NARC Live Wednesday 20th October - Practical Guide to Shack Test Gear...

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Published: 15 October 2021

Last Updated: 15 October 2021

Tonight Alan Wolke W2AEW, a professional Test Equipment engineer, takes us around the kind of test equipment which is useful in any shack, highlighting especially how many things you can do with a multimeter and an oscilloscope. Alan will explain how to choose the right instrument for the job and explain how the radio amateur can get the best from it - it is amazing just how many things you can do with an oscilloscope! As well as his live presentation as usual you will also be able to send questions and comments on both BATC and Facebook.

Alans presentation will start straight after your club news and reveal what this weeks 'What on Earth is this' is!

Please contribute and send your news, views and pics for the show as soon as you can and by the latest 3pm Wednesdays to:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

73

Tammy M0TC and David G7URP

Join us Live at 19.30:

On BATC:

https://batc.org.uk/live/NARC

or Facebook Live:

www.facebook.com/norfolkamateurradioclub

What on earth is this...?

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Published: 23 September 2021

Last Updated: 15 October 2021

This is our competition where each week we show an unusual object, tool, gadget or thing-me-bob from one of the NARC members and you have to guess (or you know!) what it is for...

Have a close look at this weeks object - What on earth is this...?!  

Part number 007 maybe...?

Please email your answers with the subject 'What on earth' to David & Tammy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 3pm on Wednesday and on NARC Live we will read out all of the entries and tell you what it is!

Whats your mystery object?

We also need your photos of unusual items to feature in future weeks. To enter please send us a good quality photo of your 'What on earth is this' along with a brief description and ideally a second photo of it in use by email to the same email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Surely everyone has one of those 'must-have' kitchen gadgets they bought at a show or one of the strange inventions by Ronco or KTel that you just had to have at the time, but only used once! Please use your own photo if you possibly can, but if you do send us a photo from someone else please be sure to tell us who owns the © copyright.

73 

David G7URP & Tammy M0TC 

Remember please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. not any other email address or Facebook or David & Tammy will not receive it directly and may never receive it!   

Last weeks 'What on Earth is this' were Cleco Pliers submitted by Tony M0TDK and demonstrated by a video he made and described on NARC Live 13.10.21 - have a look back if the recording if you would like to see what they do.

Only two people got it absolutely right by email, so extra well done to John 2E0TWQ and John G0JDL!

Peter M0VRA also sent this picture of the mechanical version of last weeks mystery object - Thanks Peter!

Club news, NARC Live show notes and catchup details

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Published: 02 October 2021

Last Updated: 15 October 2021

73 88

David G7URP & Tammy M0TC  

NEW

Weekly CW Training by NARC, all on repeater GB3NB:

Mondays 1000 – 1100: Head Copy with Roger G3LDI. This will encompass a wide range of copying ability. i.e. 15 – 25 WPM.

Tuesdays 1000 – 1100: Higher Intermediate Class with Chris G4CCX 20 – 25 WPM

Tuesdays 2000 – 2100: Lower Intermediate Class with Jim G3YLA 10 – 15 WPM.

Thursdays 1000 – 1100: Intermediate Class with Chris G4CCX 15 – 20 WPM

Thursdays 1500 - 1600 Sending practice on ZOOM, NEW!! see below.

Thursdays 2000 – 2100: Advanced Class with Malcolm G3PDH 25 – 30 WPM

Fridays 2000 – 2100: Raw Beginners Class with Phil G4LPP which will be for just beginners, those knowing absolutely nothing up to 10 WPM

GB2CW Morse Corner Week ending 15.10.21

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Published: 15 October 2021

Last Updated: 15 October 2021

GB2CW Morse Corner Week ending 15.10.21
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Join in with the class you think appropriate for your level of competency.
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Morse classes will take a while to establish again. However, we would like everybody to attend them again. Those who improved in their class last year, can move into the one above their speed range. This is the way we would like it to work. It is the only way that you will improve your speed anyway.
Beginners are most welcome. Phil had only one in his class last week so we look forward to seeing some others. Don't worry if it "seems" too fast when you first listen. Phil may have a beginner from last year, but he will cater for the "raw beginner", so please join in.
Don't forget that ALL the work is down to you and the time you are prepared to donate.
Malcolm G3PDH had only one attend his high speed class and that was Chris who was practising his keyboard skills. This class is for the more advanced student, and we do have a few of those, so please try to attend. Classes are as below:
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The sending class is on Zoom. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for sign-in string.
The Zoom class this week proved very useful for Les G0DFC. We adjusted his straight key technique and he is going to practice it from scratch again to get it right. Zoom is very useful for detecting bad habits etc.

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The RUFzxp table has also started as below. Send your new score to Jim G3YLA by Thursday evening
at the latest. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Winter will be at least 6 months long so you have lots of dark evenings to practice.
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Why not join the real world instead of the impersonal FT stuff?
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Lets make it a record year for NARC!

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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.

Narc Contest News (3) Friday 15th October 2021

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Published: 14 October 2021

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

Propagation News, Friday 15th October 2021

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Published: 14 October 2021

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

HF News

Last week saw a mixed bag in terms of HF propagation with good conditions at times, but horrendous conditions mid week after a coronal mass ejection saw the Kp index shoot up to six.

Matter from the CME, which was accompanied by an M1.6 solar flare on October 9, hit the Earth in the early hours of October 12.

A geomagnetic storm then ensued and widespread visible aurora were reported at high latitudes.

On Tuesday MUFs were affected adversely with maxima over a 3,000km path down from 28MHz to less than 14MHz at times during the day.

By Thursday, and with the Kp index back down to between zero and two, signals had recovered to near normal levels, with a maximum daytime critical frequency of 7.125MHz being recorded on the Chilton Digisonde, which equates to more than 27MHz over a 3,000km path.

This does go to show that we can expect more CMEs, and poorer conditions at times, as we head towards solar maximum in a few years time.

Next week NOAA predicts the solar flux index will be in the range 85-90 with a maximum Kp index of four on the 19th.

So make the most of the Autumnal HF conditions and work as high in frequency as you can to minimise D-layer absorption.

VHF and up

The coming week’s weather will change to mixed and unsettled, with little chance of Tropo propagation, caused by periods of rain, showers and strong winds. At best we can hope for some rain scatter activity.

The exact time when these changes of type occur in our weather patterns is one of the hardest for the models to get right, but at the moment most suggest Sunday night into Monday.

Since the autumn is typically a good season for auroras, perhaps some warbling auroral notes will return again after last week when plenty of auroral QSOs were reported on 144 MHz. Sadly for the UK, they were almost exclusively for the more northerly Nordic countries. A few northern UK stations, namely G4KUX, MI0XXZ and GM4VVX reported a few auroral CW QSOs on the 12th.

The 21st sees the peak of the Orionids meteor shower with a ZHR of 15. Orionids are pieces of Comet 1P/Halley, famously known as Halley's comet. Add this to two small meteor showers, the Epsilon Geminids with a ZHR of three peaking on the 18th, and the Leonis Minoris with a ZHR of two peaking on the 24th, next week should be good for meteor scatter enthusiasts.

Moon declination goes positive again on Monday so we’ll see the Moon reaching higher elevations at its zenith. Path losses are still increasing as we are past perigee.

A seasonal reminder from the team to do your end of summer check on those antenna ropes and fixings before we see too many windy days.