It is with the deepest of sympathy that we report the passing of William Kieran (Bill) Ryan from Portmarnock (formerly of Drumcondra). Bill was a longtime member of North Dublin Radio Club and a founder member of the QRP club at the Marino Institute of Education. Bill used to say to friends that he had the oldest Irish callsign EI8BC. He will be deeply missed by all his family and friends.
On Thursday last, members of South Dublin Radio Club in association with IRTS and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) had a direct contact on 2 metres with Paolo Nespoli IZ0JPA, one of the astronauts on the International Space Station. The contact was from Tallaght Community School, Dublin, and allowed pupils in the school to ask Paolo about a range of topics including the training required for the work on the Space Station and the experiments carried out on the ISS. A similar direct contact from Cork to the ISS is scheduled for the coming week.
The 60th Scout Jamboree on the Air will be held this weekend. We wish the very best of luck to all station operators taking part in this event.
Just a reminder that the 48 hour long CQ World-Wide DX SSB contest will be taking place next weekend 28th and 29th October. For additional information please visit www.cqww.com/rules.htm
The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday 7th December in the ComReg Offices in Dublin. Some applications have already been received. As places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis, those intending to sit the examination should apply soon. Full details, including entry procedure, examination fee and how to pay the fee online are available at www.irts.ie/exam . Please note that it is necessary to download the application form from the web page and forward the completed form and the appropriate fee so as to secure a place for the examination.
It is important to note that even if you pay the fee online you must still complete and forward the application form.
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Thursday 16th November. Four Exam Reports which were previously published in Echo Ireland are available on the Downloads section of the website at www.irts.ie/downloads under "Studying for the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate". These reports contain very useful information for anyone studying for the Licence Examination. Intending candidates are advised to pay particular attention to the syllabus for the examination especially Annexes 1 and 2.
The October meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford on Monday night the 30th of October at 8.00 p.m. sharp. At this meeting Steve EI4KM will give a talk and demonstration on Fast Scan Television. New members or anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio or the group are as always very welcome to attend. For anyone that wishes to find out more about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and its activities you can come along to any of their meetings. You can check out their website www.searg.ie and you can also join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
The Cork Radio Club invites anybody interested in studying for the Amateur Radio examination over the winter months to send an expression of interest by email to “info /at/ corkradioclub /dot/ ie” or by telephone/text to 087-6290574.
Visitors and new members are always very welcome at club meetings and further information is available by emailing “info /at/ corkradioclub /dot/ ie”
LRC members Harry EI2KL, Brendan EI0CZ and Tom EI5CA will continue with CW instruction for beginners on the LRC 2 metre repeater each Monday after the IRTS News, which is read at 20:00 . On the following Tuesday evenings at 20:00 there will be instruction aimed at those who have gone a little 'rusty'. Sessions generally will last up to 3/4 of an hour.
If there is sufficient interest, a practice class/classes can be arranged in Atlantic Air Ventures Shannon. Please contact LRC Club Secretary Harry EI2KL at “contact /at/ limerickradioclub /dot/ ie”
The EIDX Group (who brought you 9N7EI earlier this year) are delighted to announce their next DXpedition for 2018. A team of 14 operators will be QRV for 2 consecutive weekends from March 21st to April 3rd also taking in the WPX SSB contest.
The team have carefully selected an ideal location on the shores of lake Malawi and will be QRV on all bands from 160m through 10m, SSB, CW and RTTY. Their website is under construction and coming soon.
Doug WB5TKI will be QRV holiday-style from Belize in Central America from 21st – 28th October. He will sign V31WB on 20 – 10m SSB, CW and FT8. QSLs go to his home call.
Janusz SP9FIH will be active from Bethlehem in Palestine as E44WE until 29th October. This will include the CQ WW DX SSB Contest. Look for him on all bands 30 – 10m. QSL via Club Log OQRS.
Johannes PA5X is expected to be in Mozambique very soon and will be there for several months signing C93PA from Beira. He will be active on SSB and Digital. QSL to the home call.
Alex UT5UY and Roman UR0MC will operate from Sri Lanka as 4S7AYG from 22nd – 31st October. QSLs go via M0URX.
Two Canadian amateurs will operate as VY0ERC from the Eureka Amateur Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island which counts as NA-008 for the Islands on the Air award programme until 10th November. The QTH is in Zone 2 and Grid Square ER60.
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, Mark EI6HPB on 086 355 2370.
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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