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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 26th January 2014


IRTS 82nd AGM Dinner & Rally March 22nd, 23rd 2014

Tickets for the IRTS AGM dinner are selling fast and are available on a first come first served basis. Please get your tickets as soon as possible.

The venue this year is the sumptuous surroundings of the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, on Saturday March 22nd. You may purchase your tickets for €35 from Steve EI5DD on 087 2451218 or QTHR. You may also get your tickets from John EI1EM at QTHR. This promises to be a very special AGM dinner.

The usual radio rally takes place on Sunday March 23rd and all of the major traders and more will attend. There will be a bring and buy stand which will be manned for those wishing to sell second hand gear.

Accommodation is available from The Galway Bay Hotel at a special rate when you mention the IRTS AGM. You may contact the hotel on 091 520520. The Rockbarton Park Hotel also offers special rates, 49Euro for a single room and 35Euro per person sharing. The Rockbarton can be contacted on 091 522286. You must mention IRTS when booking your room. For complete details please refer to www.irts.ie/cgi/agm.cgi .


Changes to Non-Contest IRTS Awards Criteria

A small group consisting of Jim, EI4CP, Sean, EI7CD and Sean, EI4GK have recently reviewed the criteria for awarding all of the non-contest IRTS awards. It was felt that there was not enough differentiation between some of the awards and that they also did not fully reflect the modern advances in the hobby. However the group was very anxious to keep in mind the intentions of the original donors of the various awards and to that end a number of small changes have been made to the criteria for some of the awards. These changes were recently endorsed by the IRTS Committee and may be viewed at www.irts.ie/awards, where the changes are highlighted.


Nominations for IRTS Awards 2014

You are invited to nominate a person to receive an award for “Service to the IRTS or Amateur Radio.” The nominations in this category are open to persons who are an IRTS member and or non-member. All nominations are welcome.

Under the category “Awards for other Achievement”, you may nominate IRTS members only. Awards in this category include the 4Metre and 6metre Shields; the SWL award and the awards for Quality Construction Projects.

When you are considering a person for nomination to receive an award please refer to previous winners and this maybe viewed on www.irts.ie/cgi/awards.cgi

Nominations may be from clubs or individuals and must be submitted by post or e-mail, and can be forwarded to Jim Holohan, EI4HH, Chairman Awards Committee, QTHR, or email awards /at/ irts.ie.

Closing date for nominations is February 28th 2014.


Time to Return IRTS Trophies and Cups

All recipients of awards and cups given out at last years IRTS AGM in Athlone are requested to return their Trophies / Cups in good time to allow for engraving for the forthcoming IRTS AGM 2014.

Trophies/Cups maybe returned to the IRTS stand at the forthcoming Coolmine Rally on Sunday February 16th or to any IRTS Committee member before 28th February 2014.


Phoenix Amateur Radio Annual Rally

Phoenix Amateur Radio Club will hold their annual Coolmine Radio Rally in Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, on Sunday February 16th 2014. Doors open at 11am and admission is €5.00. For table bookings please contact Tony on 087 2439997.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The January meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on tomorrow night Monday the 27th January at 8.00 p.m. John Tubbritt EI3HQB will give a talk on constructing a homebrew tilt over telescopic mast at this meeting. New members and anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio are always very welcome to come along. For up-to-date news about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and it’s activities you can check our website www.searg.com and you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Limerick – Radio Theory Classes

Radio theory classes in preparation for the next Amateur Station License will begin in January 2014. The classes will be held in Limerick City, and anyone from Region 4, which comprises Clare, Kerry, Limerick & Tipperary, are welcome to attend. If you are interested please contact Ger McNamara EI4GXB via email ei4gxb/at/gmail/dot/com or by phone to 087 2532512 / 061 354922


Canada on 5MHz

The Canadian regulator, Industry Canada (IC) released a decision to allow amateur radio operators to use the 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz and 5405 kHz frequencies on a no-interference, no-protection basis, 2.8 kHz bandwidth, same modes as U.S., 100W PEP maximum power.

The above channels are the same channels, modes and criteria as those available to USA operators on 5MHz and are as the result of an official IC consultation held in Summer 2012.


DX News

IOTA chasers will have the opportunity to work four different island groups off the coast of Tanzania during the period 28 January – 18 February. IOTA references are AF-032, AF-054, AF-074 and AF-087. Sam F6AML will be active as 5H1Z on all bands 40 – 10m CW and SSB.

The quite rare prefix OX5 will be used by Bjorn (formerly OZ5BD) when he operates as OX5T from 31 January until 2 February. QSLs go via OZ0J.

Zorro JH1AJT together with three Brazilian amateurs will be active as A52JR from Bhutan from 31 January – 4 February. This is an SSB only dxpedition and they will be on all bands 80 -10m. QSL manager is PP5VB.

Prefix hunters still have a few days to get the callsign 5P14EHC into their logs. This special prefix is being used during the Men’s European Handball Championship in Denmark. The QSL manager is OZ0J.

Sean, EI2CR will be visiting Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands from 05 Feb until 08 Feb and plan to operate "holiday style" as KH0 / EI2CR. Possible operation from Guam 03/04 Feb as KH2 / EI2CR.


COMREG – 5 Year Amateur Station Licence Reminder

In June 2009 the Wireless Telegraphy (Amateur Station Licence) Regulations 2009 came into force which changed individual Amateur Station Licences from annual licences to lifetime licences. Whilst the licences are lifetime licences, under the regulations licensees are required to confirm the details of their licence to ComReg every five years. ComReg will begin advising licensees how to comply with this requirement in 2014. However, ComReg has yet to determine how this process will take place and will endeavour to make it as smooth as possible.


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.

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