19 Oct 2008

News Updates

Global Simulated Emergency Test November 2008

The next IARU EmComm Party on the Air is scheduled
for Saturday the 8th of November between 0400 and
0800 hours UTC. The time of each exercise changes to
allow more stations to participate from around the
world as well as recognising that emergencies can
happen at any time

This is an exercise between stations interested in
emergency communications and is not a contest. Activity
will be concentrated around the IARU Emergency Centre
of Activity frequencies whdich are 3760, 7060, 14300
and 21360 kHz.



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New Sunspot


A"new-cycle" sunspot belonging to Solar Cycle 24 is
emerging near the sun's north eastern limb. This is
the third time in as many weeks that a new-cycle
sunspot has interrupted the year's remarkable run of
blank suns.

The accelerating pace of new-cycle sunspot production
is an encouraging sign that, while solar activity
remains very low, the sunspot cycle is unfolding more
or less normally. We are not stuck in a permanent solar
minimum. Readers with solar telescopes should train
them on the sun this weekend to observe sunspot genesis
in action.


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China to Launch its first Hamsat


Originally knows CAS-1 but now known as XW-1. XW-1 will
carry a beacon and three cross band transponders into
space. One is for FM, another is linear, and the last
is designed for digital operation.

Plans call for it to be launched by a CZ-2C rocket into
a sun synchronous orbit in June 2009,from the Taiyuan
Satellite Launch Centre in North China.


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Recession hits Amateur Radio


French Amateur Radio Magazine, Megahertz has gone QRT.
It closed due to market factors, production and
distribution costs. Megahertz has been in production
for 26 years.


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Contest News


One of the major international contests of the year -
the CQ WW DX SSB Contest - takes place over the weekend
of 25th/26th October. This contest always attracts
considerable interest in Ireland, and a number of
competitive EI and GI stations are expected to be
active. The contest is on all bands, except for WARC
bands, so expect the SSB portion of most bands to be
busy over next weekend

Swaziland, 25-26 October David GI4FUM / EI4DJ will be
active during CQWW SSB from the former IRTS AFRI75
Dxpedition site & antenna farm in Hawane using the
call 3DA0DJ. The 3DA0DJ call will be active from
18-28 October QSL via GI4FUM - see 3DA0DJ details on
“QRZ dot com”

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European Common Allocations Table


In February last as a result of an initiative by IRTS
based on a technical paper by Dave EI3IO, ComReg raised
at the CEPT Working Group on Frequency Management WGFM
the question of the inclusion of a mention of
allocations to the amateur service in the region of 70
MHz in the European Common Allocations table (ECA).
There was no mention of these in the table despite the
fact that an increasing number of countries were giving
operating facilities to the amateur and experimenter
stations in that part of the spectrum.

This initiative has now yielded results as the revised
ECA finalised and published very recently by the
European Radio communications Office (ERO) includes a
new footnote which reads as follows ‘EU9 In a growing
number of CEPT countries parts of the band 70.0 to 70.5
MHz is allocated to the Amateur service on a secondary
basis.’ During the consultation period on the draft ECA
which ended on 16 August, the IRTS, with the Finnish,
British, Czech Republic, Dutch and Norwegian IARU
Societies made submissions supporting the inclusion of
the footnote and pressing for its retention in the
final table.

The new footnote now in the finalised table will assist
Societies in CEPT countries which have been reluctant
to grant allocations at 70 MHz because up to now there
had been no mention of such allocations in either the
ITU Radio Regulations or the European common
allocations table.

We are very grateful to the Frequency Management side
of ComReg for their assistance and cooperation in
bringing this initiative to such a satisfactory
conclusion.

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Major Award goes to EI

The First Class CW Operators’ Club (FOC) is an
international group of CW enthusiasts whose central aim
is to encourage a high standard of operating and
behaviour on the amateur bands.

FOC sponsors the Al Slater, G3FXB, Memorial Award. This
is given once a year to an individual, group or society
for an outstanding contribution to the hobby that
reflects the attitudes and approach of G3FXB, a former
President and a keen contester.

The 2008 award was presented to Paul, EI5DI, at the
FOC’s annual dinner on 4th October, which celebrated
the 70th anniversary of the Club’s formation. Paul
is a past-President of IRTS and the author of SD
contest logger.

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Radio Rallies in Ireland & UK

18th October: Carrickfergus Amateur Radio Group Rally
in Downshire Community School Carrickfergus doors open
12 noon info www.gi0lix.eu

24-25 October: Amateur Radio Show Donington Park,
Leicester Details www.lars.org.uk

1-2 November: North Wales Radio Society 22nd North
Wales Amateur Radio Show Llandudno Radio Rally The new
site is the brand new John Bright high school in
Llandudno.

2nd November: Foyle & District Amateur Radio Club
Annual Rally in The White Horse Hotel Campsie,
Londonderry Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for Disabled
access Main event at 12 noon info www.mn0aku.org

Sunday 23rd November: Mayo Radio Rally, Belmont Hotel,
Knock, Co. Mayo. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Rally
Director, Padraic Baynes, EI9JA info www.ei7mre.org

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