Archived News Script

printer friendly version

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday April 24th 2005


Theory Examination

Following a meeting with ComReg during the past week, it now appears likely that IRTS will be taking over responsibility for the Radio Theory Examination. The date on which the takeover will become effective has yet to be decided as it is still subject to satisfactory conclusion of the negotiations currently underway between IRTS and ComReg. The likelihood is, however that it will occur before the end of the current year.

Although the syllabus of the exam will not change, the submission made by IRTS was based on a Multiple Choice exam paper replacing the current essay-type paper. Details of this, and other elements of the new arrangements, will be made public as soon as they are agreed. The IRTS Committee is particularly anxious that all relevant information be available before the beginning of the teaching year in September.

A part of the agreement under negotiation with ComReg a special effort will now be made to accommodate those students who have been unable to sit a Theory Exam in the past year. AN EXAM IN THE TRADITIONAL ESSAY TYPE FORMAT WILL BE HELD IN DUBLIN IN A MATTER OF WEEKS - PROBABLY BEFORE THE END OF MAY. The date will be announced in the next week or so. Those applicants who have already submitted their names to ComReg will be advised directly about the arrangements for the exam. Those who are interested in sitting the exam and, who are not yet on the ComReg waiting list, should contact;

Derek O'Reilly, Licensing Division, ComReg, Abbey Court, Irish Life Centre, Lr. Abbey St., Dublin 1. Phone: 01 8049769 or Email: Derek dot oreilly at comreg dot ie.

As this will probably be the last examination of the essay type held in EI it is very important that those who have prepared for an exam in that format get their names on the ComReg list without delay.


South Dublin Radio Club

South Dublin Radio Club will be providing theory revision classes from 8.00pm every Tuesday night in the Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham.

Important Information for 2-metre Counties Contest Entrants The closing date for receipt of Logs is this coming Wednesday April the 27th 2005. Logs arriving after this date will not be accepted. Important: If emailing logs please ensure that they are sent to contests at irts dot ie. Please use this address only, as logs sent to other email addresses may be lost due to spam filtering, all logs submitted by email will be acknowledged on receipt, if you do not receive a receipt within 24 hours contact the Contest Manager. Paper logs should be sent directly to Noel EI2JC at QTHR. The e-mail address again is contests at irts.ie.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will be held this Thursday the 28th of April at 8.30pm to discuss arrangements for the forthcoming walk on the Galtees next Weekend.


Mini Marathon

On Monday the 6th of June, EI2BY will be providing emergency radio coverage of the women's mini-marathon. If you would like to take part in this special event licensed by ComReg as EI2WMM please contact George Adjaye, EI2CPB by fax on 01 4908546 or phone 086 2586103. You can also e-mail George at adjayeg at dcu.ie. Please provide your name, phone number and callsign. Also note that you will require a 2-metre rig of your own for the event.


Kerry Amateur Radio Group

The next monthly meeting of Kerry Amateur Radio Group will be take place at the Muckross House coffee shop, Killarney National Park, Killarney, Co. Kerry from 10 a.m. on Saturday the 7th of May. Muckross House is located on the main Killarney - Kenmare road approximately 5 km from the town centre. All are welcome to attend.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The next general meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place at 8.00 p.m. this coming Wednesday the 27th of April in the Roanmore Social and Sports Club, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. This meeting will feature a talk and demonstration of APRS by John Ronan EI7IG and John McCarthy EI8JA. All are welcome to attend.


CW Field Day

The CW Field Day will as usual be held over the first full weekend in June and intending participants are asked to contact the contest manager as soon as possible. If there is sufficient interest, the event can be held at a central location. The following have already confirmed their participation: The Shannon Basin Group, The East Cork Group and Joe Ryan EI7GY.


Packet News

Following the recently reported network reconfiguration and improved connectivity in the south east of the country, internet 'trunk' links have now been established from Waterford (EI3RCW-8) to Mayo (EI7MRE-2) and Co Dublin (EI7SDX-9). This will ease the congestion at EI7KRC, which until now has been the only AX25 route open from the south and south east of Ireland to the Dublin area. The new routes also provide increased access with good data rates, from the Dublin area to the BBS of EI3DIB and others, as well as from the SE to DX clusters EI7SDX, EI7WDX and MAYODX. Both the BBS and DX cluster nodes are linked into global networks providing bulletins and real time information from around the world.

The APRS system is also going from strength to strength in EI. This system using a small packet modem and a hand held transceiver or mobile permits a flag to appear on maps detailing position, speed and direction of the user. Fixed stations and stations providing weather information can also be accessed. The pockets of APRS activity in Ireland are linked into the global internet APRS system, which can of course be accessed from anywhere in the World.

Contact EI3IO, EI6IZ, EI7IG or EI6CPB or other AX25 packet system operators for more information.


Net News

A monthly six metre FM net meets on the first Monday of each month on 51.525 MHz FM (vertical polarisation) at 9.00 p.m. local time. The purpose of this net is to increase activity on the six-metre band. All are welcome and encouraged to participate.

The Monthly 4 Metre Activity Night will take place on Tuesday night the 3rd of May from 20.00 to 22.00. Operators who are equipped for 70 MHz are invited to listen out for and join in any activity on 70.2625 MHz FM. This net takes place on the first Tuesday of each month.

A weekly slow-speed (QRS) CW net meets each Monday evening on 3.567 MHz +/- QRM at 7 p.m. local time. The purpose of this net is to assist radio amateurs and SWLs in maintaining and improving their CW skills. The format of the net is informal: It starts with a paragraph or two from a recent news script (for warm-up purposes), then proceeds on to check-ins (QNI) followed by another paragraph two for a bit of additional practice. Code speed is kept at a modest 6-7 words-per-minute. Net control is EI2JP. Further information can be obtained from EI2JP or from the Kerry Amateur Radio Group's web site at www.kerry.com


Mills Weekend

The National Mills Weekend in the UK takes place over the weekend of the 7th and 8th of May 2005. More information can be had from www.g4cdd.net/mills.html


RAC Special Prefixes

Industry Canada has authorized all Canadian radio amateurs to use special event prefixes for the month of May 2005, to mark the opening of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on the 8th of May, which coincides with the 60th Anniversary of VE Day.

2005 has been declared The Year of the Veteran by the Canadian government. Canadian radio amateurs are authorized to use the following special event prefixes during the month of May: CF for VA stations, CG for VE stations, CH for VO stations, CI0 for VY0 stations, CI1 for VY1 stations and CI2 for VY2 stations.

The special event station CF3VEDAY will operate from May 5th to May 12th to celebrate the opening of the new Canadian War Museum. This is the first time that a 5-letter suffix has been issued for Amateur Radio in Canada. For more information, including operating schedules, check the CF3VEDAY website at www.qsl.net/cf3veday


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 087-6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no later than midday on Fridays.

[A]

contact IRTS
irts groups.io