Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 20th March 2011


Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami

Our heartfelt thoughts are with the people of Japan at this tragic moment in their history. We know that our fellow radio amateurs are working extremely hard in their efforts to assist in this major disaster.

The following has been received from Greg Mossop, G0DUB IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator: “Japan remains under its worst threat to an ever rising toll, widespread destruction, power, fuel and water shortages follow the massive earthquake, tsunami and failed 40-year old nuclear power station.”

“IARU Region 3 Secretary, Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP said the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) HQ station JA1RL and other amateur stations are maintaining their effort to support the disaster relief operation.”

“JA1RL continues to operate under instruction to be an emergency traffic centre and increasingly receiving help from JARL members in the affected area. It is using the 7 MHz SSB, 144 MHz SSB/FM and 430 MHz SSB/FM.”

“While 3525, 7030, 7043 and 7075 have been mentioned as in use, it’s wise to keep those and all of the Centre of Emergency (CoA) clear of normal and non-urgent traffic. There is no call for additional foreign radio amateurs.” - Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee.


IRTS AGM Annual Dinner and Rally 2011

You are warmly welcomed to attend the IRTS AGM weekend, including Annual Dinner and Rally will be held this year on Saturday March 26th and Sunday March 27th. The event will be hosted by the Limerick Radio Club. The venue is the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick.

For more information contact, Ger McNamara EI4GXB 087 2532512 or ei4gxb/ at /gmail/ dot/ com.

The AGM dinner tickets priced at €35 are now available from Tony Condon EI2AW at QTHR or by email to condona /at / eircom/ dot/ net.

Dave Deane EI9FBB ARRL card checker will be in attendance, please be sure to complete your paperwork correctly and bring along your cards. New applications and updates for DXCC & Worked All States will be taken on the day.

A new website for the Rally in Limerick on 27 March 2011 is now available, please go to limerickradiorally.com for more details.

Limerick Radio Club look forward to welcoming everyone next weekend.


IRTS News Feeds

RSS news feeds are rapidly becoming the way to publish information in a timely fashion without pushing emails and cluttering inboxes. The user initially downloads an RSS reader and subscribe to the feed by going to the relevant feed site.

Jim EI4HH has introduced a service on a trial basis for IRTS members which will publish brief details of items such as AGM and Rally details, IRTS News and Contest Dates. This is not intended to be a high through-put information service but rather an intermittent service which would keep active operators up to date with frequent snippets of relevant information.

Members should click the RSS button on the IRTS website or go to www.irts.ie/rss to sign up and see the feed.

Further information from Jim EI4HH at holohaj2 /at/ hotmail /dot/ com


South Dublin Radio Club

South Dublin Radio Club Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place in Terenure College on Tuesday 29th March at 8pm sharp.

All members are welcome and asked to attend. Also, at the South Dublin Radio Club, amateur radio theory classes will be held on a weekly basis and morse classes will be held in the near future.


North Cork Radio Group

North Cork Radio Group will be active EI1NC/P from the old governors house at Cork City Gaol and Radio Museum on the weekend of the 19 and 20th of March, The intention of the activation is to gain publicity and awareness for the Museum as an attraction for radio enthusiast both in Cork city and for visitors to the county in general. The Gaol houses the restored 6CK radio Broadcast studio in addition to an audio visual dedicated to Marconi and his Irish connections along with a wide collection of nostalgic artefacts from the golden age of Irish radio.


Cork Radio Club

Cork Radio Club has been meeting weekly in Blackpool on the North side of Cork City for many years. Unfortunately, the premises used is no longer available to the club and following the recent annual general meeting, the club will now meet regularly once a month with additional meetings as required. The first of the monthly meetings will be held on Monday March 28th at the Community Centre on Main Street in Carrigtwohill at 2030 hours. This meeting will discuss a programme of events for the year ahead and new members are very welcome. The first field event will be for International Marconi Day on April 30th when the callsign EI5IMD will be used again at the original Marconi site at Brow Head in Crookhaven in West Cork. This year marks the 110th anniversary of Marconi’s operation from Brow Head when the reception of strong signals from Poldhu in Cornwall convinced Marconi that it was possible to span the Atlantic with radio signals. Officers elected at the recent AGM were: Chairman Jeremy EI5GM, Secretary Dave EI4BZ and Treasurer Dick EI6HH. Enquiries about the club to Jeremy on 083-3317710 or Dave on 087-6290574 or by email to info /at/ corkradioclub /dot/ com


Northern Ireland Amateur Radio Club of the Year

Michael Clarke, MI5MTC writes and tells us that the RSGB Regional Manager for Northern Ireland, Peter Lowrie Mi5JYK has announced that Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club has retained the Regional Club of the Year Award despite stiff competition from West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club.

The Lough Erne club and twelve other regional award winners are now in the UK Final with the chance to take the overall title of RSGB National Club of the Year and a £1000 prize.

The presentation of its Regional Award will take place at Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club’s Pearl Anniversary Rally on Sunday 17 April in the SHARE Centre.


The Amateur Portable Group

To celebrate the Loughcrew Equinox Sunrise, The Amateur Portable Group will be activating the Loughcrew Cairns with a portable station today Sunday 20th March. Activity will be on VHF Simplex, FM Satellite and HF, the call will be EI0Z/p.


Yaesu Temporarily Suspends Production After Earthquake

Production of Yaesu radios at Vertex Standard's factory in Fukushima, Japan, has been temporarily halted due to earthquake damage. All Vertex Standard employees and their families are said to be safe.


Items for inclusion in next week’s Radio News can be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the radio news maybe telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on 085 7100511.

Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no later than midday on Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.

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