Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 19th April 2020
Silent Key
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of John Dolan EI9AD. John was a long time member of the Limerick Radio Club where he served in various roles. Originally from Bawnboy Co Cavan, John lived in Shelbourne Park, Limerick.
In his early career, John worked in the Aviation Communications Service at Ballygirreen, Co Clare. John went on to lecture in electronics and communications in the School of Electrical Engineering Limerick in the 1960’s. He then moved with the school to Moylish, which is now known as Limerick Institute of Technology.
Over many years John played a leading role in various Limerick Radio Club activities, including preparation and presentation of Amateur Radio courses in Region 4.
John died peacefully in his home on Wednesday 16th April. We extend our deepest sympathy to his Daughter Mary, sons Carl and Damien and extended family. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.
5 and 8 meter
We want to remind all that 8m and 5m activity might be fun in this emerging e-skip season. EI1KNH is qrv on 60.013 running CW/PI4 for it's first e-season, which might be a good indicator that 4m is opening if anyone spots it ex-EI, and if any EIs spot it, it's a clear sign 4m and maybe 2m are available. It's located at the same site as EI4RF and EI0SIX, running 35w to a folded dipole at 1000ft ASL. Meanwhile on 8m, the proposed EI1KNH beacon on 40.013 is on hold thanks to the lockdown, but will be deployed rapidly when the movement ban is Lifted. It will run CW/PI4 with 40w to a vertical monopole. EI0SIX, which is /qrp at the moment, pending a PA and antenna upgrade - also ready to deploy as soon as the lockdown lifts. For anyone that has a MARS-Modded (non-SDR based) radio with 6m, they should be able to run on 40mhz/8m, in RX mode at least, and the frequency to watch is 40.220 - this is the spot frequency LY2YR (Gintas) is allowed run on this season. He has a MARS modded FT2000 & a hexbeam ready to go. At EI4GNB a MARS modded FT857d and a 2 element Quad are setup. Last year Gintas worked EI4GNB on 5m for a first, and what may be a 5m distance record, this year it's about 8m, which should be easy enough. Any EIs looking for a new band, or to set a distance record might want to get set for this. One word of caution, especially with 5m (60mhz) - just because Your radio can be tricked into TX out of band does not follow that it will be clean or any use, this is especially true of the current crop of hybrid & SDR-cored radios. Comparing an Icom IC7100 and an Icom 7300 for OOB use is night & day - the 7100 has acceptable emissions on 5m and 8m, but the 7300 has been found to be strongly not suitable. A general rule of thumb is, if it's in warranty, or just out of warranty, don't try to use it, get a transverter instead. A beacon on 40.675mhz is being run in grid KG46rc. The beacon uses an Icom Ic706 radio, 30watt to a 5 element YU7EF yagi on EU. So, with some luck, EI, ZS and LY can be worked on 8m this year.
Shannon Basic Radio Club Nets
The Shannon Basin Radio Club is now having a net on Top Band every Monday evening at 20:00 Local on 1.916. The 80 meters net continues to be on Wednesday evenings on 3.740 plus or minus qrm at 20:00 and the 2 meter net is on Thursday evenings at 20:00 local. There has been a lot of interest in the nets over the last couple of weeks and everyone is welcome to join in. See the clubs Facebook page and www.sbrc.ie for more details.
Bank Holiday Monday Contest
A one-off independent 2m contest is being held on the Bank holiday Monday on May 4th to promote 2m usage during the COVID-19 lockdown. From 2pm to 3pm local time there will be an FM contest where operators should exchange signal reports, serials and 4 character Grid Squares. And from 3pm to 4pm there will be an FT8 contest using the standard FT8 messages to exchange signal reports and grid squares. The contests are open to all licensed amateur radio operators and Short Wave Listeners but due to the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions no portable or mobile operation is permitted. Further details can be found at www.vhflockdown.fun . We hope to hear you on the air during the contests!
5MHz Newsletter
The latest edition of The 5 MHz Newsletter (No 24 – Winter/Spring 2020) is now available for free pdf download from the ‘External Links’ section of the Wikipedia 60m Band page or the RSGB 5 MHz page. This edition includes 5 MHz news from 7 countries, GB3WES Beacon Closedown, a 5 MHz Controlled Feeder Radiation Dipole, plus features the latest World of 5 MHz Map.
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. If you currently receive a copy of the IRTS Radio News Bulletin by email as a news reader and wish to modify your address, please inform the editor in order to have it changed on the news readers mailing list.
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