DX News
compiled from the 425 DX News, Ohio-Penn DX Bulletin and other sources:

Dave Cree, G3TBK, will be active once again as J88DR from St Vincent from 8 February to 14 March. Operation will be on all bands 1.8 to 28MHz, mainly on CW and RTTY, but with a little SSB looking for UK. He will be entering the ARRL CW and SSB DX Contests and also the RSGB Commonwealth Contest. On non-contest weekends he will look for UK stations on 14165kHz and 18155kHz SSB from 1400 to 1700UTC if conditions are suitable. On weekdays do not expect operation between 1200 and 2130UTC. Each evening from 2200UTC he will be on CW or RTTY on the low bands. QSL either direct or via RSGB to G3TBK.

Alan, G3XAQ, and Steve, G4EDG, are active as C56C from the Gambia between 28 January and 10 February. The operation is CW only on HF, using 100W rigs and wire aerials.

Six Philippino operators are taking it in turns to activate DX0K from one of the Philippine Spratly Islands from now until at least the end of April. The Spratly Islands count as a separate DXCC entity and IOTA island group, AS-051. Activity is on 160 to 6 metres.

Last week we reported that HA8IB and HA9RE are operating as 3D2RE from Rotuma between 26 January and 22 February. We now understand the callsign is 3D2RR and that the 3D2RE callsign will instead be used for operation from the main Fiji islands after 22 February.

PJ7/ND5S and PJ7/KF5LG are operating on 160 to 10 metres CW, RTTY and SSB from Dutch St Maarten between 6 and 26 February.
Contest News
The RSGB 80-metre Club Championship continues with an SSB session on Monday 7 February, between 2000 and 2130UTC. Participants exchange an RS report and serial number.

The RSGB first 1.8MHz CW contest of 2005 runs for four hours from 2100UTC on 12 February. Exchange an RST report, serial number and your District code.

The CQ WPX RTTY Contest is on 12 and 13 February, from 0000UTC on the 12th until 2400UTC on the 13th. Exchange an RST report and serial number.

The RSGB 432MHz Affiliated Societies Contest is on Sunday 6 February between 0900 and 1300UTC. This is an all mode contest and the exchange is an RS or RST report, serial number and locator. This year there is a change of rules and all individual entrants are now eligible to represent their club as AFS team members, not just fixed stations as in the past.

The RSGB 432MHz Activity Contest is on Tuesday 8 February from 2000 to 2230UTC. Activity is on all modes and the exchange is an RS or RST report, serial number and locator.

The next session of the RSGB 70MHz Cumulative Contest is on 13 February from 1000 to 1200UTC and the exchange in this all-mode contest is an RS or RST report, serial number, Locator and QTH information.
The complete RSGB HF and VHF / UHF 2005 Contest Calendars are published in the January RadCom. Details of RSGB HF contests are at: www.rsgbhfcc.org and VHF/UHF contests at: www.blacksheep.org/vhfcc

Suitable freeware logging programs for RSGB HF and VHF contests is available from a number of sources - see the ‘Links’ section of the VHF Contest Committee website.

Propagation News
solar data for the period from 24 to 30 January , compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS.

After all the excitement of the previous week, solar activity was very low during the period and not even a C-class solar flare was observed. The active sunspot group responsible for all the activity recently is now on the far side of the sun and would appear to have calmed down. If any large flares had taken place a coronal mass ejection would have been seen leaving the sun and heading in the opposite direction to earth. None has been observed. The solar flux declined from 95 on the 24th to 85 by the 28th. The average was 89. The 90-day solar flux average on the 30th was the same as last week at 108 units. X-ray flux levels declined from A9.3 units on the 24th to A4.4 by the 29th and the average was A6.6 units. Geomagnetic activity was very quiet, with an Ap index of only 3 units on the 27th. However, due to a recurring coronal hole unsettled conditions took place on the 29th and 30th. On the 29th the Ap index was 20 units and the average for the period was Ap 8 units. The ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 300 kilometres per second to 650 by the 29th and 30th. Particle densities were low except on the 29th and 30th, when they increased to 20 particles per cubic centimetre. Bz varied between minus and plus 4 nanoTeslas on the quiet days to minus and plus 15 nanoTeslas on the 29th.

The quieter geomagnetic field brought a modest revival in HF propagation. However, seasonal factors and the fall in solar flux level meant that the higher HF bands remained very marginal and patchy. There have been no reports of auroral openings except for a weak opening on the 29th which only affected the higher latitudes.

The solar forecast. During the week of 6 to 12 February the active side of the sun is expected to looking our way. Solar activity should mostly low, although there is a chance that activity could increase to moderate on some days. The solar flux is expected to be around the 120s for most of the week. Geomagnetic activity should be mostly unsettled throughout. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 23MHz for the south and 20MHz for the north. The darkness hour lows should be around 7MHz. Paths this week to South Africa should have a maximum usable frequency, with a 50 per cent success rate, of around 26MHz. The optimum working frequency, with a 90 per cent success rate, should be about 20MHz. The best time to try this path should be between 0800 and 1400UTC.
The RSGB propagation news is also available in a Saturday update, posted every Saturday evening and for more on propagation generally, see http://www.rsgb.org/society/psc.htm.

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