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The script of the weekly GB2RS News
Sunday
17
July 2005
The main news headlines:
The news in detail:
N.B. When sending an e-mail to any of the addresses given
please remove the "<no spam>" before sending.
Raynet Groups on Standby after London
Terrorist Attacks
 Several Raynet groups in south-east England were put on standby
by their emergency planning units, following the terrorist bomb blasts in
London on Thursday 7 July. Groups in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and East
Sussex were alerted during the morning and stood down in the late
afternoon. Mobile phone coverage was badly affected and many groups
operated listening watches on designated frequencies and local repeaters.
Other groups were kept informed of developments via e-mails from
Government Offices in their respective regions.
The Southgate Amateur Radio Club has created a page on its
website where messages of sympathy may be uploaded.
Special Guest Speaker at AMSAT-UK Colloquium
At the International Space Colloquium to be held at the University of
Surrey from 29 – 31 July, AMSAT-UK is pleased to have Professor John Zarnecki
giving the keynote presentation. On Friday 29 July, Professor Zarnecki,
Principal Investigator for the Surface Science Package on Huygens, will
describe the journey of the Huygens probe as well as its final dramatic
plunge to the surface of Titan. More details are available from Sophie
Haigh, on 01483 689 888, or by e-mail to s.haigh<no
spam>@sstl.co.uk
Six Radio Amateurs Aboard the Space Shuttle
 Radio amateurs will comprise six of the seven crew members of
the STS-114 space shuttle due for launch by the end of this month. They
are:
Mission Commander - Eileen Collins, KD5EDS; Mission Specialist - Wendy
Lawrence, KC5KII; Mission Specialist - Charles Camarda, KC5ZSY; Mission
Specialist - Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP; Mission Specialist - Andrew Thomas,
KD5CHF / VK5MIR and Pilot - James Kelly, KC5ZSW
The shuttle will also be carrying the latest amateur satellite –
PCSAT2. [AMSAT-UK]
FCC Fines 'Law & Order'
Producers of the hit crime series ‘Law and Order’ have been fined
$10,000 by the Federal Communications Commission. This is a result of the
show’s film crew using unlicensed walkie-talkies that interfered with
transmissions of the New York Police Department. Universal Television is
expected to appeal. [AR Newsline]
Special Event News
Central Lancs Amateur Radio Club will be operating GX0FDX/P from
Hoghton Tower on 17 July for the 15th Annual Classic Car Show as part of
the 20th anniversary of the Central Lancs club.
GB4ON, commemorating Operation Neptune, is on the air now until 28
July.
Look for special event station PA2000N to be active from 8 to 23 July
in celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the city of Nijmegen.
Worthing Museum is holding a special event on Tuesday 19 July. Called
‘An Introduction to Amateur Radio’, it tells the story of radio
communications from Marconi to the 21st century. There are talks, video
presentations and some Morse involvement for the children. Worthing &
District Amateur Radio Club is running the special event station, and will
encourage visitors to send greetings messages under supervision. The
museum opens at 10am.
More than a hundred sailing ships, 3000 sailors and half a million
visitors are expected in Cherbourg-Octeville harbour for the tall ships
race, one of the most important marine events of 2005. At least half of
the sailors are aged between 15 and 25. In connection with this event,
North Cotentin amateurs are operating as TM1TSR on all bands and modes
from 9 to 22 July. On 18 / 19 July, special event station W1V
will be operating from the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Pleasant Garden,
Randleman County, North Carolina, USA. The station will operate from 1345
to 1630UTC and from 1900 to 2130UTC, both days, on the HF bands 10, 17,
20, 40 and 80 metres. The Victory Junction Gang Camp enriches the lives of
children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses by creating camping
experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe
and medically sound. W1V will QSL with a special card. For more
information and operating frequencies see the website.
DX News
compiled from the 425 DX News, Ohio-Penn DX
Bulletin and other sources:
FR5ZL will be active as FW5ZL from Wallis and Futuna between 13 July
and 13 August. Activity will be on 40, 30, 20 and 15 metres CW and SSB,
and possibly RTTY and PSK31.
OL200BA and a number of other special stations are on
the air from 1 July until the end of the year to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of the Napoleonic ‘Battle of the Three Emperors’ that took
place at Austerlitz in the present-day Czech Republic on 2 December 1805.
9A7K will operate as
YL/9A7K from Latvia, between 13 and 19 July. He plans to be operate on all
HF bands.
Contest News
RSGB Low Power Field Day takes place on 80 and 40 metres CW on 17 July
between 0900 and 1600UTC. Exchange an RST report, serial number and your
power.
The RSGB 80-metre Club Championship continues on Thursday 21 July. This
is a datamodes session between 2000 and 2130UTC. Exchange an RST report
and serial number.
On VHF, an RSGB 144MHz Backpackers session is on 17 July from 1100 to
1500UTC. This is an all-mode contest and the exchange is an RS or RST
report, serial number and Locator. The RSGB 1.3 and 2.3GHz Activity
Contest is on Tuesday 19 July from 1900 to 2130UTC. Activity is on all
modes and the exchange is an RS or RST report, serial number and locator.
The complete RSGB HF and VHF / UHF 2005 Contest Calendars are
published in the January RadCom. Details of RSGB HF
contests are at: www.rsgbhfcc.org and VHF/UHF contests at: www.blacksheep.org/vhfcc
Suitable freeware logging programs for RSGB HF and VHF contests is
available from a number of sources - see the ‘Links’ section
of the VHF Contest Committee website.
Propagation News
The solar factual data for the period from 4 to 10 July , prepared by
Neil
Clarke, G0CAS.
Solar activity was moderate with M-class solar flares taking place on
the 7th and the 9th, the remaining day’s activity being low with a number
of C-class flares taking place. The largest solar flare was an M4 on the
7th. An earthward coronal mass ejection accompanied this flare and a
short-wave fadeout that lasted 43 minutes. Solar flux levels dropped from
127 units on the 5th to 102 by the 10th, averaging 117 units. The 90-day
solar flux average on the 10th was 97, three units greater than last week.
X-ray flux levels reduced slightly from B3 units to B1.9 by the 10th, with
an average of B2.6 units. Geomagnetic activity started at quiet levels
with the Ap index in single figures. Late on the 9th, due to the effects
of the coronal mass ejection from the 7th and a small coronal hole,
activity increased to sub-storm levels with an Ap index of 47 units. The
average was Ap 14 units. The ACE spacecraft showed solar wind speeds
dropping from 500 kilometres per second to 300 by the 9th. Speeds returned
to 500 kilometres per second on the 10th. Particle densities were low but
increased to 22 per cubic centimetre during the magnetic storm of the
10th. Bz varied between minus and plus 4 nanoTeslas on the quiet days and
between minus 22 and plus 19 nanoTeslas on the 10th.
HF propagation was similar to recent weeks, better for those who get up
early or go to bed late. 28MHz and 50MHz saw some good openings most days.
Also on 28MHz, the New York beacon, 4U1UN, which belongs to the world-wide
beacon network was heard in Germany. 50MHz was reported to be still open
at 0100UTC a few mornings ago. An aurora was reported during the afternoon
of the 10th. And finally the solar forecast. This week should see the
quiet side of the Sun facing us. Solar activity is expected to be very low
to low. Solar flux levels for most of the week should be in the 80s.
Geomagnetic activity should start at quiet levels but by midweek, due to a
recurring coronal hole, activity should increase. Quiet conditions should
return during next weekend. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes
are expected to be around 19MHz for the south and 16MHz for the north.
Darkness-hour lows should be around 10MHz. Paths this week to India should
have a maximum usable frequency of about 23MHz, with a 50% success rate.
The optimum working frequency should be around 18MHz, with a 90% success
rate. The best time to try this path should be between 0800 and 1600UTC.
This week should still see sporadic-E openings taking place.
The RSGB propagation news is also available in a Saturday
update, posted every Saturday evening and for more on propagation
generally, see http://www.rsgb.org/society/psc.htm. | 
GB2RS NEWS BROADCA
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