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G4FVG > NEWS 12.04.26 09:34l 245 Lines 11828 Bytes #60 (0) @ EU
BID : 51711_G4FVG
Subj: RSGB Main News 12 Apr 2026
Path: ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<GB7CIP<G4FVG
Sent: 260412/0720Z 51711@G4FVG.#79.GBR.EURO LinBPQ6.0.25
It appears as though the forwarding has been interrupted today,
so here is a backup copy of the [same] RSGB news. This might be
duplicated later via the normal route, but at least two copies are
better than none!
So here is the GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 12th of April 2026
The news headlines:
* Join the RSGB 2026 AGM livestream from around the world
* Learn about the Society's work defending the amateur radio
spectrum
* RSGB representatives attending the NARSA rally
World Amateur Radio Day is on Saturday the 18th of April, and what
better way to celebrate than by joining the RSGB 2026 AGM? The AGM
will once again be taking place online so as many RSGB members as
possible can watch and take part. To join the livestream, all you
need to do is go to rsgb.org/agm at 10am on Saturday. Ahead of the
event, RSGB members are being asked to vote for their two preferred
Elected Director Candidates, endorse the Nominated Director
candidates and vote on the other resolutions. Members have until 9am
on the 16th of April 2026 to cast their votes. Candidate information
and details of how to vote can be found on the Society's AGM web
pages. During the AGM, members of the RSGB Board will be answering
questions. You can choose one of three ways to submit your question.
If you would like to talk to the Board directly and ask a question
live via Zoom, you'll need to pre-register by 9am tomorrow, Monday
the 13th of April. Alternatively, RSGB members can submit a written
question until 9am on Thursday. Priority is given to questions
submitted in advance, but questions will also be taken via live chat
on the day if there is time. The Society has announced that if large
volumes of questions are received, it will only include two questions
per person or organisation during the AGM, to ensure that as many
people as possible are included. Find out more about these deadlines
by selecting the ‘Ask the Board a question' link from the
right-hand menu in the AGM web section.
Following the formal business of the RSGB 2026 AGM, the Society is
delighted that its spectrum experts Murray Niman, G6JYB and Barry
Lewis, G4SJH will be joined by the IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH
who also holds the call G4HUA, and RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas,
M1ACB. They will discuss the recent and current threats to the
amateur radio spectrum and how the RSGB leads the input into many of
the spectrum defences. RSGB EMC Chair John Rogers, M0JAV will also
talk about potential new major threats to the noise floor. RSGB
Propagation Studies Committee Chair Steve Nichols, G0KYA will
facilitate the discussion. Whether you're new to amateur radio or
have been enjoying it for decades, this is an important presentation
that you won't want to miss.
If you are attending the NARSA rally today, Sunday the 12th of April,
pop by and say hello to members of the RSGB team who are attending.
The event is taking place at the Norbreck Hotel in Blackpool. As well
as an RSGB book stall, you will find the RSGB Morse Competency Lead
Eric Arkinstall, M0KZB who will be offering Morse competency tests
for those who would like to test their skills. Members of the
Society's Regional Team will also be there, as well as RSGB President
Bob Beebe, GU4YOX who will be presenting the trophies for the
construction competition, and best club website and stand at 1.30pm.
Find out more about the event at narsa.org.uk
The RSGB had announced that Vaughan Ravenscroft, M0VRR has stepped
down as its Intruder Watch Coordinator. Ian Suart, GM4AUP has taken
on this role, in addition to being the OAS Coordinator. The RSGB
Monitoring System, more popularly known as Intruder Watch, forms part
of the IARU Monitoring System. It submits reports of non-amateur
transmissions heard on the exclusive HF amateur bands to both the
Ofcom Monitoring Station at Baldock and to IARU Region 1. Find out
more about the service at rsgb.org/intruder-watch
Don't forget that Tonight<at>8 will be live tomorrow night, on the
RSGB YouTube channel and special BATC channel. The presentation will
be delivered by Mark Foreman, G7LSZ who is an associate professor of
industrial materials recycling at a University in Sweden. He'll be
discussing the recycling process of waste electronic and electrical
equipment, and what happens to your rig when it is no longer working.
Find out more at rsgb.org/webinars
The next in the popular 145 Alive series of events takes place on
Saturday the 18th of April from 1200 to 1500UTC. Many hundreds of
operators are expected to be on the air using 145MHz FM and 144MHz
SSB. For more information, go to the 145 Alive Facebook page or email
145aliveuk<at>gmail.com
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 12th, Holsworthy Amateur Radio Club Spring Radio Rally is
taking place at Holsworthy Livestock Market, New Market Road,
Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. The doors open to the public at 10am and
entry is GBP 3 per person. There is a bring and buy area and catering
on site. More details are available via the ‘Rally' tab at
m0omc.co.uk
Cambridge Repeater Group Rally will take place on Sunday the 19th of
April at Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN. Traders
can gain access from 7.30am and the doors open to visitors at 9.30am.
Entry costs GBP 4 but there will be a discount for multi-occupancy
vehicles. For more information email
rally2026<at>cambridgerepeaters.net and visit cambridgerepeaters.net
Now the Special Event news
Special callsign SX100PAOK is operating until the 18th of May to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pan-Thessalonian Athletic
Club. Look out for activity on all bands using CW, digital modes and
SSB. A commemorative award is planned for participants, along with a
QSL card to confirm QSOs. Visit QRZ.com for more information and
updates.
To celebrate World Amateur Radio Day on Saturday the 18th, members of
the Union of Belgian Radio Amateurs are active as OO26WARD throughout
April. QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via the Bureau.
Now the DX news
Suvarna, VU3OPT is active as 3B9N from Rodrigues Island, AF-017,
until Wednesday the 20th of May. He operates using CW and has been
spotted on the 20, 15 and 10m bands. Visit 9n7ga.com for more
information.
Herman, YB3GIH is operating as 3X/YB3GIH from Boffa in Guinea until
June. He operates using SSB on the 20 and 15m bands. QSOs are
uploaded to eQSL, Club Log, and Logbook of the World.
Now the contest news
RSGB FT4 International Activity Day started at 1200UTC yesterday, the
11th, and ends at 1200UTC today, Sunday the 12th of April. Using FT4
on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange
is your report.
Tomorrow, the 13th, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs from 1900 to
2030UTC. Using CW on the 80m band, the exchange is signal report and
serial number.
On Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from
1800 to 1855UTC. Using FM on the 70cm band, the exchange is signal
report, serial number and locator.
Also on Tuesday the 14th, the RSGB 432MHz UK Activity Contest runs
from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 70cm band, the exchange
is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Thursday the 16th, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs from
1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator.
On Saturday the 18th, the PACCdigi Contest runs from 0700 to 1900UTC.
Using FT4, FT8 and RTTY on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is your report and serial number. PA stations
also send their province code.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 9th of April 2026.
After a pretty stormy run-up to Easter, from a geomagnetic
disturbance point of view, the Sun has been quieter.
In fact, the Kp index has been below 3 all week. Unfortunately, the
solar flux index has also declined, standing at 108 on Thursday the
9th of April. The only advantage has been a lack of solar flares.
There have only been 12 minor C-class flares over the past three days
compared with 29 C-class flares and six M-class flares on the 4th and
5th of April.
We always look for a low Kp index over a higher solar flux index for
better HF conditions.
So how does this all affect HF propagation? The maximum useable
frequency, or MUF, over a 3,000km path has been struggling to get up
to 28MHz on most days. This leaves only 21 and 24MHz open after the
initial post-dawn ionospheric build-up. This doesn't mean that 10m is
dead, but it may be that the band is only open to DX and not open to
Europe. This may change once the Sporadic-E season starts, but we are
still a month away from that.
DX being worked, according to the CDXC Slack group, includes 5W1SA in
Samoa on 17m FT8, F0/F6BCW from French Polynesia on 12m CW and 3DA0TM
in Eswatini on 20m USB. T31TTT on Kanton Island, Central Kiribati,
has also been spotted on the 20 and 30m bands using FT4 and FT8. The
DXpedition is focusing on FT modes, although the team is also
operating some CW.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will start around
105, but will increase a little over the week to reach the low 120s.
Geomagnetic conditions are forecast to be quiet, with a maximum Kp
index of 3 once we get over this weekend's predicted disruption,
which has a forecast Kp index of 5.
Then we are in for a rough ride next weekend, with a predicted Kp
index of 6 on the 19th of April and disrupted conditions for three
days. This is likely due to the return of active region 4392 which
produced a coronal mass ejection that hit the Earth and caused the Kp
index to rise to 7 on its last rotation.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The warm, dry weather of the middle of last week has left us with
ideas of spring, but it has now been replaced by cooler unsettled
weather with rain or showers.
In fact, the next week or two will be generally unsettled, not
atypical of April. This will be a good period for rain scatter on the
upper GHz bands since April showers can be heavy and present good
scatter opportunities. This unsettled weather means tropo retreats
into the background for this period.
Meteor scatter is still under the influence of random activity and
best in the early morning hours. Aurora is currently looking more
promising with solar conditions offering coronal holes and possible
auroras as a result.
Sporadic-E will start to make an appearance soon, especially on the
10m band, but realistically we probably need to wait until we are
into May before chances are more rewarding for the 6m band. It is
often a feature of the early part of the Sporadic-E season that the
traditional two periods of activity of the high season, morning and
afternoon, start off as one broad period around the middle of the day.
For EME operators, Moon declination is starting to climb again, going
positive on Wednesday the 15th of April. Earth-Moon-Earth path losses
are past maximum now and continue to fall all week. 144MHz sky noise
is high today, the 12th, and will fall to low for the rest of the
week. Friday the 17th of April will be an exception as the Moon and
Sun will be close in the sky.
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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