WEEKLY BULLETIN 17 February 2017
THE PAST WEEK –
Sunday net on 80m: just the hard core faithful. Some think it should move to 160m, others fear that the outliers will be unable to make themselves heard. Yet others fear that we will lose even those participants that we have. And yet,and yet.. the one experiment conducted on 160m before Christmas brought in 3 times more participants than support the existing net. !
Wednesday
Hush! Hush! WSPR who dares…..
PHIl, IP, U, D, U is sending his prayers……
(Thanks to A.A.Milne)
And to some effect, moreover, because , following a 190 second 200mw prayer via the club’s HF antenna on 20m, (he told us) his prayers were answered by numerous reception stations all over europe or ,to be more precise, symbolic blobs were produced on a computer screen displaying an outline map.
Phil’s explanations were necessarily intermittent and spasmodic because interspersed with attention to the equipment but some understanding was gained by those who plied him with questions behind his back.
Am I the only one to have shivered inwardly on hearing that….
No human participation is needed, either at the transmitter or the receiver ; the whole thing can be left to operate itself. It will auto-record the results for some future humanoid to access and then act.
Still reeling from this Jules Verne scenario I engaged in conversation with our gallant contest manager and apologised for my rough sending, compared with his impeccable fist, during a recent contest contact. “Oh, that ” he said “ of course, during contests all sending is done by the computer” H E L P !
NEW PREMISES
AlanGNX told us that the rumoured potential premises at a secret location in Southwick are were now unlikely to happen. Speculation is rife about why the committee does not favour ‘ Norman’s ‘ “ideal” place in Lancing. The reason for all this secrecy is itself a closely guarded secret but is giving rise to ‘restlessness’ among we humble spear-carriers.
Why all the secrecy?
Is it time for the Chairman to make a progress statement ?
On the reflector….keep up instant reporting of any unusual stations as and when you hear them. Stuart’s report of EG5ANT coming in like a ton of bricks from the Antarctic on 20m today was a classic example of how each of us can help the rest.
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Rallies this weekend.
No amateur radio but lots of space-filling stuff and nostalgia.
19 February 2017 Audiojumble
The Angel Leisure Centre, Angel Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SF
Secondhand and vintage hifi event. Vintage & modern hifi, valve amps,
speakers, turntables, tuners, tape-recorders, CD players, records,
components, books & vintage radios, Norman..
Details: http://www.audiojumble.co.uk/12 February 2017 Harwell Radio & Electronics Rally
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DX News
17 February, 2017
T
JAMAICA, ( No she was quite willing ) 6Y. Yuri, VE3DZ is QRV as 6Y2T until February 21.
Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. He will be a Single Op/All Band/High Power entry in the ARRL International DX CW contest. QSL to home call.
BARBADOS, 8P. Tom, W2SC will be QRV as 8P5A in the ARRL International DX CW contest as Single Op/All Band/High Power entry.
QSL direct to NN1N.
BAHAMAS, C6. Operators N4UM, K4RUM and N4BP are QRV as C6ARU, C6AUM and C6AKQ, respectively, from Abaco Island, IOTA NA-080, until February 21. Activity is on 160 to 6 meters using mainly CW with some RTTY, other digital modes, and possibly SSB. Each operator will be QRV in the ARRL International DX CW contest as Single Band entries on 20, 40, and 80 meters, respectively. QSL direct to home calls.
- KITTS AND NEVIS, V4. Felipe, NP4Z will be QRV as V43Z in the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Single Op/All Band entry. QSL via operator’s instructions.
AUSTRALIA, VK. Members from the Darwin Amateur Radio Club will be QRV with special event call sign VI8BOD from February 18 to March 28 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War II bombing of Darwin by the F Japanese.. QSL via bureau.
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, VP5. Members of the Minnesota Wireless Association will be QRV as VP5K from Providenciales Island, IOTA NA-002, during the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Multi Single/High Power entry. Look for VP5/K0PC and VP5/AC0W to be active outside the contest until February 22. QSL VP5/K0PC and VP5K via K0PC and VP5/AC0W via AC0W.
BURKINA FASO, XT. Elvira, IV3FSG is here working on the project of Informatici Senza Frontiere ONLUS and QRV in her spare time as XT2SE
until March 13. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters using SSB and various digital modes. QSL via IK3GES.
CAYMAN ISLANDS, ZF. Dan, N6MJ is QRV as ZF2MJ. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters. He will be active in the ARRL International DX CW contest as a Single Op/All Band/High Power en
UPPER BEEDING, WADARC sunday morning 80 m NET ON 3712 kc/s at 07.30 GMT February 19
Starting tonight in USA is the Novice Rig Roundup, which is an on-air activity concentrating on operating old Novice ham transmitters from the 1950’s and 1960’s, which was all crystal controlled and 75 watts or less, CW only (except for AM on 2 meters).
Check ARRL website for more details:
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Programme of club events
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Solar conditions
Were :
In the last reporting week (February 9 to 15) average daily sunspot numbers declined from 21.3 to 17.6, and average daily solar flux rose from 73.5 to 75.1. Average planetary A index dropped from 12.9 to 4.7, and mid-latitude A index from 9.9 to 2.9.
Predicted solar flux is 74 on February 17 to 19, then 77, 80, 83, 85 and 80 on February 20 to 24, 78 on February 25 and 26, 76 on February 27 and 28, 75 on March 1 and 2, 73 on March 3 and 4, 72 on March 5 to 7, 73 and 74 on March 8 and 9, 75 on March 10 and 11, 78 on March 12 to 15, 80 on March 16 to 18, then 82, 85 and 82 on March 19 to 21, 80 on March 22 and 23, 78 on March 24 and 25, 76 on March 26 and 27, 75 on March 28 and 29 and 73 on March 30 and 31.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 10 and 8 on February 17 and 19, 5 on February 20 and 21, 8 and 14 on February 22 and 23, 10 on February 24 and 25, then 5, 25, 30, 25 and 20 on February 26 through March 2, 15 on March 3 to 5, 8 on March 6, 5 on March 7 to 12, then 8, 12 and 10 on March 13 to 15, 8 on March 16 and 17, 5 on March 18 to 20, then 10 and 15 on March 21 and 22, then 10 on March 23 and 24 and 5, 25, 30, 25 and 20 on March 25 to 29, and 15 on March 30 through April 1.
Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period February 17 to March 15, 2017 from F.K. Janda, OK1HH:
Geomagnetic field will be:
Quiet on February 21, 24, 26, March 8, 11 and 12 Mostly quiet on February 19 and 20, March 9 and 10 Quiet to unsettled February 17, March 4, 7, 13 to 15 Quiet to active on February 18, 25, March 3, 6 Active to disturbed on February (22 and 23,) 27 and 28, March 1 and 2, 5
Increases in solar wind from coronal holes are expected on February 16 and 17, (18 to 22, 26 and 27,) March 2 to 5
Remark:
– Brackets above means lower probability of activity enhancement.
Check ARRL website
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Weekly Comment
Only 1 week to go to the CQ world-wide 160m SSB contest. Are you top-band-antenna-ready ?
DO WE NEED A BUS ? OZ Youth take up amateur radio
ABC reports Australian youth are taking up amateur radio from inside a central Victorian bus in the bush
Castlemaine student Kezia Hamilton is a product of radio communications, so to speak — her parents met while talking on CB radio as teenagers.
The 17-year-old is part of a group of eight Castlemaine Venturers learning amateur radio in a converted bus located on a bush block on the outskirts of town.
“It’s pretty cool talking to other people! We once had someone from France and we talked to a couple of people in New Zealand,” Kezia said.
“I really like the idea that you can talk to people in space — that sounds really exciting.”
Kezia is referring to the time a group of Nepalese students were able to chat with UK astronaut Tim Peake while he was aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last year.
But it is not just the fun factor of amateur radio that appeals to Kezia.
“I think it could be very useful in emergencies and stuff because sometimes the phone towers break down,” she said.
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The weekly message:
Freebie table.
Respect the Freebie Table (or sometimes it’s just the freebie shelf.) Do not put your valuables on it for even nano-seconds. Members will assume it is free for the taking, with risk of accusations/misunderstandings and possibly immoderate verbal exchanges. Park your stuff elsewhere; ANYTHING on the freebie table is treated as FREE.
BryanGVB
