Archived News Script

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 22nd July 2018


Silent Key

With deepest we regret to announce the sudden death of Jim Claffey, EI2DDB, Howth Road, Sutton, Co. Dublin. Jim passed away suddenly on Tuesday 17th July. Jim will be remembered by those early morning travellers on the road runner net and to long QSOs late into the night on 2 Meters. Sincere sympathies to his family. May he rest in peace.


IOTA Contest

The RSGB Islands On The Air contest takes place next weekend, for 24 hours from 12:00 UTC on Saturday 28th July, on the contest bands from 80 metres to 10 metres, CW and SSB. This contest is always well supported by EI and GI stations. The only offshore Irish island that we know will be active during the contest is Arranmore Island, Co Donegal, where members of Stockport Radio Society’s Contest Group plan to operate, using the call sign EJ6KP.


World Radiosport Team Championship

The winners of the 2018 World Championship of Radio Amateurs are from Lithuania. Gedas Lucinskas (LY9A) and Mindis Jukna (LY4L) were the top team at the event held in Germany last weekend in conjunction with the IARU HF Championship. Gedas and Mindis, using the call sign Y81N, logged over 5,000 QSOs during the 24-hour contest, a considerable achievement by any standards and in particular given that they operated under field-day conditions and with a power limit of 100 watts. CW accounted for 70% of their QSOs.

These team championship events are held every four years, the next event will be in Bologna, Italy in 2022.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The July meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday the 30th of July 2018 in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford at 8.30 p.m. sharp. Please note the later start time of meeting. This is to facilitate a committee meeting on the same night and the committee apologise for any inconvenience this late start time may cause. 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 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.


Shannon Basin Radio Club

A reminder that the shannon basin radio club will be holding a meeting in the Roscommon underwater search and recovery club house, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon on the 26th of July at 20:30. Nearest eircode is F42 HX48 . All club members are requested to attend and anyone wishing to join the club is more than welcome. Please note the new venue. For any information please contact Brian EI8IU on 0861057325 or visit club facegroup page.


International Convention of CW Operators

The U-QRQ-C are holding an `International Convention of CW Operators` on August 24-27, 2018 near Moscow, Russia. It will be a field-day style event and they are inviting all HAM-radio CW operators to attend.

Participation is free but attendees must provide their own outdoor sleeping gear.

Detailed information on this event is available at https://clck.ru/DoNR2 , although at this time it is only in Russian. Google Translate may be used for other languages.

Questions are very welcome by email: “uqrqc /at/ mail /dot/ ru”. Contact may also be made to their `International Liaison` Ed, NT2X in New York, by email “red /at/ escape /dot/ com” for further details. He will be happy to provide additional information.


IECRO Radio Club

For anyone wishing to work an American operator visiting Ireland for a 24 hour period only. Jarad KE8GBF from Northern Michigan will be visiting Dublin and surrounding areas. He would like to talk over the airwaves to as many hams in the country as possible.

During parts of his visit he will operate QRP portable under IECRO Radio Club callsign EI0IPN. Listen out for him on UHF, VHF, HF and also on the repeaters.

His arrival will be on the morning of Friday 27th July and his first destination will be the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in Howth.


DX News

Members of the Nara DX Association in Japan will be QRV from Ta Island in Micronesia as V6J until 31st July. They will be active on all bands 40 – 6m on SSB, CW, FT8 and RTTY with a focus on Europe and North America. Ta Island is one of the Mortlock Islands and counts as OC-254 for the IOTA Award. QSL via Club Log OQRS.

Christian M0UPL will operate as D44EK from Sal Island in the Cape Verde Archipelago from 23rd July – 7th August. QSL to his home call

IOTA enthusiasts may be interested in IB0P who is active until 26th July from Ponza Island (EU-045). The operator is Giuseppe IK5WWA and he can be found on all bands 80 – 6m SSB and FT8.

Karel OK2ZI will be signing 3B8/OK2ZI from Mauritius during the period 26th July – 4th August. Activity will be on 160 – 10m on CW, SSB and digital. QSL via Club Log OQRS.


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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