Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 12th July 2020
IRTS Contest Award Winners for 2020
Congratulations to the following contest awards winners announced for presentation at the 2020 AGM. The EI7IQ Shield for 6 metres was won by Roger Greengrass EI8KN and the EI7IQ Shield for 4 metres was won by Pat Whitty EI8IQ. The Tom Donnellan Cup for the leading EI single operator station in the CQWW CW Contest goes to Stan Danlov EI6DX. There are three trophies awarded for the Islands on the Air Contest and the IRTS DX Trophy for the leading EI single operator was won by Peter Ball EI7CC. Joe Ryan EI7GY won the Hal Hodgens Trophy as the leading EI single operator in the 12 hour CW section and the IRTS IOTA Trophy for the leading EJ DXpedition station was awarded to the Stockport Contest Group EJ6KP.
Dublin HAREC Exam Closing date
The next HAREC Examination will be held in the Maldron Hotel in Tallaght, Dublin on Saturday July 25th starting at 2.00pm. The latest date for the receipt of applications is Wednesday next July 15th. Places for exams are limited, are allocated on a first come first served basis and are only reserved on receipt of an application form and exam fee. Log on to www.irts.ie/exam for all the details including the exams being held in Cork on August 8th and Galway on August 15th.
Irish Amateur Radio Examination Resource Pages and Blog
A new resource for students studying for the HAREC examination and CW tests has been launched on Facebook by Tony EI5EM and has been generating considerable interest. The page is called “Irish Amateur Radio Examination Resource Pages and Blog” and on the page Tony provides articles on different aspects of the examination syllabus plus sample questions. Students can submit queries on any topic and Tony invites amateurs to join him in helping students with their studies. You contact Tony on the Facebook page or by email at tonyei5em /at/ gmail.com
On the Air this week
DX activity is not great at the moment, but we have plenty local activity to get on with. The EI DX Group Summer Challenge is in full swing, and the aim is to work as many DXCC entities, EI and GI counties and EI DX Group members as possible before the 30th of August. See eidxg.com. Local nets will be on during the week as follows: On Tuesday the Kerry Amateur Radio Group meet on 80 metres at 1930 on 3.650MHz. Also, on next Tuesday, the Cork VHF Net will be on 70 Centimetres on 433.475MHz FM at 2100. On Wednesday, the Shannon Basin 80m net is at 2000 around 3.710MHz and on Thursday the Shannon Basin VHF net is on 145.350MHz at 2000. South Dublin Radio Club have a daily 2m net on 144.330MHz SSB at 2000 and they have a weekly net on 40m on 7.123MHz on Sunday mornings before Joe EI6EG reads the IRTS news.
Galway Digital Radio Group Presentation on Zoom
There will be a Zoom Presentation covering the Galway Digital Network on Tuesday the 14th of July at 8pm. This will be a non-technical overview of what is in place, the coverage of the network and what it has to offer. At the end we will hold a question and answer session. Contact Steve EI5DD for login details
European SOTA Activity Day September 19th
Summits On The Air is a programme designed to encourage amateur radio based activity from the summits of hills and mountains in countries around the world and to provide an award system for radio amateurs in all DXCC entities. There are 389 listed summits in EI, ranging from little more than 150m in height to over 1,000 metres. Full details of awards and a listing of all summits is available on www.sota.org.uk Details of current SOTA operations are listed on sotawatch.sota.org.uk A European SOTA Activity Day will be held on Saturday September 19th and will provide a great opportunity to get involved in the SOTA award scheme.
Limerick Clare Radio Club
LCRC has returned to the Shannon Aviation Museum and is currently setting up HF and VHF/UHF working stations. The club is awaiting delivery of a HF Hex Beam and VHF/UHF antennae. Due to Covid-19, and for the first time in 8 years, LCRC will not be taking part in the International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend from Loop Head. Unfortunately, the Lighthouse Compound remains closed for the duration of 2020. IL&LW was a highlight of club activities - with up to 14 members attending over that weekend. However, the club plans on being on air, from the Shannon Aviation Museum, for the IL&LW on the 22nd and 23rd August 2020 and to work as many IL&Ls as possible. With the IRTS announcement of the dates for the next HAREC Exam, LCARC club members are available to help anyone preparing for the exam. Club members are also available to run the HAREC course - anyone interested should contact LCARC Chairman, Dermot Gleeson (via e mail) ei2gt at eircom.net.
Mid Ulster ARC Tuesday Night Lecture on Raspberry P1
The increasingly popular Mid Ulster ARC Tuesday Night Lecture Series continues this Tuesday evening at 7pm on Zoom. For this week’s topic they have Mike Richards G4WNC and he will be talking about the more technical side of Raspberry Pi. Everyone is of course welcome and for the zoom details and any further info, contact Dave 2i0SJV on 07967 043982 or dcparkinson /at/ icloud.com
International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend 2020
The 23rd Annual International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend will be held over the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd and already there is a total of 215 stations listed to take part. In a statement the organisers say that the ILLW for 2020 will NOT be cancelled due to the impact of the Corona virus. Participation will be the decision of each entrant depending on their own circumstances and Government rulings regarding borders and social contact etc. Three Irish Lighthouses are registered to take part as follows: EI0CAR at Strove Lighthouse in Co. Donegal, EI0SW at the Old Head of Kinsale, Co. Cork and EI2WRC at the Hook Head in Co. Wexford. For event registration and full details log on to illw.net.
Items for inclusion in next week’s radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam/at/irts/dot/ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is midnight on Thursday Urgent items for the radio news may be telephoned to 087-6290574.
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