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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday May 16th 2021.
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40 Metre News Broadcasts

At the IRTS Committee meeting on Saturday last, a vote of thanks was
passed to Joe Cosgrave EI6EG for his service as the newsreader on the
weekly 40 metre news bulletin over the past three years. Joe made his
final broadcast on Sunday last May 2nd. Band conditions have not been
good over the period and Joe is to be commended for his patience and
persistence every Sunday morning. We hope that Joe will still be heard
on the South Dublin Radio Club 40 metre net on 7.123MHz on Sunday
mornings starting at 0830 and running until news time at 1100.
Volunteer newsreaders for the 40 metres bulletin at 1100 on Sundays are
being sought and anyone interested in joining a rota is invited to
contact newsteam /at/ irts.ie.
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Radio Amateur Examination Closing Date

The Irish Radio Transmitters Society Examination Board has announced
1400 on Friday next May 21st as the closing date for anyone wishing to
sit the next Amateur Radio Station Examination. Examinations have not
been held in recent months due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on
travel and indoor gatherings. However, given the current positive
outlook, the Board hope to announce an examination date in mid-summer
in the not too distant future. All the details on how to make an
application for the examinations are available on the IRTS website on
www.irts.ie/exam
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EIØHQ in the 2021 IARU HF Championship

The contest manager is still looking for volunteers to operate EI0HQ on
some single bands in the IARU HF Championships on July 10th and 11th.
Operators in this contest must be in a position to forward a
Cabrillo-formatted log to the contest manager immediately after the
contest, as logs from all HQ Station ops will need to be merged prior
to uploading to ARRL within the 5-day load upload deadline. While some
slots have been filled, there are several available. Send your
expressions of interest to Contest Manager Joe Ryan EI7GY at
IRTS.contests /at/ gmail.com
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YOTA Contest

The first round of the Youngsters on the Air contest will be taking
place next weekend on 22nd of May, from 0800 to 1959 UTC, on bands 80m,
40m, 20m, 15m, 10m, CW and SSB. Ireland's youngest amateur, Ryan EI8KW
will be operating the EI0YOTA callsign from his home station. IRTS
Youth Officer Niall EI6HIB will also be active but under his own
callsign and Marty EI2IAB will be operating EI2SBC for the event. The
scoring of the contest is based on age, with younger operators being
worth more points. The full details can be found on
www.ham-yota.com/contest/ It will be an exciting contest and there will
be lots of youth on the air so get on the radio and welcome them to
this great hobby!
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IRTS News Resumes on the Galway DMR Network

Steve, EI5DD, will resume reading the IRTS news via the Galway DMR
Repeater Network on Sunday the 23rd of May at 8pm via Talk Group 8, the
local Cluster on Time Slot 2. All four of the Galway Repeaters will
broadcast the news simultaneously via the Cluster. Those outside the
coverage of the Galway DMR Repeater Network may access the DMR News via
Talk Group 27255 if using a hotspot or via another DMR Repeater
network. A reminder that the Analog FM news continues to be broadcast
on the Galway Analog Repeater, 145.625MHz, at 9pm following the DMR
News. All reception reports are appreciated and welcomed following the
news where a brief net generally follows.
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Direct QSLing to cost more from May 27th

The cost of mailing QSL cards is going to get more expensive from May
27th when An Post increase postal rates. Mailing to EI and GI is
increasing from the current one euro to one euro and ten cents and the
overseas rate is going from one euro and seventy cents to two euro.
Existing 'N' and `W' stamps will still be acceptable under the new
rates. At the time of writing, two euro was the equivalent of 2.4 US
Dollars. There will also be no increase in charges for sending
Registered Mail, large envelopes and packets within Ireland.
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EI2DKH 144MHz two-way Trans-Atlantic Beacon operated by EI8JK, Tony Baldwin

The 144MHz two-way Trans-Atlantic Beacon operated by EI8JK, Tony
Baldwin is now on the air from Kilcrohane, Sheep's Head, Co. Cork,
Ireland in locator square. IO51dn. The beacon transmits on 144.488MHz
every even minute on Q65 with CW ident at the end and listens for
replies from across the Atlantic (and elsewhere) on 144.120MHz every
odd minute. The beacon equipment consists of 2 by five element LFA-Q
antennas (22.24dBi) that are beaming due West. The beacon transmits
with a power of 50 watts. The software and control system is Joe Taylor
K1JT's WSJT Q65 software. On the other side of the Atlantic, the beacon
VO1FN at St. John's, Newfoundland is currently in receive mode and
listening for EI2DKH using 2 by 5 element InnovAntenna Quad antennas
with the spacing optimised by Justin G0KSC at 1.8 metres to provide
stability of the installation.
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GB0AEL to Commemorate Trans-Atlantic Flight

The North West Group Amateur Radio Club in Derry is commemorating the
89th anniversary of the first woman flying solo across the Atlantic by
holding a Special Event Station on Friday 21st May. This will be held
at the landing site used by Amelia Earhart which is just outside of the
City of Derry. It is planned to link-up the mayors of the City of Derry
and Strabane Council and the Conception Bay area in Newfoundland where
Amelia set off from. They will be active on 80 to 10 metres on CW, SSB,
data modes and DMR. The callsign which is GB0AEL will be activated by
club members from Saturday 15th May. For further news and updates, see
www.qrz.com
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On the Air next week

The RSGB 80m Club Championship on Data modes runs from 1900z to 2030z
on Wednesday next the 19th. As mentioned earlier in the bulletin the
Youngsters on the Air contest runs next Saturday from 0800 to 1959z.
The EU PSK DX Contest run by the European PSK DX Club runs for 24 hours
from 1200z on Saturday the 22nd. The 57th Baltic Contest on CW and SSB
starts on Saturday next the 22nd at 2100 and finishes at 0200 on Sunday
23rd. Frequencies allowed are 3510 to 3600 kHz on CW and 3600 to 3750
kHz on SSB. Stations in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania work everybody
else and the exchange is report and serial number.

DX news Members of the Korean Amateur Radio League are using the
special callsign HL41GDM to mark the 41st anniversary of the Democratic
Uprising in South Korea, which occurred between May 18th and 27th in
1980. Operators will be calling on all bands and modes until May 31st.
QSL via HL4CCM, direct, by the Bureau, ClubLog, or eQSL.

Special call sign PD21EUROSONG is QRV from the Netherlands until May 22
to celebrate the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest being held
in Rotterdam. QSL via bureau. Ian, ZS6JSI is QRV as TY5AB from Benin.
Activity has been on 20 meters using FT8. QSL to home call.

Adrien, F4IHM, is expected to be back on the air again as 5UAIHM from
Niger between May 10th and June 15th. Activity will be limited, but on
40/20 meters CW/SSB (watch around 1700z). QSL via F4IHM, direct or
buro. Look for SV9/DD1GG, holiday-style, low power, during May 15th to
24th. QRV on 40 to 10 metres, SSB & FT8.
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5MHz Newsletter

The latest edition of the 5 MHz Newsletter (No 26 - Spring 2021) is now
available for free pdf download from the `External Links' section of
the Wikipedia 60 metre band page or the RSGB 5 MHz page. This edition
includes 5 MHz current news from Uzbekistan, Austria, South Africa and
Israel plus a list of the 80 countries now on the band. There is also a
list of websites relating to the 5MHz band. The editor of the 5MHz
newsletter is Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, QTHR. E-Mail: g4mwo at arrl.ne
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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.

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