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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday July 31st 2005


EI3FI Silent Key

The death has occurred of Martin O'Dea, EI3FI. Martin is a former Secretary of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family. May he rest in peace.


Nets

A monthly six metre FM net meets on the first Monday of each month on 51.525 MHz FM using vertical polarisation at 9.00-p.m. local time. The purpose of this net is to increase activity on the 6-metre band. The next meeting of the net will take place on Monday the 1st of August. All are welcome and encouraged to participate.

The monthly 4-metre activity night will take place on Tuesday the 2nd of July between 8.00 and 9.00-p.m. local time. Operators who are equipped for 70 MHz are invited to listen out for and join in any activity on 70.2626 MHz FM. The 4-metre activity night takes place on the first Tuesday of each month.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The August meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will be held in Raheen House Hotel, Raheen Road, Clonmel on Thursday next, the 4th of August at 8.00 p.m.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

A committee meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place this coming Wednesday, the 3rd of August in the usual venue of the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. Committee members are asked to attend.


OK/EI7GK/P

Paddy EI7GK is QRV from Cercany, 40 kilometres south-west of Prague as OK/EI7GK/Portable. Frequencies plus or minus QRM are 14.268 MHz and 7.068 MHz after 20.00 hours Irish time.


International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend

The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend will take place on the 20th and 21st of August 2005. A list of the stations with QTH and QSL information can be found at illw.net/2005_list.htm.

If you are joining in the fun of the weekend please listen out for other lighthouse or lightship stations. Non-US CW stations should operate above 14.225 MHz to allow access by Advanced Class US amateurs. Operations below 14.225 MHz just eliminate the potential for some US hams to work the LH stations. Last year there were 376 lighthouse and lightship stations QRV during the weekend. So come and join us in the fun of the weekend and make a total of over 400 lighthouse/ship stations. An entry form can be found on the web page at illw.net.


SSB Field Day

The SSB Field Day will take place on the weekend of September the 3rd and 4th 2005. Now is the time for clubs and groups to be putting the plans in place. A central venue will be used if there is sufficient interest but stations will still be welcome to set up independently if they wish. It only takes two or three people to get up and running in the restricted section, so get that tent, caravan and generator organised.


Rockall Island

Rockall Island with the provisional IOTA number of EU-189 was activated for a mere three and a half hours on June the 16th. MS0IR/p made 262 QSO's with enough DXCC entities to satisfy the requirements for IOTA status and then promptly went QRT.


Relaxing of Morse Requirements

The FCC is proposing to eliminate Morse code testing as a requirement for any class of the United States amateur radio license. The FCC has said that comments already received indicated that the majority of radio amateurs' support eliminating the code test for the General Class license and says that maintaining code exams for Extra Class "would not be in the public interest." The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has been in contact with the ACMA in relation to the introduction of a new Foundation licence and changed privileges for the existing novice licenses. In order for the new licences to come into effect, a number of existing legislative instruments including the Amateur Licence Conditions need to be amended.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan recently took action to relax the Morse code requirements for Amateur Radio Licences. From October this year, the requirements for First and Second class licences will be reduced to 5 words per minute. The Morse requirement for Third Class licences will be dropped.


Perseids

The Perseids meteor shower is once again upon us and this year the shower will peak on August 12th.

The source of the shower is the Comet Swift-Tuttle. Earth glides through the comets tail each year during late July and early August. Tiny fragments of comet dust hit the Earth's atmosphere and the shower is most intense when Earth is in the dustiest part of the tail.

For sky watchers, the best time to watch is during the hours before sunrise when the constellation Perseus is high in the sky.


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 QSO's 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.


GAREC 2005

The first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, GAREC 2005, conference was held in Tampere, Finland, on Monday and Tuesday 13th & 14th of June, organised under the auspices of the IARU. This was hosted by the Finland IARU member group SRAL with Seppo Sisättö OH1VR as organising chairman.

The Chairman for the Programme was Hans Zimmermann F/HB9AQS, IARU EC Co-ordinator. John, EI2GN represented the AREN group and the IRTS is now in the process of contributing to discussions on the Tampere frequencies. These are HF frequencies that may be used in the future as centres of activity for emergency communications. Members contributions are sought in order that a representative contribution can be made by Ireland to this discussion. IRTS, AREN members and interested parties should contact John at "ei2gn at ketch dot ie" or on 021-4323283 between 0900 hrs - 1700 hrs Monday to Friday.


ComReg

Through a recent operation, ComReg has come into possession of a couple of amateur transceivers. They are: Yaesu Model: FT-1500M with serial No. 0G082149 (this has a flat mobile mounting bracket still attached). An ADI Model AR-146 with serial No. 75D0120017. If anyone could shed some light on these transceivers or know where they originated, please contact Brian Whelan at ComReg by phone on 01 804 9605 or e-mail "brian dot Whelan at comreg dot ie".


Rally News

The Cork Radio Rally will be held in the Blarney Park Hotel on the 25th of September. Doors open at 11 a.m. Free parking plenty of things to do in Blarney this year as this year celebrates the Cork Capital of Culture. All enquiries about tables trading etc. should be made to Con on 086 1071312 or 021 4270136 email conmac@engineer.com.

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.


Dates for your Diary

The 10-10 International Summer QSO Party (SSB) will take place over the 6th and 7th of August The Autumn leg of the IRTS 2 metre Counties contest will take place on the 28th of August between 1400 and 1600 hours local time.

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 (any time). 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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