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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday November 24th, 2024
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Silent Key Michael McNamara EI2CL

We regret to report the passing of Michael McNamara EI2CL on the 16th
of November 2024. Mike was a longtime member of the IRTS. He joined in
late 1965 and was assigned the SWL number EI-206. He was licensed as
EI2CL in May 1973. Over the years, Mike took an active part in the
society's affairs. He served as a committee member in the 1970s and was
instrumental in drawing up the rules of the Worked EI Counties Award in
the early 1980s. For many years, he was responsible for collecting and
sorting the incoming QSL cards and other correspondence from Box 462.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Joan, his daughter
Siobhan, his sons Eoin, Niall, and Cathal in addition to his
grandchildren, relatives, and friends.

Ar dheis DΘ go raibh a anam uasal.
__________________________________________________________________

News from the IRTS

The latest IRTS Committee meeting took place on Wednesday, November
13th. The meeting was well attended by committee, officers, and club
reps. Some items to come out of the meeting are as follows:

Club details: The committee is putting out a renewed call for clubs to
update their contact details with the society before the end of
November as we are undergoing our insurance renewal process and need to
include active clubs. The society website will then be updated to
reflect the current data. A renewal form can be found on the download
section of the website www.irts.ie/downloads

News call-ins: Following representations made to committee members and
with the good conditions we are currently experiencing on the bands, a
decision has been taken to amend the call-in sequence to all IRTS news
bulletins going forward. The change agreed was to prioritise those
stations that are operating mobile or portable from remote locations
i.e., away from your home QTH. All other stations will be taken by
number rotation, alternating high to low in weekly sequences with no
differentiation based on station power.

Youngsters on the Air (YOTA): December is an active month for YOTA,
Youngsters on the Air. A full list of participating stations can be
found on the website www.events.ham-yota.com The objective is to show
the amateur radio hobby to youth and to encourage youngsters to be
active on the ham radio waves. Feel free to make a QSO with the
youngsters, they are happy to get some attention and exchange
information. Licensed and unlicensed youth will be making QSOs, be
aware this could be their first radio contact ever and give them a
chance to experience a possible new hobby.

New membership: IRTS membership is on the rise with the addition of 47
new members thanks to the NSWLC and Class Hotel which started recently.
Of that seven are YLs and two are under the age of 18. We wish them all
the best of luck with their studies. This brings the total new
membership this year to 115, a welcome sign that our hobby is thriving.
Plans are underway to foster the YL community with now over 27 licenced
throughout Ireland, if any ladies would like to get involved, please
contact us at irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie.

The next IRTS Committee meeting: The next committee meeting will take
place on Wednesday, January 8th, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. on the Zoom
platform. All affiliated clubs are invited to send a representative.
Meeting details can be obtained by contacting the secretary in advance.
__________________________________________________________________

South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC

The November meeting of the EI2WRC group will take place tomorrow night
Monday, November 25th at 8 p.m. sharp at the South East Technological
University. Netlabs Research and Innovation Building, Carriganore,
Waterford. Eircode X91 WR86. All club members are asked to please
attend. As always anyone that has an interest in amateur radio or
communications in general is very welcome to come along. SWLs are in
particular very welcome to attend.

This year, the EI2WRC Christmas party night will take place on
Saturday, December 7th at 6.30 p.m. at the Marina Hotel, Canada Street,
Waterford, Eircode X91 PK2W. Dinner tickets must be prebooked and
tickets cost 35 euro per person. For more information or to book a
dinner ticket, please get in contact with Edwin EI2HEB at QTHR as soon
as possible please.

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. Planning for the event has begun and will continue to gain
speed over the coming weeks. For more information, go to searg.ie and
click on the IRTS AGM 2025 link. Hotel rooms are being booked at the
moment with quite a few taken already, so people who are planning on
attending are advised to book their hotel rooms as soon as possible to
guarantee having one for the weekend.

For more information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact
details, please see www.searg.ie
__________________________________________________________________

Update from South Dublin Radio Club

This year's South Dublin Radio Club Christmas party will take place on
Tuesday the 10th of December 2024 at 8 p.m. The venue will be the "The
Morgue" pub, Templeogue Village, Dublin. Members of other clubs and
visitors are as usual very welcome to this social event. Limited free
food will be available for paid-up members; visitors can choose from
the bar menu until 9 p.m. The club will then break for Christmas and
return on January 7th, 2025.
__________________________________________________________________

Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club

Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club is happy to report that the club had
a very successful Science Week. Various club members provided
presentations and practical demonstrations to over 300 primary and
secondary school students on different aspects of amateur radio. This
activity was conducted at the club station, callsign EI4SAM, at the
Shannon Aviation Museum and proved to be very popular.

In mirroring a general trend which has been increasingly noticeable,
students showed a particular interest in CW. As outreach to schools and
student groups is a critical aspect of the club's mission to promote
amateur radio, they have continued to facilitate visits to the station.
Over 100 transition year students recently attended and participated
actively in relevant activities. Their ongoing programme of investment
in equipment for the station has ensured that students can see amateur
radio in action in a state-of-the-art facility.

The club reports that their radio rally has been a perennial success
and has afforded members, other licensed amateurs, and SWLs alike, an
opportunity to meet in a congenial setting. Once again, their rally
will take place in 2025, and a date and venue are being finalised now.
Despite recent storm damage which has impacted their Hex Beam antenna,
their weekly Saturday activation of EI4SAM continues but with fewer
frequencies in play. The station is active from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with
the initial calling frequency of 7.123 MHz, plus or minus QRM. All
callers are welcome.
__________________________________________________________________

UKEICC 80m CW Contest

The next contest of the UKEICC series of 80m contests takes place next
Wednesday the 27th of November 2024 at 20:00 UTC using CW. There will
be no UKEICC contests in December, but the series continues in January
2025. The EI5G bonus station will be operated by Tim EI2KA and the
G5GEI bonus station will be operated by Mark G4MEM.
__________________________________________________________________

Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society Rally

The Lagan Valley Amateur Radio Society will be holding its annual rally
on the 1st of March 2025 at the Hillsborough Village Centre, 7
Ballynahinch Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6AR. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and
the rally ends at 1 p.m. Further details can be found at www.lvars.uk
__________________________________________________________________

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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