Listeners are reminded that the Annual EI Activity Day is just around the corner. All EI and GI stations are encouraged to make a special effort to get on the air on St. Patricks Day which this year falls on Tuesday week. Amateurs around the world will be looking for EIs and GIs on that day, especially those trying to complete their Worked EI Counties and Worked All GI awards.
Please also have a listen on the WAI frequency of 3.680MHz or on the WAI 2 metre frequency of 145.350MHz.
If you cannot make it on St. Patrick's Day, please try to get on the air for a while next weekend. Last year, several special event stations were operated but we have not heard of any planned for this year yet.
The results of the IOTA contest held last July have appeared in the current Radcom and once again show some excellent results from EI stations.
However, the big news is that overall victory went to the WestNet Group operating as GI7J from the QTH of Robbie GI0KOW. The winning score was 6.7 million points while the runner-up MW7Z had 6.5 million points. The WestNet Group is multi-national with members from EI, GI, GW and HB9.
Also in the multi-op section, the Dalkey Island Group, EJ1D operating from Bere Island finished in 15th position, while a group operating as EJ4GK on the Blasket Islands were in 28th position.
In the single operator, SSB, island 24 hour section, John EI7GL achieved 13th place. Other EIs in the listings include Ken EI4DW who finished in 27th place in the Island 12 hour CW Section, Anthony EI2HY was in 10th position in the Island 12 hour multi-mode section and Tony EI3HA achieved 17th position in the 12 hour Island SSB section.
The contest attracted a total of 895 entries making it the fastest growing contest in the world and of course the most popular with EI stations.
The Annual General Meeting of the South Dublin Radio Club was held in their premises at the Ballyroan Community Centre last Tuesday night.
After reviewing a very successful year, the following officers were elected for the coming twelve months- Chairman - Jim Holohan, EI4HH - Secretary - Thomas Griffin, EI9BTB Committee members- Michael Conaghan EI2IE, Alan Dean EI9IF and Brendan de hOra EI3GV
The Annual General meeting of the South East Amateur Radio Group will take place in Egan's Lounge Bar on Wednesday next March the 11th at 8.30pm.
All members are expected to attend this meeting. Intending members are also very welcome.
The AGM of the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society will be held on Tuesday next March the 10th at Marconi House, 113 Castletown Road, Dundalk.
There is now a new beacon on 144 MHz beaming across the Atlantic. It is W1RJA/B in Locator Square FN41CJ. It runs 60 watts on CW into a 5 Element Yagi and is pointing towards Europe. Its frequency is 144.282MHz.
In the UK, there has been a lot of interest in setting up a transatlantic beacon. So far, 4 potential sites have been offered by broadcast companies owning towers in suitable locations. A special call sign is in the process of being sought from the Radio Communications Agency and it is hoped that permission will be granted to transmit at power levels of up to 1 Kilowatt. Rumour has it that one site is on the North Coast of Devon (SW England) and another on the Island of Lewis (Scotland/Hebrides), with the latter beaming more towards VO and the Maritimes, looking for any auroral-related opening and the other looking towards the USA with perhaps greater possibility of Es.
The March edition of the VHF Newsheet published by John Desmond EI7GL has just been released and contains many items of interest to VHF/UHF operators.
It is available on either packet radio or by Email and John can be contacted as follows: E-Mail address is john.desmond@hormann.ie
Packet address is EI7GL @ EI7DKB or of course via the Callbook address.
On March the 22nd the Limerick Rally will be held at the Limerick Inn on the Ennis Road. The IRTS AGM will be held over the weekend of April the 18th and 19th in Jurys Hotel in Cork and information on dinner dance tickets or acommodation can be had from Dick EI6HH on 021-545154
Items for inclusion in both the Radio News and Newsletter can be faxed to 021-632730 or passed on the telephone to Dave EI4BZ at 021- 632444 during the day and at 021-883555 in the evening.
Mail can also be sent on packet to EI4BZ and EI7DNB on cluster or at the EI7DKB BBS. The Radio News Editor John EI7DNB can be contacted at 021-353277 after 1830.
All news input can be sent on Email to news@irts.ie
[N]