World Radio Communication Conference Amateur Radio

World Radio communication Conference Amateur Radio has moved a step closer to a medium frequency (MF)allocation below the AM broadcast band. During the first week of the Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM)for the 2012 World Radio Communication Conference(WRC-12) of the International Telecommunication Union(ITU), held in Geneva February 14-25, delegates completed the drafting of nine pages of analysis of the technical and regulatory issues related to WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.23: consideration of a possible secondary allocation to the Amateur Service of about 15 kHz somewhere between 415 and 526.5 kHz. What is now called Method A envisions an allocation of up to 15 kHz between 472 and 487 kHz. Method B calls for allocations of 461-469 kHz and 471-478 kHz.

Look forward to more developments on this!! Stay Tuned

Mayo Radio Experimenters Club

John Browne, EI7FAB, won the 2010 Mayo RadioExperimenters annual club activity competition. The annual event consists of twelve monthly competitions with accumulator points going to the annual award. John won four of the monthly competitions, and had half a point to spare over Dominic Curtin, EI9JS in the annual table. All the monthly competitions are for on air activity and range from working Locator squares, DXCC countries, a novelty alpha-numeric gridand a month devoted to listening. John McAndrew,EI3JM, (third,) Padraic Baynes, EI9JA, (fourth,) and Jimmy Kelly EI2GCB, make up the top five in the competition. The club uniquely transmits the IRTS and local news on Sunday evenings simultaneously on four VHF bands - 6mts, 4mts, 2 mts and 70cms and the club is very active on these bands locally. The news simulcast originally presented technical challenges,but these have been overcome thanks to the guidance of Dominic Curtin, EI9JS.

Mayo Radio Experimenters publishes a monthly newsletter for members and this is currently edited by John Corless, EI7IQ. He took over form David Hatfield,EI3ECB last summer.
At the recent AGM, Jimmy Kelly, EI2GCB was re-elected Chairperson, and the club’s two prestigious awards for contribution to the club and to the hobby went to Padraic Baynes, EI9JA and Dominic Curtin, EI9JS.

The club plans a monthly activity day where SWLs and the public will be invited to explore the hobby with portable set-ups at different locations on one Sunday per month from April to September.
The club is active in all IRTS competitions using the club call, EI7MRE and individual members take part inmany international contests.The club won the January 80mts counties contest again this year. John Walsh, EI5GHB was well placed in this contest also. Another member, Brendan Minish, EI6IZ, is one of the best CW contesters in Europe.
Theory classes are ongoing within the club under the guidance of John Corless, EI7IQ. The club meets on thefirst Wednesday of each month in The Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar Co.Mayo at 9.30pm local time. Visiting amateurs or curious radio enthusiasts are most welcome to come along.