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G4FVG > NEWS 17.05.26 10:33l 266 Lines 12743 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
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Subj: RSGB Main News 17 May 2026
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It appears as though the forwarding has been interrupted today,
so here is a backup copy of the [same] RSGB news. This might be
duplicated later via the normal route, but at least two copies are
better than none!
So here is the GB2RS Main News for Sunday the 17th of May 2026
The news headlines:
* The RSGB releases a new set of mock exam papers
* Which RSGB Convention workshop will you take part in?
* Listen to Milton Keynes Hospital radio for an interview with
the RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator
The RSGB Exams Team is pleased to publish new mock exam papers for
Foundation and Intermediate levels. There are three for each level
and you can find them on the RSGB website at rsgb.org/mock-exams
These take into account all the changes to the syllabus and exam
question bank which have been made since the last sets of mock exam
papers were published. The Exams Team will not be publishing new mock
papers for the Full level as the entire Full licence question bank is
now available online. Candidates and Trainers can create their own
Full level mock papers using the questions at rsgb.org/exam-questions
The RSGB is running a practical and thought-provoking workshop for
radio amateurs, makers, and home constructors, who want to understand
what AI really is, what it is good at, where it can go wrong and why
it matters. The session will run during the RSGB Convention on both
Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of October. It will use plain
English and real examples from personal projects and will show how
large language models can act as useful thinking partners for
learning, writing, coding and building. At only GBP 15 for a two-hour
session, this is an opportunity not to be missed. As well as this,
the Society is running an additional workshop on Friday the 9th of
October. In this six-hour workshop you will learn how to use the
NanoVNA effectively, understand its practical limitations and apply
it confidently in your shack. You will also learn to calibrate the
device correctly and complete hands-on exercises using your own
NanoVNA. This RSGB member-only workshop costs GBP 50 and includes
lunch and refreshments. Both workshops are filled on a first-come,
first-served basis and are limited to 20 people per session. Book now
at rsgb.org/convention
Listen out for RSGB National Radio Centre Coordinator
Martyn Baker, G0GMB on Milton Keynes Hospital radio tomorrow, Monday
the 18th of May. Martyn met presenter Sophie at the Hospital
Broadcasting Association's annual conference in March, when NRC
volunteers spoke with attendees about amateur radio. During the
interview you'll hear Martyn talking about a range of topics, from
why amateur radio can be an exciting and rewarding hobby, to his work
at the Centre and the role of the RSGB. He will also explain how
amateur radio can contribute to mental wellbeing and prevent social
isolation. You can listen to the broadcast from 1pm by going to
mkhrs.org.uk and selecting ‘click to listen' in the top right-hand
corner.
Today, Sunday the 17th of May, is the last day of Mental Health
Awareness week and this year's campaign looks at taking action to
support good mental health. The RSGB highlights some of the small
actions that radio amateurs can do that can have a big impact. This
includes showing kindness to one another, listening to each other and
taking a few extra minutes to engage in a conversation. Over four
days in May and June, Humber Fortress DX Amateur Radio Club is
playing its part in raising awareness for men's mental health. Club
members will be operating special call sign GB0MMH, and they are
inviting radio amateurs to make contact. As the club says, let's
break the silence one transmission at a time. Find out more on
QRZ.com and support this great initiative. If you have a story you'd
like to share that relates to amateur radio and mental health, please
email comms<at>rsgb.org.uk
Please send details of all your news and events to
radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk The deadline for submissions is 10am on
Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week.Â
And now for details of rallies and events
Today, Sunday the 17th, Dunstable Downs Radio Rally is taking place
at Stockwood Park in Luton. The boot sale is open to traders from
7.30am and to visitors from 9am. The entrance fee, which includes car
parking, is GBP 4 per vehicle. Find out more at
dunstabledownsradioclub.org/bootsale
Durham and District Amateur Radio Society Radio Rally will take place
on Sunday the 24th of May at Bowburn Community Centre, Bowburn, Co
Durham, DH6 5AT. The doors will be open from 10.10am to 2.30pm with
disabled visitors gaining access at 10am. The entry fee is GBP 3.
There will be a bring-and-buy sale, trade stands, special interest
groups and an RSGB bookstall. Catering will be available on site. For
more information contact Michael Wright, G7TWX on 07826 924 192 or
email dadars<at>gmx.com
Now the Special Event news
The Cornish Radio Amateur Club is active from Pendennis Point in
Cornwall until the end of May with special event callsign GB1SOS in
support of SOS Radio month. Look out for activity each Sunday on the
40 and 20m bands using SSB.
Special event station SP100CVO is active to mark the 100th
anniversary of the birth of Ludomir MÄ…czka [LOO-DOH-MIR MAWNCH-KAH],
SP1CVO. MÄ…czka [MAWNCH-KAH] was an outstanding Polish geologist,
sailor and amateur radio operator. His legendary vessel ‘Maria' was
the first Polish yacht to circumnavigate the globe twice, crossing
the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans multiple times. For more
information, including details of awards that are available for
working the station, visit QRZ.com
The Salamis radio team in Greece is active with special callsign
SX85CB to mark the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete during the
Second World War. More details are available via QRZ.com
Now the DX news
Harald, DF2WO is active as XT2AW from Ouagadougou [WAA-GUH-DOO-GOO],
Burkina Faso until Tuesday the 19th of May. He operates using CW, SSB
and FT modes on various HF bands and via the QO-100 satellite. QSL
via OQRS.
Pascal, F8NQV is active as CN2NQV from Morocco until the 11th of
July. The station has been spotted recently on the 20, 17 and 15m
bands using SSB.
Now the contest news
The RSGB 144MHz May Contest started at 1400UTC yesterday, the 16th,
and ends at 1400UTC today, Sunday the 17th of May. Using all modes on
the 2m band, the exchange is signal report, serial number and
locator. UK stations also send their postcode.
Today, the 17th of May, the RSGB 1st 144MHz Backpackers Contest runs
from 1000 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 2m band, the exchange is
signal report, serial number and locator. UK stations also send their
postcode.
Tomorrow, the 18th of May, the RSGB FT4 Series Contest runs from 1900
to 2100UTC. Using FT4 on the 80 to 10m bands, where contests are
permitted, the exchange is your report.
On Tuesday the 19th of May, the RSGB 1.3GHz UK Activity Contest runs
from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 1.3GHz frequencies, the
exchange is signal report, serial number and locator.
On Wednesday the 20th of May, the RSGB 80m Club Championship runs
from 1900 to 2030UTC. Using data modes on the 80m band, the exchange
is signal report and serial number.
On Thursday the 21st of May, the RSGB 70MHz UK Activity Contest runs
from 1900 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on the 4m band, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
On Sunday the 24th of May, the RSGB 10GHz Trophy runs from 0800 to
1400UTC. Using all modes on 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal
report and serial number.
Also on Sunday the 24th of May, the UK Microwave Group High Band
Contest runs from 0800 to 1700UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz
frequencies, the exchange is signal report and serial number.
Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO
on Thursday the 14th of May 2026
We hate to start the report on a negative note but we are about to
experience unsettled geomagnetic conditions over the next few days.
The culprit is a large coronal hole on the Sun, which rotated into an
Earth-facing position on Thursday the 14th of May. This large coronal
hole, an area with open magnetic field lines, has already been
responsible for an increase in the solar wind speed to more than 420
kilometres per second. We can expect it to get worse as the weekend
progresses. The hole spans the solar equator so is ideally placed to
create maximum disruption to Earth.
If the Bz interplanetary magnetic field swings south we could see the
Kp index rise and maximum usable frequencies, or MUFs, decline. If
this happens, expect poor conditions until tomorrow, Monday the 18th
of May.
Meanwhile, the solar flux index declined to 103 on Thursday the 14th
of May, which starts to put us in a difficult spot. Usually, we say
that a solar flux index of 100 or more is needed for the 10m band to
open. So it may be that you'll need to move lower in frequency for
reliable HF openings.
DX to be worked next week includes 3B9IDX from Rodriques Island,
T31TTT on Kanton Island, the last few days of XT2AW from Burkina
Faso, and FO/F6BCW in French Polynesia.
The Propagation Studies Committee's space weather station at Baldock
identified a solar flare on Sunday the 10th of May. The Doppler
Flash, or Sudden Frequency Deviation, was triggered by an M5.7 solar
flare that began at 1319UTC. While ‘Flash' is a good term for the
fast-rising edge, the GB0PSC receiver has captured fine detail on the
20MHz signal from the WWV station in Colorado, showing multiple
oscillations over a few minutes.
X-ray radiation from the flare quickly increased absorption in the D
region, reducing signal levels into the noise after ten minutes. But
those minutes are crucial as they provide data to test whether X-rays
or extreme UV from the flare were responsible for the Doppler shift
and propagation anomaly.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index could rise to be
in the 120 to 130 range, which puts us back in the fun zone.
Unfortunately, and for the reasons mentioned earlier, we can expect
to see a Kp index of 5 this weekend, but it will eventually decline
to perhaps 2 or 3 as the week progresses.
And now the VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO
The background pattern of unsettled weather remains with us for a
while over the UK as a whole, but subtle changes from a cold
northerly to a warmer southerly wind will bring higher temperatures
back again.
To end the previous week, the cold northerly has brought some heavy
showers with hail and thunder in places and the GHz bands will have
seen some rain scatter opportunities. The transition to a more
southerly origin of the air will be taking place over this weekend
and although high pressure develops later in the week, we may have to
wait until after midweek for any chance of tropo.
The next few weeks encompass a couple of minor meteor showers, the
Tau Herculids and daytime Arietids, to add to the random background
input. There should be something to interest those looking for meteor
scatter activity and of course it all contributes to the ‘fuel' for
Sporadic-E, which is largely comprised of meteor ionisation.
The solar activity has recently been offering a few minor
enhancements of the Kp index, but no great results on the aurora
front.
Sporadic-E has been producing results on 6m digital modes where there
have been brief openings to VK, XT, DU2 and the USA for those lucky
enough to catch them. The usual technique of checking during the two
main activity windows of mid-morning and late afternoon should
improve your chances.
If you get an opportunity to look at the jet stream patterns, it can
be worthwhile trying paths that cross these since it's believed they
are good sources of atmospheric gravity waves that can reach the E
region to aid the production of Sporadic-E.
EME now: with maximum declination, the period of longest moon
windows, now almost coinciding with perigee, the period of lowest
path loss, conditions are at their best for the northern hemisphere.
Moon declination is positive, reaching maximum tomorrow, Monday the
18th of May. Path losses are at their lowest as we reach perigee
today, the 17th. 144MHz sky temperature is low all week.
And that's all from the propagation team this week.
And that's the end of the main news for this week prepared by the
Radio Society of Great Britain. Items for inclusion in subsequent
bulletins can be emailed to radcom<at>rsgb.org.uk to arrive by
10:00 on the Thursday before transmission.
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