Fingal Radio Club, EI2FRC is holding an open day in it’s club rooms in the Erin's Isle GAA club, Farnam Drive, Finglas, Dublin 11, on Saturday next 13th May from 11a.m. until 4p.m. The club has decided on this course of action because of the falling membership in the club and the general decline in amateur radio in this country.
They are keen to get as many young people as possible interested in the hobby although they will be only too delighted to have people of all ages attend and see the range of activities our hobby has in store from them.
They will be demonstrating HF, VHF, amateur television and computing by radio on the day. If you know of anybody who wishes to see any of these attractions be sure and tell them of the open day on Saturday next. They will be transmitting on 7.050MHz plus or minus and 14.230MHz plus or minus during open hours. They will be also on 145.550MHz.
The talk back on fast scan T.V will be 144.750MHz. Please call them on the day if you get a chance and help demonstrate the hobby to the visitors.
The Terenure rally will be held on Sunday the 21st of May at Terenure College in Dublin with doors opening to the public at 11 a.m.
Excluding the 2 metres Counties Contest, there are eight operating awards available to IRTS members each year.
Two of these are available for the Islands On The Air contest which is held at the end of July.
The IRTS DX Trophy is awarded to the leading EI station and this year it was presented to Paul O'Kane EI5DI. The Hal Hodgen’s Key is awarded to the leading EI station in the CW, 12 hour section. Unfortunately there was no entry in the 1999 event.
This year, the East Cork Group EI7M won the three open field days while the restricted sections of the three field days were won by stations experiencing their first success in the event.
The CW restricted was won by Joe Ryan EI7GY and the SSB restricted was won by the Mayo Club EI7MRE. The Tipperary Group EI7TRG won the restricted section of the VHF/UHF Field Day.
The first of the field days is the CW one and it will be held over the June bank holiday weekend. Interest has been poor in this event over recent years and we urge all groups to seriously consider an entry this year. It runs from 1500 on the Saturday until 1500 on the Sunday.
A station in the restricted section is only allowed one aerial with a maximum height of 35 feet so it should be well within all groups’ abilities to get going. Please give it a try.
Members of the Wicklow Wireless Society operated EI3IMD in Moran Park House Dun Laoghaire and in the process notched up 1500 contacts They operated two stations with a tribander at 50 feet for the HF bands and a windom for the low bands.
The Kerry Wireless Group was active from Colaiste Breandainn on the site of the Marconi Station in Ballybunion using the original callsign YXQ as the suffix of their special event callsign EI6YXQ.
They ran three HF stations as well as stations demonstrating weather fax and SSTV.
They also mounted an exhibition of old wireless apparatus including a large range of Morse keys and some artefacts from the old Marconi station.
The station attracted lots of visitors and the thirteen operators were kept very busy and really enjoyed the event Phoenix Radio Club operated EI2MAR from their club QTH in Coolmine in Dublin and also in the capital, members of North Dublin Radio Club activated the millennium callsign EI2MM.
Over in the west, the Clifden Marconi site was activated as usual by members of the Galway Club.
The International Police Association is a friendship organisation for serving and retired police officers. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the association a special event station will operate from the association’s world congress being held in Bournemouth during the coming week. The callsign is GX4IPA and QSL’s are by the bureau.
The annual Windmills special event will be held next weekend, May the 12th and 13th.
The Terenure Rally will be held on Sunday May 26th.
The Worked All Ireland Island Activity weekend will be held over the third weekend in June.
The International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend will be held on August 19th and 20th. If you want to get involved, please inform Mike GM4SUC at gm4suc@compuserve.com The Marino Institute of Education in Dublin will host Celticon 2000 – a QRP Radio Convention on September 1st to 3rd next.
The Cork Rally will be held in the Blarney Park Hotel on Sunday September the 17th.
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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