EI5IX: March 2009

23 Mar 2009

UPDATE 23/03/09

Licence Renewals

Arising from the meeting of the IRTS and ComReg on 12 February and
in the context of the commencement in the near future
of the issue of Lifetime Licences, ComReg has agreed to
accept applications for renewal of currently lapsed
licences under the existing arrangements up to Friday
17th April 2009.

All applications for renewal of lapsed licences should
be made on the ComReg Application Form 02/04R3
(available on the ComReg website at www.comreg.ie),
quoting the relevant licence reference number (LER) or
Call-Sign and be accompanied by payment of all
outstanding fees. In this instance ComReg, in a
departure from standard procedure, is prepared to
reinstate the old Callsign on renewal of the licences.

Applicants should however include a letter giving a
brief explanation as to why the usual reminders which
may have been received from ComReg were not responded
to. If you are aware of anyone to whom this item is
relevant please bring it to their attention.

It should be noted that following the introduction
of Lifetime Licences all applications for new
licences, whether previously licensed or not, will
be required to pay the lifetime licence fee for new
applicants of €100.

IRTS AGM

The IRTS AGM weekend, which is hosted by the Shannon
Basin Radio Club, takes place on Saturday 25th and
Sunday 26th April 2009. The venue is the Shamrock Lodge
Hotel Athlone, which boasts ample car parking space and
the best facilities around.

Tickets for the annual dinner are now available from
Brian Canning EI8IU, Brian can be contacted on 086
2514822 of via email from brianei8iu @ eircom.net

There will also be a Rally and Annual Gereral Meeting,
for further details in relation to the dinner or rally
please contact Brian EI8IU, Tony EI6DL, or Pat EI9HX
There is also lots more information available on the
AGM weekend from the IRTS website.

IRTS 40 Metre News Frequency

Arising from WRC-03 the 7100 to 7200 kHz segment of the
40 metre band will become amateur exclusive with effect
from the 29th March. In anticipation of this the IARU
Region 1 at its Conference in Cavtat in November last
adopted a revised 40 metre bandplan.

This bandplan would put the existing 40 metre radio
news frequency of 7043 kHz in a section of the band
which is for narrowband modes only. Accordingly, from
Sunday next, 29 March, the 40 metre radio news will
move 12 kHz higher in frequency to 7055 kHz which is in
an all mode segment of the band.

The radio news may ultimately move to a frequency above
7100 kHz depending on the capability of stations to
transmit above 7100 kHz.

HF Band Plan

Band Plans are modified from time to time to reflect
changes in international regulations and in operating
requirements. A new HF band plan comes into effect in
IARU Region 1 - which includes Ireland - on Sunday 29th
March. The new band plan takes account of the fact
that, under international regulations, the segment 7100
to 7200 kHz will be upgraded to 'amateur primary' from
that date.

The principal changes incorporated in the new band
plan are in the 40 metre band, with exclusive CW
now extended to 7040 kHz, and two SSB contest
preferred segments - from 7060 to 7100 kHz and from
7130 to 7200 kHz.

Priority for intercontinental operation will now be in
the segment 7175 to 7200 kHz. Revised centres of
activity for SSB QRP and emergency traffic are also
included in the new band plan.

SSB operators should note in particular that the new
band plan indicates lowest dial settings for LSB Voice
mode of 1843, 3603 and 7053 kHz

A copy of the new band plan may be downloaded from the
downloads page of the IRTS web site
www.irts.ie/downloads

IRTS News on Mayo Repeater

The IRTS news is now broadcast on the Mayo Repeater on
Sunday evenings at 8pm local time. The news readers are
John, EI7IQ, Padraic, EI9JA and Jimmy, EI2GCB. The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network
plans to extend the service soon. The Mayo club
will have a stand at the Enniskillen Rally this year.

New Canadian Island and Lighthouse activation

A Group of Canadian Amateurs will be activating
Bluffers Park Island (new CISA island) and new
lighthouse in Ontario.

The Group will be using a special call sign VC3Y on
March 21st-22nd, 2009, celebrating 50 Years of the York
Region Amateur Radio Club.

Rallies

Rallies during March include the Lough Erne Amateur
Radio Club Rally in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh on
Sunday 29th March. More details are available on the
IRTS website.

History this week

1909 Einar Dessau of Denmark makes one of the first
Amateur broadcasts via Shortwave Radio.

Thanks to the IRTS for all of the above information.

16 Mar 2009

UPDATE 16 / 03 / 09

5 MHz Renewals

As we told you recently the present 5 MHz permits
expire on the expiry date of the associated licence and
an application to ComReg is required for their
continuance.

Where any change is being made in the equipment or the
antenna being used, the location of the station or in
the nature of the experiments being carried out then a
full application must be made on ComReg form 02/07R2
Radio Experimenter Licence: Additional Authorisation
(Powers and Frequencies) which is available on the
ComReg website at www.comreg.ie

Where no changes are being made a letter or e-mail
(derek.oreilly /at/ comreg.ie ) requesting continuance of
the permission will suffice but it must explicitly
state that no changes are being made to the equipment,
antenna or in the nature of the experiments being
carried out or the location of the station. Complying
with these requirements will simplify the processing of
these applications.

IRTS Radio News

The Galway news will be transmitted on a simplex
frequency of 145.550 (S22) each every Monday at 8
pm from Monday 23rd of March with Steve EI5DD as
the reader.

New Date for GlobalSET - April 18th

The date for the Global Simulated Emergency
Test(GlobalSET), sponsored by IARU Region 1, has been
altered to coincide with World Amateur Radio Day which
takes place on Saturday, April 18th.

The theme for the day of "Amateur Radio: Your Resource
in Disaster and Emergency Communication" is an ideal
opportunity to showcase the work of emergency
communications groups around the world.

The timing of the event remains at 1100-1500 UTC but
in a change for this and future events, the focus will
be on generating and relaying messages in a common
format across country borders rather than the
information gathering about capabilities which has
taken place in the past.

More information will be posted on www.iaru-r1.org and
www.raynet-hf.net as it becomes available.

Rallies

Rallies during March include the Lough Erne Amateur
Radio Club Rally in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh on Sunday
29th March.

Special Event Stations

The Galway Radio Experimenters Club will be operating a
portable station from Inis Mor on the Arann Islands for
the duration of ST. Patrick’s day.

Using the callsign EJ4GRC, they will be operating on
all bands and modes and a commemorative QSL card will
be sent to all stations worked, and also to any SWL's
that hear our station and request a card.

This is the first outing by GREC to the Arann Islands
but may not be the last so listen out on St. Patricks
day and seize the opportunity to aquire a QSL card from
the first ever trip to Arann.

EI7DAR will be active on St. Ptrick’s day on all bands
as part of the 40th Anniversary 2009.

GB5SPD St. Patrick's Day

The Foyle & District Amateur Radio Club MN0AKU have
been issued a Special Event Callsign - GB5SPD - to
celebrate Saint Patrick's Day 2009.

The Club will be on the air to celebrate this event
from Saturday, 14th March until Tuesday, 17th
March, 2009

CASHOTA-IRELAND

Members of the Galway VHF Group will be activating
Oranmore Castle on St. Patrick's Day, 17th March.
Oranmore Castle is situated on the shore of Galway Bay
only a few hundred yards from the Village of Oranmore.
Oranmore Castle is Designated EI/001/C for the puposes
of CASHOTA and it is located in WAB Square M32. The
station will be QRV on 80m, 40m and 20m, depending on
conditions.

The Castle was built sometime around the fifteenth
century. Oranmore Castle was the stronghold of the
Clanricards, a prominent Norman family, was then
surrendered to parliamentary forces in 1651, and was
leased to Walter Blake of Drumacrina in1666 and held by
that family until 1853.

The castle is presently owned by Commander William
King, his daughter Leoni and her husband Alec Finn of
De Danaan, Commander King served on three submarines
during World War II The HMS Snapper, HMS Trusty and HMS
Telemachus and was awarded seven medals for his bravery
during his service. Commander King was a prolific
writer and is probably also best remembered for his
successful solo circumnavigation of the globe which was
completed in 1973.

For further information about the CASHOTA-IRELAND award
check out our site at www.cashota-ireland.org

History this week

1910 Wireless Institute of Australia founded, world's
first AR society.

11 Mar 2009

NASA TV to air Tuesday's space station spacewalk

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the March 10 spacewalk of Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov.

The pair will complete unfinished work from their December 2008 excursion outside the orbiting laboratory.

Fincke, KE5AIT and Lonchakov, RA3DT will don Russian spacesuits for the spacewalk out of the Russian Pirs Docking Compartment airlock. Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE will monitor the spacewalk from inside the station. It will be the sixth spacewalk of Fincke's career and the second for Lonchakov.

NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 11 a.m. CDT Tuesday. The spacewalk will start at approximately 11:20 a.m. and last five and a half hours.

The centerpiece of the spacewalk will be the installation of a European materials science experiment, which allows short and long-term exposure to space conditions and solar UV-radiation, on the hull of the Zvezda service module.

The experiment, known as Expose, was installed on Zvezda during the December spacewalk but had to be removed and brought back inside the station because of a cable problem. That problem has been repaired.

For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

9 Mar 2009

UPDATE

Rallies

Rallies during March include the Radio Hobbies and
Electronics Fair in the Limerick Radisson SAS Hotel on
Sunday 8th March, The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio
Society Rally in Hillsborough, Co. Down on Saturday
14th March and the Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Rally
in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh on Sunday 29th March.

More details of these events are also available on the
IRTS web site at www.irts.ie/rallies

QSY of AMTOR Mailbox

The AMTOR-mailbox DA5TOR, SELCALL "ATOR" will move its
40m access frequency in order to comply with the new
IARU Region-1 bandplan per 29th of March. The new
frequencies are 7047 kHz, 7049 kHz and 7051 kHz. The
access frequencies on the other bands remain unchanged
and still allow worldwide access.

All frequencies and technical details of the mailbox
can be found on www.amtor.de . The new activity-center
of AMTOR is 7042 khz for direct connections.

Special Event Station

GB5SPD St. Patrick's Day

The Foyle & District Amateur Radio Club MN0AKU have
been issued a Special Event Callsign - GB5SPD - to
celebrate Saint Patrick's Day 2009.

The Club will be on the air to celebrate this event
from Saturday, 14th March until Tuesday, 17th
March, 2009

Certificate for operating VO-52

AMSAT India will issue a certificate to radio amateurs
who establish two-way contact through the VO-52 ham
radio satellite between now and May 5th. The first
fifty certificates will be sponsored and includes
postage. After the 50 certificates have been issued a
fee will apply.

Please send your QSL card containing the details of
your QSO on VO-52 to AMSAT India,No. 201, 2nd Main
Road, Mahalakshmi Layout, Bangalore 560086 India. Make
sure to include the mailing address where you would
like to have the certificate sent.

History this week

1876 Bell - Granted US patent for his telephone.

European PSK Club Stations

The following European PSK Club stations have agreed to
make an effort to be active solely on 10.140 on the
29th as a fáilte for EI stations

CS2EPC, DK0EPC, K1EPC, M0EPC, MI0EPC, N4EPC, PA30EPC

The above is the list so far although more stations may
come available on the day.

5 MHz Renewals

As we told you recently the present 5 MHz permits
expire on the expiry date of the associated licence and
an application to ComReg is required for their
continuance.

Where any change is being made in the equipment or the
antenna being used, the location of the station or in
the nature of the experiments being carried out then a
full application must be made on ComReg form 02/07R2
Radio Experimenter Licence: Additional Authorisation
(Powers and Frequencies) which is available on the
ComReg website at www.comreg.ie

Where no changes are being made a letter or e-mail
(derek.oreilly /at/ comreg.ie ) requesting continuance of the permission will suffice but it must explicitly
state that no changes are being made to the equipment,
antenna or in the nature of the experiments being
carried out or the location of the station. Complying
with these requirements will simplify the processing of
these applications.

Thanks to the IRTS for the above info.

8 Mar 2009

EI5IX - NOW ON TWITTER

HERE IS THE CLICKY IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ME!!!

DX News

Nigeria EME and possible IOTA operation

Bodo, DL3OCH, who was recently active as KT3Q/4 from Key Biscayne Island [NA-141] in December, will be working from here between March 5th and July 24th.

Activity will be on all HF bands (160-10 meters) plus some operations on EME.

His expected callsign will probably be 5N/KT3Q.

There is mention that he may also activate the Bayelsa / Rivers / Akwa Ibom etc States IOTA Group (AF-076).

QSL via DL3OCH.

6W/IK4ALM - SENEGAL

IK4ALM, will be active as 6W/IK4ALM from Saly, Senegal between March 29th and April 9th.

Activity on 40-10 meters using CW and SSB with 100 watts into a ground plane.

QSL via home callsign.

BP0A - Penghu Island, AS-103

BM2AAV, BM2APH, BU2AT, BV2DD, BV2KI, BV2NT & BX4AF will be QRV between March 27 - 30 - all bands - as BP0A (Penghu Isl - AS103)

QSL via BV2KI

VX8X - Ellice Island, NA-192

Ellice Island, NA-192

VE8EV, VE8DW & VE8GER will be QRV from Ellice Island (NA-192) between March 20 - 23 as VX8X.

Activity mostly SSB on 40, 20 and 15m.

QSL details will appear on QRZ.com

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Thanks to Dx World for the information: http://dx-hamspirit.com/

2 Mar 2009

UPDATE 02/03/09

DX News

K5D

And so... it's over.. The K5D 2009 Desecheo Island
DXpedition is in the history books . Every one of the
team’s goals was exceeded; most significantly, the
number of QSOs. Total Qs: 115,728

This Week History.

1935 Radar first demonstrated by Robert
Watson-Watt, UK.

Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club

A new repeater (GB3CP) is due to come online in South
Fermanagh. The frequency of the repeater input 145.1375
Tone 1750Hz/110.9Hz

The licence has been granted and just awaits
installation on Carnmore Mountain between Fivemiletown
in County Tyrone and Roslea in County Fermanagh. The
repeater will be situated in County Fermanagh.
145.7375

Any of the above information is open to change.

Special Event Station

The special event station of the Eddystone User Group
will air the calls GX3EUG / GX7EUG on 80m /40m on
Sunday March 1st 2009 from the site of the former WW2
RAF base at Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire.

The site is due to be developed shortly into a vast
industrial estate.

Dxpedition requires operators

DXpedition members to Ogliuga Island, located about
80 miles West from Adak, Alaska. Have a quote from
100ft charter vessel, up to 8 people can be taken on
board. Estimated dates: 2nd part of July- 1st week of
August 2009.

New one IOTA NA-233. If you would like to participate
or have questions, please email N3QQ@NA-234.com

WAAB Award available

The radio club 'Rio de la Plata' began issuing the
W.A.A.B. (Worked Argentine Antarctic Bases) to radio
amateurs and SWLs as of April 1st, 2008.

To get the award the applicants must show they have
worked and confirmed by QSL cards, at least 3 different
Argentine Antarctic Bases. Contacts can go back as far
as November 9, 2001.

Thanks to the IRTS For the above information.