Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 1st November 2009
GlobalSET 2009
Global Simulated Emergency Test Saturday
IARU Region 1 invites the HQ-Stations of all IARU member societies and stations of Emergency Communications Groups to participate in a Global Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday November 14th, 2009 18.00 – 22.00 UTC.
The operation will take place on and near the emergency Centre-of-Activity (CoA) frequencies on 80, 40, 20, 17 and 15 metres (+-QRM ).
This is an exercise between stations interested in emergency communications and is not a contest. Activity will be concentrated around the IARU Emergency Centre of Activity frequencies which are now incorporated in band plans around the world.
The details of the exercise will be published on the IARU Region 1 website (www.iaru-r1.org) under the Emergency Communications Working Group section.
Galway APRS Digipeater
The Galway VHF Group are delighted to announce that the Galway APRS Node will be active before the 1st of November. The Digipeater will be located in Mervue, Galway, and has a very good distance view to the horizon. This will provide excellent coverage around County Galway and beyond. The callsign of the APRS node will be EI2GCP-2 and this will link into the already established national system. This will fill in a large gap that has been present on the western and north-western side of the country.
Brendan, EI6IZ, has kindly offered to link into our APRS node facilitating the north western area to give additional coverage into Co. Mayo and above. We hope to add the facility of a weather station in the following months which will send its information via beacon text. By checking the data from the weather beacons on the APRS it is possible to form a general synopsis of the weather around the country. Such information can prove valuable to those active on VHF and more so on Microwaves.
Special thanks to Martin List-Peterson for providing a location for the Digipeater on the roof of his Airwire office building, Gerry, EI8DRB, and Enda, EI3IX, who finalised the installation of the antenna and associated equipment. Sadly the transceiver for this project has been held up in the post due to the Royal Mail dispute.
To view the activity in Ireland from the internet connect into www.aprs.fi and scroll the map to Ireland. At present, the bulk of the activity would appear to be in the southern direction and also in the Dublin area. To view activity from received signals off air, it would be necessary to run the program UIView and have a TNC running in Kiss-Mode to receive the local information. Further information about the Galway APRS can be obtained from Gerry EI8DRB or Steve EI5DD.
Galway VHF Group 24 hour Radio Operation from RNLI
Stations
Using the callsign EI 185 RNLI, Over three weekends in November, members of the Galway VHF Group will be operating a HF station for a 24hour period from Lifeboat Stations in County Galway. The purpose of this operation is to promote the 185th Anniversary of the establishment if the Lifeboat Service in Ireland which is coinciding with a major fundraising effort.
Members of the Galway VHF group will also be raising money for these fundraising activities. These much needed funds will assist with the training of volunteers and assist with the maintenance of equipment and running of the Lifeboat Stations. It should be noted that the RNLI is completely funded by voluntary contributions and receives no funding from the government.
Crew member Mark Armour, EI6GUB, is also a member of the Galway VHF Group. Mark has recently completed his probationary training with the Lifeboat Service and is now a member of the crew regularly called out in the event of an emergency. It doesn’t stop there as there is a continuous ongoing program of training to follow on top of his weekly service.
The first operation will take place from the Galway Lifeboat Station over the weekend of the 7th and 8th of November. The following weekend, 14th and 15th of November will see an operation from the Aran Island Lifeboat station at Kilronan, Inishmore. The final operation will take place from Clifden Lifeboat Station, Ballyconneely, over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of November. The callsign will be EI 185 RNLI
All operation will take place on the HF bands with two stations in operation at all times. There will be operation on Phone and Digital Modes with some operation on SSTV also possible. There will be a special QSL card for all contacts made and SWL reports will also be welcomed. Varying types of antenna construction will be used including a Kite antenna for the LF bands.
Solar Cycle 24
Some additional information can be gained in relation to our solar cycle by checking out the following Internet link.
Marconi Nobel 100 Award
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Marconi receiving the Nobel Prize, listen for and work 10 different special event 'SI' stations between November 9th and December 10th.
The following special anniversary callsigns will be on the air: SI0GM, SI1GM, SI2GM, SI3GM, SI4GM, SI5GM, SI6GM and SI7GM. Other SM stations may be using the special prefix SI, but only the above stations count.
Each anniversary station counts once per band. No endorsements.
More details via qrz.com
A 500khz First
Earlier this week Finbar O'Connor EI0CF had a QSO with Joe Craig, VX9MRC. Joe was on 507.77 khz and Finbar was on .056 khz. The antenna at EI0CF was a 70 foot vertical with 6 X 50 foot top loading wires.
The respective reports were, EI0CF heard in Canada at 559 and VX9MRC heard at 529. The mode was CW, using straight morse keys.
This is the first MF/MF Irish / Canadian contact on the 500 khz band.
The QSO started at 2235z and ended at 2244z.
Finbar was the marine operator at malin head marine station who 'signed off' 500KHz when Ireland ended keeping a listening watch.
Tipperary Amateur Radio Group
The 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will take place on Thursday the 5th of November at 8.00 pm in Raheen House Hotel, Raheen Road, Clonmel. All are Welcome.
Easter Island activation
A Group of Amateurs are planning to activate Easter Island (SA-001) between Oct 31 and Nov 15.
They have a licence for all shortwave bands but will emphasize the bands 160m/80m/40m and most of all 30m (only CW allowed).
They plan to work with three radios at the same time (two of them with amplifiers) mainly in CW but also in SSB and RTTY.
Classic QSL cards for Europe/Asia/Africa/Pacific are managed by SQ8X, via bureau or direct. Logs will also be uploaded to Lotw.
Canadian Special Event Stations
The Vancouver Olympics Amateur Radio Group (VOARG) will activate three special calls to celebrate the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympics which will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia in February/March 2010.
VG7V: Oct 1,2009, until Nov 30,2009, VG7W: Dec 1,2009, until Jan 31,2010, VG7G: Feb 1,2010, until Mar 31,2010.
A website will go online soon, all logs will be uploaded to the LoTW.
QSL cards can be sent via bureau or direct to: VOARG.
15th World ARDF Championships
The Croatian Amateur Radio Association is pleased to invite ARDF competitors as well as guests from all over the world to 15th World ARDF Championships which will be held in Croatia in September 2010.
For more information, see the event's website: www.ardf2010.com/
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society
In addition to the Repeater Listen live link on the Dundalk Society’s website. There is now a Listen live link also to the Echolink Internet Gateway EI2MOG. This Echolink gateway has been extremely popular and has seen a lot of traffic and will make some interesting listening for anyone who may have no direct RF access.
The Societies next meeting is next Wednesday 4th November at 20.30pm at the Premises in Dundalk. All are welcome to attend.
The Societies website is www.ei7dar.com for more information and the Echolink gateway can be accessed from the Gateway tab on the main page of the above site.
Rallies / Events
Sunday 1st November 2009 Foyle and District ARC Rally Venue: White Horse Hotel, 68 Clooney Road, Derry, BT47 3PA (same hotel as last year)
Dxpedition and IOTA Talk by Declan Craig EI6FR
The Mayo Club has organised Declan Craig EI6FR to give a talk the evening before the Mayo Radio Rally, Saturday 21st November.
Sunday 22nd November 2009 Mayo Radio Rally Venue: Welcome Inn, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
The rally organiser and main contact is Padraic Baynes EI9JA mobile 087 - 695 7154 or email pbaynes1 at eircom dot net Special Accommodation Rates are also available please check the full details on the www.ei7mre.org website
For more information on Rallies please check the IRTS website.
This week in History
1891 P.B. Browning patents first mailbox.
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