Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 5th May 2013
Amateur Station Licence Examination
The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday 4 July at 2.00 p.m. in the ComReg offices in Dublin. The examination may be held on that day at other centres where warranted by the number of candidates. Full details, including entry procedure, examination fee and how to pay the fee on line are available at www.irts.ie/exam .There is also an exam button on the home page. Places for the examination are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Some applications have already been received. Please note that it is necessary to download the application form from the web page and forward the completed form and the appropriate fee in order to secure a place for the examination. If you pay the fee on line you must still complete and forward the application form. The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is Friday 14th June.
EI News
The first edition of the Society’s new members-only electronic newsletter, announced at the AGM, has been sent to members who have registered their Email address with the Society. It is intended to publish on the first of each month. Final date for copy is five days before that. Short contributions are welcome particularly with photographs and web references about happenings in EI and abroad. The newsletter has a members’ ads section. Copy should be sent to newsteam /at/ irts.ie. This new pdf publication will complement the Society’s Journal, Echo Ireland. Any member who did not receive the newsletter should request a copy by providing their name, call sign and email address to memrecords /at/ irts.ie
IRTS AGM Awards
The names of the winners of trophies presented at the 2013 AGM are available at www.irts.ie/awards Two new trophies were presented this year. The Oriel Trophy is awarded to the leading station in the 70 MHz restricted section of the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day. The trophy, which was fabricated in the Louth Men's Shed in Seatown, Dundalk, was presented to the Society by Peter Grant EI4HX and was awarded to Tom McDermott EI9CJ. The SDR Trophy is awarded to the leading station in the 50 MHz restricted section of the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day. The trophy was presented to the Society by South Dublin Radio Club and was awarded to Oleg Solovyov EI7KD.
Shannon Basin Radio Club
The Shannon Basin Radio Club would like to thank all who attended Sundays rally including the traders, those who sponsored raffle prizes and of course all the individuals who took the time to visit the rally.. The club would also like to thank the management and staff of the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone for all their help and assistance over the weekend.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will for the 6th consecutive year take part in the Geoparks Communications weekend which takes place over the weekend of 25th and 26th of May to coincide with European Geoparks week. The event is co-ordinated by Martin G3VOF of the Riviera Amateur Radio Club and awards are available for working Geopark stations including the main station GB6GEO. Although most activity is in Europe, a number of stations will be QRV from geoparks around the world.
SEARG will be QRV as EI2GEO from the Copper Coast Geopark in Co. Waterford. As the Geopark event is not a contest, operation tends to be relaxed with ample time and an ideal location to experiment with antennas. There is also a strong social aspect to the event with barbecue and drinks on the Saturday night. Activity will be mainly on HF (SSB and CW).
The Copper Coast European Geopark is located on the South East coast of Ireland.
SEARG would like to thank Paula McCarthy from the Copper Coast Geopark management for making this excellent site available to us over the past number of years. At the April meeting of the club Michael EI7GH gave a talk and a demonstration on how to construct homebrew traps and baluns. He had a great display of items in various stages of construction. This demonstration proved very popular and informative with those present and SEARG would like to thank Michael for the time and effort he undertook to do the demonstration. For up-to-date news about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and it’s actives you can check our website www.searg.com and you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI7DAR
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society enjoyed their annual awards night during their monthly meeting on Wednesday May 1st, both members and visitors availed of the photo opportunities with the wide array of trophies collected at the IRTS AGM in Athlone.
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society will be operating EI7DAR/p all bands, all modes including data / rtty during Dundalk Agricultural Show on Sunday 16th June. SWL's and visitors will be made very welcome on the stand.
DX News
Daniel DL5YWM was QRV last week from Isla Jambeli off the coast of Ecuador signing HC3/DL5YWM. This activity counted as SA-034 for the Islands on the Air Award. He has now travelled on to a new location and is active from the Galapagos Islands. Here he is signing HC8/DL5YWM and counts as a separate DXCC entity and a reference of SA-004 for IOTA.
Martti OH2BH and Olli OH0XX are at present in South Sudan and on the air as Z81X. The first activity from here was as ST0R following independence from Sudan in 2011. Since then there has been sporadic activity from stations such as Z81A, Z81D and Z81Z. The current activity by Z81X is resulting in big pile-ups. Length of stay by Martti and Olli is unknown.
Rich KE1B and Anna W6NN will be holidaying on the island of Anguilla from 9 – 16 May. While there they will use the callsigns VP2EAQ and VP2EAR. They hope to be QRV on all bands 40 – 10m. Later in the summer they will visit the Canary Islands as EA8/W6NN and Malta as 9H3NN.
An unusual expedition will take place on the island of Reunion on 11 – 12 May. A group of local amateurs will be active as TO1PF from the peak of the local volcano. The location is a UNESCO world heritage site. QSL Manager is FR1GZ.
Items for inclusion in next week’s Radio News can be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the radio news maybe telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on 085 7100511.
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.
[A]
