Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday February 10th 2008
Bereavement
The experimenter community throughout the country will be sorry to hear of the death of Noeleen O'Reilly the mother of Derek O'Reilly of ComReg. Mrs O'Reilly died on Tuesday and the funeral was held recently. The IRTS was represented at the removal by Sean Donelan EI4GK and Sean Nolan EI7CD.
To Derek and to his family we extend our sincerest sympathy. May Noeleen rest in peace.
Theory Examination
Fifteen candidates from different areas throughout the country sat the most recent Theory Examination for the Experimenter's license, which was held on Wednesday last at the ComReg Offices in Dublin. We hope for a successful outcome for them.
This brings to 126 the total number of candidates that have sat the six examinations that have been held since the IRTS took over responsibility for the theory examination just under three years ago.
Trophy Returns
It is now necessary to return all Trophies presented at the 2007 AGM in Cork. To allow time for any engraving or minor repairs, the final date for returns the 9th of March 2008.
Returns can be made before that date to any IRTS Committee Member, or to the IRTS Stand at the Coolmine Rally on Next Sunday, February 10th, or the IRTS Stand at the Limerick Rally on Sunday March the 9th.
Return of trophies to the home QTH of Peter Grant, Award Manager by regular post is the least reliable and most expensive.
Irish Radio Experimenter Receives Ande De-orbit Award
Along with many other international participants, John EI7IG recently received his certificate for gathering telemetry from the ANDE satellite before it re-entered the atmosphere. Recently Henk PA3GUO and Mike DK3WN sponsored an ANDE award to encourage reception of telemetry during the last few weeks of life of the Amateur Radio satellite ANDE.
ANDE was build by students from the US Naval Academy and deployed from the Space Shuttle (STS-116) on a return mission from the International Space Station (ISS) on 21 December 2006. Due to it’s low orbit it had a short lifetime and re-entered the earth’s atmosphere just over a year later on the 25th of December 2007.
Emergency Communications
The next IARU EmComm Party on the Air is scheduled for the 3rd of May between 1800 and 2200 hours UTC, this should enable more stations from Region 2 to participate as well as providing a greater challenge to the rest of the world since emergencies can happen at any time.
The details of the exercise (to be called a Simulated Emergency Test or SET) are being finalised.
South Dublin Radio Club
The South Dublin Radio Club annual general meeting will take place on Tuesday the 4th of March at the club's premises on the Marian Road in Rathfarnam.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The Annual General Meeting of SEARG will take place on Monday the 25th of February at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Waterford. Members will be notified by post in the coming weeks. All members are asked to attend and visitors are welcome.
70 MHz Initiative
The CEPT Working Group on Frequency Management, WGFM, is being asked at its next meeting in mid February to consider a secondary allocation to the Amateur service at 70 MHz.
This arose from an initiative by IRTS based on a technical paper drafted by Dave EI3IO. Arising from this ComReg has submitted a proposal inviting the WGFM to consider a secondary allocation to the Amateur Service in the band 70.0 to 70.5 MHz. This is in the context of the post WRC '07 revision of the ECA (European Table of Common Frequency Allocations) that will take place shortly.
There are allocations at 70 MHz in Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Slovenia and the UK. Other countries are reluctant to release the band for experimentation and research until it is formalised either in Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations or in the European Common Allocations Table. The ComReg initiative would give effective recognition to the de facto situation in these countries and more importantly insert a provision for a secondary allocation at 70 MHz to the Amateur Service in the ECA as an enabling provision to Administrations. This would greatly assist National Societies in countries that do not have a 70 MHz allocation in negotiating such a facility with their Administrations. Work is ongoing through IARU Region 1, its National Societies and others in seeking support for the ComReg proposal. We all hope for a successful outcome.
Codes and Ciphers Exhibition
The Codes and Ciphers Exhibition will take place until this coming Friday, the 15th of February at the Somme Heritage Centre located just off the Bangor Road, a few miles outside Newtownards, Co. Down. Equipment on display will include a German Enigma machine along with other cipher equipment. For more information visit, www.irishsoldier.org
Upcoming Rallies
The Radio Hobbies and Electronics Fair which is run by the Limerick Radio Club will take place on Sunday the 9th of March in the Limerick Radisson SAS Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick. For more information, visit www.qsl.net/ei4lrc
The Lagan Vally Radio Rally will take place on the 15th of March at Lagan Valley Hospital, Lisburn. For information contact Jim Henry, GI0DVU on 048 926 62270.
The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Annual Rally will take place in The Share Centre, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh on Sunday the 13th of April 2008.
The IRTS AGM Weekend
The IRTS AGM Weekend will be hosted by the Galway Radio Experimenters Club and will take place on Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of April 2008. The venue is the Salthill Hotel. For accommodation deals contact the hotel. The IRTS dinner costs 35 Euro per person. For information contact Damian Commins EI2HG or Tom Frawley EI3ER.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 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 Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.
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