Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 5th June 2011
HF Newsreaders Sought
Additional HF newsreaders are being sought to share the workload of Seán EI7CD and Ger EI4GXB, especially as the summer months are approaching. It is hoped that a panel of newsreaders can be established nationwide thus making the workload easier for all concerned, and allowing the HF news to be broadcast from different locations around the country.
If you are interested in joining the panel please contact Ger McNamara EI4GXB at ei4gxb/at/gmail/dot/com or on 087 2532512
Licence Examination
You will have the opportunity to sit your amateur radio licence examination within the next few weeks.
The next exam will be held on Thursday, 7 July, at 2.00 p.m. in the ComReg offices in Dublin. The closing date for receipt of applications to sit this exam is Wednesday 22 June. Full details including entry procedure and examination fee are available at www.irts.ie/exam or just click on the 'Licence Exam' button on the IRTS webpage.
Blarney Castle Activation
North Cork Radio Group, using their Club Callsign, EI1NC/P, will be activating Blarney Castle over the June Bank holiday Weekend 4th 5th and 6th of June 2011.
For more details see www.cashota-ire.org
Oxburgh Hall Activation
Bittern DX Group will be activating Oxburgh Hall as GB2OH from the 16th June till the 19th June.
Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk was built in 1482 by the Bedingfield family, who still live in parts of the house but the property now maintained by the National Trust. Sir Edmund Bedingfeld was granted a license of castellation by Edward IV, he built this medieval, moated manor house as a glorious status symbol, romantically adorned in the nature of a castle. More information can be found at the Bittern DX website or www.cashota.co.uk
North Cork Radio Group
The North Cork Radio Group would also like to inform listeners that Lisa EI9GSB now transmits the IRTS weekly news bulletin on Tuesday evenings at 8pm on the Duhallow Repeater, EI7SMR. The output freq is 430.925 MHz with the input on 438.525 MHz (+7.6 MHz offset), a CTCSS tone of 103.5 Hz is required. Reports are welcome via the call-in directly after the news transmission, SWL reports can be e-mailed to news at ei1nc.com or via our Facebook page.
South Dublin Radio Club
Following the sucessful kit soldering last week, this Tuesday 7th of June the radio club will be demonstrating how to receive the new TV service "Saorview"
Members and visitors will get to see a live off-air demonstration of the Saorview TV service as well as an explanation of the various ways to receive the new channels. There will be a quick discussion on the technology used and the various ways to combine Saorview and UK freeview with hard disk recording.
Visitors are always welcome
Directions are on the club website: www.southdublinradioclub.ie
Introduction to Amateur Radio
The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network are holding a series of practical hands on open days throughout the summer months. The events will start at 13.00 approx (weather permitting) and will take place on the following dates: Sunday June 12th Sunday July 10th Sunday August 14th Sunday September 11th
Anyone with an interest in radio related matters, who would like to have the opportunity to participate or observe the operation of an amateur radio station, or meet club members, will receive a warm welcome. Whatever you’re level of interest, the club will be pleased to help in taking your interest further, be it a complete novice, shortwave listener or formal assistance in progressing to a full amateur radio licence.
The location for all events will be the car park at the Halfway House on the Castlebar to Westport Road. If you would like further details please contact: Padraic Baynes EI9JA on 0876957154 (email pbaynes1/at/eircom/dot/net) , email David Hatfield EI3ECB on ei3ecb/at/gmail/dot/com or text or phone the club mobile phone number 086 20 89 777
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
For the fourth successive year, South Eastern Amateur Radio Group participated in the Geopark Communications weekend using the callsign EI2GEO from Tankardstown, Co. Waterford on the Copper Coast Geopark.
The Copper Coast gets its name from the 19th Century copper mines that were once predominant in the area. The Copper Coast consists of 25 kilometres of spectacular coastline. Oceans, volcanoes, deserts and ice sheets all combined to create the rocks, which provide the physical foundation of the natural and cultural landscapes of the Copper Coast. The Copper Coast is an outdoor geology museum with geological heritage that reflects a variety of environments under which the area has evolved over the last 460 million years. Sedimentary and volcanic rocks illustrate the closure of the Iapetus Ocean, the resulting volcanic activity, evidence of the collision of two continents leading to the creation of Ireland and finally the effects of glaciation from the Ice Age. Cross-sections of these are exposed on the many spectacular cliffs along the Co. Waterford coastline.
For radio amateurs and SWLs around the world who contact or hear Geopark stations, the English Riviera Geopark is offering a special commemorative European Geoparks Network radio amateur certificate for contacts with GB6GEO (instant qualifier), or two Geopark stations excluding GB6GEO. (this award will also apply to SWL's on a heard basis). For information on awards, contact Martin Foster G3VOF (details are on QRZ.com).
SEARG would like to thank everyone that contacted or participated in EI2GEO over the weekend. It's been a very successful Geoparks Communications Weekend with many QSOs worked (both SSB and Phone) despite the bad band conditions on HF. It was an added bonus that the ATV link worked so well. A live link from the Geopark with cameras mounted both inside and outside the 'shack' were fed to the local ATV repeater on 23 cms and a Ustream feed was available on the Internet. Special thanks to Jim Farrell (EI8IG) who provided the camper van (and the home-brew beer) and of course Paula McCarthy from the Copper Coast Geopark management for facilitating and supporting us over the past few years.
SEARG are looking forward to next years event!
DX News
The visit of Pope Benedict to Croatia has resulted in the issuing of a special callsign to commemorate the event. Prefix hunters will be glad to work 9A16PB which is on the air until 13 June. QSL info is via 9A2MF.
John K9EL will be active from the Caribbean island of Saint Martin as FS/K9EL from 7 – 19 June. He will use CW, SSB and some RTTY on all bands 80 – 6m during his stay there. QSLs go via the home call and logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World.
For those who still need Bonaire on 6m now is the time to look for PJ4E which will be operated by W0SD, W0OE and PJ4NX until 19 June. There will also be some activity on the HF bands with the emphasis on RTTY.
Dave W5CW is back in the Turks and Caicos Islands and has been very active as VP5/W5CW on all bands 160 – 6m. He remains there until 14 June and QSLs go to the home call.
The Japan A1 Club is celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Samuel Morse by airing the call 8J1MORSE until the end of 2011. Calls from other areas of Japan to look for are 8J1MORSE/2, 8J1MORSE/3 etc. Not surprisingly CW will be the preferred mode.
Planned DXpedition to the Island of Navassa
Official authorization has been granted by CONATEL, the communications regulator for Haiti to use the call sign “HH0N”. Radio Club D’Haiti, can now use the call sign “HH0N” during the month of January 2012.
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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