Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday May 16th 2004


Great Blasket Island

Sean EI4GK hopes to activate the Great Blasket Island (IOTA EU-007) during the coming week from Wednesday 19th to Friday the 21st or Saturday the 22nd of May. As usual, with the Blasket Islands all plans are subject to weather conditions.


EI7M / IOTA 2004

The East Cork Radio Group, EI7M will join forces with the Bristol Contest Group for the 2004 IOTA contest. The team will run from Bere Island (EU-115). More details will be available soon. For more information on IOTA, visit www.islandchaser.com/iotw/contest


QSL Bureau News

John Browne EI7FAB has taken over from Dermot Adams EI7IX as Incoming QSL Sub-manager for the 0, 1 and SWL series of calls. Dermot will be continuing as Incoming QSL Sub-manager for the 7 series of calls.

For outgoing QSL's, please mail your cards directly to the Outgoing Bureau Manager, Anthony Baldwin EI8JK, Rathlin, Kilcrohane, Co. Cork.

At the Zimbabwe Amateur Radio Society (ZARS) meeting held on May the 3rd last the society decided to close the Zimbabwe (Z2) QSL Bureau. This is due to the excessive cost of services that are now prevalent in the country. The main cost is the posting of cards to the various bureaus. This is coupled with a declining number of members such that reasonable subscriptions can no longer support the costs of running the bureau. ZARS has recommended to members that QSL Managers be sought if they do not already have one. A number have taken up the suggestion and arrangements have been made.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

Tipperary Amateur Radio Group activated EI25LY from the grounds of Kilkenny Castle on Saturday and Sunday the 1st and 2nd of May as part of the Day of Welcomes for the new accession states. The group worked many stations from Lithuania.


Upcoming Events

The first 5 WPM Morse Camp will take place at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Co. Antrim on Saturday the 31st of May and Sunday the 1st of July next. For more information, visit homepage.ntlworld.com/campbell.archibald/months htm.

Beginning 1330 UTC on July the 21st and ending 1900 UTC on July the 22nd the 5th Annual Museum Ships Radio Special Event Sponsored by the USS Salem Radio Club will Take place. Work six of the ships to receive an attractive certificate. For more details visit www.qsl.net/k1usn


South Dublin Radio

Congratulations to Paul Eustace, the latest member of South Dublin Radio Club who has been issued with the call sign EI2GSB. Paul would like to thank all those who helped out with the theory classes. He already has a 2 metre handheld and should be heard on-air shortly.

New theory classes are starting at SDR from Tuesday the 18th of May at 8 p.m. at Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham. Visitors are always welcome and those intending to sit the next exam should attend the classes as soon as possible.


6 Metres

One of the first openings to Europe this year was on the 18th of April when I4YSS was heard calling CQ. Next opening was during the UKSMG contest on the 25th of April when GW,GD,G and EI were heard. Next on Tuesday the 27th of April in the early afternoon for about an hour was IK then HB9 then propagation swung South to EA for a little while.

The first "good" opening was heard on the 6th of May for one hour between 3 and 4 in the afternoon central and south EU was heard. On Friday the 7th last while calling CQ Thos EI2JD worked Mike EI4JL on 50.147 MHz, who was pleased with his first 6m CW QSO. Next received was a report about an F2 opening to the west last Sunday to USA and Canada, congratulations to EI3IO and EI7IX who were among the few EI's to work into North America.

On Monday last 6m was open all day. At times signals were very QSB and Sporadic but they kept getting stronger. Countries worked were: IK, IH9, T77, IS0, OK, F, SP, EH, DL, GW, OE, CT, S5, 9A, ON, HB9, G, EH6, PA, OZ and EI.

This is only the start of the 6 metre E season, so lets get that 6m dipole or beam up in the air and enjoy some of the openings on the magic band. There are still a lot of Europeans who have not worked EI on 6m so you could be a first for them.

Please send any reports about openings or updates for the Squares Table to Thos EI2JD by e-mail to thoscaffrey@hotmail.com.


VHF/UHF Field Day

The first weekend in July is again the time for the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day. Please look at page 22 of the March/April issue of Echo Ireland for the new point scoring system for this competition. The new scoring

should encourage more activity in the Open section and provide for more competition on individual bands.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will hold a Bring and Buy in the Roanmore Social and Sports centre at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday the 17th of June next. It is also planned to hold an ATV demonstration as well as a Wireless WAN demonstration. The club is also hoping to attract local traders.

The next general meeting of the club will take place at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday the 26th of May in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford.


CW Field Day

The June bank holiday weekend is not too far away and anyone contemplating getting involved in the CW field day should make contact with the contest manager, Noel EI2JC as soon as possible. It is hoped that we can again hold a centrally located field day but the feeling is that a minimum of five stations is required to justify everybody travelling.


New Morse Character

The International Morse code officially gained a new character on May the 3rd last. That's when the now-familiar "@" symbol joined the Morse lexicon as the letters "AC" run together (di-dah-dah-di-dah-dit). Known as the "commercial at" or "commat," the @ symbol never rose to the level of usage that demanded a unique Morse character until it gained currency as a critical component of e-mail addresses during the past decade or so.

Last December, an ITU Study Group agreed on the wording of a Draft New Recommendation that specifies the international Morse code character set and transmission procedures and includes the new Morse code character.


The Athens 2004 Olympic Games award

This award is issued to radio amateurs or listeners who have confirmed contacts with different Greek stations for the period of 15th of May to the 30th of September 2004.

Special prefixes J4, SX and SY will count for 10 points, SV prefixes count for 5 points, R.A.A.G.'s club station SZ1SV or SX1O count for 50 points.

Club station SZ1SV or SX1O can be worked on more than one band to give an extra 50 points per band.

The Award is given for contacts made on CW, SSB, RTTY, or Mixed Mode. The Award includes three categories, Gold for stations collecting 500 points or more, Silver for 350 points and Bronze for 250 points.

A list with all information about the contacts is required and the Award Manager of the national society (an IARU member) or two licensed radio amateurs must certify it.

Diploma cost for all categories is 10 IRCs or 10 Euro. Please send your list (or cards) to the following address: RAAG, Award Manager, P.O. Box 3564, 102 10 Athens, GREECE.

5MHz Beacon The 5 MHz beacon, GB3RAL, is QRV using a temporary aerial. The beacon transmits every 15 minutes on 5290 kHz. The sequence is a callsign, followed by a long tone at full power and then nine power steps, each -6dB less than the last.

Radio Amateurs and experimenters are invited to send reception reports using the station logging form which is available, along with guidance on reporting, on the 5 MHz website at www.rsgb-hfc.org.uk/5mhz.htm Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted by phone or text on 087-6302026 or 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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