Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday August 27th 2000
SSB Field Day
The annual SSB Field Day will be held next weekend, starting at 1300utc on Saturday and running for twenty four hours to 1300utc on Sunday.
As usual there are two sections, open and restricted. In the open section, there are no limits to the number or type of aerials while entrants in the restricted section are limited to a single element aerial with not more than two support points at a maximum height of 35 feet.
Remember to notify the Contest Manager John McDonnell of your site location.
Shannon Basin Radio Club
The Shannon Basin Radio Club will resume monthly meetings after the summer break on Tuesday September the 5th at their usual venue, the Royal Hotel in Roscommon at 8.30 p.m.
New members or indeed visitors are always very welcome at these meetings held on the first Tuesday each month.
The club’s officers are John Moran EI8DL, chairman, Fergus EI6IB secretary and Martin EI4IJ treasurer.
The club callsign is EI2SBC.
Lighthouse Weekend
All bands were hectic last weekend as the annual Lighthouse/lightship weekend attracted a record number of participants.
EI was well represented with operations being mounted on the Bailey, Howth Head, Youghal, The Old Head of Kinsale and Mizen Head.
EI2BLH was operated by members of North Dublin Radio Club from the Bailey Lighthouse in Howth, Mike EI3GF operated EI3WHL from Wicklow Head, EI5ML was operated from Mizen Head by EI5IY with help from EI2HY and EI2IB, Youghal lighthouse was activated by Ger EI8HT and members of the Wicklow Wireless Society operated EI9KLH from The Old Head of Kinsale.
Worked All Ireland Awards
Activity on the Worked all Ireland net continues to be high and is not confined to the weekends as a listen on last Monday and Tuesday demonstrates. Mobiles heard included Noel EI6HW, Martin EI8GP, Declan EI9HQ, Paddy EI7GK, Robert EI2IQ and Sean EI4IP.
Listeners are reminded of the WAI Millennium Award which requires contacts with the 13 zero zero squares. All have been activated and quite a few operators have already qualified for the award.
Mobile operators are asked to make a special effort to activate these zero zero squares as many callers to the net are still missing some of them.
The Worked All Ireland net is on 7.068MHz and there is always someone listening.
The Worked All Ireland web site, run by Declan EI9HQ, is well worth a visit and there is a link from the IRTS site.
Counties Contest
The autumn 2 Metres Counties Contest is being held later today (August 27th) and participants are asked to note that the contest runs from 1400 to 1600 local time.
There are some changes to the last published rules, the important ones being that a club entry must be in a portable category and a club entry cannot take part in the FM only section.
FM only stations must be single operator but may be fixed or portable.
Spring Counties Contest Results
Twenty one logs were received for the spring counties contest with the greatest interest being in the FM only section.
The high power open section was won by the Tipperary Radio Group EI7TRG operated by EI6FRB and EI6FOB. The runner up was Billy EI7FJ and David EI5FZB was third.
The Low power portable winner was Denis EI6HB followed by Peter EI4HX in second place.
Tommy EI2IT once again convincingly won the high power fixed section from Mick EI6GF with Niall EI4CF in third place.
The low power fixed winner was Paul Norris EI3ENB while Don Kirby GW0PLP won the overseas section.
The biggest battle was in the FM only section and EI0CZ operated by EI0CZ, EI2IX and EI6IW secured first place ahead of Joe Ryan EI7GY with Enda EI3IS in the third spot.
A full breakdown of all the scores will appear in the forthcoming issue of Echo Ireland.
News from Mayo
The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network is planning classes again this winter and the venue will be determined by the locations of the students.
Anyone interested in participating in these classes should contact John McDonnell EI6IR at 095-60127.
The September meeting of the group will be held on Wednesday September the 6th at the usual venue in The Wishing Well, Ballyvary, County Mayo.
The Group’s annual general meeting will be held on October the 4th.
Celticon 2000
Celticon 2000, a QRP convention will be held at the Marino Institute in Dublin over three days next weekend.
QRPers from the UK, USA, Holland, Denmark and Germany are attending the event.
While it is a three day event, Saturday is the main lecture day and day tickets are available.
Speakers will include: George Dobbs G3RJV - G QRP Club Secretary and Practical Wireless/RadCom author.
Ian Keyser G3ROO - well known designer of home construction projects.
David Reid PA3HBB/G0BZF - micro-kit designer.
Bill Carver W7AAZ - Well known technical author in the USA and Sheldon Hands - Hands Electronics.
Enquiries can be made to: "Celticon", Marino Institute of Education, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9. Tel: 01-8335111. Fax: 01-8369264.
email: mai@mie.ie
Radio Today to close
In a press release on August the 16th, the Radio Society of Great Britain announced the closure of it’s news stand magazine Radio Today with the October issue being the final edition.
Formerly Ham Radio Today, the RSGB purchased the title in early 1998 with the intention of giving maximum exposure to the hobby via the news stands. Unfortunately, specialist magazines have great difficulty getting news stand space and Radio Today was no exception.
The RSGB will now focus on further developing it’s house journal RadCom and funds allocated to Radio Today will be diverted into new projects to support the growth of amateur radio in the UK.
IRTS Committee Vacancies
The IRTS committee currently has two vacancies. Volunteers are sought for the positions of P.R.O. and Publication Editor and anyone interested is asked to contact any of the officers.
The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for September the 30th at 1100 in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone.
Dates for your diary
The HF SSB Field Day will take place next weekend, September the 2nd and 3rd and next weekend also, Celticon 2000, a QRP Convention will be held at the Marino Institute in Dublin.
The Cork Rally will be held on September 17th and the Shannon River Run will take place on the following weekend September the 22nd and 23rd.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News and the next issue of Echo Ireland should be forwarded to Dave EI4BZ at 021-883555 in the evenings or by e-mail at ei4bz@eircom.net .
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