Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday January 26th, 2025
IRTS Awards Committee
IRTS Awards curator Mark EI4FNB requests that any members who won awards last year and who have not already returned them already could they please do so as soon as possible. Awards can be returned to any IRTS committee member. Mark also hopes to collect returning awards at both the Limerick Clare Amateur Radio and at the Phoenix Amateur Radio club rallies. For anyone who needs to get in contact with Mark regarding return of trophies, you can find his contact details on the contact section on irts.ie.
South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC
The January meeting of the EI2WRC group will take place tomorrow, Monday, January 27th at 8 p.m. sharp at the South East Technological University. Netlabs Research and Innovation Building, SETU West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford. Eircode X91 WR86. Everyone is welcome. EI2WRC will be hosting the 92nd IRTS AGM Weekend in The Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Rd, Carlow over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of April 2025. People who are planning on attending are urged to book their hotel rooms immediately to guarantee having one for the weekend.
Dinner tickets for the Gala Dinner which will be held on Saturday, April 12th are now available to be pre-booked. Rally tables for clubs/groups and commercial traders for the rally on Sunday, April 13th can now be booked also. Tables for individual traders will be made available to be pre-booked at a later date. For more information, go to searg.ie and click on the IRTS AGM 2025 link.
For more information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact details please see www.searg.ie
Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club
Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club’s 2025 Annual General Meeting takes place on Thursday the 20th of February at 7 p.m. sharp in the Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands, Midwest in Moylish, Limerick. All members are asked to attend.
The club’s weekly activation of EI4SAM runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The initial calling frequency is 7.123 MHz, plus or minus QRM. All callers are welcome.
Shannon Basin Radio Club AGM
Shannon Basin Radio Club reports that they had to postpone their AGM due to the severe storm. At the time of compiling the news, the meeting was tentatively rescheduled for next Friday, January 31st.
Radio Rally Updates
Phoenix Amateur Radio Club EI2PAR holds their annual radio rally on Sunday February 16th, 2025. It will take place in Coolmine Community School, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Doors open at 10 a.m. and entry will cost five euro. You can book a table by contacting Tony EI7GI at 087 2439997.
Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club’s annual rally takes place on the 9th of March in Treacy's Oakwood Hotel in Shannon. To book a table, you are asked to please contact Dermot Gleeson, EI2GT, at DermotGleeson1 /at/ gmail.com. Only bookings made via email will be accepted.
Lough Erne Amateur Club’s Radio Rally will be held on Sunday the 18th of May 2025. The venue is the Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen BT92 0JZ. Doors will open at 11 a.m. Entry costs five euro or five pounds which includes a ticket for the draw. The rally will include a bring and buy and usual facilities including food and refreshments. For tables, contact Alan Gault via email to argault91 /at/ gmail.com. Further details are available at LoughErneRadioClub.co.uk.
VHF/Microwave News
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an amateur radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. It is anticipated that the contact would be held between July 1st, 2025, and December 31st, 2025. The deadline to submit a proposal is February 28, 2025. Crew members aboard the International Space Station take part in these contacts which last approximately 10 minutes. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines, and the proposal form itself can be found at www.ariss.org
Back on Earth, nets on the 6m and 2m bands take place throughout the week in EI. All are welcome to join in. Further information about these may be found on the VHF/UHF/SHF page on www.irts.ie
Contest Updates
The RSGB SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 19:30 to 22:30 UTC on Tuesday the 28th. All modes on the 13, 9, 6, and 3cm bands will be used. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator square.
The next UKIECC contest of the 2024-2025 series of 80m contests is on the following night, Wednesday the 29th of January 2025. It starts at 20:00 UTC using CW. The EI5G Bonus station will be operated by Ger EI5KF and the G5GEI bonus station will be operated by David G3PLE. Rules and further details are available at www.ukeicc.com
On Monday the 3rd of February, you can take part in the RSGB 3.5 MHz Club Championship Contest. It runs for ninety minutes starting at 20:00 UTC. They note a rule change for 2025 on a trial basis that permits the use of self-spotting. You can find out more about this contest at www.rsgbcc.org
High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program Update
The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting research activities from tomorrow January 27th through to the 31st of January. This involves transmitting signals into the ionosphere with power levels up to 3.6 megawatts from their transmit site in Alaska. Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.75 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions.
The signal bandwidth may be up to 46 kHz depending on which experiment is running. For SWLs using an actual or online software-defined receiver, the advice is to set your centre frequency to 6.35 MHz and use a bandwidth of 8 MHz. This will enable you to monitor the entire frequency band that will be used. For more up to date information, you can visit haarp.gi.alaska.edu.
Items for Inclusion in Next Week’s Radio News
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.ie for automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The deadline is midnight on Thursday.
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