Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 14th June 2015
Contest News
We heard only two EI stations active in the CW Field Day last weekend - Jeremy EI5GM was active in Cork, while Joe EI7GY operated from a site in the Dublin Mountains. While support for our 24-hour Field Day contests has fallen in recent years, the short Counties Contests have continued to be popular with members. The next counties contest is the Summer 80 metres Counties Contest on Sunday 21st June, from 14:00 to 17:00 UTC. There are SSB only and SSB/CW sections for both fixed and portable stations. This short contest provides a great opportunity for newcomers to try their hand at contesting. See www.irts.ie/contests for links to the rules.
Looking further ahead, the VHF/UHF Field Day takes place over the weekend of 4th and 5th July. This contest has an Open Section, covering all bands from 50 MHz to 1296 MHz, and also a restricted section for those who want to operate on just one of the VHF or UHF bands.
Echo Ireland
The June edition of Echo Ireland has plenty of news from the clubs around the country. There is a write-up on the award station in Ballybunion run by the Kerry Amateur Radio Group as part of International Marconi Day. Other clubs and groups featured include Shannon Basin, Dundalk, Cork, West Tyrone, Tipperary, Lough Erne and South Dublin. This edition is packed with many interesting articles, computer projects, propagation and much much more. Echo Ireland should be in your post box now.
2m Nets
SEARG will continue their 2m net on Tuesday nights after the IRTS weekly news. This is to promote the use of the band, which has seen a decline in use. The intended frequency used is 145.400MHz and net has had many stations calling in since its introduction. Everyone welcome to join in.
Fingal Radio Club and Dermot EI2HD continue their 2m call-in on Wednesday and every Wednesday at 7p.m. Please try and give your support by getting on the air. Keep 2metres alive. The frequency is 145.7625MHz, CTCSS 88.5KHz on the Dublin repeater.
VHF/UHF Squares Table
The VHF/UHF squares table for 2015 runs from January - December inclusive. It is never too late to submit numbers to this table as these are updated on a monthly basis. We would be interested in squares worked on all VHF/UHF bands up to 10GHz. Please mail your squares listed by month to Steve EI5DD wrights1/at/eircom/dot/net
County Louth Agricultural Show
The County Louth Agricultural Show takes place today Sunday 14th June at Bellurgan just north of Dundalk on the Carlingford Road. Dundalk Amateur Radio Society EI7DAR will have a special station operating demonstrating amateur radio to the many thousands who visit this show. A good day is to had by all.
IRTS Committee and Officers
The IRTS committee have co-opted three members of the society to the committee - they are Ger EI4GXB, Paul EI5KI and Dave EI6AL. Also it was agreed that Dave EI6AL would have the dual role of Treasurer and Membership Records Officer. See the "About IRTS" section of www.irts.ie for full details of the society's committee members and officers.
EI90IARU
IRTS has been issued with the call sign EI90IARU to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) in Paris in 1925. 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.com or by phone on 086 1000000
DX News
Peter VE3IKV will be active from the Bahamas from 22nd June to 6th July. He will use the callsign C6AUX and be mainly on 6m with some HF (CW and SSB). QSL to the home call.
Two Japanese operators will be QRV from Timor Leste (East Timor) from 25th to 29th June. Callsigns will be 4W/JA7LU and 4W/JI1AVY. Activity will be on all bands 160 – 6m.
Peter ZL2HM will operate holiday style on the Pacific island of Niue as E6AB from 24th June to 4th July. He will be on 80 – 10m mainly SSB.
The callsign YP0Y is being used from Cluj-Napoca, Romania until the end of July to mark the 2015 European Youth Capital. QSL Manager is YO5EI.
The well-known QSL Manager Charles M0OXO handles the QSL chores for 3B9FR on Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. He recently announced that he is on the point of uploading about 70,000 QSOs to Logbook of The World for Robert 3B9FR.
TV Signals as an Alternative to Radar
According to the BBC, research has been carried out by the UK’s NATS, the provider of air traffic control services, TV signals could be used to track aircraft. This would be a cheaper alternative to RADAR.
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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