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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday April 4th 2004


IRTS Awards

This week we conclude the listings of the trophy winners at the recent IRTS AGM in Limerick. Both sessions of the 2 Metre Counties Contest attracted great interest last year. In the spring event, Fr. Niall EI4CF was the winner of the high power fixed section while Hugh EI2HI was the top station in the autumn leg.

South Dublin Radio Club were the winners of the high power portable section in the Spring while the Tipperary Club EI7T took the autumn trophy. Keeping the SDR flag flying, Tom EI7HT was the recipient of the trophies for the low power fixed section in the spring and autumn events. Paul EI2JF was the winner of the low power portable in the spring contest and John EI4HS won the autumn event. Pat EI9HX operating EI2SBC took the Spring FM only trophy, while Joe EI7GY won the autumn section.

The Slievenamon Shield as presented to the Society by the Tipperary Group and is competed for over the Sundays in July on FM on the 70-centimetre band. Hugh O'Donnell EI2HI again successfully defended his title and is the only recipient of the shield to date.

The 6 Metre Shield is presented to the leading operator on the 6-metre band during the previous year. This year, Thos Caffrey EI2JD came out on top after a very close battle with three other stations, EI5FK, EI3IO and EI3IX. The winning score involved 1,573 unique QSOs with stations in 58 DXCC entities and in 331 locator squares.

The 4 Metre Shield is awarded to the leading 4 metre operator in the country and this year was again presented to Dave Court EI3IO.


Shannon Basin Challenge

The Shannon Basin Club ran a one-day challenge on the first Sunday of last November and the trophies were presented at the IRTS AGM. The Lough Derg Shield was presented to Ger McNamara EI-1476 from Limerick for winning the SWL section of the challenge.

Brian Canning EI8IU from County Leitrim won the Lough Ree Shield as the leading CW entrant and Declan Lennon EI9HQ from Dublin was the winner of the Lough Allen Shield as the top entrant in the SSB Section. This challenge is an annual event and the shield will be competed for again in November. The Shannon Basin Club thanks all who supported last years event and they welcome comments or suggestions on the running of this years challenge.


The European Sprint Contests

If you are tired of the big guns dominating contests, then the four-hour EU Sprint contests might appeal to you. The SSB contest is on next Saturday starting at 1500z and in this one you cannot sit and hog a frequency. You must QSY after calling CQ and making a QSO. The exchange must include both stations callsigns, a serial number starting at 001 and your name or nickname. A signal report is not required. The CW contest will be held on Saturday week, April the 17th. It is recommended that you study the rules, which are available at www.qsl.net/eusprint


EI Counties Contest

The Spring Leg of the EI Counties Contest will take place on Easter Monday from 2 to 4 p.m., local time. Rules are available on page 12 of the current IRTS yearbook. It is hoped that as many stations as possible take to the air for this event.


Rodriguez Island

The Rodriguez Island DXpedition 3B9C is attracting great interest. They will be active for another two weeks. Paul EI5DI is one of the operators with the group.


EuRadio

Arrangements are now well in train for the eleven special event stations to mark the enlargement of the European Community on May 1st and 2nd. 10 Irish towns and cities are twinned with member states.

A special event station is being planned for each of those cities and towns. The special event stations will provide a unique opportunity to promote amateur radio locally and nationally, both here and in the twinned states. The following are the list of twinned towns and states; Bray is twinned with Cyprus, Cork with Slovakia, Drogheda with Latvia, Galway with Estonia and Kilkenny with Lithuania. Killarney is twinned with the Czech Republic, Letterkenny with Poland, Limerick with Slovenia, Sligo with Hungary and Waterford with Malta. The IRTS HQ station will operate from Dublin.

An awards programme will be promoted amongst the international amateur radio community with certificates for stations that establish radio contact with the special event stations. Organisers will be fully briefed in the coming days on the arrangements being made centrally and on the contact details in the local authorities. Details of the awards associated with the special event stations have been circulated to the amateur radio press.


Radio Experimenters Exam

If anyone would like to take the radio experimenters exam, they are asked to contact Derek O'Reilly at ComReg to register their interest. Once enough people are available, an exam will be scheduled.


Enniskillen Rally

Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club hosts the 23rd Enniskillen Amateur Radio Show in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh on Sunday the 25th of April 2004. Doors open at 12.00 noon.

Car parking facilities and food will be available. Admission is £3.00, which includes free ticket for Raffle with valuable prizes. Bring & Buy with no fee. Amateur Radio, Electronics, Computers, traders big and small, equipment, accessories, components, new surplus and second-hand. Traditional large attendance expected from all over Ireland, north and south. Further details from Herbie GI6JPO on 028-6638 7761


Upcoming Events

The 144 MHz UK Activity Contest will take place between 20:00 and 22:30 hrs local time on the 6th of April next. The 70 MHz RSGB Contest will take place between 09:00 and 13:00 hours UTC on the 11th of April next.

International Marconi Day will be held on Saturday April 24th.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

At the last general meeting of the club, members discussed plans for the clubs participation in the EURadio special event. Please note that the next committee meeting will take place this coming Wednesday at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. All committee members are asked to attend.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted by phone or text on 087-6302026 or news can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services.

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