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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday November 7th 1999


Contests

Last weekends CQ Worldwide SSB Contest was notable for the excellent conditions on all the HF bands. Ten metres was exceptional with DX being worked from all parts of the globe even by stations with modest set-ups.

A large number of EI stations were heard on the bands and no doubt lots of new countries were worked.

The Wexford Group using the callsign EI9E entered the multi-single category and made almost three and a half thousand QSOs with DXCC being worked on the three higher bands. They operated from the QTH of Billy EI6FJ and Mick EI6GF and the other operators were Declan EI9HQ, John EI2FG and Sean EI4GK.

There were a few serious single operator entrants and we look forward to the publication of the scores.

Contests next weekend include the Japan International SSB DX, the Worked All Europe RTTY and the OK/OM DX CW Contests.


IRTS Membership

IRTS Membership now stands at 1002, having broken the 1000 barrier for the first time earlier this year. The Committee wishes to thank all those who joined or re-joined the society recently, making it one of the busiest periods for many years.

The IRTS is one of the very few national societies showing an increase in membership, reversing a worldwide trend.

The Society provides many services to members but it’s primary role is protecting the very valuable spectrum allocated to amateurs through the International Amateur Radio Union. A portion of each member’s subscription is forwarded to the IARU to fund it’s operation.


Millennium Call Signs

Peter Grant EI4HX, the IRTS Millennium Call Sign co-ordinator, told the October meeting of the IRTS Committee that to date he has received and processed five applications for Millennium special event callsigns.

The callsigns available are EI2K, EI2OOO, EI2MM and clubs or groups interested in using these calls should contact Peter as soon as possible at QTHR.


KP2/EI2CA

Paul EI2CA will be QRV from the U.S. Virgin islands for the next week signing KP2/EI2CA. Paul is there with a number of U.S. operators, helping to install a VHF facility at the WP2Z contest station.

Look for him especially on 50MHz if conditions are good.


Next IRTS Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the IRTS Committee will be held in The Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone on Saturday December 4th at 11.00am.

Affiliated clubs are reminded that a representative can be sent to this and other meetings of the Committee.


Club News

News from Limerick Radio Club Classes have commenced under the watchful eye of Mike EI2IX and initial indications are that a substantial number of students have committed themselves for the course.

The next meeting of the club will be held on Thursday next the 11th of November at the Institute of Technology, Limerick at 1930Hrs, where Paul EI6FE will give a talk on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). All are welcome as the talk will be very informative to anyone interested in the latest developments in Television Broadcasting.

The committee is considering organising a Christmas party for club members and anybody interested must inform any member of the committee on or before the next club meeting.

First ATV Repeater Licence granted in EI The Cork ATV group has been granted the first Fast Scan TV Repeater licence in EI. The callsign of the new TV Repeater is EI2TVR and it operates in the 23cm band.

What is unique about this project is that it was put together and set up by a blind operator Aedan O'Meara EI3EG !.

It was only in this last year that Aedan got interested in this mode and set about getting all the necessary information both from here and the UK.

The transmitter was designed by the West Sussex ATV group and constructed here.

The receiver uses a satellite TV decoder with the DC decoupled.

For aerials, 2 by 18 element beams are presently being used, but experiments are continuing with home brew Alford slots.

A video sync pulse detector is currently being fitted.

The frequencies in use are input 1250MHz and output 1293MHz.

The repeater is presently sited on the RTE transmitter site at Spur Hill in Cork which also houses the Cork 70cm Repeater.

The group would like to particularly thank John EI2FG for all his advice and assistance.


Dates for your Diary

The North Wales Radio and Electronics Exhibition will take place in Llandudno on 6th and 7th November.

The IRTS AGM will be held in The Four Seasons Hotel on Monaghan over the weekend of April the 8th and 9th next year.


Items for inclusion in the Radio News should be phoned to Dave Moore at 021-883555 in the evenings or to 021 823172 during office hours. You may also e-mail to ei4bz@eircom.net or to ei8ir@eircom.net Input for the Newsletter should be sent to Kevin EI7IM at QTHR, on the phone at 01-4509514 or by e-mail to ei7im@qsl.net.

Input to either the Radio News or Newsletter can be sent by e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both news services.

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