Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 19th December 2010
IRTS 80M Counties Contest
The 80m Counties Contest this year will be held on Monday the 3rd, the Bank Holiday. Rules in Echo Ireland and on the IRTS web site.
Echo Ireland
The December issue of Echo Ireland has now been posted to members. A number of member clubs are featured in this issue: an article about Dundalk Amateur Radio Society's entry in the recent CQ Worldwide SSB contest recounts how club members made over 1,500 QSOs in this contest. A new club - Amateur Portable Group (EI0Z) - reports on their first Summits On The Air activation as well as their operation from Slane Castle. Other club activities covered in the new Echo Ireland include South Dublin Radio Club and Limerick Radio Club.
The "HF Happenings" column by Dave EI9FBB has lots of information on recent and upcoming DX activity: it looks like the early months of 2011 will have plenty to keep DXers busy. Pat EI2HX brings us up to date on his experiments, this time dealing with the construction of a unit for portable operation.
Members studying for the licence examination or who are involved in helping prospective candidates will be interested in the review of the new examination syllabus, while those involved in digital modes will no doubt be reading the article by John EI7IG on a comparison of different IP and non-IP based protocols.
The newsletter also has details of contests and rallies in 2011. Seasonal features include an article entitled "Radio fun, or how does Santa do it”
EI7M Contest Team
EI7M win Europe in CQ WW SSB Top Band Contest 2010 The results of the CQWW SSB 160 metre contest, held last February, appear in the December issue of CQ Magazine and congratulations to the team at EI7M, the East Cork Contest Group on another fine achievement in attaining first place in Europe. They use an 80m high top loaded vertical on transmit with a dipole and several beverages for receive. The team included Neil EI3JE, Jim EI3DP, John EI8IR, Jerry EI6BT, Dan EI3JZ and Pete G4CLA.
Irish Amateur Television Club
The new Irish Amateur Television Club Website is now up at www.IATC.ie The site contains repeater information, details of member projects and more. Please take the time to have a look and contribute if you can.
The IATC are particularly looking for submissions to the Gallery and Project pages, email anything you think will be of interest to other operators or enthusiasts to ei9ed /at/ iatc.ie
RSGB Members Survey
The RSGB is currently conducting a survey of amateur radio which is open to RSGB members located outside of the UK.
The Questionnaire also looks as to how people might see the hobby in the future.
The survey is located on the RSGB website www.rsgb.org/survey/ the deadline for completion is 31st December 2010.
Radio Amateurs in the Clonmel Area
Norman M0JEC is involved with Hospital Radio Reading and as been in Clonmel a couple of times mainly to visit their Hospital Radio station. In March Norman 2011 Norman is hoping to put on a series of Special Event Callsigns over the UK celebrating 85 years of Hospital Broadcasting in the UK.
It is hoped that it may be possible to have QSO's with as many other Hospital Radio Stations around the world as possible. The guys at South Tipperary General Hospital Radio (in Clonmel) do not have any Amateurs amongst their members so Norman M0JEC was wondering if someone could volunteer or suggest an Amateur close to them Clonmel who might be up for helping to do a link up between the 2 stations in March.
If any Amateur in the Clonmel area is interested in more information in relation to how they are able to help out he can contact Norman via email at m0jec /at/ nadars.org.uk
DX News
Stephen G7BXU is due to be active as 9L1BXU in Sierra Leone from now until 7th January. QSLs go via his home call.
Larry VQ9LA has been a regular since December 2002 from the island of Diego Garcia which counts as Chagos Archipelago for DXCC purposes. He finally leaves Chagos on 24th January and will be spending his time in the future between the U.S. and the Philippines. QSLs go to his stateside call N0QM
The well known DXpeditioner JA2EZD is at present active from the unusual call XWPA - four letters and no numbers. This is the station of the Vientiane DX Club in Laos and JA2EZD will be there till 9th January.
For the Island chasers there will be the chance of working two quite rare ones during January. Look for the calls CE9/VE3LYC and CE9/PA3EXX during the period 7th to 22nd January. The two operators hope to activate the Wollaston Islands IOTA SA-031 and the Diego Ramirez Islands IOTA SA-097 for up to 4 days each.
Andy AB7FS is currently active as E51AND from the South Cook Islands until 1st January. QSLs are via his home call.
ZL8X Log Update
The final update to the online log of ZL8X has been posted on www.kermadec.de John EI7BA tops the list of 49 EI stations that worked ZL8X. The following EI stations feature in the top 10: EI9O, EI9FBB, EI6FR, EI8H, EI9JF, EI3GU, EI0CZ, EI4GXB and EI4CF.
This week in History
1839 First celestial photograph (the moon) made in US, John Draper, New York NY
1914 American Radio Relay League founded by Hiram Percy Maxim
Happy Christmas
The IRTS Radio Newsteam would like to wish all SWL’s and Radio Amateurs a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Items for inclusion in next weeks Radio News should be forwarded to Charlie EI8JB, preferably via e-mail to “charlie dot carolan at gmail dot com” Or by phone to 087-6265418 News can also be submitted via e-mail to “newsteam 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 Thursday in order to be guaranteed inclusion in the following Sunday’s bulletin.
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