Also in GB2RS, 28 July 2013…

G100RSGB, the special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary will be operated today and tomorrow by Loughton and Epping Forest ARS from Old Harlow. They will run the station on the 80 to 6m bands as well as 2m and 70cm using SSB and FM. On Tuesday until next Sunday, North Norfolk ARG will run the station from Weybourne on the 80 to 6m bands as well as 2m using SSB, CW & FM. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the RSGB website.

A part of the computer log for the Colchester ARS operation of G100RSGB on 20 and 21 July has irretrievably been lost due to a catastrophic computer problem. About 140 contacts are involved. Attempts at data recovery have proved unsuccessful. This will mean loss of credits for the Centenary Award and the Leaderboard; for those affected, our advice is that they seek to re-make contacts with the remaining stations in the Region 12 schedule.

RSGB General Manager Graham Coomber, G0NBI gave a presentation at the International Space Colloquium last weekend. His presentation was very well received by those attending the Colloquium as well as the many who watched it via the web. Thanks to the British Amateur Television Club the presentation is now available in their video archive. The direct link to view the video online is www.batc.tv/streams/amsat1309.

Ofcom has published a call for input on the possibility of developing new spectrum planning models, tools and services for UHF and VHF spectrum. The switchover from analogue to digital TV, the introduction of new services such as 4G in 800MHz and the development of innovative new technologies like white space devices are placing new demands on this spectrum. As a result, Ofcom has decided to review the frequency planning and spectrum management information needed to ensure that the spectrum continues to be used as efficiently as possible, while ensuring the protection of the services that use it.

On 23 July at 1634UTC, DK3WN received signals from the UK STRaND-1 satellite after a near 4 month absence. Built by volunteers from the Surrey Space Centre and SSTL in Guildford, it was launched on 25 February and was the world’s first smartphone CubeSat to be put into orbit. STRaND-1 unexpectedly stopped transmitting on 30 March and radio amateurs around the world have been listening for it on 437.568MHz ± 10kHz Doppler ever since. Radio amateurs are requested to e-mail reports of reception of telemetry data from STRaND-1 to C.P.Bridges@surrey.ac.uk.

Category: GB2RS Headlines