Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 4th October 2015
Amateur Station Licence Examination
The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday, 5th November 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 Friday, 16th October. Three Exam Reports which were previously published in Echo Ireland are available on the Downloads section of the website at www.irts.ie/downloads under Studying for the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate. These reports contain very useful information for anyone studying for the Licence Examination. Intending candidates are advised to pay particular attention to the syllabus for the examination especially Annexes 1 and 2.
Clubs Holding Radio Theory Classes
The following radio clubs are holding radio theory classes: -
The Cork Radio Club. Names are still being taken for a prospective course for the amateur licence exam and anyone interested in either the course or the club should contact Dave EI4BZ on 087-6290574 or by Email to ei4bz /at/ eircom.net.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group is organising radio theory classes. Anyone interested may contact Mark EI7IS or Seany EI2HZB. www.searg.com You can follow SEARG on Facebook and on Twitter. Everyone welcome.
South Dublin Radio Club welcome enquiries and participants to partake in learning the radio theory necessary to obtain an amateur radio licence. www.southdublinradioclub.ie
Region 4 radio theory classes in the Limerick region. Interested parties are asked to contact Ger EI4GXB QTHR or on mobile 087-2532512.
Scouts Jamboree on the Air JOTA
The annual Scouts Jamboree on the Air, JOTA, takes place over the weekend 17th and 18th October next. This is an event where scouts and amateur radio operators come together and make contact with scouts in other countries around the world to exchange greetings. The event is open to all and you are requested to simply contact your local scout group if you have an interest in participating. IRTS can provide you with an Operators Briefing document if you have not taken part before. We already know of a number of stations planning to operate from EI and GI.
Paul EI2CA is organising a major station in Navan to facilitate a number of scout groups in the North East. They are in need of some additional operators on Saturday the 17th and if you can help out contact Paul on 087 2523908. His details are also on the IRTS website.
We have a second enquiry from a scout group in Raphoe County Donegal who will be on an exercise in the Blue Stack mountains over the weekend of the event. This scout group is now looking for a licensed operator, close by in the Donegal region, to mount a short SOTA or AREN type operation for them on the Saturday evening. Again contact Paul EI2CA if you can help.
Radio Officers Association New Publication
The Radio Officers’ Association has now published “The Long Silence Falls” Volume II, a book of stories of the Life and Times of the merchant navy Radio Officer. The book is full of stories from ex Radio Officers covering topics such as, War Stories; First Trips, Last Trips and Voyages in between; Life on the Ocean Wave; Life Ashore; stories of Irish Radio Officers; plus much more, including many photos of onboard Radio equipment.
The Association would also be glad to hear from any ‘Radio Officers’ who would like to become a member or would like to contribute a story to its quarterly Journal ‘QSO’ For more information about the “The Long Silence Falls” or the Radio Officers Association go to www.radioofficers.com
Limerick Radio Club
Limerick Radio Club monthly meetings will resume on Thursday 8 October at the Limerick Institute of Technology at 19.30. Visitors & new members are very welcome to attend.
Oliver EI8GQB
Oliver EI8GQB will be active between 6th to 30th October 2015. He will use his caravan using green electric energy from the top of a windy Irish hill.
He will activate the callsign EI1A whilst participating in the Worked All Germany Contest (October 17th to 18th) and the CQ WW DX SSB contest (October 24th to 25th)
He will operate with a new SO2R optimized antenna farm. Look at www.qrz.com/db/ei8gqb to follow him live with his new array of antennas.
DX News
Seppo OH1VR will be active as SV9/OH1VR from the Island of Crete from 4th to 10th October. He will operate mainly CW on the HF bands. QSL to his home call.
John W5JON will be spending a month at his retirement home on St Kitts in the Caribbean from 6th October. As usual he will use his V47JA callsign and prefers to confirm QSOs by way of Logbook of the World.
Three Norwegian operators will be QRV as JW9DL, JW6VM and JW7XK from Longyearbyen on Svalbard from 7th to 12th October. They will also take part in the Scandinavian Activity Contest on 10th/11th October using the callsign JW5X.
The DXpedition to the Chesterfield Islands in the Pacific will last until 12th October. The callsign is TX3X and they will be QRV on all bands. Look for up-to-date information on www.tx3x.com
The Mediterraneo DX group will be travelling to Vietnam 3W on October 30th next and plan to be QRV from October 31st to November 10th on all bands/modes. Jeremy EI5GM will form part of the CW team travelling and will keep an keen ear out for EI stations in the pileups. Additional info on qrz.com, mdxc & Dx-World websites.
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 may be 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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