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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 12th February 2012


IRTS 80th Anniversary AGM & Rally

Tickets for the AGM dinner on Saturday April 21st are selling fast. The event this year is hosted by Dundalk Amateur Radio Society, www.ei7dar.com Dinner tickets are just €32, this is a reduction on previous years and represents great value for this very special dinner. B&B is €55 for single and a double is €65. As dinner tickets and rooms are distributed on a first come first served basis, you are encouraged and advised to act now to avoid disappointment. The annual rally, on Sunday April 22nd, will also have its favourites and many new and novel exhibitors. This is a must attend event in the 80th Anniversary year of your national society, www.irts.ie

Dinner tickets can be bought now by contacting Thos, EI2JD on 087-2953256 or email thoscaffrey /at/ hotmail.com or by contacting any IRTS committee member. The Fairways Hotel can be contacted on 042 9321500 or www.fairways.ie


IRTS Request for Return of Trophies

It is time once again to recall all trophies presented at the 2011 IRTS, AGM in Limerick.

Trophies and Cups can be returned to the IRTS Stand at the Phoenix Radio Club Rally in Coolmine on Sunday 12th February. or to any IRTS Committee Member before end of February 2012.

This will allow for engraving to be done and allow for repairs if necessary.

Early return will be appreciated. Peter EI4HX at ei4hxperimental /at/ eircom /dot/net

Nominations For Awards for IRTS Trophies.

The time is here again for nominations for the several awards for IRTS Trophies that are required from within the membership, this includes the awards for, 1. Service to the Society or to Amateur Radio. Awards in this category can be to members or non-members.

2 Awards for other achievements.

Awards in this category [2] include the 4 and 6 Meter Shields, the SWL Award, and the awards for Quality Construction Projects. These are confined to members only.

When considering your nominations, please refer to previous successful winners as included in www.irts.ie/cgi/awards.cgi

Nominations may be from Clubs or Individuals, must be by post or e-mail, and can be forwarded to the Awards Committee Members, Pat EI2HX and Jim EI4HH, or to Peter Grant EI4HX, Chair of Awards Committee, QTHR, or by e-mail to ei4hxperimental /at/ eircom /dot/ net

Closing date for nominations is 29th February 2012.


Phoenix Amateur Radio Rally

Phoenix Amateur Radio Rally takes place today, Sunday February 12th, Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, doors open at 11am. All welcome.


South Dublin Radio Club

South Dublin Radio Club will be launching the new Dublin Television repeater at today's Phoenix Rally, along with displaying the required equipment needed for reception.

There will also be a live demonstration this Tuesday 14th February at the club for those who are let out on Valentines night and probably most Tuesdays for the following few weeks. Equipment on loan, including a tiny portable LCD television will be available to check coverage at your own qth at a first come, first served basis each week.

The Annual General Meeting of the club will take place Tuesday 13th March. All members are requested to attend.


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

The Annual General Meeting of South Eastern Amateur Radio Group will take place on Monday 27 February at 8:00 p.m. in the Roanmore GAA Club, Cleaboy Road, Waterford. Members are asked to attend and as always, visitors are welcome.

Please note that membership renewals for 2012 are now due. Membership costs 30 Euro and is available at a reduced rate of 20 Euro for pensioners, students and the unemployed. Please pass your payment on to any committee member or you can renew at the AGM on 27 February. Those who paid in November or December are fully paid up for 2012.

For information about the group, visit www.searg.com and you can also follow SEARG on Facebook and Twitter.


Cork Radio Club

The special call sign EI100T has been issued for the year 2012 to commemorate the 100th sinking of the Titanic and Cork Radio Club members will operate the station from Cobh throughout the year. The main Titanic event will happen over the weekend of April 13/14th and everyone is encouraged to visit the special event station in Cobh. Information on EI100T from Cormac EI4HQ QTHR. Further information on Cork Radio Club is available from Jeremy EI5GM on 083-3317710.


Galway VHF Group

Craggy Island Dxpedition Group.

A number of members of the Galway VHF Group have recently formed the "Craggy Island Dxpedition Group". The group is waiting for an appropriate callsign before the activities begin. Weather permitting, it is hoped that there will be frequent excursions to offshore Islands over the coming year. It should be noted that working an offshore Island does contribute towards the Worked All Ireland Award Scheme and where possible, there will be operation from all squares on each Island. Ample notice will be given via the IRTS News service and do take a look at the Galway VHF Group News page at www.galwayvhfgroup.com which will also be regularly updated with forthcoming plans.

Galway VHF Group News

The Galway VHF Group continue to hold regular meetings with demonstrations of test equipment for the Hamshack. At a recent meeting there was a discussion and demonstration of the Oscilloscope. Other meetings have demonstrated the use of the Signal Generator, and Sinadder and their uses when performing conversions of PMR radio equipment for the VHF Amateur Bands. It is surprising how easy it is to tweak the receiver sensitivity of such rigs using the aforementioned equipment. At the next meeting there will be a practical demonstration covering the building blocks of an AM/FM receiver. After measuring parameters of each stage, the receiver will then be tuned up with a signal generator and Oscilloscope. AREN operations will be busy over the coming year with 7 activities planned so far. These operations will cover Cycling, Walking, Rowing, and Marathon activities undoubtedly there will be many more before the year is out.

Classes for the Amateur Radio Examination are being organised by Steve, EI5DD, for anyone interested from the Galway Area. If there are insufficient numbers for a class it will be possible to organise tuition on a one to one basis if this is preferred. Details may be found on the Galway VHF Group Website at www.galwayvhfgroup.com


West Tyrone Amateur Radio Club

WTARC is running a course for the Intermediate Exam which will take place on Tuesday 3rd April 2012.

The course will be on the following Saturday afternoons... Saturday 18th & 25th February, 10th, 24th 31st March, we will not be accepting any registrations after Wednesday 15th February, cost of the course is £65 which includes all materials needed for the course and the exam fee.

A registration form can be downloaded from our website at www.wtarc.co.uk


DX News

DK9FN is active from Temotu Province in the Solomon Islands until 24 February. Temotu Province counts as a separate DXCC entity. His callsign is H40FN and QSL Manager is HA8DD. The IOTA reference number for this rare one is OC-100

A group of American operators will visit the Bahamas from 13 – 23 February. Look out for the callsigns C6ABB, C6ALC and C6APX.

Other activity in the Caribbean in the coming week will see W4OWY and AA9A signing V25WY and V25AA respectively from the island of Antigua.

Will AA4NC is QRV from Belize from 16 – 26 February using the call V31RR. He will be on 160 – 10m using RTTY, CW and SSB. QSLs go via AI4U.


Items for inclusion in next week’s Radio News can be

submitted via e-mail to “newsteam /at/ irts / dot / ie” for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. Urgent news items for the radio news maybe telephoned to the radio news editor, Aidan, EI7JC on 085 7100511.

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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