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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday January 21st 2007


EI6BKB, Donnachadh O Shea: Silent Key

It is with great sadness that we report on the recent death of Donnachadh (Dinny), EI6BKB who died at home on the 10th January. Dinny was known for his classes in the Terenure radio club back in the mid 80s. He helped many a radio amateur to pass the radio theory exams and took over from the much missed Father Tom EI5A providing course material and his know how into construction projects.

Dinny also took an active part in emergency radio events, the Maracycle 100 mile cycle trip from North to South, the last was in 1998. He was also involved in the women’s mini marathon including including the most recent one, which was on the 5th of June last year. Dinny was a man of many talents he was a scout leader for the Dublin 17th Scouts troop in Dalkey in which he provided the opportunity to introduce radio to the scouts taking part in many contests.

May he rest in Peace.


Theory Examination

Thirteen candidates sat the Theory Examination, which was held on Thursday last at the ComReg offices in Dublin. Five other candidates were scheduled to take the examination but had to cancel at the last minute due to illness and other reasons. The thirteen candidates who sat the examination were from six different counties.

Since the IRTS took over responsibility for setting, organising and correcting the examination for the experimenter's licence just over a year and a half ago, 4 examinations have been successfully held. A total of 66 candidates have sat the examination in this period, which shows the level of interest that exists in amateur radio in the community. The number of people attending classes at present and studying for an experimenter's licence augurs well for the future. We wish them all the best in their studies. The next theory examination will be held towards the end of June next.


IRTS DXpedition

The IRTS 75th Anniversary DXpedition Group team met on Sunday 14th of January near Julianstown. Those present were Paul EI2CA, Peter EI7CC and XYL, Brendan EI3GV, Peter GI4VIV, Rory EI4DJB, David EI4DJ (GI4FUM) and Aidan EI8CE. A lively discussion of the proposed DXpedition to Swaziland in March this year took place. The group will be active on St Patrick's day and during the CQWW SSB contest. More details of callsigns and proposed frequencies will be available soon. There will also shortly be a full DXpedition web site available on the IRTS web pages. We will do our best to release more information about the DXpedition as soon as we have details available.


IRTS 75th Jubilee

As part of the 75th Jubilee celebrations, the sub committee is putting together a short audio visual presentation about the history of the Society. They are particularly anxious to receive copies of any audio or videotapes, including old 8mm cine clips of radio activities. They will take them in any format, copy same and return. However if you have some such material and can transfer it to digital files that will greatly assist their work. Contact Seamus 8BP or Paul 2CA if you can help.


IRTS QSL Service

A reminder to members that the outwards and inwards QSL service is available free to IRTS individuals and club members for their own call and for special event stations licensed to them. The service is also available free to JOTA stations, irrespective of whether an IRTS member is the licence holder. Please note in particular that operators of Special Event stations should supply details of their Special Event call to the relevant incoming QSL Manager.

Contact details for the outwards and inwards QSL managers and sub-managers are on the IRTS web site.


AREN News

The 2007 Galtee Walks (Glen of Aherlow Waking Festival) will take place on the later than previously advertised date of the weekend of the 1st to the 3rd June 2007.

For up-to-date information about AREN news and activities, visit www.aren.ie


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The first SEARG Committee Meeting of 2007 will take place on Wednesday the 31st of January at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Waterford. Committee members are asked to attend. As this meeting replaces the general meeting, which normally takes place on the last Wednesday of each month, there will be no general meeting for January.


Phoenix Rally

The Phoenix rally takes place on the 4th of February 2007 in the Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown. Admission is 4 Euro and doors open at 11.00 a.m. Doors are open at 8.30 a.m. for traders. The emphasis of this rally is on the “Bring and Buy” aspect and radio amateurs are encouraged bring along any items that they would like to part with as it is felt by the organisers that many of those who attend rallies do so with the intention of acquiring parts and second hand equipment.


Rallies

In addition to the Phoenix Rally, four other radio rallies are scheduled to take place during February, March and April 2007. First comes the Limerick Rally, which is in the Greenhills Hotel on Sunday the 11th of March. Later that month, on Saturday 24th of March, the Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society holds its rally in Lisburn, while on Sunday the 15th of April the Lough Erne Amateur Radio Show takes place in a new venue, the Share Centre at Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh.

The IRTS AGM and Rally takes place on Sunday the 22nd of April in the Vienna Woods Hotel, Cork, with the AGM Dinner on the previous night. More details of these events are in the current issue of Echo Ireland and on the "Rallies and Events" page of www.irts.ie


Cork Rally

The Cork Radio Club are holding their 16th Radio Rally this year on Sunday 23rd of September at the usual Venue Blarney Park Hotel. So make sure you mark it down. The Cork Radio Club meets every Monday night at the "Cork Foyer" the Cork Youth Film & Video Group located in the new bungalow behind the Cork Forum building on Assumption Road, Blackpool. Meetings are held every Monday night starting at 8.00 pm and new members and visitors are always very welcome. Enquiries about the club should be directed to Dick Birmingham EI6HH on 021-4545154.


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 Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.

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