Galway Radio Club Maintaining the Tradions and Spirit of Amateur Radio JOURNAL Issue 1 Journal of the Galway Radio Club Winter 2019 The Maamturks The Finney Scout’s Challenge Walk Jamboree 2019 2019 On The Air Editorial Winter 2019 ● Galway Radio Club www.galwayradio.com Editorial Contents Winter 2019 Welcome to our first copy of the Galway Radio Club Journal. There are wide variety of topics covered in News and Reports this issue and the success of this venture will depend wholly on National & International News Items 3 material submitted by members. This Galway Radio club News 4 can be produced on a quarterly basis if material is forthcoming or perhaps Galway Radio Club AGM 5 once every six months or annually would be more practical. New technology is at the Club Activity forefront in Amateur radio and we The Maam Turks Challenge 2019, Ciaran McCarthy, EI8IH 10 adapt, adopt, and improve simply because that’s what Radio Amateurs The Finney Walk, Tom Frawley, EI3ER 20 do. The Digital Voice modes are slowly becoming popular and the Friedrichshafen Radio Rally, Tom Frawley, EI3ER 22 Galway area is probably the most advanced with DMR, D - Star and 28 Fusion systems running trouble free. Expedition to Inishbofin Island, Tom Frawley, EI3ER The Galway Digital Network is 30 now complete and the facilities are JOTA Weekend - Esker, Athenry, Steve Wright, EI5DD there to be used. The DMR network 34 covers the majority of the County and The Alcock And Brown Centenary EI100ABC,Tom Frawley, EI3ER does spill over into neighbouring 38 Counties. It should be possible to Galway Radio Club and the TAM - 5, Tom Frawley EI3ER drive from Galway to Waterford with coverage on DMR for the entirety of Features the route. We concentrated on DMR as Automated Stations 8 there is a good variety of reasonably priced DMR handhelds on the Journey Into Digital Radio, Steve Wright, EI5DD 12 market. Fusion and D - Star are also exceptionally good modes but are An Overview of the 5MHz Band, Steve Wright, EI5DD 16 tied in with their respective manufacturers and therefore, sadly, Considering Portable Operation, Steve Wright, EI5DD 18 more expensive. Yeasu Fusion and Analog is Remembering Maynard Hill, Extract from the Daily Telegraph 21/10/19 36 covered by an excellent Repeater located in Loughrea. D - Star is Review possible from the EI2GCD 2 metre Gateway and shortly from the SSTV with the Kenwood VCH1, Steve Wright, EI5DD 9 EI7RHD Repeater running all three The Clansman PRC - 351/353, Steve Wright, EI5DD 40 Digital Modes. Plenty of room for experimentation and we cater for all Operating the DVstick 30, Steve Wright, EI5DD 44 needs. Getting members on the air is Technical not an easy task and almost all have VHF equipment and yet it never Understanding the Ionogram, Steve Wright, EI5DD 25 experiences a power up. Perhaps it may be possible to dedicate an hour A Day in the Life of 169 Metres Steve Wright, EI5DD 26 a week where one can join a net, The G4HOL Multiband Loop Antenna, Steve Wright, EI5DD 42 held on the Galway Repeater, on the Monday evenings when there is not a club meeting. Front cover image: Views expressed in this This would be an excellent publication do not opportunity to organise a portable The Group of necessarily reflect the activity, a trip to the pub for a pint operators who views of the Editor or and a chat, or to meet up over a cup assisted with the the Galway Radio Club . of tea. It is important to monitor the Finney Walk Comms. Repeaters and reply to the Layout and Design by occasional calls through Steve Wright EI5DD. 2 Winter 2019 ● Galway Radio Club News www.galwayradio.com News Threat to 2metres - A Near Miss Beginner’s License? A Solution? Inspiring Youth With Science In The number getting their UK Space France Submitted a paper to a Foundation licence has slumped in meeting of the CEPT WRC - 19 the past 13 years. In this YouTube NASA highlight the role of Preparatory Group to take place last video RSGB VHF Manager, John amateur radio in letting young people June 2019. Regnault, G4SWX , discusses his speak directly with astronauts and "The list of bands that are proposal for a Beginners Amateur cosmonauts on the International proposed for study of possible new Radio Licence Space Station allocations to the aeronautical mobile 1892 newcomers gained An ARISS contact takes place service on a primary basis is revised by their Foundation licence in 2005 but as a part of a comprehensive suite of adding the band 144 - 146 MHz, the there were only 1366 in 2018 a education activities. To prepare for an bands 5000 - 5010 MHz and 15.4 - 15.7 drop of 28%. At the same time the exchange, students study the space GHz being maintained." RadCom Silent Keys column shows station and the research conducted "The decisions of previous the death - rate of amateurs has there. They also learn about wireless conferences have introduced some increased. Take into account the technology, radio science, and restrictions to the use and have natural churn in the hobby as people satellite communication used for imposed constraints on the leave to pursue other interests and space exploration. development of aeronautical mobile it's clear the number of newcomers The downlink audio from ARISS applications within some existing is insufficient to cover those being contacts can be heard by anyone in mobile allocations traditionally used by lost - the hobby is in decline. range with basic receiving equipment. the aeronautical mobile applications. It has been suggested we Transmissions broadcast on 145.800 At the same time, the number of need at least 2,000 newcomers megahertz. In addition, many contacts manned and unmanned aircraft each year just to maintain current equipped with sensors has grown now stream live over the internet. activity levels and even now the significantly in the past 20 years VHF/UHF bands can be very quiet Many different pieces of together with the need of bidirectional most of the time. To grow the hobby technology go into a ham radio low to high data rate communications. and increase activity at VHF/UHF we contact; however, one of the most Aeronautical applications like fire need many more than that. important is the collaboration surveillance, border surveillance, air Japan does have a Class 4 between the groups of people quality and environment monitoring, Radio license. The work required to involved. Just as the space station is a traffic monitoring, disaster monitoring, get a Class 4 licence is less than multinational effort, each ham radio terrain modelling, imagery (visible, that needed for UK Foundation. It contact requires groups from various infrared, radar, meteo), video takes about 10 hours study and cultures, careers and countries to monitoring require non - safety unlike the UK Foundation there are work together. communications between various types no Practical Assessments just a The space station must pass of aeronautical platforms. short multiple choice test at the end Consequently the need of non - over these earthbound of the course. It seems pass rates of communicators during amateur radio safety data communications between 97% or higher are commonplace. various types of aeronautical platforms transmissions in order to relay signals A Class 4 licence permits the increases and so the need for new between the space station’s ham frequency bands." following: radio and ground receivers. Other Following the Ankara CEPT • 1 wa EIRP on 135 and 472 kHz factors affect the timing of scheduled Meeting, France/Thales were asked to • 10 was output on 1.9, 3.5, 7, 21, contacts, including weather, crew rewrite their proposal with any mention 24, 28 MHz bands availability, and the schedules of • 20 was output on 50, 144 and 430 visiting vehicles. of 144 - 146MHz to be removed. While we have won this fight we MHz Bands These ham radio conversations should stay alert and we urge • Varying power levels between 10 usually last about 10 minutes. Crew every radio amateur to use the VHF/ was and 0.1 was on ALL amateur members answer questions from UHF bands, stop complaining bands between 1240 MHz and 250 students as they and community about other amateur’s activities, GHz. members look on. During a pass, the remain civilised in o u r ComReg have refused crew can answer an average of 18 conversations and to act as an Elmer application, by the IRTS, for the questions, depending on their for newbies. On 144MHz we have EME tiered license. Perhaps complexity. operators, CW, SSB & digital DX’ers, consideration could be given to the Ham radio on the space station amateur satellite users, FM & digital old style of Class B license for use connects and inspires students in four voice simplex users and repeaters. on VHF and UHF bands only. This ways: providing first - hand education Each of these amateur would see greater use of VHF and about life in space, directly connecting activities utilises the 144MHz band in a the HF bands could be an incentive students with space station crew, different way, but we all use it. The “use to pass the other tiers instead of sharing amateur radio technologies, it or lose it” saying has never been so operators stagnating at Foundation and building global partnerships. true. level. 3 News Winter 2019 ● Galway Radio Club www.galwayradio.com Galway Radio Club News Galway Radio Club Christmas Digital Radio Lecture 26th Sept. Dinner Steve EI5DD, presented a At the October meeting of the lecture, on The Galway Digital Radio Galway Radio club, it was agreed to Network, in the UCG Innovation hold the annual club dinner in the Centre, Galway on the 26th of Menlo Park Hotel on Friday the 17th of September.