Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday May 30th 2004
CW Field Day
Region One CW field day takes place next weekend and regretfully, plans to hold the event at a central location in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary have had to be cancelled. Only two stations have confirmed their intention of taking part.
However, the event will still be held in the traditional manner with at least three stations committed to operating from their own areas. The Shannon Basin Club will operate EI2SBC from Ballinasloe, the East Cork Group EI7M will be operating from Carrigtwohill and Joe Ryan EI7GY will also field a station. Our thanks to Paddy Maher EI3AV who had kindly agreed to host the central event on his farm.
It's still not too late for groups or individuals to get involved. If you decide to so, please make contact with the Contest Manager Noel EI2JC.
Shannon Basin Radio Club
The Shannon Basin Radio Club will hold it's monthly meeting on Wednesday next at the Royal Hotel, Roscommon Town at 8.00 p.m.
EL/EI5IF Liberia
Pat (EI5IF) will be departing for Liberia on 31st May and will be in Monrovia for the next 6 months. While there, he will operate using the callsign EL/EI5IF and will try to operate as often as possible (due to work commitments) on most HF bands including WARC. Pat looks forward to working some EI stations during his stay.
New Experimental Simplexer on 70.350 MHz in EI
There is an experimental 4 metre "Simplexer" operational on 70.350 MHz (FM). This acts as a repeater but functions differently in that it operates only on one frequency. It listens on that frequency for any transmissions, records them and then re-transmits the recording on the same frequency (store and forward). The maximum length of recording is 45 seconds.
QSO's can be slow but it is pretty good when the other station is out of range. With the Sporadic-E season underway, this may be of interest to any OZ, 9A or S5 station when the band is open. This may also serve as a useful tool for monitoring propagation conditions on 4 metres.
The Simplexer is located on a mountain in the southern part of IO52 square, about 40 kms North West of the city of Cork and Polarization is Vertical.
EI First Contact on 70 MHz
Dave Court, EI3IO, recently made the first ever contact between Ireland and Croatia (9A) on 70 MHz. Dave made contact with 9A3AB on the 15th of May last during a Sporadic-E opening. Stations in Croatia have just recently gained permission to use the 70 MHz band.
Museum Ships Special Event
Beginning 1330 UTC on July the 21st and ending 1900 UTC on July the 22nd the 5th Annual Museum Ships Radio Special Event Sponsored by the USS Salem Radio Club will Take place. Work six of the ships to receive
an attractive certificate. For more details visit www.qsl.net/k1usn
VHF/UHF news
The Practical Wireless 2 metre contest will take place between 0900 and 1600 hrs UTC on the 13th of June next.
International Lighthouse/Lightship weekend
This highly popular annual August event attracts hundreds of amateur radio stations at lighthouses and lightships world-wide. It is organised by Mike, GM4SUC and Kevin VK2CE is the web-master. This year the period of the event is from 0001 UTC on Saturday the 21st of August until 2359 UTC on Sunday the 22nd of August 2004.
The event is NOT a contest. It is a special event weekend when amateur radio stations are established at lighthouses or lightships, they do not have to be adjacent to salt water, and each group decides how it will operate the station with regard to modes and bands. Participants are not committed to being on the air during the entire period. There are no restrictions on antennas or power.
As available space in many lighthouses is filled to capacity, participation in this activity does not have to take place inside the tower itself. Field day type set-up at the light or adjacent field is permitted.
The World Lighthouse Day is held on the Sunday of the event and lighthouse keepers/managers/caretakers all around the world open their lighthouses to the public.
To assist other stations in the identification of lighthouse/lightship stations, it is requested that participating stations using CW add LS after their callsign at a lightship and LT at a lighthouse. SSB and other modes should use LIGHT, LGT, LIGHTHOUSE or LIGHTSHIP after their call.
If you or your club would like to run a station for the event, please register on-line at illw.net/index.html
VHF/UHF Field Day
The first weekend in July is again the time for the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day. Please look at page 22 of the March/April issue of Echo Ireland for the new point scoring system for this competition. The new scoring should encourage more activity in the Open section and provide for more competition on individual bands.
South Dublin Radio
New theory classes started at SDR on Tuesday the 18th of May at 8 p.m. at Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham. Visitors are always welcome and those intending to sit the next exam should attend the classes as soon as possible.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will hold a Bring and Buy in the Roanmore Social and Sports centre at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday the 17th of June next. It is also planned to hold an ATV demonstration as well as a Wireless WAN demonstration. The club is also hoping to attract local traders.
A committee meeting will take place this coming Wednesday the 2nd of June.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted by phone or text on 087-6302026 or news can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services.
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