Spectrum issues 2025-30

Southgate News has a piece on a recent meeting that the IARU attended on this subject. I think the regulators are trying to see what issues are on the horizon in region 1. I have not yet read the minutes.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/november/iaru-r1-attends-radio-spectrum-policy-group-workshop.htm#.X7E9Q7uTLrc

Sunspots,solar storms, auroras and cycle 25

Like many amateurs, I am keen to know what is coming. On the Southgate News pages are links to the spaceweather forecasts by Dr Tamatha Skov WX6SWW. For more information look at www.spaceweather.com  .

RSGB Convention online

Southgate News reports that the RSGB Convention talks are available online.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2020/october/rsgb-convention-videos-on-youtube.htm#.X4qS7LfTVkw

Wireless charging of electric vehicles

Southgate News has a piece about the impact of wireless electric vehicle charging on the amateur and other services. The noise level close to these is way above ITU standards and is going to get worse over time. Wireless vehicle chargers operate between 79 and 90kHz.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/september/rf-pollution-from-electric-vehicle-wireless-chargers.htm#.X2XjVWjYq00

Perseids meteor shower

Many people like to make VHF contacts in meteor showers. Modes like FT4 and FT8 should be particularly effective I think. Signals are often strong, but short lived.

I see Southgate News has a link about this.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/august/perseid-meteor-alert.htm#.Xy570jfYq00

10m report

Some months ago, I mentioned the 10m report on Southgate News. My main complaint was that without being clear where stations were being heard or worked from it was of limited use. For example, if PY is being copied from LU do we care? What really matters is what real DX can be worked from where we live. It would be really useful if it made clear what DX was being worked from the UK.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/bands/10metres/2020/july/july-16.htm#.XxvpYojYq00

New ICOM IC-705 video

Southgate News has a piece linking to the new ICOM video about the SDR based ICOM IC-705 QRP rig.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/july/introducing-the-ic-705-qrp-sdr-transceiver.htm#.XxK49YjYq00

See also https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-705-HF-VHF-UHF-Mobile-Transceiver/3977/1338/14/

Old QSL cards

Southgate News has a link to a French page that has a collection of old QSL cards.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/july/old-qsl-card-collection.htm m#.XwgnOYjYq00

This reminds me of two things I must do! I badly need to update my eQSL records and I need to subscribe to Logbook of the World. I also have to submit my log for VHF NFD. Although my score will be very poor, I should show my support. I came on for a short while on 2m with 10W and the big-wheel omni antenna.

Virtual Ham Expo

Southgate News has a piece about a virtual ham expo in August. 

I have been impressed with meetings and lectures using Zoom. The CDARC (Cambridge Radio Club) has had a series of Zoom lectures. These have all been very good. It has been good to "attend" these from the comforts of home. In my case it saved a 26 mile road trip, partly at night.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/july/qso-today-virtual-ham-expo.htm#.Xv8BjYjYq00

Oscar 100 and SOTA

Southgate News has a piece about a recent SOTA activation using Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite between 2 G stations.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/june/qo-100-s2s-in-sota.htm#.XvoFkYjYq00

RF interference levels

At the moment, I am quite rare in having a quiet RF noise level. Others are not so lucky and HF operating is all but impossible. Southgate News reports on an IARU submission to CISPR on this.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/june/rising-rf-noise-levels-iaru-submits-paper-to-cispr.htm#.XtkLr4jYrrc

More on 8m (40MHz)

Southgate News has a bit more on the Irish 8m beacon. In the article it says there are only 2 beacons operational. I thought this made 3 adding to the ones in England and Denmark. I have since found out that the UK beacon is not operational.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/may/additional-information-on-the-new-40-mhz-beacon-in-ireland.htm#.Xr0ITmjYq00

Certainly, there has been at least 1 cross-band QSO 8m-6m between EI and OE. This looks a bit like the early days on 6m.

I do hope 8m becomes more widely available. It is ideal for Es and MS research. Maybe a few more should apply for special access even on spot frequencies and with power limits on a non-interference basis? This may be the first baby steps we have to take? There has been at least one 8m QSO between EI and LY with the LY getting special permission.

A very good resource seems to be John EI7GL's blog at  https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/p/40-mhz.html.

UK Foundation Licence

Southgate News reports that there has been a large increase in interest in the UK Foundation licence. For a few weeks now, the RSGB has had on-line invigilation. I guess lockdown and isolation have something to do with this.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/may/get-your-foundation-licence-faq.htm#.XrgKn2jYq00

6m in Germany

Southgate News has a piece on 6m in Germany, which is moving to implement WRC allocations.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/may/enhanced-50-mhz-allocation-in-germany.htm#.XrP7SmjYq00

Guernsey special event station

Southgate News reports that there will be a special event station on Guernsey to commemorate its liberation. Thus will be active in May.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/guernsey-special-event.htm#.Xpww92jYq00

2m beacon using the Pluto SDR

Southgate News has a piece on using the ADALM-Pluto SDR as a beacon on 2m. This links to a Hackaday article. As it stands, it is very low power and would need a PA adding.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/hackaday-144-mhz-beacon-using-the-adalm-pluto-sdr.htm#.XpbMWxnYq00

DX most wanted

As many know, I am not an active DX chaser. If I work any real DX it would be by chance! I see Southgate News has a piece on which DX entities are most wanted. Way back in the 1960s, I copied ZL9 on AM. I had no idea it was so rare!

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/april/dxcc-most-wanted.htm#.XosEjhnYq00

W&S open?

According to Southgate News W&S is still open for business and taking sensible precautions with a couple of staff working from home "in the cloud". 

I guess this policy (of keeping the shop open) could change if government policy changes.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/w-s-open-and-serving-your-hobby.htm#.XnZ2Ld-TK00

VHF QSO Party

Southgate News reports on a VERON QSO Party on March 21 and 22nd.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/veron-vhf-qso-party.htm

Oscar 100 QRPP experiment with FT8

Southgate News reports on a QRPP FT8 experiment from Brazil on the geosynchronous Oscar 100 satellite. The aim is to get people experimenting with real QRP via the satellite.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/march/amsat-brazil-qo-100-experiment.htm#.Xm9HIMiTK00