RADIO NEWS

European Common Allocations Table

In February last as a result of an initiative by IRTS,
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 had been no mention of these despite
the fact that an increasing number of countries were
giving operating facilities to the amateur service in
that part of the spectrum.

This initiative yielded results as the revised ECA
published by the European Radiocommunications Office
ERO which was open for consultation until the 16th of
August includes a new footnote EU9 which reads as
follows "In a growing number of CEPT countries, parts
of the band 70.0 to 70.5 MHz is also allocated to the
Amateur service on a secondary basis". The IRTS sent a
detailed submission to the ERO urging that this
footnote be retained and requested other IARU societies
to do likewise. The result of the public consultation
is now available and the Finnish, British, Czech
Republic, Dutch and Norwegian Societies also responded
to the ERO consultation and the proposed new footnote
is in the draft ECA table to be considered by the next
meeting of the CEPT Frequency Management Working Group
in Baku in Azerbaijan on the 22nd to the 26th of
September.

It seems that there have been no difficulties raised
about the inclusion of the new footnote so hopefully it
will be in the final frequency table. Such a footnote
will assist Societies in CEPT countries, which are
reluctant to grant allocations at 70 MHz because there
is no mention of it either in the ITU Radio Regulations
or the European Common Allocations Table.

The IRTS, RSGB, SRAL and DARC in their observations on
the draft table also raised points about the inclusion
of footnotes in the table mentioning that CEPT National
Administrations may make allocations at 500 kHz and 5
Mhz. The IRTS response in addition proposed that the
2009 revision of the frequency table include secondary
allocations at these frequencies and a possible CEPT
proposal in this regard to a World Radio Conference in
the longer term.

IRTS Web Site Links

A number of new links have been added to the IRTS web
site www.irts.ie in recent weeks and are worth
browsing.

Firstly, following a number of requests, we have added
a Photo Galleries section to the site. This section has
links to a number of galleries, showing Irish radio
experimenters in action in a number of areas including
contests, a DXpedition and a Club Field Day. The
Webmaster welcomes suggestions for additions to the
Photo Galleries section.

The Webmaster's Choice page - mentioned in this
bulletin a few weeks ago - has a number of new links.
One link of particular interest is to an article on
Good Operating Practice. This wide-randing article
covers topics such as "what to talk about in a QSO",
"how to call CQ" and "dealing with conflict
situations". The article, written by Belgian radio
amateur ON4WW, is perhaps over-prescriptive in some
areas, but is nevertheless full of useful tips and is
well worth reading.

Another new Webmaster's Choice link is to a page
listing "Invalid Operations" from a DXCC point of
view, which would be of interest to anyone chasing
DXCC awards.


Ethics and Operating Procedures

One of the Webmaster's Choice links on the IRTS web site is to an
article on Good Operating Practice by ON4WW. We have
now learned that this article has been extended and
turned into a 56-page handbook and a slide
presentation, entitled "Ethics and Operating Procedures
for the Radio Amateur". The handbook and presentation
are described as "a training aid aimed at newcomers and
a reference work to be used by old timers to improve
their behaviours on the ham bands".

Both the handbook and the presentation (which cover the
same material) are now available for download from the
Downloads page of the IRTS web site. The material is
comprehensive and well written and we feel that
students, teachers and existing licensees will find it
well worth reading.


New Radio News Editor

The IRTS Society is delighted to announce the appointment of
Charles Carolan EI8JB as the new News Editor to take
over from Mark Wall EI7IS. Charlie has been living in
Navan for a couple of years having moved there from
Dublin. Although his EI8 call is relatively recent, he
was first licensed while living in Canada as VA3IRL
about 1995, where he enjoyed working many Irish
stations on 80m & 20m from there.

As we prepare to welcome Charlie we would like to thank
Mark EI7IS most sincerely on behalf of the committee of
the Society, our readers, and listeners, for his
consistency in producing a news bulletin regularly
every week for the past eight years.

SSB Field Day

The SSB Field Day contest took place last weekend. A
number of Irish stations participated, including two
stations operating from the grounds of Garbally
College, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

Local group Shannon Basin Radio Club along with South
Dublin Radio Club were in Garbally for the weekend.
Both stations reported mixed band conditions. There was
little or no propagation on 10 metres, there were
openings on 15 metres on both Saturday and Sunday, 20
metres was open most of the time, though DX was in
short supply, while 40 and 80 metres provided the best
QSO rates for long periods. As usual, the majority of
the field day stations contacted were in Germany and
Britain. Field day stations in Denmark and Switzerland
also participated.

The Photo Galleries page on the IRTS web site
www.irts.ie includes some pictures of the two
Ballinasloe-based stations in operation.


DX Bulletins

SOUTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Bill, N7OU will be QRV as
E51NOU from Rarotonga, IOTA OC-013, from September 15
to October 11. He will be active on 40 to 10 meters
using only CW. QSL to home call.

CANARY ISLANDS, EA8. Operators DL5NUA, DL3HQN and
DL1ARD are QRV as EA8/homecalls from Puerto de la Cruz
on Tenerife, IOTA AF-004, until September 19th.
Activity is on the HF bands using mainly CW. QSL to
home calls.