Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 27th March 2016


Silent Key William EI5IJ

The tragic death has occurred of William Hillick EI5IJ of the Downs, Mullingar, County Westmeath who was killed in a light aircraft accident on Sunday last at Abbeyshrule airfield. William ran CQ Communications on Ormond Quay in Dublin.

To his mother Margaret, his children, his sisters and brothers and to his extended family we extend our sincerest sympathy. His funeral took place on Thursday last.

May he rest in peace


IRTS President Visits Clubs

IRTS President, Gerry EI8CC, has been visiting the clubs recently. On 9th March he visited the Galway Radio Experimenters Club for their monthly meeting. Last Tuesday he visited the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group at their meeting in Cahir. He took the opportunity to address both clubs on a number of society issues and really appreciated the warm reception he received.

Gerry intends getting around to visiting other clubs around the country whilst continuing his regular attendance at his own Limerick Radio Club.


Counties Contest

The 2 Metres Counties Contest takes place tomorrow, Easter Monday from 2pm to 4pm local time. There are separate sections for portable and fixed stations, low power and high power, as well as an FM Only section for single ops and an SWL section. We can expect that a number of individuals and groups will be operating from the hills for the event, so it's a great opportunity to see just how far VHF signals can travel.

To ensure everyone gets a fair chance of calling CQ, there is a special 'QSY Rule' to the effect that after any QSO in which you are called by another station, you must QSY to another channel (FM), or by at least 3 kHz (SSB), before soliciting another QSO, while the station answering the CQ or QRZ has the frequency for one more contact. See www.irts.ie/contests for more details.


IRTS AGM 2016

Limerick Radio Club will host the 84th Annual General Meeting of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society over the weekend of 9th & 10th April 2016. The venue will be the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Ennis Road, Limerick.

There are 4 Workshop Talks arranged for Saturday 9th April. The talks are free and start at 2pm sharp. Everyone is welcome.

Tickets for the Dinner on Saturday night, 9th April, are just €35 (same as last year!) and are available from Tony EI2AW QTHR Golf Links Road, Castletroy, Limerick.

As dinner tickets are selling out fast, Limerick Radio Club has arranged with the IRTS that tickets can be booked and payment made online through the IRTS web site at www.irts.ie/agm On receipt of payment tickets can be mailed to you or collected at the hotel on the night.

Payment can be also be made by cheque, money order or via paypal. Contact Tony EI2AW on 061-334076 or Email condona /at/ eircom.net.

The Limerick Radio Club Rally will be held on Sunday 10th. Doors open at 11am. Entrance fee is €5. More information is available from Simon EI7ALB on 0872858884 or kenmare32 /at/ eircom.net

For further information see www.irts.ie and also www.limerickradioclub.ie/


To the Moon and back…

To celebrate the 84th IRTS AGM the IRTS logo has been bounced off our nearest neighbour in space through the good offices of Andreas DJ5AR. The logo was transmitted by HB9Q as SSTV using 1000W into a 10m solid dish. The receiving station was PI9CAM with the 25m Radiotelescope. See www.irts.ie/agm for more details.


South Dublin Radio Club

This years South Dublin Radio Club AGM will take place on Tuesday 5th April at 8.30pm. All members are asked to attend. Amateur Radio classes are ongoing every week on a drop in basis. Please call by.


Radio During the Easter Rising 1916

Newstalk 106 will broadcast a programme on Easter Monday at 3.30 pm about the use of radio to broadcast news of the Rising during Easter Week 1916.

The programme will feature interviews with Pat Herbert and others associated with the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio. www.newstalk.com


DX News

Four German operators are active until 11th April as 5V7D from Kpeme in Togo. They are working all bands 10m to 80m using SSB, CW and RTTY. QSL manager is DL9MBI.

Makoto JA7FGI will be QRV from Vientiane in Laos as XW7FG from 29th March to 4th April. He will be on all bands 80m to 6m SSB and RTTY. QSL to the home call.

Dick G3RWL returns to Barbados from 29th March to 22nd April where he will reactivate his 8P9DR callsign. He will operate on CW and RTTY and QSLs go via ClubLog OQRS.

In addition to the ongoing Heard Island DXpedition (VK0EK) there will be another rare DXCC entity on the air this week. From 29th March until 11th April look out for FT4JA from Juan de Nova Island. The island is located in the Mozambique Channel and has a small garrison of French troops and a weather station. QSLs will be available via ClubLog OQRS.


Kerry Amateur Radio Group

On Sunday 28th March, KARG will participate in the Maurice Collins vintage day, near Banna, County Kerry. KARG will be QRV as EI1K from 10am on 40M to 6M bands to facilitate activation of WAI square Q72 and Maidenhead square IO52ci.

On the following day Monday 29th March, members of KARG will participate in the spring leg of the IRTS 2M Counties contest, so it looks like a very busy weekend of events for KARG.

KARG website is www.kerryamateurradiogroup.com


Dundalk Amateur Radio Society - 2m Handheld Raffle.

The Dundalk Amateur Radio Society, EI7DAR, will hold a draw for a brand new MYT-Q1V - VHF, 136MHz to 174MHz 2m FM Handheld radio.

To be included in the draw you must make a minimum amount donation to Dundalk Amateur Radio Society. The minimum donation amount is available on the Club website www.ei7dar.com

Please remember to give your contact details when donating online.

You must submit your entry to the draw before midnight on Sunday 3rd April. The draw will take place at the IRTS AGM in Limerick on Sunday 10th April. This draw is open to anyone in Ireland, north or south.


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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