Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday January 28th 2001
Tipperary Amateur Radio Group
The next meeting of Tipperary Amateur Radio Club will be held on Wednesday the 7th of February in the usual venue at Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel starting at 8.00 p.m. and all are welcome to attend. For enquiries about TARG and their activities contact the secretary, John Burke EI2JB at QTHR or via e-mail at ei2jb@qsl.net.
Limerick Radio Club
Plans are well advanced for the up-coming Radio and Electronics Fair and IRTS AGM in Limerick to be held in the Limerick Inn Hotel on April 7th – 8th 2001. All the usual traders will be in attendance and once again Yaesu UK will be there. They will have a large range of working equipment on display, included will be the FT 1000MP Mk V, Quadra HF Amplifier, the new FT 817 QRP Transceiver and many more. Thanks must also be given to Yaesu for sponsoring a VX-5R tri-band handheld, which will be raffled on the day. Tables must be booked early, as places cannot be guaranteed, further details will be announced shortly. All in all it is shaping up to be a great day and LRC are looking forward to meeting all their old friends once again. Tickets are now available for the IRTS AGM/Dinner Dance to be held on the 7th April 2001 in the Limerick Inn Hotel. Tickets costing £25 are available from Paul Kirkby (EI6FE) on 061-360122. Full payment in advance would be appreciated and no booking will be accepted after 17th March 2001. Please book early, as tickets are limited and if necessary a deposit will secure tickets until 3rd March 2001. Accommodation is available in the Limerick Inn at the special rate of £35pps however there will be a single supplement. Rooms have been prebooked and half of these are already gone so early booking is advisable. Please contact Paul in relation to the accommodation. There are also numerous B&B’s nearby.
Please call Paul EI6FE on 061 360122 if you have any questions.
Phoenix Radio Rally
The first rally of the year, hosted by Phoenix Radio Club, takes place next Sunday February the 4th in Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Doors open at 11.00 a.m. and the entrance fee is £2. Aside from all the other attractions, CW students are reminded that this Rally will provide an opportunity to take the Morse Test. Anybody wishing to take the test is welcome to arrive with the test fee and suitable ID. No prior appointment or other detail is necessary. So, how about it, take this opportunity to sit the test and get working on the HF Bands. For further details contact Tom EI2AJ at 01-8211043.
Mayo Radio Experimenters Network
Theory and Morse classes are due to commence in the last week of January and interested parties should contact John McDonnell EI6IR, on 094 60127 immediately.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The Annual General Meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Wednesday the 31st of January 2001 at 8.00pm in the Roanmore Social and Sports Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. All members are asked to attend and visitors as always are very welcome. For enquiries phone 087-6302026 or contact the club via e-mail at searg@angelfire.com.
Cork ATV Group
The inaugural meeting of the Cork ATV group was held on 12th of January last. Nine members were present. The group will take over responsibility for the ATV repeater EI2TVR. A very generous present was made to the group of an expensive screen splitter permitting for four different inputs. It is hoped to have this fitted to the repeater soon. The group has also become affiliated to IRTS. Membership is £10, which can be sent to Aedan EI3EG at QTHR.
The Ian Morris Memorial Trophy
The Ian Morris Memorial Trophy has been awarded annually at the IRTS AGM for the Short-wave Listener with the highest total of DXCC countries confirmed in the previous calendar year. Up to now, QSL cards were required for all countries claimed. This has proved difficult for listeners and a rule change has been introduced to ease the situation. This comes into immediate effect and applies to entrants at the forthcoming AGM in Limerick. The new wording of the rules are as follows; Donated by South Dublin Radio Club, this trophy is awarded to the Short-wave Listener with the highest number of DXCC entities heard in the previous calendar year. While confirmation of entities heard is not required, entrants will be expected to produce a number of QSL cards, (not necessarily from the year in question), to demonstrate their commitment to Short-wave Listening. Applications for the award should mail their entries to the Awards Manager, Peter Grant EI4HX at QTHR or submit their list by e-mail to Peter at ei4hxperimental@eircom.net Entries should be with Peter by March 31st. QSL cards can be produced at the AGM in Limerick. Of course, if you are not travelling to the AGM, you must mail the cards to Peter.
DX News
Josep D68BT and Nuria D68WL will be operating from Comoros until January 28th. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters, including the newer bands using SSB, RTTY and some CW. QSL both calls via EA3BT.
The major UK-based DXpedition to the Comoros takes place from the 8th to 28th of February. The 'Five Star DXers Association' will be active as D68C with a minimum of six stations around the clock using high power and large beam antennas on all bands from 6 to 80 metres inclusive, plus an 82-foot high vertical on the water's edge for 160 metres.
Transatlantic Beacon
Members of the North East Weak Signal Group (NEWS) are currently rebuilding the Trans-Atlantic beacon. It is expected that the beacon will return on the air during early spring of 2001 from its location in Rhode Island, and on 144.282 MHz Several members of the group are interested in accomplishing the feat of a 2 meter contact between Europe and the US. If you have an Internet reflector/remailer set up for discussions or plans or if you have any comments contact Mark Casey, K1MAP at 303 Main St., Hampden MA 01036 or via e-mail to map@map.com.
Items for inclusion Echo Ireland should be forwarded to Dave Moore EI4BZ at 021-4883555 in the evenings or at 021-4823172 during office hours. Items can be submitted to Dave by e-mail at ei4bz@eircom.net and you can fax him at 021-4823316. Items for inclusion in the Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall EI7IS at QTHR or via e-mail to ei7is@qsl.net or cyberis@e-merge.ie. Items can also be sent to Mark over the phone at 087-6302026. News can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both news services.
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