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Author: Sylvain, F4GKR

#SDR2020: the first French SDR Winter School
· Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

More than 30 “SDR Geeks” attended the first SDR Winter School, organized jointly by RCN-EG, the R​.​E​.​F. and group of trainers (Sylvain F4GKR, Eric F5HSV, Evariste F5OEO and Mehdi F4IHX) in the south suburbs of Paris from the 17thto the 21stof February.

The event was open to everybody and was attended by a very wide audience: whilst there was just a majority of licensed amateurs, there were 14 non-amateur attendees, some having no idea of what amateur radio is. Those attending ranged from 19 to 74 years old, coming from 4 countries (France, Belgium, Algeria and Senegal), many by train and plane. 

Participants at the SDR Winter School

The teaching program was structured in two parallel tracks:

  • The initiation track, dedicated to overview existing applications and tools (GnuRadio, LuaRadio, AdalmPluto, DATV etc.);
  • The expert track, focused on theory, DSP tips and tricks, covering topics like sampling, decimation and interpolation, demodulation, FFT processing, software architecture etc. For each topic a set of Jupyter Notebook Python examples were provided to implement the theory.

We also welcomed three guests for special sessions:

  • Satellite communication, presented by AMSAT‑F;
  • SDR Hardware, presented by Yannick F4HDA;
  • Radio astronomy by Jean-Jacques F1EHN.

While the entire program was free, it was possible at a limited cost to use the facilities available at the venue (restaurant and bedrooms). IARU R1 and REF also sponsored a few of the youngest visitors who could not afford the full cost.

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Tunisia issues personal licences to operate
· Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

The first Authorizations to Operate have been issued to three Tunisian amateurs. These are the first issued since 1956. 3V8HB, 3V8MN and 3V1MB will soon be on the air from their homes rather than being restricted to operating from a club station.

Issuing individual authorisations to operate is a new process in Tunisia and involves a number of stages, including equipment conformity checks.

This is great news for Tunisians that the process now exists so that radio amateurs can practice their hobby from homes in full compliance with the Tunisian Laws. The IARU Member Society ARAT extends its thanks to the National Agency of Frequencies, the Ministry of Telecommunications and all involved parties for making this happen.

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DK2OM receives IARU Diamond Award
· IARUMSTagged · Sylvain, F4GKR

After many years’ involvement in monitoring intruders on the amateur bands, Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, has decided to retire at the end of 2019. Wolf has worked for the DARC monitoring system in Germany for more than 30 years and since 2005 has also coordinated the IARU Monitoring System of Region 1 (IARUMS).

Wolf has made a name for himself over the years as a committed radio amateur and competent band guard, and he is known for his excellent contacts with the official spectrum monitoring units. At Ham Radio 2016, it was my pleasure to award him the IARU Region 1 medal for his fight against illegal intruders on our bands and to recognize his ongoing exceptional leadership of the successful IARU monitoring system.

Wolf has worked closely with monitoring activities in the other IARU Regions and has built an excellent reputation amongst his colleagues around the world.

Wolf has also worked as a competent specialist author in recent years, together with Peter, HB9CET, and has mainly reported on digital intruders and Over-the-Horizon radars (OTHR) and has published monthly the much-respected IARU MS Newsletter. 

In recognition of his contribution to spectrum monitoring over the years, not just in Region 1 but across the whole of IARU, on his retirement Wolf has been awarded the IARU President’s Diamond Award for his outstanding contribution to amateur radio spectrum defence through leadership of the IARU Monitoring Service. This is a well-deserved recognition of a very significant contribution to the amateur radio service. I congratulate Wolf on this award and sincerely thank him for his work over the years. We all wish Wolf a happy retirement. 

Until the General Conference of IARU Region 1 in October 2020 in Novi Sad, IARUMS Region 1 Vice-Coordinator Peter Jost, HB9CET, will perform these tasks as Coordinator ad Interim, supported by Gaspar Miró, EA6AMM, URE coordinator of the Spanish Intruder Watch. I thank Peter and Gaspar for their willingness to maintain the IARU Monitoring System of Region 1 until the Conference next year.

Don Beattie, G3BJ, President IARU Region 1

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IARU speaks at ATU Workshop
· Emergency Comms, Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

IARU was present at the recent ATU African Telecommunications Union / ICT Day 2019 Commemorative Workshop — “Using Technology to Save Lives: Emergency Communications for Disaster Risk Reductions and Management”. The Workshop was held in Maputo, Mozambique and IARU was represented by Brian Jacobs, ZS6YZ and Leon Lessing, ZS6LMG. Brian presented an overview of the amateur capability for emergency communication and some of the pre-conditions for it to be effectively deployed. He also gave a second presentation on the IARU STARS program, which seeks to support and encourage the growth of amateur radio in countries where it is not well established. 

Both presentations were well received, and gave rise to extended discussions about the public service role of amater radio and its role in developing the national skill infrastructure. 

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STARS Working Group
· STARS · Sylvain, F4GKR

The Chair of the STARS Working Group, Riri Azrak, OD5RI has indicated that he is finding it increasingly difficult to balance his business responsibilities in Lebanon with running the Working Group.

I have therefore agreed with him that he will become the Deputy Chair of the STARS WG and that a new Chair will be appointed until the next General Conference.

I am pleased to say that Hans Welens, ON6WQ, has agreed to return to lead STARS for that period. Hans ran STARS for 21 years until 2011, and I am very grateful to him for offering to step in for the next eleven months.

Please join me in thanking Riri for his work in STARS and wishing Hans every success in his role.

Don Beattie, G3BJ

President IARU Region 1 

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