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DXER Ham Radio DX News

The latest dx news/current propagation and more. Visit mike's Amateur Radio Page at www.qsl.net/swlham

Monday, April 30, 2018

Second 3Y0Z Bouvet DXpedition Attempt Unlikely for 2018 – 2019 Austral Season

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If You’re a Professional, Look Sharp, Be Sharp

Deadline Approaching to Submit Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award Nominations

Friday, May 18, is the deadline to submit nominations for ARRL’s annual Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award. The award celebrates efforts on the part of an individual ARRL member to boost awareness and understanding of Amateur Radio’s services and benefits to the public. The ARRL Public Relations Committee will recommend a winner, if any, to the ARRL Board of Directors, which will ann…

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Deadline Approaching to Submit Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award Nominations

ARRL –

Friday, May 18, is the deadline to submit nominations for ARRL’s annual Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award. The award celebrates efforts on the part of an individual ARRL member to boost awareness and understanding of Amateur Radio’s services and benefits to the public. The ARRL Public Relations Committee will recommend a winner, if any, to the ARRL Board of Directors, which will ann…

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Propaganda Shift: The Panmunjom Summit and monitoring the Voice of Korea

Front page of the North Korean newspaper “Rodong” on April 28, 2018. (Source: Mark Fahey)

With North Korea in the global spotlight, I’ve been making every effort to listen to the Voice of Korea on shortwave.  Unfortunately, from here on the east coast of North America, conditions have simply not been in my favor.

Fortunately, a couple of SWLing Post and SRAA contributors have had my back.

Yesterday, Richard Langley, uploaded a great VOK recording made with the U Twente WebSDR on April 28 at 3:30 UTC on 13760 kHz. Thank you Richard!

This morning, North Korean propaganda specialist Mark Fahey uploaded the following VOK recording to the archive and included notes and insight:

[The recording is] off 9,730 kHz so a mint shortwave file.

Recorded at the “Behind The Curtain” remote satellite and HF receiving site near Taipei, Taiwan (the site is remotely operated from Freemans Reach in Australia and was specifically established to monitor North Korean radio & television 24×7).

Remote Module #1 prior to sealing.

[Note: Click here to read about Mark’s self-contained deployable remote SDR stations.]

Remote Module #2 fully weather sealed and ready to deploy.

[…]I must say getting a good recording off shortwave is quite a challenge, just going to their satellite circuits far easier!

[T]he reason for the almost hi-fi quality is that I used the real-time audio enhancement and noise reduction techniques I presented at the Winter SWL Fest. The signal in reality was much noisier:

https://archive.org/download/VoiceOfKorea9.730MHz30April20180630UTC/VoiceOfKorea-9.730MHz-30April2018-0630UTC.mp3

Click here to download an MP3 copy of the off-air recording.

[I] also have long domestic recordings (which is what I have been focusing on rather than VOK).

[…]Of course domestic in Korean – but that has been my main interest/monitoring – what does the regime say to the domestic audience–?

They seem quite serious (I mean genuine) even acknowledging South Korea as a separate place and Moon being the president of this place. The domestic propaganda now not hiding the fact that South Korea is a separate sovereign nation, which is very un-North Korean propaganda!

The news is still kind of breaking in North Korea and the radio reflects that – the reports sound like Friday was yesterday. It takes a long time for North Korean media to report anything, so news from 3 days ago is presented as if it only happened 3 hours ago.

Also since it’s all topical I will include a YouTube link to a Voice Of Korea Documentary (propaganda to our ears of course–!) that has recently been posted to the Arabia Chapter of The Korean Friendship Association:

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Thank you, Mark! Certainly history in the making.

Mark Fahey is my go-to guy for what’s really happening in North Korea, especially with regards to the message the government shares with its people.

Though I haven’t asked him in advance, I’m sure Mark can follow the comments thread of this post and answer your North Korea questions.

Click here to leave a comment/question or follow the comments thread.

If you have a recording of VOK (or any other broadcaster) that you would like to share, consider contributing to the SRAA.

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Former Orange Section Manager, Veteran ARRL Volunteer Sandi Heyn, WA6WZN, SK

Well-known ARRL stalwart and former Orange Section Manager Sandra Mae “Sandi” Heyn, WA6WZN, of Costa Mesa, California, died on April 28 after a lengthy illness. An ARRL Life Member, she was 75. Sandi Heyn was the wife of ARRL Honorary Vice President and past ARRL Southwestern Division Director Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, who relied on her as his trusted assistant. The couple often appeared together at …

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CR5CW Culatra Island. From DXNews.com

Amateur Radio Group will be active as CR5W, from Culatra Island, IOTA EU – 145, in RSGB IOTA Contest, 28 – 29 July 2018.

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3D2CR – Conway Reef

A “quick” activity from Conway Reef (OC-112) by Dom, 3Z9DX and others is planned for sometime in May. Full details to follow, however there are spaces available on the team.

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VK0AI – Macquarie Island

NEWS UPDATE — Earlier today, Norbert VK0AI showed up on the airwaves from Macquarie Island and was initially active on 30 & 20m FT8. MARCH 13 — Recently posted on eHam, Norbert VK5MQ is on his way to the Macquarie Island Antarctic Research Base with the next winter team for one year. He uses an […]

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CR5CW – Culatra Island EU-145

CR5CW will be active from Culatra Island EU-145 during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 28-29, 2018). The team this year will be; CT7ACG/G3VCQD Colin. MI5JYK Peter. GI4FUE Charlie. M0GAV Andy. G3PHO Peter. M0KPD Rob. Further info here

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[QRV] C96RRC & C98RRC – IOTA DXpedition, Mozambique

NEWS UPDATE @ 09:30Z– C96RRC is now QRV from Mozambique island AF-088. Vasily R7AL, Vasily RA1ZZ, Al RZ3K and Vlad RK8A (members of the Russian Robinson Club) will be active as C96RRC and C98RRC from Mozambique Island, AF-088 and Inhaca Island, AF-066 during the period April 29 to May 9, 2018. QRV on 40-10m CW, […]

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Sandi Heyn WA6WZN SK

Southgate ARC – Members of the Nevada amateur radio community were saddened to learn of the passing of well known amateur radio operator Sandra Heyn WA6WZN of Costa Mesa, California

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RF pollution from solar panels

Southgate ARC – The Netherlands amateur radio society VERON reports on a case of RF pollution from a solar panel installation

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Novel and Unusual Antennas talk at Chelmsford

Southgate ARC – On Tuesday, May 1, RSGB VHF Manager John Regnault G4SWX will talk about Novel and Unusual Antennas at the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society. The meeting is open to all

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International Air Ambulance Week 2018

Southgate ARC – This year’s International Air Ambulance Week will take place between 8th – 16th september with the focus on supporting and generating donations for flying medical services around the world

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ILLW involving the public at Point Lonsdale, Victoria

Southgate ARC – Queenscliffe Maritime Museum will again participate in International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW) at this lighthouse with a number of activities being conducted in conjunction with the Geelong Amateur Radio club

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ICQ Podcast – Is online purchasing killing hamfests?

Southgate ARC – In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Matthew Nassau M0NJX, Bill Barnes N3JIX and Chris Howard M0TCH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is – Is the online purchasing killing Hamfests?

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DXCC Country/Entity Report

Southgate ARC – According to the Amateur Radio Cluster Network for the week of Sunday, 22nd April, through Sunday, 29th April there were 228 countries active

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Bouvet Island DXpedition News

Southgate ARC – To the DX Community….. There have been several important milestones reached and decisions made in the last few weeks

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Additional frequencies for Ireland

Southgate ARC – In December 2015 ComReg (Ireland’s regulator) published a Draft Radio spectrum Management Strategy 2016-2018. The Society responded with a comprehensive submission to this draft and a summary of this was published in the March 2016 edition of Echo Ireland

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IOTA news from OPDX

Southgate ARC – Weekly IOTA News – compiled by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin

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IOTA news from OPDX

Southgate ARC – Weekly IOTA News – compiled by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin

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IOTA news from OPDX

Southgate ARC – Weekly IOTA News – compiled by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin

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IOTA news from OPDX

Southgate ARC – Weekly IOTA News – compiled by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin

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IOTA news from OPDX

Southgate ARC – Weekly IOTA News – compiled by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW, editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin

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RTBF Makes La Première’s Studio Self Op

Sunday, April 29, 2018

VK0AI – Macquarie Island

NEWS UPDATE — Earlier today, Norbert VK0AI showed up on the airwaves from Macquarie Island and was initially active on 30 & 20m FT8. MARCH 13 — Recently posted on eHam, Norbert VK5MQ is on his way to the Macquarie Island Antarctic Research Base with the next winter team for one year. He uses an […]

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CR5CW – Culatra Island EU-145

CR5CW will be active from Culatra Island EU-145 during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 28-29, 2018). The team this year will be; CT7ACG/G3VCQD Colin. MI5JYK Peter. GI4FUE Charlie. M0GAV Andy. G3PHO Peter. M0KPD Rob. Further info here

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[QRV] C96RRC & C98RRC – IOTA DXpedition, Mozambique

NEWS UPDATE @ 09:30Z– C96RRC is now QRV from Mozambique island AF-088. Vasily R7AL, Vasily RA1ZZ, Al RZ3K and Vlad RK8A (members of the Russian Robinson Club) will be active as C96RRC and C98RRC from Mozambique Island, AF-088 and Inhaca Island, AF-066 during the period April 29 to May 9, 2018. QRV on 40-10m CW, […]

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QSL preview – 9M0W

9M0W DXpedition to Layang Layang, Spratly took place during early March 2018. 

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QSL preview – 3C0W / 3C3W

3C0W and 3C0W activity took place during March 2018. QSLs now ready for dispatch.

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TF/G0POT – Iceland

Michael, G0POT will be active from Vik, Iceland as TF/G0POT during July 2-9, 2018. QRV on HF, low power. QSL via H/c, LoTW.

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VK0AI – Macquarie Island

NEWS UPDATE — Earlier today, Norbert VK0AI showed up on the airwaves from Macquarie Island and was initially active on 30 & 20m FT8. MARCH 13 — Recently posted on eHam, Norbert VK5MQ is on his way to the Macquarie Island Antarctic Research Base with the next winter team for one year. He uses an […]

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Armed Forces Day Crossband Test on May 12, 2018

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian (W9IND), who shares the following announcement regarding the next Armed Forces Day Crossband Test:

The Army Military Auxiliary Radio System will host this year’s Armed Forces Day Crossband Test, scheduled for May 12, 2018. This annual event is open to all radio operators, and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is only an exercise scenario, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators alike.

The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly-controlled exercise scenario that does not impact any public or private communications.

Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or private communications, and will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.

The following stations will be making two way radiotelephone contacts with stations in the ARS between the time periods listed on the frequencies listed in kilohertz below. WAR, WUG-2 and NSS will also make CW contacts.

AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ

1500Z – 2359Z 5,330.5 14,438.5 18,211.0

AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY

1300Z – 0100Z 5,346.5 7,542.0 13,963.5 20,920.0

ABH / SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI

1600Z – 2300Z 5,357.0 14,438.5 18,272.0 20,997.0

ABM1 / CAMP ZAMA, JAPAN

1500Z – 0100Z 14,487.0 20,994.0

ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA

1500Z – 0100Z 14,487.0 20,994.0

WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC

1200Z – 2400Z 5,357.0 13,963.5 18,211.0 24,760.0 USB + CW

WUG-2 / ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, TN

1300Z – 0200Z 5,403.5 13,910.5 18,293.0 20,973.5 USB + CW

AIR / ANDREWS AFB

1200Z – 2400Z 4,517.0 7,305.0 15,807.0 20,740.0

AGA2SY / HANCOCK FIELD, NY

1200Z – 2400Z 4,575.0 7,540.0 13,993.0

AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL

1600Z – 2300Z 3,308.0 4,872.0 7,545.0

AGA9TR / TRAVIS AFB, CA

1600Z – 0100Z 5,346.5 7,329.0 13,996.0 14,411.0

AFM4AF / NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH MILLINTON, TN

1200Z – 0300Z 7,375.5 13,498.0

NMC1 / COAST GUARD ISLAND, ALAMEDA, CA

1700Z – 2359Z 7,542.0 15,740.5 22,924.5

NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA

1400Z – 0400Z 4,013.5 5371.5 7,493.5 14,383.5 18,211.0

NWKJ / USS YORKTOWN CV-10 CHARLESTON, SC

1200Z – 2200Z 4,000.0 7,360.0 14,663.5

NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA

1500Z – 2359Z 4,043.5 6,903.5 14,463.5 18,293.0

NWVC / LST-325 EVANSVILLE, IN

1200Z – 0400Z 4,007.0 6,913.0 9988.5 13,974.0

NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD

1300Z – 0200Z 4,038.5 5,330.5 7,533.5 9,447.0 14,487.0 17,545.0 USB + CW

An AFD test message will be transmitted utilizing the Military Standard (MIL-STD) Serial PSK waveform (M110) followed by MIL-STD Wide Shift FSK (850 Hz RTTY) as described in MIL-STD 188-110A/B.

Technical information regarding these waveforms is provided at:

http://www.n2ckh.com/MARS_ALE_FORUM/MSDMT.html.

The AFD test message will also be sent at 0300Z in Continuous Wave (CW) mode (refer to the far right column in the table below). The message will be transmitted on the following frequencies in kilohertz and at the listed times:

1400Z AGA2SY 13,506.5 kHz ACC 17,443.0 kHz

1420Z WAR 13,506.5 kHz AGA2SY 17,443.0 kHz

1440Z ACC 13,506.5 kHz WAR 17,443.0 kHz

1500Z AAZ 13,506.5 kHz AAZ 17,443.0 kHz

2200Z ADB 13,506.5 kHz AGA2SY 17,443.0 kHz

0300Z NWVC 5,346.5 kHz

For those who wish to document their contacts with a QSL card, go to

http://www.usarmymars.org/events and complete the request form.

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[QRV] C96RRC & C98RRC – IOTA DXpedition, Mozambique

NEWS UPDATE @ 09:30Z– C96RRC is now QRV from Mozambique island AF-088. Vasily R7AL, Vasily RA1ZZ, Al RZ3K and Vlad RK8A (members of the Russian Robinson Club) will be active as C96RRC and C98RRC from Mozambique Island, AF-088 and Inhaca Island, AF-066 during the period April 29 to May 9, 2018. QRV on 40-10m CW, […]

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QSL preview – 9M0W

9M0W DXpedition to Layang Layang, Spratly took place during early March 2018. 

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QSL preview – 3C0W / 3C3W

3C0W and 3C0W activity took place during March 2018. QSLs now ready for dispatch.

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TF/G0POT – Iceland

Michael, G0POT will be active from Vik, Iceland as TF/G0POT during July 2-9, 2018. QRV on HF, low power. QSL via H/c, LoTW.

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SV9/SP7VC – Crete

Mek SP7VC and Kate SQ7OYL are going to Creta Island EU-015 (KM25MI locator) from April 29 to May 6. In addition to exploring the island there will be some time for radio work with the callsign SV9/SP7VC. Mek says he’s taking an IC-7300, PA-500W, Ant.vert 40-15m, Inv-L 80 & 160m + yagi 4el. 4m. Activity […]

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Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1362

SB DX @ WW < KB8NW $OPDX.1362
Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1362
The Ohio/Penn DX PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 1362
BID: $OPDX.1362
April 30, 2018
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF80.ORG (Cleveland, Ohio)
Written/Sent from Strongsville, Ohio
Thanks to the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society, Northern Ohio DX
Association, Ohio/Penn PacketCluster Network, AB5K & the AR TelNet Clusters
Network, NJ1Q & W1AW, N2DG, NG3K & ADXO, W3UR & The Daily DX, K8GI, K8YSE,
NE8Z, W8GEX & 60m DX News, KU9C, DF4RD, DL1SBF, DL7UXG & The DX News
Letter, DxCoffee.com, DXNews.com, DX-World.Net, E73Y, ES1CW, F5NQL,
F5UFX, F6AJA & Les Nouvelles DX, G3NYY, I1JQJ/IK1ADH & 425 DX News,
I2MQP & DX Italia News, OZ6OM & 50 MHz DX News, Pete Rayer & ISWL,
Sixitalia Weekly, and VA3RJ & ICPO for the following DX information.
DXCC COUNTRY/ENTITY REPORT: According to the AR-Cluster Network for the
week of Sunday, 22nd/April, through Sunday, 29th/April there were 228
countries active. Countries available: 3A, 3B8, 3B9, 3D2, 3DA, 3V, 3W, 4J,
4L, 4O, 4S, 4U1U, 4X, 5A, 5B, 5H, 5R, 5T, 5U, 5V, 5W, 5X, 5Z, 6Y, 7P, 7X,
8P, 8R, 9A, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9L, 9M2, 9N, 9Q, 9U, 9V, 9X, 9Y, A3, A4, A6,
A7, A9, AP, BV, BY, C3, C6, C9, CE, CE9, CM, CN, CP, CT, CT3, CU, CX, D2,
D4, DL, DU, E4, E5/s, E6, E7, EA, EA6, EA8, EA9, EI, EK, EL, EP, ER, ES,
EU, EX, EY, F, FG, FJ, FK, FM, FO, FP, FR, FY, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW,
H4, H40, HA, HB, HB0, HC, HH, HI, HK, HL, HP, HR, HS, HZ, I, IS, J2, J3,
J5, J6, J7, J8, JA, JT, JW, JY, K, KH2, KH6, KH9, KL, KP2, KP4, LA, LU,
LX, LY, LZ, OA, OD, OE, OH, OH0, OJ0, OK, OM, ON, OX, OY, OZ, P2, P4, PA,
PJ2, PJ4, PJ5, PJ7, PY, PY0F, PZ, R1FJ, S0, S2, S5, S7, SM, SP, ST, SU,
SV, SV5, SV9, T2, T32, T7, T8, TA, TF, TG, TI, TK, TR, TU, TY, TZ, UA,
UA2, UA9, UK, UN, UR, V3, V4, V5, V6, V8, VE, VK, VP2E, VP2M, VP8, VP9,
VR, VU, XE, XU, XW, XX9, XZ, YA, YB, YI, YJ, YL, YN, YO, YS, YU, YV, Z3,
Z6, Z8, ZA, ZB, ZD7, ZF, ZK3, ZL, ZP, ZS
* PLEASE NOTE: The report “could” contain “Pirate/SLIM” operations or
  more likely a “BUSTED CALLSIGN”. As always, you never know – “Work
  First Worry Later”.
3D2/C, CONWAY REEF. It would seem Dom, 3Z9DX, is planning to activate
Conway Reef (OC-112) as 3D2CR sometime during 2018. No other details
are available. Stay tuned.
3D6/3DA0, KINGDOM OF ESWATINI (New Country Name). King Mswati III of
Swaziland announced on Wednesday, April 18th, that he was renaming the
country “the Kingdom of eSwatini”. The monarch announced the change in
a stadium during a celebrations for the country’s 50th anniversary of
Swazi independence and the king’s 50th birthday. The new name, eSwatini,
means “land of the Swazis”. The new name does not change the DXCC status
of this entity. For more details, see the following URLs:
3Y0Z BOUVET ISLAND DXPEDITION NEWS (Update/dated April 26th). To the DX
Community….. There have been several important milestones reached and
decisions made in the last few weeks.
  We have received a partial reimbursement on our payments made to DAP,
our transportation contractor. In our view, this it is a fair settlement
with them.
  Our vessel, Betanzos is now back in Punta Arenas and we believe the
container with our personal gear and equipment are intact. We will be
arranging to transport the container back to the US, arriving in a few
months.
  It has become apparent that the chance of finding a suitable and afford-
able vessel for the 2018-19 Austral season is becoming less and less likely.
It appears that the very earliest that we could mount a second attempt to
activate Bouvet would be the 2019-20 season or possibly beyond.
  Thus, we have made the decision to offer a pro-rata return of the
remaining 3Y0Z DXpedition funds in our account. This will occur only
after the container has arrived here and we have paid all our bills.
Only then, will we know the net balance to be distributed. As you may
have concluded, this is going to be an enormous task with 137 DX Clubs
and Foundations and 3700 individual DXers. The process will take some time.
We ask that you be patient as we complete this.
  You will have the choice of a pro-rata return of your contribution, or
you may designate a foundation or club to receive your contribution. Any
“unclaimed” refunds will be proportionally distributed to the major con-
tributing foundations. Later this year, we will explain the way to claim
your refund.
  After the return of the funds is completed, we will close the accounting
books and the bank account of 3Y0Z. This is always our procedure as each
DXpedition must stand on its own. We believe this is the proper way to
wrap up the DXpedition.
  We all are unhappy and extremely disappointed that the project was not
completed due to a mechanical failure on our vessel. This left the Captain
no choice but to abort the mission for safety reasons.
  Please accept our team’s heartfelt thanks for your outstanding support
of this project.
7Q, MALAWI. Arnold, WB6OJB, will be active as 7Q7JK from Malawi between
July 20-25th. Activity will be on 40-10 meters SSB only. QSL via WB6OJB
only, no bureau or LoTW.
8N3EXPO, JAPAN (Special Events). Special event station, 8N3EXPO, has
been active since April 20th, and will continue through November 30th
to promote the 2025 International Exposition invitation. QSL ONE WAY
ONLY. By Osaka prefecture branch of JARL.
                  http://www.expo2025-osaka-japan.jp/en
9A, CROATIA. By the time you read this Jan, PA4JJ, will once again be
active as 9A/PA4JJ until June 8th. Activity will be holiday style on
40-10 meters using mostly FT8. QSL via his home callsign, LoTW or ClubLog.
9H, MALTA. By the time you read this, Akira, JR1VAY, will be active as
9H3SJ from Malta until May 5th. Activity will be holiday style on various
HF bands. QSL via JR1VAY.
9H, MALTA. Henning, OZ1BII, will once again be active as 9H3EE from Malta
(EU-023) between May 25-28th. Activity will be on 160-10 meters with an
emphasis on 30/17/12 meters using CW only. He also plans to be in the
CQWW WPX CW Contest (May 26-27th) as a Single-Op/All-Band/Low-Power
entry. QSL via OZ1BII or ClubLog’s OQRS. For more details and updates,
see:                        http://www.oz1bii.dk
ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY (Crossband Communication Test/Set for Saturday,
May 12th). For complete details, see the ARRL Web page at:
C96/C98, MOZAMBIQUE (Reminder/2 IOTA Ops). Members of the Russian Robinson
Club (RRC) will be active as C96RRC (AF-088) and C98RRC (AF-066). Operators
mentioned are Vasily/R7AL, Vasily/RA1ZZ, Al/RZ3K, Vlad/RK8A and Aleksei/
RN3BZ. The pilot station will be Victor, UA3AKO. Their tentative schedule
is as follows:
 April 29th-May 3rd – From Mozambique Island (AF-088) as C96RRC (now active)
 May 5-9th          – From Inhaca Island (AF-066) as C98RRC
  Activity will be on 40/30/20/17/15/10 meters using CW, SSB and the
Digital modes. QSL via R7AL or ClubLog’s OQRS (preferred). ADDED NOTE:
In 2018 the RRC is celebrating their 25th anniversary of “Russian Robinson
Club”. They now have a Web page online at:
                 https://dxpedition.wixsite.com/mozambique
EUROPEAN TOUR (SP-EA-E7-4O-9A). Rick  NE8Z/HC1MD will be on a European
tour between May 1st and June 6th. Activity will be on all bands using
CW, SSB and FT8. His tentative schedule so far is as follows:
  May 1-19th — Poland; signing SP9E (his personal callsign in Poland)
                and SP/NE8Z; Rick will be visiting family and friends
                in many areas of Poland in order to work on his Polish
                family ancestry project. He will also be working on his
                DXCC from SP.
  May 19th-June 6th — Spain; signing EA1/NE8Z and EA2/NE8Z (walking
                100km on the Camino de Santiago de Campostela “The Way”).
                Also, during this time he plans to be active as E7/NE8Z
                (Bosnia-Herzegovina), 4O/NE8Z (Montenegro) and 9A/NE8Z
                (Croatia).
  QSL via NE8Z (see SP9E on QRZ.com), direct, by the W8-Bureau or LoTW
after his trip.
GB60, ENGLAND (Special Event). A special event station, GB60OT (that’s GB
sixty OT), will operate CW, the Digital modes and occasional SSB, between
the period of May 19-27th, inclusive. This station is celebrating the 60th
anniversary of the Radio Amateur Old Timers Association (RAOTA). The
station will be very active during the CQWW WPX CW Contest (May 26-27th).
QSLs are preferred via the Bureau or eQSL. Direct QSLs, with 2 USDs return
postage, should go via G3KPU. More details are available on QRZ.com.
GR9, ENGLAND (Special Event). Look for special event station, GR9RW, to
be on the air between May 19-23rd. Activity is to celebrate the marriage
of Great Britain’s Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle. It will
be the first time that the GR9 prefix has been used in the UK. Members
of the Cray Valley Radio Society (CVRS) will operate GR9RW from their
club station in Eltham. GR9RW will primarily use SSB and CW, with the
addition of FM on VHF and UHF. Two HF stations and one VHF station will
cover all bands from 80 meters to 70 centimeters. A commemorative QSL
card is available via G4DFI. For more details, see the CVRS Web page at:
                             http://www.cvrs.org
INDEXA SPRING 2018 NEWSLETTER. John Scott, K8YC, INDEXA VP/Editor, has
announced that the Spring 2018 edition of the INDEXA Newsletter (Issue
121) is now available at:
  This issue will let us follow Stan Vatev, LZ1GC, as he performs his solo
DXpedition to Temotu Province and combine it with a humanitarian mission
to help the students of Temotu’s JCP College. They are pleased that amateur
radio can be a fascinating hobby and at the same time improve the lives of
some of the people they touch while engaged in their activities.
IOTA NEWS…………..
  AS-047.  (Reminder) Operators Tak/JR1LZK and Mitsu/JE1HXZ are now active
           as homecall/6 from Kita Daito Island until May 7th. Activity
           will be on 80-6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL via
           their home callsigns, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog and LoTW.
  EU-091.  Operators Michele/IK7FPX, Gilberto/IK7LMX, Gianni/I7PHH,
           Cesare/IK7XNF, Giancarlo/IK7QMJ, Ivo/9A3A and possibly others
           will be active as II7P from Pedagne Island during the RSGB
           IOTA Contest (July 28-29th) as a Multi-Op/Mixed-Mode/Assisted/
           Low-Power entry. QSL via IK7LMX, by the Bureau or direct.
  OC-137.  If you heard VK4DX/p on the air Sunday, this was Mike, VK4DX,
           from Coochiemudlo Island. This was just a one day operation
           with possibly more to come in the future.
  OC-179.  By the time you read this, Cezar, VE3LYC, will be active as H40D
           from Duff Islands, Temotu Province, until May 3rd. Activity will
           be on 40-10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via VE3LYC, direct,
           by the Bureau or ClubLog. For updates, watch:
                             https://h44r-h40d.weebly.com
  OC-242.  Andi, YC8AO, will be active as YC8AO/P from Taka Bonerate
           Islands (WW Loc. PI03nk) until April 30th. Activity will
           be on 80-10 meters using SSB and FT8. QSL via HA3JB.
ISWL CALLSIGNS (For May). The following ISWL club callsigns will be used
throughout the month of May 2018:
   GX4BJC/A – Operator – Not yet allocated. The operator will give details
              if heard/worked. (/A WAB Square – ? – England, IOTA EU-005,
              WLOTA 1841).
   MX1SWL/A – Operated from Skegby, in Nottinghamshire, by Merv, G0UJD.
             (/A WAB Square SK56 – England, IOTA EU-005, WLOTA 1841).
  ALL QSLs will be handled by Herbie, G6XOU – The QSL Manager and NOT
  the individual operator. The I.S.W.L. is a member of the European PSK
  Club. All QSL info is on <www.iswl.org.uk> or <www.qrzcq.com> or
  <www.qrz.com> or via <www.eQSL.cc>. NO LoTW. I.S.W.L. Awards are
  available to all Hams and SWLs, see <www.iswl.org.uk> for full details.
  eQSL.cc cards ARE welcomed for their awards.
KH1/KH7Z BAKER ISLAND DXPEDITION (Press Release, date April 27th).
  Following a successful Visalia DX Convention, the KH1/KH7Z team met in
Cupertino this week to assemble the stations and network in preparation
of landing on Baker in 2 months. The DXpedition is now in the final
planning stages and this step was the last before packing and shipping
our gear to Fiji.
  Stations — DXpedition sponsors Elecraft and DX Engineering provided
the required gear. There will be 8 stations on Baker Island consisting
of 8 Elecraft K3S transceivers — 7 powered by KPA500s; the 8th low band
station powered by a KPA1500 amp. This is the first expedition to use a
KPA1500 and the team and Elecraft are looking forward to seeing this
exciting new amplifier in action.
  There will be 3 separate tents for CW, SSB, and Digital stations.
Co-leaders K6TD and N1DG, and AA7A, K6GFJ, K6MM, ND2T and N6MZ assembled
the stations, activated the BGAN satellite network, interfaced the NUC
computers & monitors, and installed N1MM+ in a complete on-island simu-
lation (including generator power). We also successfully simulated making
QSOs and uploading sample logs to ClubLog via the BGAN.
  The network was designed by our IT team led by AA7A and N6MZ and consists
of rapidly deployed transit boxes containing the switches power hubs and
POE repeaters. Upon reaching the island the team will deploy these cases
and run out cables from the central CW tent to SSB and Digital tents. All
N1MM+ computers will be networked to our center administrative PC allowing
2 uploads daily via satellite to ClubLog to minimize duplicate contacts.
  Antennas — Although limited to 43 feet, our 80 and 160 meter antennas
are newly designed AA7JV “fat” verticals, which will sit just inside the
high tide mark. The SteppiR verticals for 75 through 10 meters will also
be mounted just inside of the high tide mark while four 2-element vertical
arrays will be mounted away from the water for 15, 17 and 20 meters. In
this way, we can maintain a 24-hour presence on 20 meters to maximize the
number of unique callsigns and enable the most ATNO contacts. We also
intend to install a multi-vertical array for 6 meters at the digital radios.
  Testing the SteppIRs and our own design of vertical arrays is all that
remains before cleaning and sterilizing our gear to meet the FWS Biological
Protocols and sending the gear to our freight forwarder.
  Please visit <http://www.baker2018.net/pages/pretrip.html> to see more
pictures relating to our testing activity this week.
  As with any DXpedition to the really rare ones, this will be another
large budget operation. The operator team will contribute over 50% of
the expected budget of $400,000. You can help make this DXpedition happen
by visiting our website, and contributing today.
                http://www.baker2018.net/pages/donate.html
  Thank you in advance for your support.
  The Baker Island 2018 Team
OJ0, MARKET REEF (Reminder). Pasi, OH3WS, is once again active as OJ0W
from Market Reef until May 4th.  Activity will be limited to his spare
time on 20-6 meters using CW and SSB. Pasi will try 60m on both CW and
SSB, listen on 5354 kHz. QSL via OH3WS, by the Bureau or direct.
PACIFIC TOUR (Update). Dave, WJ2O, has announced his plans to activate a
few islands in the Pacific before and after he joins the KH1/NH7Z Baker
Island DXpedition. His tentative schedule (all dates are approx.) is as
follows:
  American Samoa (KH8) — Around June 8th; for 2 days
  Samoa (5W)           — Around June 11th; for 2 days
  American Samoa (KH8) — Around June 13th; for 4 days; signing KH8/WJ2O
  Baker Island (KH1)   — Around June 27th; for 10 days
  Fiji (3D2)           — Around July 13th for 4 days
  Dave reports from the Visalia DX Convention, “I don’t have a license
for Samoa no Figi yet. I know on American Samoa I will sign simply KH8/WJ2O.
With the group on Baker we are KH1/KH7Z. I have a homebrew vertical (that
I haven’t built yet) that will do 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15. I’m almost always
100% CW. Taking my usual beat up K3, but also my KPA500 so maybe I will be
heard? I’m good with LoTW and you can go direct through Ken, N2ZN.”
PH00, THE NETHERLANDS (Special Event). Operators Tonny/PD1TV and Henri/
PA4HM will once again activate the special callsign, PH00GEVEEN, during
the annual “Wings and Wheels” event which is held at Hoogeveen Airfield
between May 5-22nd. Activity will be on various HF bands using SSB only.
Ascension Day is on May 10th, this year. QSL via the Bureau or direct
to the address listed on QRZ.com. For more details, see their QRZ.com
page.
PJ2, CURACAO. David, VE7DZO, will be active as PJ2/VE7DZO from Curacao
between July 19-24th (approx.), for the 2018 Youth DXpedition. He will
be joined by Mason/KM4SII and Dhruv/KC9ZJX, who will sign PJ2/KM4SII and
PJ2/KC9ZJX. Thanks to the YDXA (Youth DX Adventure) they will be operating
from the PJ2T contest station. Look for more details to be forthcoming.
PROPAGATION FORECAST/REPORT (April 30th-May 6th)…….
 Apr/30th AN      May/03rd  AN     May/05th  AN
 May/01st AN      May/04th  AN     May/06th  DIS
 May/02nd LN
   SOLAR REFERENCE KEYS/INDEXES AND GEOMAGNETIC REFERENCE
   ======================================================
    NORMALITY               GEOMAG       K Values    Alpha
   —————–        ——       ——–    ——
   AN  – Above Normal       Quiet        K=0-1       0-7
   HN  – High Normal        Unsettled    K=2         8-15
   LN  – Low Normal         Active       K=3         16-29
   BN  – Below Normal       Minor Storm  K=4         30-49
   DIS – Disturbed          Major Storm  K=5         50-99
   VRY DIS – Very Disturbed Severe Storm K=6-9       100-400
  REALTIME BAND CONDITIONS WEB SITE <http://www.bandconditions.com>:
  The purpose of this experimental Web site is to provide 24-7-365 actual
  (REALTIME) band condition information to CW QRPp, QRPe and CW/SSB for
  Contesters interested in increasing their scores. It can also be of
  benefit to other Radio Amateurs to determine band conditions for Nets
  and casual QSO’s. This information is NOT based on any software pre-
  dictions or any kind of satellite based readings. It is based on a
  new Ionospheric sounding method called “HF Ionospheric Interferometry”
  which operates very similarly to the PolSAR system used by NASA.
  Also, check out the VOACAP predication Web page at:
                 http://www.voacap.com/prediction.html
  A daily HF radio wave propagation forecast can be found at:
      Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/@GiellaW4hm
QSL INFO AND NEWS……………….
  QSL-INFO from DB0SDX by Lothar, DL1SBF <www.qslinfo.eu> [April 29th]
 ————————————————————————–
  4Z70IARC via 4Z4DX (e)      EN32U via US0UX         OP18N via ON4CRD (B)
  5F13SIA via CN8WW (d/L)     GB106TBC via MI0MOD     OV1CDX via OZ1GML (d)
  5Q0PI via OZ6PI             H44R via VE3LYC         PA/DL8ECA/M via DL8ECA
  9A/DJ8QP via DJ8QP          HF0SEA/MM via SP1G      RA/OH2IO via OH2IO
  9A/OK8EYJ/P via OK8EYJ & (L) IQ0NU via IS0FFD       SP0L via SP7RJI
  9A/S56LXN/P via S56LXN      IQ3QM via IZ3ZUC        SV7/SV2CNE via SV2CNE
  9L/KW4XJ via KW4XJ          IQ3ZL via 9A5URI (B)    TM0CXX via F6FMT
  B5/IK7YTT via IW7EGQ (d)    IT9/ON6MM via ON6MM     TM18PGM via F4FCE
  CP5/PA0RBL/P via PA0RBL     IU1AUG/IX1 via IU1AUG   TM390SR via F4DTO
  CT9/DF7ZS via DF7ZS         JW2US via LA2US (O/L/e) TM68REF via F6KDL
  CT9/DL5AXX via DL5AXX       KH2/NH0N via JA6GLD     W2P via KB2FMH (d)
  DK200MARX via DK5PZ         KH6/DL1DX via DL1DX     WK2S/VE2 via WK2S
  DL0BX via DK9JI (B)        LX/PA2LO via PA2LO & (L) YU/OK1IKI/P via OK1IKI
  DM80FOC via DL5YL & (L)     M/DJ1AA/M via DJ1AA     ZA/SP6JZL via DL6EBH
  EA7/PE1DMH via PE1DMH       OE100XFG/P via OE6FNG
  EI/DJ1AA/M via DJ1AA        ON/PA2CVD/P via PA2CVD (L/e)
  (e) eQSL only  (d) direct only   (B) Bureau only  (*-B) DX’s- Bureau
  (O) OQRS only  (C) ClubLog only  (L) LoTW only    (N) No QSL needed
  (I) No IRC     (P) PayPal
  3B7A NEWS. The ClubLog OQRS for 3B7A St. Brandon DXpedition is now
  available!!!
  FJ/N0KV LOGS. Jim, WD0E, states that he will be posting his satellite
  contacts to LoTW about two weeks after he gets back. He was expected
  to leave Friday, April 27th, and will be two days in travel.
  BUREAU MAILING AVAILABLE. Steve, KU9C, does an annual mailing to all
  QSL Bureaus to minimize Bureau mailings for himself and other QSL
  Managers. If anyone has a quantity of Bureau cards to mail, and can
  ensure they reach him by June 1, 2018, he’d be glad to include them
  in his Bureau mailing. Small (less than 5 pounds) $12/pound, over 5
  pounds $11/pound. Just sort by country, include a check for the amount,
  and send to his CBA. Please E-mail him at <ku9c@yahoo.com> to let him
  know to expect the cards.
  EZ8BP RECEIVED! Boris, E73Y, reported this past week, “Information for
  those who still need to confirm EZ:
    QSO:10-Feb-1997
    Sent: 04-Jan-2018 with 2IRC as per QRZ.COM instruction
    Received: 23-Apr-2018
  Many thanks to Vladimir for EZ confirmed on 40m. I hope QRT would not
  last much longer.”
  LOTW NEWS. The ARRL Web page reports, “Logbook of The World (LoTW)
  now has a full-time status monitor <https://status.lotw.arrl.org>.
  The system’s status is displayed in real time and is available off-
  site, offering a single spot for all users — web, Facebook, Twitter,
  etc. — to quickly check what’s happening with the online repository
  of contacts and confirmations. Read the complete news release at:
  QSLS RECEIVED VIA LoTW: 3D2SE, 4X1ZQ, 9G5AR, A61CP, FJ/N0KV, LU5VV,
  LU8EEM, PP4FMM, PT7ZYH, RA3SI, RI1FJ, S52ZW, SV5DKL, TC0MI (AS-201),
  VK9X/PE7T, Z66D and ZP5DA
  QSLS RECEIVED VIA MAIL: 5A1AL, OJ9X, TN5R, V5/DK1CE and Z60A
  QSLS RECEIVED VIA THE BUREAU: NONE REPORTED THIS WEEK!!!
S7, SEYCHELLES. Michael, VK4EF, will be active as S79LD from both Mahe
Island and La Digue Island, Seychelles (AF-024), until May 31st. Activity
will be limited (work visit) to his spare time on 80/40/20/17 meters and
possibly 10m, using SSB, JT65, FT8, and QRS CW. Equipment will be a Yaesu
FT-891 with 100 watt into G5RV antenna. QSL via his home callsign, LoTW
or eQSL.
TF, ICELAND. Michael, G0POT, will be active as TF/G0POT from Vik and
its surrounding areas on the south coast of island between July 2-9th.
He also plans to activate some SOTA. Activity will be on various HF
bands using a  KX1/MTR-5B with an EFHW or Alex Loop. QSL via his home
callsign, direct, by the Bureau or LoTW.
V73, MARSHALL ISLANDS. By the time you read this, Randy, WW6RG, should
be going QRT as WW6RG/KH9 from Wake Island (OC-053), and is expected to
be active again as V73/WW6RG from Kwajalein Island (OC-028) between May
1-3rd. Activity will be limited. Watch on 20 meters (14190-14240 kHz)
on SSB starting at 0430z through 0530z and then again between 0600-0800z.
He is hoping to be able to use the KARC radio room. QSL via his home
callsign.
VK0/M, MACQUARIE ISLAND. Reports state that Norbert, VK5MQ, is now active
as VK0AI from Macquarie Island (AN-005). He is expected to be there with
the next winter team for one year. QSNs show that he was on 30/20 meters
running FT8 between 0440-0630z. He has an Icom IC-7300 transceiver and a
vertical antenna. QSL via VK5MQ.
VP9, BERMUDA. Kyle, WA4PGM, will once again be active as VP9/WA4PGM from
Bermuda ((NA-005) between June 6-16th. Activity will be on 160-6 meters
using mostly CW. QSL via his home callsign, direct or LoTW. NO Bureau
QSL cards.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
TO BE ADDED TO THE OPDX MAILING LIST — Click or send requests to:
OPDX WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME PAGE (provided by John, K8YSE):
                    http://www.papays.com/opdx.html
NOW ON TWITTER:     https://twitter.com/kb8nw_opdx
ALSO VISIT THE NORTHERN OHIO DX ASSOCIATION’S WEB PAGES AT:
                          http://www.nodxa.org/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
* All excerpts and distribution of “The OPDX Bulletin” are granted as
  long as KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 receives credit.
** To contribute DX info, please send via InterNet Mail to:
   <kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org> OR <kb8nw@arrl.net> OR <kb8nw@hotmail.com>
   Information can now be faxed to the following phone line at:
                           1-419-828-7791 (F A X only!)
/EXIT
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW – E-mail addresses:
<kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org> <kb8nw@hotmail.com> <kb8nw@arrl.net>
Editor of the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin (OPDX – DXer’s Tool of Excellence)
President of the “Northern Ohio DX Association” (NODXA)
DX Chairman for the “Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society
ARRL Assistant Director of the Great Lakes Division
Sysop of the “Basic Amateur Radio Frequency BBS” (BARF80.ORG)
______________________________________________________________
DX mailing list
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Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate

Propagation Report from Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP

Southgate ARC – Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to remain at very low levels

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Young South African radio amateurs invited to apply for YOTA 2018

Southgate ARC – The SARL reports that South Africa will host 80 young Radio Amateurs from 34 countries in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East, for a week-long international event from 8 to 15 August 2018. This is the first time that YOTA (Youngsters-on-the-Air Summer Event) is presented in South Africa and hosted by the South African Radio League (SARL)

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QSO Today – Roberto Ramirez, CE3CT

Southgate ARC – Roberto Ramirez, CE3CT, from Chile, is a well known South American DXer and Contester who began his ham radio story as a short wave listener

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VK6WIA NewsWest

Southgate ARC – In this week’s special edition of NewsWest, we invited Amateur Radio clubs across Australia to tell us who they are and what they get up to. We are hoping that it will result in a better understanding of what makes other clubs tick, and to share ideas about what they get up to

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NASA sets sights on May 5 launch of InSight Mars Mission

Southgate ARC – NASA’s next mission to Mars, Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), is scheduled to launch Saturday, May 5, on a first-ever mission to study the heart of Mars. Coverage of prelaunch and launch activities begins Thursday, May 3, on NASA Television and the agency’s website

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IARU Region 1 Exam and Licence comparison

Southgate ARC – A comparison chart for amateur radio exams and licences in countries in IARU Region 1 has been released by IARU-R1 President Don Beattie G3BJ

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Digital Communications Conference (DCC) call for papers

Southgate ARC – Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) and publication in the Conference Proceedings. Annual conference proceedings are published by the ARRL

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AMSAT at the Hamvention – 2nd call for volunteers

Southgate ARC – Last year, we had 30 people assist with the AMSAT booth at the Hamvention. We’ve had a good response so far to our first call for volunteers, but we could really use another 10-15 people. The 2018 Hamvention is May 18-20 in Xenia, Ohio. Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year?

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Weather Enthusiast Wanted to Help NWS Phoenix:

eHam.net News – PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — When rain, lightning and dust storms hit the Valley, all eyes are on the sky. For a specially trained group of people in Arizona, it’s for good reason. The National Weather Service relies on their network storm spotters to get them information. “We want to know that what we are seeing is happening in real time. So is there large hail, is there wind damage and flash floods, that sort of thing,” said Ken Water, warning coordinator for the National Weather Service Phoenix. Storm spotters get their training every year during the National Weather Service’s Skywarn classes. The course goes through a basic overview of weather from how thunderstorms form, to different types of clouds, to Arizona’s famous dust storms. “We also closely network with the amateur radio or the ‘ham’ folks out there too,” said Waters. Information from storm spotters is instant, especially with the advancement in technology. The pictures, video and reports can get to the National Weather Service in seconds. They combined that with radar and satellite information which helps them make split second decisions.

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FEMA and NRC Like Local Palisades Response:

eHam.net News – PAW PAW — Southwest Michigan emergency response agencies have passed a test of their ability to respond to a simulated nuclear accident at Palisades nuclear power plant. The term that testers from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency used was “reasonably assured.” “The exercise … demonstrates reasonable assurance exists of the licensees’ ability to effectively implement its emergency plan to adequately protect the public health and safety in the event of a radological emergency,” said Michelle Garza, an NRC emergency preparedness inspector. “The exercise involved a lot of different participants,” said Dwaine Warren, supervisor team leader of FEMA’s Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. Emergency service agencies plus schools, public health, amateur radio operators, Palisades, WCXT radio, the American Red Cross and others from Van Buren, Berrien and Allegan counties took part.

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ICQ Podcast Episode 265 – Online Purchasing Killing Hamfests?

ICQ Podcast –

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Matthew Nassau M0NJX, Bill Barnes N3JIX and Chris Howard M0TCH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is – Is the online purchasing killing Hamfests?

  • Canada Get New 100W 5MHz Allocation
  • Beijing Authorises 60m
  • 2018 State of Ham Radio Survey
  • Radio Ham Operator Achieves Contacts Across All 29 Bands
  • Sunday Times Publishes RSGB Response
  • Contest Events at Dayton Hamvention 2018
  • Kenwood Trophy Award 2018
  • First Class CW Operators Club 80th Anniversary

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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Gary DeBock shares most distant catch from Cook Island DXpedition

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, who shares the following note about his recent Cook Island DXpedition:

The farthest DX received during the Cook Island DXpedition (on Aitutaki island) was 657-All India Radio in Kolkata, India, at 8,072 miles (12,991 km). Recorded by accident during a sunrise check of the Korean big guns at 1641 on April 12, reception of this longest-distance station went unnoticed until file review after return to the States.

The female speaker (in the Bengali language) is the third station in the recording, after the female vocal music from Pyongyang BS and the Irish-accented male preacher from NZ’s Star network. Her speech peaks around 40 to 50 seconds into the recording.

The isolation of the Star network at the 55 second point was done by the Ultralight’s loopstick, not by the propagation. Thanks to Alokesh Gupta for the language and station identification!

https://archive.org/download/657PyongyangStarUnID1641z041218CCSWANR/657-Pyongyang-Star-UnID-%201641z041218CCSWANR.MP3

Click here to download MP3.

Wow! A mediumwave DX catch of 8,072 miles using a compact (heavily souped-up!) CC Skywave SSB? Simply amazing, Gary!

Your enthusiasm and passion for Ultralight DX is simply infectious!

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SV9/SP7VC – Crete

Mek SP7VC and Kate SQ7OYL are going to Creta Island EU-015 (KM25MI locator) from April 29 to May 6. In addition to exploring the island there will be some time for radio work with the callsign SV9/SP7VC. Mek says he’s taking an IC-7300, PA-500W, Ant.vert 40-15m, Inv-L 80 & 160m + yagi 4el. 4m. Activity […]

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Hand Made Vacuum Tubes by Claude Paillard

This is an amazing video – hand-made vacuum tubes! About 17 minutes long – well worth the watching if you have any interest at all in old equipment!

You can find the video here

Enjoy!

Robert Gulley, AK3Q, is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Robert also blogs at All Things Radio.

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DARC’s initiative to track the state of radio interference

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alexender (DL4NO), who shares the following comment in response to our recent post about LED bulb QRM:

The DARC does even more: It is planning a long-term project with some 50 automatic monitoring stations with standardized, calibrated antennas and according to standardized methods to document the changes.

Every monitoring station will scan the bands for free frequencies and measure the background noise there. Every 15 min it will send its findings to a central database where the data will be collected and evaluated.

This way the DARC wants to document the ever increasing interferences in a way that is valid according to the relevant standards. Most monitoring stations are planned to be placed at fixed locations all over Germany. But a few are planned to be placed for a limited time in especially interesting locations.

Presently relevant findings are collected. If you live in Germany see https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/emv/emv-abhilfemassnahmen/. Also see the DARC magazine cqDL 12-2017, p. 15.

To emphasize it again: Informal reports to your radio club are good. But if you wish to communicate with the legislative bodies you must do your measurements according to the standardized rules using calibrated equipment. Otherwise the authorities will not accept your findings.

See:
https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/p/R-REC-P.372-13-201609-I!!PDF-E.pdf
https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/bs/R-REC-BS.560-4-199710-I!!PDF-E.pdf

Most impressive, Alexander! I love the fact that DARC is using objective observations to support their initiative. The concept is a fascinating one that I should hope other national radio clubs could copy. I will certainly send this to the ARRL.

Thanks again, Alexander!

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QSL preview – 9M0W

9M0W DXpedition to Layang Layang, Spratly took place during early March 2018. 

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QSL preview – 3C0W / 3C3W

3C0W and 3C0W activity took place during March 2018. QSLs now ready for dispatch.

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TF/G0POT – Iceland

Michael, G0POT will be active from Vik, Iceland as TF/G0POT during July 2-9, 2018. QRV on HF, low power. QSL via H/c, LoTW.

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Propagation de K7RA

Southgate ARC – Solar activity increased over the past week, with average daily sunspot numbers up from 5.4 to 20 and average daily solar flux rallying from 69.9 to 73.4. The previous week saw four days with no sunspots, and the recent week had sunspots on every day. New sunspot groups emerged on April 19 and 21

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YLs in Bhutan

Southgate ARC – YL operators Kay/WA0WOF/A52YLE and Mio/JR3MVF/A52YLM will be active as A52YL from Dochula Eco Retreat in Bhutan between April 29th and May 5th

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Orford Ness site on TV

Southgate ARC – Channel 5 TV show Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain featured Orford Ness where development work on the Cobra Mist HF over the horizon radar was carried out in 1960s and 70s

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How does GDPR affect amateur radio clubs?

Southgate ARC – Essex Ham have published information on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016/679 which takes effect May 25. There is a misconception among some radio amateurs that “not-for-profit groups” are exempt from GDPR, that is not the case

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Ham Radio 2.0 – Innovation and Discovery at Hamvention

Southgate ARC – Sponsored by the Yasme Foundation, Ham Radio 2.0 is intended to be a gathering spot for innovative groups and organizations at Hamvention

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Foundations of Amateur Radio #151

Southgate ARC – In the past I’ve talked about the Standing Wave Ratio, the SWR, and how it describes some of the characteristics of your antenna system. I say system because it’s not just the antenna, it’s the connection between your radio and the antenna as well. The coax or feed line, their length and how you’ve connected your antenna, all feature in the performance of the entire kit and caboodle

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DF6NM wins inventor award

Southgate ARC – Markus Vester, DF6NM has been honoured as one of the ‘Inventors of the Year’ for 2017

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A special conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter

Southgate ARC – This weekend, the Moon and Jupiter are converging in the constellation Libra for a special conjunction

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Westlakes ARC Holds Open Day to ‘Demonstrate the Joys of Amateur Radio’:

eHam.net News – Lake Macquarie boasts one of the largest amateur radio clubs in the country, and in April the York Street club threw open their doors for a ‘come-and-look’ open day. The Westlakes Amateur Radio Club (WARC), based in Teralba, uses its open days to show what the club does on a regular basis, and to “introduce visitors to the joy of amateur radio”. As well as undertaking radio electronic fox-hunts and demonstrations of radio communications in the club’s ‘radio shack’, participants were able to test out satellite communication, amateur television transmissions and play with microcomputer construction.

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NOAA: Solar Cycle 24 Status and Solar Cycle 25 Upcoming Forecast:

eHam.net News – Current solar cycle 24 is declining more quickly than forecast. The smoothed, predicted sunspot number for April to May, 2018 is about 15; however, the actual monthly values have been lower. Will solar minimum be longer than usual or might solar cycle 25 begin earlier? Leading solar and space science experts will convene a meeting in the coming years and attempt to predict solar cycle 25. The “official” solar cycle forecast includes the month, year, and intensity of that maximum (peak, average sunspot number). The consensus forecast is the result of collaboration by a solar cycle prediction panel of solar and space scientists from around the world. Typically, the panel considers all new, relevant research results, observation trends, and model predictions available when the panel is convened.

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VK6WIA NewsWest for Sunday 29/04/2018:

eHam.net News – In this week’s special edition of NewsWest,
we invited Amateur Radio clubs across
Australia to tell us who they are and what
they get up to. We are hoping that it will
result in a better understanding of what
makes other clubs tick, and to share ideas
about what they get up to.

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Foundations of Amateur Radio #151:

eHam.net News – In the past I’ve talked about the Standing
Wave Ratio, the SWR, and how it describes
some of the characteristics of your antenna
system. I say system because it’s not just
the antenna, it’s the connection between your
radio and the antenna as well. The coax or
feed line, their length and how you’ve
connected your antenna, all feature in the
performance of the entire kit and caboodle.

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Ham Radio at 2018 Big Sur Marathon:

eHam.net News – Ham Radio at 2018 Big Sur Marathon:

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Former ‘Coast To Coast AM’ Radio Show Host Art Bell, W6OBB, (SK):

eHam.net News – Former “Coast to Coast AM” and “Dreamland” radio host Art Bell, W6OBB,
of Pahrump, Nevada, died on Friday, April 13, at his home, the Nye
County Sheriff’s Office announced. He was 72. A KSNV news report
indicated that Bell’s family was with him when he died. The Sheriff’s
Office said an autopsy would be performed.

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FCC Releases Notice of Proposed Rulemaking On Small Satellites:

eHam.net News – The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
on April 17, seeking comment on proposals to streamline its rules
regarding the deployment of “small satellites.” This would include
small spacecraft put into orbit for Amateur Radio purposes, as well as
small satellites launched by non-Amateur Radio entities, such as
universities, but using Amateur Radio spectrum. The NPRM primarily
addresses satellites launched by the commercial sector, however.

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In Brief…

eHam.net News – In Brief…

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In Brief…

eHam.net News – In Brief…

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Getting It Right!

eHam.net News – In The ARRL Letter of April 19, the article, “New 630-Meter Band
Reported ‘Very Busy'” contained an incorrect call sign. The sentence
should have said, “NO3M, who also operates as W8CDX, reports eight DXCC
entities worked on the new band.” A photo caption in the same article
indicated that NO3M was using a modified Heathkit amplifier for his
amateur work on 630 meters.

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Community Broadcaster: Listening Closely

Decapitated S.D. Tower Knocked KKLS Off the Air

A radio tower built to survive the elements was no match for this April blizzard

A late spring blizzard created big headaches for commuters and bigger challenges for two Results Radio —Townsquare Media stations in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The storm knocked down part of the radio tower broadcasting the signals for “Hot 104.7” KKLS(FM) and “The Mix 97.3” KMXC(FM) on April 13, Jeremy J. Fugleberg reported for the Argus Leader. He described the tower as having been “decapitated” when “the top 275 feet of the tower” succumbed to the ice buildup and wind.

According to the article, two weeks later, KKLS is still off the air but is streaming online, but KMXC is again available at a low power. They have remounted antennas for both stations on the remaining 600 foot tower.

This isn’t the first time Results Radio has lost a tower to the elements. In 1996, an ice storm followed by uneven rapid melting felled the previous tower. As a result, the new tower was “built to extreme specs,” according to Results Radio Market Manager and Vice President, quoted in the article. But even those weren’t enough to keep it intact.

Results Radio Townsquare Media also owns KYBB(FM), KSOO(AM/FM), KIKN(FM) and KXRB(AM/FM).

Check out photos of the downed tower here.

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Stormy Seas Ahead for Pirate Operators

New Book, Portable Operating for Amateur Radio, is Now Shipping!

Grab your gear and head outdoors with the new book from ARRL– Portable Operating for Amateur Radio by Stuart Thomas, KB1HQS

Amateur Radio stations traditionally have been associated with a table full of gear in a home station. In recent years, that has changed with the increasing popularity of operating portable, away from home. A new generation of compact, full-featured, portable radios combin…

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New Book, Portable Operating for Amateur Radio, is Now Shipping!

ARRL –

Grab your gear and head outdoors with the new book from ARRL– Portable Operating for Amateur Radio by Stuart Thomas, KB1HQS

Amateur Radio stations traditionally have been associated with a table full of gear in a home station. In recent years, that has changed with the increasing popularity of operating portable, away from home. A new generation of compact, full-featured, portable radios combin…

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ARRL Website, Some Services to be Down Briefly on May 1

The ARRL website and some services will be down for maintenance for up to 1 hour on Tuesday, May 1, starting at approximately 0900 UTC. During this period some or all systems may be temporarily inaccessible. This includes all content on http://www.arrl.org (including the ARRL Store), https://ift.tt/2vXiU42, and https://ift.tt/2kZsL1H. Logbook of the World and e-mail will not be …

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ARRL Website, Some Services to be Down Briefly on May 1

ARRL –

The ARRL website and some services will be down for maintenance for up to 1 hour on Tuesday, May 1, starting at approximately 0900 UTC. During this period some or all systems may be temporarily inaccessible. This includes all content on http://www.arrl.org (including the ARRL Store), https://ift.tt/2vXiU42, and https://ift.tt/2kZsL1H. Logbook of the World and e-mail will not be …

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Despite crackdown, North Koreans seek foreign radio broadcasts

(Source: DailyNK via Andrea Borgnino)

North Koreans continue to seek out foreign radio despite crackdown

Police in North Korea have recently focused their attention on cracking down on listeners of South Korean radio broadcasts in another sign of the government’s dual-approach to warming ties with the South, according to a source inside the country.

Speaking from Ryanggang Province on April 24, a source told Daily NK that “police have begun inspections of households possessing radios,” explaining that one method used to restrict radio usage includes applying stickers to the tuning buttons to prevent users from finding foreign broadcasts.

State-approved radios in North Korea are fixed to prevent tuning to non-official stations, but the authorities have used additional methods in recent times to handle the increasing amount of personal radios in the country. In addition to radio controls, authorities also place heavy restrictions on DVD players, phones, televisions, and other media devices.[…]

Continue reading the full article at the DailyNK.

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Turning the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ into a stand-alone SDR

(Source: RTL-SDR.com)

Nexmon SDR: Using the WiFi chip on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as a TX capable SDR

Back in March of this year we posted about Nexmon SDR which is code that you can use to turn a Broadcom BCM4339 802.11ac WiFi chip into a TX capable SDR that is capable of transmitting any arbitrary signal from IQ data within the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi bands. In commercial devices the BCM4339 was most commonly found in the Nexus 5 smartphone.

Recently Nexmon have tweeted that their code now supports the BCM43455c0 which is the WiFi chip used in the recently released Raspberry Pi 3B+. They write that the previous Raspberry Pi 3B (non-plus) cannot be used with Nexmon as it only has 802.11n, but since the 3B+ has 802.11ac Nexmon is compatible.

Combined with RPiTX which is a Raspberry Pi tool for transmitting arbitrary RF signals using a GPIO pin between 5 kHz to 1500 MHz, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ may end up becoming a versatile low cost TX SDR just on it’s own.[…]

Click here to read the full article at RTL-SDR.com.

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DARC asks that you send RF polluting LED bulbs to Elektor Magazine

Photo By Trung Pham Quoc

(Source: Southgate ARC via Mike Hansgen)

LED Bulb RF Pollution – Elektor Magazine investigates

DARC, the German national amateur radio society, are requesting amateurs to send LED bulbs which pollute the RF spectrum to the magazine Elektor for investigation

A Google English translation reads:

Elektor-Verlag GmbH calls all readers and especially all radio amateurs to send non-compliant LED bulbs including power supplies. Elektor wants to investigate this EMC-technical and then forward it to the competent market surveillance of the BNetzA.

The reason for the action: As a result of a press release of the DARC in September 2017 on the significantly increasing interference of radio communications, other radio services and the DAB reception by non-EMC compliant LED bulbs Elektor had investigated such lamps (as well as LED strips). The result showed a progressive electromagnetic pollution.

The Federal Network Agency as competent authority for market surveillance in accordance with the EMVG has welcomed the call for the submission of suspicious copies. In addition, the Federal Agency would like to be informed if disturbing lamps attract attention. She then wants to investigate this situation and take the products out of the market, if they are still offered.

Please send suspicious copies

Elektor-Verlag GmbH
Kackertstr. 10
52072 Aachen

Please enclose a note with the words “EMC LED lamp” so that everything runs correctly in the inbox. You can also announce your submission via e-mail to redaktion@elektor.de with the subject “EMC-LED-Lamp”. Elektor Verlag GmbH then checks the lamp, publishes an update if necessary and informs the Federal Network Agency.

Here the link to the Elektor article from 23.04.2018
https://www.elektormagazine.de/news/bundesnetzagentur-zu-schicken-sie-uns-verdachtige-led-lampen

Source DARC http://darc.de/

2017 RF pollution from LED bulbs in Elektor Magazine
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2017/september/rf-pollution-from-led-bulbs-in-elektor-magazine.htm

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[UPDATE] 3Y0Z – Bouvet 2018

NEWS UPDATE — There have been several important milestones reached and decisions made in the last few weeks. We have received a partial reimbursement on our payments made to DAP, our transportation contractor. In our view, this is a fair settlement with them. Our vessel, Betanzos is now back in Punta Arenas and we believe […]

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The K7RA Solar Update

Solar activity increased over the past week, with average daily sunspot numbers up from 5.4 to 20 and average daily solar flux rallying from 69.9 to 73.4. The previous week saw four days with no sunspots, and the recent week had sunspots on every day. New sunspot groups emerged on April 19 and 21.

Predicted solar flux is 69 on April 27-29, 68 on April 30 through May 3, 70 on May 4-16, 75 on May …

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The K7RA Solar Update

ARRL –

Solar activity increased over the past week, with average daily sunspot numbers up from 5.4 to 20 and average daily solar flux rallying from 69.9 to 73.4. The previous week saw four days with no sunspots, and the recent week had sunspots on every day. New sunspot groups emerged on April 19 and 21.

Predicted solar flux is 69 on April 27-29, 68 on April 30 through May 3, 70 on May 4-16, 75 on May …

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