Irish Radio Transmitters Society Radio News Bulletin Sunday 3rd January 2010 ______________________________________________ Free IRTS Membership! A reminder to IRTS members that all members who pay their annual membership subscription by direct debit will be entered in a draw at the 2010 Annual General Meeting, with five prizes of free membership for a year. Full details are in the December issue of Echo Ireland. A direct debit mandate was included with the latest Echo Ireland or can be downloaded from the Downloads page of the IRTS web site. ______________________________________________ IMRA AGM. On Saturday January the 30th. AREN will have a stand at the Irish Mountain Rescue AGM being held in Tramore, County Waterford. Simultaneously members will be assisting at a walk in the Galtee Mountains. ______________________________________________ AREN AGM. On Saturday February 6th all AREN members are requested to attend a meeting being held in the Park Hotel, Clonmel County Tipperary. Contact John Ronan, EI7IG for further information. Finally, AREN wishes all listeners a Happy New Year. ______________________________________________ 2008 issues of Scatterpoint now online The UK Microwave Group (UKuG) has now placed all of the 2008 issues of their newsletter Scatterpoint in the public domain. They can be downloaded along with issues from previous years by anyone (UKuG member or not) from http://www.scatterpoint.org/ UKuG's policy is to reserve the current year's issues for members only. It is hoped that this archive will be a source of useful amateur microwave information for all and that many of you who are not yet members of the Group will consider joining via the UKuG website. UK Microwave Group (UKuG) http://www.microwavers.org/ ______________________________________________ Great Circle Maps The Great Circle Map software GcmWin has been recently updated to support VOACAP and now produces colorful propagation maps as well as telling you which way to point your HF beam. GcmWin Download page http://www.qsl.net/sm3gsj/download.htm ______________________________________________ Essex packet network closes It is with great reluctance, and due to health problems, that G1NNB has had to close down his packet station/network, which included the International BBS’s GB7ESX & GB7NNA. Both have given continuous service to mid Essex and beyond for over 25 years and were probably the longest running stations in the UK. GB7ESX & GB7NNA were the first AX 25 BBS’s in the world to have compressed mail forwarding. Latterly by popular request George installed GB7DXE, Essex’s first and only packet DX cluster, which is still running on the Internet. ______________________________________________ MARS gets new name, more responsibilities The ARRL reports that, effective 23 December, the Military Auxiliary Radio System replaces the Military Affiliate Radio System. A Department of Defense Instruction details changes and requirements of the new organization. ______________________________________________ Antarctic operation Alex, UA1PAW now operating as R1ANR from Novo Runway in Antarctica, is expected to be there until the end of February 2010. While 10/15/20/30m are closed, he is QRV at about 20.00Z on 40m He is running a Stepp-IR all band vertical antenna using a Yaesu MARK V RTX and PA ACOM 2000A. QSL Manager is ZS1ANF ______________________________________________ Wicklow Town Club first meeting The first meeting is scheduled for January 13th at 19.30pm 2010 in The Glebe National School in Wicklow town. Directions if coming into Wicklow from the North ie Rathnew. After Lidl and Heatons take your first turn left then immediately right and go up the hill. At the crest of the hill the school is on the right hand side opposite the Church of Ireland. Iian’s mobile is 086 8057242 if you need to call. All are welcome to attend ______________________________________________ Dates for your Diary We would like to bring to your attention some Dates for both International and National Amateur Radio Events IRTS 78th AGM April 24-25 Dundalk Amateur Radio Society shall be hosting the 78th Irish Radio Transmitters Society A.G.M over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th April 2010. The venue for the event is the Fairways Hotel, Dundalk Co.Louth, a number of rooms have been reserved for anyone staying overnight, however it is advisable to book a room early. More info www.ei7dar.com Dayton Hamvention Dayton Ohio US May 14-16 more info www.hamvention.org Friedrichshafen Hamtronic Friedrichshafen Germany June 25-27 more info www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de ______________________________________________ Rallies Phoenix A.R.C Rally 14th February The Rally will be held as usual at Coolmine Community School near Blanchardstown on Sunday 14th February 2010.Doors open from 9am to 2.30pm. Usual traders will be present and to encourage a real Amateur Radio orientated Rally bring and buy tables will be free of charge. For tables contact Tony at 087-2349997 or Tom at 01-8211043 This is the first rally of the New Year and usually a very enjoyable occasion. Refreshments and plenty of car parking are available. Dundalk Rally 25th April The Rally will commence at 11.00am, followed by the IRTS AGM at 2.00pm. Further details for booking, traders tables or any other info please e-mail the following, Thos EI2JD chairman /at/ ei7dar.com or Peter EI4HX secretary /at/ ei7dar.com For more information on Rallies please check the IRTS Website. ______________________________________________ This week in History 1901 Commonwealth of Australia is proclaimed. 1902 N.Stubblefield, USA, demonstrates his wireless telephone. 1952 First transistor hearing aid marketed in the USA. ______________________________________________ Happy New Year IRTS News Team would like to wish all our friends in Radio a happy and Peaceful New Year for 2010. ______________________________________________ Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, preferably via e-mail to “charlie dot carolan at gmail dot com” Or by phone to 087-6265418 News can also be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam 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 Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.