Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 10th May 2015
Amateur Station Licence Examination
The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday, 4th June in the ComReg Offices in Dublin. Full details, including entry procedure, examination fee and how to pay the fee on line are available at www.irts.ie/exam . Please note that it is necessary to download the application form from the web page and forward the completed form and the appropriate fee so as to secure a place for the examination. If you pay the fee on line you must still complete and forward the application form. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Wednesday 20th May. Three Exam Reports which were previously published in Echo Ireland are now available on the Downloads section of the website at www.irts.ie/downloads under Studying for the Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate. These reports contain very useful information for anyone studying for the Licence Examination.
Counties Contest
The IRTS 40 Metres Counties Contest is on Sunday next, 17th May from 12:00 to 15:00 UTC. This contest provides a good opportunity to test equipment and operating skills, and indeed to meet up with old friends. The objective for EI and GI stations is to make as many contacts as possible during the 3 hour period (work everyone), and for those outside Ireland, to make as many contacts as possible with EI and GI stations. EI and GI counties are multipliers.
The contest has Fixed and Portable sections, and two mode options: SSB Only or SSB/CW. There is also an SWL section. See www.irts.ie/contests for the full rules, note in particular the specified frequency ranges within the 40 metre band for this contest. Awards are available in each section for the leading Irish station and for the leading station outside Ireland.
Nepal Earthquake Disaster
Amateur Radio has continued to provide reliable communication in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. Nepal has only about 2 dozen licensed amateur radio operators. However, the Nepalese government have made it easy for operators coming from outside Nepal to obtain a 9N3-prefix call sign. There are several amateur radio operators from India already in Nepal.
Next Edition of Echo Ireland
The next edition of Echo Ireland is currently in the process of being put together. IRTS publications rely on you for your support in submitting articles and club news as soon as possible and before May 15th. Email to newsteam/at/irts/dot/ie
ISS Ham TV now Transmitting on 2395MHz
On Friday 1st May 2015 the Ham Video transmitter on board the Columbus module of the International Space Station was powered on and started transmitting in “Blank Transmission” (BT) mode. The digital TV signal is operating without a camera, i.e. there is no picture and no audio. Apparently this is all that’s needed to fine tune ground stations.
FUNcube-1 Transmitting Again
FUNcube-1 (AO-73) has started transmitting telemetry again after it had been restarted whilst over the Netherlands.
IRTS AGM 2015 Awards, Trophies & Cups
A complete awards list, trophies and cups presented at the AGM is available on www.irts.ie/awards Amongst the awards presented was the Paddy Smyth Memorial Cup; Shannon Basin Radio Club EI3Z/P, Paddy Daly Microphone; Avondhu Radio Club EI1E/P, IRTS HF Shield; Shannon Basin Radio Club EI3Z/P, Tom Donnellan Cup; Juozas Piepalius EI3KI, Lough Ree Shield; Dave Deane EI9FBB/P, Lough Allen Shield; Declan Horan EI9FVB. More to follow next week.
EI150ITU
IRTS has been issued with the call sign EI150 ITU to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 1865. The call sign is available for use by any EI station in the 26 counties holding a current amateur station licence. Anyone wishing to use the call sign can do so subject to notifying Dave O'Conner EI6AL of the times/ bands/modes prior to going on the air so as to avoid any potential duplication. Anyone applying to use the call sign is considered to be undertaking to use it in accordance with the ComReg Regulations, Technical Conditions, Frequency allocations and Guidelines relating to amateur stations. It is also essential that logs (preferably in ADI format) are kept when using the call sign and copies emailed to Dave EI6AL so that a central log can be held for QSL or other purposes. Dave can be contacted at dave.ei6al/at/gmail/dot/com or by phone on 086 1000000
DX News
Sascha DG4ABE will sign 8Q7BI from the Maldive Islands from 10th to 17th May. Activity will be mainly digital on 20 – 10m with some SSB. QSL to his home call.
Iain G4SGX will operate holiday style as FG/G4SGX from Guadeloupe from 13th to 19th May. He will use dipoles on an EU facing beach on 40, 30, 20 and 15m CW. QSL via the home call and Logbook of The World.
Three Japanese operators will be on Niue Island from 15th to 25th May. Look for the callsigns E6ZS, E6NZ and E6TE on all bands 160 – 6m CW, SSB and RTTY.
Prefix hunters may be interested in working the special event station DT50KJ. The station is QRV until 30 June and marks the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The QSL manager is HL1IWD.
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 may be 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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