Irish Radio Transmitters Society
Radio News Bulletin
Sunday 26th July 2009

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Silent Key

Walter Kronkite, KB2GSD

The well-known, former US TV news anchor Walter
Cronkite has died after a long illness. He was 92.

He Narrated the "Amateur Radio Today" production by the
ARRL. The ARRL has presented him with many awards.

His love of Space science and the NASA Moon missions
won our admiration. His coverage of those showed his
interest in technology. May he rest in peace.
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ComReg Consultation on the 2300 to 2400 MHz Band

ComReg has published a consultation paper on the
release of spectrum in the 2300 to 2400 MHz band. The
paper is Document 09/49 of 15 June and is available in
the Publications section of the ComReg website at
www.comreg.ie This band is an amateur secondary
allocation.

The IRTS will in due course prepare a response to this
consultation paper and we would encourage interested
individuals and radio clubs to do so as well. Licensees
who have views which they wish to have reflected in the
IRTS response should communicate by e-mail to
ei7cd /at/ gofree.indigo.ie Responses to the consultation
paper must be submitted before 5 p.m. on 29 July next.
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AO-51 Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Special Event

Congratulations to any ground stations that received
AO-51 during the limited passes during the special
event period.

These stations ware treated to a replay of the Apollo
11 Eagle communications, commerating the 40th
anniversary. Stations which ware SSTV ready ware also
treated to a Robot 36 SSTV Image.

Using AO-51 & special event there are some uploads of
activity on youtube.com from stations receiving the
pass.For anyone to take a look and listen to what they
have missed.

Send QSL requests marked "Apollo 11" with SASE to the
AMSAT office at 850 Sligo Ave. Suite 600, Silver
Spring, MD 20910 U.S.A
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NASA test new 'space internet' protocols on ISS

The University of Colorado at Boulder is working with
NASA to develop a new communications technology now
being tested on the International Space Station (ISS),
which will extend Earth's Internet into outer space and
across the solar system.

Called Disruption Tolerant Networking, or DTN, the new
technology will enable NASA and other space agencies
around the world to better communicate with
international fleets of spacecraft that will be used to
explore the moon and Mars in the future.
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Rallies

C.R.C. Rally 2009

The Cork Radio Club is holding their Rally in the
Montenotte Hotel in Cork on the 13th of September.
Special rates for those who wish to stay overnight just
mention Cork radio Club.

Food all day, plenty of parking & doors open at 11am.
All the usual traders will be there.

Mayo Rally

The 2009 Mayo Rally will be held on Sunday November
22nd in Castlebar. The venue is The Welcome Inn Hotel,
Where the 2008 rally was held at short notice, and
doors open at 11.00am.

Rally Director, Padraic Baynes, EI9JA, is now taking
bookings for stands at the Rally. He can be contacted
on 087 6957154. The hotel will be offering a Rally
special deal for accommodation. Full details will be
available soon.
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Dxpedition to Clare Island

Members of the Dalkey Island Contest Group plan to
activate Clare Island for the IOTA Contest this
weekend. The callsign EJ1DD will be used in a '100 watt
DXpedition' entry and the IOTA reference is EU-121. QSL
information is via EI7CC.

Operators will be EI2CA, EI5DI, EI6EW, EI7CC, EI7CD,
EI8BP AND EI8CE. Look for activity also from the
individual operators using the EJ prefix between
23-27 July.
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IOTA Rathlin Isl

Sean EI4GK, Pete EI4GZB, Declan EI9HQ, Pete GI4VIV and
Joe EI7GY are back on Rathlin Island again for this
year's IOTA contest. They will be based in the East
Lighthouse, the same QTH as last year. The call sign
for the contest will be GI0MPG.
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IOTA South Dublin Radio Club and the City of Belfast
Radio Amateur Society

EJ0GI are participating in the IOTA Contest (DXpedition
- multi-op, HP section ) from Inis Oirr, EU-006. The
combined team from South Dublin Radio Club and the City
of Belfast Radio Amateur Society have travelled to the
Aran Islands off the coast of Galway, hoping to build
upon the successes of recent years.

Some team members may be active under their home calls
outside of the Contest between 23 - 27 July. QSL via
EI2SDR (information available on QRZ.com).
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South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The next general meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio
Group will take place on Monday the 27th of July at
8.30 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road,
Waterford.

At the meeting, John Ronan (EI7IG) will give a talk
about AREN / Emergency radio operating procedure.
Please note that this is not just for AREN members but
is open to anyone who would like to know more about
operating procedure.

All are welcome.
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DXCluster now on Twitter

GB7MBC, one of Europe's busiest DXClusters, is now
on Twitter.

It provides such things as DX news, IOTA, Contests and
Solar information.

If you wish to follow it on Twitter, just go to this
URL and add it to your list of 'tweets' you follow.
http://twitter.com/GB7MBC
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DX News

XE1/EI7GK.

Paddy EI7GK will be QRV from his daughter's house in
Mexico during July. Listen out for XE1/EI7GK on 14.268
MHz SSB + or - QRM.

Past experience shows the best time for propagation
between EI and XE is early morning 06.00 to 08.00.
Irish time. Remember that Mexico is 6 hours behind EI.
Paddy will be delighted to work EI and GI stations.

Swaziland

A DXpedition will operate from Swaziland between 30th
July and 11th August 2009. The purpose of this
expedition is to provide an amateur radio station at an
International Scout Camp near Manzini.

Using the callsign 3DA0SS and also a station at Hawane
Resort near Mbabane where previous DXpeditions to
Swaziland have operated from. The Hawane station will
operate under the individual callsigns of the
expedition team.

Team members are David GI4FUM 3DA0DJ Tony G4LDL
3DA0TB Gerry M0VAA 3DA0VA Malcolm GM3TAL 3DA0MH Mike
NC4MM 3DA0MM Yuri UT5EL 3DA0EL

There is an established HF antenna farm at the Hawane
site and we will operate 2 HF stations around the clock
depending on propagation and band openings. We plan to
operate on or near to scout frequencies.

Requests for skeds should be sent to GI4FUM /at/ 3da0ss.net

QSLs for this DXpedition should be sent via GI4FUM

Further details and photographs are available at
http://www.gi4fum.co.uk
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This week in History

1897 Marconi registers the "Wireless Telegraph and
Signal Company".

1899 Royal Navy successfully trials Marconi sets during
exercises.
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Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be
forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, preferably via e-mail to
charlie dot Carolan at gmail dot com Or by phone to
087-6265418 News can also be submitted via e-mail to
newsteam at irts dot ie for automatic forwarding to
both the radio and printed news services.

Please note that items for the radio news should
reach the editor no later than midday on Thursday in
order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following
Sundays bulletin.