| |
G4TNU > NEWS 15.03.26 02:34l 231 Lines 11075 Bytes #60 (0) @ EU
BID : 945G4TNU
Subj: RSGB Main News - 15 Mar 2026
Path: ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<GB7CIP<GB7CIP<GB7CIP
Sent: 260315/0126Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO $:945G4TNU
T:From: G4TNU@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO <g4tnu@gb7ipf.ampr.org>
T:Newsgroups: ampr.news.europe
T:Message-Id: <E1_5411701_G4TNU@gb7ipf.ampr.org>
GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 15th of March 2026
The news headlines:
* New Microwave capabilities for the RSGB National Radio Centre
* Submit your British Science Week reports
* Exam availability over Easter
Icom UK has announced that it has equipped the RSGB National Radio
Centre with the IC-905 All-Mode Transceiver as part of its ongoing
support for the RSGB and the amateur radio community. This latest
addition ensures that volunteers and visitors to the NRC have access
to the latest VHF, UHF and SHF technology. The IC-905 is an industry
first providing seamless multimode coverage across the 144, 430,
1200, 2400, 5600MHz and 10GHz bands. The arrival of the IC-905 opens
up new avenues for the NRC, from linking local repeaters to
monitoring radio beacons for the study of microwave propagation. The
IC-905 was officially handed over to RSGB General Manager, Steve
Thomas, M1ACB, at the Martin Lynch and Sons Open Day earlier this
year and has now found its home on the radio bench at the NRC. Read
more about the transceiver and the NRC by going to rsgb.org/nrc and
scrolling to the news section at the bottom of the page.
British Science Week 2026 draws to a close today, the 15th of March,
and the RSGB is delighted to have seen so many clubs, societies,
schools, youth groups and individuals taking part. This year's
British Science Week campaign has been the biggest for amateur radio
yet. The Society would like to thank everyone who got involved, and
for sharing your love and passion for the hobby with others.
Highlights from the event will be featured in the June and July
editions of RadCom. Whether your club held an open day, arranged a
sked, operated a special event station, supported a school, or held
any other type of event, the RSGB would love to hear from you. To be
included, send your report, with separate high-resolution photographs
or videos, to bsw.reports<at>rsgb.org.uk by the 31st of March. If
you were one of the lucky groups to have been given free FM radio
receiver kits and Morse code tutor kits to build, you will have been
emailed separate instructions on how to submit reports for this
activity.
The RSGB remote invigilation team will be taking a break over the
Easter weekend. You will not be able to book an exam from Friday the
3rd to Monday the 6th of April 2026. Exam bookings will resume as
normal from Tuesday the 7th of April 2026. Book your exam by going to
rsgb.org/exams
If you have not secured your spot on the RSGB members-only Direct
Digital Synthesizer programming workshop, taking place in Blackpool
on Saturday the 11th of April, now is the time. Booking closes on
Wednesday the 18th of March. Visit rsgb.org/practical-events
Please send details of all your news and events to
radcom<at>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 15th of March, the Ripon and District Amateur Radio
Society Rally is taking place at Great Ouseburn Village Hall,
Lightmire Lane, Great Ouseburn, York YO26 9RL. The doors are open to
the public from 10am and admission costs GBP 5. Refreshments and free
parking are available on site. For more information email
radars.rally<at>gmail.com
On Sunday the 22nd of March, Callington Radio and Electronics Rally
will be held in the Town Hall, New Road, Callington, Cornwall,
PL17 7BE. The doors will be open to the public from 10am until 1pm.
Entry is GBP 2 each with no charge for those under the age of 16. A
comprehensive selection of traders, clubs and societies from the
Southwest will be present. There will also be a bring-and-buy area,
catering service, disabled access, toilet facilities and ample
parking. Pre-booking is essential so please contact Alastair, M0KRR
on 01503 262 755 as soon as possible. For more information visit
callingtonradiosociety.org.uk
Also on Sunday the 22nd of March, the Dover Amateur Radio Club Rally
is taking place at Eastry Village Hall, High Street, Eastry, Kent,
CT13 0QB. The doors will be open from 10am to 2pm and the entrance
fee is GBP 3. Refreshments will be available on site. Tables are
GBP 15 each, with a maximum of two tables per vendor. To book your
table contact the Club via darc.online
Now the Special Event news
The Radio Amateur Association of Western Greece, SZ1A is active with
special callsign SZ40A to celebrate 40 years of continuous presence,
service, and contribution to amateur radio. Look for activity across
multiple HF bands and modes until the 31st of May. QSL via ON3UN.
Visit awards.sz1a.org to access awards that are available for
working the station.
Special callsign GB0OH will be active from the Isle of Lewis in the
Outer Hebrides for around six days from the 11th of April. This is an
opportunity for award chasers to log IOTA reference EU-010 and Worked
All Britain square NB53. The station will be operating on several
bands from 40 to 10m mainly using SSB, but there may also be some FT8
activity. QSL via QRZ.com
Now the DX news
The 3Y0K team is operating from Bouvet Island on multiple bands.
Depending on conditions, the station expects to be available until
around the 18th to the 20th of March. QSL via OQRS and Club Log. For
more information visit 3y0k.com
Yannick, F6FYD is active as CN2YD from Marrakech [MAH-RAH-KESH] in
Morocco until the 31st of March. He is operating using SSB on the 20
to 10m bands. QSL to F6FYD directly or via the Bureau.
Now the contest news
Today, the 15th of March, the UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest
runs from 1000 to 1500UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz
frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Tomorrow, the 16th of March, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from
2000 to 2200UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Tuesday the 17th of March, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest
runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 23cm band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 18th of March, the IRTS 80m Evening Counties Contest
runs from 2000 to 2100UTC. Using CW and SSB on the 80m band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and county code.
On Thursday the 19th of March, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest
runs from 2000 to 2230UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
The British Amateur Radio Teledata Group HF RTTY Contest starts at
0200UTC on Saturday the 21st and runs until 0200UTC on Monday the
23rd of March. Using RTTY on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is signal report, serial number and time.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 12th of March 2026.
There has been plenty to work on the HF bands this past week. 3Y0K on
Bouvet Island is still attracting a lot of radio amateurs, but there
is also 8Q7ZW on the Maldives and German group J51A on Guinea-Bissau
to get your attention.
DXpeditions to look out for next week include TX5EU from the Austral
Islands, YJ1JXZ in Vanuatu, the tail-end of operations at T80K in
Palau and VP2EAD, VP2ELX and VP2EWE on Anguilla.
HF propagation has been reasonable, rather than outstanding, with a
solar flux index in the 140s, declining to the 120s as the week
progressed. There have been a few C-class solar flares, but nothing
stronger.
Geomagnetic conditions have also been reasonable with the Kp index
mostly in the twos and threes. There was one excursion where the
planetary Kp index hit 4 around the 7th and 8th of March, but
otherwise it has been relatively calm.
The maximum useable frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path has been
exceeding 28MHz on most days. 14MHz was open to the Maldives via FT8
as late as 2200UTC on Tuesday the 10th of March.
Next week, the standout item is a large, but relatively thin, coronal
hole on the Sun, and the high-speed solar wind stream from this
reached the Earth on Friday the 13th of March. Expect the Kp index to
rise and HF propagation, especially on northerly paths, to suffer.
The Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasts that the solar flux
index will decline further to be around 110 in the coming week. After
this weekend's geomagnetic disturbance due to the coronal hole, the
Kp index is forecast to be more settled with a predicted maximum Kp
of 3. Things may hot up later in the week with a predicted Kp of 4,
rising to 6 on the 21st of March. Expect reduced maximum usable
frequencies and poorer HF propagation, particularly on polar paths.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The current spell of changeable weather is likely to stay with us
through the bulk of the coming week, but there is a glimmer of hope
for better conditions after mid-week with a suggestion of high
pressure over northern Britain.
To begin with this means that rain scatter, including snow in places,
will be worth checking out on the GHz bands, but strong winds may
test antennas at times. The transition to high pressure should lift
conditions a little, but since it's forming in a cold polar air mass,
it may not be as good as it could be.
The 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest on Tuesday the 17th of March will
probably still be in the wet and windy period, so there may be a
rainscatter bonus if the rain is heavy enough to affect such a low
GHz band. Aircraft scatter will always be the best option for this
band when tropo is poor. The 70MHz UK Activity Contest on Thursday
the 19th of March may fare better for tropo in Scotland and Northern
Ireland.
Meteor scatter will offer up meagre rations as we remain in between
major showers. The April Lyrids are still a long way away. Aurora is
still in the frame around the spring equinox, so as usual check for
the Kp index moving up to 5 or higher.
Sporadic-E is not usually part of the story at this time of the year
in these latitudes and, if anything does get triggered, then look to
explore the path on digital modes first to see which directions are
being favoured.
For EME, the conditions are poor for the coming week with Moon
declination negative but rising, not going positive until next
Thursday. We continue with short Moon windows and low peak elevation
but with falling path losses. While 144MHz sky noise is moderate to
low in the coming week, Wednesday and Thursday see the Sun and Moon
close in the sky, meaning high noise on the lower bands due to wider
antenna beamwidths.
And that's all from the propagation team this week.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
