Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday July 15th 2007
Church Broadcasts
You will recall that in June of last year we informed you that ComReg had introduced a Wireless Public Address licensing Scheme. This scheme allows religious and community organisations to be licensed to transmit services or events from their public address systems for the benefit of people in local communities. Two bands of 40 channels each 10 kHz wide between 27.6 and 27.995 MHz were allocated for this purpose. Base station ERP is 0dBW (1 watt AM) or 6dBW (4 watts FM) with a vertically polarised antenna. Many churches throughout the country are using this scheme and if licensed and operating within the terms of the licence these transmissions are legal.
However, we have been notified by the national coordinator of Intruder Watch for the German National Society DARC that transmissions of church services, which seem to be originating from Ireland, have been taking place in the 28 MHz amateur band. WAV files have been provided of such transmissions on 28.105 MHz. We would ask members to listen out on this frequency and on the lower portion of the 28 MHz band generally at appropriate times for their local areas, particularly on Sundays to see if unauthorised stations in the 10-metre band can be identified. Ground wave propagation would be fairly short at these frequencies so specific identification of stations may be possible from some reference in notices to local events. If you cannot identify the station and you have a beam antenna you could take a bearing on the station, which in conjunction with bearings taken by other stations could help identify the general area from which the transmission originates.
If you hear anything worth reporting you should send a report to Thos Caffrey EI2JD the IRTS Intruder Watch coordinator at QTHR or to “thoscaffrey at hotmail dot com” with a copy to Sean Nolan EI7CD at QTHR or to “ei7cd at gofree dot indigo dot ie”. The report should include date, time, frequency, possible location of the station if identified, beam heading and other relevant information. If the station is identified from an announcement of local events, details should be given. It is in our own interests to identify these stations to preserve the exclusive nature of the 28 MHz allocation. The matter has already been reported to ComReg who will act on the matter if we can provide locational information.
ComReg Meeting
On Tuesday last, representatives of the Society had a lengthy meeting with representatives of ComReg on a range of issues. The meeting was very useful and productive. Certain matters decided at the meeting need a little more work and we will give a full report of the meeting as soon as we can.
WRC-07
Prior to the CEPT Preparatory Group Meeting for WRC-07 held in Gothenburg in the early days of last week, the IRTS had submitted to ComReg documentation about the requirements of the amateur service from WRC-07 as well as items for inclusion on the agenda of WRC-11. Among the documents was a detailed paper prepared by Dave EI3IO setting out options for regularising the position of the 70 MHz band in the ITU Radio Regulations and/or the European Common Allocation Table. Such regularisation would for the band internationally and/or in Europe and would allow and encourage other administrations to make amateur allocations at 70 MHz. Permission has been sought by Ole LA2RR, Chairman Region 1 IARU to use this document in their further work on this matter.
Theory Examination
Recently forty-five candidates sat the theory examination for the experimenters licence at centres in Dublin and Carrigtwohill. The examination papers have been checked and the results were delivered to ComReg on Tuesday last. ComReg have been very efficient in sending out the results but it takes time as each candidate gets a breakdown of their results in each of the three sections of the paper. We appeal to candidates not to contact ComReg about the results, as results will not be given over the phone or by e-mail. The official letters will issue in due course. There is also no point in contacting the IRTS about results. The papers are checked by IRTS but the issue of results and the HAREC certificate to successful candidates is a matter exclusively for ComReg.
Limerick Radio Club
Limerick Radio Club participated in the Foynes Flying Boat Festival last weekend. As part of the festival, a re-enactment of the original 1937 flying boat flight from Botwood Newfoundland to Foynes was planned, using a Canso A C-FPQM flying boat. However because of mechanical problems with one of the engines the flight had to be postponed at the last minute. The pilots did travel to Foynes for the festival and assured everyone that the re-enactment flight will be completed at a later date, once the aircraft is repaired.
Limerick Radio Club operated two HF stations and one VHF Station over the three-day festival, using the special call sign EI7ØFOY. Despite band conditions a large number of stations were worked, mainly on 20 metres. The transceivers in use were an Icom 756 Pro 2 and a TenTec Jupiter and the antennae a Cushcraft A4S beam at 60 ft and a G5RV.
The following participated in the event: EI2GT,EI8EM,EI2AW,EI0DJ,EI2IX,EI6IW,EI7ALB,EI9IY,EI3AL, EI0CZ,EI8GY,EI9AL,EI9CI and SWL’S Breada Cronin EI896 and Damien Brown. The QSL Manager for the special event is Alan Cronin EI8EM at QTHR.
The Club would like to thank Ms Margaret O’Shaughnessy, Museum Curator, for the invitation to participate in the festival and for providing the necessary facilities to the Club members.
Rallies
The Cork Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 23rd of September in the Blarney Park Hotel, Blarney, Co. Cork, the Waterford Rally will take place on the 21st of October 2007 in the Woodlands Hotel, Waterford and the Mayo Radio Rally will be on Sunday the 18th of November in the Belmont Hotel, Knock, Co. Mayo.
A full listing of upcoming rallies is available on www.irts.ie
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 Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.
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