Red Dust Storm in OZ !

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Created on Saturday, 12 January 2013 06:36

While fires burn across southeastern Australia and the northwest braces for Tropical Cyclone Narelle, Australia's volatile weather has produced a spectacular red dust storm.

Striking images have emerged of a massive dust storm, which rolled across northwestern Australia and out to the Indian Ocean just before sunset on Wednesday evening.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Austen Watkins told the West Australian the phenomenon was created as wind and rain caused the thunderstorm to dump sand and dust it had picked while passing over the coastal town of Onslow, in the Pilbara region.

The phenomenon is known as a "haboob" by meteorologists.

VK5PAS - new Website launched

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Created on Saturday, 12 January 2013 05:44

Take a tour of the new website from Paul VK5PAS.

The site holds some nice information and photographs from his QTH in Mount Barker in South Australia of his family and also on the hobby we share.

It also contains some good facts and information about Australia, Kangaroo Island, ILLW. Check out the ''just for laughs'' page which will put a smile on your face for sure. Click here to see website.

Well done Paul - good job mate!

New Island emerges from North Sea

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Created on Saturday, 12 January 2013 05:22

An island ground composed of sandbanks emerged in North Sea, 24 km (15 miles) off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany’s far north.

This is the area of a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. A discernible landmass composed of sandbanks grew gradually over the past few years in a stretch of coastline near marine national park Wattenmeer, mostly created by tidal actions.

The new island was named Bird Island after seabirds population which nest and feed on the sand dunes. Some of the inhabitants of an islands are the gulls, grey geese, eider ducks, common ringed plovers, peregrine falcons and more. Various seeds were blown by winds from all across the Europe and so far 49 species of plants have been detected on sandy landmass that is up to 4-5 meters high.

Active Sunspot

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Created on Saturday, 12 January 2013 05:06

One of the biggest sunspots of the current solar cycle is now turning toward Earth.

Named AR1654, the active region is crackling with medium-sized (M-class) flares and could be poised to break the recent spell of calm space weather around our planet.

AR1654 is getting bigger as it turns toward Earth. Not only is the chance of flares increasing, but also the chance of an Earth-directed eruption.This could be the sunspot that breaks the recent lengthy spell of calm space weather around our planet.

Click image to see movie.

Latest bureau posting....

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Created on Saturday, 12 January 2013 04:57

Ths week I have mailed several packages to the Bureau;

1.95 Kilo of cards have been sent direct to the JARL (Japan Amateur Radio League) Bureau. a total of 3.4 Kilo of cards have also been sent direct to various bureau around the World (not via the RSGB) and a seperate package of 1.7 Kilo is prepared and ready to go the RSGB Bureau.

That's just over 7 Kilo of cards gone out this week. I also expect newe cards to arrive from Italy and from Australia in the coming days for both IIØXMAS and VK3HF respectively. I will advise on those mailings when appropriate.

South Sudan DXCC #316

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Created on Wednesday, 09 January 2013 14:54

Well, after a few months trying, South Sudan isfinally in the log today for DXCC #316.

Z81Z was on 10M CW for several hours today and with band conditions being pretty good, he had a huge pile up. He wasn't too strong either so i tried several times over his session before his signal (and mine!) were both good enough to get the contact after 2 hours.

South Sudan is officially The Republic of South Sudan previously known as Southern Sudan, is a landlocked country in east-central Africa that is part of the United Nations subregion of Eastern Africa.

A happy end to a busy day for a change ;-)

Temperature off the Charts in VK land

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Created on Tuesday, 08 January 2013 08:17

The Bureau of Meteorology's (Australia) interactive weather forecasting chart has added new colours – deep purple and pink – to extend its previous temperature range that had been capped at 50 degrees as intest heat causes havoc in Australia.

Logbook Of The World (LOTW) delays

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Created on Monday, 07 January 2013 10:17

LOTW seems to have a few problems again which is apparent from this website post;

''Logs are being received OK and the website remains functional.  IT staff will need to clear some problems with the new hardware before log processing will continue.  Thanks for your patience''

As they ask, lets please be patient !

If you drink when you fly, be warned !!

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Created on Sunday, 06 January 2013 09:47

Let this be a warning to all passengers who drink on their Flights;

The passanger drank all of his duty free liquor on the flight from Iceland to JFK yesterday. When he became unruly, (i.e. trying to choke the woman next to him and screaming the plane was going to crash), fellow passengers subdued him and tie him up for the rest of the flight.

He was escorted off the flight by police when it landed.

Full story on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/travel/iceland-disruptive-passenger/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

V55A currently Qrv

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Created on Saturday, 05 January 2013 13:24

Michael is currently active as V55A from Windhoeck in Namibia.

V55A is the call sign for the new Boyscout / Radioamateur Clubstation in Windhoeck.

Qsl Cards are printed and available from MØOXO OQRS (but not the image shown on the Qrz.Com page).

V31MA Belize

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Created on Friday, 04 January 2013 13:08

Marc will be QRV as V31MA from San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize from tomorrow 5th January 2013.

This is not a major Dxpedition just a 'holiday-style' operation so the Callsign will be on air as and when Marcs other duties allow it. Main mode of operation will be SSB but also possibliity of CW and DATA.

Logs will be uploaded to Clublog during his stay and traditional Qsl Cards are available via M0OXO OQRS. LOTW will follow as and when possible after the event.

10th AAW in February...

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Created on Friday, 04 January 2013 10:33

The 10th Antarctic Activity Week (AAW) will soon be upon us running from 18th - 24th February 2013.

Don't lose the opportunity and apply on time for your Special event Callsign to celebrate the 10th edition of the Antarctic Activity Week with us! 

VK2ANT, 1st Australian Station to join the AAW. Congrats to John VK2FR ! Read more about WAP and their events here WAP

GB0ANT wil be QRV as usually on PSK, RTTY, SSB and CW - Qsl via M0OXO OQRS

Northern Cross Rally cancelled

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Created on Friday, 04 January 2013 06:32

From the Committee of the Wakefield & District Radio Society;

''It is with regret that it was decided that due to circumstances beyond our control we have decided to cancel this years' Northern Cross Rally which was scheduled for Sunday the 17th of February.

RSGB celebrates Centenery (100 years)

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Created on Thursday, 03 January 2013 13:46

This Year the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is celebrating its Centenary with a programme of exciting events. The following links will provide background and details of the full range of events.

RSGB Centenary 2013 Events

• Gx100RSGB Special Event Station
• Construction Competition
• Centenary “Convention-on-the-Road”

The Centenary Year will be inaugurated by our President, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, operating G100RSGB from Region 3 (North West England) where a number of affiliated clubs will operate G100RSGB or GD100RSGB during the Region’s 28 day period.

There is also an Award available. The purpose of this Award is to encourage every Radio Amateur to get on the air and celebrate the RSGB’s Centenary in 2013. Full details of the Award can be found here;

RSGB Centenary Award 2013

Do you need new Qsl Cards?

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Created on Thursday, 03 January 2013 13:20

If you are a radio amateur but don't have a QSL card, maybe you are not satisfied with your current cards or just that you have run out of QSLs then here is an easy solution from myself & from Gennady Treus UX5UO.

UX5UO Qsl print offer a fast, cheap and efficient service to produce the card you desire. There is also the option to pay via Paypal, Cheque, Postal Order or Bank Transfer using their agent in the UK, me !! No more having to go into your Bank and do time wasting foreign bank transfers, this is easy.

Check out these links and see if we can help you at all, it cost nothing to ask!

http://www.m0oxo.com/ux5uo-qsl-cards.html

http://www.ux5uoqsl.com/

New to Qsl'in? ''How can I request a Qsl Card?''

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Created on Thursday, 03 January 2013 13:04

A few recent arrivals in the way of Qsl requests have made me wonder, 'do we really know how to make a Qsl card request?'. You may be a newcomer to the hobby who finds the whole process of requesting Qsl Cards very daunting indeed.

Well, in an attempt to help both older and newer people in the hobby, I have compiled a page on my website which I hope will attempt to answer most of the common questions.

Please take a look and if you feel it is of benefit then feel free to comment. So many times people fall foul of this proceedure so I hope this helps, at least a little!

Click here to read the article.

2012 – Solar activity & space weather review

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Created on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 08:35

We are now in period called Solar Cycle 24 which started in January 8, 2008 and it is the 24th solar cycle since 1755, when recording of solar sunspot activity began. 

The solar cycle is the periodic change in Sun’s activity (including changes in the levels of solar radiation and ejection of solar material) and appearance visible in changes in the number of sunspots, flares, and other visible manifestations. Solar cycles have a duration of about 11 years.

NASA predicts that solar cycle 24 will peak in early or mid 2013 with about 59 sunspots. This would make it the least active cycle in the past one hundred years. The International Space Environment Service predicts the cycle to peak at 90 sunspots in May 2013.

This is a big entry - Read the full article by clicking the green banner

Read more: 2012 – Solar activity & space weather review

UK welcomes 2013, HNY !

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Created on Tuesday, 01 January 2013 10:38

Happy New Year from the UK to all of my readers.

Large crowds lined the banks of the River Thames in London and the streets of Edinburgh last night as the UK welcomed the start of the New Year.

Along the River Thames, up to 250,000 people watched a major fireworks display which saw the night sky illuminated with pyrotechnics to round-off a momentous year.

Revellers were able to watch clips from the 2012 Olympic Games during an 11-minute firework display set around the London Eye.

Millions more watched it all on television. Click this link to see images from the stunning firework display heralding the beginning of 2013 !!

Lord Howe on the horizon

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Created on Monday, 31 December 2012 13:22

With just over a week to go, the Lord Howe Team are anxious to get on the Island.

The team activating Lord Howe are in the main from Japan but with a few other Members from further afar. The operation will take place between the 11th and 18th January, 2013 from their base within the Blue Lagoon Hotel, on Lord Howe Island.

The operators will be using their home callsigns/VK9L (JH3PBL/VK9L etc etc) and will be Qrv on 80-6m, CW, SSB and RTTY.

Qsl card mailing news...

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Created on Sunday, 30 December 2012 09:37

This morning see's three packages (total 4.2Kilo) of Qsl cards on their way to the RSGB Bureau.

There are also just under 1.4 Kilo of cards that will be mailed in the next few weeks direct to the appropriate World Bureau's. There are cards for none-RSGB Members that I manage.

If you have any questions about cards or requests you have made you can contact me (details here) or if it is related to an OQRS request, then just log back into M0OXO OQRS and you will find all information regarding your request there.

Tokunoshima Island - AS-023

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Created on Sunday, 30 December 2012 09:15

Well its the first JA station I have worked in months!

Nevertheless a good one to log and a surprise too, not too many spots and a check on Qrz reveals the QTH as Tokunoshima Island, Japan, part of the AS-023 IOTA Group (Amami Islands), new IOTA for MØOXO !

Administatively it belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. Three towns are located on the island: Tokunoshima, Isen, and Amagi.

So another new IOTA logged bringing my total to #551 worked and #479 confirmed.