Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 30th March 2014
IRTS AGM 2014
Last weekend the IRTS AGM took place at the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill, Galway. The event was kicked off by the customary dinner on the Saturday night. A delicious food fare was served by the pleasant and efficient staff of the hotel. Special guests included Cllr, Michelle Murphy, Deputising for the Mayor of Galway, Colin Thomas,G3PSM, representing the IARU, Derek O’Reilly of COMREG. A charity raffle was held in aid of the provision of teddy bears for children attending hospital emergency departments.
A very well attended rally/trade fair was held on Sunday and this was a most successful event. The Annual General Meeting was held at 1400. The order of business was diligently worked through.
The President, Seamus McCague, EI8BP, gave a comprehensive address on the hobby and he emphasized the importance of having a strong Society with a strong voice particularly as the EU can legislate and this can directly affect individual amateur radio operators in EU member states. He further emphasised the importance and significance of IRTS membership of IARU. He addressed the items of interference in the radio spectrum and the importance of recruiting new and particularly Youth licensees to the hobby.
Awards and trophies were given out and special mention must go to Dave Moore, EI4BZ who received the Presidents’ Cup for his over 28 years as editor of ECHO Ireland. Also, special mention must go to Sean Donelan, EI4GK, who received the Pat Conway Perpetual Memorial Trophy for exceptional service to the IRTS as Society Treasurer. The youngest and I’m sure the proudest amateur radio operator in Ireland at the moment, Jordan Cummins,EI4HLB, was awarded the ARUP Cup for exceptional service to the Society and Amateur Radio.
For a comprehensive list of awards and their recipients please follow the link www.irts.ie/awards Interesting photos will appear in future editions of ECHO Ireland and EI-News.
Special thanks go to the Steve Wright,EI5DD and the Galway VHF group for their exceptional work in hosting this years AGM.
The IRTS AGM 2015 will be hosted by the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and the venue is Hotel Kilkenny.
Amateur Station Licence Examination
The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday, 22nd May in the ComReg Offices in Dublin. Full details, including entry procedure, examination fee and how to pay the fee on line are available at www.irts.ie/exam . Please note that it is necessary to download the application form from the web page and forward the completed form and the appropriate fee so as to secure a place for the examination. If you pay the fee on line you must still complete and forward the application form. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Wednesday 30th April. Three Exam Reports which were previously published in Echo Ireland are now available on the Downloads section of the website at www.irts.ie/downloads These reports contain very useful information for anyone studying for the Licence Examination
Cork Radio Club
Cork Radio Club will hold their monthly meeting at Carrigtwohill Community Centre on Tuesday next April 1st at 8pm. John Ronan EI7IG is this month’s guest speaker and he will give a talk on A.P.R.S. Final arrangements will be made at the meeting for the Marconi Day special event station at Brow Head on April 26th.
Cork Radio Club will again operate this year’s CW Field Day from the seaside property of Tim EI2KA in Baltimore in West Cork when they will attempt to win the Paddy Smyth Memorial Cup again this year on the first weekend in June. Visitors are very welcome to attend all Cork Radio Club’s meetings and events and further information can be had from Club Chairman Cormac EI4HQ on 086-3886353 or by email at ei4hq/dot/mail/at/gmail.com
Geo Stationary Satellite Transponders
Es'HailSat-2 will carry two geostationary “Phase 4” amateur radio transponders. Es'HailSat-2 will provide a 250kHz linear transponder intended for conventional analogue operations in addition to another transponder which will have an 8MHz bandwidth. The latter transponder is intended for experimental digital modulation schemes and DVB amateur television. The launch date is expected by the end of 2016.
Precise uplink and downlink frequencies remain to be finalized but the uplinks will be in the 2.40-2.45GHz and the downlinks in the 10.450-10.500GHz amateur satellite service allocations. The project is as result of a concept proposed by the Qatar Amateur Radio Society.
Southern Ireland Repeater Network
A new 70cm repeater has been added to the Southern Ireland Repeater Network in the North Cork area. The project has been completed by East Cork Amateur Radio Group. It is located near Bweeng at about 410m ASL. The repeater callsign is EI7BWR and it operates on 430.875 with a shift of +7.6 MHz (Channel RU-70) and an access tone of 103.5 Hz. The repeater was installed on Saturday March 22nd by Neil EI3JE, John EI8JA and special thanks to Gareth EI7FZB, who braved the elements on an extremely cold day to install the antennas and cables. This brings the number of repeaters on the network to six. Reception reports to Neil EI3JE via e-mail to neilpowell1/at/eircom/dot/net. or sirnrepeaters/at/ gmail/dot/com.
DECLAN EI9HQ/EI45WAB
Declan, EI9HQ will be out and about on one of his now regular runs on Friday 4th April. He will be leaving Dublin at 1200 and travelling to Westport, County Mayo. Next day, Saturday 5th April, returning to Dublin and you can hear him between 7.160KHz and 7.170KHz.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The March meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on tomorrow Monday 31st March at 8.00 p.m.
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI7DAR
The AGM of the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society will be held next Wednesday 2nd April at the Club house, ‘Larkin House’ 116 Castletown Road, Dundalk. All members are encouraged to attend. News members always welcome. Check out our website, ei7dar.com.
Bletchley Park Code Breakers
One of the last surviving wartime codebreakers has died at aged 93. Captain Raymond "Jerry" Roberts, who died recently following a short illness, was part of a team at Bletchley Park, in Buckinghamshire, which helped to crack the German Tunny system used by Hitler, Mussolini and other high ranking generals during the Second World War.
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.
[A]
