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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday December 19th 2021


IRTS Committee

The IRTS Committee announced on Saturday, the 18th of December:

Michael Goss EI2JM has resigned from the IRTS Committee due to personal family reasons. The IRTS would like to wish Michael well and thank him for his contributions over his term on the Committee.

Dave Moore EI4BZ has been co-opted onto the Committee and was approved as Hon Secretary until the next AGM.

Anthony Dolan EI6GGB has taken over as #5 QSL Manager from Terry Webb EI4GLB, and Andy Jay EI5JF has taken over as #4 QSL Manager from Pat Fitzpatrick EI2HX. Pat remains active as #2 QSL Manager. We wish Terry all the best and good health and thank him for his hard work over the years as QSL Manager.

Declan Craig EI6FR has taken over as Contest Manager from Joe Ryan EI7GY. Joe has done a sterling job in this role over the past 6 years, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

The IRTS Committee has approved the formation of a HAREC Exam Contract Submission Subcommittee, to work on submitting a tender by the closing date of 7th Jan 2022, for the HAREC Exam contract to ComReg per Document 21/123 issued on 1st December 2021.

Roger EI8KN will be activating EI-90-IRTS in the SSB segment only of the IRTS 80M New Year's Day counties contest. The anniversary call sign will be a bonus checklog station during this contest, with double points awarded for all valid QSOs with the station. CW operators wishing to operate the station during the New Year's Day contest should, no later than Monday 20th December, send details of your call, and county of operation to EI90IRTS /at/ irts.ie. If there are multiple requests the station operator will be decided by drawing lots.

The next IRTS Committee meeting will be on 29th Jan 2022, at 11am, online via Zoom

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a great New Year from the

IRTS Committee


South Dublin Radio Club SSTV Live Demo Video

Last Tuesday, the 14th of December SDRC recorded club members Joe, EI6EG and Dermot, EI6FZ giving a live demonstration of sending and receiving Slow Scan Television images over the 2m VHF Band. In this video, Joe and Dermot walk viewers through using the YONIQ version of the MMSSTV software developed by the Spanish radio club GRUPO RADIO GALENA, EA1RCG. There is a general chat between the hosts and audience about SSTV, including topics such as how to interface the YONIQ software with radio equipment using the control software Omnirig. The video is now available to view on South Dublin Radio Club's YouTube channel. Links to the aforementioned software can be found in the video description.

South Dublin Radio Club will return to our regular meeting schedule from Tuesday, the 4th of January. Happy Christmas de EI2SDR.


ARISS SSTV

SlowScan Television is not limited to terrestrial use. The ARISS team will be supporting SSTV operations from the ISS starting on the 26th at around 18:25 UTC until the 31st, at around 17.05 UTC. The transmissions should be available worldwide on 145.800 MHz. The planned mode is PD 120.


GI-QRP Convention

An advance Notice from Philip, MI0MSO for the first-ever GI-QRP convention, which will take place on the 25th of June 2022, at the Tandragee Golf Club, 1 Markethill Road, Tandragee, Craigavon. The doors will open at 9am, and the presentations starts at 10 o'clock. There will be lectures and seminars, a buildathon, special interest groups, a talk-in, trade stands, a prize draw and raffle, catering and a licensed bar. The venue has ample parking, combined with good disability access. As well as this being the first-ever QRP convention in GI, there will be an opportunity to work the GQRP club callsign GI5LOW for the first time in the week leading up to, and also during the weekend of the convention. The GI-QRP Convention is being held in association with the GQRP Club. The email contact for GI QRP Club convention is r8.giqrp /at/ gmail.com, or phone Philip, MI0MSO, his number is 078 4902 5760.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

A last reminder this year for the 89th Irish Radio Transmitters AGM weekend. the AGM will take place over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of April 2022 in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow. Hotel rooms are being booked up rapidly and anyone who wishes to book a room is advised to do so as soon as possible. Tickets for the Gala Dinner can now be pre-booked from John EI7IG for collection on arrival at the event. Tickets cost 35 Euro. More information including contact details for John and information about how to book a room can be found on the IRTS Gala Dinner section on www.irtsagm2022cw.blogspot.com

The group are delighted to announce a number of Workshop Talks for Saturday, the 9th of April 9th 2022, in the Killeshin Suite of the Woodford Dolmen Hotel as part as part of the weekend. Speakers on the day will include John Ronan EI7IG, Justin Cockett EI3IOB/G8YTZ, Mike Lee EI4HF, Roger Greengrass EI8KN/G4NRG and Noel Matthews G8GTZ. Admission to all talks will be free.

Details of all times and topics of talks will be announced soon. For anyone that wishes to find out more about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and their activities you can drop them an email to southeasternarg /at/ gmail.com or please feel free to go along to any of their meetings. You can check their website www.searg.ie and you can also join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

EI2WRC would like to take this opportunity to wish all our radio friends and their families in Ireland and around the world a very happy and peaceful Christmas 2021. We hope you all have a wonderful time, and that Santa is good to you. We would also like to extend every good wish to you all for the new year ahead. We hope 2022 brings you all good health, good wealth, and plenty of new DXCC’s.


Grimeton 17.2 kHz

Next Friday, the Swedish VLF transmitter SAQ at Grimeton will send a Christmas message. You will be able to hear the mechanical 200 kW transmitter starting up at 07:30 UTC, and sending a CW message at 19:00 UTC on Christams Eve. Also on air will be SK6SAQ on 3535kHz, 7035kHz and 14035 kHz CW, and on 3755 kHz and 7140 kHz SSB. Receiption of the VLF signal requires either an up-converter for an HF receiver, or a simple longwire into the microphone socket of a pc, laptop or phone. The signal can then be heard and seen with the help of the very simple to use software made available by the Grimeton Crew.


The Propagation Horoscope

A large high pressure area over Ireland has brought Tropo with early morning ducting. Good conditions, first into Spain and France, later into Central Europe should persist for a few days. A large central coronal hole is facing Earth, it may yet deliver an unwanted present, wrapped in bright flares. Since Thursday, the solar flux index is moving North of 100 again, and increasing from below 400 to above 500 km per second within a few hours. This will be just right for openings in the upper bands and a sled trip through the ionosphere, but NVIS antenna users will find themselves surrounded by large dead zones on the low bands. Yet vertical antennas and other tall contraptions now produce reliable DX from the Pacific on 80m and 40m well into late afternoon. Unless a CME conspires to depress the HF festivities, expect the day time MUF to reach well above 20Mhz. This is well in line with what one can expect due to a stronger than forecast increase in solar activity, now predicted to peak mid-2025. Comet Leonard was already visible early December with binoculars and small telescopes in the early morning sky before sunrise. C/2021 A1 is moving into the evening sky, visible low above the southwestern horizon about an hour or so after sunset near Venus, barely visible with the unaided eye. But Comet Leonard is too far away to give us much needed ionisation. For that we need Northern Lights, Elves and Sprites, and a festive Spirit, all helping with the propagation of Local and DX friendships.

This was the last news bulletin for this year. Items for inclusion in next year’s radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam /at/ irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is at the end of 2021, plus a bit extra, for inclusion in the first bulletin on the 2nd of January. As this is the time to start thinking about New Year's Resolutions, consider joining the news team, either as an active or stand-by reader. Researching and gathering items of interest is just as important, as there are many facets to amateur radio, related sciences and experimentation. Contact our coordinator Declan, Ei9FVB to find out how to best get involved. Season's greetings from the news team, and all at the IRTS, enjoy the festive season, and have a good start into 2022.

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