Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 19th January 2014


COMREG – 5 year Amateur Station Licence Reminder

In June 2009 the Wireless Telegraphy (Amateur Station Licence) Regulations 2009 came into force which changed individual Amateur Station Licences from annual licences to lifetime licences. Whilst the licences are lifetime licences, under the regulations licensees are required to confirm the details of their licence to ComReg every five years. ComReg will begin advising licensees how to comply with this requirement in 2014. However ComReg has yet to determine how this process will take place but will endeavour to make it as smooth as possible.


IRTS AGM Dinner & Rally March 22nd & 23rd 2014

Tickets for the IRTS AGM dinner are selling fast and you are encouraged to get your tickets as soon as possible. The venue this year is the sumptuous surroundings of the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, on Saturday March 22nd. You may purchase your tickets for €35 from Steve EI5DD on 087 2451218 or QTHR. You may also get your tickets from John EI1EM at QTHR. This promises to be a very special AGM dinner.

The usual radio rally on Sunday March 23rd will have Maplin Electronics and all of the major traders will attend. There will be a bring and buy stand which will be manned for those wishing to sell second hand gear.

Accommodation is available from The Galway Bay Hotel at a special rate when you mention the IRTS AGM. You may contact the hotel on 091 520520.


Time to Return IRTS Trophies and Cups

All recipients of awards and cups given out at last years IRTS AGM in Athlone are requested to return their Trophies / Cups in good time to allow for engraving for the forthcoming IRTS AGM 2014.

Trophies/Cups maybe returned to the IRTS stand at the forthcoming Coolmine Rally on Sunday February 16th or to any IRTS Committee member before 28th February 2014.


Nominations for IRTS Awards 2014

You are invited to nominate a person to receive an award for “Service to the IRTS or Amateur Radio.” The nominations in this category are open to persons who are an IRTS member and or non-member. All nominations are welcome.

Under the category “Awards for other Achievement”, you may nominate IRTS members only. Awards in this category include the 4Metre and 6metre Shields; the SWL award and the awards for Quality Construction Projects.

When you are considering a person for nomination to receive an award please refer to previous winners and this maybe viewed on www.irts.ie/cgi/awards.cgi

Nominations may be from clubs or individuals and must be submitted by post or e-mail, and can be forwarded to Jim Holohan, EI4HH, Chairman Awards Committee, QTHR, or email awards /at/ irts.ie.

Closing date for nominations is February 28th 2014.


EI13CLAN Report

With the year of the Gathering now over, the final totals for the call are as follows;

30,340 QSO in the log. 173 Countries worked. Breakdown of QSO: CW 53%, SSB 35%, Digital 12% Over 74,000 visits were made to the EI13CLAN page on QRZ.com, many of whom will have followed the link to the IRTS website. To date 281 Direct QSL requests have been processed and many Clan Certificates issued. Over 1,500 qsl cards already arrived through the buro and return cards processed.

Seven Clubs took part in the EI13CLAN Challenge. Congratulations must go to the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society who emerged as the winner. They will be picking up an Icom 756PRO at the IRTS AGM in Galway later this year. They were the first to enter the challenge and their score was chased hard but never beaten. A big thanks to all those who took part, it gave the call great exposure. Thanks also, to the many individual operators who worked the call during the year across all bands and modes.


North Dublin Radio Club – Radio Theory Classes

In January 2014, The North Dublin Radio club will commence Radio Theory Classes for anyone who wishes to sit the next Amateur Station License exam.

If you are interested please contact Tony Fay EI6EQB email; tonyfay/at /eircom /dot/ net or phone 0862985776.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The January meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Monday 27th January at 8pm. New members are most welcome and anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio are also very welcome to attend.

John Tubbritt, EI3HQB will give a talk on constructing a homebrew tilt over telescopic mast. John has published an article on this subject, which appeared in the RSGB Radcom magazine, back in 1985. For anyone interested in building a telescopic mast this talk will give an ideal opportunity to gain some valuable information on constructing one.

For up-to-date news about SEARG and its activities you may check out www.searg.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.


Phoenix Amateur Radio Annual Rally

Phoenix Amateur Radio Club will hold their annual Coolmine Radio Rally in Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, on Sunday February 16th 2014. Doors open at 11am and admission is €5.00. For table bookings please contact Tony on 087 2439997.


Cork Radio Club

The first meeting of Cork Radio Club in 2014 will feature an illustrated talk by John Hearne EI2FG on “The Saorview Installation Project” on Tuesday January 21st at 20.00. Saorview is the national digital terrestrial television (DTT) service in Ireland and is owned and operated by 2RN (RTÉ Networks).

The meeting will be held at the Community Centre, Main Street in Carrigtwohill and non-members are cordially invited to attend. Enquiries to Cormac EI4HQ on 086-3886353.


ARRL Celebrates 100 years in 2014

In 2014, join ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in celebrating 100 years of "Advancing the Art and Science of Radio." Founded in 1914, ARRL is the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA. Today, with more than 160,000 members, ARRL is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world. For more information on this very special event please visit www.arrl.org We send our heartiest congratulations to our many colleagues in ARRL.


DX News

David BA4DW will be QRV from Rarotonga in the South Cook Islands from 21 – 27 January. He will be operating ‘holiday style’ and will use the callsign E51CDW. QSLs go via his home call.

Leo PP1CZ makes a return trip to the island of Fernando de Noronha from 23 – 29 January. He will again use the callsign PY0F/PP1CZ. He will operate all bands 10 -80m and hopes to be QRV during the CQWW 160m CW Contest.

Wim ON6DX had hoped to operate from Benin in west Africa last year but was unable due to long delays in obtaining his licence. His licence problems have now been sorted out and he will be on the air as TY1TT from 26 January – 5 February. QSLs go via ON6DX and logs will also be uploaded to Logbook of The World.

Tip N4SIA and Stu K4MIL will operate as KG4AS and KG4SS from Guantanamo Bay until 27 January. Look for them on all bands 160 – 6 m. QSL to the home calls.


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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