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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday May 23rd 2004


Silent Key

All in the WAI would like to extend their sympathies to Paddy EI7GK on the sudden death of his brother Tom recently.


International Lighthouse/Lightship weekend

This highly popular annual August event attracts hundreds of amateur radio stations at lighthouses and lightships world-wide. It is organised by Mike, GM4SUC and Kevin VK2CE is the web-master. This year the period of the event is from 0001 UTC on Saturday the 21st of August until 2359 UTC on Sunday the 22nd of August 2004.

The event is NOT a contest. It is a special event weekend when amateur radio stations are established at lighthouses or lightships, they do not have to be adjacent to salt water, and each group decides how it will operate the station with regard to modes and bands. Participants are not committed to being on the air during the entire period. There are no restrictions on antennas or power.

As available space in many lighthouses is filled to capacity, participation in this activity does not have to take place inside the tower itself. Field day type set-up at the light or adjacent field is permitted.

The World Lighthouse Day is held on the Sunday of the event and lighthouse keepers/managers/caretakers all around the world open their lighthouses to the public.

To assist other stations in the identification of lighthouse/lightship stations, it is requested that participating stations using CW add LS after their callsign at a lightship and LT at a lighthouse. SSB and other modes should use LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after their call.

If you or your club would like to run a station for the event, please register on-line at illw.net/index.html


IOTA Activation

Sean EI4GK and Mark EI6JK have been heard on a number of bands operating from Great Blasket Island EU-007. Their first contact was on Tuesday 18th of May, and they are expected to remain on the island for a few days.


EI7M / IOTA 2004

The East Cork Radio Group, EI7M will join forces with the Bristol Contest Group for the 2004 IOTA contest. The team will run from Bere Island (EU-115). More details will be available soon. For more information on IOTA, visit www.islandchaser.com/iotw/contest


Morse Camp

The first 5 WPM Morse Camp will take place at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Co. Antrim on Saturday the 31st of May and Sunday the 1st of July next. For more information, visit homepage.ntlworld.com/campbell.archibald/months htm.


Museum Ships Special Event

Beginning 1330 UTC on July the 21st and ending 1900 UTC on July the 22nd the 5th Annual Museum Ships Radio Special Event Sponsored by the USS Salem Radio Club will Take place. Work six of the ships to receive an attractive certificate. For more details visit www.qsl.net/k1usn


VHF/UHF news

The 50 MHz UK Activity Contest will take place on the 25th of May between 2000 and 2230 hrs local time. The 50 MHz Nordic Activity Contest will take place on the same day between 1700 and 2100 hrs UTC.

The Practical Wireless 2 metre contest will take place between 0900 and 1600 hrs UTC on the 13th of June next.


VHF/UHF Field Day

The first weekend in July is again the time for the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day. Please look at page 22 of the March/April issue of Echo Ireland for the new point scoring system for this competition. The new scoring should encourage more activity in the Open section and provide for more competition on individual bands.


CW Field Day

The June bank holiday weekend is not too far away and anyone contemplating getting involved in the CW field day should make contact with the contest manager, Noel EI2JC as soon as possible. It is hoped that we can again hold a centrally located field day but the feeling is that a minimum of five stations is required to justify everybody travelling.


Olympic Games Special Event

Nine multi-operator special event stations with callsigns SX1A to SX9A are active from Greece between the 6th of May and the 13th of August for the '2004 Olympic Games Countdown On The Air'. The full Countdown calendar and other information can be found at www.qsl.net/sv2ngct/sx.htm


South Dublin Radio

New theory classes started at SDR on Tuesday the 18th of May at 8 p.m. at Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham. Visitors are always welcome and those intending to sit the next exam should attend the classes as soon as possible.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will hold a Bring and Buy in the Roanmore Social and Sports centre at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday the 17th of June next. It is also planned to hold an ATV demonstration as well as a Wireless WAN demonstration. The club is also hoping to attract local traders.

The next general meeting of the club will take place at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday the 26th of May in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford.


Packet

Despite the drop-off in the numbers of packet users over the past few years, the network is still operational and working well. The Tipperary BBS run by John, EI3DIB in Ardfinnian is operational with an access frequency of 144.850 MHz. The East Cork DXcluster EI8IR is accessible on 144.600 MHz and is connected in real time to the worldwide DXcluster network via an Internet wormhole, which provides the DX spot almost instantly. The Cork digipeater operates on 144.600 MHz and 439.875 MHz into an omni directional antenna.

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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