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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday July 10th 2005


Limerick Radio Club 70cm Repeater

The Limerick Radio Clubs new 70-centimetre repeater has completed its testing phase and is due to be installed on site next week between the 11th & 15th July. Good 70 cm coverage is expected in West Clare, most of Limerick and parts of East Kerry, Tipperary South Riding and North Cork. Low power "rubber duck" handheld access should be available in Shannon Town and Limerick city.

There may be mobile or base station access in Mallow, Blarney, Tralee and Tipperary Town. Please send reports to Mike "ei9feb at eircom dot net".

The site is not Keeper Hill. The actual location will be announced in a few weeks, so have fun guessing the QTH and trying to access it!

The settings are 433.125 MHz for your receiver and 434.725 MHz on your transmitter (standard RB5, 1.6 MHz plus split) with CTCSS or PL Tone of 103.5 Hz. The RB5 repeater is permanently linked to Limerick R5 repeater which is on 145.725 MHz with 600 kHz minus shift which uses 1750 Hz tone burst to open.

Listening on 2 metres, you can tell if a QSO is with a 70-centimetre user as a distinctive "tuning fork" mechanical tone burst will preface every 70 centimetre transmission. 2 metre to 2 metre QSOs sound as before. Listening on 70 centimetre, a 70 centimetre QSO has no preface, but a tail of three beeps, the first is the 70 centimetre "pip", the second indicates the 2 metre link is active and the third is the pip from the 2 metre repeater. It is after a slight pause (in the 2-metre repeater controller), so wait for it or 2 metres will "time out". A 2 metre QSO heard on 70 centimetre side simply has the 2 metre pip at the end of each over, no 70 centimetre pips.

On "70cm RB5" any DTMF tones are "blanked" by the controller. If you need to send DTMF via the controller prefix it by "5". If you want to test your DTMF keypad on 70cm, press "# 5" and you will hear the ident in CW. To echo any keypad DTMF, press "# 8" and it will echo in CW. This feature turns off after about 45 seconds of no carrier.


More Repeater News

The EI2WRC voice repeater at the Ridge of Capard had been off air recently and underwent some improvements, thanks to Neil EI3JE and John EI8JA. The audio has been improved and the repeater sensitivity has been fine-tuned for optimal performance. The EI2WRC Voice Repeater is part of the Southern Ireland Repeater Network.

The Cork Repeater Group is at present in the process of upgrading both the 2 metre and 70 centimetre repeaters, and wishes to apologise for the interruption of service, it is hoped to have both back in full service soon.


Worked HQ Stations Award

The Polish Telegraphy Club and the Polish Radio Amateur's Journal are sponsoring the 2005 Worked HQ Stations award for working HQ stations during the upcoming IARU HF Contest. The basic W-HQ-S is earned for 10 QSOs with HQ stations representing all three IARU Regions. Special endorsements are available for each 10 additional QSOs / Heards. Rules and picture of the W-HQ-S Award are available on the Web at whqs2005award.prv.pl.


2 Metre Beacon in The Azores

A new 2-metre beacon has been installed in the Azores with the call CU8DUB/B on 144.420 MHz. Located at 700 metres above sea level it runs 70 watts to a 4 element Yagi beaming 60/70 degrees, the locator of the beacon is HM49KL a distance of about 2150 km from EI. The Azores has not been worked on 2 meters from EI. It should be possible to copy this beacon via meteor reflections especially in early morning time. Already CT1HZE has copied the beacon via tropo the evening the beacon was installed, at a distance of 1950km.


Alcock & Brown Replica Flight

The Alcock & Brown flight landed safely at Ballyconneally Golf Club on Sunday around 16.30 hours not far from the site of the original landing and the old Marconi Radio Station. The event was covered by Sky News, CNN & RTE a huge crowd of well behaved aviation enthusiasts welcomed Steve and Mark. The Clifden Chamber of Commerce organised much of the Irish side of the flight and all the festivities, Steve Fossett's own ground crew did the landing preparation and PR for the event, festivities continued well into the night and Monday was another big day. The Irish Air Corps did a superb fly by, maintaining a careful distance from the more cumbersome approaching vintage aircraft. After a ground roll of only 100 metres, the Vickers Vimy came to a majestic and perfect stop. Local and HF Radio communications played a big part in the co-ordination of the event.


Mayo Radio Experimenters Network

Members of the Mayo Radio Experimenters Network put on a public display of the hobby at the Annual Vintage Tractor and Steam Rally in Hollybrook, Co. Mayo on Sunday Last July the 3rd. During the display the club operated CW and phone modes QRP on a number of HF Bands using the Club Callsign EI7MRE. There was tremendous public interest in the club stand with young and old alike.

The MREN will hold theory classes from September and anyone interested in taking part should contact Brendan EI6IZ. The Club's rally will be held in The Belmont Hotel Knock on Sunday November 20th.

The results of the Club' May/June Members competition were as follows: 1st. John McAndrew, EI3JM; 2nd. John Browne, EI7FAB; 3rd. Mike Hayes, EI2EO; 4th. Jimmy Kelly, EI2GCB.


Skeds on 80 metres DRM

Would anyone like to form a sked on 80 metres using the Digital Radio Mondiale mode? For information about a PC based Digital Radio Mondiale receiver that can be used as an Amateur band transceiver visit drm.sourceforge.net. Commercial DRM software is also available at dxtra.com. Windows and Linux versions are available. You need a rig with a 12.5 kHz IF connection. This can be added to many rigs.

Anyone can compile the source for personal use for free. For those with no compiler download pessoal.onda.com.br/rjamorim/dream.zip. This is legal only for personal use.

The DReaM software can receive commercial DRM and also Receive and Transmit a less well known amateur mode. Text can be sent at the same time as voice, or the system can be used for error free file transfer or high quality SSTV. E-mail Mike, EI9FEB at eircom dot net to get these links, arrange skeds and get info on adding the 12.5 kHz IF.


Rally News

The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network Rally will be held on Sunday November the 20th at the usual venue, the Belmont Hotel, Knock. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. Bookings for accommodation should be made directly with the hotel. The rate is 50 Euro per person with a special all-in rate of 70 Euro for Bed & Breakfast and evening meal. Traders should contact Padraic Baynes EI9JA for exhibition space.

The Waterford Rally will take place on the 16th of October 2005 in the McEniff, Ard Ri Hotel, Waterford. Traders confirmed to date are; Long Communications, South East Communications and Tetra Communications.

Special room rates are available for those attending the rally; Bed and Breakfast for 2 nights plus one dinner is 89 Euro per person sharing. Bed and Breakfast for one night plus 1 dinner is 55 Euro per person sharing. A 19 Euro single supplement applies. For information or to reserve stalls contact Michael Hoban, EI5DCB on 051-873310.


Howth Peninsula Festival

Last weekend, a special event station, EI2HPF, was QRV from the Vintage Radio Museum in the Martello Tower during the Howth Peninsula Festival. The station had many contacts on vhf and hf with the emphasis on CW. The operators were Joe EI4FV and Tony EI5EM. The curator, Pat Herbert was delighted with the number of visitors to the museum. Pat was kept busy welcoming visitors and showing them around his Aladdin's Cave, while Joe and Tony demonstrated the station and answed questions about the hobby.

It was great to see so many experimenters among the visitors. Andy, KA2VXA, who is stationed in Germany, dropped in on Saturday. Seán, EI5GH helped out on both days. John, EI7GJ kindly bought ice cream cones for all on Saturday before QSY-ing to NDR. Eoin, EI9HZ took the trouble to stay and help with dismantling the antennas. Ben, EI4IN, who was working in Howth on Sunday, took a break to stop by for an hour or so. Other EIs who dropped in were, Tom (EI8BX), Andy (EI4ERB) and Jim (EI4GZ) with xyl Joanna. Thanks to one and all.

It was a very enjoyable, successful and worthwhile operation. It is hoped to have a permanent station in the museum before too long with its own call-sign. So watch this space for further news. The museum is open every day from 11 until 5 until the end of October when it will only open on weekends. The website is www.qsl.net/ei5em/museum.html which will shortly be updated with photographs taken last weekend.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 051-853806 (evenings or weekends) or 087-6302026 (daytime). Items for the radio news can also be faxed to 087-5-6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to "news at irts dot ie" for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no later than midday on Fridays.

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