Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 29th October 2017


Silent Key: EI2AF

We are sorry to inform all listeners of the death on Monday last of Dermot Kevin Donnelly of Crozon Downs, Sligo and formerly of Park Drive Ranelagh in Dublin. His funeral took place on Wednesday last. Dermot had not been active on the air for some time. To his wife Kitty and to his sons Alexis and Fergal we extend our sincere sympathy. May he rest in peace.


Contest Results

Results of the 40 Metres Counties Contest held on 8th October have now been published. Band conditions were good on the day so there was plenty of activity in the contest. 37 station logs were submitted, and almost 80 EI and GI stations in 27 counties were logged. See the Contest Results page at www.irts.ie/results for full details.

The final IRTS contest of the year is a one-hour Evening Counties Contest on 80 metres, which takes place at 20:00 UTC on Tuesday 7th November. See www.irts.ie/contests for the rules, this page also includes the full IRTS contest calendar for 2018.


Amateur Station Licence Examination

There are just over two weeks to the closing date for the next Amateur Station Licence Examination which will be held on Thursday 7th December in the ComReg Offices in Dublin. Quite a number of applications have already been received and as places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis, those intending to sit the examination would need to apply very 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.


ISS Contact

During the week, members of Cork Radio Club supported by IRTS and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) successfully established direct contact with Joe Acaba KE5DAR, one of the NASA astronauts on the International Space Station. The 2 metre base station was set up in Glanmire Community School, and pupils from the school were able to question Joe Acaba on a wide range of topics related to the space programme. The contact with the ISS was, by arrangement, shared with pupils in a school in Romania, who spoke to the astronaut via the 2 metre link in Glanmire.


CQ WW DX SSB Contest

Just a reminder that the CQ World-Wide DX SSB contest is taking place today Sunday 29th October. For additional information please visit www.cqww.com/rules.htm


Good news for 60 meters in Spain

The Spanish State Official Newsletter, Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) this week carried the new National Frequency Allocation Chart (CNAF) which contains some good news for Spanish radio amateurs. It included the new global 60m allocation, 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz secondary, that was agreed at ITU WRC-15. As a result you may now be able to hear another country operating on these frequencies.


Scout Jamboree on the Air

There were quite a few Irish stations active in the recent JOTA. Radio conditions were quite good and contacts were made with scout stations on all continents. If you were active please send a short report and any pics by email to "jota /at/ scouts /dot/ ie".


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

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.


Cork Radio Club

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”


Limerick Radio Club

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”


EIDX

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 as 7Q7EI on all bands from 160m through 10m, SSB, CW and RTTY. They are delighted to announce that their website is now up and running and can be visited at www.7q7ei.com, so please visit their site from time to time as they will try to keep it as up-to-date as possible.


DX News

Tom KC0W continues his worldwide trip in the coming weeks. From 1st – 15th November look for him as VR2/KC0W from Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong. This one counts as AS-006 for the IOTA programme. Tom follows this with a stop in Vietnam from 17th – 30th November where he will use the callsign 3W9CW and be active from Con Son Island (IOTA AS-130). Then he moves to Brunei where he will sign V85/KC0W from 3rd - 18th December. As usual Tom will work mainly on CW but look out for some FT8. QSLs go directly to his home call.

Adrian G0KOM will be QRV as ZC4MK from the Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus from 27th - 31st October. This is a reactivation of the call he used when stationed there from 1989 - 1991. QSL to his home call.

The IOTA community are looking forward to the DXpedition to Baiyah Island off the coast of Liberia which is scheduled for the coming week. Callsign will be 5L3BI and the IOTA reference is AF-111. Included in the operators are Dave EI9FBB and Jeremy EI5GM. The weather will play a major part in the success of this trip and should things not go according to plan look for the callsigns EL2BB, EL2GM and EL2EL operating from the mainland.

Thomas OZ1AA will be active as 4W/OZ1AA in East Timor from 1st - 7th November. QSLs go to OZ1ACB and logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.

Members of the Mediterraneo DX Club will sign 9U4M from Burundi from 6th - 17th November. This experienced team will operate all bands 10 - 160m SSB, CW and RTTY. QSL manager is IK2VUC.


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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