
IRTS News for 17th April 1994

AIRLINERS RECEIVE LIVE TV
-------------------------
   Soon there will be no escape from Coronation Street or
the multitude of Australian soaps even at 40,000 ft. The world's
airlines are linking up with IDB, a Los Angeles telecommunications
company to feed 50 channels of live television into aircraft
cabins. Within two years executives predict that live soaps,
news and films will replace the video tapes currently used
to entertain and inform passengers.

   Until now, stamdard aircraft antennae could pick up live
radio, but TV reception was too poor to be worth relaying.
News, normally pre-recorded on to video from BBC or CNN with
a noticeable loss of picture quality, could be out of date
by the time the aircraft took off.

   The breakthrough came last month when a Swissair McDonnell
Douglas MD11 flew between Tokyo and Zurich offering passengers
digital quality live broadcasts from CNN in Atlanta, Georgia.

   The Atlanta broadcasts were beamed in analogue form to
a signal-processing station near Moscow, the only one available
for the experiment. Ther signal was then beamed up in bursts
to the Ekran geo-stationary satellite over Siberia, which broadcast
the CNN programmes to the Swissair flight. The signal was
picked up on the aircraft by two 60 cm by 30 cm antenna "patches"
inside the first-class cabin - one on the left hand side for
the flight to Tokyo and one on the right hand side for the
return.

   The technology, base on Israeli military devices adopted
for civilian use by IDB, is ready to be fitted into other
airlines - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are thought
to be showing an interest. Over the next two years IDB plans
to put into place four geostationary satellites which will
broadcast to airliners all over the world.

MARCONI DAY
-----------
   This year the International Marconi Day falls on the Sunday,
24 April, again clashing with the IRTS AGM. The event runs
for 24 hours. Last year, operators from Galway Radio
Experimenters' Club ran their operation from the Currywongaun
site near Letterfrack, which was the receive site for the
Marconi station located near Clifden. This year GREC hope
to run their operation from the same site with personnel who
are not travelling to the northern reaches. In the meantime
there will probably be a station operated by the lads from
the S.E.A.R.G., who traditionally set up a station for the
event in the Waterford area.

EI-JA, A FIRST ON 2M
--------------------
   Congratulations to Tom Cocking EI4DQ on achieving a first
EI to JA contact on 2m via moonbounce. The historic QSO was
made on 20 March with JL1ZCG, who was running 1 kW to 4 yagis.
The Qso was made random (without a sked), which makes it an
even bigger achievement. It took 17 minutes to complete, with
very good signals at times. During March, Tom made 23 QSOs,
of which 15 were new stations ranging from Europe, Russia
to Japan and America.

CORK PACKET RADIO GROUP
-----------------------
   A general meeting was held in the Imperial Hotel, Cork,
with a large number in attendance. Progress to date was outlined
by Ken EI7DKB, and a financial report was presented by Eugene
EI5HG. The group are currently in the red following the imple-
mentation of many new projects, so please forward your annual
subscription to Eugene as soon as possible.

   Satisfaction was expressed by all users in the Cork service
area, and things will improve further when forwarding to Limerick
is moved from 144.600 on to their new 70cm link. It was agreed
to hold workshops in the coming months to help new users obtain
a better understanding of the mode.  

IRTS DINNER AND AGM
-------------------
   The IRTS AGM and annual dinner will be held in Jackson's
Hotel, Ballybofey, on 23/24 April. The special rate for B
and B in the hotel will be 22 pounds per person sharing. This
includes a full breakfast and access to the hotel's leisure
facilities, such as a 22 metre pool, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi
and gymnasium.

   For further information contact Ken McDermott at Curraghmore,
Ballybofey, or ring 074 31109.

   That concludes the bulletin for this week. Items for inclusion
in the radio news should be sent to Steve Wright EI5DD, c/o
Dept. of Pathology, Regional Hospital, Galway. Fax messages
may be sent to EI5DD at 091 24216. All such items will be
forwarded to Dave Moore for inclusion in the printed news.
  
   Items for the printed news only should be sent to Dave
Moore EI4BZ, QTHr, or phoned to 021 632444 (daytime), or
021 883555 (evenings). Items may be sent by packet radio to
EI4BZ at EI7DKB-5. Fax messages may be sent to 021 632730.
