know that the RSGB recently released three new mock exams for each level? The new papers take into account all the changes to the syllabus and exam question bank that have been made since the last sets of mock exam papers were published. Make sure you are using these latest versions for your revision by going to rsgb.org/mock-exams The famous Grimeton Radio Station will be on the air on Sunday the 5th of July. The unique Alexanderson alternator, with the callsign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions on 17.2kHz using CW. At 0830UTC, the alternator will be started up and at 0900UTC the first transmission will take place. A second transmission is scheduled for 1300UTC. You can read more about the event and the historic transmitter at alexander.n.se And finally, don’t forget to listen out for all the amateur stations that will be on the air for International Museums on the Air today, the 28th of June. For more information about the event visit tinyurl.com/imota2026 Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 28th, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally is taking place at Penair School in Truro. The doors open at 10.15am and admission costs £3. Traders, bring and buy and refreshments are available on site. For more information email janluke1954@hotmail.co.uk Barford Norfolk Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 5th of July at Barford Village Hall and Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB. The doors open at 9am for visitors. The event features trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, a charity raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry costs £3 per person but under 16s will be admitted free of charge. For more details visit tinyurl.com/Barford2026 or email David, G7URP at radio@dcpmicro.com The Broadcast Engineering Museum has an open day on Sunday the 5th of July, from 11am. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world. For more information visit becg.org.uk/events Also on Sunday the 5th of July, Newbury Radio Rally will be taking place at Newbury Showground, RG18 9QZ. The entrance fee for visitors is £4 per person but there is no charge for under 16s. Free parking is available on site. For more information visit nadars.org.uk/rally.asp Now the Special Event news Special callsign DQ40CNP is in use until the 11th of July to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster. The station has been worked recently on the HF bands using FT8. QSL via DL1EAL. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, eQSL, the DARC Community Logbook, QRZ.com and Club Log. Amateur radio operators across the USA, Canada and Mexico are activating a series of special callsigns to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Stations are active until the 19th of July from each of the cities hosting the tournament. Look out for activity on all bands and modes. For more information visit wc2026ses.org Now the DX news Chas, NK8O is active as 5H3DX from Tanzania until Thursday the 2nd of July. He operates using CW, FT4 and FT8 on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to NK8O. Darek, TJ1GD is active from Mondoleh Island in Cameroon, AF-095, until Wednesday the 15th of July. See QRZ.com for QSL instructions. Now the contest news Today, the 28th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also today, the 28th, the RSGB 50MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using CW on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday the 1st of July, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity four-hour Contest runs from 1700 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Also on Wednesday the 1st of July, the RSGB 144MHz FT8 Activity two-hour Contest runs from 1900 to 2100UTC. Using FT8 on the 2m band, the exchange is report and four-character locator. Stations entering the four-hour contest may also enter the two-hour contest. RSGB VHF National Field Day and the RSGB VHF Fixed Station Contest start at 1400UTC on Saturday the 4th and run until 1400UTC on Sunday the 5th of July. Using all modes on the 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Sunday the 5th of July, the RSGB 3rd 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Tuesday the 23rd of June 2026. Things have been quiet on the solar front but that may be about to change. The solar flux index has been sitting around the low 120s for a few days and the geomagnetic Kp index has been below 2. Other than a couple of M-class solar flares, activity has been rather quiet. One of the flares was the source of a faint, easterly-directed coronal mass ejection, or CME, with no Earth-directed component. But there are a number of solar features that could change all that. Firstly, a coronal hole on the Sun’s surface became geoeffective on Wednesday the 24th meaning a solar wind stream could impact the Earth. Expect the Kp index to rise, perhaps to 4 as a result, and maximum useable frequencies to drop. Hopefully today, the 28th, this will clear. Meanwhile, a large sunspot group is due to appear from around the Sun’s eastern limb. The cluster as observed by the ESA solar orbiter spacecraft shows arch-like structures known as coronal loops seen towering over the east limb. Quite what this will do for HF propagation is hard to say so keep an eye on solarham.com for updates. DX to be worked next week includes FP/KV1J from St Pierre and Miquelon; JD1BQP from Ogasawara; 5H3DX in Tanzania; CN2NQV from Morocco; FO/F6BCW in French Polynesia; and PJ2/PH2M operating from Curacao HF conditions have been relatively poor with many stations complaining that there is not much activity. A quick check revealed little action on 21MHz and higher, other than Sporadic-E openings. So, it looks like 14 and 18MHz are the main DX bands at the moment. NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may increase to 145 by Wednesday the 1st of July. Once we get over the effects of the coronal hole’s high-speed solar wind stream the Kp index is predicted to go back down to 2. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The typical high summer patterns of jet streams take a step back in mid-summer. However, any that do crop up can give plenty of value for Sporadic-E since the ionosphere is well primed by meteor debris from the June Bootids. Multi-hop Sporadic-E paths to the US and Far East are likely to be a surprise at times, often short-lasting for individual stations, but overall it is a good time of the season to be optimistic. It can be a challenge at this time of year since tropo is also a strong player due to the hot air from the land moving out across the cooler sea water around the UK. This provides ideal duct conditions that persist over the waters throughout the day but may struggle for stations well inland. It can also cause confusion as to whether you are working Sporadic-E or tropo on occasions. If it is tropo, it will be much longer lasting and particularly good overnight on the high bands. If the path works on the 70cm band it is probably tropo. Meteor scatter is best around the random period maximum, which is just around dawn. Rain scatter is a good option. Watch for lightning activity as a clue for intense precipitation. If you are fed up with all that, the long-shot option might be aurora, but that is relatively rare in high summer and not visible easily. EME now, and path losses are high as the Moon is near apogee, its furthest point from Earth. Declination is also at a minimum. Sky noise is currently high but will improve as the week goes on. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

  • #502
    June 19 · 15 min

    RSGB GB2RS News Bulletin for June 21st 2026

    GB2RS News Sunday the 21st of June 2026 The news headlines: The RSGB QSL Bureau issues final notice on the use of the old address The RSGB Intruder Watch team is looking for volunteers Join the RSGB in commemorating the closure of BBC Radio 4’s Long Wave service on 198kHz The RSGB QSL Bureau has issued a final notice to those still using the old QSL Bureau address. A new system was introduced in January 2026 and users of the Bureau were advised that all outgoing QSL cards now need to be sent to RSGB QSL Bureau, PO Box 73, 20 St. Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1ZL. Anything sent to the old address from Wednesday the 1st of July 2026 will either be returned by Royal Mail, where the address is known, or otherwise is likely to be lost or destroyed. Details of the new RSGB QSL Service can be found at rsgb.org/qsl The RSGB would also like to remind amateurs with G7 callsigns that the new sub-manager is Anthony Holles, G4AAV. Anthony has many cards waiting to be sent but has received very few stamped addressed envelopes, so please make contact with him if you wish to receive your cards. Contact details for all sub-managers can be found by selecting ‘List of QSL sub-managers’ from the right-hand menu on the QSL Bureau web pages. The RSGB Monitoring System, more popularly known as Intruder Watch, is a service that monitors the primary amateur service allocations. The team reports any unauthorised transmissions to the IARU Intruder Watch team and, where appropriate, Ofcom. The RSGB Intruder Watch Coordinator Ian Suart, GM4AUP is looking for volunteers to assist the team with this important service. You would monitor the amateur allocations as required and pass any concerns to Ian. If you’d like to find out more, contact Ian at iw@rsgb.org.uk The RSGB, together with the BBC Amateur Radio Group, will be marking the closure of BBC Radio 4’s Long Wave service on 198kHz. The Long Wave transmitting stations at Droitwich in Worcestershire, Westerglen near Stirling in Scotland and Burghead overlooking the Moray Firth also in Scotland, will all be closed down on Saturday the 27th of June 2026. The special event station GB1500M will be active from today, Sunday the 21st, until Sunday the 28th of June. Three radio clubs will also be commemorating the closure by activating special callsigns. A commemorative QSL card is available. You can find out more by going to rsgb.org/longwave-transmitters You can also find out how to become a GB1500M activator using the same link. Ham Radio 2026 takes place in Friedrichshafen this week from the 26th to the 28th of June. For the first time ever, the event will bring together amateur radio and astronomy in a single platform as the Astro trade fair will take place alongside the Ham Radio exhibition. The opening event will provide information on current developments in amateur radio and the many connections between radio technology and astronomy, which are central to this year’s trade show focus. RSGB President Bob Beebe, GU4YOX is one of the guest speakers at the opening event. He will speak about the collaboration between DARC and the RSGB in providing an updated QSL Bureau Service for RSGB members – an innovative project that brings amateur radio together across borders. If you’re going to Friedrichshafen this year, why not come along to the RSGB stand and say hello – the team would love to see you! International Women in Engineering Day is on Tuesday the 23rd of June and has the theme of Engineering Intelligence. The day is an opportunity to recognise the women engineers who solve complex challenges and help drive change. STEM subjects, which include engineering, can be an effective way for the RSGB to introduce amateur radio to new audiences and young people. The RSGB has supported this day over a number of years and has interviewed women to find out how amateur radio has helped them in their STEM careers. You can read these profiles by going to rsgb.org/inwed The RSGB Youth Committee has announced that a fourth person will be joining the RSGB team at this year’s YOTA Summer Camp in Austria. Henry, M0KUQ is an active radio amateur and was recently involved in re-forming the Imperial College London Wireless Society, of which he is President. You can find out more about Henry, as well as the rest of the team, by going to rsgb.org/yota-camp and selecting YOTA Austria 2026 from the right-hand menu. And finally, don’t forget to listen out for all the amateur stations that will be on the air for International Museums on the Air today, the 21st of June. For more information about the event visit tinyurl.com/imota2026 Please note that the submission deadline for the GB2RS News on Sunday the 28th of June is earlier than usual. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk by 12pm on Tuesday the 23rd of June. And now for details of rallies and events Today, the 21st of June, the East Suffolk Wireless Revival, also known as the Ipswich Radio Rally, will be held at Kirton Recreation Ground, Back Road, Kirton IP10 0PW. The doors open at 9.30am and the entry fee for visitors is £3. More details are available at eswr.org.uk On Sunday the 28th of June, the Cornish Radio Amateur Club Rally will take place at Penair School in Truro. The doors open at 10.15am and admission costs £3. Traders, bring and buy and refreshments will be available on site. For bookings contact James on 01209 716 351 or email janluke1954@hotmail.co.uk Now the Special Event news Herts and Essex Amateur Radio Society will be active with the callsign GB0MHF during International Museums on the Air on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of June. Operators at Much Hadham Forge will be waiting to take your call on 40m SSB and 2m FM. See QRZ.com for more information. Special callsign YR100RC is on the air until the 30th of September to celebrate 100 years of amateur radio activity in Romania. Look for activity on the HF bands using a variety of modes. For details of a certificate that is available for working the station, visit tinyurl.com/romania1786 Marking the 70th anniversary of the DARC's weekly news broadcast, special callsign DB70DLRS will be on the air until the 31st of December. Look for activity on all bands and modes. QSL via DK5ON, Logbook of the World and the DARC Community Logbook. More information is available at QRZ.com Now the DX news Olafur, TF1OL is active as D4OL from Boa Vista Island, AF-086, in Cape Verde until tomorrow, the 22nd. Look for activity using FT8 and FT4 on the 80 to 6m bands. QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World and QRZ.com Chas, NK8O is operating as 5H3DX from Tanzania until Thursday the 2nd of July. He is active using CW, FT8 and FT4 on the 40 to 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World or directly to NK8O. Now the contest news Today, the 21st of June, the Worked All Britain 50MHz Phone Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using SSB on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and Worked All Britain square. The All Asian DX Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the 20th, and ends at 2359UTC today, Sunday the 21st of June. Using CW on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and your age. The RSGB 50MHz Trophy Contest started at 1400UTC yesterday, the 20th, and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 21st of June. Using all modes on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Tuesday the 23rd of June, the RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. On Thursday the 25th of June, the RSGB 80m SSB Club Championship runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using SSB on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and serial number. On Sunday the 28th, the UK Microwave Group High Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also, on, Sunday the 28th of June, the RSGB 50MHz CW Contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. Using CW on the 6m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday the 18th of June 2026. We had a quiet week geomagnetically, but the solar flux has also declined. Over the past week, the Kp index never rose above 2 or 3, with only one three-hour excursion to 5 on Thursday the 11th of June. This bodes well for HF propagation, but the solar flux index has declined from its recent high of 148 on Thursday the 4th of June to be in the 110 to 120 range over the past week. As a result, the Sun is looking a little sparse when it comes to sunspots. This, coupled with the summer doldrums, has seen maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, drop and DX has been limited to 21MHz and below. The 10m band has been mainly open to Sporadic-E, with some multi-hop openings giving the appearance of F2-region propagation at times. DX to be worked over the coming week includes: D44EC from Cape Verde; PJ2/PH2M from Curacao; 3G0YM on Easter Island; FS/K9EL operating from St Martin; 5R8EC from Madagascar; and OX3LX working from Greenland. Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index may increase slightly to be in the 130 to 140 range, although this will need some new additional sunspots. Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be quiet with a maximum Kp index of 2. We may see a slight upturn on Tuesday the 23rd of June, when the Kp index is predicted to rise to 4, mainly due to an enhanced solar wind. To recap, Summer is a time when paradoxically daytime maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, tend to be lower than in autumn and winter. However, nighttime MUFs can be higher, with the potential for the 30 and 20m bands to be open all night. ARRL Field Day will run from 1800UTC on Saturday the 27th of June to 2100UTC on Sunday the 28th of June. This may be an opportunity to work some US portable stations who will be very pleased to contact you. And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO The weather models are a bit undecided about how the coming week will evolve. One option is for predominantly high pressure and a chance of some summer tropo, which may persist over the sea, but is limited inland by daytime heating. Tropo operators should focus on nighttime conditions, unless located right on the coasts. The other weather model suggests that low pressure will probably win out over northern areas and occasionally in the south, so rain scatter may be likely and it would need some heavy thundery showers to get the best results. High summer is not the best for aurora. The Kp index ideally needs to be at least above 5 before we can get excited. Meteor scatter operators have been making use of the decaying Arietids from earlier in June. The second shower of interest this month is the June Bootids. The window of activity will be from tomorrow, the 22nd, to Thursday the 2nd of July with the peak on Saturday the 27th of June. The Sporadic-E season is progressing with most days offering something from the 10 and 6m bands within Europe. However, there are limited possibilities on the 2m band. As usual, digital modes will be the first to see results, so use the FT8 paths as a guide for the other modes which should follow as the Sporadic-E intensifies. Multi-hop paths do happen regularly but require beams and a lot of luck for several Sporadic-E patches to align. This means the best policy will be listening at the right time. This is in the morning for the paths to the Far East and in the evening for those to the States and Caribbean. EME now and Moon declination is decreasing again, going negative today, the 21st, with path losses rising now the Moon is past perigee. This means shortening Moon windows and lower peak Moon elevation as the week progresses. 144MHz sky temperature is low, rising to moderate by Friday the 26th of June. And that’s all from the propagation team this week.

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