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ÍRA Introduction to Icelandic Radio Amateurs. Introduction made at the NRAU meeting in Karlsborg, Sweden, 10–12 October 2008. Halli Tordarson, TF3HP ÍRA Reserve Board Member & former ÍRA Chairman hartor@hi.is. ÍRA – From the Beginning.
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ÍRAIntroduction to Icelandic Radio Amateurs Introduction made at the NRAU meeting in Karlsborg, Sweden, 10–12 October 2008 Halli Tordarson, TF3HP ÍRA Reserve Board Member &former ÍRA Chairman hartor@hi.is
ÍRA – From the Beginning • ÍRA (Íslenskir radíóamatörar / Icelandic Radio Amateurs) was founded in 1946, the same year that Icelandic Post- and Telecommunications authorities had revoked the suspension of radio amateur activities. • ÍRA is the Icelandic national association of radio amateurs, with an official role assisting the Post and Telecoms Administration (PTA) in matters relating to radio amateurs.
ÍRA – Current Board of Directors • The 2008-2009 board of ÍRA comprises: • Hrafnkell Eiriksson, chairman TF3HR • Gudmundur Sveinsson, vice chairman TF3SG • Arsaell (Seli) Oskarsson, treasurer TF3AO • Gudmundur Loeve, secretary TF3GL • Sveinn Bragi Sveinsson, board member TF3SNN • Jon Gunnar Hardarson, reserve member TF3PPN • Haraldur (Halli) Tordarson, reserve member TF3HP TF3HP TF3HR TF3GL TF3AO TF3SG TF3SNN
ÍRA Club Operations • ÍRA rents its facilities from Reykjavik city • Club meetings are held every Thursday evening at 20.00; lectures on special topics are held once a month during the wintertime; special activities are organized during the summertime. • The club house is located at Skeljanes in Reykjavík; position 64° 07' 33" N and 21° 56' 58" W; locator HP94AD.
ÍRA Radio Activities • Main organized activities are • Icelandic Field Day (first weekend in August) • International Lighthouse Weekend
Website and Bulletin Board • Brand new wiki-based web page at www.ira.is • All ÍRA members can log in to edit all pages and add content • A group of editors monitors overall structure and content guidelines • Main features • Personal space (i.e. website) for each member • No web editing softwarerequired – done straightin the browser • Gentle learning-curve • Full version control andback-track capability • Very interactive andsuitable for working onjoint projects • PHPBB bulletin board
New Members • ÍRA manages the radio amateur courses and conducts the examinations on behalf of the Icelandic Post and Telecoms Administration. • The PTA is more and more trusting ÍRA to conduct the entire examination and validation process • All teaching is volunteered from amongst ÍRA members • The courses are organized over 15 weeks, 3 hours twice a week, typically with a lecture on Tuesdays and solving problems on Thursdays • There is a separate exam for the radio theory and the regulations parts • Study materials include various handouts, old exams and additional material from the ÍRA study materials website • ÍRA have also videotaped the entire series of lectures, and made this available on our website as well • New amateurs are encouraged to apply for a call sign, and are offered a one-year free ÍRA membership, although without voting rights • There is increased use of the “/Qx” option to allow apprentices to get on the air; this only needs to be reported to the PTA but not applied for
Spectrum Usage • The Icelandic PTA have been very forthcoming in granting Icelandic amateurs use of the frequencies that we have asked for, on par with the neighbouring countries: • On 60 metres, Icelandic amateurs currently have 2nd access to the following spot frequencies* (kHz):5280, 5290, 5332, 5348, 5368, 5373, 5400, 5405.*3 MHz maximum bandwidth, with 200 W maximum PEP, and permitted modulation CW or USB • On 160 m, Icelandic amateurs can apply for access to the 1850–1900 kHz portion for contesting only, by special application to the PTA each time • On 70 MHz, there is currently interest in acquiring similar rights as Scandinavian radio amateurs (activity managed by vice chairman Gudmundur Sveinsson TF3SG, dn@hive.is)
Import of non CE-marked equipment • Import of radio equipment that does not bear the CE mark is prohibited to the general public. • Annex 1 of the EC directive on Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment makes an exemption for radio amateurs. • The PTA were concerned that this might be misused to import non-CE equipment and resell it to the general public. Some misunderstanding of what rules applied in Iceland vs. European Union were also a part of it. • The matter took well over a year to resolve, whereby amateurs can import non-CE marked equipment for amateur use but must sign a document with a “gentleman’s agreement” that they will not resell it or misuse. • This only applies to non CE-marked equipment that can be used outside the amateur radio spectrum (e.g. a Chinese VHF handheld radio that works from 130 MHz – 174 MHz). Normal amateur equipment from the USA is no problem.
QRM Issues • Broadband over Power Lines (BoPL) • BoPL was offered commercially by Reykjavik Energy in the early 2000s • Technological hurdles and problems with the vendor resulted in the project being abandoned • Recently, however, Iceland Telecom (Síminn) have commenced offering in-house Ethernet over Power Lines to connect Set Top Boxes for digital TV • There have been no reports of interference because of this, but the exposure is still limited (…no, luckily it’s not this bad in TF land!)
Emergency Communications • Icelanders are fortunate enough to have a large corps of volunteer rescue associations, organized nationwide by ICE-SAR (www.icesar.com) • ICE-SAR owns and operates an extensive VHF repeater infrastructure, and are currently moving into a TETRA-based nationwide communications system to be run in parallel with the VHF system • Consequently, the role of Icelandic radio amateurs is not as great as it would be otherwise • There is nonetheless interestamong Icelandic amateurs tosomehow make their mark inEmComm, but it is up to ourselves to define that role. • Any ideas?
ÍRAIntroduction to Icelandic Radio Amateurs Introduction made at the NRAU meeting in Karlsborg, Sweden, 10–12 October 2008 Halli Tordarson, TF3HP ÍRA Reserve Board Member &former ÍRA Chairman hartor@hi.is