Search

Title

Author

Body

Manager


Manager - AB7RG
Manager Notes

News

X-Class Solar Flare and Radio Blackout:

by AB7RG  2023-02-11
Earth-orbiting satellites have just detected an X1.1-class solar flare from sunspot AR3217 (Feb. 11th at 1548 UTC). Extreme UV radiation ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout over South America. Ham radio operators, aviators, and mariners may have noticed unusual propagation effects at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as an hour after the flare.

WIA DX Awards 'Clubs Competition' Winner Announced:

by AB7RG  2023-02-11
The WIA DX Awards Committee would like to congratulate Bunbury Radio Club for winning the inaugural WIA DX Awards "VK Clubs Competition". This award recognises the WIA-affiliated club that scores the most number of DXCC slots in the calendar year. In 2022, this number was a remarkable 7336. The North East Radio Group were second on 3859, with Amateur Radio NSW third on 1360.

Emergency Response Volunteers Hone Their Skills in Countywide Event:

by AB7RG  2023-02-10
Community Emergency Response Team volunteers from every city in Santa Clara County refreshed their knowledge and practiced their skills Jan. 21, with an aim to be better prepared to respond and help their respective communities in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

DX News -- ARRL DX Bulletin #6:

by AB7RG  2023-02-10
This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by F8DVD, The Daily DX, 425 DX News, DXNL, Contest Corral from QST and the ARRL Contest Calendar and WA7BNM web sites. Thanks to all.

Ham Radio Team Reaches World's Most Remote Island:

by AB7RG  2023-02-11
By John Konrad (K5HIP) Last week, after a long and treacherous voyage, a team of amateur radio operators arrived on the world’s most remote island, Bouvet Island. Using the callsign 3Y0J, they are now transmitting a variety of signals, including Morse code, digital modes, and voice transmissions, in an effort to reach out to other amateur radio operators around the world. The expedition's goals are simple: to contact as many amateur radio stations as possible from a remote location. A dependent territory of Norway, Bouvet Island is an uninhabited subantarctic volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote island in the world, situated approximately 900 nautical miles south-southwest of the coast of South Africa and 1,400nm north of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. The remoteness of this island makes radio signals originating from it very rare.

Propagation Forecast Bulletin #6 de K7RA:

by AB7RG  2023-02-10
A period of rising solar activity returned this week. Ten new sunspot groups appeared this reporting week (February 2-8), two on February 3, one each on February 4-5, four more on February 6, and two more on February 8. On February 9, three more sunspot groups emerged. Early on February 9 Spaceweather.com reported a large emerging sunspot over our Sun's southeast horizon. Average daily sunspot number this week rose from 80.7 to 95.1, and average daily solar flux from 139.5 to 155.9. On Thursday, February 9 both the sunspot number and solar flux were above the average for the previous seven days. Sunspot number at 150 compared to the average 95.1 and solar flux at 214.9 compared to the average of 155.9. Both indicate an upward trend.

Another Winter Field Day and Chili-Cookoff Done:

by AB7RG  2023-02-10
Fannin County, Texas -- Fannin County Amateur Radio Club participated in the Winter Field Day Association Exercise January 28 and 29, 2023. We gathered at the Lake Bonham Pavilion to set up three different antennas for three different radios to make contacts as far as we could. We got several regions in the US and Canada. Final results are awaiting confirmation. Winter Field Day is an opportunity for testing emergency preparedness, operating under conditions that may be abnormal. The FCARC does many events to test antennas, alternative power supplies, and other things that can affect communication under less than optimal conditions. This event let us find technical issues and fix them 'in the field' to make the event work. Those tests also let us operate in the field for events, such as supporting the Autumn in Bonham Bike Rally. When weather conditions are such for storms or tornadoes, the FCARC is in contact with the National Weather Service, updating them of the conditions on the ground in Fannin County and surrounding areas.

Just Ahead In Radiosport:

by AB7RG  2023-02-10
Just Ahead In Radiosport: