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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 30th 2007


CQIR (Sundays news readers only)

A large station is in operation for the Press in the Phoenix Park and EI75IRTS will be QRV during the contest promoting the event worldwide. Low frequency operation for EI75IRTS is from the EI7M site in Cork. The first Irish entry pulled from the draw will win an all expenses long weekend for two in New York. You get a free entry for every 75 QSO’s made. This is a showcase event for the Society and, as always, good operating practice, friendliness and courtesy to other users of the spectrum should be the order of the day.

EI0MAR is also QRV for CQIR today from the Vintage Radio Museum in Howth – visitors are welcome.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will be held on Thursday next, the 4th of October in Raheen House Hotel Raheen Road, Clonmel at 8.00 p.m. All are welcome.


Kerry Amateur Radio Group

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group will hold its annual general meeting on Saturday the 6th of October 2007 at 10 a.m. in the Muckross House Coffee Shop, Killarney. The annual election of officers will take place, and the following incumbents have been nominated: Ron Hahn, EI2JP, Chairman & Treasurer, John Costello, EI9ESB, Vice Chairman Billy O'Connor, EI7CQB, Hon. Secretary.

After the AGM, there will be a more general discussion regarding the Group's activities and direction for 2007/2008. All members are requested to attend, and new members are always welcome.


Limerick Radio Club

The next meeting of Limerick Radio Club will take place on Thursday the 11th of October at the usual venue, the Limerick Institute of Technology, Moylish at 19:30 hrs local time. All those interested are welcome to attend.


Dxpedition to St. Brandon

The Five Star DXers Association DXpedition to St. Brandon finished on Tuesday last, with over 137,000 QSO’s in the 3B7C log. Paul EI5DI was among the operators, and this provided an added interest for EI stations. The 3B7C log includes almost 90 EI call signs and over 60 MI/GI call signs.

This has been one of the biggest DXpeditions (in terms of QSO totals) in recent times. No doubt, full details of the team's achievements will be publicised over the next few months. A quick look at the details that have been published suggest that European stations dominate the log.


Winlink and APRS

John, EI7IG, is experimenting/testing a Winlink Telpac Node in the Waterford area. The frequency in use is 439.875 MHz and the callsign is EI3RCW-10. If anyone is interested in participating, please contact him directly at 086-8167310.

Experiments in APRS are ongoing around the southeast on two metres using 144.800 MHz. A number of experimental digipeaters and Igates are in operation. The WX station EI2WRC is also using this frequency. For more information on APRS visit www.aprs.org


Marconi Clifden Celebrations

On the 17th of October 1907 Guglielmo Marconi sent his first commercial message from the then new station at Clifden, Ireland. This October in celebration of this historic event members of the Galway Radio Experimenters Club will be running a special event station from Saturday 13th to Wednesday 17th from Clifden. The club has been issued the call sign EI100MFT for the event, MFT been the last call sign used on the original station.

On the Wednesday they will be making a special linkup with the Marconi sister station in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Part of this linkup will be an exchange of greetings between President Mary McAleese and Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia the Honourable Mayann E. Francis. The group will also be honoured to have Princess Electra Marconi present as she is coming to Clifden for the festival along with an Exhibit from the Marconi Foundation in Bologna. The Galway Radio Experimenters Club will also be presenting a display of vintage equipment. More details on the festival can be found at www.clifden.ie Visitors to the station are more than welcome and if you would like to participate this can also be arranged. For further information please contact Enda Broderick (II2II) on 086-8676410 or email: “enda dot Broderick at lightnet dot ie”.


3-Watt CW QSO

Tony EI5EM was on holidays recently in the Algarve and on the evening of the 16th of September was relaxing on the first floor balcony listening to 20 metres on his Elecraft KX1 QRP transceiver. Band conditions seemed good and the 25-foot antenna wire draped over the balcony with a 10-foot counterpoise seemed to be receiving well. The first station heard calling CQ was EI6IZ, Brendan in Mayo. More in hope than in expectation, Tony, operating as CT/EI5EM, replied to Brendan's call. Contact was made and reports exchanged. Tony's KX1 had an output power of 3 Watts. Taking this QRP level and the compromise antenna in use into consideration, Tony was pleased to receive a 519 report from Brendan and to give a 599 in return.

This CW QSO serves to prove what can be achieved on CW even at such low power levels and with an improvised antenna. Of course great credit must go to Brendan, EI6IZ for plucking Tony's weak signal out of the QRM and QRN to complete a really satisfying QSO.


Waterford Rally

The Waterford Radio and Electronics Rally will take place on Sunday the 21st of October at the Woodlands Hotel on the Dunmore Road in Waterford. South East Communications and Long Communications will be at the rally. The IRTS, AREN and a bring-and-buy stand will also feature.

Doors open at 11 a.m. and admission is 5 Euro, accompanied children are admitted free of charge. For details including a directions map, visit the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group web site on www.searg.com


Upcoming Rallies

The Foyle and District Rally will take place on Sunday the 4th of November 2007 at the White Horse Hotel, Derry. For more information visit www.mn0aku.org.uk

The Mayo Radio Rally will take place on Sunday the 18th of November in the Belmount Hotel, Knock, Co. Mayo. For more information contact Padraic Baynes, EI9JA @ QTHR.


Talk on TETRA Digital Radio

There will be a free talk on TETRA digital radio in Dublin on the Thursday the 11th of October at 6 p.m. TETRA radio is a new secure radio system currently being rolled out by the Gardai and is in use on the LUAS tram system in Dublin. This system which operates in the UHF band features mobile phone like dialling as well as group calling like most PMR analogue systems. It may be rolled out in the future for all emergency and public services. The talk will be held at Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, which is beside the American Embassy.


Marconi Lectures

The first commercial transatlantic message was transmitted from Marconi’s Station in Clifden to his North American complex in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia almost 100 years ago. Marconi’s achievements will be celebrated with a series of Marconi Centenary commemorative events from October the 12th to the 17th in Clifden, coordinated by the Clifden Chamber of Commerce. The celebrations include a lecture by Paul Duffy, Chartered Engineer and historian, entitled ‘Marconi-The Engineering Marvel’. This lecture will take place at the Clifden Station House Theatre on Sunday the 14th of October at 1 p.m. Michael Sexton, Chartered Engineer and author of ‘Marconi: The Irish Connection’, will give a lecture on the national aspect of Marconi’s work at the Clifden Station House Theatre on Monday the 15th of October at 1 p.m.

Professor Peter Kennedy will chair a forum entitled "Whither Wireless Communications? Marconi's Legacy in the 21st Century” on Tuesday the 16th of October at Clifden Station House Theatre. This forum will reflect on Marconi's achievements and the future for wireless communications in an era of ubiquitous connectivity.


Amateur Radio Mailing List

An International Youth Mailing list has been established by Duncan MacLachlan KUØDM. The aim is to promote the hobby amongst Young Operators worldwide and forging friendships in the process. The list is already growing in popularity with a healthy number of subscribers.

If you are under 25 years of age and would like to join, send an email to Jonathan 2I0JVI describing your interests and anything else you think relevant to “mi3jvi at yahoo dot co dot uk”. Your details shall then be forwarded to Duncan.


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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