Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 21st June 2015


Contest News

If you're listening to this bulletin on Sunday morning, it's not too late to enter the 80 metres Summer Counties Contest, which runs from 14:00 to 17:00 UTC today. There are fixed and portable sections for both SSB only and SSB/CW operations, and also an SWL section. www.irts.ie/contests has all the rules.

The first weekend in July - Saturday and Sunday 4th and 5th July - sees the annual VHF/UHF Field Day contest, which has an Open Section, covering all bands from 50 MHz to 1296 MHz, and restricted sections for those who want to operate on just one of the VHF or UHF bands. UK and continental European stations will be active at the same time in their own field day contests, so it's a good opportunity to work some VHF and UHF DX.


North Cork Radio Group

The North Cork Radio Group are pleased to announce their annual Radio, Electronics & Hobby Rally will be held this year on Sunday, 13th September 2015 at The Commons Inn, Blackpool, Cork.

As per usual, doors will open at 11am and entry is €5 per person, children under 16 are free. Raffle tickets will be available at the door.

For anyone wishing to secure a table, or stall, please contact Lisa EI9GSB on 086 8427756 or ei9gsb /at/ me.com to ensure early confirmation. For anyone interested in taking the morse test, or to have QSLs checked, please advise us as soon as possible so that we can arrange to have the relevant officials present.

We look forward to seeing you all there!


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The June meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Monday 29th June at 8.00 p.m. New members and anyone interested in amateur radio are welcome to attend. SEARG can be followed on Facebook and on Twitter.www.searg.com


News of Easter Rising 1916

On Easter Monday 1916, seven members of Oglaigh na hEireann under the command of Fergus O'Kelly took over the Marconi Training School at the corner of Abbey Street and O'Connell Street next to Wynn's Hotel in the building now occupied by the Grand Central Restaurant. The radio equipment had been de-commissioned in 1914. Under the supervision of Joseph Plunkett the antenna was re-erected under gun fire and the 1.5kW transmitter broadcast news of the Rising far abroad, eventually been relayed to the American newspapers.

Last Monday this event was re-created at the same location when an antenna for 20 metres was raised on the roof of the same building and contact made with stations in Germany and Spain using CW. It is to be noted that no sniper firing took place.

A spark transmitter was also demonstrated and a simulation of the sending of the original message took place. This all occurred as part of a radio documentary being prepared for broadcast next year to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising and the part the radio telegraphy played in it. Those taking part last Monday were, Tony EI5EM, Joe EI2JZ, Nick EI7GOB and Joe EI6EG.


DX News

The Jersey Amateur Radio Society will host a special event station with the callsign GJ15IG during the 16th Island Games. The station will be on the air from 27th June until 3rd July. QSLs will be available via Club Log OQRS.

Zsolt HA8PX is at present on the island of Malta and on the air as 9H3PX. He will be there until 27th June. QSL to his home call.

The First European Games are taking place in Azerbaijan. Several special stations are active with prefixes of 4J and 4K and suffixes of EUG and BAKU. These stations will be QRV until the end of June.

Walaa E41WT has been quite active recently from the Gaza Strip. Look for him in the evenings on 20m SSB. His logs are uploaded to Logbook of The World on a regular basis.


2m Nets

SEARG will continue their 2m net on Tuesday nights after the IRTS weekly news. This is to promote the use of the band, which has seen a decline in use. The intended frequency used is 145.400MHz and net has had many stations calling in since its introduction. Everyone welcome to join in.

Fingal Radio Club and Dermot EI2HD continue their 2m call-in on Wednesday and every Wednesday at 7p.m. Please try and give your support by getting on the air. Keep 2metres alive. The frequency is 145.7625MHz, CTCSS 88.5KHz on the Dublin repeater.


Bangor and District ARS Summer Rally

The Bangor and District ARS will hold their annual rally in the Donaghadee Community Centre, County Down on Saturday 4th July. Doors open at 11.30am. More information on www.bdars.com


EI150ITU

IRTS has been issued with the call sign EI150 ITU to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 1865. The call sign is available for use by any EI station in the 26 counties holding a current amateur station licence. Anyone wishing to use the call sign can do so subject to notifying Dave O'Conner EI6AL of the times/ bands/modes prior to going on the air so as to avoid any potential duplication. Anyone applying to use the call sign is considered to be undertaking to use it in accordance with the ComReg Regulations, Technical Conditions, Frequency allocations and Guidelines relating to amateur stations. It is also essential that logs (preferably in ADI format) are kept when using the call sign and copies emailed to Dave EI6AL so that a central log can be held for QSL or other purposes. Dave can be contacted at dave.ei6al/at/gmail/dot/com or by phone on 086 1000000


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 may be 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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