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IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 30th October 2016


Contest Results

Results of the IRTS 40 metres counties contest, held earlier this month, have now been published, see the Contest Results page www.irts.ie/results for the details, including the award winners. This contest was well supported, with stations in 29 counties active on the day; Cavan, Offaly and Tyrone were the only counties not represented in the logs received.


Contest Calendar and Rules

The IRTS Contest Calendar for 2017, along with updated contest rules, have been published. Changes for 2017 include a reduction from 3 hours to 2 hours in the daytime HF counties contests, and the introduction of a new 70 centimetres counties contest on Easter Monday, just ahead of the traditional Easter Monday 2 metres counties contest.

The changes for 2017 arise from proposals outlined in the September issue of Echo Ireland and the feedback subsequently received from members.

Full details of the changes will be given in the December Echo Ireland. See www.irts.ie/contests for the 2017 calendar and updated rules.


Amateur Station Licence Examination

The next Amateur Station Licence Examination will be held on Thursday 1st December in the ComReg Offices in Dublin and at other centres if warranted by the numbers. Some applications have been received and as numbers are limited those intending to sit the examination should apply soon. 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.

It is important to note that even 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 Thursday 10th November.

Four Exam Reports which were previously published in Echo Ireland are 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. Intending candidates are advised to pay particular attention to the syllabus for the examination especially Annexes 1 and 2.


AREN News

The 5th National annual training and development weekend will be held at the usual venue of Lough Derg House, Dromineer County Tipperary on 19th / 20th November. New members welcome.

Inquiries to Conor EI4JN, John EI7IG. For further information on the Amateur Radio Emergency Network, visit www.aren.ie


South Dublin Radio Club

There will be a talk in Dublin on Thursday 17th November at 7pm in the TOG hackerspace on space and Amateur Radio and Video.

Daniel EI9FHB will be explaining how the HAMTV system in Midleton in Cork receives video from the space station during school contacts. Conor Forde from Mullingar will be talking Cube Satellites and ones he recently designed, while Marc O Griofa from Meath will be explaining his work with NASA on training Astronauts in deep sea simulations. Part of Marc's talk will explain how they operated a 26 minute radio delay, simulating the time delay of missions to Mars, due to the slow speed of radio waves, and how this impacts on mission planning.

The talks are free and open to all. Free parking is available in the area. More details on www.tog.ie


Dundalk Amateur Radio Society

The Dundalk Amateur Radio Society will be having a Bring & Buy Sale at its Club House, 113 Castletown Road, Dundalk, County Louth, on Wednesday 16th November at 8.30pm.

The aim of this activity is to raise funds for EI7DAR. All are welcome to attend. Please bring along any items you wish to contribute to the sale that would be of interest, i.e., radio or electronics, and don't forget to bring along the wallet should you discover that item you always wanted amongst all the other goodies...! The only caveat being: Unsold items will remain the property of the donor!


South Eastern Amateur Radio Group

Congratulations to the EI2WRC/P team of Mark EI7IS and David EI6GVB on coming 1st in the SSB/CW portable section of the IRTS 40m Counties Contest on 9th October 2016. The lads finished with 67 QSO’S and 23 counties giving them a total score of 4,646 points. In the SEARG members only contest Sean EI2HZB was 1st with 94 QSO’S and 23 counties which gave him a total of 5,750 points which was 2nd overall in the SSB only fixed section of the competition. Sean will be presented with his prize at a future club meeting. Well done to all who took part.

There will be no October meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group as Monday 31st October is a bank holiday. The next meeting will be the November meeting on Monday 28th November. New members or anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio are very welcome to attend.

For anyone that wishes to find out more about the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and its activities you can come along to any of our meetings. You can check our website www.searg.ie and you can also join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


DX News

John AD8J will be spending time in the Bay Islands, Honduras as AD8J/HR9 from 30th October until 12th November. This will count as NA-057 for those interested in the IOTA programme. He will be on the air when not scuba diving. QSLs go via the home call.

The latest news from Tom KC0W is that he will be QRV as 4I7COW (Four India Seven C O W) from the Philippines until 25th November. As usual this is a CW only operation and the rare prefix should ensure good pile ups. This will be followed by a fact finding trip to Equatorial Guinea which will hopefully result in a licence for activity in 3C and 3C0 some time in 2017.

Roly ZL1BQD will be active as E51RR until 25th November from Rarotonga in the South Cook Islands. He will operate on 40, 20 and 15m. QSL to the home call.

A large team from the Mediterraneo DX Club will be on the air from Cambodia with the callsign XU7MDC from 4th to 14th November. Activity will be on all HF bands and the QSL manager is IK2VUC.


Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club Rally MN0GKL

The Bushvalley Amateur Radio Club Rally takes place at the United Services Club, 8 Roe Mill Road, Limavady BT49 9DF. Sunday 6th November.Doors open at 11am. More details on www.bushvalley-arc.co.uk


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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