ARRL HQ

According to Southgate News the ARRL is trying to minimise the risks to its staff by stopping visitors. Someone had better tell the US President.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/announcement-from-american-radio-relay-league-headquarters.htm#.Xm6O1MiTK00

10m news

As many will already know, I am not a great fan of Tony's 10m Band Report on Southgate News.  To me, it would be more useful if it showed just DX worked from the UK or Western Europe. OK, it shows stations active, but can give the impression the band is busy. Yes, the propagation is there more often than we might think, but at this part of the solar cycle it can be much harder to find.

UPDATE 2136z: See my short article about 10m on p32 of the RSGB April RadCom.

South Orkney DXpedition

Southgate News reports that the DXpedition VP8PJ to Signy Island has set off.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/south-orkney-dxpedition.htm#.XmdY4Y6TK00

DXpeditions

Southgate News has a piece on some future DXpeditions to Sable Island (off Canada) and Willis Island (off Australia).

See Southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/willis-island-dxpedition-news.htm#.XmZphY6TK00

Space weather

Southgate News has a piece on the space weather forecast  by expert Dr Tamitha Skov.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/space-weather/index.htm#.XmKtf46TK00

FT8 popularity

Southgate News has a piece asking how long it takes to get DXCC using FT8.

In the piece they say that 80% of contacts are now on FT8. If true, and I do not know if this is, it means there is a huge drop in SSB use and far less chatting.

Although I enjoy FT8 as my voice is poor, I hope people still want to use other modes and chat. Without this, our hobby is much poorer.

Years ago people often chanced on amateur radio. Operators heard amateur AM transmissions and they were curious. FT8 needs special free software, so newcomers are very unlikely to chance upon it.

Solar weather forecast videos

Southgate News links to the video solar forecasts by Dr Tamitha Skov.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/space-weather/index.htm#.XlOwvI6TK00

Southgate News

As regular visitors know, I often include links to stuff on Southgate News. Quite frequently they include things of interest and where this happens I try to point visitors to take a look. They seem to collect news items from several sources, so not everything is relevant.

I am not a great fan of Tony's 10m news.

See http://southgatearc.org/

SSTV from ISS?

Southgate News reports that there is expected to be SSTV from the International Space Station on Jan 30/31st.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/slow-scan-tv-from-iss-january-30-31.htm#.XjFNtfKTLnE

New 134GHz record

Persssonally, I found optical comms easier than microwaves as all the testgear and kit could be easily home made. According to Southgate News a new mm record has been set in Germany. They must be keen!

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/new-iaru-region-1-record-on-134-ghz.htm#.Xi7uK_KTLnE

4m in Germany 2020

Southgate News reports that 4m will again be available in 2020 for German amateurs. As Ger ismany at just the right range in Es openings, this is good news for amateurs in the UK.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/4m-returns-to-germany.htm#.Ximr4PKTLnE

BBC MW closures - NOT amateur radio

Southgate News has a further piece about BBC Medium Wave local radio closures planned.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/further-changes-to-some-bbc-local-radio-medium-wave-services.htm#.Xh7f8fKTLnE

The future of amateur radio

Many times I have expressed concern that our hobby could just die out as existing amateurs get older and younger generations fail to be interested. I see on Southgate News that the Japanese Amateur Radio League President has used this in his New Year's address.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/jarl-focus-is-on-younger-generations-and-women.htm

Betelgeuse - NOT amateur radio

Southgate News reports that the famous star Betalgeuse is less intense than it was. At some point in the next million years it could turn into a supernova, although I don't expect to see it!

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/the-fainting-of-betelgeuse.htm

Early days

When I first started in amateur radio as a G8 back in the late 1960s I used to operate the station of Bill Honeywill G4PJ (Salcombe) under supervision. One of the stations we regularly worked was G3SCW.

Southgate News has a piece on a BBC archive film that includes a bit on his stations (railway and amateur radio!).

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/amateur-radio-at-a-railway-station-with-no-trains.htm#.XhOAofKTLnE

Amazing tropo DX on 70cm

If I work 200km on 70cm I am amazed. So how about working 4644km? That amazing DX was worked recently by G4KUX according to a piece picked up by Southgate News.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/g4kux-extends-432-mhz-tropo-record-to-4-644kms.htm#.XhImC-iTLnE. This has links to EI7GL's blog.

New EU 2m tropo record

Southgate News reports that there is a new tropo record in Europe with a contact between Scotland and the Cape Verde Is off Africa thanks to sea ducting.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/region-1-144-mhz-tropo-record-now-extended-to-4776-kms.htm

Earthing

Southgate News has a piece reporting on the new RSGB leaflet on grounding.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/earthing-and-the-radio-amateur-leaflet-updated.htm#.XgyIZuiTLnE

Stolen Repeater

Southgate News, and other sources, reports the theft of a Cambridgeshire repeater. These are the details as they appear on Southgate News. I rarely use repeaters, so I am not even sure of the band or mode! I think it is UHF and DMR enabled.  I wonder if the site has surveillance cameras. At less than £40 for an internet camera, this would be a wise investment.

Let's hope they get it back and the thieves suffer as a result.

"GB7PY has been stolen from Madingley, Cambridge, on 23rd December at approx 2115hrs.

Repeater info -
Motorola SLR5500 UHF
Model: R10QCGANQ1AN
Tanapa : PMUE4392AA
Serial: 478IRW1189
Also stolen Teltonika RUT950 4G router.

IMEI on the Router is 3516220701486502 - which has been network blocked and will therefore not work on any network now.

Any information please pass to Cambridgeshire Police on crime reference number 35/92597/19."

Encouraging older people?

It is very clear that the average age of radio amateurs is going up as existing amateurs in the hobby get older. It is also vital that we encourage younger people into the hobby and keep them.

Todd already commented in an earlier post that working DX, which was so exciting for many of us, is less important for many younger people today: the magic to many of us of talking around the world is no longer such a turn-on for many younger people used to talking across the world on video free by Skype and similar.

What the Southgate News piece points out is there are lots of lonely older people who could find companionship through amateur radio. These people should also be encouraged too.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/december/encouraging-seniors-to-join-ham-radio.htm#.XgSG6-iTLnE