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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 19th February 2012


Echo Ireland

Members will receive the February issue of Echo Ireland within the next few days. A number of events associated with the society's 80th anniversary celebrations are covered, including the upcoming CQIR contest, the EI80IRTS Award and, of course, details of the 80th Annual General Meeting weekend, taking place on 21st/22nd April.

Anthony EI2KC brings us up to date with DXing, propagation and band conditions with his "HF Happenings" column, while another regular column "Excerpts from the HX Files" deals with the construction of a 23cms transceiver for ATV use.

John EI7IG, among others, writes about the results of research into networking protocols used in emergency communications. Communications of an entirely different type are the subject of an article by Steve EI5DD on QRSS (very slow CW) experiments and their value in propagation studies. Meanwhile Paul EI5DI has a very forthright article on amateur radio, remote control and the Internet.

The new Echo Ireland also includes details of the revised HAREC examination format, updates from radio clubs, details of forthcoming activities and plenty more.


IRTS 80th Anniversary AGM & Rally

Tickets for the AGM dinner on Saturday April 21st are selling fast. The event this year is hosted by Dundalk Amateur Radio Society, www.ei7dar.com Dinner tickets are just €32, this is a reduction on previous years and represents great value for this very special dinner. B&B is €55 for single and a double is €65. As dinner tickets and rooms are distributed on a first come first served basis, you are encouraged and advised to act now to avoid disappointment. The annual rally, on Sunday April 22nd, will also have its favourites and many new and novel exhibitors. This is a must attend event in the 80th Anniversary year of your national society, www.irts.ie

Dinner tickets can be bought now by contacting Thos, EI2JD on 087-2953256 or email thoscaffrey /at/ hotmail.com or by contacting any IRTS committee member. The Fairways Hotel can be contacted on 042 9321500 or www.fairways.ie


Success at WRC-12

With the signing of the Final Acts of WRC-12 on Friday last, 17th February, the amateur service had a new global secondary allocation at 472 to 479 kHz. This is the culmination of ten years of lobbying of Administrations by IARU Societies worldwide which started when the question of an MF allocation was raised at the IARU Region 1 Conference in 2002 in San Marino.

The maritime mobile service is the primary user in the band 435 to 495 kHz and the aeronautical radio navigation service also uses the band 415 to 495 kHz . The amateur service must not cause interference to these services. Ensuring the protection of these services by a block of countries was one of the reasons why the proposal had a very difficult passage through the WRC decision making process. In fact the proposal was not agreed until it had reached Committee 4, the final authority before the Plenary sessions.

There is a fairly long list of countries that signed up to a footnote permitting them not to allow amateur operation in the 472 to 479 kHz segment

The power level is to be 1 watt EIRP but countries more than 800 kilometres from a list of specified countries can increase this to 5 watts EIRP at their discretion. While the new allocation became effective on the signing of the Final Acts of the Conference it will be a matter for each Administration to determine when amateurs will have access to the new band as well as the modes and bandwidths that may be used.

Another bit of good news from the Conference is that a first reading of the Draft Agenda for WRC-15 was approved. It includes item 1.4 which proposes consideration of an amateur service allocation around 5.3 MHz at the next WRC.

Credit must be given to the IARU societies throughout the world that have worked on these two projects for the best part of 10 years. We should make special mention of Colin Thomas G3PSM, Chairman of the IARU Region 1 External Relations Committee, who was appointed CEPT Coordinator for the MF allocation item and who has done tremendous work in this capacity over a number of years to achieve a CEPT Common Position on the item which contributed in no small way to the successful outcome at WRC-12.


IRTS Request for Return of Trophies

It is time once again to recall all trophies presented at the 2011 IRTS, AGM in Limerick.

Trophies and Cups can be returned to any IRTS Committee Member before end of February 2012.

This will allow for engraving to be done and allow for repairs if necessary.

Early return will be appreciated. Peter EI4HX at ei4hxperimental /at/ eircom /dot/net

Nominations For Awards for IRTS Trophies.

The time is here again for nominations for the several awards for IRTS Trophies that are required from within the membership, this includes the awards for, 1. Service to the Society or to Amateur Radio. Awards in this category can be to members or non-members.

2 Awards for other achievements.

Awards in this category [2] include the 4 and 6 Meter Shields, the SWL Award, and the awards for Quality Construction Projects. These are confined to members only.

When considering your nominations, please refer to previous successful winners as included in www.irts.ie/cgi/awards.cgi

Nominations may be from Clubs or Individuals, must be by post or e-mail, and can be forwarded to the Awards Committee Members, Pat EI2HX and Jim EI4HH, or to Peter Grant EI4HX, Chair of Awards Committee, QTHR, or by e-mail to ei4hxperimental /at/ eircom /dot/ net

Closing date for nominations is 29th February 2012.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The Annual General Meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday 27 February at 8:00 p.m. in the Roanmore GAA Club, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. Members are asked to attend and as always, visitors are welcome.

Please note that membership renewals for 2012 are now due. Membership costs 30 Euro and is available at a reduced rate of 20 Euro for pensioners, students and the unemployed. Please pass your payment on to any committee member or you can renew at the AGM on 27 February. Those who paid in November or December are fully paid up for 2012.

For information about the group, visit www.searg.com and you can also follow SEARG on Facebook and Twitter.


IRTS Region 4

Radio theory classes will be starting in February depending on numbers. If you are interested please contact Ger McNamara EI4GXB on 087-2532512 or ei4gxb / at/ gmail/ dot/ com


Limerick Radio Club.

The following officers were elected at the Limerick Radio Club AGM held on 8 February: Chairman: Simon Kenny EI7ALB Hon Sec: Ger McNamara EI4GXB Treasurer: Tony Condon EI2AW Committee: Dermot Gleeson EI2GT John Edgeworth EI6IW Mike Griffin EI4FMB Alan Cronin EI8EM

Trustees Michael Kingston EI2IX Dermot Gleeson EI2GT Tom O'Sullivan EI3AL

Rally: Limerick Radio Club rally will be held on Sunday March 11th 2012 at the Radisson Blue Hotel on the Ennis Road, Limerick. Doors open at 11am and all the usual traders will attend. Bring and Buy tables can be ordered from Dermot Gleeson EI2GT.


GI HF Conference and DiGIcon in 2012

West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club is planning another Conference to be held on Saturday 16th June, 2012. A few speakers have already been secured for the Conference and we are currently working on the program for the day. As there are still a few slots available, if you feel that you could enhance the program by giving a talk, demonstration or workshop, please contact Philip MIØMSO to express your interest. Contact details are mi0mso /at/ yahoo.co.uk or 077 9338 6795


DX News

EA5BYP and EA5KM will be active as 3C6A from Bioko Island in the DXCC entity of Equatorial Guinea from 22 – 26 February. They will then travel to the separate DXCC entity of Annobon Island where they will sign 3C0E from 28 February until 11 March. For the IOTA chasers the reference numbers are AF-010 for Bioko Island and AF-039 for Annobon Island. QSLs go via EA5BYP.

Bill W0OR is at present in Guatemala studying Spanish and in his spare time gets on the air as TG/W0OR. He will be there until 26 March.

Two operators are very QRV from Ascension Island from now until 28 February. They are Jim N6TJ signing ZD8Z and Rick N6ND signing ZD8R.

Dave G3TBK will be active again as J88DR from St Vincent in the Caribbean. He will be there until 14 March on the HF bands with emphasis on 30, 17 and 12 metres. QSL to his home call.

Phil G3SWH and John EA5ARC will be QRV as 3DA0PW in Swaziland from 21 – 29 February . This will be a CW only expedition. The QTH which is the Hawane Resort is the same location as the 2007 IRTS DXpedition to Swaziland.


Summits On The Air

Perhaps it's a sign of Spring: we have heard a number of summit activations over the past week. Victor GI4ONL and Victor MI0JST were on the Antrim hills last weekend, firstly on Knocklayd and then they QSYed to Trostan, the highest of the Antrim Hills. Operation was on both VHF and HF, with the HF operation from both summits producing pile-ups. The two Victors have announced that they plan to be active this weekend from the Sperrins.

Meanwhile Phil ON4TA is back in Ireland for the third year running. Phil was active from the Wicklow hills this week and plans to activate some of the Connemara summits later in the month.


Talk on Amateur Television

As Part of Engineers Week members of South Dublin Radio Club will be giving a talk on Amateur Television on Thursday 1st of March. Rather than taking place where the club normally meets this will take place as part of a range of talks on Technology and will be held in Dublin city centre. More details are on the venues website: /http://www.tog.ie

Every Tuesday the club will continue to demostrate the new television repeater as part of the normal weekly meetings.


Items for inclusion in next week’s Radio News can be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the radio news maybe telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on 085 7100511.

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.

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