Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday June 23rd, 2024
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC
The June meeting of the EI2WRC group will take place tomorrow, Monday, June 24th at 8 p.m. sharp at the South East Technological University, Netlabs Research and Innovation Building, SETU West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford. Eircode X91 WR86. Please note the new location. Anyone that has an interest in amateur radio or communications in general are very welcome to come along. SWLs are in particular very welcome to attend.
For more information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact details please see www.searg.ie
Collective Communication Active from Bere Island
Next weekend, the 29th and 30th of June, three members of Collective Communication, Wayne EI7HKB, John EI3HQB, and Alex SWL will be operational on both SSB and CW from Bere Island Co. Cork. Operating on the HF bands, they will be looking for contacts from home and abroad, so you are asked to please keep an ear open for the call sign EJ3CC. During the week leading up to next weekend, the Bere Island public community radio station will be advising local residence of the club’s presence on the island. A reporter from that radio station will be interviewing one of the club members asking about Collective Communication, radio as a hobby, and how members of the public can become active in amateur radio and indeed become a licensed radio amateur.
If anyone would care to join EJ3CC next weekend, you are asked to please contact John EI3HQB on 086 870 9265. Frequencies being used will be posted on their Facebook page and the clusters.
Update from the IRTS Contest Manager
The results of the IRTS CW Field Day are now on the IRTS contest results page. There were just two entries. The next field day is the VHF/UHF Field Day over the first full weekend in July. It will start from 14:00 UTC on Saturday July 6th and run until 14:00 UTC on Sunday July 7th. There will be five separate contests: one on each band. The bands used will be 50 MHz (6m), 70 MHz (4m), 144 MHz (2m), 432 MHz (70cm), and 1296 MHz (23cm). Modes used will be CW, SSB, and FM. It is worth noting that this event coincides with the RSGB National Field Day taking place at the same time and using the same bands so plenty of activity can be expected with potential for good DX contacts. Further details may be found at www.irts.ie/contests
If anyone is interested in using the callsign EI0HQ in the IARU HF Championship on the 13th and 14th of July, you are asked to contact the IRTS Contest Manager, Mark EI6JK. Mark may be contacted via email to contestmanager /at/ irts.ie.
SAQ celebrates 100 years on Alexanderson Day, June 30th
The unique Alexanderson alternator from 1924, with the call sign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions on VLF 17.2 kHz CW next Sunday, June 30th. Almost a hundred years ago, on December 1st, 1924, the long wave transmitter at Grimeton Radio Station, with the call sign SAQ, was put into commercial operation. Transmissions were across the Atlantic Ocean to a receiving station in Riverhead and with the replying transmitter station in Rocky Point, both on Long Island, NY, USA. The other transmitting and receiving stations in the RCA network are now long gone but SAQ has been preserved as a World Heritage Site and is still operational. The design and manufacturing of such a robust a reliable radio transmitter was a monumental achievement by the Swedish-born inventor Ernst F.W. Alexanderson.
To receive the message, you can try using a wire as long as possible connected to the microphone socket of a laptop or PC soundcard. The soundcard can then be used as a receiver allowing you to try to receive the transmissions.
RSGB 3.5MHz Club Championship Contest
On Thursday next, June 27th, you may like to try your hand in the RSGB 3.5MHz Club Championship Contest. This will take place from 19:00 to 20:30 UTC using SSB. The contest activity will be between 3.6 MHz and 3.775 MHz. You can find the rules and further information at www.rsgbcc.org
Propagation Forecast
For most of the coming week, opportunities for tropospheric ducting on the VHF and above bands are expected. They may be relatively short-lived so will favour those monitoring for beacons and repeaters outside your normal range who can take advantage of the openings. Sporadic E is dominating the upper HF and lower VHF bands over the past ten days creating good openings. An uptick in Spanish operators using the 8m band since gaining authorisation approximately three months ago has resulted in increased activity and opportunities to build up your QSO stats for that band. Stations from both North and South America on the 6m band have been noted from the afternoon right up to approximately 11 p.m. Irish time in recent days.
The sun has been behaving itself relatively well over the past few days. NOAA’s short-range forecast indicates relatively settled geomagnetic conditions resulting in low noise. The K index as measured using the Magnetometer Network of Ireland remains at 2 or below. Combined with high solar flux, the coming days are looking ideal to take advantage of the good conditions on all bands therefore while they last.
Items for Inclusion in Next Week’s Radio News
That is the news for this week. Items for inclusion in next week’s radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam /at/ irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is midnight on Thursday.
[A]
