1 GB2RS NEWS Sunday 16 March

The news headlines

* RSGB AGM venue announced

* Two major events for microwavers

* ARRL awards funds for DXpeditions This year's RSGB AGM will take
place in Bristol on Saturday, 19 April. Full details are contained in
the Society's Annual Report which is included with the April edition of
RadCom, due to arrive with members around the Easter holiday. The event
will also include an EGM and an open forum session. The UK Microwave
Group Spring Round Table is to be held at the University of Bath on
Sunday 20 April by kind invitation of the Department of Electrical
Engineering. The event includes a bring and buy for microwave material,
access to microwave test equipment, a program of lectures and the
opportunity to meet others with an interest in microwave operation.
Admission is free but prior registration is required. More details can
be found and registration completed at www.microwavers.org using the
link to events. The UK Microwave Group's Summer Microwave Round Table
and Workshop will be held this year on 12 and 13 July at the premises
of the Sheffield Amateur Radio Club. The weekend will consist of two
separate but linked activities. These are a workshop on the Saturday
and a conference style meeting on Sunday. The Intermediate Workshop is
aimed at those amateurs who have recently entered into microwave radio
and wish to learn more. It is designed as a follow up to the UK
Microwave Group's 2006-2007 series of Beginners' Workshops. The
conference, or "Round Table", will include lectures, an antenna test
range, a bring and buy and plenty of time for meeting friends and
socialising. It is essential to register for both events so that
catering and overnight accommodation can be organised accordingly.
Anyone interested should register with the organiser, Peter Day, G3PHO,
by email to . Peter would be grateful
if you could give him a definite yes or no to attending either or both
events, as soon as possible. He will send more details on receipt of
your enquiry.

The ARRL has announced they have granted Colvin Award funds to three
2008 DXpeditions. These are the VP6DX Ducie Island DXpedition, the TX5C
DXpedition to Clipperton Island and the 9X0R DXpedition to Rwanda.
These three DXCC entities appear high up on the most-wanted lists. More
details of the latter two operations are in DX news later in this
bulletin. The Colvin Award was established in 1994 with the proceeds of
a life insurance policy purchased by renowned DXer, the late Lloyd
Colvin, W6KG. It is awarded in the form of grants in support of amateur
radio projects promoting international goodwill in the field of DX. The
South African Radio League will be taking a very tough stance in its
fight to stop the proliferation of Powerline Internet Transmission, or
PLT. While draft regulations for the introduction of PLT go some way to
protect the HF radio spectrum from interference the general consensus
is that the regulations do not go far enough. SARL says that
interference limits, the lack of compulsory notching of the amateur
bands and the inadequate mitigation process were identified as some of
the issues left open. The RSGB likewise opposes PLT in the UK, also on
interference grounds.

We would like to correct an item in last week's GB2RS News regarding
GB7YD. The D-Star digital regenerative node affected is GB7YD dash B
and not GB7YD dash C as originally mentioned. The South Yorkshire
Repeater Group has also asked that we make it clear that it was not
quote forced off the air

2 unquote. It was turned off after a decision by the Group committee
due to QRM from license free, low power devices on or around the 70cm
input frequency. A more comprehensive correction is on the Web version
of GB2RS News, and we apologise for any misunderstandings we may have
caused. An RSGB Train the Trainers session takes place on Saturday 5
April at the Worksop Amateur Radio Society. This scheme helps tutors
enhance the standard of their Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced
licence courses. Alan Betts, G0HIQ, and Brian Reay, G8OSN, will be
presenting the all day course, which is free of charge to instructors.
For more information, and to register, contact Jim Stevenson, G0EJQ,
telephone 01522 806935 or email . Demand is expected
to be high, so it is important to register as soon as possible. Further
Train the Trainer sessions are scheduled for Crawley in April, and
Birmingham and Kent in May. A session is also being planned for
Wiltshire.

And now for the details of rallies and events for the coming week

[Note to newsreaders: Please use your judgement on whether to read this
section, based on your distance from the event and your time slot.]

Sunday 16 March sees the Norbreck Amateur Radio, Electronics and
Computing exhibition which runs from 11am. The venue is the Norbreck
Castle Exhibition Centre, Blackpool. Details are available from Peter,
G6CGF, telephone 0151 630 5790. More details of this and future events
can be found in the March edition of RadCom. And now the HF DX news
compiled from 425 DX News and other sources.

The major DXpedition to Clipperton Island is due to conclude on Monday
17 March. The start of TX5C's operation was delayed by bad weather, but
at the time of writing this bulletin they were making large numbers of
contacts. Several stations are operating simultaneously on CW, SSB and
digital modes, on all bands between 160 and 10 metres. The 21 amateurs
in the team look well on their way to their aim of making more than
100,000 contacts, worldwide. More information is on the web at
www.clipperton2008.org. 9X0R will operate from Rwanda from 16 to 27
March. Three stations will be active from 10 to 160 meters on SSB, CW
and digital modes. Rwanda is number 45 in the DX Magazine's most needed
list. The group will donate a new HF radio and power supply to the
Kigali Radio Club and will helping to set up the Rwanda Amateur Radio
Union. Further details are available from www.9x0r.com. Ed Sawyer,
N1UR, and his wife Christine, KB1PQN, are expected to be active from
the Layang-Layang Island Resort in the Spratly Islands. Their operating
will start at 0800 UTC on 22 March and finish at midnight UTC on the
30th. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters, CW and SSB, using 100 watts
to omnidirectional verticals. The operators will be moving bands
frequently to take advantage of changing band conditions and openings.
Sunset on Spratly is 1040 UTC with sunrise at 2240 by the middle of
that week. More information is at www.n1urspratly.com.

3 Now the contest news [Note to newsreaders: Please use your judgment
on whether to read the item for 16 March, based on your time slot.] The
Russian DX Contest ends at 1200 on Sunday, 16 March. All HF bands are
included on CW and SSB. The exchange is RST and serial number. On
Thursday 20 Match, there is the SSB leg of the RSGB 80m Club
Championship. The contest runs from 2000 to 2130UTC and the exchange is
RS and serial number. The BARTG HF RTTY contest starts at 0200 on
Saturday 22 March and ends at 0200 on Monday 24 March. The event covers
all bands from 3.5 to 28MHz. Exchange RST, serial number and the time.
On Saturday, 22 March, the BATC ATV Repeater event starts at 1800 and
ends on the Sunday at 1200. Bands from 1.3GHz upwards are used, and the
exchange is the P grade, serial number and locator. And now the solar
factual data for the period from the 3rd to the 9th of March, compiled
by Neil Clarke, G0CAS and Martin Harrison, G3USF. The solar disc was
spotless except on the 5th when a small sunspot group emerged near the
west limb. On the 6th this group rotated out of sight. It also belonged
to the old sunspot cycle. Solar activity was very low. Solar flux
levels increased very slightly from 68 units to 70 by the 8th and 9th.
The average was 69 units. The 90 day solar flux average on the 9th was
74, that's one unit down on last week. X-ray flux levels remained below
the minimum reporting level. Geomagnetic activity started at quiet
levels. The Ap index on the 6th was only 2 units. As forecast, a
coronal hole disturbance started around midday on the 8th, and peaked
on the 9th with an Ap index of 25 units. The average was Ap 8 units The
ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 310 kilometres per
second on the 7th to 690 by the 9th. Particle densities were low but
increased from the 7th to peak at 40 particles per cubic centimetre on
the 8th. Bz varied between minus 3 and plus 2 nanoTeslas on the quiet
days and between minus and plus 13 nanoTeslas during the height of the
coronal hole disturbance. The HF bands were in about as good a shape as
could reasonably be expected in early March at this stage in the cycle.
There were good morning openings on 20 metres to Japan and the Far
East, while Ten and 12 metres both opened to southern Africa, with at
least one opening reaching as far north as Scotland - though there
appeared to be few takers. Auroral activity was noted on the 8th and
the 9th, mainly from stations in the far north. And finally the solar
forecast. This week solar activity should be at very low levels. Solar
flux levels are expected to be around the 70 mark for most of the week.
The geomagnetic field could be unsettled today and tomorrow before
declining to quiet levels for the remainder of the week. MUFs during
daylight hours at equal latitudes are expected to be around 18MHz for
the south and 15MHz for the north. The darkness hour lows should be
about 8MHz. Paths this week to Japan should have a maximum usable
frequency with a 50 per cent success rate of around 19MHz. The optimum
working frequency with a 90 per cent success rate will be about 15MHz.
The best time to try this path will be between 0800 and 1100 hours UTC.
And that's all for this week from the propagation team.

4 Next, the Local News:

Please note that details of all RSGB-affiliated clubs and societies can
be found on the RSGB website, including e-mail addresses

and website links where known.

[Note to newsreaders: Please read the local news items appropriate to
the service area of your

transmission.]

NEWS FOR THE SOUTH-EAST

and EAST ANGLIA On Monday 17 March Braintree and District Amateur Radio
Society is having part 3 of its project construction. Contact John,
M5AJB, on 01787 460 947.

On Monday 17 March Burnham Beeches Radio Club is having a CW night.
Contact G4XDU, on 01628 625 720.

On Monday 17 March Felixstowe and District Amateur Radio Society is
holding its AGM. Contact Paul, G4YQC, by email to .

On Monday 17 March Surrey Radio Contact Club is having a fix-it,
advice, chin wag and move-it-on evening. Contact Ray, G4FFY, on 020
8644 7589.

On Monday 17 March Surrey Radio Contact Club is having a surplus sale.
Contact Ray, G4FFY, on 020 8644 7589.

On Tuesday 18 March Maidenhead and District Amateur Radio Club is
holding its AGM. Contact John, G8RYW, on 01628 628 463, or by email to
.

On Tuesday 18 March North Kent Radio Society is revisiting the weak
signals data mode WSJT. Contact Dave, G4YIB, by email to
.

On Tuesday 18 March Verulam Radio Club is having a talk on Enigma.
Contact Ralph, G1BSZ, on 01727 869 858, .

On Wednesday 19 March Chesham and District Amateur Radio Society is
having an RSGB Video evening. Contact Terry, G0VFW, on 01442 506 344,
or by email to .

On Wednesday 19 March Dover Radio Club is having a talk by Anne, G4RJZ,
on RAYNET's role in the "Tour De France". Contact Brian, G4SAU, by
email to .

On Wednesday 19 March Havering and District Amateur Radio Club is
having an informal evening. Contact Dave, 2E0EBV, on 07956 594 514.

On Wednesday 19 March Norfolk Amateur Radio Club is having a talk by
Stuart, G7KBF on PSU's - what when and how. Contact Mark Taylor, G0LGJ,
on 01362 691099, or by email to .

On Wednesday 19 March Southdown Amateur Radio Society is operating at
the Hailsham shack. Contact John, G3DQY, on 01424,424,319, or by email
to .

On Wednesday 19 March Worthing and District Amateur Radio Club is
having a talk on D-Star. Contact Roy, G4GPX, on 01903 753 893.

On Thursday 20 March Colchester Radio Amateurs is having a Three Clubs
Quiz Night. Contact Kevan, 2E0WMG, on 07766543784 or by email to
.

5 On Thursday 20 March King's Lynn Amateur Radio Club is having a club
night and taking part in the 2 metre club net hosted by Huntingdon Club
on 145.350. Contact Andy, G1KLP, on or look on the web at
www.klarc.org.uk.

On Thursday 20 March Shefford and District Amateur Radio Society is
having a visit from Mark Francis, G0GBY, of Waters and Stanton PLC.
Contact David, G8UOD, on 01234 742 757.

On Thursday 20 March Sutton and Cheam Radio Society is having a talk on
the workings of TV cameras by Paul Harding. Contact John, G0BWV, on 020
8644 9945, or by email to .

On Friday 21 March Wey Valley Amateur Radio Group Club is having a
construction evening to build another useful project. Details on the
web at www.weyvalleyarg.org.uk.

NEWS FOR THE SOUTH-WEST On Monday 17 March Appledore and District
Amateur Radio Club is holding its AGM. Contact Beryl, G1SVP. On
Wednesday 19 March South Bristol Amateur Radio Club is having a quiz
night with Muriel, G4YZR. Contact Len, G4RZY, on 01275 834 282.

On Wednesday 19 March Taunton and District Amateur Radio Club is
operating the club station. Contact William, G3WNI, on 01823 666 234,
or by email to .

On Wednesday 19 March Thornbury and South Gloucestershire Amateur Radio
Club is having a video night. Contact Tony, G0WMB, by email to
.

On Wednesday 19 March Trowbridge and District Amateur Radio Club is
having a natter night. Contact Ian, G0GRI, on 01225 864 698, E/W.

On Thursday 20 March Yeovil Amateur Radio Club is having a workshop
practice evening with G7LNJ. Contact Gary, 2E0BFJ, by email to
.

NEWS FOR THE MIDLANDS On Monday 17 March Aldridge And Barr Beacon
Amateur Radio Club is having a demo of computers in amateur radio by
Albert, G0KFS. Contact Roy Horton, G4GRM, on 01922 691646, or by email
to .

On Monday 17 March East Kent Radio Society is having a slide show by
Alan, G7RBB, of a canal trip from Rheims to the Seine. Contact Paul,
G3VJF, on 01227 365 384, or by email to , or on the web
at www.paulnic.com/ekrs.

On Monday 17 March Gloucester Amateur Radio And Electronics Society is
having an HF operating and workshop evening. Contact Anne, 2E1GKY, on
01452 548478, daytime, or on the web at www.g4aym.org.uk.

On Tuesday 18 March Derby and District Amateur Radio Society is holding
its AGM. Contact Martin, G3SZJ, on 01332 556 875.

On Tuesday 18 March Loughborough and District Amateur Radio Club is
having a computer workshop. Contact Chris, G1ETZ, on 01509 504 319.

On Tuesday 18 March Wythall Radio Club is having a talk on antennas and
feeders by Peter, G4LWF. Contact Chris, G0EYO, on 07710 412 819, or by
email to , or on the web at
www.wythallradioclub.co.uk.

6 On Wednesday 19 March Melton Mowbray Amateur Radio Society is having
a talk and demo on Winradio by David Towers, G8SZX. Contact Geoff,
G3STG, on 01664 480 733, .

On Wednesday 19 March Telford and District Amateur Radio Society is
working on its Enginuity museum project. Contact Mike, G3JKX, on 01952
299 677, or by email to .

On Thursday 20 March RAF Waddington Amateur Radio Club is on the air
and having a chatter night. Contact Martin, M0MDF, on 01522 752 785, or
by email to .

On Thursday 20 March Salop Amateur Radio Society is having a natter
night. Details on the web at www.salop-ARS.org.uk.

On Thursday 20 March Tamworth Amateur Radio Society is putting club
station G8TRS on the air. Contact Colin Marks, G4ZPJ, on 01827 700 893,
or by email to .

On Friday 21 March Coventry Amateur Radio Society is having a
construction night for its 2008 project. Contact John, G8SEQ, on 02476
273 190, or by email to .

NEWS FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND On Sunday 16 March Northern Amateur Radio
Society Association is running the Norbreck Amateur Radio, Electronics
and Computing Exhibition at the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre,
Blackpool. Contact Peter, G6CGF, on 0151 630 5790.

On Sunday 16 March Angel Of The North Radio Amateur Radio Club is
visiting the Blackpool rally. Contact Nancy, G7UUR, on 07990 760 920
(day), 0191 477 0036 (night), or by email to ,
or on the web at www.anarc.net.

On Sunday 16 March Great Lumley Amateur Radio And Electronics Society
is organising a bus to the Blackpool Rally. It leaves Great Lumley
Community Centre at 8am and returns from Blackpool at 4pm. For further
details contact David, M0BPM on 0191 3888113 or e-mail
.

On Monday 17 March Angel Of The North Radio Amateur Radio Club is
having a natter and on the air night. Contact Nancy, G7UUR, on 07990
760 920 (day), 0191 477 0036 (night), or by email to
, or on the web at www.anarc.net.

On Monday 17 March Macclesfield and District Radio Society is on the
air and having a social evening. Contact Tom, M1EYP, on 01625 612 916,
or by email to , or on the web at www.gx4mws.com.

On Monday 17 March Sheffield Amateur Radio Club is having a talk and
practice night, on managing pile ups. Contact Trevor, M0TWS.

On Monday 17 March Thornton Cleveleys Amateur Radio Society is
discussing "Pirates". There is no meeting on 24 March. Contact Jack,
G4BFH, by email to .

On Tuesday 18 March Chester and District Radio Society is having a talk
by Dave Ollerhead. Details on the web at www.chesterdars.org.uk, or by
email to .

On Tuesday 18 March Stockport Radio Society is having a talk on stereo
sound with John Shufflebotham, M3NBU. Contact David, M1ANT, on 0161 456
7832.

On Tuesday 18 March Warrington Amateur Radio Club is having a talk on
D-Star by Mike, G4VSS and Paul, G1DVA. Contact Roger, M0DWQ on 01925
813 558, by email to .

On Wednesday 19 March Hambleton Amateur Radio Society is having a VHF
operating night using SSB and FM. Contact Tim, G0TYM, on 01642 711 334,
or by email to , or on the web at
www.radioclubs.net/hambletonars.

7 On Wednesday 19 March Hornsea Amateur Radio Club is having a quiz
organised by G4GPY, followed by a fish and chip supper. Contact Sue,
G6UQA, on QTHR.

On Wednesday 19 March Maltby and District Amateur Radio Society is on
air in the shack, operating G4SKM on HF. Contact Keith, G1PQW, on 07801
156 678, or on the web at www.maltbyradio.org.uk.

On Wednesday 19 March Wirral and District Amateur Radio Club is having
a natter night at the Fox and Hounds, Barnston. Contact Tom, G4BKF, on
07050 291 850.

On Friday 21 March East Cleveland Amateur Radio Club is having a
technical forum. Contact Alistair, G4OLK, on 01642 475 671, or by email
to .

On Friday 21 March Tynemouth Radio Club is having an informal meeting
at Preston Grange. Contact Tony, G8YFA, by email to
.

NEWS FOR SCOTLAND On Wednesday 19 March Paisley (YMCA) Amateur Radio
Club is having a talk on "aerials from junk". Contact Jim, GM3UWX.

On Thursday 20 March Aberdeen Amateur Radio Society is having mini
talks. Contact Lewis, GM4AJR, on 01224 575 663, or on the web at
www.aars.freeserve.co.uk.

On Friday 21 March West Of Scotland Amateur Radio Society is having a
talk by John, GM0OPS, on "The new D-star repeater network in and around
Central Scotland and beyond". Details on the web at www.wosars.org.

NEWS FOR WALES On Tuesday 18 March Carmarthen Amateur Radio Society is
having an introduction to AMUs by GW8PSJ. Contact Les, GW8PSJ, on 01239
811 922.

NEWS FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

No news items have been received for Northern Ireland this week. And
that's the end of this week's GB2RS news broadcast,

prepared by the Radio Society of Great Britain.