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IRTS RADIO NEWS BULLETIN Sunday August 23rd 1998


VHF Openings

Conditions on the higher bands continue to provide great DX and all the regular DXers on both 2 and 6 metres have been very busy.

On Sunday last, August the 16th, Charlie EI5FK and Anthony EI2HY headed east from Cork city to activate IO61 square on 6 metres. They set up a few miles north of Ardmore in County Waterford and worked almost two hundred QSOs in about two hours in locator India Oscar 61 Charlie Xray.

Charlie has also been out and about activating WAI squares on 2 metres over the past few weeks.


Worked All Ireland

WAI and Island hunters should keep a listen for Paddy EI7GK and Declan EI4FCB who are planning to activate Inishturk Island off the Mayo Coast next week on 80, 20 and 2 metres.

The actual date depends on weather conditions so keep a listen on the WAI frequencies.

There are two WAI squares on the Island, L57 and L67 and it is planned to activate both on 3.680Mhz and 145.350Mhz.

These will be very important to anyone chasing the Worked All Ireland islands and the Worked All Mayo awards.


New DXCC Country

The ARRL Awards Committee has accepted a recommendation of the ARRL DX Advisory Committee to add Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands to the DXCC List. The addition will be effective with contacts made beginning 2359utc on 31st March 1998 and after.

The DXCC Desk will accept QSL cards for Temotu Province, prefix H40, beginning October 1st 1998. QSL cards received before that date will be returned without action.

Temotu Province includes the Santa Cruz, Reef, Duff and Vanikolo Island groups. They are located more than 356 kilometres from the main grouping of the Solomon Islands.


Rallies

The rally season as almost with us again and the next rally on the calender will be in Coleraine on Sunday September the 6th. This year they have a new venue at the Bohill Hotel and Country Club and the doors will open at 12 noon. Admission will be one pounds fifty pence and talk-in will be on S22, that is 145.550MHz. Further information from John MI0AAZ on the telephone at 01265-54930 or Johns E-mail address is John@mi0aaz.force9.co.uk.

Cork Radio Club will host their annual rally on Sunday September the 20th at their usual venue in the Blarney Park Hotel in Blarney just west of Cork City. Information on this one can be had from Con EI7DJB on 021-270136.

Fingal Radio Club will hold their Autumn Radio & Electronics Show in Jurys Hotel in Ballsbridge on Sunday October the 4th.


More Shipboard CW to be dropped

Reuter News reported recently that, as of February 1, 1999, all passenger ships and all cargo ships of 300 gross tons or more will no longer use Morse code for distress calls and will rely on the global satellite communications system that has all but taken its place under an international agreement.

The beginning of the end came in 1988, when an international treaty on safety and rescue at sea was amended to phase out Morse worldwide, beginning in 1992, in favour of the satellite-based Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.

US civilian ships dropped Morse for distress calls in 1995. Why conventional radio should be scrapped in favour of satellites is an often asked question.

According to the International Maritime Organisation, its drawbacks include, in the case of Morse, the need for years of training and practice. And, if something happened to the radio operator, it was unlikely that anyone else on board would be able to use the telegraphy equipment.

Reuters calls the telegraph "the information superhighway of the 19th century " but says that Morse is not dead yet, citing the US military and amateur radio as areas where Morse proficiency is still required.


DX News

Conditions on the HF bands have been quite good of late with a noticeable increase in signal strengths of some of the regular DX stations worked in EI. Here are a few stations to watch out for during the coming week.

JA3ART will be using the callsign 3W6JJ from Vietnam until Thursday next. He is active on all bands on CW, SSB and SSTV. QSL to PO Box 62, Sakyo Kyoto 606-8691, Japan.

SSTV fans should note that another DXpedition, a three man team using the call 3W6TV, will be on all bands until Wednesday. From Western Samoa, 5W0HP and 5W0BF will be active until September the 11th. They will operate all modes but it is reported that they will have a pactor station on either 14063 or 18014 kHz on around the clock.

The European Athletic Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary over the past few days, finishing Sunday the 23rd. No less than 13 special event stations, all with the prefix HA5, are active for the event and a free award is available if you manage to work 7 of the stations. Just send your QSLs for the stations worked to Box 383, Budapest 114, H-1537 Hungary.

Eddy VE3CUI will be active from Ocracoke Island, IOTA North America 067, during the coming week. The call will be VE3XZ/W4 and the emphasis will on CW. QSL to the home call.


Items for inclusion in the Radio News can be faxed to 021-632730 or passed on the telephone to Dave EI4BZ at 021- 632444 during the day and at 021-883555 in the evening.

Input for the Newsletter should be sent to Kevin EI7IM at QTHR or on 01-4509514 or on E-mail to EI7IM@tinet.ie All input to either the Radio News or the Newsletter can also be sent by e-mail to news@irts.ie

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