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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday July 6th 2003


World Radio Conference

The WRC '03 concluded in Geneva on Friday last. As you are aware a number of important issues for radio amateurs were under discussion at the conference, notably the 7 MHz allocation and the Morse Code requirement. The outcome of the 7 MHz discussion was ultimately favourable to the amateur service. It resulted in an extra 100 kHz at 7.1 to 7.2 MHz effective from March 2009. This will be shared with the fixed and mobile service in Region 3 of the ITU but not in the European Region. For us this effectively means an exclusive allocation of 7.0 to 7.2 MHz. Region 3 of the ITU will remain unchanged with an exclusive amateur allocation of 7.0 to 7.3 MHz. An already agreed agenda item for WARC 2007 may present a further opportunity to look again at the 7.2 to 7.3 position. Some, however, would feel that it would be best to leave the 7 MHz allocation stand and look at the possibility of a new 100 kHz band elsewhere, possibly in the 5 MHz region.

The requirement for a knowledge of sending and receiving Morse code as a condition of obtaining an amateur licence for the bands below 30 MHz has been deleted from the ITU Radio Regulations with effect from the signing of the final acts of the conference on Friday last. It will be a matter for individual administrations to decide whether or not CW will be required by them for the future.

The Conference also decided that third party traffic in emergency situations will be automatically allowed unless a particular administration decides otherwise.

We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to John Breen EI7BV the Head of the Irish Delegation to the Conference, who despite a busy schedule took time out to make a number of phone calls during the course of the conference to keep us briefed of developments.


Fingal Radio Club

Fingal Radio Club will be running a mini bus to Telford for their forthcoming Rally on Sunday the 31st of August 2003. The club will leave Dublin on Saturday the 30th and travel to Holyhead and then on to Brosley where they will stay overnight. The following morning after breakfast the group will head to the venue for the rally at RAF Cosford where the rally is being held. The stalls are set out amongst the planes including World War 2 bombers and more modern commercial passenger jets. The group will return to Dublin later that evening arriving in Dublin Port at approximately 10.30 p.m. The all in cost including all transfers evening meal, breakfast and entry to the show will be 170 euro based on 10 travelling. If more travel (there is a maximum allowance for 14) the cost will be lower. If you are interested please call Liam EI3HK on 01-8316266 or mobile 087-2521542.


DX News

SM0DTK/1 is QRV from Gotland, which counts as EU-020 for the IOTA awards programme. SM0DTK/1 is operational until the 18th of July.


Mayo HF Net

The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network has announced plans to establish a HF net on Sunday afternoons at 12.30 on 3.670 MHz SSB. This will get as many members as possible on the air and promote eighty metre activity within the county.

The July meeting of Mayo REN advanced plans for the 2003 Rally - on Sunday November 16, and finalised details for the club entry in the IOTA Contest.

The club meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 9pm, upstairs in the Meeting Room at Stenson's Lounge, Ballyvary, Co Mayo, on the N5. Visitors are always welcome.


AREN

A number of radio experimenters provided emergency communications cover for the Lug Walk, which took place on Saturday the 21st of June last. There were no major incidents to handle, but the radio cover allowed the checkpoint crews to keep track of progress.

The AREN NET operates in Cork on the first Tuesday of each month on 145.525 MHz and on 7.043 MHz plus or minus at 2130 hrs local time. Operators who are interested in joining AREN are invited to contact John Ketch, EI2GN at the Irish Radio Transmitters Society.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The next general meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday the 30th of July 2003 in the usual venue of Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford.

The meeting will feature an ATV demonstration by Jim EI8IG and John EI8JA. A working station will be set up and demonstrated at the meeting venue. All are welcome to attend.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted on 087-6302026. News can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services.

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