Just a brief update on things

I was CQing on 40 metres on Wednesday night while simultaneously broadcasting live on the internet via webcam on my QRZ.com page and also on UStream live. I pulled in about 50 contacts between 10pm and about 11.30pm. It was great fun. A total of 153 viewers stopped by to have a look at the station, with anything up to 15 at one given time viewing via the webcam. Thanks for all the contacts - I got a few new ones for 40m including 9H Malta, 7U Algeria and LX Luxemburg.



I took delivery of a Yaesu FT-897 yesterday (Thursday) to serve as my main 6 metre rig and also my secondary HF rig for the main shack. I haven't had much time to try it out, but did manage a quick test on 6 metres with Thos EI2JD and everything seems fine. I will give a further update hopefully over the weekend. The 897 gives 100w output on 6 metres and I already have a dipole for that band so hopefully there will be some openings over the weekend and I can let you all know how I get on.

Gerry, formerly EI3GWB, is now EI5KC following his passing of the morse exam at the recent Dundalk rally. Congratulations Gerry - delighted for you - and welcome to the KC club !!!

Darragh EI8IZ is now up and running on the HF bands thanks to an antenna installation by Tony EI4DIB - welcome to the HF bands Darragh and hope you get plenty of DX. He is also re-learning CW and hopes to make his first morse contacts this weekend. Best of luck with it.

Thos EI2JD is top of the pile on 6 metres for the EIs in terms of number of DXCCs worked. As of this moment in time he has worked 22 countries. I, on the other hand, am on a lowly five!! But I've only just started - give me time !!! Check our progress on the 6 metre marathon page.

Dundalk Amateur Radio Society (DARS) will be activating King John's Castle Carlingford, Co.Louth on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th May 2010. HF, VHF and UHF bands will be use during the weekend and WAI, EI counties and CASHOTA will be logged. Our callsign EI7DAR/P will be activated for the station.

DARS have been invited by the organizers of the Carlingford Oyster Festival to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the public. Carlingford will be a hive of activity over the weekend as "A taste of Carlingford" is taken place located in and around the Medieval Village of Carlingford. A Taste of Carlingford is a 2 day celebration of fine food and drink. Set in the idyllic surroundings of the Medieval village of Carlingford, all the restaurants, bars and café's will provide visitors to the village a taste of the wonderful range of cuisine on offer, in a veritable market place of little tents and stalls. Artisan food suppliers will provide further treats and colour.

Still no word on my stolen mobile antenna, the Watson Multi-Ranger 9, which was carefully screwed off the roof of my car some time between Monday night 11.30pm, May 10th and 12:30am, Tuesday May 11th. I have since replaced it with the Watson Multi-Ranger 200 which also covers 30m, 17m and 12m. If anyone has information about the stolen Watson, I can be contacted by email at hamradioireland (AT) gmail (DOT) com. Thanks.

That's all for now. Anything more and this would become an essay!!

73 and meet you on the bands,
de EI2KC.