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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday February 11th, 2024
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Silent Keys Howie Freeman EI4JHB and Paddy Geoghegan EI5HS

It is with deep regret that we learned of the passing of Howie Freeman
EI4JHB on February 4th. Howie really enjoyed the hobby and the
camaraderie that comes with it. He was an avid member of the National
Short Wave Listeners Club as well as Kerry Amateur Radio Group. After
passing the HAREC exam in May last year, Howie had recently booked his
CW exam and had started upgrading his station. We wish to extend our
condolences to his wife Kath, his family, and his wide circle of
friends. May he rest in peace.

This week, we were also saddened to learn that Paddy Geoghegan EI5HS of
Enniskerry, Co.Wicklow passed away on August 12th last year. Paddy was
laid to rest in Shanganagh Cemetery. Our condolences to his sons,
daughter-in-law, extended family, and friends. May he also rest in
peace.
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News from the IRTS

The IRTS committee is obliged by rule to ensure that sufficient
candidates are nominated to fill the roles of President, Vice-President
and eleven committee positions. If you are interested in joining the
committee or know someone who is, please contact the IRTS Secretary,
Owen EI4GGB ahead of the next committee meeting, preferably by February
19th at irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie. This procedure does not preclude
anyone from seeking election to these positions and if more than the
required number of candidates are put forward, then a ballot will be
held.

The IRTS HAREC Amateur Radio Station Licence Study Guide, 4th Edition,
is now available to be purchased as a paperback book. This book will
assist anyone who may be studying for the HAREC exam or act as an
excellent reference book for anyone already licensed. We expect to take
delivery of the book by late February and should be able to supply to
anyone who has purchased it in early March. To order it, or for more
information, please see the Studying for HAREC section on irts.ie.

The IRTS Awards Committee is seeking nominations for Awards for
Services to the Society or to Amateur Radio and Awards to IRTS members
for Other Achievements . Details of these Awards are available at
www.irts.ie under the Awards section. Nominations should reach the
Awards Manager, Jim Holohan EI4HH by Monday, February 19th.

IRTS Awards Curator Mark EI4FNB asks anyone in possession of IRTS
trophies to arrange their return in preparation for engraving. Mark
will attend both the Phoenix and Limerick Clare rallies to facilitate
you. His email address is available on the IRTS website under awards
curator for anyone that wants to get in touch with him directly in
relation to this.

The next IRTS Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, February
22nd at 8:00 p.m. on the Zoom platform. All IRTS affiliated clubs are
reminded that under Rule 16.1, the members in each affiliated club,
society or other body may elect a representative and an alternate
annually to attend IRTS Committee meetings. Clubs wishing to send a
representative should notify the IRTS Secretary, Owen EI4GGB at
irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie in advance to ensure notification and links
are provided.
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South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of The South Eastern Amateur Radio
Group EI2WRC will take place at 8.00 p.m. sharp on Monday the 26th of
February 2024 via the Zoom platform. Due to the ever-threatening Covid
infection and to allow members that live long distances away to attend,
the 2024 AGM will take place via the Zoom platform. A limited number of
places for non-members to attend are available, and anyone who s
interested in attending please express your interest by email to
southeasternarg /at/ gmail.com by Friday, February 16th. For more
information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact details
please see www.searg.ie
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NSWLC Annual Dinner and the Launch of the IRTS Study Guide in Ennis

The National Short Wave Listeners Club annual dinner will take place at
the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis on 24 February 2024. Everyone is welcome
to join, please contact info /at/ swl.ie. The club will be celebrating
the launch of the 4th Edition of the IRTS HAREC Study Guide. More than
one hundred have already been paid for, and the very first printed
copies will be handed over during the NSWLC dinner.

They will be also available from the IRTS stand during the Limerick
Clare Amateur Radio Club rally that is taking place the following day,
February 25th, at the same location in Ennis. Many of the guide s
authors will be around to sign the books, chat, and to hear your
feedback. If anyone would like to reserve one, please purchase it from
irts.ie/guide selecting the collection in person option and indicating
Ennis as the location. Buying from irts.ie will help manage the numbers
and avoid having to handle cash on the day. The club looks forward to
seeing you in two weeks.
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Updates from the Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club

Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club s Annual General Meeting will be held
on Thursday February 15th in the University of the Shannon, Midlands,
Midwest at Moylish at 7.30 p.m. All members are requested to attend.

Their club rally will be held on Sunday February 25th in the Temple
Gate Hotel Ennis. This is the same venue as last year. Doors will open
at 11.00 a.m. All the main traders will be present and there will be an
extensive bring and buy section. Tables for the event are filling up.
If you require one or more, please contact Dermot Gleeson at
dermotgleeson1 /at/ gmail.com

Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club will continue to activate the club
station in the Shannon Aviation Museum every Saturday for the month of
February. The station s callsign is EI4SAM. Activation is usually
between 11.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m., initially on 7.123 MHz plus or minus
QRM, followed by a check on other bands.

Since the start of this year, over 200 transition year students have
visited the club station in the Shannon Aviation Museum. They have
received presentations and demonstrations of amateur radio given by
club members.
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437MHz from the Moon

The successful unmanned landing of the Japanese-built Smart Lander for
Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft near the Moon's equator has an
amateur radio beacon transmitting telemetry data via a 1-Watt
transmitter. Shortly before landing and despite ending upside down due
to a thruster problem, the SLIM lander ejected two small autonomous
skipping and rolling rovers called LEV-1 and LEV-2. LEV-1 re-transmits
data received from LEV-2 on 437.410 MHz using CW and 64 baud pulse code
modulation. Unlike the high path losses typical for reflected EME
signals that require large setups for receiving signals, an active
transmitter on the Moon is much easier to receive. However, it still
requires a beam with approximately 20 decibel gain to overcome the 163
decibel path loss from 384,400 km away. More info may be found at
www.jaxa.jp
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AMSAT Italia Update Regarding the Greencube Satellite

AMSAT Italia published a note informing the amateur community that its
request to the Italian Space Agency, the owner of the Greencube
satellite, to reconsider its decision of decommissioning the satellite
is under evaluation. The satellite designated IO-117 was originally
planned to cease operation on February 5th. However, following an
online petition and representations by multiple organisations, it
remains operational while waiting for the decision from the GreenCube
Team at S5Lab in Italy. The hugely popular GreenCube satellite was born
as a scientific experiment and placed in medium earth orbit. IO-117
denotes the ham radio part of the satellite consisting of a digipeater
which was promoted by AMSAT Italia and coordinated by IARU-Region 1.
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Items for Inclusion in Next Week s Radio News

That is the news for this week. Items for inclusion in next week s
radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam /at/ irts.ie for
automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The
deadline is midnight on Thursday.

[C]
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