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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday June 29th 2008


AREN Exercise in Co. Wicklow

Radio experimenters in Dublin and Wicklow provided emergency communications for the Circuit of Imaal walk, which took place recently in Co. Wicklow. This walk, organised by An Óige, covers 37 kilometres.

It starts in Donard village and includes the main mountaintops around the Glen of Imaal. This year's walk took place on Saturday the 21st of June, which turned out to be "the longest rainy day of the year", in the words of one of the walkers.

With an entry of approximately 100 walkers and the worst weather conditions for many years, there were plenty of challenges for the walk organisers and the radio experimenters supporting them. With almost zero visibility, many walkers had difficulties with navigation. Amateur radio communications proved invaluable in ensuring that a search was launched for a number of missing walkers, and some of the experimenters providing communications support were also involved in escorting walkers, who had dropped out of the event, back to base.


Postage Costs

When the subject of postage costs was discussed at the Society's recent AGM, one of the members present suggested that an option to receive the IRTS Newsletter - Echo Ireland - by electronic means should be offered. This has now been put in place, and on subscription renewal notices posted since May, members have been given the choice of receiving the newsletter electronically as an alternative to ordinary mail. The take-up from this offer has been excellent, and we are now opening this offer to members generally.

Those who opt to receive the newsletter electronically instead of in paper form will be issued with a username and password, which gives them access to a download site containing PDFs of all the newsletters from 2006 onwards, and which will be updated as each new issue is published. If you would like to receive Echo Ireland by way of electronic download, and so help to reduce the Society's postage bill, please let the Membership Records Officer know. Include your call sign and email address in the request, and send it to “memrecords at irts dot ie”.


Tipperary Amateur Radio Group

The next meeting of the Tipperary Amateur Radio Group will take place in Raheen House Hotel, Raheen Road, Clonmel on Thursday next the 3rd of July at 8.30 p.m.

All are welcome.


Shannon Basin Radio Club

The Shannon Basin Radio Club is holding a meeting in Hannons Hotel, Roscommon on Wednesday night next the 2nd of July at 8.30 p.m.


Theory Examination

The next theory examination for the experimenter licence, which will be held on Wednesday the 9th of July at 2 p.m. in the ComReg Offices in Dublin.

Places for the examinations will be allocated on a first come first served basis and will only be reserved on receipt of the appropriate fee. The fee is 50 Euro normally or 25 Euro for full-time registered students, repeat candidates and those who are retired, unemployed or have a disability. Fees should be sent to Seán Nolan EI7CD at QTHR.

Cheques and Money Orders should be made payable to the IRTS. When forwarding the exam fee intending candidates should include their e-mail and postal addresses as well as a contact telephone number.

Please note that the closing date for applications to sit the examination is this coming Wednesday, the 25th of June.

Sean EI7CDs address can be found in the IRTS call book or in the call book section of the IRTS website at www.irts.ie Seán's e-mail address for further enquiries is “ei7cd at gofree dot indigo dot ie”. Useful information for intending candidates, including a sample examination paper, can be found in the Downloads and Radio Theory Links sections of the IRTS website at www.irts.ie

We wish all intending candidates the best of luck in the examination.


South Dublin Radio club

The club plans on having regular talks at the usual club meetings on Tuesdays upstairs at the Ballyroan community centre next to the church on the Marian Road in Rathfarnham. These talks are open to visitors from other clubs and short wave listeners from the greater Dublin area. Normally the talks take place at 8:30 p.m. with tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

On the 22nd of July Tony, EI3GU one of the team members of "Fastnet Force 7" will show a film and answer questions on EJ7FRL, the first and only activation (so-far) of Fastnet rock in 1991.

If you think you could talk on a radio or technology topic then contact the club through the website at www.southdublinradioclub.ie


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The next general meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday the 30th of June at 8.00 p.m. in the Roanmore Centre, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. All are welcome.


Contests

Please note that the deadline for logs for the CW Field Day is the 8th of July. The VHF/UHF Field Day will take place over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of July (please note this is not on the 5th of August as stated in last weeks script). For up to date information on Contests visit the societys web site on www.irts.ie


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Mark Wall, EI7IS at QTHR or by phone to 087-6302026 or 051-340850. 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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