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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 14th 2008


New Radio News Editor

The Society is delighted to announce the appointment of Charles Carolan EI8JB as the new News Editor to take over from Mark Wall EI7IS. Charlie has been living in Navan for a couple of years having moved there from Dublin. Although his EI8 call is relatively recent, he was first licensed while living in Canada as VA3IRL about 1995, where he enjoyed working many Irish stations on 80m & 20m from there.

As we prepare to welcome Charlie we would like to thank Mark EI7IS most sincerely on behalf of the committee of the Society, our readers, and listeners, for his consistency in producing a news bulletin regularly every week for the past eight years.


SSB Field Day

The SSB Field Day contest took place last weekend. A number of Irish stations participated, including two stations operating from the grounds of Garbally College, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

Local group Shannon Basin Radio Club along with South Dublin Radio Club were in Garbally for the weekend. Both stations reported mixed band conditions. There was little or no propagation on 10 metres, there were openings on 15 metres on both Saturday and Sunday, 20 metres was open most of the time, though DX was in short supply, while 40 and 80 metres provided the best QSO rates for long periods. As usual, the majority of the field day stations contacted were in Germany and Britain. Field day stations in Denmark and Switzerland also participated.

The Photo Galleries page on the IRTS web site www.irts.ie includes some pictures of the two Ballinasloe-based stations in operation.


DX Bulletins

SOUTH COOK ISLANDS, E5. Bill, N7OU will be QRV as E51NOU from Rarotonga, IOTA OC-013, from September 15 to October 11. He will be active on 40 to 10 meters using only CW. QSL to home call.

CANARY ISLANDS, EA8. Operators DL5NUA, DL3HQN and DL1ARD are QRV as EA8/homecalls from Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife, IOTA AF-004, until September 19th. Activity is on the HF bands using mainly CW. QSL to home calls.


New Book

The Society has received a grant from the estate of the late Frank Lewis W3JGM. The committee at its last meeting decided to consider spending the proceeds of this legacy in the production of an introductory book on amateur radio, written in a popular non-academic format suitable for an Irish readership. This could be available in libraries and schools etc. Frank was a great friend to many Ei’s, having spent many holidays here from his home in Maryland. We feel that this would be a fitting tribute to one who loved amateur radio and Ireland. We are in the process of selecting a suitable author.


Blasket Islands IOTA EU-007

The proposed activation of the rare Blasket Island IOTA reference EU-007 by a team of Dave EI9FB Jeremy EI5GM, Dave EI4BZ and Mark G4AXX had to be abandoned due to bad weather. The team having overnighted in Dingle decided to activate Bere Island EU-121 instead. They should qrv until lunctime today. The callsign will be EJ3HB, so listen on the usual IOTA and Worked All Ireland frequencies.


Exam Agreement

A meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon between representatives of the Society and ComReg at which it is hoped to conclude ongoing discussions on the renewal of the exam Agreement. The conclusion of these discussions will mean that the very satisfactory arrangement under which the IRTS is responsible for setting, organising and correcting the examination for the Experimenter's Licence will continue for a further three years. This arrangement has put the examination on a proper footing over the past three years and has allowed 146 candidates to sit the examination.


Theory Examination

The next Theory Examination for the Experimenters licence will be held on Thursday the 30th of October at 2p.m. in the ComReg Offices in Dublin. Places for the examination will be allocated on a first come first served basis and will only be reserved on receipt of the examination fee.

Intending candidates should forward the appropriate fee to Sean Nolan EI7CD, 12 Little Meadow, Pottery Road, Dunlaoghaire, Co. Dublin in order to reserve a place for the exam. The fee is 50 Euro or 25 Euro for full-time registered students, repeat candidates and those who are retired, unemployed or have a disability. Cheques and Money Orders should be made payable to the IRTS and not to Sean Nolan. When forwarding the exam fee intending candidates should enclose their postal address as well as phone and e-mail contact details.

The closing date for applications to sit the examination,which will be strictly enforced, is Friday the 17th of October. Intending candidates should note that anyone who fails to produce a photo identity on the day of the examination will not be allowed to sit the examination. The photo ID can be a driving licence, a passport, an employment photo identity card or a student card containing a photograph. A national Garda photo ID would also be acceptable. Sean EI7CDs address can also be found in the IRTS call book or in the call book section of the IRTS website at www.irts.ie.Sean's e-mail address for any further enquiries is"ei7cd at gofree dot indigo dot ie" Also available on the 'Where Do I Start' section of the IRTS website are Examination Notes with a sample examination paper as well as a link to the ComReg's Experimenter Pages which contain some very useful data under Licensing Information. Also in the Radio Theory Links section on the website is some very useful information for those studying for the examination.

The examination consists of a question paper of 60 multiple-choice 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. We wish all intending candidates the best of luck in the examination.


Limerick Radio Club

The next meeting of the Club will be on the Thursday the 9th of October at the usual venue, the Limerick Institute of Technology, Moylish at 19:30 local time. All those interested are welcome to attend.


South Dublin Radio Club

The SDR Barbeque will take place on Saturday the 27th of September from the QTH of EI3IO in Shankhill but is weather dependant.


Cork Radio Club, 17th Annual Rally

A reminder that the 17th annual Rally of the Cork Radio Club is being held today at the Montenotte Hotel. Doors open at 11.00am

The Cork Radio Club meets every Monday night at 8.30 pm at 1a Assumption Road Cork. Further details from the club Secretary, Frank Mason EI6EVB at QTHR.


Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Finbarr EI1CS, at QTHR or by phone/fax to 021-4346622 or 0879188886. News can also 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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