ComReg has published a consultation paper on the release of spectrum in the 2300 to 2400 MHz band. The paper is Document 09/49 of 15 June and is available in the Publications section of the ComReg website at www.comreg.ie This band is an amateur secondary allocation.
The IRTS will in due course prepare a response to this consultation paper and we would encourage interested individuals and radio clubs to do so as well. Licensees who have views which they wish to have reflected in the IRTS response should communicate by e-mail to ei7cd /at/ gofree.indigo.ie Responses to the consultation paper must be submitted before 5 p.m. on 29 July next.
To celebrate the return of the Fastnet Line Cork to Swansea ferry Innisfallen, special event call signs EI2GBW and GB2EI will be QRV from now through re-start of the service in March 2010.
Activations will include arrival of the ship at Customs House Quay, Cork in August and proposed /MM operation during trial runs to Swansea.
See QRZ.com for further details.
A new 2meter FM voice repeater GB3CP went on air it is located in south east Fermanagh Northern Ireland. RX 145.7375 TX 145.1375 110.9 ctcss or 1750hz tone burst
The SuitSat-2 ham radio in space transponder will not be in a space suit but the package will likely still fly in space. Due to storage considerations on the International Space Station, the two surplus Russian space suits in storage were discarded via the Progress Cargo Vessel. One of these suits was to be used to house the electronics for the upcoming SuitSat-2 mission.
But all is not lost. ARISS International has been informed that there is still space available for shipment of the SuitSat-2 electronics on a cargo flight to the I-S-S in January 2010. Also, a space-walk scheduled for April 2010 still has a 'SuitSat-2' deployment scheduled to be a part of it. As a result the AMSAT team developing the SuitSat-2 electronics on is focusing on completing the project in anticipation that deployment will still take place in Spring 2010, but using a different structure to house the flight package.
Is the Ham Radio convention in Friedrichshafen, Germany, about to match or even replace Dayton as the worlds most attended amateur radio show? According to several sources this years Ham Radio had an official gate of 17,400 visitors. That's up by 300 from 2008. Also, some 195 exhibitors and radio associations from 30 nations represented at the show.
So far, Dayton has not made public its official attendance figure, but many who regularly attend the Hamvention have speculated that 2009 saw about the same number of attendees as 2008 or maybe a few more. If that's the case then it would likely put Dayton and Friedrichshafen at least neck to neck. We will have to await the folks in Dayton making public their attendance figures to know for sure.
Meantime, you can make a note of the dates of the 35th Ham Radio will be from June 25th to the 27th in 2010 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Hamvention 2010 will take place May 14th to the 16th 2010 at its usual home at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
Videos of the six presentations at the AMSAT 2009 Dayton Hamvention forum are now on the AMSAT website. The presentations include the Richard Garriott, W5WKQ, talk on his visit to the International Space Station and a presentation on the upcoming what was to be Suit-Sat 2 project by Gould Smith, WA4SXM.
To watch these presentations and the others, simply go to www.amsat .org and click on the AMSAT Video News icon about halfway down the page in the left column.
The Marconi Radio Group, Amateur Radio Rally Sunday 29th July Manor Hotel in Ballymoney More information from Melvyn MI0MSR at 07821129405 melvyn.irvine225 /at/ btinternet.com
Doors open at 12 noon.
C.R.C. Rally 2009
The Cork Radio Club is holding their Rally in the Montenotte Hotel in Cork on the 13th of September. Special rates for those who wish to stay overnight just mention Cork radio Club.
Food all day, plenty of parking & doors open at 11am. All the usual traders will be there.
Mayo Rally
The 2009 Mayo Rally will be held on Sunday November 22nd in Castlebar. The venue is The Welcome Inn Hotel, where the 2008 rally was held at short notice, and doors open at 11.00am.
Rally Director, Padraic Baynes, EI9JA, is now taking bookings for stands at the Rally. He can be contacted on 087 6957154. The hotel will be offering a Rally special deal for accommodation. Full details will be available soon.
Members of the Dalkey Island Contest Group plan to activate Clare Island for the forthcoming IOTA Contest which takes place on 25-26 July. The callsign EJ1DD will be used in a '100 watt DXpedition' entry and the IOTA reference is EU-121. QSL information is via EI7CC.
Operators will be EI2CA, EI5DI, EI6EW, EI7CC, EI7CD, EI8BP AND EI8CE. Look for activity also from the individual operators using the EJ prefix between 23-27 July.
Sean EI4GK, Pete EI4GZB, Declan EI9HQ, Pete GI4VIV and Joe EI7GY are going back to Rathlin Island again for this year's IOTA contest. They will be based in the East Lighthouse, the same QTH as last year. The call sign for the contest will be GI0MPG.
XE1/EI7GK.
Paddy EI7GK will be QRV from his daughter's house in Mexico during July. Listen out for XE1/EI7GK on 14.268 MHz SSB + or - QRM.
Past experience shows the best time for propagation between EI and XE is early morning 06.00 to 08.00. Irish time. Remember that Mexico is 6 hours behind EI. Paddy will be delighted to work EI and GI stations.
1920 Radio compass used for the first time on a U.S. Navy airplane
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, preferably 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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