Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday October 5th 2003
Last Jamboree on the Air for Scouting Ireland (CSI)
Scouting Ireland (CSI) will participate for the last time in the 46th Scout JOTA (Jamboree on the air) which will takes on Saturday and Sunday, 18th and 19th October next.
Scouting Ireland (CSI) was founded in 1927 and today has in excess of 26,000 members on the island of Ireland. Boys and girls aged from six to nineteen are supported by over four thousand volunteer adult leaders who deliver a varied programme of activities in the out of doors and in the community. On the 1st of January 2004, Scouting Ireland (CSI) will join with Scouting Ireland SAI in forming a new association to be called Scouting Ireland.
Each year over 500,000 Scouts and Guides from all over the world participate in this event where Scouting experiences are shared as thousands of scouts world-wide speak with each other across the airwaves. The event lasts from midnight local time Friday night (17th October) to midnight Sunday night (19th October). Stations participating can choose their own operating hours within this time frame. The formal opening of JOTA in Ireland will take place on Saturday the 18th of October at 15:00 local time with a short address by the Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland (CSI), Mr Peter Dixon.
The transmission will be made on the 40m WAI frequency and on the Dublin 2m repeater, operating from EI2DSJ in Dundalk. This will be followed by a call in giving Scouts the opportunity to talk with the Chief.
Besides EI2DSJ operating from Dundalk, other stations that will be on air for JOTA will be EI2SDR/J operating from the Scout Den in Wicklow, EI4BST/J operating from the Community Centre in Bayside, Dublin. EI5MRC/J operating from the Scout Campsite in Mount Melleray, Co. Waterford, EI2WRC/J operating from the Sacred Heart Scout Den, The Folly, John's Hill, Waterford City, and GB0FAS operating from the Scout Den in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim.
Further information regarding JOTA is available from Sean O'Suilleabhain, EI3IP, National JOTA Organiser (NJO) of Scouting Ireland (CSI) at njo@scoutingirelandcsi.com or at 087 232 6994 or at QTHR or from the Radio Scouting web page of Scouting Ireland (CSI) at www.qsl.net/ei3ip/jota.htm Downloads of Radio Scouting handbooks and templates for applications for special event callsigns for both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland are available on the web page.
Irish Amateur Television Club
On Sunday October the 5th, club members will meet for an informal outdoor gathering/picnic at Bellewstown Racecourse, which is just west of the M1, north of Balbriggan. There will be demonstrations of ATV equipment and test equipment for the microwave bands. All are welcome to attend.
Start time is 2 p.m. Talk in is on the ATV channel 144.750 MHz. Please do come along and make a day of it.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group
The next general meeting of the club will take place on Wednesday the 29th of October at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Sports and Social Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford.
EI5HAM - Blind and Disabled Group
EI5HAM have resumed meetings at St. Joseph's School for the Visually Impaired, Drumcondra, Dublin on Monday evenings and have also resumed the Radio Net on 145.575 from 7.45 to 8.45 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to call in to this Net and give useful operating practice to the young members. The Group propose setting up a HF station over the coming weeks.
On behalf of the IRTS, the Group distributes Echo Ireland in special format to white stick IRTS members and a new list of those interested in receiving the newsletter by E-mail or by post on floppy disk is now being compiled.
Please note that post recipients should return pouches and disks as soon as possible to be included in the list for the next issue. If any IRTS white stick members has not got computer facilities, it can be arranged to have cassette tapes organised.
For inclusion in the new list, please contact Joe EI4FV at 01 8390812 or at QTHR or by E-mail at ei4fv@eircom.net. Those who have received the last Newsletter on disk, need not re-apply.
Mayo Radio Experimenters Network
The 2003 Mayo Rally will be held on Sunday November the 16th in The Belmont Hotel, Knock, with doors opening at 11.00 a.m. Listeners will remember the success of the first Mayo rally last year, and the club are already hard at work to ensure a repeat success.
Phoenix Amateur Radio Club Phoenix Amateur Radio Club are planning a theory course leading to the Radio Experimenter Examination. Classes will be held in Coolmine on Thursday evenings between 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. For further information contact Dan Lloyd at 01-8382774 or at daniellloyd@eircom.net.
New 2 Metre Trans-Atlantic Beacon
The Marconi Radio Club of St. Johns, Newfoundland and the Caccalieu Amateur Radio Club of Carbonear are currently working to put a new 2 metre transatlantic beacon on the air.
The callsign for the beacon is yet to be decided. It will operate on 144.4 MHz with power output of 250 Watts into an 11 element Yagi situated about 90 metres above sea level.
Limerick Radio Club
Limerick Radio Club would like to remind members that they are hosting the AGM of the IRTS on the 7th of March 2004. The location will be the Greenhills Hotel, Limerick. There will be a dinner held on the previous evening, which will give all attending a chance to meet up. There has been a good response from the UK in relation to attending. The rally on the Sunday will be as good as last year if not better. More news will follow soon.
IARU Submits Paper to European Commission PLT Workshop Of great concern to many Radio Amateurs at the moment is the advent of PLT or Power Line Transmissions. PLT is a means of delivering broadband internet connectivity via existing power lines infrastructure. The concern with PLT is that it is capable of generating excessive interference levels in the JF spectrum.
The European Commission is calling for input papers for a PLT workshop with national regulators to be held on the 16th of October in Belgium.
IARU Region 1 has submitted a detailed paper for the workshop, detailing the problems that PLT creates for HF communications in general with particular reference to interference to the amateur bands. The paper puts forward a case for sensible emission limits from PLT systems, and references research carried out by a number of organisations.
Theory Examination
The IRTS Committee is very concerned that it has not been possible to arrange Theory Tests for some considerable time. Following discussions with ComReg, agreement in principle has been reached to hold a Theory Test in Dublin later in the year. Date and venue for this Exam has not yet been agreed but announcements will be made in good time in Echo Ireland and the Radio News. In the meantime, those interested in sitting this Exam should advise Derek O' Reilly of ComReg of their interest. In due course, he will contact all applicants on his list with the date and venue.
Shannon Basin Radio Club Challenge.
The Shannon Basin Radio club is running a one day Open, Fixed, Challenge for EI residence. This challenge is open to all licenced operators and short wave listeners, and will be held annually on the First Sunday of November. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage radio operators and short wave listeners to be active on the H.F bands.
The challenge will have three modes of operation, and the winner in each mode will be awarded with the following; The Lough Allen Shield will be awarded to the highest score in SSB. The Lough Ree Shield will be awarded to the highest score in CW (A1A). The Lough Derg Shield will be awarded to the highest score for SWL. The above winners will also receive a personal trophy.
To receive a copy of the rules for the above challenge, please send a stamped address envelope to the contest manager EI6HW, Noel Mulvihill, Hillquarter, Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath or e-mail nfmulvihill@eircom.net. It is very important that persons intending to compete must send notification 10-days prior to the contest date, so get a copy of the rules early.
DX News
Dane S57CQ, is active as YI/S57CQ from Iraq and has been heard mainly around 14.270 MHz SSB. He expects to be in Iraq until mid-October. QSL is via S57DX.
On the 24th of September last, OK1UWA in the Czech Republic and W5LUA in the US conducted a 24 GHz EME QSO, the first time that this has been done between both countries by this method.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded Mark Wall EI7IS. He can be contacted on 087-6302026. News can also be submitted via e-mail to news@irts.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services.
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