Monday 24 September 2012

New ICOM IC-7100 transceiver with 70 MHz.

ICOM IC-7100 (Click for larger photo)

The IC-7100 is a HF, 6m, 4m, 2m and 70cms all mode compact radio with an innovative slanted touch-screen LCD controller. A first for an Icom transceiver, the IC-7100 is designed to the 70MHz band in European versions where 70MHz is open to Amateur radio enthusiasts. To maintain its commitment to D-STAR, all versions of the IC-7100 will come with standard D-STAR DV mode.
Since the launch of the original IC-706 in 1995, Icom has been leading the market of HF/VHF/UHF multi-band mobile radios. The popularity of vehicular mounted amateur radios may not be as high as the times of the IC-706 series, but the IC-7100 has been carefully designed to reignite Amateurs’ interest in mobile communications and brings digital communication opportunity to a wider range of radio Amateurs.
Planned Features include
• Slanted front separated controller with large touch screen dot matrix LCD (controller cannot be attached to body front)
• Speaker is self-contained inside the controller
• Full mode (SSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY decode) and D-STAR DV
• HF (100W) / 50MHz (100W) / 70MHz (50W) / 144MHz (50W) / 430MHz (35W) (Note: Power may be different according to version. The 70MHz band is available for some versions only)
• Lower current consumption / cooler operation (compared with the IC-7000)
• SWR meter function also works for VHF and UHF bands
• Remote power on / off
• IF DSP for filtering / interference removal / noise reduction
• SD memory card slot, voice recording
• USB Audio In / Out, remote control
• +/- 0.5ppm frequency stability
• 505ch memory channels

Thursday 20 September 2012

I have been a bit side tracked lately!!

I have not been too busy on 4m, I got myself a bit side tracked with AREN:

AREN stands for Amateur Radio Emergency Network. It is a Public Service Voluntary Radio Emergency Network run by The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) in co-operation with ComReg, the licensing authority. It was sanctioned following Ireland’s adoption of Resolution 640 (1979) of the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunications Union, which provides for the utilisation of Amateur Radio communications in emergency situations. The Irish Radio Transmitters Society is the National Society for Radio Experimenters, and is the member society for Ireland of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
Previously, Irish Radio Amateurs were licensed to communicate only with other Radio Amateurs nationally or internationally, however, the ComReg Regulation now extends the License Terms and Conditions of AREN operators to permit them to pass the third party messages of the designated Emergency Services listed below.
Fire Service
Civil Defence
Garda
Mountain Rescue
Health Service Executive
Voluntary Ambulance Services
AREN is not an alternative to any existing Emergency Service but, rather, a reserve communications resource included in Major Emergency Plans that the served agencies may call on as required.
In an Emergency, AREN shall come into operation if requested to do so by an incident Controller of Operations or a Senior Official of a designated Emergency Service. It shall function under such control in order to meet the radio communications needs of that service for the required duration.
Situations when AREN can be of Assistance.
During times of prolonged emergency when existing communications links are overloaded or in danger of failing due to human or equipment fatigue.
During major disasters when normal communications links are saturated.
When short-term communication difficulties arise beyond the scope of existing systems, such as, an incident in a communications ‘black spot’ or a system failure.
To enable radio communication between different Emergency Services.
During public and sporting events when additional communications resources dedicated to emergency and safety requirements are desirable.
Search and Rescue Training on Bettystown Beach in County Meath.

AREN Control with Seamus EI3KE in Ardgillan Castle grounds,Skerries,County Dublin.

Dressed up!!

AREN North East team:( L-R), Thos-EI2JD, Ben-EI4IN, Sean-EI4IP, Anthony-EI2KC, Seamus-EI3KE, Derek-EI7CHB, Myself Tony-EI4DIB and Pat-EI2HX.

Saturday 1 September 2012

View from site of EI4FMG.

Click on photo for bigger image.

Here is a photo taken today from where EI4FMG is located, the computer, radio and interface is in one of the smaller buildings and the antenna is on a 2m pole on the chimney of the house.
You can see that the location has a nice take-off.