Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 25th January 2015
Silent Key - Cedric Rourke CT3FT / GI3IVJ / EI6AZ
The death has occurred of Cedric Rourke CT3FT, who lived on Porto Santo near Madeira Island. Cedric grew up in Belfast and was originally licensed in 1953 as GI3IVJ and also held the call sign EI6AZ. As CT3FT he was regularly on the bands and, when talking to GI and EI stations, was always happy to talk about his Irish background.
May he Rest in Peace
Time to Return IRTS Trophies and Cups
It is once again that time of year to recall all the trophies and cups which were presented at last years AGM in Galway.
Items can be given to any IRTS committee member by March 25th, or if more convenient returned to the IRTS stand at the Phoenix Rally on Sunday February 15th, or at the very latest at the Limerick Rally on March 29th.
This will allow any cleaning, repairs and up to date engraving to be done.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will host the 83rd IRTS Dinner AGM & Radio Rally in Hotel Kilkenny, College Road, Kilkenny on 25th & 26th April 2015. Tickets for the AGM dinner held on the Saturday evening at 7pm, which cost €35, are now available from John Ronan EI7IG via email on irtsagm/at/searg/dot/com. Tickets are available from IRTS regional representatives and also from David EI6GVB at the Phoenix Rally in Coolmine on Sunday 15th February. Contact David if you wish to purchase tickets from him on the day. Admission to the dinner is strictly by ticket only.
David can provide transport in his car for anyone from the southeast area seeking a lift to the Coolmine rally. Contact David for details.
AGM accommodation is available from Hotel Kilkenny. You are advised to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. A large number of the reserved rooms have already been taken. When booking please use the code IRTS/SEARG RADIO for a reduced rate. Hotel Kilkenny phone number is 056 7762000 or email experience/at/hotelkilkenny/dot/ie.
The IRTS AGM webpage has been updated with details of the Bring & Buy section of the SEARG Radio Rally 2015. Please see www.irts.ie/cgi/agm.cgi for further details
SEARG have a 2 metre net on Tuesday nights after the IRTS weekly news has finished. The aim is to promote the use of the 2 metre band and the frequency used is 145.400MHz. Everyone is welcome to join the net and get 2 metres active again.
The January meeting of SEARG will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford tomorrow night Monday 26th January at 8pm. Special guest speaker on the night will be current IRTS President Seamus McCague EI8BP. New members and anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio are very welcome to attend.
The 2015 SEARG AGM will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Monday 23rd February at 8pm. sharp. All members are asked to attend. New members are always welcome.
Follow SEARG on Facebook and on Twitter. www.searg.com
Lusitania Radio Club
The Lusitania Radio Club will be running a Special Event Station with the callsign EI100MFA to mark the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania on the 7th May 1915. The station will operate from 6th to 10th May 2015 from a site near the Old Head of Kinsale Lighthouse Co, Cork or from the Lighthouse itself. Final decision on location will be made in the next few weeks. The club is looking for assistance in running and in operating this event. If you are willing to help in anyway during this period we would be grateful. Anybody who is interested should contact the club via email at LRC100/at/email/dot/com
South Dublin Radio Club
On Tuesday 27th January there will be a presentation and discussion on building wire antennas. To get the discussion going, Joe EI7GY will talk about his experience with designing and building wire antennas.
South Dublin Radio Club meets every Tuesday evening from 2000 pm to 10pm at the Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Visitors are always welcome. See more on their website at www.southdublinradioclub.ie/
Forthcoming radio rallies
The first 2015 rally is the annual Phoenix Amateur Radio Club rally, which takes places as usual in the Coolmine Community School, near Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, on Sunday 15th February. Time of admission to be advised.
The Limerick Radio Club will now hold their Sunday 29th March 2015. Doors open at 11am. €5 admission and under sixteen’s are free. For more details see www.limerickradioclub.ie
DX News
Karl DK2WV returns to Malawi from 26th January to 6th February where he will reactivate his 7Q7VW callsign. Operation will be all bands 160 – 6m SSB, CW and RTTY. QSLs go via the home call.
A group of mainly Polish operators will be activating several islands in the Caribbean :- From 24th to 26th January they will sign FM/homecall in Martinique; from 27th January to 3rd February they will sign J6/homecall from St Lucia; from 4th to 5th February they will sign J8/homecall from St Vincent; from 6th to 9th February they will sign J3/homecall from Grenada and finally back to Martinique for 13th to 14th February. This is a sailing holiday so the operators will enjoy the travelling between the various locations.
Prefix hunters should look out for special event station VK16AC which is on the air until 31st January. This station celebrates the 2015 Asian Cup which is taking place in Australia this month. On ‘Australia Day’ 26th January the call will change to AX16AC. QSLs go via M0OXO using OQRS.
Coming up in the next few weeks will be a DXpedition to the island of Navassa. Navassa has not been on the air for 22 years and the authorities have said it will be at least another 10 years before a further licence is issued. This all indicates that there will be a huge demand for contacts with K1N when it comes on the air. Indications are that the DXpedition will take place during the first two weeks of February. Up–to-date info can be found on www.navassadx.com
Sean EI2CR will be QRV from 4th February to 7th February 2015 from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Sean will operate using callsign KH0/EI2CR. Operation will be "holday style"
Fingal Radio Club EI2FRC
Since January 7th Fingal Radio Club are continuing a 2 metre call-in on 145.7625MHz with some success. Join the net every Wednesday at 7.30pm. This practice will continue in an effort to put more life into the 2 metre band on a regular basis. Clubs in many parts of Ireland are re-activating 2 metres. We heard earlier from SEARG and their efforts. Hugh EI2HI has sent Fingal Radio Club a mail letting them know that on a Thursday night at approx. 9.30pm, there is a call-in on the Cork Repeater on 145.750. There is getting a very good response. There is also a call in on 145.450MHz simplex after the 2 metre news in Tipperary. Here, there is a round robin call-in. Ross M10ZAO from the Hilltop Amateur Club in the Coounty Down and County Antrim, wrote to Fingal to inform them that on the first Friday of each month around 8.30pm they call in on 145.500MHz for FM and 144.300KHz for SSB before moving on to a working channel. Their aim is to get an all-Ireland 2 metre activity night going.
All excellent efforts to get 2 metres back in use.
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 may be 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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