IRTS News for 19th June 1994 RADAR INTERFERENCE ------------------ A noise heard by only certain people is perplexing residents near a Cornish military base. The phenomenon is adding to the controversy over whether the growing use of electronic technology is creating invisible pollution. Angela Bassett, who with her husband runs a dairy farm bear the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose, on the Lizard peninsula, spends much of her time wearing headphones or with the radio or TV on. This is to try and drown out the "two-tone hum" that she has been hearing since 1990 when the base's microwave radar system was upgraded. Doctors believe that Mrs. Bassett and Janet Gibson, a neighbour who has also reported hearing the noise, are not suffering from tinnitus, the medical condition of ringing in the ears. Ministry officials who have investigated the complaints, state that none of the radar emissions exceeds the recommended safety limits. Mrs. Bassett says she had lived next to the base for 32 years without problems before the radar was upgraded and a new control tower built about a mile from her home. Since that time the noise has been with her, and is described as a two tone noise. The top tone is a hum, and the bottom is like the sound of a lorry or plane engine. Professor Ted Grant, head of physics at King's College, London, suggested that "when a person hears this kind of noise it is because microwaves are being absorbed in the skull and converted into heat. The change in temperature is extremely small, but the rate of change is sufficiently rapid to create pressure waves, which the ear interprets as noise". Professor Grant implied that this was not physically harmful. RADIO RALLIES ------------- The next radio rally will be the R.A.I.B.C. 5th Belfast Rally, in the Chimney Corner Hotel, 630 Antrim Road, Glengormley, on 19th June. The proceeds of this rally will go towards the R.A.I.B.C. equipment fund in Northern Ireland. Enquiries should be directed to David Caldwell GI0HOW at QTHr. The Galway Radio Experimenters will hold their rally on 10 July at the Convent of Mercy, Newtownsmith, Galway. Enquiries to Ciaran McCarthy EI7DIB at 091 753592. Following on the success of last year's All Ireland Inter- national Radio and Hobbies Exhibition, held in Dundalk, a similar event will be held this year on 8th and 9th October. The event is jointly run by Armagh and District ARC and Dundalk ARS, and this one will be held in St. Patrick's Hall, Cathedral Road, Armagh. Enquiries to the Event Secretary, Raymond Ashe GI8RLE, at (08) 0762 870423 or QTHr. (The 08 prefix is used if ringing from EI). Further details nearer the date. NORMANDY INVASION ----------------- France Telecom handled its own invasion on 6th June in the form or 750,000 visitors amounting to 4 times the invading force of 1944. Thousands of press and military personnel packed Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. France Telecom installed extra phone lines, ISDN links and leased lines for the event. Its effort added up to better communications than those experienced in 1944 when three quarters of the allied forces' weighty radios failed. AREN MEETING ------------ In conjunction with the Galway Rally, to be held on 10 July, there will be an open forum discussion meeting on all matters relating to AREN. The meeting is open to all interested, and will be held at the rally venue at 1.30 pm. Active AREN groups and local clubs with an interest in AREN are urged to have a representative at the meeting. Further details from Paul EI2CA at 01 4900637 during office hours. CORK RADIO CLUB --------------- Cork ARC held an "HF On Air" night at their meeting last Monday, and a video is planned for the meeting on 20 June. The video will be an amateur radio video on the topic of antennas. Discussions took place regarding the possibilities of an alternative portable site for the VHF NFD station. A large turnout of operators is expected, and there is a good possibility that the station will cover all bands VHF for the week. Planning for the club's Rally, to be held on 11 September in the Blarney Park Hotel, is at an advance stage. All the major traders from EI are expected, as are some newer concerns with some interesting and reasonably priced equipment. There will be a surprise event staged on the day, which will be a first for EI, so don't forget to put this date in the diary. ITEMS FOR INCLUSION ------------------- 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.