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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday January 20th 2008


Theory Examination

The next Theory Examination will be held at the ComReg Offices in Dublin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday the 6th of February. If you have indicated your intention to sit the examination but have not yet forwarded the necessary fee, please forward your fee immediately. It should be noted that as places at the exam are limited a place can only be reserved when the necessary fee is received.

The fee is 50 Euro or 25 Euro for full time registered students, those who are retired, unemployed or have a disability. To reserve a place please send the appropriate fee to Seán Nolan EI7CD at 12 Little Meadow, Pottery Road, Dunlaoghaire, Co. Dublin. Cheques and Money Orders should be made payable to the IRTS. Seán's address is available in the IRTS call book or on the Call Book section of the IRTS website at www.irts.ie

Also available in the “Where Do I Start” section of the IRTS website are Examination Notes with a sample examination paper as well as links to the ComReg Experimenter pages which contain some very useful data under “Licensing Information”.

The examination consists of a multiple choice question paper of 60 questions divided into three main sections A, B, and C and the time allowed is two hours. The pass mark is 60% and a pass is required in each of the three main sections of the paper. When forwarding the exam fee intending candidates should include their postal address as well as phone and e-mail contact details.


80 metres Counties Contest

All participants in the 80 metres Counties Contest which took place on New Years Day last are encouraged to submit logs - these should be sent to "contests2008 at irts dot ie" (note that the previous contests e-mail address is no longer in use). The deadline for submission of logs is Thursday the 31st of January.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

There will be no monthly meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group in January, the next Meeting will be held on February the 7th 2008.


Squares table 2007

Could everyone who supported the VHF/UHF squares table during the past year send in their final updates for 2007 to the VHF Manager “joe underscore fadden at yahoo dot com” before the end of January. Some good square scores were achieved this year. If you have not sent in a score for any of the VHF/UHF bands during 2007, you can still do so.


Kerry Amateur Radio Group

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group's January QSO party will be held next Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th of January 2008. This event is designed to promote HF and 6-metre activity during the inclement winter months. Recommended calling frequencies for the event are: On SSB, 3.680 and 7.068 MHz (WAI frequencies) and 50.135 MHz. On CW, 3.567 MHz at 15 minutes before the hour.

A full set of guidelines for the event can be found at www.ei1karg.com


VHF/UHF/SHF News

The VHF/UHF section of the IRTS web site - now renamed "VHF/UHF/SHF Information" - has been updated in recent days. The addition of SHF (Super High Frequency) to the name is in anticipation of more activity in the centimetre band during 2008. The Squares Table for 2008 now includes a column for 10 GHz, and will no doubt be watched with interest.

The VHF/UHF/SHF section of the web site is designed to facilitate and encourage activity on the bands above 30 MHz. It includes links to sites dedicated to 4 metres and 6 metres operation, beacon lists, updates on VHF DXpeditions, tropospheric forecasts and DX records. The site also includes information on regular EI VHF activity. Click on the "VHF/UHF/SHF" link on www.irts.ie


IRTS 4 Metre & 6 Metre Shields

The 4 Metre & 6 Metre Shields will be presented to the leading 4 & 6 Metre operators at this years I.R.T.S. AGM. This competition is run on a calendar year basis from the 1st of January 2007 to the 31st of December 2007.

The scoring will be calculated as follows: Unique contacts times Maidenhead locator squares times DXCC. All modes count. Could anyone interested in this competition please send their 2007 logs to the Contest Manager, Brian Canning “brianei8iu at eircom dot net”. Unique contacts: If you make contact with a particular station, say 5 times during the year, you can only claim this as 1 QSO. Squares means: IO51, JO63 KM78 etc. DXCC count, should need no explanation. It is hoped that everyone can and will send in a log.


Shannon Basin Radio Club

Due to a fire in the Royal Hotel, Roscommon. The Shannon Basin Radio Club Meetings will be held in Hannon's Hotel, Athlone Road, Roscommon. The next meeting is on Wednesday the 6th of February 2008.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The next General Meeting will take place on Monday the 28th of January at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Waterford. The clubs Annual General Meeting is currently being organised and will take place on Monday the 25th of February at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Waterford. All members are asked to attend and visitors are welcome.


Codes and Ciphers Exhibition

A Codes and Ciphers Exhibition will take place from Monday the 11th of February until Friday the 15th of February 2008 at the Somme Heritage Centre located just off the Bangor Road, a few miles outside Newtownards, Co. Down. Equipment on display will include a German Enigma machine along with other cipher equipment. For more information visit, www.irishsoldier.org


Coolmine Rally

The Phoenix Amateur Radio Club will run the Coolmine Radio Rally on Sunday the 10th of February 2008 at the Coolmine Community School, Clonsilla, Dublin 15. Doors open for traders at 9:00 a.m. and for the general public at 11:00 a.m. To book tables contact Tony on 087-2439997 or Tom on 086-3417017. The rally will feature a bring-and-buy sale and admission is 4 Euro.


Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club

The Lough Erne Amateur Radio Club Annual Rally will take place in The Share Centre, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh on Sunday the 13th of April 2008. The rally will feature a Bring & Buy, Caravan Park and access from Lough Erne/Shannon Waterway. There will be food and parking is on site. Other facilities may be available by prior arrangement with The Share Centre.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 087-6302026. Items for the radio news can also be faxed to 087 5 6302026. News should be submitted via e-mail to “news at irts dot ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Please note that items for the radio news should reach the editor no later than midday on Friday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.

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