Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 20th May 2018


Spectrum News

Following a spectrum award by ComReg the entire 4m band (69.9 - 70.5 MHz) is now available to Irish licensees.

At the last IRTS Committee Meeting a sub-committee was convened to develop band plans and propagation beacons for additional spectrum included in the spectrum award.

IRTS is now consulting amateur licensees on two band plans covering 40 - 44 MHz and 54 - 69.9 MHz. More details including draft band plans can be downloaded from the IRTS website, www.irts.ie/downloads

Please send any comments as soon as possible to “newspectrum /at/ irts /dot/ ie” to arrive not later than 30th June 2018.


Data Protection Changes

Due to changes in data protection regulation, IRTS is not now in a position to publish an online or printed call book. The society’s call book is based on data supplied by ComReg combined with amendments requested by call sign holders.

ComReg is at present reviewing the position in relation to making data on amateur stations available to IRTS. The society needs to await the outcome of this review before establishing whether it is feasible to produce a call book. Also, the searchable email list has been removed, as the consents now required for such a list are not in place.

More details on these changes will be included in the Summer edition of Echo Ireland, due for publication in June.


Call for Radio Club Representatives

Reminder: We would like to remind all affiliated clubs to nominate a member of their club to act as a representative for this year. Some clubs have already done so. For additional information regarding this role, please make contact with the IRTS Secretary.


Printable Version of the IRTS Course Guide

The Course Guide in PDF format, mentioned in recent bulletins, has now been updated to include sections that were missing from the original version. The new version dated 17th May can be downloaded from www.irts.ie/downloads

Anyone who has printed a copy of the previous version can obtain the recently added pages from Joe Ryan EI7GY, his contact details are on the Officers page of the IRTS web site.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The May meeting of the group will take place on Monday the 28th of May 2018 in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford at 8.00 p.m. sharp.

With the Geopark weekend and the Foxhunt approaching, Eoghan EI5HBB will be constructing some 2m clothes hanger beams. A small amount of material will be available so people wishing to construct a beam are advised to bring their own materials. New members or anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio or the group are as always very welcome to attend.

For anyone who wishes to find out more about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and their activities you can drop them an email to “info /at/ searg /dot/ ie” or please feel free to attend any of their meetings. You can check out their website www.searg.ie You can also join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.


DX News

Zorro JH1AJT and Nao JN1RVS will be QRV from Sint Maarten in the Caribbean as PJ8Z and PJ8RV respectively from 20th – 27th May. Operation will be on 40 – 10m SSB, CW, RTTY and FT8. There will also be some activity from the French side of the island during this time and you should look for FS/KH8Z from St Martin.

Thomas F4HPX will be active from Reunion Island as FR/F4HPX from 25th May – 15th June. He will be mainly on SSB on 40, 20 and 15m with a possibility of some FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.

Karl LA8DW will return to Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago and reactivate his JW8DW call sign from 26th – 29th May. The IOTA reference is EU-026 and QSLs go via the home call.

Three amateurs from the Vladivostok area of Asiatic Russia will operate as R0LS/P from Skrebtsov Island. This island counts as AS-066 for the IOTA Award and they will be active on CW only from 24th – 28th May.


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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