Also in GB2RS this week – 4 November 2018

GB2RAF, the permanent special event station based at the RAF Neatishead Air Defence Radar Museum will be off the air from the 10th of November 2018 to March 2019 due to the Museum’s winter closure.

The VP6D Ducie Island DXpedition was obliged to cease operations a day earlier than planned due to an expected worsening in landing conditions. Their final contact count was 121,136, with some 67,686 on CW. There were 28,736 on SSB and 24,714 on digital modes.

The Bank of Lithuania has released a commemorative gold €5 coin featuring the country’s LituanicaSAT-1 and LitSAT-1 amateur radio satellites. The two CubeSats were launched to the International Space Station in January 2014, and deployed on the 28th of February. LituanicaSAT-1 carried a FM transponder and a camera, while LitSat-1 had a linear SSB/CW transponder developed by William, PE1RAH. The face of the gold coin features the Lithuanian coat of arms as a star constellation, with LituanicaSAT-1 and LitSAT-1 on the obverse.

Still on the subject of satellite operation, the Yasme Foundation has announced a significant grant to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, ARISS, in support of the effort to upgrade amateur radio equipment and systems on the space station. ARISS mounted a fund-raising campaign earlier this year to cover the costs of its next generation Interoperable Radio System, which will replace the aging and intermittent ISS amateur radio gear now in space. The Yasme Excellence Award is presented to individuals and groups who, through their own service, creativity, effort and dedication, have made a significant contribution to amateur radio.

The national society of Belgium, UBA, reports radio amateurs in Belgium can use the OP prefix during November as part of the 100th anniversary of WWI commemorations. The addition of the letter P is for Poppies. So those who hold a Belgian licence can use the prefix OP instead of the standard prefix ON. This does not apply to those holding short callsigns, or affect licenses issued by other countries.

Category: GB2RS Headlines