Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 12th December 2010
IRTS Committee Meeting
The recent IRTS committee meeting had to be postponed due to the inclement weather and will be re scheduled for early January.
Affiliated Clubs should notify the Secretary so their representatives can be notified of Committee meeting Dates.
IRTS 80M Counties Contest
The 80m Counties Contest this year will be held on Monday the 3rd, the Bank Holiday. Rules in Echo Ireland and on the IRTS web site.
IRTS Outgoing QSL Service
Due to further recent losses with batches of QSLs in the post system, Tony EI8JK the IRTS Outgoing QSL Manager, has started a service whereby if he is made aware of cards being sent to the Outgoing Bureau via email, Tony will in turn advise when the cards have been received.
It is thought that already about 50% of Bureau users are already doing this and if the number can be increased it will add to the comfort of not only the Bureau Manager expecting batches but also the user being made aware of when the cards have been received etc.
For members who wish to avail of this service please email Tony him once cards have been sent, Tony’s email address is ei8jk /at/ amsat.org
Geminids Meteor Shower 2010
What should be the best meteor shower of 2010 will begin on the evening of Monday, Dec. 13.
Like most meteor showers, the Geminids will be at their best after midnight (early on the morning of Dec. 14), when the Earth is heading directly into the meteoroid stream. But some will be visible earlier in the night, on the evening of Dec. 13, because the meteors' radiant – where they appear to originate – is nearly circumpolar, so they will stay in view above the horizon all night.
ZL8X Dxpedition
With the ZL8X Dxpedition closed it has been deemed a success the world over,the online log shows details of 143.211 QSO’s from 160-6m.
These QSO’s are from 196 different DXCC entities, which include 43 EI’s in the log. The Top four EI’s in the log are EI7BA with 9 QSO’s EI9O with 6 QSO’s and both EI9FBB & EI6FR both with 5 QSO’s well done to everyone who made it through the huge pileups.
ARISSat en-route to Moscow
ARISSat-1 was shipped from Johnson Space Center on November 24.
It was held in Germany until Saturday, December 4 at which time it was transferred to Russia.
Energia representatives are expected to pick up the hardware early this week. The Russian team will install the battery and the Kursk University experiment and will then be joined by U.S. team members. Together, the team will test the satellite for flight.
A final safety review will follow in January ARISSat-1 is scheduled to launch on Progress 41P on January 28.
DX News
For those of you still needing Bangladesh for your DXCC look out for S21FGC during the period 16-21 December. Several foreign operators will be using this call and the QSL info is via JH1AJT.
Two German operators, DG1FK and DK9FN, will be active from the rare DXCC entity of Temotu from 21st December till 3rd January. They will use the calls H40FK and H40FN from the island of Nendo.
The visit to Madagascar by F6ICX comes to an end on 18th December. He has been QRV from the island of Sainte-Marie which has a separate IOTA reference of AF-090. For the record the main island of Madagascar is IOTA AF-013.
Karel ON5TN has returned to work at the Belgian Antarctic ‘Princess Elisabeth’ base. He has recently been heard operating as OR4TN and will be there till 24 February.
Another station from the far south is DT8A who is QRV from a Korean base in the South Shetland Islands. His QSL info is via HL2FDW.
Both Sable Island and Jarvis Island Dxpeditions have been postponed for the immediate future.
South Dublin Radio Club Christmas Party 2010
This year's South Dublin Radio Club Christmas Party will take place on Tuesday the 14th of December.
The venue will be the same as last year, "The Morgue", Tempelogue Village from 8.00 pm until late.
Members of other clubs and visitors are as usual very welcome to this social event. Limited free food will be available for paid-up members & visitors can choose from the bar menu until 9.00 pm.
This week in History
1901 Marconi received the first transatlantic communication, letter S
1961 The first amateur satellite, OSCAR 1 was launched.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, preferably via e-mail to “charlie dot carolan at gmail dot com” Or by phone to 087-6265418 News can also be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam 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 Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.
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