Archived News Script

printer friendly version

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday January 22nd 2006


IRTS AGM 2006

Preparations are well advanced for this years IRTS AGM, which is being held on Sunday April 23rd at the Vienna Woods Hotel in Cork and is being hosted by Cork Radio Club. The weekend will follow the usual format with a dinner on the Saturday night, a rally on Sunday and the Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday afternoon. The Vienna Woods Hotel is located on the eastern side of Cork City just off the Glanmire roundabout at the city side of Glanmire village.

For those wishing to stay in the hotel overnight, only double rooms are available and these can only be booked through Dave EI4BZ on 087-6290574 at a cost of €110.00 per room with breakfast.

However, rooms are also available at the neighbouring Ibis Hotel at a cost of €59.00 for a single room and €69.00 for a double room. Breakfast costs €8.50. The telephone number for the Ibis Hotel is 021-4354354. Rooms are also available at the nearby John Barleycorn Hotel at a cost of €45.00 for a single and €85.00 for a double room including a full Irish Breakfast. The telephone number here is 021-4821499. Enquiries to Finbarr EI1CS on 021-4346622 or Dave EI4BZ on 087-6290574.


Coolmine Rally

The annual Phoenix Radio Club Rally will be held on Sunday February 26th at the Coolmine Community School in Blanchardstown and not as originally planned on the 12th of February. All enquiries to Tony on 01-8252074 or 087-2439997


Limerick Rally

The Limerick Radio Club would like to remind all of their upcoming Rally. It will be held in the Greenhills Hotel, Ennis Rd, Limerick on Sunday 12th March. Icom UK have confirmed attendance and will have the IC7000 , IC756Pro3 and IC7800 on display. The club is presently in negotiation with several other suppliers. The first of the raffle prizes has already been secured and it is a DSP Speaker from BHI UK. Anybody interested in a table or simply needing further information feel free to contact Paul EI6FE on 061 360122.

Further news will be forthcoming as soon as we have it. Members of LRC are looking forward to a successful rally and meeting all our old friends again.


Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club

The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Clubs 25th Annual Radio Show will take place in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, on Sunday the 23rd of April 2006. Doors open at 12 Noon and Admission is £3.00 or 5.00 Euro. There is generous car parking space and refreshments on site. There is a Bring & Buy stand with no fees. There will be traders big & small selling Amateur Radio gear, components, electronics, computer components and various new, surplus and second-hand equipment. UK traders are expected. Usual large attendance from North and South is expected as the club returns to the familiar venue. For information on accommodation or trade stand space contact Alan Gault GI6PYP on 07771 811484\028 6634 1108, “alan dot r dot gault@homecall dot co dot uk” or Herbie Graham GI6JPO on 028 6638 7761. Call early to avoid disappointment.


Theory Classes in Mayo

Theory classes will commence in Co. Mayo in the next few weeks. The classes will be held in Ballyvary on Saturdays. Anyone wishing to participate should contact Terry Ebdon on 087 130 8560 immediately. The classes are organised by The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network.


Theory Examination

Wednesday afternoon last saw a new chapter in the history of amateur radio in EI with the first theory examination using the new multiple choice question format being held at the ComReg offices in Dublin. Nineteen candidates from fourteen different counties sat the examination. Two of these candidates were from Northern Ireland. This number, together with the 14 candidates who sat an essay type examination last June shows that there is a demand for licences and it is clear that most of the candidates studied on their own for these examinations. The examination comprised 60 multiple choice questions in three main sections and the time allowed was two hours. All candidates finished well within the allocated time.

The holding of this examination was the culmination of a long process of discussion and negotiation between the IRTS and ComReg so as to ensure that arrangements for the examination for an Experimenter's Licence would be on a firm footing for the future. The hard work and effort put into this venture by a group of people in the Society paid off and it is intended for the future to have examinations in January and June of each year in Dublin and at other centres if the number of candidates requires it. It is hoped now that the examination process is on a firm footing that Clubs throughout the country will recommence classes for the licence examination.

The Society is working on a project, which we hope will be of assistance to clubs in this regard. New entrants are the lifeblood of amateur radio and we cannot afford to be complacent about the importance of attracting newcomers. We hope that those who sat the examination during the week will shortly be airing their new EI callsigns on the bands.


80m Counties Contest

Listeners are reminded that the closing date for receipt of entries to the inaugural 80m Counties Contest is Friday the 3rd of February 2006. Due to the large number of entries already received, late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances. Logs should be emailed to “contests at irts dot ie”. All logs received by email are acknowledged within 24 hours of receipt, if you have not received an acknowledgement, please contact the contest manager - Noel EI2JC by email at “contests at irts dot ie”. Paper logs may be sent IRTS PO Box 462


EI DXpedition to Southern Africa 2007

The December issue of Echo Ireland carried a request for expressions of interest from members who would like to take part in a DXpedition to various countries in Southern Africa in 2007. If there is sufficient interest then initial planning will commence next month with a view to the expedition taking place in Spring 2007 as part of the IRTS 75th Jubilee celebrations. Contact Paul EI2CA if you wish to be put on the list for further information by emailing him to “paul at comma dot ie” or telephone 087-2523908.


2005 IOTA Contest Results

Provisional results for the 2005 IOTA Contest have now been published. These results show a strong performance by a number of Irish stations, including first place in the "Expeditions" section by the Bere Island Group EJ2MT, which was formed from members of the East Cork Radio Group and the Bristol Contest Group. Results for the EI and EJ stations are available on the IRTS web site www.irts.ie, which also includes a link to the full provisional results.


Cork Radio Club

The Club recently had its first meeting at the SMA hall in Wilton. A very good number turned up which was very encouraging. New members always welcome. The club meets in Room 4 of SMA Hall Wilton at 8.pm every Monday.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The Annual General Meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Wednesday the 22nd of February. Notification and agendas will be sent out to members in the coming weeks. All members are asked to attend and visitors are welcome.


Morse Proficiency Assessments

Morse Proficiency assessments will be held in Greystone Community Centre, Ballycraigy Road, Antrim on Saturday the 29th of April 2006 commencing at 1:30 p.m.

These assessments are open to anyone with an interest in Morse and will be offered at speeds of 5, 12 and 20 words per minute. Other speeds may be available upon request. A small charge of £10 Sterling is levied to cover the costs incurred in running the scheme, this being payable on the day. If you are interested in taking a proficiency assessment please contact Jim Henry, GI0DVU no later than Wednesday the 19th of April 2006 by telephone on 048 9266 2270 or by e-mail to jim dot henry at ntlworld dot com.

Two certificates are awarded to those who successfully complete the assessment, one being presented locally by the Morse Proficiency Team, whilst the other comes from the RSGB in Potters Bar.


SuitSat

Now is the time to begin preparing your amateur radio station to receive signals from SuitSat, the most unusual Amateur Radio satellite ever orbited. SuitSat amateur radio equipment will be installed inside a surplus Russian Orlan spacesuit. It will become an independently orbiting satellite once it is deployed by the crew of the International Space Station during an extravehicular activity, tentatively planned for February 2nd 2006.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 051 853806 or 087 6302026. Items for the radio news can also be faxed to 087 5 6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to “news at irts dot 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