Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 26th May 2019
Contest News
Results of the 40 Metres Counties Contest held on 5th May have been published. Band conditions on the day were very difficult, with plenty of background noise and almost no short skip. 21 transmitting station logs and one SWL log were submitted, showing activity in 18 EI/GI counties and QSOs with 13 overseas DXCC entities. See www.irts.ie/results for the contest results.
CW Field Day takes place over next weekend, commencing at 15:00 UTC on Saturday 1st June, this coincides with similar contests in other IARU Region 1 countries. The contest runs for 24 hours, however members have the option of entering the Restricted Section by operating for no more than 6 hours of the contest period. See www.irts.ie/contests for the full rules.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The May meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday the 27th of May 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 finalised so all members are asked to please attend. New members or anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio or the group are as always very welcome to attend also.
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 come along to 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.
Tipperary Amateur Radio Group
A reminder that the next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will take place in The Park Hotel, Clonmel on Tuesday 28th May at 8.30pm. New members or anyone interested in amateur radio are very welcome. For anyone who wishes to find out more about the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group and its activities you can attend any of their meetings. You can also check out their website www.ei7trg.ie or contact club PRO Ronan EI4KN at QTHR for further information.
Alcock & Brown Centenary
Members & friends of The Galway Radio Experimenters Club (GREC) will for the month of June be operating as EI100ABC to commemorate the 1st transatlantic non-stop crossing by the famous aviators Alcock & Brown who in June 1919 made the trip from Newfoundland, Canada to Clifden, Ireland in a Vickers Vimy plane. A five day festival will also be held in Clifden beginning June 12th 2019 showcasing the historic event, see https://alcockandbrown100.com/ or https://www.qrz.com/db/ei100abc for more details.
13 June 2019 - 50 MHz Activity Needed
Reminder: This year the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) starts on 28 October and will last four weeks. An important agenda item for the amateur service is for the WRC to consider the consolidation and extension of 50 MHz in Region 1 (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asiatic Russia). One of the national telecoms administrations, which are actively supporting the proposal, is the Czech Republic; unfortunately some other administrations are actively opposed.
To gather solid evidence of the high level of amateur activity on the band, and at the same time to demonstrate that amateurs can co-exist with other band users including the military, IARU is supporting a monitoring trial in the middle of June. The event is being run by the Czech national radio society, in conjunction with their regulator. It is part activity period and part contest. Government and professional users will be monitoring (and some will be transmitting as well) so it is important that we make a good showing. Remember, by the way, that if you do hear any non-amateur stations you must make sure you do NOT cause them any interference.
Full details can be found on the iaru-r1.org website.
Date and times are Thursday 13 June 2019 07:30 - 09:00 UTC and 11:00 - 12:30 UTC
There needs to be as much activity as possible on the band during these two periods, preferably sticking to the Czech power limit of 25 W ERP. It doesn't matter whether the band is open or not, just get on the air using SSB, CW, Digital, or all three. It is not essential that you should submit an entry for the contest although that would be appreciated, but IARU would definitely like as many logs as possible (contest or non-contest) to be sent in by 15 June, to provide solid evidence that can be used in pre-WRC planning.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC will for the 12th consecutive year take part in the Geoparks Communications weekend which takes place over the weekend of the 8th & 9th of June to coincide with European Geoparks week. Access to the site will be available on the morning of the 8th with ample room for parking and camping overnight. This year the group are planning to have as many different stations active on as many different bands and modes as possible. Tea/Coffee available all weekend. SEARG would like to thank John Galloway, Manager of the Copper Coast Geopark Centre, Bunmahon and all his staff for making this excellent site available as always to them to use for the Geopark Weekend.
South Dublin Radio Club
A talk will be given by Mark EI6HPB on Tuesday 4th of June 2019 at Ballyroan community centre on the Marian road in Rathfarnham. All club members are asked to attend.
18th & 19th April 2020 - IRTS 88th AGM
Reminder that the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC will be hosting the 88th Annual Irish Radio Transmitters Society AGM over the weekend of the 18th & 19th April 2020, in The Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow.
This will be their 2nd time to host the event and they look forward to welcoming everyone from Ireland and beyond to Carlow.
The hotel reception may be contacted on 059 9142002. Please use the code “IRTS 2020” to obtain special room prices for the event. More information on the weekend will be released once confirmed.
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 come along to 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
A group of Belgian amateurs will be QRV from Les Minquiers Islands (pronounced Minkies) nine miles south of Jersey until 31st May. This island group counts as EU-099 for the IOTA award. The callsign is MJ/OQ7A/P and they are on SSB, CW and digital. QSL via the ON bureau.
An international team will be active as E31A from Eritrea from 25th May – 3rd June. They will be on all bands 160 – 6m on CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.
Six Scottish amateurs will sign LX/GM4UYE from Luxembourg from 25th May – 1st June. QRV on 40 – 6m on SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8. QSL manager is M0OXO.
To mark the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings a special callsign, GB75DDAY, will be aired during June. The station will be located on HMS Belfast which is a museum ship moored on the River Thames in London. QSL manager is G0TOC.
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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