Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 9th September 2018
Counties Contest
A reminder for those listening to the news broadcast on Sunday morning that the 70cms Counties Contest starts at 1.00pm today, followed at 2.00pm by the 2 metres Counties Contest.
Echo Ireland
The Autumn edition of the members' journal includes plenty of updates on club activities - including lighthouse activations by several radio clubs during International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend, along with Shannon Basin Radio Club's activation of the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Museum as part of the Museums on the Air weekend.
A number of clubs, including Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club report on exam successes by members leading to new licences, while Galway VHF Group reports on several recent AREN operations as well as work on new repeaters.
Details of new repeaters and gateways to be deployed in the Midlands region are included in the report by the IECRO Ireland Radio Club, while Mayo Radio Experimenters Network report on their involvement in the recent VHF/UHF Field Day.
An interesting article by Kerry Amateur Radio Group deals with the history of the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Station, which carried messages between Valentia and Newfoundland for 100 years from 1866 onwards. The Kerry group celebrated the anniversary of this wired connection of Europe to America by making wireless communication with the Newfoundland cable station from Valentia Cable Station.
An Amateur Radio Direction Finding event in Kilkenny, organised by the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group, is covered in an article by Keith EI5KJ. As well as explaining how the event was organised, Keith describes the equipment and techniques used by the hunters; it all sounds like good fun!
The latest Echo Ireland also includes the regular Contest and HF Happenings columns, including a useful DXpedition calendar for the coming months. There is also a report on the outcome of the consultation process on the new band plans for spectrum in the range 30.0–69.9 MHz, recently made available to radio amateurs in Ireland.
Echo Ireland is currently being printed and should be delivered to members shortly.
November HAREC Licence Examination
Important reminder: The closing date for applications to sit the November exam are to be received no later than Thursday 1st November 2018. The examination itself will be held on Thursday 15th November 2018 in the ComReg offices in Dublin and at other centres if warranted by the numbers.
Places for exams at the ComReg Offices are limited, they are allocated on a first come first served basis and are only reserved on receipt of an application form and the examination fee.
To reserve a place, candidates should forward a completed application form to Joe Ryan EI7GY. See www.irts.ie/exam for Joe's contact details and other information about the exam.
IRTS AGM
Venue for the 2019 IRTS AGM has been now set. The IRTS AGM event will take place on the 13th and 14th April 2019. Venue will be The Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co Roscommon, N37 XR82. Dinner tickets are 35 euro. Talks and lectures will take place on Saturday, while the Rally and AGM shall take place on the Sunday. For further information please see www.shannonbasinradioclub.com and facebook page.
Spectrum Strategy 2019-2021
IRTS responded to ComReg's draft Radio Spectrum Management Strategy 2019 to 2021 contained in document ComReg 18/74, which was published on 3 August 2018. The response deadline was rather short, 31 August which unfortunately made it impracticable to seek members' comments. Members will recall that it was the last spectrum strategy which provided the Irish amateur service with new opportunities in the range 30 - 70.5 MHz. The IRTS response for 2019 to 2021 includes a request for access to sub 8.3 kHz spectrum as well as spectrum above 50 GHz. Additionally some 5 MHz issues are addressed.
Concerning ITU WRC-19, IRTS has reflected the IARU position on various agenda items of interest to the amateur service (including 50-54 MHz) and has asked to be involved in national preparations for this major ITU event. Lastly IRTS requested clarification on text relating to radio astronomy experiments at the LOFAR site at Birr Castle. The full text of the IRTS submission to ComReg can be downloaded from the IRTS section of the downloads page on the Society's website. The URL is www.irts.ie/downloads
Skywave Amateur Radio Club
A reminder that the Committee of the Skywave Amateur Radio Club, would like to announce the formation of their new club in the Cork region. The club has been issued with the call sign EI0SW and are pleased to inform everyone that they are now accepting new members. For more details please see their website www.skywave.ie
DX News
Three special event stations will be active from the Republic of San Marino on 15th - 16th September. Look for the callsigns T71A, T71B and T71C which will be transmitting from towers on the three peaks of Monte Titano in San Marino. This event is being held in conjunction with a local civil protection exercise. QSLs go via T70A.
Several German amateurs will operate on SSB and CW from Tombeline Island (IOTA EU-156) in the coming week. Actual dates depend on the local weather and tidal conditions but will be between 11th and 14th September. Callsigns will be F/DF2MX/P, F/DK2RO/P and F/DL8AW/P.
Bud AA3B will be QRV as V26K from the island of Antigua from 8th – 17th September. QSL via Club Log OQRS.
Randy K5SL will operate holiday-style as PJ7/K5SL from Sint Maarten from 8th - 15th September. He will be on 40 - 17m on CW and SSB. 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, Mark EI6HPB on 086 355 2370.
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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