Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 8th January 2017
Wild Atlantic Way
The Wild Atlantic Way project has been underway since New Year’s Day. There has been good demand on the air for the WAW call signs, with big pileups from time to time. It is important to maintain high visibility for the project over the full year, so the coordinators are looking for additional operators to help out. See www.irts.ie/waw-ops for more information.
Cork Radio Club
Cork Radio Club will hold their first meeting of the new year on Wednesday next, 11th January, in the Carrigtwohill Community Centre starting at 8.30pm. Members look forward to welcoming home two much travelled DXers, Dave EI9FBB and Jeremy EI5GM, from their recent trip to activate another rare IOTA, Asia-088 in Qatar with the local amateur radio society.
All members are requested to attend this meeting as outline plans for the coming year’s activities will be discussed. As well as the field days, other activities will depend on the interest shown by members.
In an effort to support students who are studying for the theory examination, the club proposes to hold study days during the coming months. This will involve day long get-togethers where experts in all aspects of the syllabus will be available to mentor students. Expressions of interest should be sent to Dave EI4BZ via email to davebeag /at/ gmail.com or by phone to 087-6290574.
Also contact Dave to operate the Cork Wild Atlantic Way call sign, EI99WAW, on any band or mode.
Shannon Basin Radio Club
Shannon basin radio club is holding its AGM in Hannons Hotel Roscommon on Friday the 13th at 20:30. All members are requested to attend and anyone wishing to join is very welcome.
South Dublin Radio Club
Theory classes will return at the club starting 17th January and then weekly until May 2017 for those interested in obtaining an Amateur Radio licence.
Intended for the absolute beginner they will be exam focused. Those intending to attend should register their interest through the contact us section on the South Dublin Radio Club website or attend the January 10th meeting upstairs in Ballyroan Community Centre on the Marian Road in Rathfarnham South Dublin. Class notes will be shared by email, and those attending are asked to bring a notepad and pen.
The course material has been updated and improved based on feedback from last years course. The website for registering is www.southdublinradioclub.ie Classes and normal club meetings start at 8:30pm every Tuesday night.
Phoenix Rally
The Phoenix Amateur Radio Club Rally takes place on Sunday 19th February in the Coolmine Community School, Grove Road, Blanchardstown. Doors open at 10am. In recent years, the Phoenix rally has been the only radio rally in the Dublin area, so it is always well attended. To book a table contact Tony at 087-243 9997.
Counties Contest
Our 80 metres counties contest on New Year’s Day was well supported, with activity from most counties. Reports we have received suggest that band conditions on the day were generally good, with excellent local propagation from the start and some longer skip towards the end. Quite a few portable stations were heard, taking advantage of the good WX. The contest manager is asking those who participated in the contest but have not yet submitted their logs to do so as soon as possible. The deadline for logs is next Sunday, 15th January.
Annual General Meeting, diary date
A date for your diary: the 85th Annual General Meeting of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society will be hosted by the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society over the weekend of 8/9 April 2017, in the Crowne Plaza, Green Park, Dundalk. More details in future news bulletins.
Radio Shacks of Ireland, Photo Competition
Dundalk Amateur Radio Society is running a competition for the best shack photo. All entries received will be entered into a Prize Draw for a handheld radio, and will be printed and displayed as a wall exhibition at the IRTS AGM. See www.ei7dar.com for full details of how to enter.
Cups and Trophies
With the AGM coming soon, the 2016 Cup and Trophy award holders are asked to return their awards as soon as possible, so that the Awards Curator Larry McGriskin EI9CN can prepare them for the new recipients at the AGM 2017 awards ceremony in Dundalk. Cups and Trophies can be returned to any IRTS Committee Member.
DX News
To celebrate the 80th birthdays of both King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway during 2017 special event stations will be active. The callsigns to look for are LM80REX and LM80Q. QSLs for these stations are via Club Log OQRS.
David ZS1BCE who was active from the research station on Marion Island for 12 months during 2013/14 is returning there soon for a further 17 months. He will reactivate his ZS8Z callsign and operate SSB on the HF bands. As before his QSL Manager will be ZS1LS.
Activity from the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus has been rare in recent times but during January three stations will be on the air. The callsigns are ZC4SB, ZC4DB and ZC4JB. Check out qrz.com for details of the QSL information.
Tom PA3TG who was QRV as 5N/PA3TG during the final few months of 2016 will be using his new callsign 5N40TG from Lagos this month. QSL to his home call.
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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