7 Apr 2009

UPDATE 07/04/09

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 /at/ 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.


NOMINATIONS FOR AWARDS IRTS AGM 2009

The IRTS Awards Manager Peter EI4HX is seeking
Nominations for IRTS awards. The awards available are
for SWL, Construction, and Service.

There are no nominations as yet for Service or Merit.
Please send your nominations to Peter EI4HX at the
following email address.
<ei4hxperimental@eircom.net>


Licence Renewals

Arising from our meeting with 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 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.


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


'500 kHz Permissions

Arising from our meeting on 12 February, ComReg has
agreed to allow IRTS to seek expressions of interest
for a limited number of permissions to operate in the
region of 500 kHz under a licence to be issued to IRTS.

Expressions of interest are being sought equally from
both non IRTS and IRTS members. Stations to which
permissions are issued will have to send regular
reports to IRTS consisting of their experience of
propagation, type of propagation used, noise
experienced and methodology used on this band so that
these can be coordinated and periodic reports submitted
to ComReg.

Participants will be expected to keep a separate full
detailed log of all experiments conducted.

It should be noted that only a relatively small number
of permissions will be granted and expressions of
interest should only be made by those in a position to
carry out realistic propagation experiments in this
part of the spectrum.

An form on which to submit to IRTS an expression of
interest is available on the IRTS website at
www.irts.ie The final decision on the issue of permits
will of course rest with ComReg as the statutory
licensing authority.


Bus to IRTS AGM & Friedrichschafen

Tony Liddy EI9IL is putting on a bus for anyone who
wishes to travel to the AGM in Athlone. The bus will
depart from Limerick City on Saturday or Sunday
depending on numbers. Tony is also considering running
a bus to Friedrichschafen in June with lots of space
for anyone wanting to bring goodies back! Tony can be
contacted on 087-9912341


International Marconi Day 2009

Saturday, April 25th marks the 135th anniversary of
the birth of Marconi. To mark the occasion the Cornish
Radio Amateur Club will be holding its 22nd annual
International Marconi Day event and many stations with
historic connections with Marconi will be active on
that date. This is not a contest but several classes
of awards are available for making QSOs with the
special Award Stations. There are also SWL awards to
be claimed.

The Howth Martello Radio Group (EI0MAR) is an Award
Station and will be QRV during the event from the
vintage radio museum in Howth. This is a twenty-four
hour event but EI0MAR will concentrate activities from
9am until 5pm local time, and visitors will be welcome
during those hours. To coincide with the special event,
the North Dublin Radio Club will hold its weekly
meeting at the same QTH from 8pm the same evening.
EI0MAR's web site is www.ei0mar.org. For more
information about the event including a listing of
award stations visit www.gb4imd.org.uk.


Rallies

Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club

The Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club will be hosting a
rally on the 9th May 09 at Brownlow Resource Centre,
Craigavon, Co Armagh.

More details are available at www.muarc.com, or email
the club secretary at cqmuarc@googlemail.com.


History this week

1938: On the 8th April 1938 the International Radio
Conference in Cairo concluded. This conference was
significant for radio amateurs as it started the
process, which continued over the following 2
conferences (Atlantic City 1947 & Geneva 1959) and a
period of 20 years, of the slow nibbling away at the 40
meter amateur band and re-allocating the spectrum to
broadcasting.

Last Sunday (29th March 2009), with the decision of
WRC2003 coming into force, amateurs after half a
century regained spectrum they were first allocated in
the Washington City conference of 1927.


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Thanks to the IRTS for the above Information

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