Also in GB2RS this week…

The RSGB has agreed to fund a 50MHz beacon specifically to study meteor events above the UK. Unlike conventional propagation beacons, this will beam vertically up using circular polarisation. The 50MHz band is particularly suitable for observing meteors by radio as they create an ionised trail strongly reflective to radio at that frequency while they burn up on entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. This is a collaborative project between the amateur radio and radio astronomy communities and will enable a range of radio-based citizen science and STEM projects studying meteors. The beacon is to be located at the Sherwood observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, a central location for UK coverage.

Radio amateurs in Ukraine appear to be diligently maintaining radio silence as the state of emergency declared there just prior to the Russian military invasion remains in effect. A Presidential decree on 24 February 2022 included “a ban on the operation of amateur radio transmitters for personal and collective use”. The Ukraine Amateur Radio League reported this past week that it has received many messages of encouragement from the worldwide amateur radio community.

An updated document, detailing New Zealand amateur radio beacons including their active status, is now available online. This includes those beacons on the HF bands.

Category: GB2RS Headlines