Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 12th June 2011


Silent Key

The death has occurred of Johnny Roche, EI5CJB, 323 Mill Street, Callan, County Kilkenny on June 7th 2011. Johnny is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen. Sons, John and Paul. Daughters, Jackie, Mary, Caitriona and Joanne. Fifteen grand children and three great grand children. Five brothers and seven sisters and his fellow amateur radio operators, swl’s and many friends.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis


Licence Examination

You will have the opportunity to sit your amateur radio licence examination within the next few weeks.

The next exam will be held on Thursday, 7 July, at 2.00 p.m. in the ComReg offices in Dublin. The closing date for receipt of applications to sit this exam is Wednesday 22 June. Full details including entry procedure and examination fee are available at www.irts.ie/exam or just click on the 'Licence Exam' button on the IRTS webpage.


World Castles Weekend

The World Castles award will be holding an activation weekend on Sat 25th - Sun 26th July, for anyone interested in activating a site. More information can be found at: www.wcagroup.org/ENG/wcw.html Time: From 00:00 UTC of Saturday till 23:59 UTC of Sunday. Bands: All HF and VHF amateur bands. if interested go to the World Castle Website to register. If you require a location refence, then contact your local CASHOTA representive who can issue one at, www.cashota.co.uk

Hoghton Tower Activation

Central Lancs ARC will be activating Hoghton Tower on the 26th June 2011. This stately home, located preston, lancashire, has been the ancestral home of the de hoghton family since william the conqueror. For more details go to www.cashota.co.uk


Introduction to Amateur Radio

The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network are holding a series of practical hands on open days throughout the summer months. The events will start at 13.00 approx (weather permitting) and will take place on the following dates: Sunday June 12th Sunday July 10th Sunday August 14th Sunday September 11th

Anyone with an interest in radio related matters, who would like to have the opportunity to participate or observe the operation of an amateur radio station, or meet club members, will receive a warm welcome. Whatever you’re level of interest, the club will be pleased to help in taking your interest further, be it a complete novice, shortwave listener or formal assistance in progressing to a full amateur radio licence.

The location for all events will be the car park at the Halfway House on the Castlebar to Westport Road. If you would like further details please contact: Padraic Baynes EI9JA on 0876957154 (email pbaynes1/at/eircom/dot/net) , email David Hatfield EI3ECB on ei3ecb/at/gmail/dot/com or text or phone the club mobile phone number 086 20 89 777


Space Weather Prediction Service

On 06 September 2011 the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) will discontinue the broadcast of its propagation forecasts on WWV at 18 minutes past the hour and WWVH at 45 minutes past the hour. The messages will still be available at www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt This response from Patrick V. Gajdys of the SWPC: "The reason for discontinuing this service is entirely budget-driven. As we begin to receive reductions to our funding levels, we are forced to examine our entire program and make cuts. The WWV service costs are quite high and the information we provide on it is currently duplicated via the Internet service. A very large majority of our customers use our Internet feeds, so when comparing the two duplicate services it was clear to us that the WWV service was that most logical service to cut. All comments received will be compiled and presented to NWS before stopping the transmissions."


Howth Martello Radio Group

The Howth Martello Radio Group, EI0MAR will be QRV on the weekend of the 18/19 June for International Museums Event from Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in Howth. The website of the organisers of this amateur radio event is www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw/index.html where a list of museums registered for the event can be inspected.

Among the museums activated in previous years were HMS Belfast (GB2RN), moored on the Thames and Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes (GB2BP).

Visitors are welcome to visit the museum which is located in the Martello Tower overlooking the East Pier in Howth. The museum is open daily until the end of October from 11am until 4pm. The website address www.ei0mar.org


DX News

John KB4CRT is QRV from the island of Montserrat until 18 June. He is using the callsign VP2MRT. QSLs go via the home call or via Logbook of the World.

The club station of the Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society (callsign ET3AA) was reopened on 30 May. The opening was attended by Hans Blondeel Timmerman PB2T, President of IARU Region 1. The club shack is located at the Technical Faculty of the University of Addis Ababa. More than 25 members hope to sit their Amateur Radio examination by the end of July so hopefully we will be hearing a lot more activity from Ethiopia on the bands soon.

This is the time of year when many amateurs take gear with them on their summer vacations to various islands. The Dutch island of Texel is on the air at present. The operator is Alex DL1KD who is signing PA/DL1KD until 20 June. Later in the summer the island will again be activated by Alex IZ4AMS who will be active as PA/IZ4AMS from 14-17 August. Texel Island counts as EU-038 for the Islands on the Air Award.

The Pacific island of Nauru which is quite a rare DXCC entity will be activated by a team of 6 operators between 10 November and 6 December. The callsign will be C21AA and they plan to have 3 complete stations on HF.

EI5JQ, EI/SQ7JT, EI4JZ, EI9KC will be active from Great Blasket Island - EU-007 during RSGB IOTA 2011 contest. CW / SSB Applied call-sign: EJ0PL QSL via EI5JQ (Bureau / Direct)


Commando Solo

Commando Solo, the US airborne radio station operating above Libya on behalf of NATO, was heard on 1 June using a new shortwave frequency, 10125 kHz, USB mode, to transmit messages intended for Gaddafi’s forces. This frequency is in the 30 metre amateur band, but is also used by the Libyan army. Commando Solo has previously used 6877 kHz and 10404 kHz. The change in frequency is probably due to the jamming by the Libyan army noted on 10404 kHz the previous day.


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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