Also in GB2RS this week…
Since the first Sunday in June there has been an addition to the GB2RS broadcast schedule. Reg, G8VHI, in Nuneaton, now reads the news at 2030UTC on 145.525MHz. He has a very good VHF location and should be audible over a large part of the West and East Midlands. His best report to date is near Hamburg in Germany!
Tropical Storm Earl is currently heading across Central America, affecting Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. Radio amateurs in the region are providing emergency communications support. Amateurs in the rest of the world are reminded it is possible to cause unintentional QRM to these emergency nets. Please listen carefully if operating near amateur emergency frequencies, particularly in the 7MHz band. Details of all the frequencies to avoid during the hurricane season can be found at www.iaru-r1.org.
Ofcom is holding a consultation Improving Spectrum Access for Consumers in the 5GHz Band. This proposes an expansion of 5GHz wi-fi bands that would, amongst other things, affect weak signal reception for 5760MHz narrowband and EME users and 5840MHz satellites, whilst still inhibiting innovation of amateur mesh and other innovative data systems. The RSGB response to this consultation, and a related one by AMSAT-UK, may be read in the Spectrum Forum section of the RSGB website.
So far more than 375 registrations have been received from 40 countries for this year’s International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. Organisers expect around 500 marine structures to be listed when the event goes on air on the weekend of 20 and 21 August. Leading this fun event so far is Germany with 60, USA and Australia with 55, followed by England with 30. To see all registrations, go to www.illw.net.
Krzysztof, SP5HS became silent key at the age of 81 earlier this month. He was one of the reactivators of the Polish Amateur Radio Union (PZK) in 1956 and one of the headquarters personnel. In 1990, he was elected President of the Union. A longer tribute is on the RSGB website.
Amateur Radio Newsline has selected 17-year-old Skyler Fennell, KD0WHB, of Denver, Colorado as the 2016 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Young Ham of the Year. First licenced in July 2013, he reached Extra class in 2014. His YouTube channel chronicles several of his amateur radio achievements.
Due to resurfacing work, access to the Rugby ATS Rally on 21 August will be via a temporary entrance in Coventry Road. Full details are on the RSGB website and will also be in next week’s GB2RS.
Alaska’s High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility will reopen in 2017. HAARP is known as the world’s most capable high power, high frequency transmitter for study of the ionosphere. The FCC recently granted HAARP two experimental service licences for research. WI2XFX covers experiments on various frequencies between 2.65 and 8.1MHz. WI2XDV covers ionospheric research between 1 and 40MHz.
Category: GB2RS Headlines
