IRTS News for 12 February 1995

MIDLAND EXPERIMENTAL RADIO CLUB
-------------------------------
   the Midland Experimental Radio Club was re-activated last
November, and is now up and running with great interest from
its 20 members. The meetings take place on the 1st Tuesday
of each month, at 8.30 pm, in the Jolly Mariner, Athlone.
Elected officers for the year are: Chairman Noel Mulvihill
EI5HW, Secretary Tony Magliocco EI6DL, Treasurer Joe McEvoy
EI7HW.

   The members are already making plans to take part in NFD
and JOTA with a view to promoting radio and its uses in the
Midlands. The club will use the callsign EI5DU, and may even
go island-hopping on Lough Ree with the /P station during
the summer months. All are welcome to attend the meetings,
and if you live in the Midlands, or just happen to be in the
Athlone area on the 1st Tuesday of the month, do feel free
to drop along and meet the lads for a chat.

SOUTH DUBLIN ARC
----------------
   The AGM of SDR will take place on Tuesday 28th February
at the club's QTH at Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road,
Rathfarnham. All members are requested to attend. As well
as the election of a committee for the coming year the agenda
will include a discussion on club activities for the next
few months.

   It has already been decided by SDR members to activate
Co. Leitrim over St. Patrick's weekend. An exploratory visit
to Leitrim is planned for Saturday 25th February. If you are
in the area listen on 145.350 from 10.00 am onwards.

CARLOW AND DISTRICT ARG
-----------------------
   The AGM of the Carlow and district Group took place on
1st February in Carlow RTC, Kilkenny Road, Carlow.

   The Chairman, Jim Murphy EI8HA welcomed the members and
gave a detailed report of the last year's events. The outgoing
Secretary, Pat Hutton EI6HF, reported that five members had
obtained their 'B' licences in 1994. Ten members were due
to sit the theory examination on 10th February 1995, and
two were to sit the morse test on the same day. Membership
showed a continuing growth during the year with a healthy
influx of young blood, reflecting a growing interest in the
hobby from the public at large and from students in the RTC.

   Special thanks were expressed to the Dept. of Energy and
Communications, with special mention of Peggy Connolly, Eamon
Rossiter and Gerry Mulvin, who dealt so efficiently and patiently
with many requests for information over the last year. Thanks
were also expreesed to John Gallagher EI8BD, director of the
RTC and to the staff of the college for the use of the college
facilities by the club. It was hoped that there would be a
few more on-air activities planned for the club station EI2CRG
during the coming year.

   Meetings are held each Wdnesday at 8.30 pm in the RTC,
preceded by morse classes, which begin at 8.00 pm.

ST. PATRICK'S WEEKEND AND COUNTIES OPERATION
--------------------------------------------
   Interest seems to have dwindled in the securing of counties
for the WEIC award. The award is still available and the re-
quirements are simple. Basically a minimum of 20 counties
have to be worked from your own QTH, and an endorsement is 
available for working all twenty six. QSL card confirmation
is required when submitting the application for the award,
and the cards will be returned with the award.

   For a while there was a huge interest in obtaining this
award, but it would apppear that this is no longer so. If
one or two operators were to remain on air after the call-ins
following the news it might be possible to rekindle the activity,
and this would also encourage operators to activate some of
the rarer counties, making it possible for the newer licensees
to obtain the WEIC award.

   Traditionally St. Patrick's weekend has been an opportunity
to work a larger number of EI operators on the HF bands, and
has, in the past, been a great opportunity to pick up those
elusive counties. Perhaps a few clubs would like to co-ordinate
a /P activity in some of the rarer counties over this weekend.
If this is a possibility how about announcing your intentions
through the medium of the radio news over the next few weeks?
Kildare, Monaghan, Louth, Kilkenny, Sligo, Clare, Limerick,
Offaly, Laois and Carlow spring to mind as the rarer counties,
and it would be of great value if operation from them were
encouraged over the holiday weekend.

   If your group intends to operate from any of these counties,
please write into the radio news editor as soon as possible
to enable the publicity to get underway. 

ITEMS FOR INCLUSION
-------------------
   That concludes the bulletin for this week. Items for inclusion
in the radio news bulletins should be addressed to Steve
Wright, c/o Department of Pathology, Regional Hospital, Galway.
Fax messages may be sent to EI5DD at 091 24216. All such items
will be forwarded to Dave Moore EI4BZ for inclusion in the
printed news.

   Items for the printed newsletter only should be sent direct
to Dave at QTHr, or phoned to 021 632444 (daytime) or 021
883555 (evenings). Items may be sent by packet to EI4BZ at
EI7DKB-5, or by fax to 021 632730.




