Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday June 27th 2021
Kevin Kilduff EI3C – Silent Key
We are saddened to report on the death of Kevin Kilduff EI3C of Swellan Lower, County Cavan on Wednesday last June 23rd. While not active on the air in recent years, Kevin was a keen HF operator and made many good friends via amateur radio both at home abroad, particularly in the United States. He was very active in his community and gave great service to many local organisations. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Phyllis and sons Fr. Donal EI4FF, Kevin, Thomas and Sean. May he rest in peace.
Summer Edition of Echo Ireland
The Summer edition of Echo Ireland has been distributed and should be with all members in the coming days. Articles include a report on the 2021 AGM; the South Eastern Amateur Radio Group and International Marconi Day; the Shannon Basin Radio Club; additional information added to the Colonel Dennis EI2B pages on the IRTS Website by EI7GY; activity on 4 metres by EI5DD; the latest IARU Region 1 HF band plan; Pat EI2HX describes a 10GHz transceiver project ; a report on Wireless at the 1898 Kingston Regatta by EI3KO; a homebrew Moxon Yagi for 2 metres and 70 centimetres by EI4HH; Dave EI3IO honoured by the RSGB for his work for the hobby at IARU level plus the DXCC listings and more. The deadline for submissions for the Autumn issue of Echo Ireland is August 31st. Editor Veronica Holohan is still looking for a correspondent to cover HF band activities.
IRTS CW and VHF/UHF Field Day
The results of the IRTS CW Field Day held over the weekend of 5th and 6th of June have been published. Avondhu Radio Club, call sign EI1E/P, entered the Open 24-hour section from a site in Cork, logged 527 QSOs and 92 multipliers. Shannon Basin Radio Club, call sign EI3Z/P, set up their field day station in Roscommon and entered the Restricted 6-hour section, logging just over 100 QSOs and 28 multipliers. Band conditions for this contest were mixed, with most activity on 20 metres and 40 metres and few DX opportunities. The number of portable stations in continental Europe was considerably lower than usual because DARC, the German national society, decided to cancel its CW Field Day this year due to the public health situation. See www.irts.ie/results for full contest results. The VHF/UHF Field Day takes place over next weekend, 3rd and 4th July, from 1400 UTC. As previously announced, following consultation with contesters, to provide greater flexibility this field day is now arranged as 5 separate contests - one on each band 6 metres, 4 metres, 2 metres, 70cms and 23cms. There is an Open 24-hour and a 6-hour Restricted option for each band; stations may enter one or more bands or all five bands. Also, entries on different bands from a station may be mixed between Open (24-hour) and Restricted (6-hour) sections. See www.irts.ie/rules for the full rules.
IRTS News Broadcasts Continue on 4 metres
The East Leinster Amateur Radio Club, EI0EL, successfully completed their monthly pilot of the IRTS News Broadcast on 4 Metres. Their next broadcast will be on Sunday next July 4th at 10.30am local time on a new frequency of 70.400MHz FM. Going forward the broadcast will be on the first Sunday of every month. The club will maintain the travelling nature of the 4 metre news station, probably broadcasting from more elevated sites, maybe even the odd mountain top. The East Leinster Amateur Radio Club would like to thank all radio amateur’s that called in to the 4 metre news broadcasts and shortwave listeners who supplied signal reports and to those amateurs who gave feedback and encouragement.
EI2DKH Transatlantic Beacon Update
Tony EI8JK, keeper of the EI2DKH 2 metre transatlantic beacon located at Kilcrohane on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula in West Cork has announced that on advice received, the Q65 sub-mode has been changed from A to C, as sub-mode C is reported to be more sensitive for 144MHz. Also following advice, the listening frequency has been changed from 144.120 to 144.178 MHz to avoid conflict with EME operators. All the latest information on the beacon is always posted on the EI2DKH QRZ.com page.
EI News Deadline.
The EI News monthly online IRTS publication edited by Steve Wright EI5DD is distributed on the first day of each month to all members who have an email address listed with the membership records officer. You may still have time to contribute news on upcoming events for the July issue in the next day or two. Send your contributions to newsteam /at/ irts .ie
New VAT Rules for imports from July 1st.
Radio amateurs will be hit with higher costs as the European Union have announced that the VAT exemption at importation from non-EU countries of small consignments of a value up to 22 Euro will be removed from July 1st. This means all goods imported from non-EU into EU countries will now be subject to VAT. They go on to say that consumers will appreciate knowing that when buying goods online from outside or inside the EU, the VAT rate applied is the same as for goods acquired in their home country - the new rules make sure that VAT is paid where consumption of goods takes place.
Cork VHF Group Weekly Nets
VHF and UHF enthusiasts in the Cork area hold weekly nets on different bands and modes on Tuesday evenings at 2100 local time. The July programme is as follows. On Tuesday July 6th it will VHF FM on 145.475MHz. On July 13th it will be UHF FM on 433.475MHz, On July 20th it will be 4 metres FM on 70.2625MHz and on July 27th it will be digital on DMR talk group 2723 with talk group- 2722 and channel 3 as backup. Everybody is welcome to join in.
On the Air next week
Here is a chance to enjoy a contest event that is not on a weekend. Help Canada celebrate its birthday on the air during the RAC Canada Day Contest on Thursday, July 1st, the anniversary of Canada’s confederation, when the three colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united into the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867. The Canada Day Contest begins on July 1 at 0001z and continues through 2359z. Stations in Canada send signal report plus province or territory. VE0s and stations outside Canada send a signal report and a serial number. Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories serve as multipliers for the event. The DL-DX RTTY Contest Runs for 24 hours starting at 1100z on Saturday next July 3rd and the exchange is report and serial number.
DX news Paul, G4PVM will be QRV as GM4PVM from the Isle of Lismore, IOTA Europe-008, from June 29 to July 4th. Activity will be on 40 to 10 metres using CW and SSB. QSL via LoTW. Jeje, F8FKJ is QRV as J20EE from Djibouti City until mid-July. Activity is on 20 and 17 metres using CW, SSB and FT8. QSL via LoTW. Gerry, G3WIP is QRV as ZD7GB on St. Helena Island until September 30 while working there. Activity is in his spare time. QSL to home call. Leuk, HB9HBY will be QRV as HB0/HB9HBY from June 30 to July 4. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, FT8 and FT4. QSL via EB7DX. Alex, AK4AM will be active as AK4AM/P from Atlantic Beach, Bogue Banks, IOTA North America-112, until the 3rd of July. He will operate SSB only with a focus on the 80, 40 and 20m bands. QSL via LOTW. A team of operators from the North Pole Contest Group will operate as W1AW/KL7 from Alaska between July 9th and 13th. There will be four station locations, and activity will be on various HF bands and all modes, including EME. Send QSLs via W1AW, LoTW or ClubLog.
And now something more challenging. The vintage Alexanderson alternator transmitter in Grimeton, Sweden, will conduct its annual Alexanderson Day transmission on the 4th of July using its usual callsign, SAQ. The CW transmission will be on 17.2kHz, CW. Start up and tuning for the first SAQ transmission will take place at 0830UTC, with a message transmission to follow at 0900UTC. Start up and tuning for the second SAQ transmission will take place at 1130UTC, with a message transmission to follow at 1200UTC.
That is the news for this week. Items for inclusion in next week’s radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam/at/irts/dot/ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is midnight on Thursday. Urgent items for the news may be telephoned to News Editor Dave EI4BZ on 087-6290574.
[A]
