Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 9th September 2012


Licence Examination

There is now just under two weeks left to Thursday 20 September which is the closing date for the next Amateur Station Licence Examination which will be held on Thursday 4th October at 2 p.m.in the ComReg Offices in Dublin.

Full details, including entry procedure, examination fee and how to pay the fee online are available by clicking on the Licence Exam button on the IRTS homepage at www.irts.ie Places for the examination are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Please note that it is necessary to download the application form from the web page and forward the completed form and the appropriate fee in order to secure a place for the examination. If you pay the fee on line you must still complete and forward the application form.


SSB Field Day

We heard six portable EI stations participating in last weekend's SSB Field Day. Three of them were at the amateur radio "Electric Picnic" in Garbally, Ballinalsoe, County Galway. The hosts for this event were Shannon Basin Radio Club EI3Z/P, who were joined in Garbally by South Dublin Radio Club EI2SDR/P and Galway Radio Experimenters Club EI4GRC/P.

Elsewhere in the country, Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI0W/P were active from Fieldstown, Monasterboice just North of Drogheda, while Tipperary Amateur Radio Group were located at Mooncoin in County Kilkenny and Tim EI2KA/P was heard operating from Baltimore, County Cork.

The IRTS SSB Field Day is part of an IARU Region 1 Field Day contest, so most of the interest is from stations in the UK and mainland Europe. There was a lot of emphasis, therefore, on 40 metres and 80 metres. Most stations reported very little activity on 10 metres or 15 metres - these bands were open, but a lot of the contest activity on the higher bands was from stations participating in the All Asian DX Contest, and most of them showed little interest in working European field day stations.


Achill Henge CASHOTA Activation

The Galway VHF Group will be activating Achill Henge on Sunday the 16th of September from 11 am - 3 pm and active on 80, 40 and 20 metres. Achill Henge is a "stone henge" like structure that was built on a hilltop on Achill Island near the village of Keel. The Henge was built in record time over the weekend of 26th and 27th of November 2011. Achill Henge is located in WAI Square F60 Co. Mayo ànd has the CASHOTA Designator EI-02-M. The Callsign for this operation will be EI4ALE/P. Check out EI4ALE on QRZ.com for more details.


North Cork Radio Group

Today Sunday 9th September the NCRG will be host their annual Radio Rally & Electronics Fair at the Roebuck Room, Commons Inn, Blackpool, Cork.

Doors open at 11am and admission is €5 per person (children are free). Raffle tickets will also be available at the door.

The usual traders will be present. The AREN trailer will also be at the venue and hopes to have a HF /VHF station set up.


Dundalk Amateur Radio Society, EI7DAR

Radio Theory Classes will commence Monday 5th November at DAR Society premises ‘Larkin House’, 113, Castletown Road, Dundalk, for preparation to sit the radio theory exam early in 2013. Tuition places are strictly limited and intending candidates are encouraged to enrol at the earliest opportunity. Tuition will involve approximately 20 weeks class attendance and an investment of €100 is required. Open nights to find out more information and to enrol on the course will be held on Sept 19th, October 3rd, October 17th, October 31st. All are welcome to enrol and this will be a fun learning experience. More information from www.ei7dar.com or secretary at ei7dar dot com.


Oleg EI7KD World Champion

Oleg EI7KD has won the Ukranian DX Contest 2011.

He came 1st in the Single-Op, All Bands, High Power, CW. Oleg is our technical expert on the EI0W team at Dundalk Amateur Radio Society and he recently participated in the IARU Region 1 VHF contest in Monasterboice.


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.

[N]