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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday August 12th 2007


Notice from ComReg

ComReg would like to advise all Experimenters that there is currently a delay in the issue of Experimenter Renewals. During this delay, unless previously expressly indicated, no experimenter whose fee has been submitted is restricted from operating within normal licence conditions.


Church Broadcasts

For some weeks now we have been carrying an item about broadcasts of Mass from a Church in the north Dublin area on 28.105 MHz FM. We asked stations to listen out for these transmissions on weekdays at 1000 hrs and on Sundays at 0900, 1000, 1100 and 1200 local time to try to identify the Church concerned. We also asked that stations in the Dublin area take bearings on the transmissions to try to at least identify the general area from which the transmissions originate. The response to these requests has been, to say the least, disappointing. Are we not concerned about who uses our Exclusive frequency allocations? We should be as every other radio service is, and takes very seriously any encroachment on their frequencies. We would appeal again to stations in the Dublin area to put a little effort into identifying the source of the transmissions so that details can be forwarded to ComReg. We are getting international reports on these transmissions and we have an obligation to do something about them.

We have now also received reports of transmission of Mass on 28.285 MHz. We do not have any idea yet where this transmission is originating. We would ask stations countrywide to listen on 28.285 MHz FM at the appropriate times in their areas so that this station can also be identified 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, signal strength, possible location of station if identified, beam heading in degrees from true north and any other relevant information. If the station is identified from an announcement of local events, details should be given. Should you hear anything, no action should be taken other than forwarding a report as requested.


A Note of Caution for Amateurs Purchasing

Equipment in the UK

Information has been passed to us concerning what appears to be a fraudulent operation involving the sale of Radio Equipment and which has been conducted through a series of small ads in recent editions of genuine Radio Magazines. The equipment is being sold using an address in Oxford and another in the Isle of Wright and is generally described as a ‘Silent Key’ or ‘Per pro’ sale. Payment may be requested direct to an ‘Executor’ as opposed to the actual person advertising and this scam has already cost one of our more trusting Members in excess of 1500 Euro to date.

Members should therefore be aware of this racket and anyone who already suffered loss or who should come into contact with these people are asked to contact Andy EI4ERB @ QTHR or Mobile 086 2752669.


EI0MAR

Recently, a five-band Cobweb antenna was erected at EI0MAR (Howth Martello Radio Group). The Group thanks Jack (EI7HX) for his kind donation of the antenna. Previously, a vertical antenna had to be raised and lowered each time the station was activated. The Cobweb is now permanently installed and allows instant operation of the station by eliminating the hassle associated with the temporary vertical antenna. A permanent 40-metre dipole was also erected recently and now EI0MAR can be QRV on all bands from 40 to 10. At a pinch, even 80 metres can be squeezed in with the LDG Z-100 automatic ATU, as a recent QSO with Tom EI1CW in Carlow confirmed. EI0MAR is located in the vintage radio museum in Howth and is open every day from 11 until 4 until the end of October and at weekends from November until the end of April. EI0MAR is QRV most Sundays between 11 and 3. The Group's web site can be found by entering EI0MAR into an Internet search engine.


CQIR

Great interest is being expressed worldwide in the Society's 75th Anniversary Contest CQIR, which will take place on the last weekend in September. The contest is a celebration of Ireland and the Irish, throughout the world and with 40 million people in the United States alone claiming Irish forefathers; we expect that CQIR will be one of the largest 'one off' contests ever aired on the Amateur Bands. It is a 24-hour single operator contest with the emphasis on participation rather than winning and to this end every participant gains an entry ticket for a spectacular draw for every 75 QSO’s made during the Contest.

The ticket drawn out of the EI/GI drum will win an all expenses paid long weekend in New York City for two people. ARRL have confirmed that this will include a visit to their national headquarters hosted by ARRL. Kinnitty Castle in Offaly will host the international winners for a week with flights for two from anywhere in the world. The prizes have been fully sponsored at no cost to the Society and this is really an excellent opportunity to celebrate the Society and its 75 years of service to Irish experimenters. We would encourage all Irish operators to be active during the Contest. So ring fence the last weekend of September in your diary, make an effort to have that new antenna up for the event and lets ensure a good show from the local Irish operators to support the international Irish who will no doubt come on the bands in their thousands for the contest. Full rules are on the IRTS website.


ILLW

The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend will take place from 0001 UTC on the 18th of August to 2359 UTC on the 19th of August. A list of entrants and application from are available on illw.net. This event is not a contest and each station's operators decide how they will operate their station regards modes and bands. Participants are not committed to being on the air during the entire period. There are no restrictions on aerials or power.

The activity does not have to take place inside the tower itself. Field day type set-up at the lighthouse or other building nearby is OK. Complete guidelines are available at illw.net.


South Dublin Radio Club

Weekly meetings of South Dublin Radio Club will resume as usual at 8 p.m. on Tuesday the 14th of August in the Ballyroan community Centre on the Marian road in Rathfarnam. The next SDR event is a lighthouse activation during Lighthouse on the Air on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th of August. They will be activating Saint Johns Point Lighthouse in County Down.


Field Days and Contests

The 2 metres counties contest will take place on the 26th of August. The SSB field day will take place over the first weekend (1st and 2nd) of September. Again the grounds of Garbally College, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway will be available, thanks to Niall EI4CF and once again the Shannon Basin Club will be hosting their now famous Barbeque. Of course, the big event will be CQIR over the last weekend, so plenty to look forward to.


Upcoming Rallies

Cork Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday the 23rd of September in the Blarney Park Hotel. For information contact Con on 021-427136.

The Waterford Rally will take place on Sunday the 21st of October in the Woodlands Hotel, Waterford. For more information visit www.searg.com

The Foyle and District Rally will take place on Sunday the 4th of November 2007 at the White Horse Hotel, Derry. For more information visit www.mn0aku.org.uk

The Mayo Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 18th of November in the Belmount Hotel, Knock, Co. Mayo. For more information contact Padraic Baynes, EI9JA @ QTHR.


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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