Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday March 12th 2000


EI Activity Days

Lots of interest has been expressed abroad in next weekends EI Activity Days and it looks likely that most counties will be activated next weekend. Please make an effort to get on the higher bands as well as the WAI frequencies of 3.680 and 7.068 MHz.

There are many stations trying hard to qualify for the Worked EI Counties Award and they are hoping for a few new ones next weekend.

Interest in the Worked All Ireland Award is also growing overseas so please be aware of your square. If you are in doubt about your square, give a call on the WAI net on 7.068MHz and somebody will have the information. If all else fails, you could contact the radio news team.

South Dublin Radio Club are returning to Co. Leitrim again this year for the EI Activity Weekend. They will be active from 1200 to 1800 on Sunday 19 March, on 2 metres and HF.

Members of Limerick Radio Club will operate the millennium special event station EI2MIL from the Limerick Inn Hotel next weekend.

The QSL cards for this callsign are being sponsored by the hotel.

The Mayo Group will be operating using the special millennium callsign EI2K and the Bayside Scout Group will be using EI2MM over the weekend.


Worked All Ireland Awards

Congratulations to Declan EI9HQ who has now activated more than one thousand Worked All Ireland squares while operating mobile.

Declan exceeded the magic figure over the weekend of February 25th and 26th when he did a mobile run from his home in Dublin covering squares in Limerick, Cork and Waterford over the two days.

This is a tremendous achievement and all WAI operators are very grateful to Declan for his huge efforts.

Declan has operated mobile from 28 counties and in the process has covered over 8,000 miles in the past four years.

We hope his achievement will inspire a few others to get out mobile.

New Fr. Callan Stamp Issued

A stamp, one of six featuring major discoveries, honouring Fr. Nicholas Callan was issued on February 29th.

Fr. Callan was Professor of Natural Philosophy at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth and his main interest was electricity and he experimented with batteries, magnets, motors and coils. In 1836, he invented the induction coil, an early transformer. Fr. Callan’s largest coil was demonstrated in London in 1837. It produced a 15 inch spark and an estimated 600,000 volts, the highest man-made voltage known at the time. Although he died in 1964 before Marconi made his discovery of radio, Fr. Callan could be regarded as one of the early radio experimenters.

The museum in Maynooth College contains an extensive collection of Callan’s equipment and inventions.

It will reopen to the public later this spring.


Fingal Radio Club

On Monday March 20th at 8.15p.m., Fingal Radio Club will present a slide show on busses and trains of past Ireland. This talk and slide show will be given by Mr Desmond McGlinn the well known modeller and public transport expert of times past.

Mr McGlinn gave a similar talk on the same subject some years ago at Fingal's club rooms and it was very well supported and attended. He has since acquired many more slides and information.

The cover charge will be £2 and tea and biscuits will be served.


ARRL SSB DX Contest

Last weekend’s ARRL SSB DX Contest was blessed with very good conditions especially on the higher bands and lots of Echo India operators were heard over the two days.

Down in Wexford at the QTH of EI7FJ and EI6GF, the callsign EI9E, now issued to the RTE Cork Radio Club was aired in a multi-single effort.

The group was very happy with their results despite having problems with the 80 metre aerial. The operators were Declan EI9HQ, Billy EI7FJ, Mick EI6GF, John EI2FG and Martin EI5FDB.

In East Cork, the father and son team of Jim EI8GS and John EI8IR were active using the callsign EI8IR and they put in a very satisfactory score and reported no hardware problems.


Limerick Rally

The Limerick Radio Club will hold their annual rally on Sunday the 26th of March 2000 in the Limerick Inn Hotel. The hotel has recently been refurbished and the rally will be held in a much bigger room this year. All catering facilities will be available in this room.

The Limerick Club has made a big effort to make this their best ever rally and as well as the usual EI traders, Yaesu UK are making the trip and to cater for the computer market, Compustore will be attending. Doors open at 12 noon and the admission is only 2 pounds.

Further information from Paul EI6FE at 061-360122, evenings only or by e-mail at ei6fe@eircom.net.


Dates for your Diary

The IRTS AGM will be held in The Four Seasons Hotel on Monaghan over the weekend of April the 8th and 9th.

Enquiries to Stephen Hand GI7UIM/EI7FKB on 087-2932438.

International Marconi Day will be held this year on April the 29th and the Enniskillen Rally will be held on Sunday April the 30th at the Killyhevlin Hotel.

The Windmills special event will be held on May the 12th and 13th.

The Worked All Ireland Island Activity weekend will be held over the third weekend in June, that’s the 17th and 18th.


Items for inclusion in the Radio News should be phoned to Dave Moore at 021-883555 in the evenings or to 021-823172 during office hours. You may also e-mail to ei4bz@eircom.net or to ei8ir@eircom.net Input for the Newsletter should be sent to Kevin EI7IM at QTHR or by e-mail to ei7im@qsl.net.

Input to either the Radio News or Newsletter can be sent by e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both news services.

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