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G2N May 144MHz Contest 18th/19th May
STOP PRESS :-
* Sat 18th May 1400 for 24h. 144MHz May Contest.
Preparations are well underway for a big entry by the NARC VHF team using our contest call G2N, please look out for us / support us with points or come and visit on site in the field just to the West of the old radar station at trimingham to consider helping out or even operating. What3words for the site entrance at the bottom of the field is ///cutback.fancy.lifetimes.
This is part of the RSGB VHF Championship. (N1MM+ log to use is VHF RSGB M1) Link to rules here
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NARC Contest News 139 Friday 17th May 2024
Welcome to week one hundred and thirty nine of NARC’s contest news.
Results:-
On VHF
The results of the 432MHz Trophy contest of 4/5/2024 were released very rapidly on 16th May. Entry numbers were low with 20 in the open section and 43 in the Single operator fixed section. Only myself and Stewart G4AFF enetered for NARC managing 5th and 28th places respectively. Link to results here
The results of the MayUHF contest (4/5 May) were released on 16th May. Our only entry was Stewart G4AFF on 70cm. Link to results
No UKAC results this week.
On HF
No results this week except a report from John G8VPE on the recent Spanish RTTY contest results - see below:-
The EARTTY Spanish RTTY contest (6&7th April 2024) results have been published.
In the LOW Power Single Operator Category there were 375 entries and Bob 2E0OBO came 230th followed by G8VPE in 254th place.
The URE of Spain produced a very colourful Certificate of Participation available to all entrants.
73 John G8VPE
If people are entering other contests of whose results I am obviously unaware please e-mail me to let me know the outcome and I'll mention it here.
Contests:-
On VHF
The 70MHz CW contest , part of the VHF CW championship ran on Sunday 12th May. Several NARC members entered, G4DYC, G4AFF, G8VPE and myself. Conditions were reasonable but disappointing after the excellent aurora of the previous couple of days! Link to claimed scores here
The 432MHz UKAC ran on Tuesday 14th May. I believe 10 of us were active and hopefully 9 should eneter logs. Conditions were quite good and I was pleased to work SM6VTZ at 893Km. Activity was also good. Link to claimed scores here
The 70MHz UKAC ran on Thursday 16th May. I am aware of 5 of us who turned out for it although I only managed to be home for the last 45 mins. Condotions were fairly dire with poor signals especially from io91 area. Link to claimed scores here
On HF
The 80M CC SSB contest ran on Monday 13th May. Conditions seemed quite good and activity was high. A total of 192 logs have been received at RSGB with 17 from NARC. A spectacular score once again from Andy M0NKR of 179 contacts plus the bonus station. It looks like we should once again have won this one. Link to logs received
I've had no reports of anyone working any other HF contests last weekend. Please let me know if you were and I'll put a summary in next week's news.
Upcoming contests in the next 2 weeks (all times in UTC):-
On VHF / UHF /SHF
Before each of the 2m and 70cm UKACs there is an FM leg starting 1 hour before for 55 minutes. I hear almost no activity in this from here but others may have more luck! Rules etc on RSGBCC site.
* Sat 18th May 1400 for 24h. 144MHz May Contest. Preparations are well underway for a big entry by the NARC VHF team using our contest call G2N, please look out for us / support us with points or come and visit on site to consider helping out or even operating. This is part of the RSGB VHF Championship. (N1MM+ log to use is VHF RSGB M1) Link to rules here
* Sun 19th May 1100-1500 1st 144MHz Backpackers contest. Link to rules here
* Tue 21st May 1900-2130 1.3GHz UKAC
* Tue 28th May 1830-2130 SHF UKAC
Also of interest for some on the vhf / uhf bands are the EU FT8 activity tests - see the following link for more information. These are on the first (144 MHz), second (432MHz) and third (1.3GHz) Wednesdays of each month. 1700-2000 Hrs EU FT8 series website
On HF
* Sat 18th May 0600-2100 UN DX Contest CW and SSB (Kazakhstan based but worldwide) - Link to rules here
* Sat 18th May 1200 for 24h His Majesty King of Spain CW contest - Link to rules here
* Sat 18th May 1600-2000 Feld Hell Sprint, 10m band - Link to rules here
* Sat 18th May 2100 for 5h Baltic Contest CW and SSB, 80m band - Rules link here http://www.lrsf.lt/en/
* Sun 19th May 0000-2359 FISTS Sunday Sprint, CW - Rules link here
* Sun May 19th 2300 for 2h Run for the Bacon QRP Contest - Rules link here
* Mon 20th May 1900-2030 RSGB FT4 Contest - Rules here
* Wed 22nd May 1900-2030 80m CC DATA
* Sat 25th May 0000 to Sun 26th May 2359 CQ WW WPX Contest CW - Link to rules here
* Thu 30th May 1900-2030 80m CC CW
See Link to WA7BNM for other contests not mentioned above. Several QSO parties in the USA etc.
Wednesdays throughout the year, CW ops 1 hour mini tests 13:00, 19:00, Thurs 03:00 and 07:00, exchange Name and G if not a member or CWOPS number if you are a member.
See CWOPS website for more details.
Also on Fridays 2000 to 2100 and Mondays 0000 to 0100 each week CWops runs the K1USN slow speed CW contests. Any speed up to 20wpm is acceptable. For rules see :- CW OPs SST page these contests are open to anyone.
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All RSGB contest rules and further details plus log submission at RSGB contest site
Look to WA7BNM’s contest calendar for other contests and links to rules etc at WA7BNM weekly contest calendar
A link to John 2E0TWQ’s site’s Narc contest history page - 2E0TWQ's NARC contest results page
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Contesting can be great fun but I know there's a reluctance to step into unknown waters. It's a great way of improving many aspects of our hobby including one's own performance and the quality of your station. If you have any interest whatsover please call in to the contest net on Friday evening at 9pm on 145.250MHz FM or speak to any of the regular contesters on 450. Or indeed email me!
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Submissions or comments for this news to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
73 until next week,
Phil G4LPP
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GB2CW Morse Corner 16.05.24
GB2CW Morse Corner 17.05.24
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National Field Day 2024
We do need some help on NFD! Anybody fancy an operating slot? Anybody got a long pole for holding up a wire antenna? Anybody got some time to spare on the weekend in question? Anybody know their way to the Ellingham ranch? Anybody fancy a fish and chip supper?
If your name is Anybody then we want to hear from you. Come and experience the thrill of a National Field Day. The older generation are getting weary and we need some new young bloods to assist and eventually take over.
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Morse Classes
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The beginner's class is still running at 2000 local time on Friday evenings, assuming people sign in. I don't like playing to fresh air so please do try to make your presence known.
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Key of the week.
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This is a Vibroplex Junior Bug. It is quite an ancient key but cleaned up well. However, DO NOT even think of using a bug.
It came with an original Vibroplex Junior Leather case. Presumably used by a Western Union telegrapher or a railroad telegrapher. According to the serial number archives, it was born in 1921!
CW OPS
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The four sessions are very well attended by lots of amateurs from around the world. Great practice and good fun too. Try it some time. You don't have to be a member to participate.
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David M7BLX has been taking part in some of the sessions and is enjoying his new experience. This is a sure way of practising and increasing your speed. He is improving too, larger score this week.
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NARC NET 3543KHz plus or minus QRM 2000 local time
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Other Net Controllers and tutors will not join in but will leave the frequency to those that need the experience, tuition and practice. Speed will be maintained at 18wpm.
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If you require any practice, come and join in.
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This week it will be Phil G4LPP on the usual freq. Hope to hear you there!
Malcolm G3PDH
Phil G4LPP
Dick G3WRJ
Roger G3LDI
Jim G3YLA
Colin G4EYT
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That's it, open the cage, play the music.
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If you have any input, please email me.
73 de Roger, G3LDI GB2CW Coordinator. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. May the Morse be with you.
Author Roger Cooke
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Propagation News, Friday 17th May 2024
HF News
After last weekend’s auroral spectacular it was nice to see the Sun calm down a little and the bands get back to normal. But that didn’t last long.
To recap, on Friday 10th May the Kp index shot up to nine due to the effects of a number of coronal mass ejections, while the HF bands closed down in the subsequent geomagnetic storm.
While there were visible aurora across the UK and Europe, HF propagation really suffered and didn’t start to recover until late afternoon on Saturday 11th.
The main culprit, active region 3664 has now rotated out of view, but that doesn’t mean we are out of the woods just yet.
Solar flares can cause short time disruption to HF propagation due to their X-rays penetrating deep into the D-region and causing signals to be absorbed. Subsequent coronal mass ejections can cause longer-term degradation of the F2 layer with reduced maximum usable frequencies, noisy bands and auroral conditions.
At the time of writing, the Kp index stood at six again so it looks like unsettled geomagnetic conditions are continuing with a moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm in progress.
Low to moderate activity is now expected, with a slight chance of further strong class flares. The regions currently on the visible disc are smaller and simpler, with isolated M-flares possible from these. However, a new active region now rotating into view, has already emitted an X-class solar flare.
Next week, the United States Air Force predicts that the solar flux index may remain in the range 160-180. HF conditions remain a lottery as they can be badly affected by solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
It is best to keep an eye on solarham.com for updates and also propquest.co.uk for near real-time reports of the critical and maximum usable frequencies.
VHF and up
The weather remains on the unsettled side of things with areas of rain and some thunderstorms over the country, especially the south as we end this week. During the first weekend, as this is being read out, high pressure will become established over northern and western Britain.
This may eventually take a tenuous hold over the rest of the country during the second half of next week and into next weekend, the 25th and 26th of May.
This high pressure, although fairly weak, may help with some Tropo for those in northern Britain in the 144MHz May Contest and the Backpackers this weekend (18th/19th May) as well as the 1.3GHz UKAC next Tuesday (21st May), but may not be of much use in the south as another low arrives from the continent.
Overall, rain scatter on the GHz bands will probably be worth exploring in the rainy areas again since some of the showers may be heavy and thundery.
The prospects for aurora are still worth keeping in mind despite the recent stunning event and the even rarer prospect of any repeat on the same scale. However, minor non-visible events can still provide a reasonable radio aurora to explore.
The Sporadic-E season continues to develop and with such unsettled weather there are plentiful jet streams to act as source regions for turbulence, which can propagate up to the E region where it can generate Es.
We are currently at the tail end of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower. A few meteors from this shower will continue to appear, but no major shower is expected this week.
The lowest Moon declination occurs this coming Friday week. With the Moon being full on the 23rd, a clear sky should reveal an impressive ‘Flower Moon’.
For EME, path loss will still be relatively high, although the Moon is starting to move back towards its closest point to Earth, or perigee.
144MHz sky noise starts the week low, but rises to high on Saturday the 25th.
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Aurora over Owlswood
Hi All.
Robert G4TUK took this one and asked me to upload it to NARC. What a great picture! Congratulations Robert.
** David G7URP is collecting members Aurora pictures to show on NARC Live on Wednesday so please send yours to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by next Tuesday evening.
73 de Roger, G3LDI
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Aurora pictures from Steve G3EVA
Hi All.
Hopefully some of you managed to see the aurora. For me it was a bucket list thing. I did manage to see it without using a camera too and here at Swardeston I do have light polution from the main roads. I did manage a few A QSOs on 6m too, always nice to hear the buzz saw notes!
Steve drove out to Spixworth and found a very good site there. He took the pictures with the aid of a tripod on the roof of his car.
** David G7URP is collecting members Aurora pictures to show on NARC Live on Wednesday so please send yours to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by next Tuesday evening.
73 de Roger, G3LDI