This Week’s News
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 24th, 2023
IRTS Examination Board Announce the Dates of The Next HAREC Exams
The IRTS Examination Board is pleased to announce that the next HAREC exams will be held on Saturday 4th November 2023 at 11 a.m., at both Cork and Dublin venues. Registration on the day of the exam will begin at 10.30 a.m. sharp. Candidates are advised to arrive in adequate time, so that the examination can begin on time at 11 a.m. The closing date for applications is Sunday 22nd October 2023. The Dublin venue will be the Maldron Hotel, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Co. Dublin, Ireland, Eircode D24 XC9W. The Cork venue will be the Clayton Hotel Silversprings, Tivoli, Cork, Eircode T23 E244. The exam room is located at the conference centre in Harbour Suite 8.
National Short Wave Listeners Club Update
The National Short Wave Listeners Club would like to announce the next HAREC online training course. Class Golf will start on November 9th, 2023. There will be 24 Thursday sessions, with the last one on May 2nd, 2024. The NSWLC has trained over 300 attendees since 2021. Over 150 of the students took HAREC exams and just over 100 have passed and obtained their licences.
Class Golf is based on the new Irish exam syllabus, introduced in 2022. It uses the IRTS Study Guide; a 400-page learning resource which the NSWLC produced last year, and which is currently being revised to incorporate the changes introduced in Comreg Amateur Station Licence Guidelines 09/45 Revision 6 earlier this year. The updated study guide will be released at the start of Class Golf on November 9th.
To study, prospective attendees must join the NSWLC. Membership is free to the current members of the IRTS, or costs 30 euro per calendar year otherwise. The NSWLC strongly recommend that prospective students join the IRTS to save on the fees, to avail of other IRTS services, and to support Ireland's national radio society. There are no further costs to attend the course.
There are already over 30 individuals registered for Class Golf, and up to 100 can be accommodated. To join the NSWLC and to register for the course, please complete the steps at www.swl.ie
145 Alive Event next Saturday
The 145 Alive event runs for the first time in Ireland next Saturday September 30th. This is a simplex FM operation operating over two hours and intended to promote the increased usage of the two-metre band. Nationwide activity on 2m FM is anticipated and everyone is encouraged to join in. If any further clubs or individuals are up for the fun challenge to help establish a chain of net controller stations around the country, please contact David EI3IXB at 087-8334803 or via email to ei3ixb /at/ gmail.com as soon as possible. The event runs for two hours from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. local time next Saturday.
Southern Ireland Repeater Group Update
The Southern Ireland Repeater Group announce that the UHF repeater EI7MHR located at Mullaghanish, which uses the output frequency of 430.875 MHz, will be off air for maintenance for approximately one week. Updates will be posted on the Southern Ireland Repeater Group page on Facebook.
Collective Communication Update
On September 30th, Collective Communication will participate in the 145 Alive event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. local time using 2m FM. They will be operating from their radio communication unit in a car park near the Nire Valley transmitter just south of Harney's Cross Co. Waterford a few miles outside of Clonmel, Co Tipperary. The grid square will be IO62EH. EI3CC will also have a HF station on the air and possibly be dabbling with a little 2m SSB using horizontal polarization just to see what can be found using that mode from their high vantage point. The following week, from October 3rd to the 6th, they have been invited to join Space week with the ARISS when an astronaut aboard the International Space Station will be making direct contact with some school children from Dublin via amateur radio. You are invited to keep an ear out this coming Saturday and during the following week for EI3CC.
Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club AGM Update
The Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club held its annual general meeting on Sunday 10th September. They welcomed RSGB President John McCullough and Region 8 representative Michael Na bPiob to the meeting. The officers elected for 2023-2024 were as follows: President. Jimmy GI0OND, SK, in remembrance, Chair. William 2I0WMN, Vice Chair Jamie 2I0FVX, Treasurer Davy MI0IRZ, Vice Treasurer Dave 2I0SJV, Secretary Seamus GI4SZW, and Vice Secretary Hazel MI6WHV. Seven further members were elected to the committee and Philip Hosey MI0MSO is the Club Auditor. The members look forward to another active year and invite applications for membership from all those interested in Amateur Radio to contact them via FaceBook or their website.
Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club Monthly Meetings Resume
Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club is happy to report that after a significant break due to the pandemic, monthly meetings have now resumed at the Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands and Midwest Campus at Moylish in Limerick. At the September meeting, members had a lively discussion and constructive exchange of views on club activities. Future meetings will be held on the second Thursday of every month at 7.30 p.m. local time. Over the coming months, the meetings will feature presentations on a range of theoretical and practical topics.
As an added measure to keep in regular contact, the club plans to hold monthly coffee mornings in the Shannon Aviation Museum where members can also activate the callsign EI4SAM across all bands. This will be in addition to the activation of EI4SAM which takes place every Saturday between 11.00 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time.
South Dublin Radio Club News
South Dublin Radio Club report that on Tuesday September 26th, Martin EI9KG will give a talk titled "The Raspberry Pico: a new microcontroller for Ham Radio projects?". The club meets in the community centre on Marian Road in Rathfarnham every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to attend any time.
Shannon Basin Radio Club 80m SSB Net Reminder
Everyone is welcome to join the Shannon Basin Radio Club 80m SSB net that resumes next Thursday, September 28th, from 9pm. It will take place in the upper end of the 80m band. The exact frequency will be announced via the club's social media channels closer to the time.
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/dot/ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is midnight on Thursday.
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