Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday June 1st 2003


Iceland

Paddy EI7GK will be QRV from Reykjavik with the call sign TF3/EI7GK/P from the 23rd of June to the 8th of July 2003. Listen out for him on the worked all Ireland frequency 14.268 MHz and the IOTA frequency 14.260 MHz as well as 21.317 and 7.068 MHz.

Paddy will be delighted to work any EI, GI or MI stations and offer in a pile up calls for "the EI station only" Paddy has previously operated from Mexico, Spain, France, the UK, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Monaco.


AREN

The AREN NET operates in Cork on the first Tuesday of each month on 145.525 MHz and on 7.043 MHz plus or minus at 2130 hrs local time. Operators who are interested in joining AREN are invited to contact John Ketch, EI2GN at the Irish Radio Transmitters Society.


IOTA

The VK6 DX Chasers Club will travel to Thevenard Island (Mackerel Island group) IOTA OC-140 and be active for 1 week starting the 15th of June. The Mackerel Islands group, comprising 10 islands is situated 22km offshore from the town of Onslow on the coast of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The callsign for the DX-pedition will be a special one VI6TI to commemorate the naming of the island by the French Captain Baudine who led an expedition in 1801-1804 in the ship "Casuarina". Captain Baudine named the island after the Vice Admiral and Minister Antoine John Mary France Thevenard.

The 8 member team, all VK6's APK,EI,JX,KCC,KTN,NE,NU,YEL will leave Perth on Friday the 13th of June and hope to be active from the island on Sunday the 15th of June around 07:00 or 08:00 UTC. Activity will be on or near the usual IOTA HF frequencies. There will also be activity on 6 metres with a 3 elm beam for this band. They will monitor 50.110 MHz.

For all the satellite enthusiasts the group will also be bringing along a portable satellite station looking for contacts on AO-40. They will have a Yaesu FT-847 and will operate Mode U/S with a 8 element yagi on the 70cms uplink and 65cms offset dish with K5GNA AIDC 3731AA 2.4 GHz down converter. The grid locator is OG77MM.

The QSL Manager is VK6NE, Neil Penfold, 2 Moss Ct, Kingsley, WA 6026, Australia. All direct and bureau cards will be answered and the group hope to have a full colour card available shortly after the trip. For more info look on www.qrz.com/callsign/vi6ti and for more info about the Mackerel Islands go to www.mackerelislands.com.au

As a matter of interest to EI stations, 2 members of this 8 man group are former EI's Tim Jones from Waterford VK6EI ex EI4HL and John Coleman from Cavan VK6NU ex EI4GY. Both of whom have been living in Perth for a number of years. They look forward to catching up with many EI stations on the air during the Dxpedition especially on 6 metres if conditions prevail or via satellite on AO-40.


Antrim and District Amateur Radio Society

The 80 metre ARDF Event will take place on Saturday the 14th of June 2003 at the Crawfordsburn Scout Centre, Crawfordsburn Estate, Helen's Bay, County Down.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Raheen House Hotel Clonmel on Thursday the 5th of June 2003, a good turnout would be appreciated.


CW Field Day

This years CW Field Day will take place over the weekend of June 7th and 8th as a centralised event. Courtesy of Paddy Maher EI3AV, a site is being made available in Cloughjordan in North Tipperary. Expressions of interest should be sent to Contest Manager Noel Walsh EI2JC at contests@irts.ie or on 087-2375982 (office hours) or to Dave Moore EI4BZ as soon as possible.

This proposal is designed to give single operators, who would not normally have access to a group, a chance to participate in the Field Day. Existing groups are of course very welcome to travel and to operate independently. Non-operators who wish to travel to help with set-up etc. are also very welcome.


Shannon Basin Radio Club

Shannon Basin Radio Club is having a meeting in the Royal Hotel, Roscommon Town on Wednesday next at 8.30 p.m.


WAI Run

EI9HQ will be running to Donegal from Letterkenny on Saturday the 7th of June. If time permits, he will run north of Letterkenny through squares C22 23 24 13 12 14 03 04 02 THEN INTO B93 94 92 83 82 72 81 71 and will be at B71 Donegal for 1800 hrs local time.

If anybody needs squares on the way, please send an e-mail to ei9hq@clubi.ie before 1600 hrs on Friday. '9HQ will be returning on Monday the 9th leaving Donegal at around 1100 local time and hopes to return home via B70 80 G79 69 78 89 88 99 etc. If anyone needs squares close by please let him know as the route back is flexible.


Mayo REN

Mayo REN Rally Director, Padraic Baynes Snr. EI9JA, has announced that the 2003 Mayo Rally will be held on Sunday November the 16th in The Belmont Hotel, Knock, with doors opening at 11.00 a.m. Listeners will remember the success of the first Mayo rally last year, and the club are already hard at work to ensure a repeat success.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted on 087-6302026. News can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services.

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