Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 16th April 2017


Counties Contests

We have two short counties contests taking place tomorrow, Easter Monday. The usual 2 metres contest for two hours from 2.00 pm local time, plus the first-ever 70 cms counties contest for the preceding hour, from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm local time. Both contests have mixed mode SSB/FM and FM-only sections as well as a section for SWLs. Additionally, there are separate sections in the 2 metres contest for portable and fixed stations; those planning to enter a portable section log should review the requirements for portable section entries in the 2 metres rules.

To ensure everyone gets a fair chance of calling CQ on 2 metres FM, there is a special 'QSY Rule' to the effect that after any QSO that is initiated by you making a CQ call, you must QSY to another channel before calling "CQ" again, while the station answering the CQ call has the frequency for one more contact. This QSY rules does not apply in the SSB section of the band or on any mode in the 70 cms contest.

See www.irts.ie/contests for more details, including permitted frequencies. Many 2 metre rigs also have 70 cms, so please join us on UHF in the hour before the 2 metres event.


Echo Ireland – HF Happenings Feature Article

The editor of Echo Ireland is pleased to announce that Mark Bannon EI6HPB has agreed to compile and edit the HF Happenings feature article in future editions of Echo Ireland.

IRTS are most grateful to Mark in volunteering his services.


International Marconi Day

International Marconi Day (IMD) is a 24-hour amateur radio event that is held annually to celebrate the birth of Marconi on 25th April 1874.

The event is usually held on the Saturday closest to Marconi’s birthday, which is next Saturday April 22nd.

An award is available for contacting or hearing 15 of the official award stations over the 24 hours.

At the time of writing, there are over sixty stations registered for the event and six of these are from Echo India.

Three stations will operate from West Cork. The North Cork Radio Group will operate EI0IMD as usual from the Mizzen Head Signal Station, The Avondhu Radio Club will operate EI1IMD from Brow Head and Cork Radio Club will operate EI5IMD from Marconi House in Crookhaven.

EI0MAR will be active from the Martello Tower in Howth and are looking for a radio operator (s) to operate the station from 11am to 4pm, tea and biscuits provided.

EI6YXQ will be operated by the Kerry Radio Club from Ballybunnion, County Kerry and EI11WAW will be active from Carndonagh, Malin Head, County Donegal.

Full details of the award and participating stations are available on the website gx4crc.com


Kerry Amateur Radio Group

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group will participate as an Award Station in this year's International Marconi Day event on Saturday 22nd April 2017.

The station will be set up at Colaiste Bhreanainn on the site of the former Marconi Station at Ballybunnion, County Kerry by the Expeditionary Radio Team of the radio club. Operation by club members for the full duration of the event from 0000UTC to 2359UTC on 22nd April is planned. Two HF SSB stations are planned for this year on the site as well as a HF data station.

The special event callsign EI6YXQ will be used to commemorate the original callsign of YXQ used by the Marconi Station in Ballybunnion which made world history by achieving the first transatlantic voice radio transmission in March 1919 to the Marconi Station located at Louisberg, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland in the East to West direction. The number 6 is used in the callsign as a tribute to the late John O’Carroll EI6AH who organised the event for many years over two decades ago welcoming many amateur radio operators through the doors and always making sure that everyone had a cup of tea and plenty to eat. The welcome extended by John and his family was legendary, embodying the spirit of amateur radio and friendship.

A QRZ.com page for EI6YXQ has been set up in addition to having a special QSL card printed for the event. The QSL card can be seen on the QRZ.com page. We intend to upload the log of contacts to the page also and access permitting we will endeavour to post updates from the station over the course of the event.

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group are looking forward to working as many stations as possible as well as having an enjoyable weekend at the station on this historic site.

More information regarding the Kerry Amateur Radio Group can be found on the club webpage at kerryamateurradiogroup.com and the groups QRZ.com page using their callsign EI1K.


Cork Radio Club AGM

A well attended Annual General Meeting of Cork Radio Club was held recently and the following were elected to lead the club for the coming year. Chairman: Jerry Cahill EI6BT, Vice Chairman: Denis Long EI5GSB, Secretary: Laura Wilkins SWL, Treasurer: Jim Barry EI8GS, QSL & Awards Manager: Tim McKnight EI2KA, IRTS Rep: Dave Moore EI4BZ

Committee Members: Dave Deane EI9FBB, Sean Cowman EI3GS, Dave Moore EI4BZ.

The club will operate EI5IMD as an official International Marconi Day Station from Marconi House in Crookhaven on Saturday next April 22nd. The club will be based at Marconi House for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and visitors will be very welcome.

The club meets at Carrigtwohill Community Centre on the second Wednesday each month and new members are very welcome. Enquiries to Dave EI4BZ on 087-6290574 or davebeag /at/ gmail.com.


Wexford Wireless Club

On Wednesday 3rd May Steve EI4KM will give a talk and a small demonstration about Amateur Television (ATV) at the club meeting at 8.30pm sharp. All club members or anyone interested are welcome to attend.

Wexford Wireless Club hold weekly meetings every Wednesday evening from 8pm to 10pm in Gorey Scout Hall just off Esmonde Street in Gorey, County Wexford. Everyone is very welcome

For more information about the club please contact the club secretary Michael Fitzgerald EI9GGB at QTHR or send an email to Wexfordwirelessclub /at/ live.ie


Shannon Basin Radio Club

The next meeting of the Shannon Basin Radio Club will be held on Saturday 22nd April at 11am.

The meeting will held at the QTHR of Pat EI9HX. The IRTS President Gerry EI8CC will attend and all members are asked to be there.

For more info contact Pat EI9HX or Brian EI8IU.


Panama now on 60m

Republic of Panama published their 2016 National Frequency Plan which contained the WRC-15 amateur secondary allocation of 5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz .


DX News

Members of the Barry Amateur Radio Society (GC4BRS) will use the callsign GT4BRS from the Isle of Man until 22nd April. They will operate all bands CW, SSB and JT65.

Bruce 3W3B will be back in Laos from 16th to 28th April. He will use his XW4XR callsign on 160 to 10m on CW, RTTY and JT65. QSLs go via E21EIC.

Jesus JP7MBO will activate XV9G from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from 19th April until 9th May. Operation will be mainly 40 and 20m with a possibility of 15m.

Two Czech amateurs Petr OK1FCJ and David OK6DJ will be QRV as 5V7P from Lome, Togo from 21st to 28th April. Activity will be on 160 to 10m CW, SSB and RTTY. QSLs go to OK6DJ.


Radio DARC Broadcasts

RADIO DARC, is the weekly magazine of the German Amateur Radio Club for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners, with three broadcasts on 6070 kHz for Europe. DARC will broadcast during the 24th IARU-Region-1-Conference to be held in Landshut, Germany.

From 16th to 22nd September 2017, RADIO DARC will report current news on the conference in six daily special shortwave transmissions to keep the IARU Region 1 ham radio audience up to date with news and background reports.


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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