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Wednesday 30th October - NARC meeting at CNS
Tonight we meet at CNS School for a social and informal evening.
And don't forget you can bring anything radio related you want to give away to others at any informal CNS meeting on our informal 'Show and Share' table.
**NOTE Our next table top sale where any NARC member can bring, sell and buy will be on Wednesday November 13th.
As usual we meet from 1900-2130 in the CNS 6th form common room - Cold drinks and biscuits will be available to purchase and there is also a hot drink vending machine in the adjacent canteen room.
Please do not enter the school until our hire from time 19.00 - thanks.
David G7URP
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NARC Contest News 162 Friday 25th October 2024
Welcome to week one hundred and sixty two of NARC’s contest news.
Results:-
On VHF
The results of the 432MHz UKAC were published on Friday 18th October. NARC managed a respectable eight logs for this one. Top of the pile on scores was Stewart G4AFF with 812 points followed by Graham G3SGC with 797 points. We scored 3275 points in all ending up in fourth place and remaining fourth in this series. Link to results here
NARC is running 10th at the moment in this year's VHF championships out of 84 clubs. Link here
In the overall UKAC we are still running 4th out of 56 in the General clubs section but our hold on 4th is being gradually eroded by Gower/Gwyr CC. Link to this here
On HF
No HF results this week of which I am aware.
If people are entering other contests of whose results I am obviously unaware please e-mail me to let me know the outcome and I'll mention it here.
Contests:-
On VHF
On Sunday 20th October the 50MHz AFS contest ran. This is one of the series of VHF and HF contests which add together to provide a ranking of clubs who've entered and a trophy for the winners. We managed four entries into this one. Andy M0NKR, Me G4LPP, John G8VPE and Mike G4DYC. Conditions were reasonable providing some DX, my best being into Finland. Link to claimed scores here
The SHF UKAC ran on Tuesday 22nd October. As usual, our only entries into this one were provided by Graham, G3SGC in Sea Palling. Conditions were atrocious and he managed 7 QSOs on 2.3GHz and only 2 on 10GHz which he entered for the first time. Others fared little better and many comments were noted re the conditions. Link to Claimed scores here for 10GHz and here for 2.3GHz
On HF
The JARTS RTTY contest ran on the weekend of 19th October. The only NARC entry I am aware of was Roger, G3LDI who provided the following account of his activity for which I am grateful:-
Hi Phil.
Just a short report of my part-time entry to JARTS.
I used the contest to test and amend my SDC software. I left it running the whole weekend and just operated on the occasions I walked through the shack, in spasmodic intervals. The software worked flawlessly and, as somebody "reminded" me on the GOM net, could be compared to working FT8. However, I can see the station I am working on the Panafall, I actually don't hear anybody else at the same time and occasionally get to have a short chat as well. The chat mode in SDC is so easy to use in a contest exchange too. I only saw one station older than myself at 87. I though I had come across a really ancient guy when I received 99, but found out that was a club station!
I finished with only 150 but not really trying so stopped at that mark.
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The 80m Autumn series SSB contest ran on Thursday 24th October. Conditions were quite good although as usual the available bandspace was very crowded. 13 NARC stations are known to have taken part with top score from Andy M0NKR of 153 contacts and the bonus station. 5 of us scored over 100 contacts and in general logs seem to be growing with time! Link here to logs received
Please let me know if you were on in any other VHF or HF contests and I'll put a summary in next week's news.
Upcoming contests in the next 2 weeks (all times in UTC):-
On VHF / UHF / SHF
Before each of the 2m and 70cm UKACs there is an FM leg starting 1 hour before for 55 minutes. I hear almost no activity in this from here but others may have more luck! Rules etc on RSGBCC site.
* Sat 2nd Nov. 1400 for 24h 144MHz CW Marconi - part of the VHF CW Championship - Rules here
* Tue 5th Nov. 2000-2230 144MHz UKAC
* Wed 6th Nov. 144MHz FT8 AC 2 and 4h sections
Also of interest for some on the vhf / uhf bands are the EU FT8 activity tests - see the following link for more information. These are on the first (144 MHz), second (432MHz) and third (1.3GHz) Wednesdays of each month. 1700-2000 Hrs EU FT8 series website
On HF
* Sat 26th Oct. 0000 to Sun 27th Oct. 2359 CQ WW DX SSB - Link to rules here
* Mon 28th Oct. 2000-2130 RSGB FT4 contest
* Sat 2nd Nov. 0600-1800 IPARC CW contest - Link here to rules
* Sun 3rd Nov. 0600-1800 IPARC SSB contest - Rules as above
* Mon 4th Nov. 80m Autumn series DATA
See Link to WA7BNM for other contests not mentioned above.
Wednesdays throughout the year, CW ops 1 hour mini tests 13:00, 19:00, Thurs 03:00 and 07:00, exchange Name and G if not a member or CWOPS number if you are a member.
See CWOPS website for more details.
Also on Fridays 2000 to 2100 and Mondays 0000 to 0100 each week CWops runs the K1USN slow speed CW contests. Any speed up to 20wpm is acceptable. For rules see :- CW OPs SST page these contests are open to anyone.
All RSGB contest rules and further details plus log submission at RSGB contest site
Look to WA7BNM’s contest calendar for other contests and links to rules etc at WA7BNM weekly contest calendar
A link to John 2E0TWQ’s site’s Narc contest history page - 2E0TWQ's NARC contest results page
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Contesting can be great fun but I know there's a reluctance to step into unknown waters. It's a great way of improving many aspects of our hobby including one's own performance and the quality of your station. If you have any interest whatsover please call in to the contest net on Friday evening at 9pm on 145.250MHz FM or speak to any of the regular contesters on 450. Or indeed email me!
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Submissions or comments for this news to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
73 until next week,
Phil G4LPP
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GB2CW Morse Corner 25.10.24
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Classes have started once again. Jim G3YLA reports that his class was successful with around three attending and a promise from another. The schedule is below so that if you are thinking about learning Morse, you can choose the class most suitable for you. As usual I am not expecting a large amount doing just that, but now is a great time to start. It really is ALL down to you personally however, with the BIG P word.
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Malcolm had no takers at all in his class, so do try to support him. He runs the higher speed class for those wishing to improve their top speed, up to 30 wpm.
I had two in my class on Friday evening so look forward to seeing those that said they would be attending classes this autumn. Martin G7
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If nobody checks in we will NOT broadcast to fresh air so do try to join a class.
Key of the Week.
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This time it's a heavyweight key! In more ways than one however. Weighing in at over 4 pounds and also weighing in at nearly £500 make sure you try this before you buy! It is a lot of dosh to lash out on a paddle, BUT, it WILL enhance your sending, much like a pianist always seems to play better on a Steinway grand rather than the £10 heap of crap the hotel owner bought at Aylsham sale!
I still have a Begali HST1 but now prefer the Ukranian paddle I bought earlier this year.
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The NARC CW Monday Night Net.
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This now takes place on 3543 at 8 p.m. on Monday evenings. We have a Net controller each week and the idea is to encourage you to conversational Morse. If you can read and send at 23wpm, do come and join us. 23wpm is the speed at present and we may be increasing that as time goes by. The overs are short but protocol is adherred to and just a few comments from each attendee is all that is needed. Give it a try!
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Still nobody joins us on Monday evenings. I guess nobody needs the practice.
CW OPS
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The 4 a.m. session last week also had Peter M0RYB and Jon G4IVV so I mad a wrong assumption that Mike and I were the only two locals! This week Mike and I were there and we had a surprise with Jim G3YLA joining in too. Not sure if Peter or Jon were about as I didn't hear either of them.
Don't forget that next week it will be GMT and 0300 really means 0300!
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That's it, open the cage, play the music.
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If you have any input, please email me.
73 de Roger, G3LDI GB2CW Coordinator. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. May the Morse be with you.
Author Roger Cooke
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Propagation News, Friday 25th October 2024
HF News
Last week’s solar conditions couldn’t get much better. We had a week of high solar flux indices, relatively calm geomagnetic conditions and, other than an X-class solar flare, not much else to report.
The solar flare originated from active region 3869 and reached a strong X3.3 in the early hours of October 24th. This event was associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) based on solar dimming following the event, but because the flare location was located off the east limb, it was directed mostly away from Earth.
Once again, all the sunspots are in the southern hemisphere, but activity appears to be growing. This could spell trouble over the next week.
This weekend, the 26th and 27th, is the CQ Worldwide SSB contest and conditions should be excellent, with a combination of high solar flux and autumnal HF conditions.
Maximum usable frequencies are generally higher than 28MHz from dawn until dusk. Nightime MUFs over 3,000km are still just above 14MHz, although you might get better results by dropping down to 10MHz if 20 metres doesn’t work for you.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI may rise again, perhaps hitting 185 as we enter November. However, this current bunch of sunspots rotating to be Earth-directed next week appear more active and we could see more solar flares and CMEs, which could throw a spanner in the works.
A solar flare could impact the ionosphere by increasing D-layer absorption, for up to an hour or so, and possibly launch a coronal mass ejection.
If a CME hits the Earth expect the MUF to plummet, at least for a day or two until the ionosphere recovers.
VHF and up
The Autumn Equinox period brought some amazing ionospheric propagation to 50MHz on Thursday last week with stations in the UK working morning paths to VK, JA, DS and XV among others.
Typically for 50MHz DX, the skip zones were sharp and moved rapidly. Stations even a few km apart experienced very different signals and paths. Those with a low noise floor had a huge advantage as signals were generally weak in the UK and only good for FT8, but some reports of a VK at +5 bucked this trend.
Next week will offer some reasonable Tropo conditions, although not without some occasional interrupts from weak frontal systems, especially in the far southwest and the far northwest of Britain. It’s not clear if these represent good rain scatter options, but they are more likely to temporarily curtail any Tropo for a while.
The solar conditions continue to feed the occasional aurora alert our way, so it’s always good to monitor the Kp index for signs of increasing above Kp=4. It won’t always go on to produce a radio aurora, but it's worth keeping an eye on things.
The meteor scatter prospects continue to be elevated by the decline of the Orionids, which peaked on Tuesday 22nd , and the Taurids, which are a very low-rate shower, but technically cover a broad period into December. The Leonids is the next major shower, but that doesn’t peak until mid-November.
Lastly, looking at the out-of-season Sporadic-E prospects, there are always days with minor enhancements of the critical frequency of the Es layer, as shown on the www.propquest.co.uk graphs. Certainly, there are stronger jet streams available in the autumn and winter, but other elements of Es are not so favourable. It’s usually a very marginal outcome at best, but nonetheless good enough for 10m or 6m and mostly for digital mode on FT8.
It could well be that trans-equatorial propagation or TEP is a more profitable venture.
For EME operators, Moon declination is positive, but falling, going negative on Tuesday the 29th. Path losses are rising, reaching a maximum at apogee on the morning of Wednesday the 30th. 144MHz sky noise is low until Friday 1st November when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky.
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NARC Christmas Dinner - BOOK NOW!
I am pleased to publish details and the booking form for our annual Christmas dinner at The Village Inn in Little Melton on Wednesday 18th December; Arrival is from 1845 and Dinner will be served from 19.30.
Dinner comprises a three course meal with varied menu selections to suit all tastes and dietary requirements will cost members and their family or friends just £15 per head, being subsidised by NARC. The only thing you will need to buy on the night is drinks!
All details are on the booking form which I have attached to the weekends newsletter and printed versions are also available at CNS meetings. With well over a month to book I ask everyone to please help me arrange this event by making sure they book asap and by the deadline of 27th November at the latest - you can pay by cash at CNS, BACs or Paypal friends and family. If you prefer me to email a booking form to you please drop me an email.
In addition to the dinner we will be holding a secret santa raffle to raise funds for our member nominated charity of the year, Prostate Cancer UK. If you can we ask everyone attending to bring a small wrapped gift which will be raffled after the dinner.
David G7URP
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NARC Live - Wednesday 23rd October 2024 - Bob 5B4AGN on Filters
Filters are an important part of any shack so tonight Bob 5B4AGN joins us live from his home in Cyprus to tell us more about these vital components.
As always Bob will be live so if you join us live he will answer your questions, and before the talk we will feature your own news, stories, pictures and the solution to the latest 'What on Earth...' competition.
We will also be sharing your news, views and pictures, so please be sure to send them to David & Tammy before 3pm Wednesday...
Please send your 'What on earth...' entry together with any news, pictures and views you can share for NARC Live! to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 3pm latest on Wednesday please.
Please join Tammy M0TC and David G7URP live at 19.30 on BATC or Facebook - everyone welcome.
Watch live on BATC or Facebook at 19.30:
Watch live on BATC:
or Facebook Live:
https://www.facebook.com/norfolkamateurradioclub
WATCHING PREVIOUS NARC LIVE's...
If you missed a NARC Live we now record most shows in the studio and upload them to Youtube within a couple of days. So you can watch almost any previous recorded NARC Live show by going to YouTube, searching for "Norfolk ARC", click on Videos and choose the programme you want to watch. https://www.youtube.com/c/norfolkamateurradio/videos