Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday December 18th 2005


ComReg Consultation Paper

ComReg has issued its response to the Consultation Paper entitled "Review of Fees applicable to Rights of Use for Radio Frequencies". This new paper has significant implications for the EI experimenter community and promises a new licensing regime commencing in 2006.

As already suggested, all existing Experimenters' licenses, including Repeater and Club licenses, will become lifetime licenses at the time of next renewal, for a once-off fee of 30 Euro. All new Experimenters' licenses, including Repeater and Club licenses, will be issued on a lifetime basis for a once-off fee of 100 Euro. Individuals who are over 65 years of age or in receipt of a Disability Allowance will qualify for a reduced fee of 30 Euro.

Once-off Special event licenses will be subject to a fee of 30 Euro but Special event licenses for recurring events (e.g. an annual event) will be charged a once-off fee of 100 Euro.

Experimenter licenses issued under the proposed new scheme will be valid for all modes and frequency bands relevant to the class of license held. Previously, an individual application was required for use of each non-standard extension, for example 70 MHz.

There is a requirement outlined in the document for Experimenters to confirm their license details to ComReg once every five years. This process will be originated by ComReg writing to all licensees but the obligation to confirm license details will lie squarely with the licensee. Failure to submit appropriate confirmation could result in loss of license.

The full ComReg document No. 05/89 is available on the ComReg website www.comreg.ie under Consultations. IRTS is pleased that most of the points raised in its submission have been accepted by ComReg and incorporated into the amended document.


IRTS

The Irish Radio Transmitters Society would like to take this opportunity to wish a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to all it’s members and their families and to thank those that supported the radio and printed news services during 2005. We look forward to your continued support during the New Year.


Radio Theory Examination

The next Radio Theory Examination will take place on Wednesday January the 18th at 2 p.m. in the ComReg offices. Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey St., Dublin 1. Those interested in sitting this examination should contact Sean Nolan EI7CD by email to "ei7cd at gofree dot indigo dot ie", telephone 01 2851599 or by letter at QTHR. The entry fee is 50 Euro with a reduction for full-time students. The closing date for entries is January the 6th. A sample question paper is available on the IRTS web site at or by post from Sean Donelan EI4GK at QTHR. Information about the examination is available in the September/October edition of Echo Ireland.


Cork Radio Club

Cork Radio Club will have its annual Christmas get together on Monday next December 19th at Wilton Park House, Wilton, Cork. This will be the last get together before the end of the year. It is hoped that all members will make an effort to attend. Cork Radio Club would like to take the opportunity to extend Christmas greetings and good DX for the coming year to their members and all radio experimenters.

The club would also like to extend a welcome to Warren Alwell 2E0ZYQ from Newbury in the UK who has come to live in Cork and has become a member of CRC.

As extensive renovations will be underway in the New Year at Wilton Park House, it will not be possible to have any meetings there for some time to come. The committee is endeavoring to find alternative accommodation for meetings and would be grateful for any suggestions. The club will keep members posted of any developments.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The Tipperary Amateur Radio Group would like to wish all their Members and fellow Experimenters a happy and peaceful Christmas and a special thank you to their newsreaders and all the members who helped out at the various events through the year.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

SEARG would like to take this opportunity to wish a very happy Christmas and prosperous 2006 to all experimenters. The club would especially like to thank all its members who participated in its various events during the past year.

The committee will reconvene on Wednesday the 4th of January 2006.


80 metre Counties Contest

Following the continuing success of the 2 metre Counties Contest, it has been decided to have an 80-metre event, broadly along the same lines.

The first contest will be held on Monday the 2nd of January 2006 from 1200 to 1500 hours local time. This is the Bank Holiday following New Year's Day and there will be the usual Fixed and Portable Sections.

The rules of the 80 metres counties contest, which we have mentioned in previous weeks, are now available on the IRTS web site. They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Home page, or viewed in text form at the Contest Rules page. The rules will also be carried in the December issue of Echo Ireland.


SD Contest Logger

Paul EI5DI has updated his contest logger, SD, to support the 80m Counties Contest on the 2nd of January. SD runs on any Windows PC and is free from ei5di.com.

Once you start SD, simply select the "IRTS County EI/GI" template. Overseas entrants select the "IRTS County DX" template.


EI Call Listings

The online listing of EI calls now has a new home, as the listing has been moved to the main IRTS web site. The new location is www.irts.ie/callbook/


Long Distance ATV

A Dublin to Yorkshire 23cm ATV contact was made on the 23rd of November last when the ATV repeater GB3YT, sited at Queensbury near Bradford was accessed by Dave EI2HR in Tallaght, South Dublin, a distance of 192 statute miles. The repeater had been seen on the 22nd, but no live contacts made.

On the 23rd, contact was made with G3KJX via the repeater from his QTH in Northalleton 44 miles North East of Bradford. The two way contact peaked at P3 with QSB. A second contact was made this time with M0DTS of Yarm, which is 56 miles North East of the repeater. This one at P4. Both stations suffered from Radar interference in the form of thin horizontal white lines across their pictures but the test cards from GB3YT were radar free and reached P5 for over two hours. The Dublin barometric pressure over the two days was 1039 millibars.

The Repeater Keeper has confirmed by e-mail that these are their first contacts with the Island of Ireland. He stated that pictures of the contact have been put on the following Web site. w.m0dts.co.uk, which also contains a video clip.

A few years ago a direct ATV record for 70cm was made by Charlie EI2EM, with a contact from Swords Co. Dublin into Holland, a distance of 515 statute miles.

For your further interest, the Irish Amateur Television Club have a Web site at www.homepage.eircom.~iatc DX News.

Mike, EI0CL has been working ZS and the general African continent on 20 metres after propagation to the West has reduced (and may appear dead) once darkness extends over the Atlantic. It is worthwhile to turn the beam South-South-East, 160-170 degrees true for 2 to 3 hours after darkness has extended. The ZS can be more difficult to read earlier due to stronger European and US stations being heard.

VK & ZL are coming in on the short path soon after the earlier long path propagation reduces (approximately 08.30 to 10.30). So it’s worth trying the short path roughly after 11.00 hrs and up to 13.00 hrs on 20 metres, at this time there is the odd JA coming through as well as others in that general area. Thanks also to Patrick EI9HX for information.

The "Holyland DX Group" will operate from the middle of the Dead Sea at the lowest dry point on the Globe, 411 meters below the sea level. The HDX Group will be active on Dec 23rd and 24th 2005 starting 0700 UTC in the very rare Holyland squares M25BS and M26BS. The call sign will be 4X411 – A, indicating this special point.

Two stations will be QRV on 80 to 10 metres, CW and SSB. The QSL manager will be Shalom 4Z4BS. Visit www.4z5la.net/4x411a for more information.


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.

[N]