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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 11th December 2016


Echo Ireland

The December issue of Echo Ireland will be mailed to members during the week. It includes news about club activities and DXpeditions, in addition to quite a few technical articles and a summary of issues considered at recent meetings of the IRTS committee. The latest Echo Ireland also contains a detailed report on the outcome of the society's submissions to ComReg proposing changes to spectrum allocations and the introduction of a Novice Licence.

Club activities covered in this issue include the Limerick Radio Club's initiative to promote the Wild Atlantic Way during 2017 by way of special call signs representing the nine counties on the route. We also have club news from Kerry, Dundalk, Mayo, South Dublin and Shannon Basin, along with updates from Southern Ireland Repeater Group, the Amateur Radio Emergency Network and Jamboree on the Air.

DXing is well covered in the regular "HF Happenings" column by Anthony EI2KC and in an article on the Lunga Island IOTA DXpedition by Dave EI9FBB. Also on the subject of DX, Hugh EI9KF explains CW Skimmer and the Reverse Beacon Network.

Among the technical articles is a very interesting piece by Steve EI5DD, who explains some of the theory behind digital voice transmission and describes experiments with digital voice, using both FM and SSB. Developing a highly accurate frequency standard, using GPS technology is covered by Artur EI7GMB, while equipment and construction techniques for experiments on the 23cm band is outlined by Phil ON4TA - a regular visitor to Ireland and SOTA activator. The 23cm band also features in the "Excerpts from the HX Files", with Pat EI2HX describing his experiments with portable amateur television.


Phoenix Rally February 19th 2017

The Phoenix Rally will take place on Sunday 19th February 2017 at the usual venue of Coolmine Community School, Dublin 15. Should you require a table, please contact Tony on 087 243 9997.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

On Tuesday 6th December last, members of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group met at The Park Hotel in Clonmel at 8pm for their Annual General Meeting. This was a well attended meeting with group members travelling from Counties Kilkenny, Waterford, and Cork joining their Tipperary colleagues. Hugh EI2HI chaired this very productive meeting with John EI7IG reading the minutes from last years AGM.

The group treasurer Thomas EI2IT reported a healthy financial situation. A review of the year and the group activities was then discussed at length.

Particular praise was given to Eddie EI3FFB who over the last number of years had read the weekly IRTS news every Sunday evening at 8.30pm on 145.450mhz FM. His efforts were very much appreciated.

Tommy EI2IT and Ronan EI4KN have taken over from Eddie as the weekly news readers which will continue on 145.450mhz as well as on the EI7HXR repeater at 8.30pm every Sunday.

The new incoming committee was then elected and it was agreed that the venue for all group meetings in 2017 will continue to be held at The Park Hotel, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Paul EI3ENB will continue as the Group QSL Manager and Seamus EI8EPB as Group Technical Advisor. The meeting concluded at 11pm when Hugh EI2HI thanked all for their input and attendance.

The new committee was elected as follows:-

Chairman- Hugh O'Donnell EI2HI Vice Chairman - Andy Jay EI5JF Secretary - John Ronan EI7IG Treasurer - Thomas Hallinan EI2IT Group PRO - Ronan Daly EI4KN

A new 70cm repeater EI7HXR was installed last Sunday 4th December 2016 at Harneys Cross near Clonmel, County Tipperary. The repeater operates on 430.850mhz and input on 438.450mhz (+7.6mhz) with a CTCSS tone of 103.5hz required. This new repeater is licenced and run by the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group. It is connected to the Southern Ireland Repeater Network with an output power of 30watts.

On site for the installation were Gareth EI7FZB, Neil EI3JE, John EI8JA, Tommy EI2IT, John EI7IG and Hugh EI2HI.

For further information about this repeater or the Southern Ireland Repeater Network go to https://sirnrepeaters.blogspot.ie . Reception reports can be sent to Hugh EI2HI or John EI8JA

For further information about the Group go to their website ei7trg.ie


South Dublin Radio Club

This year's South Dublin Radio Club Christmas Party will take place on Tuesday 13th December. The venue will be the same as last year, "The Morgue", Tempelogue Village from 8pm until late.

Members of other clubs and visitors are as usual very welcome to this social event. Limited free food will be available for paid-up members; visitors can choose from the bar menu until 9pm. The club will then break for Xmas and return on January 3rd 2017.


Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club –Radio Rally

On Sunday 7th May 2017 the LEARC will host their 36th Louth Erne Radio Rally at the SHARE Centre, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. BT92 0EQ. Rally Tables are free. For more information you may contact Mark EI4HDB on 087-6574-668 or email mtmullaney/at/eircom/dot/net. Take a look at www.learc.eu .


Bangor and District Amateur Radio Society

BDARS will conduct a Foundation Licence course on 18th/19th February 2017 at the Donaghadee Sailing Club, 20 Shore St, Donaghadee BT21 0DG. For more information please visit www.bdars.com


IRTS VHF Squares Table 2016

Do you want to submit your VHF, UHF or indeed SHF squares worked between 1st January and 31st December? You are welcome to submit your worked squares to Steve EI5DD on wrights1 /at/ eircom.net. These will be entered into the table found on the IRTS website.


DX News

Members of the Radio Society of Sri Lanka will be active from the Hiyare Galle wildlife research station from 10th to 13th December. They will use the club callsign 4S7RS and can be found on all bands 160m to 10m CW, SSB and Digital.

Mike VE7ACN has been QRV as J3/VE7ACN from Grenada since the beginning of December. From 10th December he moves to Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos Islands where he will sign VP5/VE7ACN until 19th December. This is a holiday style operation and Mike mainly uses CW. QSLs for both locations go via the home call.

Matt VK1MA will be visiting Norfolk Island from 19th to 26th December. While there he will use the callsign VK9NM and hopes to be on the air when possible. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.

The Liechtenstein Radio Amateur Society (AFVL) has been celebrating its 30th Anniversary during 2016. The special event station HB0AFVL is available on the air until the end of December and contacts can be confirmed by a special QSL card.


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 may be 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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