Also in GB2RS this week…

| December 13, 2013

Signals from WG2XRS, one of the USA special transmitting licences for the 75kHz band, crossed the Atlantic in early December using the newly added OP65 mode. 17 Opera monitor stations spread across the USA and western Europe listened for the transmissions, which started at 2200UTC. The first transmission period produced substantial automated signal reports from stations on the east side of the USA. Only Wolf in Germany, in JO52HP, decoded the signal. He is well known to those who experiment on the LF bands for providing reports on test transmissions. He decoded the 75kHz signal at 0225UTC, a distance of 6,246km. Tests are continuing.

A 60m beacon is transmitting PSK31 from South Africa on 5.250MHz at 5 minute intervals. Should you hear this beacon please send a signal report to beacon@zs6kts.co.za and a copy to propresearch@sarl.org.za. Include your locator number with the report. Operated by the Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society, it is hoped to add CW and WSPR in the near future.

Thousands of amateur radio operators around the world were able to say “Hi” to NASA’s Juno spacecraft in October as it went past Earth on its way to Jupiter. The “say Hi” project was made possible by the fact that Juno passed within 350 miles of the Earth’s surface on 9 October in a manoeuvre to gain momentum for its July 2016 encounter with Jupiter. Juno did not return the greeting or even directly decode the messages but the Juno team evaluated the Waves instrument data containing the messages when the spacecraft was still over 37,000 kilometres from the Earth.

A European windstorm named Oskari has brought down the famed 330 foot high Radio Arcala 160 and 80 metre tower and antenna at Finland’s OH8X station. The mammoth structure collapsed peacefully, not hitting any of the other six towers, not hurting people or damaging buildings. Inspectors are trying to evaluate the cause of the failure. Listen for OF9X on 20m from Radio Arcala over the holiday season.

The special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary will be operated today and tomorrow by Greenisland Electronics ARS operating from Carrickfergus on the 10 to 80m bands using CW, SSB and data. On Monday and Tuesday the callsign passes to Lagen Valley ARS in Lisburn, running 10 to 80m using CW, SSB and RTTY. Wednesday sees the Marconi Radio Group operating from Ballycastle on all bands. Friday, Lagen Valley ARS are back in action running 10 to 80m using CW, SSB and RTTY. Finally for this week, Saturday and Sunday sees MI0MSR operating the callsign from Ballymoney using the 10, 15, 17 and 20m bands with PSK31 and RTTY. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the RSGB website, www.rsgb.org.uk, under the Operating drop down menu, clicking on Centenary Station.

Ofcom has published a statement confirming its plans to amend current regulations to allow the use of a wider range of transmission standards for 11m Citizens Band Radio in the UK. These will include AM, DSB and SSB, which will bring the UK in line with other European countries. Implementation is expected around the middle of 2014.

Category: GB2RS Headlines