Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 6th January 2013
Counties Contest
80 metres was alive with EI call signs on New Year's Day for the counties contest. The number of counties activated, however, seemed to be somewhat lower than usual. Initial reports suggest that 25 of the 32 counties were active. During the final hour, as ionospheric conditions began to favour longer distances, some continental European stations joined in.
A number of portable stations braved the elements - we heard Mayo Radio Experimenters Network operating portable in Mayo, Dave EI9FBB was portable in Kerry and seemingly the only station in Kerry in the contest, so he was in great demand, while Joe EI7GY was out on the Wicklow mountains.
Logs need to be submitted to the contest manager no later than 15th January.
EI13CLAN
Any member wishing go on air with EI13CLAN should contact Dave EI6AL at dave.ei6al /at/ gmail.com or by phone on 0861000000.
New MF Allocation
We have been informed by ComReg that the band segment 472 to 479 kHz becomes available to all licensed radio amateurs here, on a secondary basis, with effect from 1 January 2013. The maximum power is 5 watts (7 dBW) and the modes available are CW, QRSS, and narrow band digital modes. Stations in the Amateur service operating in this band shall not cause harmful interference to, or claim protection from, stations of the aeronautical radionavigation service or stations of the maritime service. The amateur service shall ensure that no harmful interference is caused to the frequency 490 kHz which is used exclusively for the transmission by coast stations of navigational and meteorological and urgent information to ships.
Coolmine Radio Rally
Coolmine rally will be held at the Coolmine Community School on Sunday 10th February 2013. Doors open at 8.30am for traders and for member of the public at 9.30am. Admission is €5.00. Usual traders will attend and there will be a bring and buy sale. Tea and refreshments available all day during the event. Unlimited free car parking available. To book a table for the rally please call the following: Tom, 01 8211043 or Tony, 087 2439997. Everyone welcome to this excellent annual event.
DX News
Two German operators will be QRV from Kenya from 7 – 20 January. Callsigns to look for are 5Z4/DF3ZS and 5Z4/DL1QW. They will be on all bands 80 – 10m on SSB and RTTY. QSL to the home calls.
The Dakar Rally will start in Peru for the first time this year. The route will take participants through Peru, Argentina and Chile. To mark the occasion the Radio Club Peruano are airing a special event station with the callsign 4T4RDP. The station will be active from 4 – 13 January. A special QSL card will be available via OA4O.
Al W6HGF will be active from the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean from 9 – 24 January. He will use the callsign J8/W6HGF and focus on RTTY. QSLs go via his home call.
Austrian amateurs will have the option of replacing their normal prefix with the special prefix OE2013 between 15 January and 18 February. This is to celebrate the Alpine Ski World Championships taking place in Schladming. Details of a special award in connection with this event can be found on the internet.
Morse Code as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
On December 12th, the Cabinet of Germany ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which brings us one step closer to the goal of the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) and IARU to have Morse Code added to the list of Intangible cultural heritage. This should be achieved by November 2014.
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 085-7100-511
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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