Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 10th February 2013


Silent Key

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Gavin Halpin EI4J, on February 4th 2013 aged 94. Gavin was one of the last of the original Irish Radio Experimenters. In his 95th year, he was first licenced at the age of 17 in December 1935 at his family home in Rathmines along with his brother Fintan Halpin. In 1947 Gavin moved to Drogheda where he took up the callsign EI9P. In 1972, his other brother Frank, passed away, from whom he took over the EI4J callsign and held it for the remaining years of his life. Gavin passed on the love of the hobby to his son Shane EI4GE who will inherit the Halpin radio legacy. He is survived by his wife Aileen and his 10 children. May he rest in peace.


Syllabus for Amateur Radio Licence

Earlier this year we reported that ComReg had published a revised version of the Amateur Station Licence Guidelines. The new guidelines include changes to the regulations for land mobile and maritime mobile operation that require some amendments to the examination syllabus. An updated syllabus is now available at www.irts.ie/downloads which includes the changes consequent on the publication of the revised guidelines. The new syllabus comes into effect immediately.

Candidates are advised to obtain a copy of the document "Studying for the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate" - which is on the IRTS downloads page - and which includes the examination syllabus along with details of the examination format, suggestions for study material and a sample paper showing how the multiple choice questions are presented.


IRTS AGM, Dinner and Radio Rally

This year the 81st IRTS AGM is hosted by Shannon Basin Radio Club. The event takes place in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone, Saturday April 27th and Sunday April 28th 2013. Tickets for the Dinner on Saturday night (8.00 for 8.30pm) will be available at 30 Euro each from Brian EI8IU QTHR and through IRTS Committee Members. Dress code, as usual, is smart/casual. Menu details is available from the IRTS website. Please visit www.irts.ie for more details.


Phoenix Amateur Radio Club Rally

Coolmine rally is being held today Sunday February 10th at the Coolmine Community School. Doors open at 11am. Admission is €5.00.Everyone welcome.


Limerick Radio Club AGM

The AGM of Limerick Radio Club will take place on Wednesday 13th February in the Limerick Institute of Technology at 7.30pm Sharp. All members are requested to attend and club subs can be paid on the night.


Limerick Radio Club Radio Rally

The Annual Limerick Radio Club Rally will take place on Sunday 3rd March 2012 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Limerick. Doors open at 11am and admission is €5. All the usual traders will be present. Bring and Buy tables are Free of charge and will be allocated on a first come basis, they can be booked by contacting Ger McNamara EI4GXB on 087 2532512 or ei4gxb / at/gmail /dot/com.


IRTS Awards Nominations.

It is time once again for nominations for the several awards for IRTS Trophies and cups that are required from within the membership, this includes the awards for:

Service to the Society or to Amateur Radio.

Awards in this category can be to members or non - members.

Awards for Other Achievements:

Awards in this category include the 4 and 6 M Shields; the SWL Award; and the awards for Quality Construction Projects.

These are confined to Members Only.

When considering your nomination, please refer to previous successful winners, please refer to www.irts.ie/cgi/awards/cgi

Nominations may be from Clubs or individuals, must be by post or e-mail, and can be forwarded to the Awards Committee Members, Pat EI2HX, Jim EI4HH or, Peter EI4HX, Chair of awards committee, QTHR or by e-mail to ei4hxperimental/at eircom/dot/net

Closing date for mominations is February 28th 2013.


Return of IRTS Awards & Trophies

It is now time to return all trophies presented at last years IRTS, AGM. Trophies and Cups can be returned to the IRTS Stand at the Phoenix Radio Club Rally in Coolmine on Sunday 10 th February or to any IRTS Committee Member before February 28th 2013.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Club

The AGM of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Monday the 25th February at 8.00 p.m. sharp. All members are asked to attend. For more details please visit www.searg.com


Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI7DAR

The AGM of DAR will take place Wednesday 6th March at the Society premises, ‘Larkin House’, 113, Castletown Road, Dundalk, commencing at 8pm sharp. Everyone welcome and a reminder to members that membership subscriptions are now due. For more details please visit www.ei7dar.com


Restoration of Grey Point Fort

A 48 hour special event station, starting at 1700hrs UTC 31st May 2013 to 1700hrs UTC 2nd June 2013, will commemorate the restoration of Grey Point Fort Crawfordsburn, NI. A special website is available at www.greypointfort.magix.net/public


DX News

An Italian group will operate from Guinea-Bissau in west Africa from 10 February until 2 March. The callsign is J52HF and the QTH will be the Cumura Mission where they operated from last year. Activity will be on SSB only and QSLs go via I3LDP.

John KF0RQ will be back in Cambodia from 10 February until 18 March. He will reactivate his XU7ACQ callsign. He plans to be active on 10 – 80m SSB and CW. QSL to his home call.

A nine member Belgian/Dutch team will operate as 9U4U from Burundi from 14-23 February. Their QTH will be on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. QSL Manager is M0URX.

If you haven’t yet worked the 5X8C DXpedition to Uganda they will be QRV until 18 February. Remember that IRTS member Dave EI9FBB is one of the operators so listen out for the Cork accent.

The Pacific island of Tonga will be activated by Werner DJ9KH as A31WH from 13 February until 4 March. QSL to the home call.

The Irish Hour Net takes place on Sundays at 1700 UTC on 21.317 Mhz. Brian, W7DFO, chairs the weekly Net from his QTH in the Pacific North West. It has become what he refers to as a "challenge". Although many of the call-ins to the net are from licensed Irish-Americans. There is a standing invitation to EIs or GIs to participate.


EI13CLAN operation from Galway.

Members of the Galway VHF Group will be operating the Special Event Callsign EI 13 CLAN from Sunday the 10th of February to Sunday the 17th of February inclusive. Operation will be on phone and data modes. The EI 13 CLAN callsign will be on 3.690 MHz immediately after the 80 metre news today to enable anyone wishing to earn a point towards the EI 13 CLAN certificate with operation 40 metres for the rest of the afternoon. During the following week the callsign will be operating on 40 metres and above depending on band conditions. At night there will be a period of operation on 80 metres until midnight. Check out EI4ALE on QRZ.COM for updates of operating schedule for the duration of the operation.


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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