Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 22nd February 2009


Silent Key

Richard (Dick) Murphy EI2AG, Drogheda, after being unwell for some time, died on Thursday 19th February. The Funeral was held in Drogheda after Requiem Mass this past Saturday 21st, February.

IRTS was represented at the Funeral by, Peter EI4HX; Pat EI2HX; Thos EI2JD, Committee Members, and also a large attendance of local Amateurs and SWL's. Dick was an early pioneer in RTTY and the use of computers in Radio. He was a well-respected surveyor and builder for many years before his retirement. May he rest in Peace.


IRTS/COMREG MEETING

As mentioned last Sunday a very constructive meeting took place between representatives of ComReg and IRTS on Thursday, 12 February. The Society was represented by Paul EI2CA, Seán EI4GK and Seán EI7CD.The meeting covered the following wide range of issues.

Lifetime Licences

The necessary revisions to the Regulations to give effect to lifetime licences have been completed and the target commencement date is 20 April next. Renewals after that date will be invoiced with the €30 lifetime licence fee and a lifetime licence will be issued. New applicants after that date,including those who have let their call signs lapse, will pay a fee of €100

Consideration is being given to accepting renewal applications under the existing arrangements up to a date in the relatively near future. This would also allow those who have lost their original call signs a once off opportunity to apply for their re-instatement. If this is agreed, we will bring you the details as soon as we can.

5 MHz

The present permits will expire on the expiry date of the associated licence and an application will be required for continuance.

This can take the form of a letter sent to ComReg at the time of the payment of the licence fee. An application on the appropriate ComReg form will only be required where a variation in the terms of the original permit is being sought.

Additional Power

No general increase in power levels is to be granted for the present.

It was agreed that the Society would make an application for a general increase in power for the duration of a list of specified International Contests.

For special event stations or for particular experiments it is proposed that above a certain power threshold (which has yet to be defined by ComReg) then the Test and Trial licence provisions will apply.

Maritime Mobile

Any operation on water requires an application to ComReg.

If it is clear from the application that operation will be on a river or lake and the maritime mobile would not be appropriate then the permission will be for /M and not /MM.

Application for all of the recognised bands at present power levels may be made. The actual bands and power level granted will depend on consultation, where considered necessary, with the Department of Transport which is responsible for maritime safety.

Representation

It is accepted that IRTS has a role in representing the views of experimenters and due weight will be given to its view. A formal meeting will be held at least once a year between ComReg and IRTS. Other meetings can be held if necessary.

Agreed that IRTS review existing ComReg published documentation in the light of the necessity to revise some of this in the context of lifelong licences.

500 kHz

The general position of ComReg is that it will consider the allocation of spectrum around 500 kHz on the basis of a common European position.

However, in the light of developments internationally on 500 kHz, it was agreed that a limited number of permissions would be granted here.

This will be achieved by a Test and Trial licence issued to IRTS under which a limited number of experimenters, both members and non-members of IRTS, would be granted permission to operate on 500 kHz.

The detailed arrangements have to be worked out and we will keep you informed of developments.

7 and 10 MHz

The segment 7100 to 7200 kHz will be upgraded to ‘amateur primary’ with effect from 29 March next.

Also at that time the modes on 10 MHz will be revised to permit modes with bandwidths of less than 500 Hz to be used above 10140 kHz.

3400 to 3410 MHz

ComReg is not prepared to grant facilities to experimenters in this band.

Automated Stations

Licences will issue shortly for repeaters on the basis of the call sign formats set out in ComReg document 08/58R of 6 October. This is available on the ComReg website at www.comreg.ie

Consideration is being given to leaving the call signs of the beacon stations as they are at present.

The society would like to thank the officials in ComReg Licensing Operations for their constructive approach to this meeting which resulted in significant progress on a range of issues of interest to experimenters generally.


ENGINEERS IRELAND WEEK OF WONDER

The Society's participation in Engineers Ireland's recent Week of Wonder was a great success. Over four hundred young people from ten to sixteen years of age took part in seventeen IRTS workshops in six locations around the country.

Workshops were held in the Carlow Institute of Technology, the Waterford Institute of Technology, the Limerick Institute of Technology, Athlone Library and the Cork Lifetime Lab, as well as the Engineers Ireland offices in Dublin.

Students were introduced to the science of radio and communications by means of a multi media presentation. Simple circuits and components were explained and students went on to construct an audio oscillator which was used by the students to send Morse messages from kit to kit.

The students were presented with the kits they had constructed to bring back to their school. There was a very positive response from both the students and presenters, as well as from Engineers Ireland and the various hosting bodies.

Engineers Ireland has already been in touch with the Society regarding the possibility of collaborating on future projects. IRTS would like to sincerely thank all who gave freely of their time to present the various workshops.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The Annual General Meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place tomorrow, Monday the 23rd of February at 8.00 p.m. in usual venue of the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford.

All members are asked to attend but visitors and new members are very welcome. Please note that as membership subscriptions are now due, this meeting is an ideal opportunity to renew membership. For more information about the group, log on to www.searg.com


South Dublin Radio Club

The recent talks by John Ronan EI7IG on both AREN and APRS ware well attended by Club Members and Visitors. The Club meets every Tuesday /at/ 20.00hrs more details on the Club website www.southdublinradioclub.ie Visitors are always welcome.


Crossakiel Amateur Radio Association

After the recent AGM the Committee for 2009 is as follows. President: Gary EI3GIB, Vice President: Alan EI5GFB, Treasurer: Steven EI4GKB, Secretary: John EI6GHB.

CARA meets every Wednesday /at/ 20.00hrs in “The Welcome Wagon” Crossakiel, Co Meath. Visitors are always welcome.


Radio Rallies

Rallies during March include the Radio Hobbies and Electronics Fair in the Limerick Radisson SAS Hotel on Sunday 8th March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Rally in Hillsborough, Co. Down on Saturday 14th March and the Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Rally in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh on Sunday 29th March.

The big event in April is the IRTS AGM Weekend, on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th April. This takes place in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone. Weekend events include the IRTS Annual Dinner, a Radio Rally and the IRTS Annual General Meeting.

More details of these events will be given in later bulletins, and are also available on the IRTS web site at www.irts.ie/rallies


DX News

The big DX news over the past week has been the Desecheo Island operation, call sign K5D. As the 3rd most needed DXCC entity for Europeans, Desecheo has been much sought after. At the time of writing, K5D has more than 60,000 QSOs in the log, including many EI stations. EIs have been logged on all bands from 15 metres to top band. The DXpedition continues for another few days.

Logs have been uploaded and can be checked at www.logsearch.de follow the link to the K5D log.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, via e-mail to “charlie dot Carolan at gmail dot com” Or by phone to 087-6265418 News can also be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam 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 Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.

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