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G4TNU > NEWS 29.03.26 03:34l 258 Lines 12429 Bytes #60 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News - 29 Mar 2026
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GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 29th of March 2026
The news headlines:
* RSGB elections: join the conversation
* What is your question for the RSGB Board?
* Could you be the next RSGB Legacy Committee Chair?
The RSGB 2026 elections are open. If you are an RSGB Affiliated Club,
who do your members think are the best Elected Director candidates to
represent them on the RSGB Board? Why not watch the candidate videos
at your next club meeting, discuss their answers and then vote for
your preferred candidates? There are three candidates but only two
Elected Director vacancies, so every vote counts. Make sure you have
your say in the RSGB 2026 Elections. Watch the videos at
rsgb.org/candidates then your RSGB members can cast their vote by
going to rsgb.org/vote
Do you have a question you would like the RSGB Board to answer at the
RSGB 2026 AGM? There are three ways you can get involved. You can ask
a question live at the AGM via Zoom, submit a written question in
advance, or share your question via the live chat during the AGM.
Only written or Zoom questions by RSGB members are allowed during the
formal part of the AGM. There may not be time to answer all
questions, so preference will be given to questions submitted in
advance. With three options to choose from, which format suits you
best? Find out more, including important deadlines, by going to
rsgb,org/agm and selecting ‘Ask the Board a question' from the
right-hand menu.
The RSGB is looking for a new Chair of the Legacy Committee,
following the resignation of Richard Horton, G4AOJ from the
committee. Chris Wood, GD6TWF, who is the Society's Honorary
Treasurer and the Board Liaison for the Legacy Committee, would like
to thank Richard for his work over the last few years in encouraging
new applications and increasing the number of projects the committee
supports. If you have experience of committee work, are interested in
and understand amateur radio, and can make objective decisions based
on the information presented in applications, this could be the role
for you. Read the full description at rsgb.org/volunteers and then
get in touch with Chris via hon.treasurer<at>rsgb.org.uk
If you run a radio club for young people, make sure you take
advantage of affiliating it to the RSGB. There are plenty of great
reasons, and the best one is that it's free. Benefits include: RadCom
in the post, with RadCom Basics and RadCom Plus available via the
RSGB app; promotion of the club's activities; special book discounts;
use of the RSGB QSL Bureau; and access to RSGB affiliated club
contests. You can read why Heritage School Electronics and Radio Club
chose to affiliate to the RSGB by visiting rsgb.org/club-affiliation
and selecting ‘Affiliation for school and university clubs' from
the right-hand menu.
Tuesday the 31st of March is the deadline to submit your British
Science Week reports to the RSGB. Whether you operated a special
event station, organised a club activity, supported a local youth
group or held any other type of event, the Society would love to hear
from you. Reports will be included in a special feature in the June
and July editions of RadCom. Send your activity summary, with
separate high-resolution photographs or videos, to
bsw.reports<at>rsgb.org.uk If you were one of the lucky groups to
have been given FM radio receiver kits and Morse code tutor kits, the
deadline for reports is the same. Groups involved in this activity
have been sent a separate email detailing the process and what needs
to be included.
Airfields, aerodromes, radar stations and landing strips are among
the sites that will be activated by radio amateurs as part of this
year's Airfields on the Air activity. The event will take place
mainly over the weekends of the 4th and 5th and 11th and 12th of
April. Amateurs can operate using CW, data modes and SSB on the HF,
VHF and UHF bands. Certificates will be available for radio amateurs
and shortwave listeners who work or hear a minimum of five registered
special event stations. To find out more visit rafars.org
The March 2026 edition 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. This new-look edition includes articles on
getting into amateur radio, radio theory and understanding
oscilloscope probes and signal-generator leads. The full collection
of RadCom Basics back issues can be found in the RSGB app or via
rsgb.org/radcom
Due to the Easter holidays, the submission deadline for the GB2RS
News on Sunday the 5th of April is 10am on Wednesday the 1st of
April. Please send details of all your news and events to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk
And now for details of rallies and events
On Sunday the 5th of April the Broadcast Engineering Museum is
holding an open day. The museum is located at 41 Capper Avenue,
Hemswell Cliff, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS and the
doors will be open from 11am. The museum has one of the largest
collections of historic broadcasting equipment in the world,
including outside broadcast vehicles, TV cameras, videotape and
telecine machines, audio equipment, transmitters, TV lighting and
public address systems. The open day will include an exhibition of
offshore pirate radio memorabilia from the 1960s and 1970s. For more
information visit becg.org.uk/events
On Saturday the 11th of April the 40th annual QRP Convention takes
place at Digby Hall, Sherborne DT9 3AA. The doors will be open from
9.30am and admission will cost GBP 3. The event will include traders,
a bring and buy area and club stalls. More information is available
at yeovil-arc.com
Now the Special Event news
Members of the Hellenic Naval Amateur Radio Club are active as
SZ465CG until Saturday the 18th of April. The team is operating using
CW, FT4, FT8 and some SSB on the 80 to 10m bands, as well as via the
QO-100 satellite. See QRZ.com for more information.
Special callsign 9A10SOTA is in use to celebrate ten years of SOTA in
Croatia. Look for activity until the 30th of September 2026. QSL via
Logbook of the World. For more information visit QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Thaire [TARE], W2APF is active as PJ2/W2APF from Curacao
[KEER-RUH-SAU], SA-099, until the 31st of March. He is operating
using CW, FT8 and SSB on the 80 to 10m bands. QSL via Logbook of the
World or directly to W2APF.
Chris, VK2YUS is active as YJ0CA from Efate [EH-FAH-TEH], OC-035, the
main island of Vanuatu, until Thursday the 2nd of April. You can find
him operating SSB on the 40 to 10m bands between 2100 and 1000UTC.
QSL directly to VK2YUS.
Now the contest news
The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest started at 0000UTC yesterday, the
28th, and runs until 2359UTC today, Sunday the 29th of March. Using
SSB on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the
exchange is signal report and serial number.
Today, the 29th of March, the UK Microwave Group Millimetre Band
Contest runs from 0800UTC to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 24 to 76GHz
frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 1st of April, 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, 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 1st, the United Kingdom 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 SP DX CW and SSB Contest starts at 1500UTC on Saturday the 4th
and ends at 1500UTC on Sunday the 5th of April. Using CW and SSB on
the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report and serial number. Polish stations also send their
province code.
On Sunday the 5th, The UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from
0900 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on 1.3 to 3.4GHz frequencies, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 26th of March 2026.
After last weekend's HF disruption, the latter half of the week was
fairly settled.
Last weekend, the Kp index rose to 7, sparking visible aurora around
the UK. The disruption continued, on and off, until Tuesday the 24th
of March when the Kp index fell below 3 again.
The disruption was caused by a solar wind stream which had a Bz
pointing south and reached speeds of more than 600 kilometres per
second. The south-pointing Bz meant it more easily coupled with the
Earth's magnetic field, hence the disruption.
Meanwhile, the solar flux index has picked up, rising from being in
the 100s to hit 140 on Thursday the 26th of March. This, combined
with a lower Kp index, has helped the ionosphere and we saw better
maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path later in
the week.
But the threat of more geomagnetic disturbances has not gone away!
Two large coronal holes are now Earth-facing and threaten to push the
Kp index up once again. NOAA predicts that the Kp index could rise to
4 on Monday the 30th of March and 5 on Friday the 3rd and Saturday
the 4th of April. The solar flux index is predicted to fall into the
130s and 120s again during the coming week, although this is still
enough to provide good ionospheric propagation.
This may be your last chance to work the CY0S Sable Island DXpedition
off the coast of Nova Scotia, which ends around Tuesday the 31st of
March. Other DX stations to work this week include S21WD in
Bangladesh, OX3LX in Greenland, CE0Y/DJ4EL on Easter Island, YJ1JXZ
in Vanuatu, XX9W in Macao, T31TTT on Kanton Island and V4/SP9FIH from
St. Kitts.
To recap, March and April are good months for North-South HF
propagation, although we may see MUFs fall slightly with 10m band
openings becoming rarer, at least until the Sporadic-E season starts
in May.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The current period of rather more changeable weather will continue to
be the main weather pattern during the rest of the month. However,
with a large area of high pressure to the west of the UK, there will
be times when the weather feels more settled and possibly with a hint
of tropo briefly just before midweek.
For the rest of the time active weather fronts will bring occasional
bands of rain or showers with the possibility of some rain scatter
for GHz operators.
Spring is always a good time to keep an eye on aurora since the
geomagnetic disturbances are more likely around the equinox. The Kp
index, which describes the state of the Earth's magnetic field,
increases at times of potential aurora. So, remember that once the Kp
index gets above 5, it's worth monitoring the bands for signs of
fluttery or raspy signals.
Meteor scatter is still under the influence of random activity. As we
head into April, we are getting closer to the next important meteor
shower, the Lyrids toward the end of the month.
Sporadic-E is currently in a dormant state, so we are not expecting
that to feature much in reports for another month. However, if you
feel the need to check, use the comprehensive 10m beacons distributed
around Europe to see the state of the upper HF bands for early signs
of Sporadic-E propagation.
Last week was a busy one for EME with the Dubus 5.7GHz activity and
the CY0 and T7 DXpeditions being worked by many. Moon declination
starts the weekend high, dropping to negative on Tuesday, while path
losses continue to increase towards apogee on Tuesday the 7th of
April. 144MHz sky noise is low all week.
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.
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