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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 28th April 2019


Contest Next Sunday

The IRTS 40 metres Counties Contest takes place on Sunday next, 5th May. Starting at 12:00 UTC, it runs for 2 hours. There are SSB only and SSB/CW mixed mode sections for both fixed and portable stations. Multipliers are the 32 EI and GI counties, while for EI and GI stations overseas DXCC entities also count as multipliers. See www.irts.ie/contests for the full rules which include permitted frequencies.


Radio Experiments by Colonel Dennis EI2B

Colonel Meade Dennis, who lived near Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, began experimenting with radio transmission in 1898, making him probably the first amateur radio experimenter in the world. His first call sign was DNX. Following Irish independence he was issued with the call sign GW11B, becoming EI2B in 1928 when the Irish Free State began issuing EI call signs. Colonel Dennis continued with his radio experiments until his death in 1945. The house in which he lived and undertook most of his experiments was recently sold by his great-grandchildren. The radio equipment belonging to EI2B has been donated to the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland, at NUI Galway.

Robert EI5KH and Joe EI7GY, on behalf of IRTS, recently assisted the family in identifying the radio equipment of historical interest and, during this process, the family agreed to make available to IRTS the Colonel’s papers relating to his radio experiments, and also agreed that these papers could be published. A project to scan and index Colonel Dennis’s papers has now been completed; they are available for viewing on the IRTS web site at www.irts.ie/ei2b

These papers, comprising more than 400 pages of correspondence and notes, show the considerable lengths to which early radio experimenters went to understand the theory and practice behind radio transmission and reception. They should be of great interest to all radio amateurs and experimenters, and also represent a valuable resource for anyone researching the history of radiocommunications. We are very grateful to the Dennis family for their initiative in preserving the papers and agreeing to their publication.


SDR AGM

South Dublin Radio Club AGM will take place at 8pm on Tuesday 7th of May 2019 at Ballyroan community centre on Marian Road in Rathfarnham. All members are asked to attend.


SEARG

The April meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday the 29th of April 2019 in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford at 8.00 p.m. sharp. Plans for upcoming events including the 2019 Geopark will be discussed so all members are please asked to attend. New members or anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio or the group are as always very welcome to attend.

For anyone that wishes to find out more about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and their activities you can drop them an email to “southeasternarg /at/ gmail /dot/ com” or please feel free to attend any of their meetings. You can check out their website www.searg.ie and you can also join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.


DX News

Seven Croatian operators will be on Reunion Island from 27th April – 8th May. Instead of the usual prefix of FR they will be using the callsign TO19A. Main focus will be on the low bands with activity on CW, SSB and FT8. QSLs go via 9A2AA.

Harry JG7PSJ will be back on Ogasawara Island from 28th April – 4th May. He will reactivate his JD1BMH callsign on all bands 40 – 10m on CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via the home call.

A group of Belgian amateurs will sign GJ6EFW from the Island of Jersey from 30th April – 5th May. Activity will be on HF and VHF. QSL via ON6EF.

Nobby G0VJG will be DXing in the Pacific area during May. Callsigns will be 3D2AS from Fiji and probably FW/G0VJG from Wallis and Futuna Island. Activity will be from 3rd – 22nd May.

Formula 1 enthusiasts may be interested in a special station which will be on the air from Baku in Azerbaijan from now until 31st May. The callsign is 4JF1EU and QSL manager is 4J3DJ.


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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