Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday March 10th 2002


IRTS Annual Dinner Dance

Last weekend's IRTS Annual Dinner Dance and AGM was hosted by the Mayo Radio Experimenters Network and was held in the Belmont Hotel, Knock, County Mayo. The venue was ideal and the organisation was outstanding, making it the best such weekend for many years.

A crowd of around eighty gathered for the dinner dance, with most parts of the country represented amongst the diners. Following a most enjoyable meal, the MC for the evening, John McDonnell EI6IR introduced the first speaker, Mr. Dave Thom for the Office of the Director of Telecommunication Regulation. In a wide ranging address, he dealt with many of the issues of concern to the Society and took a wide range of questions from the floor. These issues will be outlined as separate news items. Dave Moore EI4BZ, Society President thanked Mr. Thom for his contribution and paid tribute to the Mayo Group for undertaking such a big event at this stage in their development.

Frances Taheny EI5J, Chairperson of the Mayo Group welcomed all the visitors to County Mayo and thanks the Society for choosing Mayo as the venue for the 2002 AGM weekend. Excellent music was provided for dancing until late and the last to leave did not have much time for sleep before breakfast.


IRTS Awards

There are three trophies for service to the society or to the hobby and as this was the 70th annual general meeting they were presented this year to people who have provided long and valuable service to the members of the Society. Sean Donelan has completed 10 years as Society Treasurer and as well as his work with the finances, is also responsible for the distribution of Echo Ireland. To express our thanks to Sean he was presented with the Arup Cup.

Joe Ryan has maintained the members database since 1989 and has been very involved with the production of years books and other committee business. Joe was presented with the Pat Conway Cup. Sean Nolan EI7CD is another who has provided tremendous service to IRTS members over a long number of years. Sean is a former President of the Society and is the current Vice-President. He is widely known as the voice of IRTS each Sunday morning on 80 metres. Sean was presented with the Sheila Piper Cup.

Every QSL card that has come into EI since 1980 has been handled by Mike McNamara EI2CL. Mike has shown wonderful commitment to the job and there are always bags of cards to be distributed at every committee meeting. To mark his 22 years of service to members, Mike was presented with the Presidents Cup.

Details of the other awards will be carried in future.


Worked All Mayo Award Winners

John Desmond EI7GL was a recent winner of the WORKED ALL MAYO - BASIC AWARD for working 10 of the Mayo Squares. John achieved this award for activity on two metres. Gerry Morgan EI2CH received three awards. Bronze for working 25 Squares, Silver for 50 Squares, and Gold for working 75 of Mayo's 93 Squares. Ivor A. Jordan, G4GET, received Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, and Joe Fadden, EI3IX received these four awards also. The Scheme, which is broadly based on the Worked All Ireland Award, but for activating or working squares in County Mayo only, has proved very popular. Claims for awards should be sent to John Corless, EI7IQ - QTHR.


More Contest Results

In the SSB Field Day 2001, the restricted section (IRTS HF Shield) was won by EI5CRC with 440 QSO's and 133,536 points. The open section (Paddy Daly Microphone) went to EI7M with 2,077 QSO's and 1,291,790 points.


News from Mayo

Congratulations to Joe Fadden EI3IX who worked VK8MS on Six Metres last week. Joe was operating mobile at the time, using a short whip antenna and low power. Joe who is a keen VHF DXer, told the IRTS Newsdesk "It was a good QSO, especially from the car! I had been working 15 meters mobile and was just after working PW0T when I heard him say he was going to try 6 meters as conditions were good. It was at that point that I changed whips. Nothing was heard from PW0T, but 4X & OD5 were very strong, next thing up pops VK8MS!. First call and I got him!" Joe added: "I have not bothered listening on 6 over the past 2 weeks because I assumed the F2 was dead, but it just goes to show you".

Joe, from Castlebar in Co. Mayo is very active as the IRTS VHF Manager.

The Mayo Radio Experimenters wish to thank all of the people that attended their first ever Rally, which was held in Knock last Sunday. The club thanks the traders, exhibitors, and the Hotel for making the event so successful. The Club also thanks the IRTS for attending with its AGM and Dinner Dance.


Limerick Radio Club

The AGM of the Limerick Radio Club will be held on the 14th of March at 1930 hrs in the Institute of Technology, Moylish. Details of the room will be available on the night. All members are urged to attend. The Limerick Radio Club are please to announce that their rally will be held on the 7th of April in Jurys Hotel Limerick (not to be confused with Jurys Inn). Doors open at 1100 hrs. Confirmed to date are Yaesu UK (who will have several HF rigs in operation on the day), Compustore, Executive Press (with a range of QSL CARDS for sale, orders will be taken on the day for personal designs) plus all the usual traders from EI. Futher details can be had from the clubs web site at www.geocities.com/limerickradioclub A demonstration of iLink should be take place on the day. This program will allow connection to repeaters worldwide via the internet. Anybody needing tables please contact Paul EI6FE on 061 360122 as space is very limited due to the new location.

EI Activity Day This year, St. Patricks Day falls on a Sunday which should give everybody a chance to get on the air for the annual EI activity day. We ask that a special effort be made to activate the rarer counties and hope clubs will once again make an effort to get out portable. There are many stations in various parts of the world now actively participating in the Worked All Ireland Awards Scheme and many are trying for the last few to get the counties award.


Cork Dinner

The Park Hotel in Midleton, Co. Cork will be the venue for a dinner and social evening on Friday March 15th. All experimenters and their friends are invited to take the opportunity to get together and enjoy a great meal in pleasant surroundings.

To book your tickets, contact Dennis O'Flynn EI6HB on 021-4667137, Jeremy Sheehan EI5GM on 021-4774955 after 1900 or Dave Moore EI4BZ on 021-4883555.


Items for inclusion in Echo Ireland should be forwarded to Dave Moore EI4BZ at 021-4883555. Items can also be submitted to Dave by e-mail at ei4bz@eircom.net.


Items for inclusion in the Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall EI7IS at QTHR or via e-mail to ei7is@qsl.net or cyberis@e-merge.ie. Items can also be sent to Mark over the phone at 087-6302026.

News can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both news services.

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