Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 27th February 2011


New Zealand Earthquake

The President of The Irish Radio Transmitters Society, (IRTS), Paul Martin, EI2CA has been in contact with the President of New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART). Paul writes as follows, “ OMs You are in our thoughts today following the earthquake in Christchurch and we know that your members will be working hard for the community. If we can be of any assistance please let us know. Take care and pass our best wishes to all your operators working at the front line.”

Paul EI2CA President, Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), IARU member society for Ireland.

A reply was received from Roy Symon, ZL2KH, President of NZART. Roy Symon, writes as follows, “Thanks very much for your good wishes. I have passed them on to the folks in Christchurch 73 Roy Symon, ZL2KH.”

Paul Martin also writes as follows, “IRTS President, Paul EI2CA has been in direct contact with the New Zealand Society, NZART, to offer our Society's condolences. He also asked Debbie Morgan, NZART Business Manager to pass our support and admiration to their Emergency Communication teams working in Christchurch.”


IRTS AGM Annual Dinner and Rally 2011

You are reminded of the importance of attending the IRTS AGM weekend, including Annual Dinner and Rally will be held this year on Saturday March 26th and Sunday March 27th. The event will be hosted by the Limerick Radio Club. The venue is the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick.

For more information contact, Ger McNamara EI4GXB on 087 2532512 or ei4gxb/ at /gmail/ dot/ com. A new website for the Rally in Limerick on 27 March 2011 is now available, please go to limerickradiorally.com for more details.

The AGM dinner tickets priced at €35 are now available from Tony Condon at QTHR or by email to condona /at / eircom/ dot/ net.


IRTS Stand at Friedrichshafen Rally

IRTS members attending the Friedrichshafen rally this year and who are willing to be in attendance at the IRTS stand for some of the time whilst there are requested to contact Sean Nolan, EI7CD on email ei7cd / at / gofree / dot/ indigo / dot / ie .


IRTS Committee Meeting

The next IRTS committee meeting will be held on March 12th in Portlaoise. All affiliated clubs representatives are encouraged and welcome to attend.


Echo Ireland

The February 2011 issue of Echo Ireland has now been posted to members. This issue contains information about the AGM Weekend, 26 – 27 March hosted by Limerick Radio Club. The Committee Nominations for the year are published together with a request for Awards Nominations.

The "HF Happenings" column by Dave EI9FBB has lots of information on upcoming DX activity during the year and has a review of 2010 DXCC by Joe Reisert W1JR. Pat EI2HX and Charlie EI8JB continue their columns on ATV and Satellites. This month there is an article by Tony EI4DIB on the 4 meter band and on a 160 meter receive only loop antenna by Andy EI8GGB.

Tony EI5EM reminisces in his article “Thirty Years On”, while Pat EI2HX provides useful information about the Incoming QSL Bureau.

The newsletter also has details of contests, rallies, clubs and classes and the results of the IRTS 80m Counties Contest together with an article on the Worked ITU Zones Awards.

Rod W6ROD writes about the work of the International Telecommunications Union – ITU – a UN organisation based in Geneva with membership from 192 States.


Hamvention 2011 Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Greg N2BSA who organizes the North Jersey DX Association trip to Dayton every year, is making a group booking in the Marriott Hotel. If there is anyone interested in travelling from EI, please contact Alan Cronin EI8EM. Members are advised to get in contact with Alan soon, as the hotel will fill fast. Alan's email address is alanei8em /at/ gmail/ dot / com.


Limerick Radio Club

Members of Limerick Radio Club presented Decoding the Code, as part of Engineers Week. 60 pupils took part and enjoyed building the CW kits. We were joined on the day by Kieran Horgan, Chairman Thomond branch of Engineers Ireland, who commented that the pupils were getting an important introduction to engineering. Many thanks to Tony EI2AW, Mike EI2IX, Tom EI3AL, Gerry EI3JU, Ger EI4GXB, Tom EI5CA and Simon EI7ALB who were very busy on the day.


International Amateur Radio Union

Arnie Coro, CO2KK, International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region II Area C Emergency Coordinator, advises users of the 40 and 20 meters bands to "be aware of possible (earthquake) emergency communications traffic taking place in and around the affected areas of New Zealand's South Island, where Christchurch is located."

He continues: "This is a city of about 400,000 population and it was hit pretty badly because of the proximity of the epicenter of the earthquake and the fact that it was registered at a very shallow depth and very near to the city.

"The propagation on 40 meters more likely to cause problems to the New Zealanders from unintentional QRM coming from the Americas is the window that starts about two or three hours before sunrise and lasts until sunrise at this end. A similar pattern, with a slight time shift shows up on 20 meters, too."

Specific emergency communications frequencies will be posted as soon as the information is available.


Radio Hams Keep Civil Defence in Touch

The Wireless Institute of Australia reports as follows;- “A small team of amateur radio operators are keeping the lines of communication open in earthquake-hit areas of Christchurch. The head of the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications team, Richard Smart, says 10 amateurs are using their two emergency broadcast vans to keep rescue teams and Civil Defence staff in touch. He says one is at a major welfare centre providing portable communication so they can talk to Civil Defence and the other vehicle is en route to assist search and rescue teams in an area where communication is poor. Mr Smart says amateur radio operators from around the country are volunteering to help out and others are sending updates on the disaster to families of people in Christchurch who are overseas.”


Louth Earn Rally Yarns

In last week’s news, Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club asked for memories of rallies over the thirty years since the Club’s first one in April 1982. The first yarn came from Ronnie EI9ED. It was about the tour bus up from Kells to the Killyhelvin Hotel, the former rally venue.

Experimenters with empty bags came up from Dublin for the bus, which lifted them and local experimenters, then others along the road north. The banter was merry going up. But back before the border, all sat quiet worrying about the bargains in the boot. However, once past Customs and over the border, with big sighs of relief the banter broke out again.

Lough Erne rally hosts remember Phil, who asked to get in free for organising the bus. Who was Phil? Is he still about? Ask him to get in contact. Phil will get in free this year as Chairman’s guest at the Pearl Anniversary Lough Erne Rally – and no Customs now on the road home.

The Rally is in SHARE on 17th April - the Sunday before Easter. It will be a great place to be for yarns, bargains and lots more to interest radio amateurs and experimenters.

And family too, with children’s activities, a Sunday afternoon cruise on the Lough, lunch, bar food, ice cream, caravan, camping and B&B all on site at Ireland’s largest residential activity centre.


DX News

A third attempt at landing on Sable Island (CY0) will be made on March 7 by the American team which had hoped to activate this DXCC entity last October and then again in December. The earlier attempts were thwarted by both weather and mechanical problems so lets hope it is a case of third time lucky. The team hope to be QRV from March 7 – 15.

Peter EI7CC will be QRV as 7P8PB while on holiday in Lesotho from March 9 – 23. He will be operating from the station of Gerry 7P8CC better known to us as EI8CC. It is hoped that lots of EI and GI operators make it into the log. QSLs will be OK via the home call.

Lars SM0CCM is having a holiday in the Caribbean and will be active as J73CCM from the island of Dominica. He will be there till March 28.

Another activity from Dominica at the moment is Jan DL7JAN who is signing J79AN till March 5.

The well-known DXpeditioners Phil G3SWH and Jim G3RTE are on Cocos Keeling Island at present signing VK9C/G6AY. They are active all bands 80 – 10m CW only. They will be there till March 5.

Rwanda DXpedition approved for credit

ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reports that the 9X0SP 2010 DXpedition to Rwanda has been approved for DXCC credit.

If you have cards that were recently rejected for this operation, please send an e-mail to the ARRL DXCC Desk. Once your record is updated, results will appear in Logbook of The World accounts or in the live, daily DXCC Standings.

G3RWF is active as 5X1NH from Fort Portal in western Uganda until April 14. He prefers to operate CW but plans to also be on the digital modes with some SSB on all bands except 160m.

QSL via his home callsign G3RWF or electronically using Logbook of the World.


YL International 2012 Adelaide

The organization of the YL International 2012 Meet in Adelaide is almost complete. The meet dates are set with delegates arriving on or before 3 May 2012 staying at various venues in Glenelg. The next few days will see us tour Adelaide, Hahndorf, Cleland National Park, Port Adelaide including a Dolphin cruise and a progressive lunch at 3 Barossa Valley wineries. Those that are doing the optional Ghan tour will join it for either a 7 or 9 day adventure. The 7 day option allows you to leave the tour in Alice Springs after being out to Uluru and the 9 day tour finishes in Darwin. A web site has been created a website which is at www.ylinternational2012.com with detailed up to date information.

The Meet is open to YLs and their OMs. You don't have to be a member of any organization or even licensed but should be interested in amateur radio. Most participants are active on air but that is not a requirement for attendance. If you are interested in attending please complete the online expression of interest form, registration form or contact me directly. My contact details are below. The list of potential participants is growing and at the moment there are 60 who have expressed interest. Registration and deposits are due by September 2011.

For further details please contact Tina Clogg, vk5tmc /at/ bigpond/ dot / com.


Kells Radio Club

Ronnie, EI9ED, writes and tell us that the Kells Radio Club would like to announce the switching on of EI2LLX crossband facility. For the moment this Cross band connects to SEARG repeater networks and can be activated by DTMF *470 with a T.O.T. of 15 minutes. This crossband repeater can be activated from SEARG repeater network and also GI stations can activate the southern repeater system via the Cavan repeater EI2LLX using the same codes. To disconnect the repeater use DTMF #6

During this week stations were heard from Northern Ireland to Cork, from VK via IRLP through Waterford, Cavan to Northern Ireland.

Further updates will be forthcoming.


Across the Atlantic on 502kHz

At 21.34 GMT on 13th February, Joe, VO1NA managed a full beacon decode from Graham, G0NBD on 502kHz using the ROS mode, remote operation system.

It is believed this was the first live data mode decoded over the Atlantic on this band. The signal to noise ranged from -23 to -27dB, giving a 100% decode of the test message. The transmission was sent using MF-7 with an estimated ERP of 1 watt from a 35ft top loaded vertical.

ROS mode did a good job of resolving the signals despite deep and rapid QSB over the 3,500km path. At just over a year old the ROS data mode is relatively new and uses an adaptation of multiple frequency shift keying and forward error correction to help make successful contacts under very difficult band conditions.

The software for the mode is free rosmodem.wordpress.com


The new Long Wavelength Array

What's being termed as an innovative new radio telescope array is now under construction in central New Mexico. One that will eventually harness the power of more than 13,000 antennas and provide a fresh eye to the sky.

This antenna farm will form what is being called the Long Wavelength Array. This is a radio telescope designed to survey the sky from horizon to horizon over a range of frequencies in the High Frequency spectrum from 20 to 80 MHz.

The first station in the Long Wavelength Array, with 256 antennas, is scheduled to start surveying the sky by this summer. When complete, the entire system will consist of 53 station locations, with a total of 13,000 antennas strategically placed in an area nearly 248 miles in diameter.


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 maybe 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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