Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday 4th August 2019
Kerry Amateur Radio Group
On Sun 14th July, KARG had a sked on 20M CW with Lars, from the World Heritage Historical Radio Station at GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ, Sweden, using the call SK6SAQ, a VLF (Very Low Frequency) Radio Station from 1924/1925. This station is not just a museum, but also a living VLF station and operates on frequency 17,2 kHz (kilo-Hertz). It normally transmits live a couple of times a year, on a special day in summer, on Christmas Eve and sometimes on United Nations Day. Lars had the privilege to visit Ballybunion in 2001 and meet John O’Carroll EI6AH.
Kerry Amateur Radio Group were QRV using the special call EI100YXQ on Sat 27th July, from the Cable Station at Knightstown, Valentia Island to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of the successful trans-Atlantic cable from Hearts Content Newfoundland to Valentia.
Future planned operations:
KARG will be QRV from Cromwell Point Lighthouse on ILLW weekend again this year for the 16th year in a row. All HF bands and modes will be in operation using two HF stations. Again they will be using the special call EI-100-YXQ. The event runs from 0001 UTC 17th August 2019 To 2400 UTC 18th August 2019.
The special callsign EI-100-YXQ will be active on the air until the end of 2019 on all bands and modes. This is a special call to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the first East to West voice transmission across the Atlantic from Ballybunion to Louisberg, Cape Breton, NS.
KARG also welcomes any requests to air the call during this time, by prior arrangement with Declan EI9FVB.
September Contest
A brief reminder that the next IRTS contest is SSB Field Day, which takes place over the weekend of 7th & 8th September.
Future Space-Related Operations
NASA and its various partners are in the process of designing and developing a small spaceship that will orbit the Moon called the Lunar Gateway. This spaceship will be a temporary home and office for astronauts 250,000-miles away from Earth.
Contained on the gateway will be living quarters and laboratories for scientific research. It appears that the gateway may also be home to an amateur radio station. AMSAT and ARISS have been busy designing this station and meeting regularly to discuss the matter.
NASA envisages that the final assembly of the gateway may be completed in 2026.
DX News
Gilberto IZ2DLV will be operating holiday style from the Maldives using the callsign 8Q7GB from August 4th – 18th. Look for him on SSB, CW and FT8.
A group of mainly German amateurs will activate TO5M from the St Pierre and Miquelon Islands from August 10th – 18th. They will be on all bands 160 – 6m on SSB, CW and FT8. QSL via Club Log OQRS.
A team of ZS operators will activate Robben Island again from August 15th- 20th. As before they will use the callsign ZS9V. The IOTA reference is AF-064. Look for them mainly on 10, 15 and 20m SSB. Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. QSL manager is M0OXO.
A special event station with the callsign D73F will be on the air from South Korea until 18th August. This is in connection with the 18th World Aquatics Championships. QSL via Club Log OQRS.
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, Mark EI6HPB on 086 355 2370.
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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