The Society will launch its 75th Anniversary celebrations on New Year's Day with the 80 metre Counties Contest. This was a very popular event last year with almost 100 EI and GI stations active. Given that's its the Jubilee Year, we are asking everybody to make a special effort to be QRV, for at least part of the Contest which runs from 1200 to 1500 hours local time. Full rules are available on the Society website www.irts.ie
As a special incentive, all stations who submit a log to the contest manager will be awarded a special Participation Certificate to hang on the shack wall. In addition, there will be a special Jubilee Year edition of the Worked All EI Counties Award available for award chasers. QSOs for this award must be made during 2007. Given last years 80 metre Counties Contest activity, is it possible that a '26 Counties endorsed' Award number One will be achieved on the first day of the new year?
The next Theory Examination for the Experimenter's Licence will be held on Thursday the 18th of January 2007 at 2 p.m. in the offices of ComReg, Abbey Court, Irish Life Centre. Dublin.
Places for the examination are limited and some of these have already been allocated. Documentation about the examination will issue in the coming week to those who have already applied. In order to secure a place anyone wishing to sit the examination in January should contact Seán Nolan EI7Cd either at QTHR or by e-mail to "ei7cd at gofree dot indigo dot ie". Those studying for the examination may wish to obtain a copy of the CD Course Guide produced by the Society. These are available from Seán EI7CD at a cost of 5 Euro to cover registration postage and packaging.
Scouting Ireland has been working for the past few years on getting a permanent radio shack at the National Scout Camp site at Larch Hill near Rathfarnham in the Dublin Mountains overlooking the city. The aim of this is to promote Radio Experimentation and hobby electronics in Ireland especially to Scout Leaders and Scouts aged 6 to 21 years.
To date Scouting Ireland has a tilt over wind up tower and a radio shack with lockable presses. A new Club has been set up, called the Larch Hill Radio Club, with the permanent callsign EI3SI.
The club are now looking for radio equipment to put in the shack. There is a full "wish list" on the IRTS website and items will be collected at the IRTS stand at all future rallies.
Items can also be dropped into South Dublin Radio Club. So we ask you to clear out your shacks with all items going to a good cause. For details contact Daniel on 087-7731120.
Theory Classes in the Roanmore Centre, Waterford will continue this coming Tuesday the 12th of December and Tuesday the 19th will be the last class for 2006. Classes will resume early in January and the date will be announced soon.
Theory classes are planned to commence in the Cork area in early January. Anyone interested should contact Dave Moore EI4BZ on 087-6290574 or any member of Cork Radio Club or the East Cork Radio Group.
Sunspot number 930 continues to be a source of strong solar activity. The active region has produced two X-class flares and a number of smaller flares during the past week.
Coronal mass ejections on the 5th and 6th of December will not hit Earth head-on because the sunspot was near the sun's eastern limb thus not facing Earth at the time of the CMEs. However, we could experience glancing blows from the CMEs, producing geomagnetic storms in the coming days. Northern sky watchers should remain alert for auroras.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 051-853806 or 087-6302026. Items for the radio news can also be faxed to 087 5 6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to “news at irts dot ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no later than midday on Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sundays bulletin.
[N]