Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 25th 2005
EI Counties Contest
If you haven't already done so, please submit your log for the EI Counties Contest to the contest manager as soon as possible. All participants, even those with only a few QSOs are urged to submit their logs to help with the log checking. Logs should be sent to the Contest Manager - Noel Walsh at "ei2jc at hotmail dot com". Please note that late logs will not be accepted.
Jamboree On The Air 2005
Jamboree On The Air will take place over the weekend of the 15th and 16th of October. This is a worldwide event where Scouts and Guides take to the airwaves aided by radio amateurs and experimenters to communicate with their counterparts around the world.
A number of stations will be operational in EI. These stations will mainly use the SI (Scouting Ireland) suffix in the call signs.
Mayo Radio Experimenters Network
The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network will hold their AGM in The Meeting Room, Stensons Lounge, Ballyvary on Wednesday October 5th at 9 p.m. The September meeting discussed at length the recent discussion paper from ComReg and the clubs response was formulated.
Night classes for the theory examination will commence soon - full details will be announced in the coming weeks.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The next meeting of the group will take place this coming Wednesday the 28th of September at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. All are welcome. The committee will meet on Wednesday the 5th of October next.
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 3rd of October. All are welcome and encouraged to participate.
The monthly 4-metre activity night will take place on Tuesday the 4th of October 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.
7 MHz extension in Malta
Malta (9H) has now got extended 7 MHz band allocation. The band allocation is now 7 to 7.2 MHz in line with the changes that took place last year to the allocation in some European countries including Ireland.
IARU Region 1 Conference
Recently, 160 delegates representing 58 member societies, the permanent working Groups and IARU headquarters in Connecticut assembled in Davos, Switzerland for the 20th IARU Region 1 Conference. The Irish Radio Transmitters Society was represented by Vice President, Finbarr Buckley EI1CS and Sean Nolan EI7CD.
In a presentation on WRC07 it was pointed out that agenda item 1.13 provides for a review of the segment 4 to 10 MHz. Fortunately the 7 to 7.2 MHz segment settled at WRC03 is not included in the review. However there are already indications that some interests would wish to see the amateur allocation confined to 7.0 to 7.02 MHz, so we must fight to retain the remaining 100 kHz in Region 2 and secure it for the other two regions.
A number of decisions were taken at the conference and a more extensive report on the conference will be carried in an upcoming issue of Echo Ireland.
Slide Rule and Abacus Exhibition
This Exhibition is an educational show of pre-calculator and Computer methods of calculation. Items on view include slide Rules dating back from about 100 years, abacuses from China, and a Soroban from Japan.
The exhibition also includes a modern set of 'Napiers Bones' copied from a 16th century version, and some mechanical adding machines. There is also accompanying informative documentation explaining the functionality of the items.
The exhibition is currently at the Central Library in the ILAC Shopping centre in Dublin and will finish at the end of September. All are welcome and there is no charge for admission. All items are from the collection of EI9DVB.
Rally News
The Waterford Rally will take place on Sunday 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. The IRTS bookstand will be present and a strong feature will be the Bring and Buy aspect of the rally. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. and admission is 5 Euro. There is no admission charge for children (accompanied by an adult). Special room rates are available for those attending the rally. For information or to reserve exhibition space contact the rally organiser, Michael Hoban, EI5DCB on 051-873310. Information regarding room rates is available on the groups web site at www.searg.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.
Mid Ulster ARC Field Day
The Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club GI3VFW (GI3 Very Fine Whiskey) will be holding a field day from The Hill House, Dundrum, from Saturday the 1st of October from Midday and transmitting for 24 hours. HF bands in use by the station will be 20, 40 and 80 metres using CW and SSB. The station will also be QRV on 2 metres and 6 metres FM and SSB.
A special QSL card will be sent via the Buro or Direct. All are welcome to call along for a burger and a chat.
SSETI Express
SSETI Express is scheduled for launch on September 30th from northern Russia. It is planned to downlink telemetry in AX25 format at 9k6 on 437.250 MHz and at 38k4 on 2401.835 MHz. It should also be available for Radio Amateurs to use as a single channel FM transponder.
ESA has asked for the help of Radio Amateurs around the world to collect vital telemetry data from the satellite and they are organising a competition with a prize for whoever submits the largest number of valid telemetry payload packets to SSETI Express Mission Control by the 1st of January 2006.
Radio amateurs around the world are encouraged to download the necessary software and to use the SERACC system to forward the telemetry and payload data to SSETI Express Mission Control. The software can be downloaded from www.sseti.org/express Submissions will be automatically recorded and the leaderboard will be shown on the website.
The winner will be offered the opportunity to visit the Student Technology Education Conference 2006 in Germany. The winner will also get a guided tour of ESAs Mission Operations Centre near Darmstadt, Germany.
To coincide with the launch the SSETI Express Handbook has just been published. Written by Richard Limebear G3RWL. The handbook provides full details of how to enter this competition. The PDF of the handbook can be downloaded free of charge from the AMSAT-UK website at www.uk.amsat.org or printed copies are available for £5 inc P&P in Europe from AMSAT-UK.
Video of the launch will be streamed live to the web at: mms://wm9.btrichmedia.com/hcatv.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 051 853806 or 087 6302026. 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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