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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 3rd 2000


South Dublin Radio Club

The weekly meetings of South Dublin Radio Club resume on Tuesday next 5th September. The Club meets every Tuesday from 8.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. in the Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham.

Theory classes will commence shortly, and prospective students are asked to contact the club as soon as possible to register their interest.

Last year was a very successful year for the club, with six of the pupils from the theory class gaining their licences.

Counties Contest The autumn leg of the IRTS 2 Metres Counties Contest was held last weekend and the general feeling is that activity was somewhat down on the spring event. However, the leading stations still managed to make over 60 QSOs and at least 21 counties were reported active.

One station made 68 QSOs and worked 20 counties.

There was lots of activity from Mayo and Louth while there was a drop in the number of stations from Cork and Tipperary, two counties that usually provide almost half of the activity.

Another county with an active club had only one station on the air and that was only for the last 20 minutes, making about 10 QSOs.

Unfortunately there were a few counties that had no participation at all. It looks like all GI counties appeared in the logs.

New rules will apply for the spring 2001 of this contest.


CW Field Day Results

Jerry EI6BT, operating from East Cork, was the winner of the restricted section of the 2000 CW field day with 434 QSO’s and 1472 points. Stan EI5IY, from West Cork, was runner up with 349 QSOs and 1261 points while Joe Ryan EI7GY, operating from Bencroy Mountain in County Leitrim, was in third place with 215 QSOs and 755 points.

In the open section EI7M operated from East Cork by Dave EI4BZ and Cormac EI6HQ scored 604 QSOs and 2013 points.

Participants enjoyed mixed weather with both heavy rain and brilliant sunshine being experienced. Band conditions were deemed to be poor and this is reflected in the scores.

Several stations from the west participated but did not submit logs.


The Film ‘Frequency’

The movie ‘Frequency’, which features amateur radio, has finally reached this country.

The story tells of a son speaking to his father 30 years in the past via amateur radio. This is made possible by a major aurora.

The son saves his father from being killed in a fire by warning him on the same rig his father used 30 years earlier.

Reports suggest that it is quite a good film and show amateur radio in a good light.


Limerick Radio Club

Congratulations to the three new licencees in the Limerick area, Pat EI7FHB, Peter EI3JA, Eamonn EI5JA. The three lads attended classes run by Mike EI2IX last winter and further classes are planned again this year.

The Limerick club will be hosting the IRTS AGM on April the 7th and 8th next and tickets for the annual dinner will be available shortly.

A package deal will be available at the Limerick Inn Hotel which will include bed and breakfast, the dinner dance and Sunday lunch.

Members of Limerick Radio Club took part in an A.R.E.N. exercise last weekend when they provided emergency communications for the annual Burren Walk organised by the Thomond Orienteering Club.

The club members involved were Peter EI3JA, John EI5FOB, Maurice EI6AAB, Pat EI7FHB and Brian EI9AL.

The club would like to thank Tom Rea EI2GP who was also participating in the walk and got involved with the emergency communications.

One hundred and fifty walkers took part.


Upcoming Contests

Now that summer is behind us, the contest season is fast approaching. During the coming months, several of the biggest international contests will take place and as usual there will be lots of nice DX to be worked.

Next weekend’s Worked All Europe SSB contest is well worth a go as you can only work stations outside Europe and it runs for 48 hours from midnight utc Friday to midnight utc Sunday.

On the following weekend, September the 16th and 17th, CW operators are catered for with the Scandinavian Activity Contest. This runs from noon utc on Saturday for 24 hours.

The SSB leg of this one will be held on the 23rd and 24th.

RTTY enthusiasts are also catered for on that weekend with a 48 hour event from midnight utc Friday.

The two biggest contests of the year, the CQ Worldwide DX Contests will take place fairly soon and should definitely be put in the diary.

The SSB one is first up and that will be held over the last weekend in October, that’s the 28th and 29th.

The CW event will be held on November the 25th and 26th.


Dates for your diary

The Shannon Basin Radio Club will resume monthly meetings after the summer break on Tuesday next September the 5th at their usual venue, the Royal Hotel in Roscommon at 8.30 p.m.

The September meeting of the Mayo Radio Experimenters Network will be held on Wednesday next September the 6th at the usual venue in The Wishing Well, Ballyvary, County Mayo.

The Cork Rally will be held on September 17th at the Blarney Park Hotel and the Shannon River Run will take place on the following weekend September the 22nd and 23rd.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News and the next issue of Echo Ireland should be forwarded to Dave EI4BZ at 021-883555 in the evenings or by e-mail at ei4bz@eircom.net.

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