Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday March 30th 2008
IRTS Awards
It is time once again to call for nominations for the various awards sponsored each year by the IRTS.
It is also the time for submission of entries for the two construction awards, which will be judged by the Awards Committee. Submissions or entries can be sent by post to Peter Grant EI4HX Chairperson, Awards Committee at QTHR or by e-mail to “ei4hxperimental at eircom dot net”.
2 metres Counties Contest
The 2 Metres Counties Contest held last Monday was generally well supported. Most of the 32 counties were heard at one time or another, although we have received no reports so far of stations in Donegal, Sligo or Wexford being heard. There was a disappointing turnout from Dublin stations - although almost 25% of licensed experimenters have Dublin addresses, very few Dublin stations were active during the contest.
This contest has separate portable sections, and it was good to hear portable entries from Monaghan, Longford, Tipperary, Armagh, Kildare, Wicklow, Galway, Laois and Carlow. The contest usually attracts a good deal of interest from stations in Britain. However, they seemed to be few and far between on this occasion, possibly because band conditions were poor for the duration of the contest.
Logs should be sent to "contestmanager at irts dot ie".
CQIR Contest Results
The full results of the CQIR Contest, held last year as part of the Society's 75th anniversary celebrations, have been published in Echo Ireland, which was recently circulated to members. These results show that 148 entries and 11 check-logs, representing more than 13,500 QSO’s, were submitted. The article on the results includes the detailed scores for all entrants, soapbox comments and details of the ancestry of the overseas Irish who participated in the contest.
New Call Book
A new printed call book was published earlier this month, and a copy has been sent to each member. The call book, which was prepared with assistance from the Commission for Communications Regulation, includes new call signs issued up to the end of February.
ComReg Document
Comreg has published a document entitled 'Proposed Strategy for Managing the Radio Spectrum: 2008 - 2010'. There is a short section on Radio Experimenters at pages 63 and 64 of the document. ComRegs strategy for the period concerned includes - implementing the life-time license - updating the guidelines document and facilitating short term authorizations for amateurs visiting Ireland - modifying the format of repeater callsigns, and - considering the allocation of spectrum around 500 kHz on the basis of a common European position.
Issues of concern to experimenters which are not mentioned in the strategy are the four 3 kHz channels in the 5 MHz region agreed some time back and the general release of the 70 MHz band which was also agreed. We are hopeful that these matters will be brought to a conclusion in the near future. The IRTS will be preparing a response to the document and it is also of course open to individual experimenters or clubs to submit views. Responses must be sent by 11 April to “sinead dot devey at comreg dot ie”. The document is available on the ComReg website at www.comreg.ie as Document ComReg 08/20.
Tipperary Amateur Radio Group
The next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will be held on Thursday next the 3rd of April at Raheen House Hotel Raheen Road Clonmel All are welcome.
IRTS AGM 2008 - Galway
The IRTS Annual General Meeting will be hosted this year on the 26th and 27th of April 2008 by the Galway Radio Experimenters Club. The venue is the Salthill Hotel on the prom in Salthill, Galway. See their website for details at www.salthillhotel.com You can also call the hotel on 091 522711 to book accommodation. Rates are 75 Euro per person sharing double room and a single room is 85 Euro to include breakfast. Please mention the Galway Radio Club when booking.
If you prefer B&B, there are ample B&B’s in the Salthill area. The IRTS dinner will be held on Saturday evening the 26th of April in the hotel at 8 p.m. with music in the bar afterwards. On Sunday the 27th there will be a rally in the hotel from 11 a.m. with many of the traders that were at the Knock rally attending. Lunch will be available in the hotel and the AGM meeting will be held afterwards in the meeting room upstairs. Salthill is an ideal venue for a family weekend, walk the famous promenade and avail of the many attractions Salthill has to offer, the Sea Aquarium, cafes, restaurants and bars.
The Leisureland swimming complex is beside the hotel and Galway’s shopping centres are not too far away. For any help and rally details, contact the club’s officers: Damian Commins EI2HG on 086 8316382 or Tom Frawley EI3ER on 086 8224170.
AREN News
A meeting for all AREN members nationwide will take place on Saturday the 12th of April in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. All members are requested to attend. A copy of the Agenda has been circulated to all members.
There have been some changes at the Committee level. Outgoing Finance officer Dave Moore is succeeded by Tim McNight. John Ronan takes over as acting coordinator (pending the appointment of a new National coordinator). John Ketch will remain on the committee in a new role as Secretary while Conor O Neill continues in Operations. Mark Wall stands down as PRO leaving the position open. Declan Horan stands down as Training and recruitment officer. Expressions of interest for these posts are welcomed. We would like to thank Dave, Mark and Declan for their support over the past few years.
Upcoming Rallies
The Church Island Radio Rally will take place on Friday the 4th of April at the clubs QTH in the Community Hall, Bellaghy, Co. Derry from 8 to 10 p.m. This will feature a bring and buy sale, various traders, raffles and light refreshments. For information contact John McVeigh MI 0 MIO or visit www.ciarg.co.uk
The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Annual Rally takes place on Sunday the 13th of April in the Share Centre, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh. Doors open at noon and the rally will feature a Bring and Buy. Access is available from the Lough Erne/Shannon Waterway. Food and parking are available on site. For further details contact Alan Gault GI6PYP or visit www.lougherneradioclub.co.uk
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 087-6302026 or 051-340850. Items for the radio news can also be faxed to 087 5 6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to “news 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 Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.
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