Barford Radio Event - Sunday July 4th 2021

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Published: 11 June 2021

Last Updated: 21 June 2021

We are very pleased to announce that Norfolk Amateur Radio Club are hosting a Barford Radio Event on Sunday July 4th at Barford Village Green from 0900-1400.

It needs to be emphasised that this is not our normal full Radio Rally but an all outside event where amateurs will be in a no contact, socially distanced outside park environment. Radio amateurs may also park their cars in a designated area for small private sales which will have appropriate distances between cars to prevent crowding, but this will be limited to selling personal equipment from a car boot or one table - we are not inviting any commercial traders to avoid any possible crowds.

The event is entirely outside and so please be sure to bring your own chair, refreshments or picnic and a gazebo or sunshade if you like - there is plenty of space. Everyone will need to stay socially distanced and in line with regulations there must be no larger groups than 30 people, though in reality we expect small groups of a few talking. There will be access to inside toilets on a one way basis into the hall at the front and out of the door at the rear, and a mask must be worn when inside.

To avoid unnecessary handling of money the event is completely free. Norfolk Amateur Radio Club are sponsoring this event and paying the field and toilet hire costs, but we will also have many collecting buckets for voluntary donations on the day and the proceeds will be equally split between the clubs chosen charity for 2021 the East Anglian Childrens Hospice and the Barford Village Hall emergency roof repair fund.

Please spread the word with local amateurs, radio clubs, friends and families and keep an eye on our website for more information later - please remember to tell them this is a socially distanced outside event and that they need to bring their own chair and refresments.

And if you can spare an hour or so to help me to marshall cars etc or have any concerns or questions please drop me an email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

David G7URP

Barford Radio Social - Co organiser with Mark G0LGJ

Barford Radio Event 2021

NARC Live - Wednesday 23rd June 2021 - YOUR QUIZ!

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Published: 17 June 2021

Last Updated: 21 June 2021

Live from Norwich! Its the Quiz of the week!...

Thats right, this week the NARC Peoples Quiz where we NEED YOU to send us one or more questions and either Tammy or David will read them out, or better still join us on Zoom and read your questions yourself!

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE - AS OF MONDAY 19.00 ONLY TWO QUESTIONS RECEIVED!

The questions ideally will be radio, technology or science related, but send us some silly ones if you wish! The main thing we need you to do is get involved, either live on Zoom (Link below) or email us with your questions or photos by 3pm on Wednesday absolute latest please. If you are going to read your own questions over Zoom please can you drop us a quick email to tell us you are doing that to allow us to plan.

As usual NARC Live starts at 19.30 BST on Facebook Live and please don't forget to send us your news, pictures and projects (and very last chance to send your shack if you have not already done so!) to reach Tammy and David by 3pm Wednesday latest please:  

Thank you very much for your support!

David G7URP & Tammy M0TC

Watch live on either Facebook or BATC:

NARC Live starts at 19.30 on Facebook:  (note that our Facebook page also has every previous episode of NARC Live to play back)

www.facebook.com/norfolkamateurradioclub

and live on BATC:

https://batc.org.uk/live/NARC  

Or better still JOIN US IN PERSON from 7pm by zoom:

Topic: NARC Live! Interactive Peoples quiz
Time: Jun 23, 2021 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88020827349?pwd=cHhiSG9GbXA0cmxyTkVPc1B1Q3Erdz09

Meeting ID: 880 2082 7349
Passcode: 691317

Recent recordings of some NARC Live, together with other NARC Videos are on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/norfolkamateurradio/videos

Video cameras - NARC Special LAST FEW!

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Published: 17 June 2021

Last Updated: 19 June 2021

As featured on NARC Live we have a special deal on some small video cameras for NARC members. Not only are these cameras very cheap but we also make a small profit on each one and all the profits will go to the NARC adopted charity which members voted for 2021, the East Anglian Childrens Hospice who, like many charities, have lost a lot of income because of the pandemic. Our thanks to Gordon G0HQJ for spotting and collecting these!

These standard resolution video cameras have a composite colour PAL output which means that they will plug directly into TVs or monitors with a composite video input or SCART socket (or into an HDMI socket via a composite to HDMI adapter available from eBay etc).

Each camera also has a small microphone built in for audio and needs 12 volts of DC power. 

Applications include bird boxes, security, vehicle reversing camera etc.

The camera is metal cased with a built in metal bracket and adjustable focus lens - it is not waterproof but could be mounted in a waterproof box. Each camera comes complete with a plug-in cable set. Technical specifications as known are shown below.

Each camera is individually boxed with cable set, instructions and basic mounting hardware.

SPECIAL PRICE £5 each or Three for £10 !

First come first served while stocks last - Bought and sold in good faith to offer a bargain to NARC members and raise money for our charity. (Update 19.6.21 - 69 of 80 now reserved/sold!!) 

How to reserve / order:

Reservation by email as below and collection can be from the Barford Radio Social on Sunday July 4th, or by appointment from my works address at DCP near Attleborough.

I am also happy to post to UK NARC members who cannot collect from one of these places by 2nd class small parcel post for £3 for up to 6 cameras.

Payment due on collection preferably by cash, or if you want them posted please contact me for payment and posting details.

To order please email David G7URP  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with (1) how many cameras you would like and (2) where and when you would like to collect them or where you want them posted to. If you want me to post them I will advise the Paypal address for payment under 'friends and family'.

73, David G7URP

Technical specifications:

• Camera sensor: 1/3" Sony Super HAD II 480TVL (standard resolution - not HD)

• Built in 3.6mm medium angle lens

• Sensitivity: 0.02 Lux colour and 0.002 Lux mono (they are responsive to IR but not IR lit)

• Connections:  

   BNC socket for Composite PAL Video

   Phono socket for Audio

   2.1mm DC socket for 12 volts DC Power (polarity standard centre positive)

• Approximate size 31mm x 31mm x 32mm (excluding removable bracket)

Who works from a Shack like this...

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Published: 17 June 2021

Last Updated: 21 June 2021

Each week we show you the shack of a NARC member and ask you to guess whose shack it is.

Have a close look at the photo below  - do you know who this weeks shack belonged to?!  It was run by two NARC members at NFD weekend at the beginning of this month, but what was the full callsign they entered under?!

If you think you know whose shack it is (or just have a guess!) please email David & Tammy with your guess to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  by 3pm on Wednesday and be sure to watch NARC Live on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm to find out who's it is!

FINAL CALL FINAL CALL FINAL CALL FINAL CALL FINAL CALL FINAL CALL

After a different shack on every show since March 2020 we ave now run out but will keep showing them until you send no more, so if you would like us to feature your shack on this fun quiz please send it to us NOW as we will be changing to a different competition once we have used the last shacks....

We really are on LAST shack now unless there is anyones shack we have not featured before. If you have already had your main shack featured but want to send us a funny, old or alternative shack please do so and we will feature in a special 'Shack Wrap' at the end of the series! 

NARC CW RufzXP Challenge league table - 17th June 2021

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Published: 17 June 2021

Last Updated: 17 June 2021

Thanks to Jim G3YLA for sending us this: a few small gains to the rankings in the latest edition of the RufzXP table this week, but Phil G4LPP still looks unassailable at the top of table.

Propagation News, Friday 18th June 2021

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Published: 17 June 2021

Last Updated: 17 June 2021

HF News

A large coronal hole returned last week and started to become Earth-facing on Monday the 14th. The high-speed solar wind stream from the hole impacted the Earth on Tuesday evening, pushing the Kp index to five.

Luckily conditions returned to normal by late Wednesday and the Kp index was down to two or three thereafter. It now looks like we are free of coronal hole effects for the time being.

Sunspot-wise, region 2833 put in an appearance, but its effects on the ionosphere have been minimal with the solar flux index stuck at 76 on Thursday the 27th and the sunspot number at 11.

HF propagation has been adequate rather than outstanding, with the real talking point remaining Sporadic-E. Conditions on 10 metres have been good with long, solid openings to Europe popping up each day. Do make the most of these as F2-layer openings on 10m may be harder to find once the Es season ends.

Next week NOAA has the SFI at around 80 with quiet geomagnetic conditions and a Kp index of two. We are still not seeing the ramp-up in sunspot activity that we would like, although fingers are crossed that this Autumn might be more positive.

In the meantime, make the most of the Sporadic-E openings, particularly on the higher bands such as 12 and 10 metres. Es openings can affect lower HF bands too, although it is sometimes hard to distinguish them from F2-layer openings.

So please don't ignore 15 metres and lower at this time and look for short-skip contacts on these bands as well.

VHF and up

It looks like the majority of next week will see low pressure predominating and further periods of unsettled and potentially thundery weather.

The pattern places the main area of low pressure over or just west of the UK forcing a thundery showery southerly flow across the country. There will be some interludes when brief ridges of high pressure show up, especially in southeastern areas, but overall Tropo will not be high on the list.

So, apart from some rain scatter prospects and the occasional extended sea path Tropo across the North Sea or English Channel, it will mostly be a week for chasing Sporadic-E.

The northern part of Europe and Scandinavia have a good jet stream flow and this extends into northern Russia, so making it worth checking those DX paths into the Far East and Japan. The other region looking well favoured with jet stream patterns is to the south into Spain and Portugal.

We are in peak season for Es so keeping a regular routine of checking the bands mid-morning and early evening is the best procedure to follow.

The Moon is at perigee on Wednesday so path losses will be at their lowest. Sadly, with minimum Moon declination on Friday, visibility windows and peak Moon elevations will also be at their shortest and lowest of the month.

The June Bootids meteor shower peaks on Sunday 27th and remember that this shower, although normally small, has a reputation for outbursts of activity. Until then, continue to look for the best random meteor scatter propagation around dawn.