Irish Radio Transmitters Society
Radio News Bulletin
Sunday 4th December 2011

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IRTS 80th Anniversary

IRTS will be celebrating its 80th anniversary next year. Details of a
worldwide contest - CQIR - to take place on Saint Patrick's Day,
Saturday 17th March 2012 have just been announced. Full rules and
information are available at www.irts.ie/cqir or by email to cqir /at
/irts / dot/ie

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IRTS Committee Meeting

Club Representatives of affiliated clubs are asked to send their email
details in order to be kept up to date with notifications of upcoming
IRTS committee meetings. Please send email addresses to info /at/
irts.ie or to Hon. Secretary Ger McNamara ei4gxb/ at/ gmail / dot /com
The Next Committee meeting will take place on Saturday 10 December at
11.00 at the Maldron Hotel in Portlaoise, and club reps are encouraged
to attend.
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New Zealand's radio hams get 1 KW

Radio Amateurs in New Zealand received an early Christmas present from
their regulator the MED, permitted power levels will be doubled to 1000
watts PEP output The change took effect on November 30, 2011.
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New kids on the block

Newly established Enniskillen Amateur Radio Society has just completed
its first Foundation Course / Exam.

4 candidates have successfully passed with flying colours.

We are based in the heart of Enniskillen itself.

We will be seeking interest from those wishing to take either the
FOUNDATION / INTERMEDIATE course in the new year, dates to be
confirmed.

Please feel free to contact us via earsni / at/ btopenworld/ dot /com
or visit our website www.earsni.co.uk

Further information regards courses & our meetings will be
available on-line should you wish to attend.

Everyone more than welcome.
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Johnny Cash Special Event Station

Members of the Northeast Arkansas Radio Club (NEARC) USA, will be
conducting the inaugural Johnny Cash Birthday Celebration Special Event
Station on what would have been the late Country Music Hall of Fame and
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member's 80th birthday, January 26, 2012
beginning at 12:00pm Central time (1800 hrs. UTC).
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Satellite AO-51

Satellite AO-51 has ceased transmission and is not responding to
commands. The last telemetry data indicated that the third of six
batteries was approaching failure to short, and observations indicate
the voltage from three cells is insufficient to power the UHF
transmitters. Initial tests with the S band transmitter were also not
positive, although more attempts are in order. We have tried leaving
the satellite in an expected state where if voltages climb high enough,
the 435.150 transmitter may possibly be heard, stated Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP Operations
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South Dublin Radio Club talk on GPS

This Tuesday 6th of December Martin EI9GCB will be giving a talk on the
Global Positioning System

As well as a general explanation of how GPS works he will cover his
experience of GPS chip design for mobile phone applications. These
chips, smaller than 4mm in size are capable of receiving GPS, FM Radio,
Glonass and Bluetooth and are included inside many modern smartphones.

Along with showing the chip and associated circuit there will be
demonstration of GPS mobile phones and navigation devices

Visitors are welcome to attend at 8pm at the community centre on the
Marian Road in Rathfarnham.

http://www.southdublinradioclub.ie
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Marconi Auction

A two day auction of Marconi memorabilia will take place at the D4
Berkeley Hotel Dublin on December 13th and 14th 2011. Among the
interesting items will be two lengths of the original Marconi-code
ticker tape, measuring 24inches and 19inches framed.
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DX News

The 'Buddies in the Caribbean DXpedition Group' are off on another trip
to St Lucia. The group specialize in 100 watt or less low power radios
and the Buddipole portable antenna system. Eight U.S. operators are
expected to take part and each will have his own J6 callsign. During
the ARRL 10m contest on 10/11 December the call J68UN will be used.
They plan to be on the island from 4 - 12 December.

Another Caribbean station to look for on the weekend 10/11 December is
V25R from the island of Antigua. This is K6IF and QSLs go via his home
call.

AA1AC will be in Senegal from 4 - 12 December. He will use the call
6W/AA1AC.

Pierre HB9AMO is back in Haiti until 8 January. He will be active as
HH2/HB9AMO. The operation will be CW only using a TS-50 into a wire
antenna and tuner. QSL info is via PA7FM.

For those interested in contacts with Antarctica look out for the call
II0MZ. This station is being operated by Massimo IW0HEU from the
Italian Mario Zucchelli Station at Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica. He
will be there until mid February and has been active on 14333 kHz
recently from 1700z onwards.

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Items for inclusion in next week's Radio News can be submitted via
e-mail to "newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie" for automatic forwarding to
both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the
radio news maybe telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on
085 7100511.

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 Sunday's bulletin.