Firac Congress
Minutes of the working session of the General Meeting held in Novo Smokovek Slovakia on 25-26 09 2009 1. Opening In the absence of the FIRAC president Willy Haevert ON4CKC, I as Vice President have the pleasure of welcoming you all here today to the opening of the 48th Firac congress in Novy Smokovec. Last year we all met in Grado Italy, where the Italian group organized an excellent meeting. Following the traditions of FIRAC, our FISAIC and FIRAC members from Slovakia have put together a very interesting programme in an area famed for the thermal properties of the spa waters. On behalf of the board of Firac I wish you all a pleasant stay and a successful congress. Geoff Sims G4GNQ Vice President. FIRAC
During a commemoration minute the meeting honours the deceased members; D8ZM Horst Will, Dl8YX Toni Schäfer, DC Peter Regner DL9QX, Walter Lutz, DC9QZ, Heinz Gradtke, DK3EV Anton Wellbrock, DF1ZY, Manfred Keööer DF3UD Anna Zachert, DK4KM Kurt Möller, DF4VI Friedrich Zimmermann, DL1RAI Siegfried Braulik, DG4ZA UllrichRex, DK5QR HeinrichKniesburges, DL8YP Georg Zühlke, ON4ED Lode De MAN, ON4LV Werne Van Looveren LX1BG Jos Steinfort, OE5LH Hubert Latzer, G3PHZ JohnFogg, GW4WLZ DafyddWilliams, F6AXF Kleber Sylvestre, F6INM Marcial Houeix, I8XBV Luigi. 2. Agenda of this working There are 2 additional items : 1. – Can the title of Honoury member given to I8YLW ? 2. – Removing Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro) Macedonia from the Firac list. The agenda is accepted unanimously 3. Minutes of the meeting held in Grado Italy September 2009. The minutes of meeting are accepted after a little correction : Geoff G4GNQ came as president France and Luxembourg are officially represented by F6 IAP, Claude LE GOASTER. 4. Presidents Yearly Report: - As acting president I would like to welcome the following new group presidents to the presidium. From Germany, Detlef Rämsch DL8DWL, and from Hungary, Pal Szesztay HA5SZP. Sadly our president Willy ON4CKC cannot be present at this congress and on behalf of Firac I wish him a speedy recovery. During the previous twelve months there have been a number of changes within the Firac organization and I must thank Emile LX1LE for maintaining the FIRAC Homepage and keeping our membership database up to date over the past few years. Hopefully we will find an excellent replacement for this vital work. Also my thanks go to our treasurer Julianne who has also decided to resign, and finding a board member prepared to take on this work is vital for the continuation of FIRAC. The treasurer holds the purse strings and without this position Firac would effectively cease legally. In closing there is work to be done so enough me and down to the real business of the congress. Geoff Sims G4GNQ. Acting President. · British Rail Amateur Radio Society (BRARS) : The G Group membership has increased since last year reversing the national trend in amateur radio generally. Our membership now is around 90 with around 30% of these being active. We have upgraded the quality of our newsletter going from the previous A4 loose-leaf style, to an A5 booklet with the issues now supporting colour pictures. In future all issues of our newsletter will be in full colour. A couple of our members regularly run GB Special Event Stations with a railway theme. There is also another non Firac group who regularly air Special (GB) amateur operations form railway sites. They did ask me to join them but were quite amazed when I told them we had been in existence far longer they had held their own call signs. We held our regular spring meeting and this year we went to Llangollen central Wales. This small town is more famous for the International musical Eisteddfod than railways but there is a preserved railway and the Llangollen canal that boast the famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct. We recently attended the Leicester Amateur radio show at Loughborough and are planning to attend the new National Hamfest next weekend. G. Sims Glossop Sept 2009. · Bahn Sozialwerk - Eisenbahn-Funkamateure (EFA-BSW) D*: The DL group have 609 members on 13.09.2009, where 235 Active, and 185 Retirees / pensioners, 69 families and 120 other members. The avedrage age was 61 (!) Years.
There are currently 30 groups, which operate 41 stations and relays. The home page of the EFA can be reached at www.efa-dl.de too.
The national meeting of the EFA in April 2009 was organised in the "Saxon Switzerland".
The event was again associated with a meeting of the President FIRAC. The program was
favored by the beautiful weather. 106 persons in the event of and a total of 8 Nations have
participated. Next in DL a series of regional events was held, such as the field day of the EFA Group Saarbruecken, or the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the EFA Group in Paderborn December 2008. Also this year we participated with FIRAC at the HAM RADIO. The rent of approx. € 320 was paid by the DL-National Group. An international occupation of the stand was given, although this time the Belgium OM's were missing.
The next year's EFA meeting will be April 29 to 02 from May 2010 in BSW Lindenbach hotel in Bad Ems statt. 73 de Detlef · Gruppo Italiano Radioamatori Ferrovieri (GIRF) I* : Annual relationship to be introduced Firac to the President, on the occasion of the 48° Congress Firac in the Slovak Republic in the town of Novy Smokovec, from the Italian Group Radioamator railways with relative amount to the Treasurer Firac for the year 2009. For the year 2008 and 2009 are verified the following demonstrations and events: From 18 to September 22 nd 2008, the international Congress is held Firac in Italy in the city of "Grado" of which they have been present well 15 foreign delegations. In the same demonstration he has been had occasion to effect the awarding of the diploma Girf edition 2008 welcomed with satisfaction by the foreign friends, so much to make to reward the first ones classified by the same President of the Firac ON4CKC Willy. Month of December 2008 always in collaboration with the section you ARI of Potenza and the Group Girf, the party of end he is held year " Baccalà Party" in the occasion present also the Sections you Plough of Salerno, Pompei, Caserta, Nocera Superiore and that him San Severo. The meeting has happened in the same restaurant of the year on the Carmine mountain before, where the sight of the two Italian maritime banks enjoys him, in which the President IZ7CIK has rewarded with diplomas of the Girf to the friends that have not been able to intervene to the awarding happened to "Grado" center of the congress Firac.
The 12 of January 2009 the Group Girf of it will Voghera has organized the fair of interchange of the Radios, you introduce the Award Manager I3RXJ Gianfranco Mariutti and IW7EBF Michael Santodirocco in representation of the President IZ7CIK Giuseppe, fair very appreciated by the numerous presences from the whole Italy and from the foreign countries.
Month of February 14 and 15 of the 2009 General National Meeting once more in the city of Caserta in the same Hotel Pisani with so many points to be discussed, and with the election of the new directive suggestion, that has seen reinstated:
1 president IZ7CIK Joseph Santodirocco.
2 secretary IV3MNM Mario Masolin 3 treasurer IK3RBQ Adriano Ruzzene 4 Award Manager I3RXJ Gianfranco Mariutti. 5 Public Relationships IW7EBF Michael Santodirocco (New chosen)
Remember has been where the visit the following day to the Railway museum of Pietrarsa each of us we has seen once the railroad of again, but above all the first real train with the stupendous locomotive "Bayard" with name of the Vesuvius in honor of the city of Naples.
February 23 rd 2009 the Girf has been Present to the fair in Pompei with his Stand made of Diplomas and QSL, represented by the President IZ7CIK Giuseppe, I8YLW Vincent Lancillotti President at Honorem, IK8PTD Donato Verrastro Responsible Group Girf of Potenza.
1 - 15 March is held the annual diploma Girf you introduce a lot of Italian stations Girf and not Girf, being the propagation very disturbed, and being us an influx of international Om, there forced han immediately to translate and the rule of the same diploma to make on our site comprehensible internet to write again in four languages, thing that to us it has very honorable.
In the month of April the earthquake in the L' Aquila is occurred where in Abruzzo the Girf we is lavished with numerous radioamator to be present on the place of the disaster, also thanking present foreign OM. Month of April the Girf in the person of the President IZ7CIK Giuseppe foresees to the Meeting in spring of the Presidents Firac in the pleasant town of Krippen in Germany, to the confinements with the Czech Republic, where quite a lot points are discussed to the book in preparation of the Congress Firac that will be held in the Slovak Republic.
Month of May reunion of the Directive suggestion in the town of Rivignano to discuss different constructive points of the same group and in the occasion to reward those stations Girf with a diploma that we are actively lent for the earthquake in earth of Abruzzo, and to prepare the next awarding of the Diploma 2009.
Certainly the Girf looks for through his directive suggestion to live his life in a compact way always holding faith to his old and new principles in the hope to improve staying to disposition of the affiliate and the friends of the Firac to which we are proud to belong. Ascoli Satriano August 31 st 2009. The President IZ7CIK Giuseppe Santdirocco
· Kulturverein der österr. Eisenbahnen Sektion Amateurfunk OE : Bei der Landesgruppe OE gab es in dem zu berichtenden Zeitraum folgende Veränderungen: The membership is currently 133 members with a call sign and a SWL Deceased is a long established member OE5LH Latzer Hubert. Also this year, we were again able to welcome many YL's and OM's which is very gratifying. On Fisaic – Firac Klasse I (SSB) Contest 2008 the Clubstation OE5XBB with Operator OE5FSL Franz Sonnleitner, won the first price. A total of 7 participants from the OE group submitted a there Log for evaluation. 5 Active clubstations are operated : OE5XBB, OE5XEM, OE6XBB, OE7XBB und OE8XBB. Where OE5XEM club station in Linz is just in complete upheaval. Some packet radio stations, network nodes and relays, are looked after, which run without complaint. In the 80 meters round on Sunday are always many YL's and OM's heard. In addition to regular meetings, the information letter, we made some joint ventures - a resounding success was the train ride to Munich with a visit to the Deutsches Museum.
We were also co-organizer of the radio days in Gutau, 200 visitors were counted and it were three very funny, interesting, informative days. From DL, we could to welcome Louis DL5MHQ with his charming wife, Ilse.
There is now a new edition of the OE - Firacdiplom and we hope for a lively work. F Finally, I would like to mention how pleased I am that my appeal for the trip to Slovakia as many Austrians have followed. If there were no problems in paying, yet some more would have been with us. Observed in the planning of the next Congress - thank you. ür die Landesgruppe – OE Präsidentin OE5MOM, Monika Fleischanderl · Belgian Railway Amateur Radio Club (BRARC) ON : 67 membres) Due to the 175 years of commercial rail in the country, Brarc clubstation ON7BR became ON175BR and is quite active in cw. On march 14 we organised our annual meeting in Saint Gislain. In april President and Secretary went to the EFA (Firac) spring meeting in Krippen (Bad Schandau) on the Elbe river. In June we organised an excursion to Bokrijk, an open-air museum of Agricultural buildings of important cultural and historical value for Flanders. A few members also participated in the Firac contest. Mario Vandevelde ON4KV. · Union artistique et intellectuelle des Cheminots Luxembourgeois (UAICL) LX : The FIRAC Luxembourg group currently has 19 members, of which 5 are affiliates (NR) and a club station. (LX 9 CFL)
In EFA-Meeting and the meeting of the National Presidents to Schönau (Königssee) from April 16 to 19 our group was represented by the President and his xyl Simone.
Participation in the Congress the chairman of our group had to cancel on the last moment because of an operation.
Participation of LX1LE in the VHF Contest, 7th place among 25 participants.
In FIRAC-SSB contest 2008, our group was represented by our clubstation LX9CFL Emile has done an excellent 30.place among 90 participants from 17 countries.
The update of the FIRAC homepage is done by LX1MX, Jeannot and LX1LE Emile. The URL FIRAC Home Page: http://www.firac.de
The FIRAC memberslist is maintained by LX 1 LE, Emile.
LX 1 LE, Emile took over, "Leader of the movement" of "European FIRAC net" on the 40m band, Wednesday morning. The conditions on the HF bands were really very modest and unstable (QSB) this year. Here the conditions were good, a dozen stations are QRV FIRAC the Wednesday morning sked..
LX 1 BG, Jos STEINFORT died during the year.
The average age of members is 65 73 de LX1LE, Emile Lutgen
l GROUPE DES RADIOAMATEURS CHEMINOTS (GRAC) F : Contact QSO every morning except Saturday at 08h00 locl time o 3630KHz 2/11/2008 Generale Assembly of GRAC in Paris Coupe FIRAC/F9ZX from 01 untill 30 april Organise by the GRAC, according contest manager F6FKK, Roland ROUSSEAU. spring meeting : This meeting was not held in 2009 for lack of volunteer organizers. F6RAC : The callsign F6RAC was used on two occasions : 20/06 inter associations contest (RAMPT/RCNEG/GRAC), on VHF-UHF Operators F4DHR F4FPV 12/09 inter associations contest (RAMPT/RCNEG/GRAC), on HF Radio-club F5KTR-Activités. Adress : 9 rue du Château Landon – 75010 – PARIS. Phone : +33 (0)1 58 20 55 16 (S.N.C.F 715516) The radio club F5KTR is active on HF around 7060 kHz in CW, operator F6GYH. F5KTR is also active in PSK 31 and SSTV and all digital modes. APRS station is in service 24/24 h : F5KTR. Permanence of the radio club F5KTR every Wednesday from 16h to 20h. Classes resume training at the amateur radio examination from november 2008 by Alain MAYEUX (F8ANT) and Bernard HUGUET (F6GYH) for telegraphy Facilities serving the OM : APRS F5RAC-4 (digi) and F5KTR (tag) in service. RAPPELS E-mail Adress GRAC : le.grac@free.fr Website GRAC : http://le.grac.free.fr/ Website FIRAC: http://www.firac.de/ Website FISAIC : http://www.uaicf.asso.fr/fisaic/fisaic_acc.htm Website UAICF : http://www.uaicf.asso.fr/ President GRAC : Alain VATIN, F6BSV SP FIRAC National Group: SP FIRAC has presently 18 members: SP3IK SP3LYR (AB9FX) SP3QFV SP5DZC SP5XSL SP6BBE SP6JOE SP8AJC (3Z8Z) SP9AHB SP9EWM SP9JPA SQ2BXI SQ3JPV (SN3B) SQ8LUH SQ8JLP (SN8P) SQ9EJ SQ9JKD SQ9JTI, as well as our Club SP8YZZ. Briefly about our activities in 2008: - Henryk SP9JPA published the biweekly SP FIRAC Bulletin in Polish, with titles in English, on Blog SP9JPA (http://sp9jpa.blogspot.com). Obviously, stress was put there on all global railway-related amateur radio activities, special events, Awards, meetings etc. Several Polish websites made links to my Blog. I am convinced that owing to our activities and those of our FIRAC colleagues from other Groups, we can say that railway enthusiasts are currently the best publicized "professional" group in amateur radio. - Wilhelm SP8AJC, 3Z8Z has a FIRAC section on his website, with basic information on our activities in Polish. We published articles and notes about SP FIRAC and other activities in two Polish magazines, Radio World and MK QTC, and we have a large collection of all our publications. - We collected all printed matters on our Club, FIRAC and amateur stations related to railways. Such materials are displayed by us at local ham radio meetings. The FIRAC operators' QSL cards and other cards displaying railway motifs are part of our collection. - We collected stamps and postmarks relating to railways and ham radio. - I edited the rules of FIRAC Awards in Polish), together with samples, and placed them on the DIG-SP website (http://digsp.pzk.org.pl. We kindly request all national group representatives to update their Award rules. - Andrzej SP3LYR is the President of the Polish APRS Group. Every year, he organizes a large national meeting in north-western Poland (http://www.pg.aprs.pl). In fact, I should say Father Andrzej, because he is a Catholic priest in Poland and in Chicago, Illinois. - In July 2007, a large international Award Programme was established: The World Flora Fauna (WFF). The first to participate in it from our Group was Wacek SP9EWM in 2008, followed by my and my brother's operations from three Polish National Parks under the callsign of 3Z8WFF in 2009. On a national scale, the PGA Award Programme was implemented in 2008, and several of our members organized a number of expeditions to non-active Polish counties and municipalities. - We tried to participate and contribute to spontaneous railway-related amateur activities in Poland. The most active Club in that area is SP6ZJP which operated SN0RCE in 2008. The second one is SP7PIA (Narrow-Gauge Line Enthusiasts) operating under SN0PIA in 2008. - In September, our Club SP8YZZ participated in the Railways on the Air event (organized by the BARAC Club, UK), winning an Award. In fact, the same event will be taking place on our Congress weekend, and the participating stations are listed on my Blog. In 2008, I was supported by Berti DK7FK who visited Kraków at that time, and had an opportunity to operate our station and visit the Railway Skansen in Chabówka, southern Poland. - The majority of our Group members are very active in local and international Contests. Grzegorz SQ9JKD organizes the national Railway Day Contest. In November 2008, 195 stations participated in the CW SSB RTTY and VHF parts, including 9 SP FIRAC members, 13 other Polish railwaymen and Berti DK7FK. - Our members also participated in other national special events, e.g. 3Z0MZSP SN0AXL SN0FAD SN0PIA SN0WBN SN90JPV SN90PW SO 2008PR The year 2008 was very eventful and successful for us. Please follow current details on my Blog SP9JPA which is updated almost every day: http://sp9jpa.blogspot.com. Thank you and best 73's. Henryk SP9JPA SP FIRAC President <zwolski@bci.krakow.pl> PR manager’s report by Geoff Sims. G4GNQ Due to other work commitment I have been unable to progress any further with forming new groups in the Baltic States. Latvia and Lithuania do offer some possibilities and I will be writing to their national societies to promote Amateur Radio amongst Railway employees. Possibilities exist for FIRAC to expand into the Far East, but at present the situation is uncertain according to my FISAIC contacts. There is a growing amateur membership in China but obtaining access to amateurs is not so easy at the moment, due to the political structure. Eventually this will be resolved thus allowing some progress. Presently Firac is not represented in Australasia, or Far East Asia. On the western side of the Atlantic most of our original members are still active in the USA but sadly Canada no longer has any members and recruiting new members may prove difficult due to lack of railway contacts and the poor propagation. I don’t know if the good fortunes can continue and new groups can be formed, but only time will tell. G. Sims Glossop Sept 09. 1. Cash report Due to the absence of treasurer Juliane, Mario ON4KV explains the annual balance and outcome. 2. Cash audit Milan Mazanec OK1UDN and André Pettelat F9AP who volunteered due to the absence of (Gottfried Schmid HB9MEC who had to be replaced) have audited the accounts. The cash income was written as one figure and this made for a very difficult audit. Milan confirms the treasurer’s correct bookkeeping and proposes the discharge of the treasurer. This proposal is unanimously agreed. 8/9. Relieve of the old and election of a new presidium There are 10 votes cast, presidents and representatives. Resulting in the next outcome : President of the FIRAC YO6HAY Gheorghe Zaharie 08/10 votes Vice-president G4GNQ Geoff Sims 10/10 votes Secretary ON4CIR Karel Praet 10/10 votes Treasurer ON4KV Mario Vandervelde 10/10 votes Public relations G4GNQ Geoff Sims 09/10 votes As the voting only can be done by the national presidents, the board decides to do this next time on the presidents meeting the night before in order to win time during the working session where the results of this election will be given. 10. Cash auditors Gottfried Schmid HB9MEC has to be replaced after his second year. The new cash auditor Adriano Ruzzene IK3RBQ was elected unanimously for two years.. 11. Appoint the commissioners, art 7 FIRAC rules : Geoff Sims G4GNQ will continue with the MC group, P.R and the function of award manager. Emile Lutgen LX1LE asked to be relieved after more than 30 years working for Firac. Ludwig Till DL5MHQ will take over the job with the homepage and with the update of the rapid call book. To make the transfer of the Firac website (www.firac.de) from Luxembourg to Germany possible, the website will be closed for 2 to 3 weeks. During this period limited information will be available on (www.firac.org.uk) This transfer is programmed for the end of the year as the FIRAC homepage is needed for information about the contest. Mario Vandervelde ON4KV will continue as contest manager. 12. Subscription of membership fee: We have no reason to increase the fee, and will stay on a single Euro per member for the year 2009 which is accepted unanimously. 13. Radio Traffic (by Geoff Sims G4GNQ) We should have seen a change to the band conditions over the year but although the sunspot minima was around the end of 2008 very little improvement in the H.F band conditions has been observed. Our Sunday morning 09.30 20 Meter net participation is down to two or three regulars participants and this is resulting in our preferred frequencies being encroached on due to this inactivity, some members still use 14.335 MHz despite the commercial QRM radiating from central Europe. I hope to resume my activity on Tuesday evenings at 18.30 to see if any activity can resurrected. Participation in the F9ZX coupe contest was slightly better than last year but I only worked a few stations. Regular participation on Wednesday mornings has not been possible due to very poor propagation into G.B. On the overseas Wednesday afternoon net one H.F contact was made but due to short skip conditions we again reverted to Echolink. mprovement in the coming year should become more noticeable and hopefully all the nets should benefit form the increase in the number of sunspots, but more members really do need to participate. Sadly the Internet with all the various chat rooms etc. has reduced the desire for real radio amateur communications. I can only restate last years message in that we as railway radio amateurs are unique, combining the fascination of radio communication combined with interest in railways. Sadly since the formation of Firac by the very few dedicated railway radio amateurs, the way amateurs communicate has changed. We need to face the challenges with renewed vigour and determination and restore the fortunes of Firac and amateur radio in general. That is the end of my report. Geoff Sims G4GNQ Sept 2009. 14. Report about the issued FIRAC awards ( by G4GNQ ) Firac Awards Issued 2008/9 : Since the last congress in Grado Italy I have received just one application for the Firac award. At the last congress I reported on two awards issued sadly we are now down by 50% and the only award was issued to: - Detlef Rämsch DL8DWL HF 05.08.09 Will the improving band conditions increase the number of applications in the coming year? Geoff Sims, awards manager. 15. 49th FIRAC congres 2010 : - The 49th Firac congress will be organised by the GRAC (French) group in Boussens, about 65 Km south of Toulouse, southn of France from Thursday 16 till Monday morning 20 september 2010. The price is calculated around 350,- €. For practically reasons interested participants are requested to fill in a pre-inscription form to inform the organisation witch languages are understood. Necessary to form groups for the excursion to the Airbus factory. 16. Congress 2011: - The 50th Firac congress Surprisingly there are 2 candidates : Romanian and Great Britain. A short election is held where Romenia won. This congress will be hold in the neighbourhood of Brasow. Great Britan accept to organise it in 2012. 7. Hamradio 2008 in Friedrichshafen : Also this year Firac had a common stand (DL/Firac) in Friedrichshafen. The renting costs of 320,- € for the stand was carried by de EFA group. Different nationalities operated the DL/Firac stand, although this time the OM's from Belgium were absent. 18. Additional points : 1 – Can the tittle of Honouree member given to I8YLW ? Each country makes the necessary conditions to obtain the tittle of « Honorary Firac » confesses to the board that this will decide on the next board meeting on Thursday, 29.04.2010 in Bad 2 – Removing Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Servia-Montenegro) Macedonia from the Firac list. Some countries did not pay their contributions for several years while others did. Excluding a country has influence on the contest (multiplier). Therefore this will be done after the contest (October – November 2009). The MC group will write the known active members of those countries to join the MC-group. 21. Discussion of the proposals : No proposals so far. 20. Sundries Again the board ask the adresses of the national groups and there members and keep de webmaster Ludwig Till DL5MHQ informed. Gheorghe YO6HAY thanks all participants, blows out the candles and closes the working session of this 48th congress. The FIRAC President The secretary YO6HAY, Gheorghe Zaharie ON4CIR, Karel Praet
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